The Forgotten

Her feet crunched on the dewy grass as she made her way down the candle lit path. Trees blew with a light breeze whispering to the wind. Alana looked up at the stars and wished as hard as she could. I want immortality. She smiled, never expecting her prayer to be heard. She picked at the grass and threw clumps away from her. “Ruining grass, I see.”

Alana jumped at the sight of a tall dark man standing next to an old oak tree. He came into view and kneeled in front her huddled form. “Don’t be alarmed my dear, I heard you talking to the sky.” She questioned his words with her tightly pressed mouth.

“Who are you?”

“I am your answer.”

Alana lifted her head and her eyes sparkled in the moon light. Her red hair fiery beyond believe. He gasped at such beauty. She was perfect. He whispered in her ear, “I can grant your wish, Alana.” She gasped; she had not told him her name.

“How?”

“A simple prick and slight tingle.” He shrugged her amazement off with a shrug of his own, “Immortality.” Alana bit her lower lip trying to decide. She smiled at the thought of beauty forever. Shallow as she was and naive also, she considered death.

“Could I ever die?”

“Never. Nothing would kill you except the sun. That is a price you‘d have to live without.” Alana smiled and thought about it. She could handle that. What’s the sun got anyway? She nodded and looked at him with innocent green eyes.

His dead heart gave a shudder. Finally my torment will end. With the drop of blood she will stay young and beautiful forever but for a much higher price. She will walk the earth in search, in search for a new bearer of Satan’s burden and a hunger to build the tension. He cackled inside and made the deadly prick at the tip of her finger.

One, two, three drops of blood. Alana fell to her knees in pain. It crept up her spin and her head almost split in two from the intensity. She screamed; hearing nothing. She felt the cool hand of the man around her gaping mouth. It was her last breath of humanity. She exhaled and her eyes fluttered close. Nothing more human would ever pass through her lips again.

She opened her eyes a few moments later and inhaled sharply. It made no difference. She sat up and looked at her hands. They seemed to glimmer in the moon light. Her attention shifted to the movement next to the old oak tree. Alana narrowed her eyes and saw him standing just below the lowest branch.

His arms were crossed and a smile played at the corners of his lips, “Stupid girl.” He laughed, “Did you seriously consider your choice.” He waited for no answer and continued, “No? Just as I thought. Blind and stupid. I have given you my burden and you will forever search for a person to unburden your own. I am no longer tied. I can live peacefully” His smile stretched from ear to ear. Alana growled. She’d been tricked by Satan himself. She’d damned herself to the bloody pits of hell.

She stood and walked slowly over to him. Alana smiled and whispered, “You’re right, Demetri. But to live? I think not.” She smiled one last time and snapped his neck. He fell before her and she knelt next to his lifeless form. “Sorry.” Her voice held no remorse for such a vial creature. I will never subject anyone to the very ignorance I have shown tonight. I promise it so. She said to herself as the first morning rays peeked over the horizon. Alana shielded her eyes and went in search of darkness.

* Tara gasped for air; her lungs were on fire from the intense pain working its way throughout her entire body. She fell to her knees and tightly clutched her chest. This was the end; she could feel the hand of death creep up her spine. Her skin itched and she was forcibly held down by Daryn so that she couldn’t tear it apart with her nails. He whispered in her ear, “Hold on Tara. I promise you it‘s almost over.” Tara gasped again and felt her body convulse. “Someone get a damn doctor!”

Three nurses rushed in and pulled Daryn from Tara’s side. It took all three to hold her down on the bed. Daryn stood in the doorway while they administered drugs into her IV. He struggled to keep his composure; he couldn’t take the pain anymore. It was just too much to go through. Daryn walked down the white hallway to the elevator at the end. He rode down to the bottom floor and walked outside for some air. They weren’t allowed to open the windows in Tara’s room; too many germs in the air and it would cause her breathing problems.

He sat down on a bench at the small park across the street from the hospital. It was his only way of finding any sanity in this world. He rubbed his eyes and held his head in his hands. Daryn cried, regardless of all the work he put in trying not to. He played with the dark blue buckle that held his coat closed; it was so old and ratty that he cried even more because of Tara’s hospital bills adding up. Daryn reached the point where he could no longer cry. He lifted his head and saw a young woman staring at him.

