Blood Makes Noise

BLOOD MAKES NOISE

Violet hunts the young man through the woods.  She follows his scent in the air.  His blood smells like ripe strawberries she can imagine bursting in her mouth. She licks her lips.  Her mouth waters.  The moon’s full and high in the sky.  His pale throat looks biteable under its pale silver glow.  She can see a vein pulsing on the side of his neck and looks forward to ripping it open. 
         
She pursues him at a safe distance.  She slips in and out of shadows and hides behind trees.  She doesn’t want him to sense her and run off or she’ll lose a good meal.  There’s no telling when such a ripe specimen will come along again.  These woods stretch for miles and she doesn’t want to wander them for days.  A few times twigs snap beneath her feet.  She freezes and waits to see what he does.  She holds her breath as he looks around him and continues walking.  He stops at the bridge going over the waterfall and she seizes the opportunity.
         
He isn’t aware of her presence until she creeps up behind him and grabs him.  He moves quicker than she expects and spins around before she has time to claim her prize.  His face is pale and he looks terrified.
         
‘Who are you?’ he says
         
‘Your worst dream realised’
         
‘What do you want?’
         
‘To drink the blood pumping from the vein I’m going to rip open in your throat’
         
‘What are you?’
         
Under the pale light of the moon she shows him her true face and he screams in terror.  He turns to run but she’s on him before he’s gone a few steps. 

‘Please… Please… Don’t hurt me… ’ he says

‘But I’m so hungry’

‘I have a wife and child…..’

‘That’s of no concern to me’

She uses one painfully long finger-nail to slit the pulsing vein in his throat.  He screams.  Blood sprays her face.  She opens her mouth and drinks it hungrily until she feels his heart slow down.  She lets his lifeless body flop to the ground. 

The dead man’s blood’s on her hands, her white dress and all over her mouth.  She stares down in horror at the body lying by her feet.  The wound in his throat’s covered in savage bite marks.

‘Oh God…. What have I done? I never meant to… I thought I could control it for sure this time’.  She falls to her knees and kisses the dead man’s forehead.  ‘I’m so sorry.  Please forgive me’. 

She turns and flees from the woods in tears.  His blood on her mouth and clothes looks black in the moonlight.  The trees blur past as she runs as fast as her legs can carry her.  Birds flap their wings with impatience and fly into the air and small animals flee in terror.  She makes strangled sobbing sounds and frantically wipes the blood from her mouth.  She keeps looking behind her expecting to see the dead man shuffling after her demanding justice.  The trail behind her is empty.

She remembers how easily his vein opened with one swift flick of her fingernail… how rich and delicious the blood looked as it pumped from the wound… how good it tasted as it filled her throat and flooded her senses.  She leans against a tree and vomits onto the ground.  Her hands are trembling. She keeps running.  She’s exhausted by the time she reaches the big house she lives in at the edge of the woods. 

She falls to her knees on the front step and rattles the silver door-knob.  Her servant, Edward pulls the door open and looks down at her.  She’s a sobbing, bedraggled ruin covered in blood.

‘What happened?’ Edward says

‘I had to feed… I didn’t mean to…. I thought I could resist tonight but the hunger got too much’

‘Come inside.  I’ll fix you a nice hot bath’

He puts his arms around her and helps her into the house.  He locks the door behind her.  He carries her upstairs and starts running a hot, soapy bath while she peels the bloody clothes off her body.

‘I won’t drink human blood again’ Violet says

‘I’m sure you won’t’

‘I can’t take another life to preserve my own.  It’s not right’

‘Quite right’

‘I don’t want to be like this….’

‘No’

‘It’s my family curse and I’ll have no part of it’

‘Indeed’

‘He had a wife and child…’

‘Who did?’

‘The man I killed.  He begged me not to hurt him and said he had a wife and child.  I didn’t care.  I still ripped his throat out’

‘I’m sorry to hear that’

‘It won’t happen again.  I mean it this time’

‘Of course you do’
She climbs in the bath and sinks beneath the hot water and bubbles.  He starts washing the blood from her skin.
         
