Short Story - A Lovely Vampire - Grant Eagar
Prompt:
I Knew a Woman by Theodore Roethke
Partial:
I knew a woman, lovely in her bones,
When small birds sighed, she would sigh back at them:
Ah, when she moved, she moved more ways than one:
The shapes a bright container can contain!
...
Link to my novel: Sheila the Vampire: Dancing with the Enemy
Another Full Moon -
The midnight-haired young man drove the last stake into the header beam. He wiped the sweat from his brow and examined his progress. He turned and glanced at the setting sun. The work on the barn would have to wait until tomorrow; darkness was coming with all that it entailed. After he put his tools into a leather bag, he walked out to the horse trough, removed his shirt, and washed the sweat and grime away. He dabbed at several cuts and blisters with goose grease, slid his jerkin back over his head, and found the laces.
“What a fine form you have, tiss a shame to cover it up,” said the girl.
He quickly turned around red-faced. “Pardon me miss, but I didn’t know anyone was about. You were not here when I took the shirt off.” He then began tying up his jerkin.
She slapped his hands away and laced his jerkin up. “I'll tie it up; your hands are covered with grease.” She gave him a coy smile, “I was wandering by and thought I’d stop and take in the view. Thank you kindly. Your form is quite pleasant. You’re making fine progress on the barn yonder. It looks to be a right smart piece of work.” The closeness to her made his heart beat faster. She tied off the lacing and stepped back.
He glanced at the barn. “Thank you miss; with good lumber and the right tools the cow barn is coming together.” He focused on the ground then his eyes were drawn to her face and those emerald eyes which were so green they glowed; the pearl white skin, the full sneering lips - the color of a blooming red rose, and hair which spoke of midnight. His pulse increased and he started to sweat. Part of him ached to have her. He glanced at her bosom, looked away, let out a sigh then collected himself. “Thank you for your assistance, but I best be going home. It’s getting late.” He grabbed his bag of tools and slung them over his shoulder and quickly walked towards his hut in the far corner of the village.
She matched his step, her midnight blue gown flowing in the breeze. “Don’t be such a shy nave. It’s not like I’m a demon, just a simple maid wanting some company on my walk home.”
He glanced at her and shook his head. “Pardon me if I disagree, you’re anything but a simple maid. Being near you complicates things.”
Her green eyes twinkled mischievously and the corners of her mouth turned up. “I don’t know whether to take that as a compliment or as an insult. I think I’ll take your words as a compliment. Thank you kindly, now there’s no need to walk like the devil herself was after you. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were being rude.”
“Miss, I have a girl of my own and don’t mean to cause her grief. Considering the way, the tongues in this village wag; the next time I visit her she won't know me and in fact, she’ll likely sic her hounds on me.”
She caught his arm and held him close as they walked. “We wouldn’t want the hounds sic’d on you, no sir-re.” She glanced at the huts along the path they were walking and waved at a figure in a window and pulled him close and kissed his cheek. “However, … the old biddies do need something to squawk about. We wouldn't want to take away all their fun. And if your girl can't handle a little competition, she’s unworthy of you. Anyway, walking a girl home is no sin. I’d say escorting me is a virtue, a right noble thing to do. If I was an old hag, you wouldn’t think it such a burden to walk with me.”
He sighed and relaxed. “I guess if you put it that way. My girl is not the jealous sort, you caught me off guard and all. I suppose we could walk for a way together; now where exactly do you live?”
“Not far. I'm sure it’s not out of your way, just down this path.” She pointed down an overgrown path leading to the river.
He glanced at her again and asked, “I didn’t know anyone lived near the river. May I ask what your name is? I don’t remember you telling me.”
They walked towards the river for a minute until she pulled him close and kissed him. Any resolve he had dissipated with the kiss. She teased him, gently nibbling on his lower lip then pulling away then nibbling on his upper lips then pushing in and kissing him full on the mouth. She broke the kiss and nibbled on his neck this made him tingle all over. She pulled back his collar revealing his thick veined neck. “If you must know my name, call me Sheila, Sheila the vampire.”
He screamed and attempted to pull away, but she held him fast. “Is this any way for a strapping young man to act? Don’t be such a baby. I simply want a little of your blood, that’s all.”
She bit into his broad shoulder muscle and sucked. He struggled to free himself but she held him fast. “A little more and I'll be on my way, no need to struggle so.” After a couple of minutes, she sucked in her fangs and licked his wounds. “Thank you, your blood is quite tasty. Now that wasn’t so dreadful, was it?”
He grimaced from the licking. “What was that all about? Are you done with me now? I’m not going to turn into a bloodsucker, am I? What was the licking for?”
“To heal your wounds, of course, I clean up after myself. And no, you’ll not become a vampire. I’m not the sort who turns others. It’s the full moon after all; I don’t know what you expect on a night such as tonight. Now a kiss to make it better and I’ll be off.” She reached up to kiss him and he pushed her away. She gave him a wounded look.
“Jackson? Jackson, is that you?” came a girl’s voice.
He quickly stepped back and glanced about. There stood his girl, a half dozen yards away with a hurt, confused look on her face. The vampire glanced at the girl then back at him. “Thank you kindly for the taste of blood and the kiss was a fine one. I best be off before I get you into any more trouble. Your girl appears distressed.”
“Jackson, who is this girl, and why were you kissing her”
Sheila turned to face the girl. “I’m Sheila the Vampire; just a vamp getting a nip of blood, I leave him to your care. You’re quite the fortunate young lady to have him. He’s a fine young man. I wish you both joy.”
The girl walked up to him with a scowl on her face. She poked him. “Jackson, wipe the smile off your face! You don’t need to appear so damn happy. You’ve been bitten by a demon; you should be mortified and ashamed.”
He stepped away from Sheila. “I hope you’re satisfied, look what you’ve done now.”
The corners of Sheila’s mouth turned up. “You weren’t complaining when I was kissing you.” She winked at him, curtsied, turned, and ran off into the brush of the river.
He watched her leave and felt such a mixture of emotions; shame, longing, and anger, but mostly anger. “Wench, I’ll see you at your staking!” He called after her.
“The gentleman doth protest too much,” said Sheila as she disappeared into the brush.
This prompt provided me more back story for my vampire story in progress Sheila the vampire. I published a short story about Sheila in the anthology These Vampires still don't sparkle.
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