Trip the Darkness: a Vampire Huntress story

A work in progress, it is inspired by the song of the same name by the band Lacuna Coil.

The vampire gasped choking on his own black blood.  He writhed in the dust and leaf litter on the floor of the crypt.  His long fingered hands clawed his chest in a weak effort to pull out the ash stake.  The vampire’s back arched up, his eyes going to the cobwebbed ceiling of marble as his thin wail pierced the silence of the tomb.  The piteous cry reverberated off the stone walls causing dust to rain down.  His head whipped to the side at the sound of his assailant’s boots grinding on the grit covered floor, watching with panic filled eyes as his assailant walked over to stand next to his failing body.

 The vampire’s eyes slowly traveled up the body of his attacker; from the scuffed work boots with silver capped toes, hungrily up the tight crimson leather pants, over the black t-shirt and silver chain-mail vest under a scarred leather jacket, taking in the shiny, black shoulder length hair with red tips, and finally settling on the girl’s pale face with full red lips and dark eyes which met his stare with the intensiveness of cat and its prey.

“The most dangerous creatures are always the most beautiful are they not?” he rasped.  “You are like us in that way, yes?  Come closer, girl.  Remove this stake and all will be forgiven.  I can make you one of us.”  The vampire said suggestively.  “We can prowl the night together.  I can take you through the Darkness.  Isn’t that why you call out to us in the night, to become one of us?”  He asked the girl with the slightest hint of amusement in his voice.

The vampire’s eyes flicked nervously to the gleaming blade of the axe in the girl’s hand as the glove creaked from her tightening her grip.  He glanced back at the girl's face at the sound of her throaty voice.

“I’ve been there, to the Darkness,” she responded coolly.  “Tell me something vampi…”

“Please, call me Andre.  Andre Montero," he purred coyly.  "And you are?”

“Veronica.  Veronica Arkham,” she replied with a slight tilt of her head.  “Tell me Andre.  When you’re in the Darkness, alone; have you ever wondered why the hairs on the back of your neck will suddenly rise on end?”  Andre’s expression became closed, the skin around his eyes pinched.  Veronica pursed her lips, her dark, shining eyes fixing onto Andre's.  “Have you ever paused to look over your shoulder, Andre, expecting someone or something to be there?”  Veronica’s voice had dropped to a whisper within the tomb.

Andre squirmed on the ground, hissing in renewed pain from the ash stake.  “Is it true?  You’ve been to the Darkness - you, a human?”  Veronica’s leather pants creaked as she squatted down next to Andre’s head.  "I don't believe you."  Andre chuckled to himself.  He stared at Veronica, her gaze never wavering from his.  Andre suddenly wasn't feeling so sure. 

Could it really be that a human had learned to trip the Darkness?  Not even all his kind could create the doorway to pass through and many who could did not always return.  Vampires only used the Darkness to move about more quickly from one part of the city to the other.  Time did not seem to exist in the Darkness.  One always felt a bit off after reemerging, almost as though something of you were left behind.  Veronica's sultry whispering continued.

“Haven't you wondered why some never return from the Darkness.  Have you heard it when you travel through or caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of your eye only to turn to look at emptiness.  Would you like me to tell you what it is?  What it is that haunts the haunter?”  Veronica’s red lips stretched into a wicked grin. 

Andre became still, his pain racked body temporarily forgotten as he focused on that sinfully delicious looking mouth.  “Close your eyes and I’ll whisper it in your ear,” Veronica’s voice said soothingly.  She smoothed Andre’s hair back with a gloved hand.

Andre’s eyes fluttered closed, his face relaxing under her gentle stroking.  Was that her sweet breathe he felt against his cheek?  The fingers of her hand tightened in his long hair jerking his head back painfully.  Andre gasped one last breath to cry out as the axe swung down.

I thought I would be immortal, Andre wept bitterly to himself.  Veronica’s evil, angelic face floated before him.  Quickly tell me; tell me please before I am no more.  He begged as his vision began to fade.

Veronica sawed through the last bits of the vampire’s neck wrenching his head free with a wet rip.  Laying the axe on the dead vampire’s body she took his head in both hands and held it up before her face.  She stared into Andre’s eyes at the soft ember glow of undeath in them, biting her lower lip.  Before the light could fade into nothingness she turned his head in her hands and with ruby lips brushing his ear she whispered…

Author's Note

Please let me know what you think and thank you for reading.

I own no rights to the photo, no copy rights infringement is intended. Picture is of Cristina Scabbia.