Vampire & Nymph

Vampire & Nymph

by Shane W. Snyder



birds chirping in a light rain
windless and warm
the tall trees are blossoming white
and sprouting light green
there is a little pond
below a bubbling spring
the water trickles down the smooth rocks
there is a sweet nymph
waist deep, wading in the pond
watching the rain droplets
as they become part of the pond
forming marvellous little circles
she serenely moves toward the little shore
her movement hardly disturbing the water
her feet leave no print in the light sand of the shore
at these feet are strewn rich gifts
magnificent fan sea shells with sparkling white pearls
flowers and fragarent herbs
candies and glimmering gemstones of all colors
a little wooden box with brass corners and hinges, opened
inside, a silver necklace and earrings
these are the gifts of her admirers
the elves and fauns and green men of the prosperous wood
she sits cross legged, fine hair cascading down
and spends her morning admiring and enjoying and bathing

the vampire spent the same morning
holed-up in his little cabin
awake
all-too-awake
he stared at the decaying walls
as though to memorize every splinter
every beetle-hole
piled in the corner were many great books
thick books
thick and difficult
but he read them
he spent long hours at his little desk
a single candle burning
but, one can only read so much
nevertheless, there was nothing else for him to do
except write
so he wrote and wrote and wrote
his long years yielding many stories and anecdots and opinions
he wrote histories
even histories from other worlds
for the vampire had come from another world originally
deep in the past
a past he remembered vividly but could scarcely fathom
for he had now been a vampire for what might be centuries
and he felt terrible hunger and longing
which could never be fulfilled
the prosperous woods had nothing to offer him
the vampire regarded himself as an existance
quite separate from a life, meant for the living
he was a shade, a phantom
as a ghost among the living
but one with a terrible need: to feed
at night,
deathly quiet night,
he would bite a tree and try to suck its sap
but usually end up getting a mouthful of splinters
still, he kept on biting the trees
for it was better than nothing
and real blood was unobtainable

the sweet nymph was a very sensual being
she enjoyed touching her own beautiful hair
and that of others
she knew that hate and aggression are the ugliest things imaginable
and that they destroy all sensuality
all affectionate and sexual touches
and she felt sorry for human women
who pair-off with very aggressive men
she had had several flings in her young life
with a green man, or an elf, or a cute faun
but now her boyfriend was a philosopher-god
his father had been the great god of wisdom
the ruler of the gods
and his mother a gorgeous and refined human princess
and he showed her deep wisdom
and took her to places which fired the imagination
and awed the senses
and he awed her senses in more ways than one
for they would have sex all the time
and he was an expert at all things sexy and sexual and sensual
and the sweet nymph learned the deep wisdom of physical closeness
as well as the deep wisdom of the philosophers and historians
and he took her to palaces in distant foreign lands
and showered her with rich gifts far beyond anything she had ever before received

most vampires live in castles
as a vampire should
for vampires are very sensitive to feeling and mood
and a vampire needs high halls and great towers
to feel that feeling of dark and awesome majesty
then: there needs to be high walls to hang great tapestries
tapestries emblazoned with images
depicting the vampire's great life and deeds
and there needs to be candle-trees and chandeliers
and bookcases and antique furniture
with cobwebs spun all around
but for this vampire, there was none of this
he lived as a hermit
most hermits are wild-looking men with long beards
but because he was undead, the vampire's hair didn't grow
he had a clean appearance
with a sharp nose and chin and ears
only his tattered robes betrayed his humble status
vampires are also lovers of music
of the violin and cello
they love music which creates mood
which touches the untouchable recesses of the spirit
which seems like it could go on and on forever
but there was no music for this vampire
there was only the book
his books opened up worlds of distraction for him
distraction from the utter desolation of his daily existance
he longed to have someone to discuss philosophy with
but there was no such person
and there would never be such a person
so he took to writing
and reading his own writing
it was writing which seemed to keep him company
for he would write when his mood was good
and read his writing when his mood was feeling down
and it was as though another person were talking to him
from out the page
though not in the complex and meandering language of philosophy
but in concise, rich, expressive language
the only kind of language this vampire would use when he would write
for he didn't even try to write like the scholars
he wrote for himself
and himself was all he had in his existance