She apologetically smiled and walked further along the path. Daryn wiped his eyes and watched the sun slowly set until it was a small thumb nail sitting on the horizon. Daryn paid one last visit to Tara before walking home. She was sound asleep in her white bed.

He covered her arms and kissed her forehead, “I‘ll be here tomorrow honey.” He smiled. Tara slowly came to and looked up at Daryn; love danced in her sullen eyes.

“You thought I‘d give up that easily?” She rasped and rolled her eyes, “Ha.” Tara coughed and Daryn painfully watched her tiny form hack and gag with the force of breaking his beloved. He lightly touched her hand and Tara flinched. He quickly withdrew his hand and sat by her bed.

“Never dear.” He smiled but she watched it stop at his lips; it never seemed to touch his eyes anymore. Tara took his hand and refrained her instant jerk of pain. His hand felt warm in her cold hands. She sighed at all the purple bruises left by IV’s on the top of her hand.

Daryn watched her for any sign of pain that he might accidentally cause. He smiled again and quietly spoke in her ear, “Today I dropped one of those gross fruit cups on a nurse and she dropped her sandwich on another nurse. The funny part,” he held up one finger and turned to snort, “She turned and tripped, landing face first in the crouch of a male doctor.” Tara tried laughing but her laugh was raspy and more of a cough then a laugh. Daryn rubbed her brow with a washcloth and kissed her on the cheek.

Tara weakly smiled, “Ah, now get out of here before they confine you to a bed.” Daryn smiled and walked to the door.

“I love you.”

Tara’s eyes lit up and she quietly whispered, “I love you too.” Daryn tapped the tan door and lowered the lighting in her room. He kissed her one last time and whispered in her ear, “I already miss you.” Tara smiled and waved him away. Daryn closed the door behind him and proceeded to the elevator.

* He dug his hands into his pockets and made his way up the street. The orange glow from the street lamps overhead made the night seem darker.

Daryn shivered and pulled his coat closer around his waist. He felt like there was something lurking just beyond the shadows and it made him walk even faster. He cut across the street and turned down a small alley that was a short cut home. He was scared and when his house came into view Daryn’s fear seemed to disintegrate. He walked slower and watched the shadows jump and dance around him.

Suddenly the air was knocked from his lungs. He was thrown up against the brick walls of the alley and his body was lifted from the ground by a powerful hand. Daryn’s mouth was covered just before a scream erupted from his lungs. “If you don‘t move then I‘ll make this painless, I promise you.” The hands dropped Daryn to the ground and he struggled to the mouth of the alley.

He looked up and saw his tormentor standing before him at the end of the alley tapping her shoe on the ground. Daryn noticed the attire of his tormentor. She stood there dressed in a dark red cloak with a black tie keeping the hood from falling past her shoulders. “It’s not so easy to escape from me.” Daryn’s skin rippled with sweat and his feet felt like cement.

“What d-do you w-want?” He nervously stuttered.

“I want your life.” She replied calmly. Daryn started hyperventilating and searching for an escape route. She let him run to the end of the alley and sighed.

Daryn reached the alley corner and almost cried for joy, no killer! His hopes were smashed as a hand wrapped around his neck and pulled him back into the alley. Daryn was trapped, he was going to die. “Please-se!” Daryn struggled to speak. She loosened her grip and let him speak. “I‘ll give you anything you want! Please just don‘t kill me!”

She laughed and threw him away. “There‘s only one thing I want and I intend on taking it before you test my compassion.” She dropped her hood and pulled Daryn towards her. Daryn was stunned by her youth and awed by her beauty. She was the same woman earlier from the park! “Please don’t move. I don‘t enjoy this.” Her voice compassionately cried in his ear, “I have to and I‘m sorry.” Daryn’s eyes widened as her head lowered to his neck.

There was a sharp pain in his neck and she jerked his neck slightly. The pain dulled and Daryn started feeling dizzy. The alley started spinning and his vision grew worse. She pulled back her head and shuddered. Daryn fell from her grip and tried to lift himself but failed, “What the hell are you?” She remembered his presence and laughed.

“I’m in your debt, that‘s what I am.” She lifted Daryn from the ground and wrapped the cloak around him. She carried him down the alley and across the street.

“Are you going to kill me?” Daryn stuttered. She shrilly laughed and opened his door without the key that he had tucked in his pocket.

“Heavens no, Daryn.” He shifted his attention to his living room and remembered his day of hell.

