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Forever Turned Part 2
It was faint. It didn’t happen visually, but the Vampire Count could sense a rippling of the matter. The child did
have the gift... the gift that could manipulate physical objects with one’s will! Regis knew few humans who carried the
ability, but it did happen. Regis’ father had said this line showed potential, but the Count had never thought his ancestor’s
vision would come about so soon!
“Meier..” The Vampire said calmly. “Remember when I told you the story of my Grandfather having a dream about
a young boy? The one who could create carriages with cloth?”
The young boy nodded, fascinated.
“We’ve been following your family line for generations. We’re looking for a human who can Transmutate Matter.”
Fascination turned to suspicion. The Count was always amused at how much the child could say with a simple frown.
“That’s when a Vampire can make things disappear like you can, right?” the boy said dubiously.
Regis nodded.
“You’re the first one in over three hundred years to show the ability.”
The child looked pleased, but the sad frown appeared again.
“But I didn’t DO anything!” He grumped.
The Count shook his head.
“No. I saw what you did. You didn’t make it move, but you have enough ability that it made the gauntlet ripple,
like...” He sighed, thinking. “... like you were shaking a sheet.” The description wasn’t accurate enough
for his tastes, but it would do. For now.
The child’s eyes were wide when looked up. “Does that mean I will be a Vampire, too?”
The Count burst into a fit of laughter.
“Perhaps! Perhaps! Every human my family has found who carries your gift is given the chance to become a Vampire.”
The young boy looked up, excited. His expression was as if he had found a kennel of puppies.
Regis shook his head, plotting how he would handle the situation. He ran his hand through his mess of hair, then nodded sharply
when he came to a decision.
“I will offer you the chance, but there are several considerations you must note. You don’t have to decide now.
You don’t have to decide tomorrow. You have one year to choose your fate.” The Count stared hard at the boy and
the child found himself looking away sheepishly.
“Will it hurt?” the child asked.
Regis nodded and he placed a hand on the child’s shoulder.
“In many ways it will. In other ways it will not. You will heal faster. You will be stronger. You will be able to run
faster. But you will be a creature of the night. You will live longer and your human friends will...” He stopped, suddenly
realizing how his words would affect a young human. He continued after a moment’s pause. “You won’t be able
to stay in the sun without burning, nor will you be able to live with your friends your entire lifetime.”
The child greeted Regis’ comment with a slight pout.
“Will I live forever?”
Regis sighed and leaned back on his hands. The child was being awfully considerate as he contemplated things!
“Not forever, but it will feel like it.”
“How old are you?” The child’s expression had softened. He was curious and the Count could sense the child
attempting to be realistic about the situation. Despite the boys tender age, he speculated like an adult.
Regis sighed and sat up, staring in the boy’s grey-blue eyes.
“I lost count centuries ago” he chuckled. “But I’m about a thousand years old.”
There was another moment’s pause. The young boy rubbed his Borzi’s stomach and the dog eagerly rolled to its side
to let the young human ruffle its velvet furred belly.
“Will the others play with me?” he asked. The Count sensed how the human’s voice was saturated with loneliness.
“Perhaps” the Count answered honestly. “If they don’t, I have some members of my own family that may be
willing to meet you.” The Count smiled slightly when he saw the young boy’s eagerness. “I didn’t tell
you about them before. I didn’t know how your family would have felt about you being raised as a human in Vampire culture.
We have different beliefs. Different ways of doing things. Our children are encouraged to have sex at a younger age. “
He lowered his head, apologetic. “I’m sorry for prolonging your misery. I didn’t want to overstep the boundaries
I was given.”
The young boy stared at the Count for several long moments. He finally nodded.
“Can I be a Vampire now?”
Regis looked up at the young boy, his red eyes assessing the slim boy’s bleached blond hair and pale blue eyes. The Vampire
was feeling critical of the situation.
“Are you sure? You’ll inherit my empathy if I Turn you.”
“That means you can read my thoughts, right?”
An understanding smile greeted the child.
“It’s similar. I know how you are feeling but I don’t know your thoughts.”
The child sat quietly, deeply contemplating. His concerns tinted his face like a fine watercolor wash. Regis knew the child’s
decision before he spoke.
“You still want to be a Vampire?”
“Yeah.”
Regis nodded intently and he stood up. His intention was amiable as he offered the child his pale hand.
“It’s best if we go to the temple. The Old One will want this commemorated.”
The child was overtaken by mild fear, but he trustingly took the Counts hand. He was surprised at how much life there was
in such a cold extremity. It was dry but chilled, as if it had been dipped in ice, despite the early evening’s warmth.
They walked past the gardens and the fountain that stood beside the Link Master House. The sun was about to set and the sky
was a brilliant red and orange as the night overtook the sky. The boy walked close to the Count, his eyes wide with doubt
and anticipation. Regis led carefully, offering the young boy a reassuring squeeze when he sensed the human child tremble.
He led them through the orchards to a little used gate at the back of the garden. The boy hesitated for a moment. He and his
sister had theorized that ghosts and mutants lay behind the door waiting to gobble up trespassers in one snap. He knew that
there was something the Vampires considered sacred behind the gate, but only now did the boy understand what it was.
The gate, when the Count pushed it, opened with a delicate squeak. Beyond it lay a small dirt path that wound between tall
rose bushes with brilliantly colored flowers. The boy eyed the roses with wonder. The colours almost glowed in the darkening
light. There were whites, yellows, blues and reds. In the distance he could see tall bushes with more roses, but the flowers
were so dark he could not see their color. The Count followed the child’s gaze and he stopped to point them out.
“Black Roses. A symbol of death and resurrection. Our graveyard is over there.”
The child drew in closer to the Count. It was instinctive as he felt a tinge of anxiety and he did not protest when the Count
led him on. They passed a bench where two lovers embraced each other in the heat of passion. The count’s eyes grew wild
with excitement as they passed them, unable to hide hide his mind from their preoccupation. Finally, the Count and child stopped
at the foot of an elegant gazebo.
Forever Turned, part 1
Forever Turned, part 3
Forever Turned, part 4
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