The Shadows of Tragedy

Chapter 12

It was late at night when two men were working at a drug store. One of them was the manager of the store, a man in his late thirties or early forties who was counting the money in the register while swiping a few bills to keep for himself. The other was a much older employee, a man in his sixties who had a messed up leg so he had to use a cane but he was perfectly capable of stocking shelves which was what he was doing tonight. Unfortunately this older man tended to be a little clumsy from time to time and he ended up knocking over a shelf full of paper towels that he had been stocking.

"You idiot!" The manager shouted at him angrily.

"I'm sorry sir." The old man said scrabbling to pick up the fallen rolls of paper towels. "I'll put them back."

"God why the hell did my boss hire you?! You're such a useless piece of crap!"

"I really am sorry sir. I didn't mean-"

"Shut up! You're sorry?! I'll show you sorry!"

He shoved the old man the floor, grabbed his cane, and started to beat him with it.

"Stop sir! Please!" The old man pleaded. "Please!"

"Stop blubbering! It'll only make me hit you harder!"

"Don't! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Just stop! Please stop! Please!"

"What's the point of begging for your life? No one will miss you if you die anyway!"

No mercy. He beat that poor old man within an inch of his life and he would have done far worse if the lights had suddenly have gone out in the store. The lights were out and so were the video cameras and alarm systems. The manager dropped the cane and started to go check the fuse box but was stopped by hand gripping him by his throat and hoisting him up. The person who could not be seen due to how dark it was, was Gray who had just found the perfect late night snack.

"The money is the cash register!" He choked. "Take as much as you want!"

"I don't want your money." Gray said.

"You want drugs? They're not like the ones you'll find on the streets but they'll suit ya! I'll give you the key!"

"I don't do drugs."

"Then what do you want?"

Gray licked his fangs like a ravenous wolf who had just spotted a limping deer.

"Don't kill me!" The manager said. "Please don't kill me!"

"Begging for your life? How amusing." Gray chuckled sinisterly. "Just like how the man over there was begging for his? Did you stop when he did that?"

The manager made a look of pure horror when he realized where this was going.

"You pocket money from other employees and then beat them like they're mules. So just as you said, no one will miss you if you die anyway."

After that he bit into the manager's throat and drank up every last drop of blood that was in his body then dropped him once he was sure he was dead. After that he checked the old man's body for a pulse. He was unconscious but alive. However he needed a doctor. He dropped the man off at the nearest hospital while making sure that he wasn't seen then went back to decapitate the dead manager and burn his body. Once that was done he returned to the old house.

His beloved home. The place he had been born and raised in. How he had missed this wonderful estate. With the keys in hand, he unlocked the front door and stepped inside. A lot of the doors and windows were boarded up, the furniture was covered by tarps, and everything else was a dusty mess. But Gray was sure that with a little time and money he could restore the old place to the way it was almost two centuries ago.

The first thing he did was move his coffin into his old bedroom. The bedroom that he had slept in since age three had no windows or openings that would allow sunlight to peak in so it would be perfect for him now. Quietly, he and Natsu both moved the coffin from the mausoleum to the house and into the room.

"Thank you Natsu." Gray said handing him another gold coin. "Your help is very appreciated."

"You had a blood on your shirt when you came back." Natsu said.

"Yeah so?"

"Does that mean you...You...You..." He found it hard to finish his sentence.

"Killed somebody and drank their blood?" Gray finished. "Yes. Yes I did."

Natsu swallowed hard nervously.

"Do you really have to kill people Gray?"

"Yes. I don't have a choice. It's part of my curse."

"Your curse? What curse?"

"That's a story for another day. At the moment it's almost dawn so I'll be going to sleep now. You may do whatever you wish during the day but I will needed your assistance at night. You are not to bring anyone to this house without my permission and you are not to disturb me when I am resting unless it's an emergency is that clear?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now take this." Gray handed Natsu one of the keys.

"What is it?"

"It's the key to my brother's bedroom. It's yours now."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"My brother is dead, he won't use this room again and you sleep in a shack so it's only natural that I give it to you."

"Gee thanks."

"Now leave. I'm tired."

Natsu left the room and Gray got inside of his coffin. To be honest he hated it that he had to sleep during the day and be awake at night. He loathed the fact that he would never able to look or feel the sunlight again like he used to do. He remembered how one of his favorite things to do in the world was to take walks in the sunlight with his sister Wendy and his fiance Juliette. Now both of them were gone and he would never be able to feel the warmth of the sun again. He would never be able to see his own reflection again. He would never be able to survive on anything besides blood again. But worst of all he would never be able to see the ones he loved again.

He was immortal which meant he couldn't be reunited with his deceased loved ones in the afterlife. His loving parents, his loyal older brother, his devoted governess, his precious younger sister, and his beautiful lady love. All of them dead and gone while he was left here on earth alone and to live as a monster.

Gray had been quite disgusted with his first two victims but he was ten times more disgusted with himself. Disgusted with what he was and that he had to kill to sustain his body. This was a miserable existence that he wished would just end.

He had contemplated killing himself by running out into the sunlight so his miserable excuse for a body could burn up and turn to ash thus ending his misery but the curse prevented him from taking his own life so suicide was no option. If he was to ever be destroyed it would have to be by someone else's hand. He was foolish to think that he could expect his brother to destroy him. Of course Lyon wouldn't be able to do it. He was suffering through the grief of losing their father and sister and Gray just expected him to kill his only living relative? That is if you could even call Gray living.

He couldn't even classify himself as alive anymore. He wasn't living, he was just existing. He was a husk, a shell of what he used to be. A rabid dog that needed to be put down before he could kill anyone else. But at the moment there didn't seem to be anyone around willing to put him out of his misery so he would have to make the best of a difficult situation. Of course difficult situation was putting it lightly.

If he had to remain this way then he would at least put himself to good use of he could. He would use his vampire powers and abilities along with his access to his family fortune to help his struggling descendants in anyway he was able to. It wouldn't redeem him for the murders he had committed and would go on to commit but it was the only thing he could think of to do that would help him hold on to his humanity which was deteriorating with each passing day.

Gray closed the lid of the coffin over himself and fell asleep in the darkness.