He frowned and slowly looked up at her, “How do you know my name?”

“I know a lot about you actually.” She dropped Daryn on the couch and lifted her cloak from his form. “So I owe you a favor. What will it be?”

Daryn pulled his body into a sitting position and it almost made him collapse in pain. He thought of his dying wife and this mysterious woman sitting in his living room. “What are you?”

She sighed and flicked across the room stopping just short of his face. “What do you think I am?” He gasped and fell against the couch in fear.

“A b***h!”

She nodded slightly, denying nothing and laughed. “Hardly. I know it‘s hard to believe.” She waved her arm for theatrical purposes, “I‘m a creature of the night, the hunter of dusk, and the creator of twilight. My name is Alana.” Alana? He thought it was a lovely name, even though she was cruel. “So what’ll be? Anything you want my dear.”

He rose and stood before her with one finger stretched out. “I’m not your dear. So please don’t call me any endearing terms.” She raised her hands in defense and crossed her legs.

“So any ideas, Daryn?” She intentionally enhanced his name with a smile.

“Can I have anything?” He whispered shyly.

“Anything.”

He thought of Tara laying in that stiff hospital bed clinging to dear life. How he wished to save her; he would give anything… even his life to save hers. “I want you to save my wife.” Alana thought it over and wished she’d been a bit more specific. Should she save his wife? It meant breaking her solemn oath to herself all the years before. Her past was so full of bloodshed that anything she did that was remotely good wouldn’t save her soul from the damned bowels of hell.

“What makes you think that I can save her?” She smiled, one eyebrow raised.

“I know you’re not human and until tonight I never believed in such stories. But this is the only chance I have to save my wife. I love her and I want her to have the life she should’ve had.” Tears streamed down his cheeks and he hid his face from view; embarrassment burning his cheeks. “Please? You asked what I wanted and that is what I want.”

“You need to think of what she wants?”

“I know she wants! She wants to live!” He screamed and his tears ran more freely.

Alana sighed and clearly spoke, “I will save her but I want you know one thing. She might not be what you expected or hoped. I can reverse the damage of cancer but she might not be happy about what it makes her.” Alana walked to the window and peeked out the curtain, “I will be back in one day same time, and in that time that I give you I want you to consider your request. Just think, Daryn. Think about it.” Alana disappeared and Daryn collapsed on the couch, fatigue washing over him.

Alana watched him from a window. Poor man, he doesn’t comprehend what’s he’s asking. Alana wrapped her cloak over her small form and walked down the street towards the hospital. They always made her quite nervous with their bloody smell. She could sense even the tiniest drop of the stuff.

Alana signed herself in as a visitor and walked the halls in search of Daryn’s wife. It wasn’t hard to find her. At the end of a long hall was a room bustling with activity. Doctors and nurses ran in and out with equipment. She could hear the sounds of emergency monitors ringing and the small sound of a pain-staked woman. Alana casually walked to her room and slipped inside. No one even noticed her. She was a shadow and unimportant.

Alana overlooked the scene and knew that the woman was very close to the end of her life. She lay there in a small heap covered in white and surrounded by monitors. Every cavity she had was filled with some form of a tube and it connected to various machines. Alana frowned, she was in such pain. She almost wanted to end the woman suffering, but if it hadn’t been for Daryn’s request she would have in heartbeat.

It was cruel to keep her clinging to life with no hope of recovery. She stood there until everybody left the poor woman alone. Alana stepped from the shadows and watched her eyes widen in fear. Her heart rate raised and Alana calmed her down with a finger. “Hello.”

“Who are you and…” She moved slightly, her thin arms shaking under the weight of her form, “What do you want?”

“Nothing. I’m just here observing.”

She rolled her eyes, “I’m not dumb. I know every damn person who works here and you’re not a newbie. I’d know.” Alana smiled; she was cocky for such a frail woman! “There’s nothing else to observe, I’m going to die soon and I wish to do it in peace. So would you mind leaving?”

Alana stood at the door and bowed, “Certainly. I wouldn’t want any company either, even in this dismal place.” She turned to leave; a smile crept up her face and she could here the slight gulp of her new hospital buddy.

“Come back. You’re right; it does get terribly lonely here. Please sit down with me.” Alana took the seat beside her bed and crossed her legs, “My name is Tara.”