The next day she orders Edward to bring her restraints.  She’s used them several times in the past to try and control her when her craving for human blood got so bad she needed to go out and hunt and didn’t want to.  They’ve never worked before.  She’s always found some way to escape them or begs and pleads with Edward until he sets her free.
         
This time will be different.  She’ll order Edward not to release her no matter how much she sobs and begs him.  She’ll wait it out.  She’ll order Edward to lock her room and not come in when she starts shrieking.  She’ll just have to be restrained until her craving for human blood passes.  Once it’s gone she’s certain she’ll never crave it again.  She’s heard of humans doing this sort of thing before when they want to free themselves for certain addictions.
         
Edward carries the chains and leather straps into her bedroom.  ‘What can I do for you?’
         
‘I’m going to free myself of this disease forever… we’ll just have to try harder this time… I need to be very determined or I’ll have this affliction forever… I don’t want that… I want to survive without drinking human blood… I don’t want to kill again…’
         
‘Very good’
         
‘Secure my wrists and ankles to the bed posts using the chains’
         
There are four chains in total.  They’re long and very thick.  He’s made them stronger since the last time when she broke free of the chains and straps and killed a group of campers not far from the house.  Each chain has a shackle at both ends.  He puts one shackle around her and secures the other to each bed-post.
         
‘Thank you Edward’ Violet says
         
‘Are they secure enough?’

She tests them.  Using all her strength she yanks on the chains and pulls them as hard as she could.  Her face contorts with the effort.  The chains barely jingle.
         
‘They’re perfect’ Violent says
         
‘No problem madam’
         
‘Put the leather straps around my stomach and fasten it under the bed’
         
‘Of course’

There are three straps.  He places one just above her ankles, one in the middle of her body and one across her shoulders and secures them under the bed.
         
‘Thank you Edward’ Violet says
         
‘I only want to help you’

         
‘I appreciate it so much’
         
‘Will there be anything else?’
         
‘Don’t release me no matter how much I scream and beg.  I order you to leave me here’
         
‘As you wish’
         
‘Lock the door and don’t come in even when I’m screaming and pleading’
         
‘As you wish’
         
‘It’ll be hard but don’t listen to me.  Close your ears’
         
‘Of course’
         
‘I’ll get through this and be cured’
         
‘Shall I bring you animal blood to drink?  You’ll need it to sustain your energy levels’
         
‘That would very kind’
         
‘No problem’
         
He leaves and she listens to him lock the door behind him.  Several chains and bolts were installed on the door during her previous attempts to be ‘cured’.  She listens to him pull each chain and bolt across and turn the key in the lock.  She stares out the high window of her room at the darkening sky and tries not to think about how hungry she’s getting. 
         
The hunger pangs start early afternoon on the second day.  Her stomach makes a low grumble that increases as the day wears on.  It becomes so loud it hurts her ears.  A deep throb of pain develops in her gut and never goes away.  She’s so hungry it’s unbearable.  She replays the death of the man in the woods over and over and remembers the taste of his blood.  She falls asleep exhausted with tears running down her face.
         
The next day Edward brings her some rabbits he caught in the woods.  He skins them and drains them of blood.  He holds each carcass for her eat.  She wolves them hungrily and tears strips of flesh from their bones.  When there’s nothing but bones left he serves her the blood in a large silver goblet.  She drinks hungrily until the goblet’s empty and he pulls it away from her. 

‘More… Please… Violet says
         
‘There is no more’          
         
‘’I’m still hungry.  That wasn’t enough’
         
‘There will be more tomorrow’
         
‘Please….’
         
‘No’
         
He carries the rabbit bones and empty goblet away and locks the door.  She’s still hungry and her stomach aches.  The cramps are pretty bad now.  She curls into a ball as best she can and sobs.  Edward’s left the bedroom window open.  The smell of blood wafts in, carried on the wind.  It makes her nostrils flare and hurts her head.  She screams and thrashes on the bed until Edward runs in.
         
