Liten Vampyr

Chapter 8 - Running Out Of Time

Father and I are awoken by the seagulls squawking, as they fight for scraps of food and terrorise people with their early morning cries.

'It must be rough out to sea, to bring them inland,' he sighs.

I grunt, aching from another night sleeping in the chair, with the little sleep I've had now being disturbed. I pull my cover-up, trying to ignore them and life for just a minute more.

'Ahh, Oscar, don't be like that. They are just doing what comes naturally to them.'

'What?' I mumble, 'Waking everyone at ungodly hours?'

'Or maybe they have seen what a wonderful new day it is and wish to share it with us, so they've woken us all up.'

'Maybe they are just flying little shits,' I snap back.

He laughs at my grumpy disposition. 'Maybe'.

********************

Today, the nurse comes. Their job is simply to keep Dad as comfortable as he can be.

We discuss his meds, how he's eating and drinking, and the option of hospice- to which he scoffs, 'I will die in my own bed, thank you'.

The nurse takes me aside out of earshot of Dad; she is a tiny little woman with wispy curly hair and a kind round face, her voice soothing and calm. I wouldn't imagine such tranquillity comes from years of seeing and dealing with the heartbreak that is cancer ravage is way through families.

'Oscar, I know you will probably know this but your Dad's time is running out, now is the time to prepare yourself for what comes next. We will do our best to keep him comfortable and try to control the pain'.

I nod. I know this, but I still can't say the words or truly believe it, because then I will have given up hope. Hope is all that keeps me going.

As she says her goodbyes to dad and collects up her bits a thought so inconceivable drips into my mind...

Liten vampyr blood that she had dropped into dads mouth as his fever had taken hold, had done what al the doctors and nurses couldn't. What would more of her blood do? Could it possibly save him from the painful death that awaits him, could it save him?

Like lighting in a bottle the idea flashes light and new hope in my tiered withered brain, the monster at the door had already entered why not use her to our benefit, whatever the risk, I was willing to take it, what choice do we have.

The day rolls on as many have before. Mindlessly, we chat, breaking up the endless hours.

I know now is my only chance to broach the subject of my Father's 'Liten Vampyr' and her being the only possible way of his survival.

'Dad, tonight when she comes again, I think we should ask a favour of your friend.' The word 'friend' sticks in my throat, describing my father's little monster.

'What favour do you need of her?' he questions.

'Not me.... you. Dad, I saw how her blood healed you when the fever took hold, maybe with more blood she could heal you. Or at the very least, keep the cancer at bay.'

He pulls himself up, his usually cheerful face burrowed at his brows.' No, Oscar, you don't understand what you're asking.'

I sit on his bed, hoping my sincerity and desperation will win him over. 'I'm asking her to save you as you saved her. Is that really too much?'

He softens, seeing the heartbreak crack and leak through my words. He takes my hand, and with the little strength he has left he tightens his grip. 'No Oscar, I would become like her. I don't want that, I've seen how what she is has tortured her mind and pushed her to the edge'.

'But dad....'

'OSCAR!' He shouts, 'Please do not ask this of me again.'

Anger boils up and tears away at my insides, why will he not fight to survive. If not for himself but for me!

'Give me a reason why not to, a good reason, she could be your only hope and your willing to let it pass'.

He slumps on the bed as if all the stuffing had been knocked out of him 'She had that curse thrust upon her Lilla du, it has hung heavy overhead' he takes a large breath to steady himself for what he needs to say 'She was set upon by a group of local men from her village, her cursed beauty pulled in the vile beasts, they took it in turns to rape and beat her, then left her dying body in the fields for crows to peck out, when evening came and no one had found her she prepared herself to close her eyes for the final time and drift away into death but it wasn't to be, her fresh spilt blood had drawn in a female Vampyr. She begged the beast to kill her quickly or to leave her to die but the Vampyr had other ideas, she turned her and left her with only a few parting words before she disappeared into the shadows of the night 'avenge yourself Liten Vampyr, blood for blood'.

I lower my head 'I'm sorry this happened to her but dad.....'

'Oscar that is not the worst part, what the Vampyr had not informed her of was that the bloodlust was so uncontrollable in the first years- she went back to her village and she exacted her revenge on those men every single one, she tore them limb from limb and drank them dry but it didn't stop there she killed every man, woman and child in her village....even her own family. When the bloodlust surpassed she was sent crazy with her own actions of guilt and the realisation of the monster she had become'.

His voice lowers 'would you want that to happen to me'.

I shake my head, knowing no words can do justice what I've just been told.

'Please don't mention this again Oscar'.

I agree to not speak to him about this matter again, I can see he's exhausted from reliving memories that have been long since buried but I know if he won't save himself, I will have to do it.

Liten Vampyr could help me, help him control his blood lust, it doesn't have to be the same as it was for her, she was left all on her own. He wouldn't be.

He would have us.