“I’m Alana. Pleased to meet you Tara.” She stretched her hand but Tara didn’t shake it. Alana understood and dropped her hand to her lap. “So Tara… how’s life?” She smiled and rolled her eyes.

Tara laughed, “It’s the best! Bland mornings of what they call breakfast, no sun light because it might mess up my meds, and my daily pills administered. Lord knows it makes my day.” Her smile was big and her words filled the corners of her small room. For such a small woman she was chalk full of sarcasm. Alana liked her already. She could see why Daryn wanted her to live but it was still no reason to prolong the inevitable.

“I see. I have a skin condition that prohibits me from even seeing the sun. I’ll die. But other than my problems…I’m curious. If you could wish for anything in the world, what would it be?” Alana studied Tara’s movement and figured that she’d had cancer for a long time now.

Tara raised her bed into a sitting position and glared, “What is this, Make a Wish Foundation? I already told you people I want nothing.” Alana laughed and ran her fingers threw her red hair.

“Hardly. I’m not from the “Make a Wish Foundation.” But I see your point; it did come off as cheesy.” Alana leaned forward, “Seriously if you could have anything what would it be?” She looked into Tara’s soul, making her see the seriousness of what she was asking.

“I guess if I could ask for anything it’d be to make sure my husband was happy. I know he’s not. Every time I see him he treats everything around me with too much care. Like if he breaks something I might die. It’s quite sad really. I just want him to be happy.”

Alana nodded and whispered to Tara, “I want that too. I’d expect nothing more.” Alana stood and walked towards the door, “It was a pleasure meeting you Tara. I’ll be returning sooner than you want, that’s a promise.” She smiled and pointed at Tara, “Stay strong.” Alana left Tara starring at her ceiling confused and lonelier than before.

***

Daryn woke with a huge headache, it burned right behind his eyes and he didn’t bother looking for any aspirin. He made his way back to the hospital. He avoided the alley where he’d come across Alana and walked back to the hospital. He took the elevator to the second floor and walked briskly down the hall. He smiled when he saw Tara; she seemed smaller than usual but in his eyes she more beautiful then ever before.

“Tara, honey?”

Tara looked up from her bed and smiled at Daryn’s happy face. “I have an amazing story to tell you. I met a real vampire!” Tara's raspy laughed made him hesitate before telling her the entire story. Tara sat there quietly, listening.

“What did you ask for?”

“Well that’s something I wanted to talk to you about. I asked her to save you, Tara.” Tara smiled but it didn’t touch her eyes.

“Daryn I’m going to die whether you save me now or not either way I’ll die later. There’s really no way getting around it, honey. I’m sorry.” Daryn pushed back tears and held her hand. He didn’t say anything for several minutes.

“But she can help us.” He could no longer hold back his tears, “I don’t want you to die. She can help us, please just let her help us.”

“Daryn I don’t think I can last much longer. I don’t want to; I’m tired and sick of being sick.” Daryn head fell to her side and cried worse than he ever had. Tara calmly petted his head and fell asleep next to him. Daryn laid there staring off into space. There wasn’t much time left; she’d be coming soon and then he’d have to explain. Daryn frowned; he didn’t understand why she didn’t have the will to live anymore. It tore him up inside that she’d ever choose to willingly leave him.

Daryn rose and walked home. Alana would be there soon and he had to think of what he was going to say. He sat on the couch and watched TV, nothing satisfying him. He was tired of constantly fearing the worst for Tara. Maybe it’s for the best, maybe I should just let go. He picked up a TV guide and threw it across the room.

Alana caught it with one hand and laughed, “All TV isn’t bad. What did the guide ever do to you?” She tossed it aside and asked, “So let’s go.”

“I thought about it and talked to her…she doesn’t want to live anymore.” He hung his head at his next words, “She wants to leave me. To die.”

Alana sat down next to him and gave him a comforting pat on the back, “I also talked to her. She just wants you to be happy.”

“Having her will make me happy.” He shook from hyperventilating, “I want her! Why is that so bad?”

“It isn’t, but you must respect her wishes. Tell her that having her forever would make you happy. I’m not trying to push this but I’m not entirely comfortable granting this request, so I’d like to end this or begin it so to speak.” She lifted Daryn to his feet and they went to the hospital together.

* He quietly knocked on her door, “Don’t even bother trying to feed me more of that s**t you call food!” Tara yelled. Daryn shyly walked in and left Alana in the hall for a minute.