‘What’s the matter?’ Edward says
         
‘You left the window open… I can smell blood… it’s driving me crazy’
         
‘I’m sorry’
         
He hurries over to close the window and leaves the room.  She listens to him lock it and starts sobbing.
         
Palpitations in her chest wake her late on the third morning.  She’s saturated with sweat and feverish.  Her throat hurts and the craving for blood is so bad it makes her feel sick.  Her heart flutters painfully in her chest and makes her ears ring.  She feels stabbing pains all through her body.  She’s afraid.  She’s never made it past day two before.  She closes her eyes and tries to make her heart-rate slow down.  The noise of her over-working valves makes her ears hurt.
         
When Edward brings more skinned rabbits to feed her, he finds her weak and trembling in bed.  The sheets are soaked with sweat and tears. 
         
‘Are you all right?’ Edward says
         
‘I can’t stand this…. I’m so hungry…. I want to rip out throats and bathe in human blood’
         
He unstraps her, bathes her and puts on some fresh clothes.  He feeds her because she’s too weak to raise her head and pours every drop of rabbit’s blood down her throat. 

‘Thank you Edward’ Violet says

‘I’m just doing my job’
         
He leaves and she sobs into her pillows.
         
The next day she has cramps in her stomach so bad she thinks they’re going to tear her open.  It feels like something’s crawling around inside her and tearing her to pieces from the inside out.  She lies with her eyes closed, inert and whimpering.  Edward has to force rabbit meet and blood down her throat.  She’s getting weaker and weaker.  Animal meat and blood offer little nourishment and won’t sustain her for long.  She only manages a few swallows and mouthfuls before she falls into a feverish sleep.
         
When Edward comes to check on her on day five she’s delirious with hunger.  She thrashes and rants in the centre of the bed.  She argues with relatives he knows have been dead for some time and shouts and swears.  She screams and swears at Edward.  She calls him filthy names and says he’s holding her prisoner.  He ignores her and gives her rabbit meat and blood.  She sobs and begs for a release, for something to take away the hunger.  He leaves without saying anything and locks the door behind him.
         
She breaks free on day six.  She can’t take the hunger pangs any more or the craving for human blood and flesh.  The rabbit meat and blood isn’t offering enough nourishment.  She’s sick and weak and feverish.  She’s in pain constantly and throws up.  She sobs, begs, pleads and curses but Edward keeps his promise.  He never lets her out and turns a blind eye to her suffering. 

She breaks free of the chains on her wrists first.  She pulls at them until she screams in pain and thinks her arm’s going to pop out its socket but they break at last.  With her arms free breaking the chains on her ankles takes moments.  She’s untying the straps when Edward comes into the room.
         
‘What are you doing?’ Edward says
         
‘I need to feed.  I can’t take it’
         
‘But you were doing so well’
         
‘I’m so hungry’
         
She pushes open the window and jumps before he reaches her.  She’s off and running through the woods before he gets to the window.  He takes the chains and leather straps away and changes the sweat-stained bed clothes.
         
She races through the woods pursuing the delicious smell of human blood.  She pulses with excitement.  The source of the smell’s close.  Her skin breaks out in goose bumps.  She bounds through the trees and moves so fast she’s just a blur.  She breaks through the trees and stops in her tracks.  There’s a little girl standing a few feet away.  A beautiful little angel.  She turns towards Violet and smiles.
         
‘Have you seen my mummy?  I lost her’ the little girl says
         
The smell of the little girl’s blood’s intoxicating.  Violet moves closer to her and smiles.  ‘Yes.  I’ve seen her.  She’s just over here.  She asked me to look for you’
         
‘Oh good.  I’m glad.  I was getting worried’
         
She takes the girl’s hand and leads her deeper into the woods. 
         
