Becoming the hunter
Chapter Three
Seeing the hunting knife in Oskar’s hand made the vampire laugh out loud.
He leaned against the frame of the door, crossing his arms and studied the broken door that lay shattered on the floor.
“Stupid boy, what do you hope to achieve with that little thing?” Motioning with his head towards the knife.
“Ask the one I killed last night.”
Oskar gripped the hilt tighter and went to stand in front of Eli, to shield her if the vampire would suddenly attack.
The lord suddenly stopped laughing, his eyes flared.
Even Eli had a look of surprise on her face.
“So you’re the one that killed Konrad?”
“And if you don’t want to share his fate then release Eli, we’ll walk out of here and I’ll let you live.”
The lord started to chuckle again and glanced over his shoulder.
“And how are you gonna do that? You gonna take Eli out in the sunlight, hunter?”
Oskar stopped for a second, he didn’t contemplate on this.
He couldn’t take Eli outside till the sun sets, and that would take at least eight more hours.
“Tell you what.” The vampire lord straightened himself and started walking a bit closer towards Oskar.
He tossed a key in his direction, which Oskar caught in his left hand.
“I’ll give you a head start of ten minutes to get her to safety, then I will hunt you down and tear you limb from limb little hunter. And Elias too.”
Oskar thought about this, could he take the risk.
He had to stay inside the fortress, Eli couldn’t go outside.
But he could set a trap, but not in ten minutes, and not with a severely weakened Eli.
There was only one thing to do.
Eli needed blood or they would never get out of here alive.
“So what’s it to be little hunter?”
Oskar grinned wickedly at the lord and placed the knife back in his belt. Even turning his back on the vampire as he placed the key in the shackles to unlock them.
“Deal.” After the shackles came off, Eli fell down, Oskar barely catching her in his arms before she hit the ground.
She was a mess.
She didn’t even have the strength to hold on to Oskar as he supported her.
“Now step aside so we can pass.” The vampire lord was amused. The boy was persistent, he had to give him that much. It’s been a while since he had a decent hunt.
This should be interesting. First he would peel the flesh of the arrogant little hunter’s face right in front of Elias.
After that he would feed every single piece to Eli.
The lord took a big step, letting Oskar, who swooped up Eli in his arms, pass.
The first dilemma already presented itself.
How the hell was he going to climb out of this damn pit? He heard the vampire laughing behind him.
“Eli, I need you.”
“We won’t make it Oskar, I… can hardly stand. Leave me here, maybe he’ll let you go.”
“Sweetie, I just have you back, I would die a million times over to get you away from him.
I know what I must do.” Eli looked at him confused.
“What…are you…talking about…sweetheart?” Oskar took a deep breath and pulled out his knife.
“What are…you …doing?” Panic was clearly visible in her eyes.
“What I have to.” Oskar placed the blade on his arm and slit deep into his flesh.
Eli’s stomach roared like never before, she let out a small yell of pain and tried to grasp her belly to make the pain go away. She saw the blood dripping on the floor.
The smell was so overwhelming, so delicious. She had to fight the urge to drink, the urge to attack Oskar and drain him dry.
“No…sweetheart, don’t!” Eli’s fangs emerged and her eyes changed color.
The smell was too sweet to ignore, every fibre in her body was trembling, the world around her darkened.
The only thing clear to her was the red liquid now pouring out of Oskar’s arm.
Oskar placed his hand on the back of her head and gently pushed her towards the wound.
“Drink.”
Eli tried to resist, but there was nothing to resist, everything made perfect sense.
The one thing she vowed never to do didn’t matter anymore, she forgot, she didn’t care.
Her fangs bit down hard in his arm and Oskar closed his eyes.
It hurt at first when her fangs pierced the wound, but not anymore.
He felt a swirl in his head like he had too much to drink.
Oskar’s legs wobbled underneath him as he heard the sensual noises Eli made.
Her heavy panting as the blood left his body and into her mouth was almost erotic.
Oskar let out a deep sigh and all went dark.
The darker side that had laid dormant inside Eli for more then a year, stirred within her.
