The Creature of the Night 1

Creature of the Night

Written by
Emma Nordlander

Thunder and lighting, not rare in these parts. A place with the brightest of days and the darkest of nights. This little kingdom was a paradise for the hardworking farmers and for the creatures of the night. Well, almost a paradise. A plague raged in the village, not a very strong plague though. Only a few people died in the end of every month. A King and a Queen had lived here for many years. They had a son, a young and handsome prince.

A tear rolled down his cheek. The prince sat on his bed in the dark and cold tower-room. A sadness he couldn't escape crept upon him and he leaned his head in his hands. So eager to live and yet so willing to die. Like a ghost he moved through the room trying to suffocate the craving that almost made him mad. He was a frustrated and tortured soul. There was a girl he loved. The most wonderful and beautiful girl there was. But he could never have her. He knew the consequences of love. Heartache, that was all it resulted in. An even greater sadness than death and suffering. No, he would not bring down her sparkling soul. But he watched her. He watched her while she was sleeping. A risky thing to do, but he couldn't resist her. She made his miserable existence bearable.

The King entered the bedroom. He walked up to his son and placed his hand on his shoulder.
- What is it son? Your mother is worried about you, and so am I. Why are you so troubled?
- Oh father. I'm lonely. No one understands me and I have no one to talk to. I have lost the taste for life and I hate myself for what I am. Oh, I just want to die.
- It's just an 'end of the month depression', you will feel better when you've been out and…
- No! I don't want to do it anymore, it's not right. We are evil, demons who fly around making people ill. We shouldn't be allowed to exist.
- Now what kind of talk is that, you should be proud of who and what you are. Tonight, after sunset, I want you to go down to the village and I don't want to see you back here until sunup. Do you understand me? the King shouted and slammed the door shut when he left.
- Why can't he understand that I don't belong here. I'm not at all like them, the prince said to himself when he could hear his father hurrying down the stairs. I have to get out of here, the prince thought and jumped up on the windowsill. He sat there and waited until the sun had disappeared behind the hills in the West. When the last glimpse of light had gone he stood up, spread his wings and flew out into the falling darkness.

The flapping of his own wings made him hungry. He landed at the town square, as far away from her window as possible. The square was deserted, as always this time of night. He could see people moving in the houses nearby. All afraid to be the next to fall for the plague. A scream filled the air, a mother's scream. The prince looked around to try to locate its origin. There, a dark shadow raised itself from a building a little further down the main street. It was the King.
- He always has to take the little ones, the prince thought desperately. He doesn't have mercy for anyone. Not even for a small child.

A rumble in his stomach reminded him of what he needed to do. He knew there was a home for the old nearby. Maybe he could find someone suitable there. The prince made his way to the window of an old man. He could see through the glass that this man was ill. He probably didn't have many years left to live anyway.
- Excuse me, sir! The prince spun around and saw a little girl standing behind him. I can't believe I didn't hear her coming, the prince thought.
- Yes, what is it child? the prince said and sat down on his heels beside the girl. She was pretty and full of life. She looked poor though and she had that look on her face as if she was going to beg him for money.
- I'm lost, the little girl said. I was just going out to feed the rabbits and then I saw a cat and I followed it and now I can't find my way back. Can you help me? I live in the small green house next to the butcher. I know that because my mother sends me there every day to sell chickens and I think the butcher really likes chickens. Do you like chickens?
When the child finally stopped for breath the prince had already taken the girl by her hand and now he led her towards the butcher's. Her hand felt warm in his cold hand. He squeezed it hard, maybe a little to hard for the girl but she said nothing. He looked down at her where she walked beside him. She looked so sweet and innocent with that blonde curly hair. Suddenly he was once again reminded of his hunger. His mouth began to water and he started breathing heavily. He quickened his pace as he could hear his father's voice in his head: 'Why fight something that is only natural? It's in your genes son, go for it. Make me proud'.
- No, no I'm not listening to you, the prince hissed out. I'm not like you. I would never… Then something in his subconsciousness took over his body. The prince took a quick look around and then he threw himself on the girl and buried his teeth in her throat. The moment he did it he regretted it. He started crying bitterly as he laid her lifeless body on the ground.
- I'm sorry, he whispered almost inaudibly. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it. I'm sorry.