twilight
it is a time when the pale moon light
shines together with the remains of the daylight
coming up from under the horizon
it is a time when the fist bright stars come out
the vampire had grown tired of languishing in his one-room cabin all day
and came out to get some of this early-night air
he wandered rather aimlessly
and further than he usually goes
until he found a tree that looked inviting
he put his arms lovingly around its trunk
and began to bite into its wood
the sweet nymph was also out at twilight
for it was a magical time
when fog would come in and create sparkling dewdrops
and nothing was quite as beatiful as the twilight dew
suddenly, she spied a figure hugging a tree
and she thought this must be a very nature-loving green man
and she approached fearlessly
her feet made no sound
and the vampire didn't know she was there
until he felt a soft hand on this shoulder
he stopped what he was doing
and stepped back with a jerk
it was the first time he had been touched in generations
he laid eyes on the nymph
and she was the most gorgeous thing he had ever seen
long arms and very long legs
a small waiste and torsoe
small but perfecly-formed breasts
a relatively small head, housing a pretty face
framing this face was the longest, silkiest hair imaginable

the nymph's heart began to race
when she suddenly realized she was dealing with a vampire
his eyes sparkled menacingly
he had a long nose and cruel mouth
and when he raised his hand in alarm
she noticed the long, sharp nails
but what had he been doing?
the vampire studdered slightly: "i was just...uh...well
i'll just be honest with you
i was biting this tree, trying to suck its sap
i have the terrible need to feed"
the nymph understood
she knew that there were some evil vampires who attack the living
she also knew that most vampires are good,
they are private creatures
enjoyers of books and music
but terribly miserable and tormented
for they would always be looked on with suspicion
and they would never get any blood
except blood given to them willingly
usually by a lover, who is willing to contract vampirism
and live with the vampire, usually in a dark and magestic castle
but this vampire had no castle
with no power to seduce
he would never have a lover
and never have real blood
the poor creature!
what a tormented existance
the nymph, on a whim,
recognizing what a chance encounter this was
with such an elusive creature as a vampire
offered: "would you like to take a walk with me?"
the vampire, with some soft-spoken words, accepted

the vampire and the nymph walked and talked
they walked through the misty woods
water droplets hanging from every leaf and flower
sparkling in the light of the full moon like night-time jewels
they discussed their shared admiration for the beauty of nature
the vampire emphasized the beauty of the woods at night
the beauty of things dark and mysterious
and maybe a little dangerous
this was new to the nymph
whose sense of beauty was coupled with light and truth
the vampire told her he writes fictional stories
stories that aren't always very true
or couldn't be true
but are meant to awe, to inspire, to transport, to cast a spell
the nymph, on the other hand, was more educated in the written word as recorded history
and she told him the story of a certain heroic battle
then she spoke of ancient times
the time before there were kings and fauns and nymphs and vampires
when the animals were strange and cruel
when the woods were flowerless and bizarre
it amazed the vampire that a creature of such beauty as the nymph
would know so much of such things
he thought that she must have alot of contact with knowledgable people
compared to him

at last, they came to the pond, fed by the spring
where the nymph would spend her time lounging and bathing
the nymph offered nonchalantly: "would you like to bathe with me?"
the vampire thought about it a moment
looked at the bubbling spring and the warm pond
it might be warm like the blood of the living
and besides, he thought: "when else am i going to bathe with a sweet nymph
i have all of eternity to sit in my cabin by myself"
and so he carefully removed his tattered robe
the nymph observed his long nails, undoing the buttons
then, she took him by the hand lovingly
and they walked together into the warm pond
the first sensation of the water against his feet
revived something in him he hadn't felt since contracting vampirism
first he was ankle-deep, then knee-deep
and then waiste-deep, and finally in up to his soulders
the water felt good against his frail, colorless body
the nymph meanwhile, was swimming and diving and splashing and frolicking
in complete abandon and satifaction
"i have to be clean" she said
"becuse i'm having sex with my boyfriend tomorrow morning"
the vampire was taken-aback by her comment
her admission
which he found rather stunning
he decided to fish for more information
he said: "so you're seeing your boyfriend tomorrow?"
she said: "yes, we're going to have sex all morning
then we're going to a musical performance in the afternoon
and in the evening we will eat grapes and dance
and then have sex all night"
the vampire asked to hear more about her boyfriend
he wondered what you have to be to get a girl as magnificent and sweet as the nymph
turns out: he is half-god
a hyper-natural being who can offer her the utmost in gifts and travel and physical pleasure
and also intellectual stimulation
his question thus answered
he enjoyed the rest of his bath

