Blood and Tears

February 14th 1631

February 14th 1631

Malachi stared into his wardrobe thoughtfully, clothes meant little to him, they served no real purpose other than to preserve what little modesty he had left. However beneath his pale skin, his dark blue spidery veins could be seen indicating his hunger. Grabbing an unsightly orange shirt, he hoped to counteract the blue of his veins. He pulled it over his head.

Malachi stared at himself in the mirror, the shirt had been a gift from Ebony's father and he had been too polite to say that he didn't care for it. However the orange soften the blues, and the frills around the collar tickled the underneath of his chin hiding the worst of the exposed veins. They hid his undeniable hunger. The rest of his outfit, he put together rather carelessly, his mind was elsewhere.

He'd had a terrible toothache that had started a few days ago, and had been studiously ignoring. There was a thirst in his throat as well, burning from all sides and every time he opened his mouth he could feel it. The itch in his throat that begged to be satisfied. He ignored it though, the urge to feed.

Bounding down the stairs, he winced at the noise. Sometime in the night a headache had also begun to pound in his head, another sign of his hunger. Making his way into the dining room, he found Ebony finishing up her dinner, a book laid out in front of her.

A smile on his face, he deliberately stepped on the floorboard that creaked to alert her to his presence. A bright smile stole across her face, her eyes crinkling in the corners. "You're up," she said brightly, marking her page, and then closing the book.

Malachi only smiled in response, pulling her close and pressing his mouth to hers. He broke away smiling, "I was thinking that we could go on a moonlight walk, they say that the woods are spectacular at night, full of savages and beasties."

Ebony laughed her face glowing, making Malachi smiling. "That sounds wonderful," she said twirling her hair around her finger. Malachi's heart dropped, "but I am tired, I must rest tonight."

Malachi nodded in understanding, pulling away from her and making his way into the cool night air. He slowly meandered down the path that lead to the woods behind their homely cottage, when he heard the front door slam open and Ebony ran out.

"Mal, wait." She said, clutching at her skirts. "You know I love you, right?" She asked uncertainty clouding her voice. He stared at her, feeling slightly bitter. He'd moved them to the colonies to reignite Ebony's youthful flames, but she was as tired as ever. He felt like he was fighting a losing battle. "Of course," he whispered.

"You do not seem so sure anymore."

"Ebony, its nothing really. I understand. You are tired, just as you should be after a long day."

"No, it is not nothing." She persisted, "You can tell me what is bothering you, Mal. I am your wife and I will always love you, until death do us part."

He stared at her for a moment, and then turned away from her. How could he possibly begin to explain his feelings? It would only make them fight, and he couldn't fight, not that night. Not with his head pounding, and his pupils wide, and the animalistic hunger that came with both.

Not when a part of him, a part he tried to keep buried, wanted to sink his teeth into her soft skin and drain the life from her. He knew he needed to feed, and soon or he would take a life he would regret taking. Behind him, he could hear Ebony's ragged breaths, as she ran to catch up to him, then her squeal of terror as she tripped. Malachi was at her side in an instant, cradling her in his arms. "Are you hurt?"

"I do not think so," she said. "My hand stings a little, will you look at it for me? I think I will faint if there is any blood."

Malachi turned his attention to her hand, and froze. There was blood; he wasn't that surprised humans were such fragile creatures, and blood was blood no matter where it had come from. Blood was food. He felt his fangs snap out, his hunger overwhelming. The salty smell of Ebony's blood further igniting it, sparking it to life. He was a moth, and Ebony's blood was his flame. He was drawn to it by inexplicable forces. "Mal?" She asked her voice wavering.

He turned to her and hissed, his eyes wide and black like a shark's. She stared at him in horror, and tried to scrabble backwards on her hands, but only succeeded in cutting herself up even more. The smell of her blood was heavy in the air. "Mal, please." She said her eyes begging, begging him for something, anything. However in that moment he wasn't Malachi Davidson, he was a monster.

He pounced on her, his hunger stripping away the layers of pretence. Showing the feral monster that lurked beneath the surface. He pinned her to the ground, and sunk his teeth into her neck. She whimpered, but otherwise made no other sounds, as he tasted the fire in her veins.

His hunger receding as Ebony's blood filled his mouth, he felt comprehension dawn on him. He suddenly realised what he was doing, and he felt horror stricken, terrified. He pulled away, feeling Ebony's blood give him life and all his aches and pains dissipated. He felt sick. "Ebony, oh God, I am so sorry," he said barely concealing his hysterics, trying to place emphasis instead on his all consuming regret, she would forgive him, she always did. He gently caressed her cheek. "Ebony, please fix this. I know you can. Ebony, please."

However he was too late, she was ashen grey, and dead. "Ebony!" He cried opening the floodgates to those very hysterics, tears running down his face. He began to shake her, hoping she was playing some kind of sick joke. Punishing him for his mistake, teaching him to control the monster. "Ebony, please, please move."

She stayed motionless, and he felt something rise up inside him, something primitive and animalistic, but completely different to the monster inside him that drove him to prey on the innocent.

Malachi screamed in grief, she was gone.

"EBONY!"