“Honey?”

“Oh thank heavens it’s only you.” Tara glared at the ceiling, “I yelled at a nurse for trying to poison me with crappy food. She cried.” Tara smiled at her own behavior, “What’s wrong Daryn?” He pointed to himself, “Yes you!”

“Well I have someone who wants to see you.”

He noticed the IV drops falling pretty fast so he figured she mustn’t feel any pain because of the drugs they had running threw her veins. “Bring ‘em in.” She waved her arm around wildly.

Alana stepped in and sat down at the foot of Tara’s bed. “Back again, I see.” Tara fell to her pillow and sighed.

Alana nodded and looked for Daryn to begin. “Tara, honey. I love you and I never want to loose you.” Tara’s eyes started to water, “Please just hear me out, ok?”

Tara nodded and choked, “I love you too. I know why you’re here and I have been thinking about it. I want to live but I just don’t know if I have the will to live.”

Alana rose to her feet, “For this to work you need to die regardless of living forever.”

“Will I look younger and healthy?” Alana nodded and took Tara’s hand.

“I’ll just add a couple drops of my blood into your IV and you’ll die. It’ll take about ten minutes and then you’ll return.”

Tara looked up at Daryn tears filling her eyes. “I’m scared!” She mouthed. Daryn nodded and whispered, “Me too honey.” Daryn glanced at Alana and a thought came to mind, “Will she stay young forever while I grow old?”

Alana solemnly spoke, “Yes.”

“Would it be possible if I could… also?” Alana thought about it and shook her head. No. Alana felt bad for the lovers but this transport of blood would leave her feeling drained.

“Honey I’m sorry but I refuse to do it without you. I don’t want to watch you grow old and die… without me. I don’t want to be left behind.” Tara felt her body shudder. She just shrugged it off as the chills. “I’m sorry Daryn. I love you and I always will, but no.” Tara’s skin felt like it was burning. “Honey I don’t think I have much longer.” She whispered though blurry eyes, “I love you”

“No! Tara please don’t leave me, I love you.”

Her eyes rolled in the back of her head and she started to convulse uncontrollably. Alana came up behind Daryn and urged him forward. “This is the last time you’ll ever see her. Comfort her Daryn.” Daryn cried and shook from the pain. “She’d want it this way.”

A nurse knocked on the door. Alana went outside with her and explained that it was the end; it was her time to go. The nurse understood and left them be. Alana opened the door slightly, “I’m no longer needed I’ll just be going.”

“Please stay with me. I need you to be here with me.” Alana stayed against her better judgment and watched silently from one corner of the room. Daryn held his love in his arms and calmed her convulsions. Tara shook slightly; the end almost near. It was time. She closed her eyes one last time and vomited on the floor. Tara exhaled her last breathe and then she was gone.

Daryn cried and held her tighter; maybe if he held tight enough she’d come back. But it wasn’t so, Tara was gone. He smiled at her peaceful face and cleaned the side of her mouth with his jacket. He laid her head lightly down on the pillow and backed away. Alana hugged him and whispered in his ear, “She still loves you. I know so, Daryn.” He nodded and watched a nurse come in and wheel her away.

They took her to the morgue and he cried even harder. “Alana, can I still use that wish?”

“Sure Daryn, anything.”

Daryn looked down at her and added, “Please kill me.”

“I don’t think Tara would want that Daryn.”

“Tara would want me to be happy… I’d be happier, dead.”

“Fine.” Alana closed the door behind her and turned on Daryn quickly. He didn’t even flinch in fear. Alana sighed and whispered next to his ear, “I’m sorry things didn’t work out.”

“I’m sorry too.”

Alana bit his neck and drank the dark rich blood that flowed from it. She drank until he died in her arms and then she took out her knife and cut across the bite mark. His death would be thought of as suicide. Alana cried for the first time in two hundred years and placed the knife in his hand. The rest of his blood poured onto the linoleum floor and filled the cracks. Alana closed the door and walked down the hall thinking of each ever since.

Reviews

[Max Arnold]

an interesting idea. unfortunately it's rather rushed. take some time, play out the dialogue as though it were actually happening dwell on descriptions and digressions. particularly in the beginning, the characters are far to quick to jump to move the plot along. ask yourself: "would these characters react as such if they were approached in the real world." other than that, good descriptions and prose. just flesh it out a bit.