Cydonia

Hannah · Last edited by Hannah on Wed Aug 02, 2006 8:03 pm; edited 4 times in total

Right-o!!!

Here we have the first Chapter of my Book... the title of which hasn't been decided yet! So got polling or whatever it is!

Anyway! First and foremost, WARNINGS!!!

This story deals with homosexuality. I don't want to get shouted at if you're not comfortable about that but read any way. Throughout the story there will be some violence, swearing etc. This is not your usual kiddies tale. Actually, it's not a kiddies tale at all, so scrap that

I'll just post the chapter.

It might be unfinished, I might add to it.

Chapter I - Denzel

I suffered from a disease.

Humans did not understand it – only a handful knew of its existence. It wasn’t a contagious disease, but I could pass it on if I had wanted to. From looking at me, it was not clear to spot that I carried it. Around two-hundred carriers of the symptoms existed around the world. This disease was incurable, but it would not be the death of me.

Or perhaps it would.

There was a name associated with this ailment, if you would call it such a thing. ‘Vampirism’, it was known to us few and for some it was a blessing. Eternal life if you were to tread carefully… instant death for some.
No one caught this disease by fault – it was very, very deliberate. Sometimes the carrier may not have wanted it; but the fact was that someone else wanted him to have it, and that was all that mattered.

We were the modern vampires. We were unlike those portrayed in film, theatre or prose. We were a group of beings with our own rules, our own laws and leaders. Our social classes ranged from the unimportant, gutter-feeding rogues to the immortal leaders, five of which governed our ways.
I myself stood somewhere near the bottom of this ladder of power. I was not a rogue, however – I was looked after by my Sire who rested impatiently one rung below our leaders, simply waiting for his chance to grasp that power and use it in his favour.

I use the term ‘looked after’ very lightly. I was more a slave to him than anything else… I was required to bend to his will and submit to his desires with no argument. It was his blood that gave me this extended, unearthly life.

Saying which brings me back to this ‘disease’ - an illness that made it necessary for me to feed off the living blood of ignorant humans. An affliction which gave birth to my aversion to sunlight.
One becomes a vampire not by being bitten, nor by ingesting another immortal’s blood. In fact, the intended Sire must take some of his own blood and inject it directly into the victim’s bloodstream – by syringe or any other means possible. Once this was completed, the human undergoes a feverish condition while their human blood cells are devoured and drained by the vampire cells. Depending on the amount of vampire blood given, this could take from one night to as long as five days. Once this ‘transformation’ from human to vampire had taken place, the body had endured sufficient enough changes so that it was adapted to drinking the life blood of mortals in order to prolong its own life. The blood was of course required as this ‘undead’ blood had taken over the body, and would rot into nothingness if no fresh blood was supplied - to again be devoured and its energy made use of.

Our bodies were almost zombie hosts – they would rot as if a corpse if we failed to provide them with blood. We would die… and we would not turn to ash like the vampires of old myths. Our flesh was human. Our bones were human… every part of us, except our blood, was human.

Perhaps it was a sad existence, the one I lived. Although in all truth, no human had been killed by my hands. I was responsible for no death… I suppose that one could say my slate was clean.

It was my Sire who delivered blood to me. I was considerably young in the terms of a vampire – two-hundred years old including the years I spent as a human. I still existed to serve my Sire. Thus, I was not allowed to supply myself with blood. No human could be touched by me.
This was where the rogue vampire originated… those who strayed from their Sires, either by simply ignoring the laws put down for them, or by taking their life. Of course, the penalty for dispatching your own Sire was death, but those who hid as rogues in the shadows of alleyways, the gutters and slums of cities avoided this at all costs and took human lives into their own hands.
The worry for the Five leaders was that these rogues would give ‘birth’ to their own vampires and teach them to be just as deviant as themselves. Therefore, these few vampires were hunted – by day, by the ones who call themselves vampire hunters that track us all, and by night, by vampires themselves.

I was obedient. I had no dealings with rogues… nor had I ever met one. But secretly… secretly I wondered if their deviation was so wrong. They did not want to be ruled over by their Sires… or perhaps they were afraid of what they’d become and ran away as if in doing so they could escape themselves.

My own Sire was called Damien. Damien… and simply that. There was no reason for more than one name in the world of vampires, although to me he was also ‘Master’, or ‘Sire’. It was rare that I called him these things – he gave me permission to speak his name a long time ago, and doing so felt less degrading. I needed only to call him those titles during formal occasions or… when he asked for it during our sessions of rough love-making.
No… that term is wrong. There was no love there, just my Sire’s lust and my powerlessness to stop him from doing what he wanted with my body. Of course, Damien was completely allowed to do this. He made me what I am; therefore it made sense that I was his property.

Right?

