Till Dawn's Bright Light

A World War I Hero is given immortality as a vampire

 

Till Dawn’s Bright Light

 

They sat hunkered down in the trenches while comrades fell around them.   All through the night, artillery shells burst and shattered their lines. At the breaches, enemy soldiers braved the repelling barrage of bullets and mortars.  

                As hard as they fought, the enemy kept coming. From above, the cloudless night revealed nothing strange. Thick smoke from spent shells blanketed the earth around them. Would that he could see through the heavy smoke and haze, then defending his territory would be so much easier.

                The dark shape rose silently behind him and his comrades, unafraid of the bullets and hail of steel flying through the air. Winching only slightly as shrapnel hit her body, he moved silently forward toward the unsuspecting soldiers. Fueled and driven by her hunger, she soon found one willing soul. The once brave solider lay in his own blood, knowing his end was near, not wanting to die in the trench like his comrades. 

                “I can take away your pain, now and forever”, she whispered into the soldier’s ear. 

                “It hurts so bad. I don’t want to die here. Please, take me home to die”, he pleaded.

                “You’ll go home”, she promised, “but you won’t die there either. Tonight, you earn immortality. You fought bravely and valiantly. Your family would be so proud. Place your trust in me, and you will save your comrades tonight, but you must hide from the dawn. Give me your hand.”

                Inexplicably, he let her take his hand. Strangely, his pain began to subside as did his strength. For one brief moment, he lapsed into unconsciousness, only to awake as fire ran its course through his body. Her teeth sank deeply into his flesh, sending the healing powers of her one thousand year old venom into his war ravaged body.

                As his body reacted to the venom, she gave him to drink of her own blood. She was now his maker and his salvation. She turned him from walking death into an immortal. 

                He again took the hand she offered as she led him away from the dreams.    For so many years he relived that battle, killing one enemy soldier after another until he finally saved his troops from the deadly hail of machine gun fire. He braved the horrors of war and returned home to a nice house along the river. He returned to a hero’s welcome.

                Through the years, the harshness of war overcame his body and mind. For years before he came to this place, he would awake screaming for comrades now passed on. As his body failed, he found himself in pain, lying in bed at his humble home, unable to move, cry out or speak. 

                He made the trip to the hospital because his family could no longer care for him nor keep him comfortable. Against all he wanted, he allowed them to admit him to this hospital built especially for men from wars past, present and future. He knew he would never walk again; he knew this night was his last on earth.

                Because she came to him that dying night, he now walks tall through the hallways once again. His face now turned back to the handsome young man he was so many years ago. He cast aside his old wheelchair, the symbol of his frailty and boldly came to stand erect to his full height.

                His feet gave him no pain as she guided him silently into the shadows. They stopped behind the largest tree on the grounds as she turned to look into the old war hero’s eyes. 

                “You saved hundreds of your comrades so many years ago, yet the ones you could not save and the lives you had to take haunt your memories. Tonight I gave you the power to seek out the ones tortured as yourself. On their death beds you may come to them, and offer them this peace.  It is reserved for very few, for the world is still slow to understand us. You may not understand yourself, but in time, you will. Alvin, do you have questions for me? I know you must.”

Reviews

[Valentine]

A different approach to the act of war and those laying on the battle field..it would be so good if all wazrs could cease and people learn to love one another,,Nice thought provoling write..Valentien

[Sheri Haynes]

I felt compassion for the war hero, and your description of the battle field was very good, it was like being there with him.

[deeps]

This is one amazing write here
I really enjoyed this write
Wonderful imagery

[Sean M. Addams]

wow the character development and story line are really good in this... I enjoyed this alot ... nicely job on this one i'm truely impressed