Oskar’s blood had awoken the beast.
It was a struggle inside of her mind. Her bloodlust was strong, but so was her love for Oskar.
I need to stop.
No, I can’t, it tastes too good, I want more, and I need more! I can’t stop now.
Yes you can, you’re killing him, stop now! Oh my god, no, he’s going to turn as soon as he wakes up. Why did he do this? Offer his blood to me, damn it, I never wanted to do this.
But on the other hand, we’ll be together forever, like you always wanted.
Yes, but not like this, never like this. It means that Oskar would die and become a monster like me. His innocence will be lost.
The part that was innocent in him died the day you were taken away from him.
Look at him! He’s no longer the little boy he once was.
Eli’s thoughts woke her from the rush the blood just gave her.
She tore her head away from Oskar’s arm, his blood covering her entire mouth and most of her shirt.
Her eyes widened in horror as she saw Oskar lying motionless on the ground.
Eli started sobbing uncontrollably and dropped to her knees next to him.
“What have I done!? Why, Oskar, why? Please wake up, I’m sorry! Please forgive me. I love you! I love you!!” She pulled his body on her laps wrapping her arms tightly around his torso.
She started rocking him like a baby, crying the entire time and kept muttering.
“I’m so sorry.”
Then there was a sound of heavy breathing coming from behind her, the sound of a predator who found his prey.
Eli turned around to see the lord standing behind her.
His eyes were red with bloodlust.
The blood from Oskar’s wound had caught his attention.
He stood still, breathing heavy, licking his long fangs, staring at the blood on Oskar’s arm.
Eli stood up to face him, her eyes narrowing as she let her fingernails grow into claws.
This time it was Eli who went to stand before Oskar to protect him.
“You can’t have him.”
************
The darkness disappeared, Oskar once again sat on the bench of the train after Eli had saved his life in the pool.
They were tapping love messages to each other on the box that housed Eli.
This was the first time in his life he fantasized how it would feel like to be a vampire, to be just like Eli. But more important, it was then that he truly realized he loved Eli more then anything in the world.
All he had to do was to tell her that he loved her.
He saw it very clearly, like he was re-living the moment.
The sun began to sink behind the horizon. Oskar stared out the window, enjoying the sight and thought about what life would be like if Eli would turn him.
His mind dwelled…
Standing in the middle of a crowded street, simply watching the people pass him by while he was leaning against a lantern.
Behind him came the sound of a soft muffled moan.
He turned around, his eyes gazing into a small dark ally.
Behind a dumpster he saw two legs lying motionless on the floor. A small female figure emerged from the shadows, walking towards him.
Oskar stared at her for a moment, a little sadness in his eyes.
Not for the person lying dead behind the dumpster, but more for the hint of sorrow that was reflected in the eyes of girl standing before him.
He walked over to her and reached into his pocket. Here he pulled out a handkerchief.
Eli looked at him, blood still covering her mouth.
She stood before him, her arms hanging next to her, staring at the ground.
“I’m sorry Oskar.” Was all she could say.
He placed his left hand under her chin, gently lifting it so her big eyes would meet his.
A smile appearing on his face and with his right hand he wiped the blood of her lips.
“I don’t care.” He simply replied while stroking a string of her hair back that hung over her nose. He placed his hand on her cheek.
She felt warm, and the smell of decay that surrounded her the previous days was gone again.
“I’ve made my choice Eli, without you I would have been dead.
I want to be with you; he paused and looked at the bloodstained handkerchief then looked deep into her eyes, forever.”
Eli opened her mouth to protest, but Oskar placed a finger on her lips.
“I know you loathe what you are, you think you’re a monster, but in truth you are the most caring person that I’ve ever known.
You mean more to me then anything in this world and I don’t ever want to go back to how my life was before I met you.”
Eli placed her arms around Oskar, a feeling of sadness overwhelmed her.
“Oskar, I can’t, this was forced upon me, and I don’t want this to happen to you as well.”
“Then why did you save my life back at the pool? You came back, for me.”