‘Where is she?  It’s dark in here and I’m getting scared’
         
‘She’s just over here’
         
The little girl looks around her.  ‘Mummy?  Where are you?  I’m scared?  I thought you’d left me’
         
She turns to look at Violent and she changes.  She shows the girl her real face and she starts shrieking.  Before she has time to think about running Violent sinks her fangs into her neck and starts gulping her blood.  The girl struggles and screams in her arms but she keeps drinking.  The girl’s heart stops and she lies cold and stiff in her arms.  Violet lays her body on the ground. 
         
Her mouth and throat start burning.  It feels like she’s swallowed a vat of acid.  She screams and claws at her face.  She falls to the ground thrashing and screaming in pain. 

In her hunger she forgot the vow her kind took centuries ago, never to drink the blood of a child.  A child’s innocent and their blood is sacred and precious and no drop can be spilled.  She forgot and her face is melting.  She stares up at the unforgiving moon and screams in pain.

‘Please release me….’ Violet says

Edward goes looking for her in the woods when she doesn’t return home by dawn.  She’s never stayed out so late.  She feeds quickly and efficiently and is always home in no time.  He finds her in a clearing deep in the woods.  She’s lying on the ground sobbing.  Her mouth and face are badly burned and her skin’s deathly pale.  The body of a child lies at her feet.

‘What have you done?’ Edward says

‘I was so hungry… I forgot….  I didn’t mean it’

‘What are we going to do?’

‘Take me home.  I’m not strong enough to walk’

He picks her up and carries her home through the woods.  He doesn’t want to leave the child’s body there for animals to find but has no choice.  She’s a dead weight and it’s dark by the time he reaches the house, breathless and exhausted.  She’s limp in his arms and sobbed all the way through the woods.  He unlocks the door and carries her up to the bathroom.

‘Thank you so much Edward’ Violet says

‘No problem’

He runs her a hot bath, strips her and helps her get in it.  He feels the tension slip away from her body.  He washes blood and dirt from her hair, scrubs her pale skin until it’s red and sore and washes blood and dirt from her body.  He helps her out of the bath, gets her night-dress on her and carries her through to the bedroom.  Her face and mouth are badly burnt like acid’s been poured all over her.  The skin’s starting to flake off her face.  He tends to her wounds as best he can.

‘You’re so kind to me Edward’ Violet says

‘Just doing my job’

‘Thank you so much’

‘No problem ’

She falls asleep and he leaves her.

He returns to the woods with a shovel from the garden shed and buries the child’s body.  Her throat was chewed open and the amount of blood makes him feel sick.  He wishes he knew her family so he could offer his apologies.  He stands a few moments after he’s tossed in the last shovel of dirt and mutters a prayer.  It’s daylight when he heads back to the house.

Time’s come for him to take some action.  His mistress has gone too far this time.  He’s worked for her for forty years, as did his father before him, and his father all the way back to the start of the family line.  His ancestor fell in love with her ancestor but she couldn’t make him one of her kind.  A bond developed between the two families.  His ancesor vowed to serve the mistresses of the house until the end of time.  The end of time’s arrived.

He’s tired of cleaning up after her.  Burying the bodies of the people she feeds on.  Washing blood out of her hair and off her body.  Turning a blind eye to the people she drains of life in order to preserve hers.  Catering to her every repulsive whim.  Chaining her and strapping her down to that damn bed only to see her gnaw free and kill again.  Feeding the disgusting beast the flesh and blood of dead rabbits.  It’s time to break the bond between their families.

He goes to his quarters as soon as he arrives at the house and finds the wooden stake he’s been hiding under a loose floorboard for fifteen years.  He had it specially made at a town miles away.  It’s made of ivory and sharpened to a deadly point.  He bought it just in case.  Now it seems the time’s come to use it. 

He creeps up to her bedroom and presses his ear against the door.  There isn’t a sound from inside.  He gently pushes the door open and the stake drops from his hand.  She’s gone.  There’s just a burnt skeleton and a pile of ash where he left her lying.  The curtains are lying open and the room’s filled with sunlight.   

He crosses himself.  ‘May you find peace now’

He wraps her skeleton up in a fresh pair of sheets and carries it out to the woods.  He buries her with the child.