‘Denzel.’
I looked up, my head having been bowed as I sat on the couch and gazed down at the fair skin of my hands, the slender fingers that toyed with the loose flap of my belt.
The older vampire, both in appearance and in the many years he had been immortal, stood in the doorway of the lounge with his intense green gaze trained on me. I was used to that expression, calm and yet entirely dominating.
‘Yes, Damien?’ I uttered, my voice soft and carrying with it the inflection of many European countries rolled into one – although most distinctive was a French accent.
And indeed, we did at that moment reside in the beautiful capital of France – Paris. The spacious apartment was one of several in a large tower that easily overlooked the river Seine and the Eiffel Tower. The view from the huge window that took up almost the entire East wall of the room was simply stunning, even though I could only look upon it once the sun had set and darkness had crept across the city, summoning the many twinkling lights that the night always provided. Living here was expensive – but then, I did not pay for it.
And Damien? He seemed to have all the money he ever wanted.

He was taller than me, but then I found that most other males tended to be. I myself possessed a very petite frame, one which some might have described as appearing delicate, or fragile. I stood just over the five foot mark, where Damien was somewhere around six feet tall. You couldn’t express that my Sire was muscular, but he was certainly heavier than myself and could easily overpower me as I had slender and small figure.

‘I must attend to a meeting. I want you to stay here while I am away.’
‘Do you not wish for me to accompany you?’
I asked it as a precaution more than anything… I wouldn’t want him to question me on why I hadn’t offered to go with him. There’s nothing worse than a suspicious Master, and I understand what Damien is like. It is much more desired that he believes in my loyalty than him thinking that I would eagerly attempt an escape, or dislike being with him in any way.
‘No, I do not require your company.’ He answered, turning his back on me. He began to walk to towards the door, leaving me to sit and speculate as to just why I wasn’t needed again. It had been like this for a few weeks now – my presence unnecessary.
‘Oh, and just one more thing. If anyone should call here, you shall ignore it. Any phone calls, knocks on the door – you shall pretend as though no one is at home. Is that clear?’
‘Yes, Sire.’ I answered faithfully, watching as he walked through the door regardless of my response. He always expected me to say yes, therefore there was no need for him to wait for my answer.

I waited for the sound of the door closing, and remained still a few minutes after he had left, just in case.
Only then was I confident that he gone on his way, and I raised myself from the couch and proceeded towards a set of hooks upon which hung my long coat.

I planned to explore Paris tonight while my Sire was away concerned with vampire matters that I had little grasp of. He didn’t often tell me what discussions took place at these so-called meetings. So secretive were the dealings of our leaders that even if I took my place amongst them by my Sire, I could still not understand all which was put forward. However, on the odd occasion these meetings were so official that I wasn’t allowed to join Damien – which could have been the reason why he’d not required me the past several times.

I lifted my coat from the hook, noting exactly which one it had been hung on so that I was able to replace it without it being obvious that it had been moved. One could never be too careful…
Putting it on, I quickly buttoned it up. I knew well that it would be a cold evening tonight. I always listened closely to the forecast when I had the chance. It wouldn’t do for me to come home soaking wet from the rain, and for Damien to arrive home and see me in such a state.
I’d been venturing out for a while now. Well, ever since I hadn’t been needed. It had hit me one night – what was stopping me from observing the world outside of this apartment? Well, my Sire of course… but he wasn’t there. And he didn’t have to find out, did he? I’d enjoyed going out on an evening so much that I couldn’t seem to stop myself. I almost felt human again, gifted with a carefree nature as I stepped down pavement, watched automobiles passing in the street, or strolled leisurely by the river.
But to run away for good? It was something not worth thinking about. Indeed, I would be granted a freedom of sorts, but I would have to roam the streets… stricken with poverty and having to do that one thing I never believed I was capable of.
Killing a human for their blood.

I hastily turned the door handle, glancing behind me as though someone might be watching. I didn’t have a key… and Damien never locked the door. All I could do was leave it unlocked and hope that no-one planned on breaking in while we were both away. Oh, yes – I understood the risks, but it wasn’t as though those were going to stop me doing what pleased me so.
Swinging the door open, I swiftly exited our apartment and descended a couple of stairs before coming across an elevator. Because we were on one of the topmost floors, there was nothing that could possibly make me want to climb all of the flights of stairs down the building entrance. I gratefully hit the call button, waiting a few moments before the doors slid open to allow me access to the somewhat claustrophobic space within. Moving inside, my fingers sought the panel, pressing the button for the ground floor.
I arrived there a short while later, keeping my head bowed as I stepped briskly past the man and woman at the reception desk. Not that they’d particularly think anything was out of place, but I did often feel that I needed to be extra careful on my little trips to the city.

Stepping outside for me was like stepping into a different life. When the fresh night air hit me it made me think of anything but that apartment. Anything but Damien. It was an entirely different world out here – it made my spirits lift, my heart beat with anticipation.
To anyone else, this was but a normal occurrence… but then, no one else had to spend centuries with a man that they both feared and loathed, kept almost like a pet inside his home. Yes, it was true… I did hate Damien with every fibre of my being. To let that show, however, would be the deadliest mistake I could possibly make.
It was during these outings that I could experience that feeling which had become such a rarity to me. Happiness. After all, I had no reason to smile when I was with my Sire. He was not the kind of man who would made me laugh, though in his at times demented mind I’m sure that he didn’t really understand my situation. Perhaps he did believe that I was happy. Maybe… maybe he didn’t see any reason for me to not feel content.