He folded his wings in the air and landed smoothly on the balcony-rail. There she was, brushing her hair. He placed himself out of sight and started watching as she was getting ready for bed. Her golden hair glowed in the candlelight. She stood with her back towards the balcony-door and when she turned around the prince discovered that he wasn't the only one who had been crying. She had a black eye and a deep cut on her cheek. Her face was red and wet from tears. She was still sobbing a bit when she crawled into bed. The prince listened to her breathing as she fell asleep. When he was sure she was far away in the land of dreams he tiptoed into the room and knelt beside the bed. Even all red and swollen she was the most wonderful thing he had ever seen. The prince dried off the tears on her face with the back of his hand and then started telling her about his day. He often did that even though he knew that she couldn't hear him, or maybe she did listen in her dreams. He whispered so that he wouldn't disrupt her sleep. When he came to the part about the little girl he stopped and tears started to fill up his eyes again. He rose and kissed her forehead. It was time to leave. The prince was making his way towards the balcony-door as lightning struck. He stopped abruptly, turned around and found that she was now wide-awake. A pair of terrified eyes stared at him from across the room.

He was petrified, couldn't move, couldn't speak. Eyecontact for the very first time and it was all he had ever dreamed of. She filled his soul with life just by looking at him, like a burning flame running through his veins. She was just about to scream when the prince finally regained control of himself. He started stuttering out an explanation for being in her room but he was suddenly reminded of that his wings were all visible and he didn't have the slightest idea how to explain them. He tried to hide them with his cape but it was too late. The girl had already spotted them and was now, with her lips silently moving, pointing at them. The prince was a little embarrassed, as he had never let a mortal see his wings before. He rushed up to the bed and covered the girl's mouth before she had the chance to try to scream again. She looked like she'd seen a ghost and it broke his heart to see the true terror in her eyes.
- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you, the prince said unsteadily. Please don't scream. I won't hurt you. When the girl had stopped shaking the prince carefully removed his hand from her mouth.
- I guess there's no point in trying to justify my being in your room, so I might as well tell you the truth, the prince sighed and sat down on the bed beside the girl. He drove his hand through his raven-black hair, took a deep breath and tried to compose himself.
- I am, he whispered. He cleared his throat and started over. I am.. a vampire. You're probably to scared right now to fully understand. But I promise you, that I'm not the kind of vampire who kills in cold blood just to satisfy an undying hunger, the prince said softly and forced himself to look straight into the eyes of his terror-stricken love. As he did that a chill went up his spine. He started panting again and saliva was already dripping from his mouth. The thought of breaking the promise he just made was devastating. But that made no difference, the rumble in his stomach was back.

Quickly the prince backed away from the girl, afraid of what he might do if he stayed a moment longer. The girl was surprised by his reaction and her hand flew automatically up to her face only to find that the cut was bleeding again. The prince could smell the sweet scent of blood from across the room. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard.
- I can not give in. I can not give in, the prince started mumbling to himself.
The blood on her fingertips looked delicious and somehow the prince knew that his tries to close off his desires were futile. The prince lost himself to the evil demon inside of him and walked up to the girl again. He grabbed her arms and dragged her close. He licked the blood of her face while he pulled away the hair to expose her fragile neck. Then he stopped for a second, the prince's true character almost broke through the calm surface but a moment later it was gone again. Carefully the vampire punctured the girl's soft skin and slowly began to take her life. Just before her heart stopped beating the demon vanished in laughter and left the poor prince to take the consequences for his actions.
- I love you, the prince whispered in the dying young woman's ear when he realized what he had done. He held her close and gave her a gentle kiss as she with a rattle of death gave up her life.
- No! the prince screamed with desperation in his voice. Not her! Why did you have to take her? The prince's words were directed towards his father who was now hovering outside the window. The prince could feel the anger building up inside of him as his father replied:
- She's human, and you're not. She couldn't have loved you.
- She was never given the chance! the prince roared and flew outside to face his father.
The father was surprised to see his son so upset and was caught off guard when the prince attacked him. They both lost the wind under their wings and fell wrestling to the ground. The prince landed on top of his father who had been knocked unconscious. With no second thoughts the prince took a bite out of his father's neck. He could feel the blood soaring amidst his teeth as he drained the body for the fluid that makes the difference between life and death. What a wonderful feeling. He was free.

It had been the worst night of his life. He had killed what he loved and destroyed all trace of happiness in his life. But maybe all that was a necessity to finally realize what had to be done. It had been the night when he took revenge on his father. The one who had made him. The one who had created him to be - a Creature of the night.

Skriven av: Emma Nordlander