and when it was over, he and the nymph parted ways
they arranged to meet again in the future to discuss some philosophical points
but the vampire wasn't sure he'd ever see her again
he walked back to his little cabin
as though in a dream, or under a spell
he didn't even bother to take-in the beauty of the dewy night
he was completely immersed in the recent memory of his bath with the nymph
somehow it was harder for him to return to his books
and to read history and philosophy
or even to write fantasy
he just sat in the candle light
and pondered what he had just experienced
this much he knew: he was a vampire
that is all he would ever be
and this comes with advantages and disadvantages
he was free from the burden of children and family
free to study his books and write fiction
free from health concerns
free from mortality
which means he could learn and learn, without fear of getting too old
but some things were forever off-limits to him
and not because of any rule or law of vampires
that would make it too easy to accept
some things would simply be forever beyond his reach
this much he knew, especially now
and so he whiled away his time in relative satisfaction
in full knowledge of the limitations of his existance
it had taken him awhile to learn what these limitations are
and it therefore took him awhile to accept them
but once he did, he felt better
and his undead-life continued

one night the vampire awoke and opened his door to venture outside
and on his door he found a note
someone had posted a note on his door during the day
while he was deep in slumber
he read the note
it said that the council of magical creatures was meeting
in the chamber beneath the great tree
for the first time in a thousand years
the vampire was a bit awe-struck by this
he had not even been a vampire the last time such a council had convened
and he was surprised they would invite a vampire
and he was surprised they knew where he lived
for scarcely anyone knew where he lived, or cared
he considered ignoring the invitation
the alternative: to stay in his room and get drunk
and lose himself in literature from another world
he considered this alternative carefully
but ultimately, he decided he can get drunk any time
and that the invitation was something that would only come once in a thousand years
and so, that night, he made the journey to the great tree

the great tree was not the biggest, nor the oldest, nor the most magical in the prosperous wood
it was called this because it was the enterance to a great meeting hall
a meeting hall deep underground
which was used on only the rarest occasions
occasions so rare, that when a meeting would convene
the attendees would often find hidden valuables,
stashed in the passageways and niches
stashed by someone or something which had thought it found the perfect hiding place
a place that no one new about, and where nobody comes
when the first gnomes arrived to set-up the meeting hall
they found two dead bodies, interred in the chamber
someone had been using their meeting hall as a crypt!
the poor mortal races
dying all the time
if only all beings could live as long as elves and gnomes...

the attendees soon arrived
the elves came
the gnomes came
so did the leprechauns
and spriggans
the delegation of sylphs arrived
so did the dryads and niads
the mermen came, with bucket-carrying servants to keep them wet
the centaurs came, their hooves beating a mighty clop-clop on the floor of the hall
so did the fauns, carrying their violins and flutes
some creatures came alone
a single troll came, the only one in the prosperous wood
and a single wisp came, even though nobody even knew how he had been invited
all of them came to the hall of the great tree
arriving late was the sweet nymph
now dressed
in a red robe with black buttons and stitching
her hair was still wet from bathing
she looked fantastic
and arriving later still was the vampire
his long nails and tattered robes and pointed features
giving a somewhat fearful impression
everyone looked at him when he came though the chamber door
it was the first time so many eyes had been on him at once
it was overwhelming for him
he made his way nervously to the chair that had been reserved for him
and it was only after a few minutes of sitting and taking it all in
that he noticed the sweet nymph on the opposite side of the table
they made eye contact
and she looked into him knowingly