“I don’t want you to become what I am, there’s a chance you will die if I can’t control myself while I’m feeding on you.”
“But I will die anyway Eli, you don’t age, I do. We can stay twelve forever, together.”
Eli placed her head on Oskar’s chest, a tear running down her cheek.
It’s been more then two centuries since last she cried, she didn’t even know she was still capable to cry. Oskar pulled her closer to him, his hand gently brushing her hair.
“I trust you.’ He paused again, enjoying the embrace he was sharing with Eli, he placed his head against her ear and softly whispered.
”I love you.”
Eli pulled her head up looking puzzled at Oskar.
He just smiled widely at her.
She was speechless. No one has ever spoken these words to her. For the first time in her long life she felt an emotion so unfamiliar to her, happiness and love. She knew she wanted to spend eternity with him.
“Come with me.” Eli replied and both of them walked hand in hand to a rather large park at the corner of the street.
The place was almost empty, large trees provided cover from the falling snow.
Eli looked around and saw a playground with several swings, a slide and a jungle gym.
She smiled and pointed towards the jungle gym. It bared a resemblance of the one where they first met.
Oskar climbed to the top and Eli just leapt to the top.
“Show of.” Oskar joked, drawing another smile from Eli. Suddenly Eli’s smile disappeared and her face turned serious.
“Oskar, are you certain this is what you want?”
“What I want is to be with you forever, I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.”
“Then close your eyes.”
Oskar closed his eyes and tilted his head, exposing his neck to Eli. She leaned forward and kissed Oskar on his forehead.
“I love you too Oskar.” She whispered softly in his ear.
Eli looked at his neck and felt her fangs grow. She closed her eyes also and took a deep breath.
Then she softly placed her fangs at Oskar’s neck and bit down.
For a second it hurt, badly. But then he relaxed and smiled.
A sharp whistle blew, waking Oskar from his fantasy.
He looked around in the train where a conductor stood in the middle of the hallway.
Oskar looked back through the window, the sun was gone, and night-time had come again.
He tapped on Eli’s box and the lid opened.
Eli stepped out with a smile and sat herself next to Oskar placing her head on his shoulders.
She looked at Oskar who had a huge smile on his face.
This drew a confused look from Eli.
“Did I miss anything?” Oskar turned to face her and gently lifted her head.
“I love you my sweet Eli.” Eli’s eyes widened and it took a while before she found the words to reply.
Her lips moved, but no sound emerged. Her mind raced with so many thoughts she didn’t know what to say.
Did he just say he loved me? Did he mean it? Of course he did, oh my god, he loves me.
Look at him, the sweet darling boy. I love him so much.
Answer him damn it, tell him you love him too. My sweet Oskar.
Eli’s mouth curled into the biggest smile Oskar had ever seen, her eyes sparkled and she leaned in closer to him kissing him on the lips.
“I love you too.”
******
Then he heard Eli’s heartbeat. It was thumping rapidly.
His eyes opened, his vision a bit blurry as it was adapting to the darkness in the room.
Yet the blurriness vanished.
He could see Eli standing with her back towards him, snarling like a wolf.
The room was grayish and every crack in the stones was perfectly visible to him.
He could hear Eli’s voice, yet she wasn’t talking.
Don’t you touch him, you ruined my life and I’ll die before I’ll let you do the same to him you bastard.
He could hear her thoughts, what the hell was going on?
In the left corner of the room was spider crawling up against the wall. He could hear the tapping of its eight legs.
Several more bugs crawled around left and right, he could hear them all.
Then there was another growl coming from the person who stood before Eli.
It flew through the air with a great speed.
Oskar pulled Eli to the ground with a matching speed, as he himself leapt up.
He extended his, now clawed, hand catching the lord in mid-air by the throat.
Eli’s looked up from the ground as she saw how Oskar tossed the vampire lord out of the air hard against the back wall.
The vampire’s impact broke several bricks in the wall, letting in a few rays of daylight.
He let out a menacing growl with large fangs bared at Oskar.
Oskar replied with a similar growl, also fangs bared.
