Chapter 2 (unfinished)

               The van lurched to a halt beside a silver Lexus in the paved drive of the S.R.S hub bringing Virgil out of his deep sleep with a walrus like grunt.  He gazed around the cabin and mumbled incoherently as he fumbled for the door handle.  Once he found it he opened the door and slid out feet first onto the gravel.  He shuffled warily into the building without a word and let the metal door slam shut.  Damian watched this procession with a hint of concern because he had never been so sluggish during his moments of changing.  He shrugged off the concern and slammed the door to the van shut, placing the keys in the pocket of his cloak before entering the building himself.  He was greeted with the quick typing of Amelie and soft lighting of LED walkway lamps which cast a blue glow on his milky skin.  With a smiled he waved at the blue haired woman before making his way to a hall labeled ‘Damian’.

                “D, come here for a second.”  Amelie beckoned quickly.

                Damian stopped in his tracks and quickly turned on his heel moving gracefully across the floor before leaning across the desk at which Amelie sat.

                “What is bothering you?”

                She tilted her head, “How did you know?”

                “The tone of your voice” Damian mused. 

                She shifted uncomfortably in her chair and glanced to Damian, then to her computer, and then to the floor.  She had problems articulating her concern but she soon found means of expressing it.

                “I’m worried about Virgil…and I didn’t want to intrude on any personal business but I wanted to know…what exactly is he going through?”

                Damian stared calmly at Amelie and sighed, straightening himself and turning his back to her.

                “Come with me.”

                He waited for Amelie to be at his side before heading down his hall which was dimly lit by candles mounted along either side of the walkway.  It was uncomfortably silent, Damian’s footsteps being so light that only his female guests could be heard.  She fidgeted with the bottom of her shirt as they continued on in the thick quiet.  They reached a metal door with a keypad attached to it which Damian attacked almost immediately, his slender fingers dancing across the soft rubber.  When he ceased the door slid open to a blue hall, a wall of metallic odor hitting the two forcefully.  Amelie held her hand over her nose but Damian stood there, nostrils flaring and pupils dilating.

                “What the hell do you have in here?” Amelie hissed in disgust.

                Damian smiled and walked forward, motioning for her to follow.  She complied and entered the second hall, eyes widening at the sight.  The hall was lined with corpses behind the glass, each in different stages of death.  Each macabre statue had tubes running out of it and into the floor, the older corpses’ tubes being dry where as the fresher ones pulsed with blood.  Amelie became nauseous.

                “D-Damian…what is this?”

                “To answer your previous question first: I am a vampire so naturally it is blood.  And this is the macabre cabaret I developed after I arrived here.  This is my means of staying sane and soon will be Virgil’s as well.  Speaking of, Virgil is going through what these people have gone through…figuratively speaking of course.  He is slowly dying and is fully aware of it hence trying to keep himself out of harm’s way since he has yet to pass over to the immortal state.  I have to admit though I wasn’t as sluggish as he is acting…perhaps he is depressed that he will live his life for eternity without his family.” Damian mused emotionlessly. 

                Amelie stared at the display around her and backed towards the door, getting more and more nauseated as she stood there amidst stages of death.  Damian had his back to her but still spoke as if studying her every movement.

                “You know, you don’t have to be scared of this but I guess you have to be because if you weren’t you would be a bit too mentally perturbed for normal society.”

                He turned quickly and sighed as Amelie, startled by his rapid movement, jumped.  He rolled his eyes at her before turning back around and opening the wooden door before them.  The soft smell of vanilla mixed with the stench of blood as his room came into view.  It was a magnificent room reminiscent of old Victorian libraries.  It was lined with books and Grecian busts, candles, parchment, mahogany furniture even a few ivory sculptures.  Two mahogany bird cages that housed emerald songbirds hung on hooks on either side of the scholars’ desk on the far western wall.  Amelie stared in amazement as Damian walked in, removing his cloak and laying it across the desk as he spoke softly to one of his birds.  She admired him now, all past visions obliterated as he too became one of the ivory statues, beautiful and flawless amongst the dark wood furniture.  His soft voice pulled her from her trance.

                “I have a few things to show you…maybe it will help you understand what Virgil is experiencing.”  He reached into the desk and pulled a small leather-bound book, its pages yellowed with age.  He turned and held it out to his guest who stood in the doorway. 

                “What is it?”  She asked, walking forward into the wall of heat coming from a fire place on the opposite side of the room.  She took the book and rubbed her other hand across it, the aged leather bumpy underneath her palm.

                “That is my journal.”  Damian said, puckering his pale lips at the other bird.  It pecked at him lightly. 

                Amelie looked at him almost amazed. “You’re journal?”  She held it out in front of her as if it were diseased.   “I can’t read your journal…its way too personal.”

                Damian laughed and pushed it back into her chest.  His light touch made Amelie’s face flush red.  With a sigh he walked to the fireplace and sat in a velvet chair, his white skin adopting the fiery orange hue.

                “It is quite alright Ames, I am an open book and besides what you read is something you will take to your grave…I have to live with it.”  He picked silently at the velvet upholstery but spoke up once again.   “If you don’t mind…I have a few personal vampire things that I need to do.  You know…consumption.”  He winked at her and gave her a fleeting smile.  She nodded and stared at the book as she walked out of the room, down the two hallways and back to her post in the lobby.  She looked up to see Virgil leaning against the counter. 

                “So what did Damian want?”  His voice was a deep rumble.

                “Oh…he gave me his journal to read to help me better understand what you’re…Oh nevermind.”  Amelie passed by him and sat down in her chair.  Virgil stared at her blankly and leaned close to her.

                “Understand what I’m what? Going through?”  Virgil smiled.  “Don’t think for a moment that he hasn’t fed me his bullshit.”

Reviews

[Mistral Bilgera]

ah, vampires. this thing really gave justice to the creatures (screw twilight) hahaha! Violent, dark, bloodthirsty. Well anyway, I know that this has the potential to be a good novel. your opening chapter's really good!

good luck with this one. :)

[James Watts]

This is a nice chapter. Has a nice flow. I am interested to see where you take it.

[Philosophile. (Maddy)]

An interesting second part. The details you supply are excellent, making everything so visual. Also, what you've presented shows a lot of the character's personalities. I absolutely love how Virgil says "Don't think for a moment that he hasn't fed me his bullshit" because it's absolutely true. Damian seems so arrogant and heartless at times, but then he gets those birds. Virgil should be bitter, I don't blame him one bit. Anyways, this was pretty awesome so far, but one thing: I would have liked the death chamber in more detail, like the blood, the vacant eyes, the pain, etc. You don't have to insert that though, I'm just creepy. Anyways, great job with this so far!