at last, the meeting was underway
presiding was the ancient gnome
long white beard flowing
holding a gnarled wooden staff
he described the situation thus:
the vast realm of which the prosperous wood is a part
has a new king
one single king
who has vanquished all the other kingdoms
and united the realm under his rule
he is a brutal man
who upset the long-standing balance of trade and cultural exchange between the kingdoms
he launched a campaign of vicious and successful attack
laying a couple of ancient kingdoms to ruin
and enslaving their people
he is a brutal man
whose heart has not been softened by court-life or formal education
he is a warlord, who uses the arts and religion and philosophy
  to make his army stronger, more devoted, more willing to sacrifice and be brave and even die
he has cast his spell over the people
making some among them believe that this conquest is some sort of destiny
for he has made them believe that they are greater than they really are
and he has even convinced the intelligenstia
the philosophers and architects and teachers
and promised them ambitious projects
for the architects, monumental structures to glorify the kingdom
for the philosophers, enormous projects to catalog all the creatures of the prosperous wood
to map the wood, to survey it
to survey it in preparation for the building of a dam on our lovely river
the river which gives so much energy and life to the wood and to us
the magical beings that call it home
the brutal warlord and his philosophers are going to map all the stars and planets
and de-mystify even the most awe-inspiring vastness of the heavens
they will extinguish us and the entire realm of magic

the situation thus outlined
the room began to murmur
for all the beings knew their situation was dire
some already knew of the dam project
others already knew of the conquests
but to hear it all spoken at once
filled every heart in the room with a sinking feeling
except perhaps the vampire
whose heart so trained in soicism, was hard to move
the only person in the room the vampire had met before was the nymph
so he came to speak to her the first chance he got
for he felt awkward sitting alone and speaking to no one
  while the rest of the races chattered incessantly
but also, he had a sincere question:
where was her boyfriend, the philosopher-god?
for he was certainly of the magical peoples, and should have been at the meeting
when he asked, he knew immediately that he had struck a nerve
her expression was uncharacteristically solemn
she explained it to him thus, in a torrent of words:
he has allied himself to the brutal warlord
and together they are undergoing a process of selection among the people
for theirs is to be a perfectly-ordered state
the kind of state which comes along only once every ten-thousand years
but this one is to be unlike any such state that has come before
because it is grand in scale, due to the successful conquests
people are to be separated as precious metals are separated
gold, silver, bronze, and iron
the plays we would see together became grander and grander in scale
we didn't see any more comedies
but rather, these grand dramas of ancient myth and legend
driven by the most magical orchestral music
my boyfriend became a believer in the greatness of the warlord and his kingdom
and it was with his help in planning that the last successful conquest was made
now the process of selecting the gold among the people is well underway
and my boyfriend, along with the other philosophers, are obsessed with the idea
  of creating a master-race to rule the world
  and a system for rearing and educating them
  and arts and theater to influence them the right way
moreover, the warlord has given the philosopher-god a human harem
of the purest gold among the women
and my boyfriend is to be the father of a new race of quarter-gods
who are to be the wisest beings in all the land
and from whom the future kings will come
they are to be a race of kings
think about it
think about how ugly and unnecessary this all is

thus she ended her explanation
what could the vampire say?
he offered, "it sounds like he is not your boyfriend anymore"
she responded, "no, he is not
he is the enemy of nature
of magic and of magical beings
of the balance of peace and harmony between the peoples
which, however imperfect they may be
are still lovely and sweet and wise
and don't need to be separated as metals are separated
don't need to be groomed for ruling or warfare"
this sweet nymph certainly new alot about the political situation
the information about the separation of the people
and about the grand music-dramas
was all new to him
for he had not attended any theatrical performance of any kind
  since he became a vampire
all he knew was what was in his books
so he offered her the following theory:
history is a painful process
and it becomes more painful as humans, such as this warlord
become overly-ambitious, overly-zealous
and upset ancient and precarious balances
history is a process of improvement
which happens as a matter of course
but, it has to be the right kind of improvement
history will take its course
its often painful course
but ultimately, things will work-out as they should
for people and magical beings are in the process of becoming gentle and wise
and, despite all the learning of the philosophers and historians,
  are still learning the most important lessons
  about which lines may not be crossed
  about what responsibilities beings have toward each other
  about what the wise and gentle thing to do is

the nymph was impressed with the depth of the vampire's conviction
and with his message about balance, serenity, peace, and improvement
she knew he was a miserable creature
miserable and abysmally alone
it seemed to her a bit of a waste that one so gentle and wise as he
should be so socially-disconnected
she therefore decided to keep him company
and to try to bring him into the circle of companionship