But I didn’t think of that then, while I observed the night sky laced with stars away from an area filled with so many of those hypnotic, fluorescent lights that were placed along side of the roads… but my feet couldn’t resist taking me elsewhere.
I walked with no particular aim through the streets and alleyways of the city – simply curious and wishing to sate my inquisitive mind. The pitch sky was guarded by no clouds and a half-moon gave even the darkest alleys an ethereal glow, the bright lights by roadsides tempting various insects to urgently flit around them.

I wasn’t afraid to be away from home at this time. Only the rogues wandered the streets like this – and they didn’t care who I was or what I was doing. I almost felt like one of them, strangely carefree and without worry.
Perhaps a life like theirs wasn’t as awful as the other vampires made out. I supposed that many of these outlawed vampires even had the chance to be… happy.

I paused by the Seine, resting my elbows on a short wall which was there presumably to stop people from falling in.
The water didn’t particularly glimmer, but in the darkness it had a sort of deep, dark beauty about it. Boats carrying tourists did not run at this time of night, and in fact the whole area seemed deathly silent. It was, in my opinion, the best time to view the river; listen to it gently lapping at the walls upon either side of it.
I knew little history of this country, having spent most of my time as a vampire worrying about other, more complicated matters. I had not been born in France, but a place which I now understood was called the Czech Republic.

It was there that Damien had turned me into a creature like himself.

I do not remember our meeting, oddly enough. That fateful night I had been spending with friends… faces now all but forgotten, names lost to the years. They would all be dead now, but I could not grieve them. I couldn’t even try to conjure up an image of how they looked.
We weren’t particularly rich, but I remember that one of my friends had gotten hold of an entire crate of wine – supposedly stolen as none of us could have afforded it. We’d sought a quiet area, a hilltop out of town which wasn’t very far, and had taken several bottles of the potent drink with us. We’d then done what is generally expected of young males such as we were – we laughed, we chatted and we drank.
We had been so young… I myself twenty-one and my friends of a similar age. I still appear to be, as vampires no longer age. I will remain like this forever, until I die.
I recalled sadly the events of that night, my head held in my hands as I stared absently at the water.

‘Denzel! ‘Ow… how much ‘ave you ‘ad to, to drink?’
I snorted with laughter, laid on my side on the grass as I watched the group of three other men.
‘I…don’t… Haha! I don’t remember. Not that much, not much.’ I heard myself slur, clutching a bottle in my hand even as I said it. I happened to spill some, causing another friend to chortle loudly.
‘You’s drunk more than all of us. You’s just drunk.’ He called across to me, turning to another friend to announce, ‘Did you ‘ear that? ‘E’s drunk!’
I beamed widely, tittering quietly as I attempted to push myself up into a sitting position.
‘I never had wine before…’ I told them, lifting the bottle to my lips and rocking backwards unsteadily as I took another sip.
‘No reason to, to deprive us of it then, eh?’ The third friend laughed, reaching out and taking the bottle for himself to snatch a swig of.
‘Shh, shh…Don’t sh-’ I broke out into uncontrollable laughter, not really understanding why, ‘shout, don’t shout.’

How long had I been watched while we’d been there? Or had it been by chance that Damien had caught up with me later, as I stumbled in the vague direction of my home with no one to accompany me?
These things I had never asked – and I had reason to believe that my Sire would dislike the question and I wouldn’t receive an answer anyway. Perhaps he would even punish me for daring to inquire just why he had made me a vampire; although I supposed that I already knew the answer. It must have been for his own desire.

‘I’ll see… see you tomorrow.’ I called to them as they got up to leave. Bottles lay empty around us, and in truth my head was spinning and I felt somewhat sick.
They each murmured their goodbyes, most certainly in a similar state to what I was, and began to shakily make their way back to each of their individual homes.
I finally got to my feet, my mind seeming to rotate as, barefoot, I stepped in a wobbly fashion away from the site and began to somehow make my way back towards the town.

I soon found myself faltering through alleyways, certain that this one, no that one, was the correct path to take. I might have well have been attempting to seek the route out of a large maze, as I was so disorientated that I had practically no clue where I was.
I think I gagged then, clutching to the brick of a wall as I crouched over feeling horribly sick in the stomach, my guts wrenching.
Having brought up a pool of watery vomit, I sat backwards away from it and rested with my back against cool brick – but I couldn’t be sure if it was a wall or a building.
I panted, clutching at my stomach and my head simultaneously.

I passed out shortly after.

But I didn’t awake for days. During that time, I had been turned into a vampire – injected with the blood of my Sire. Like all others, I would have descended into a feverish condition as my body adapted, changed from human to one of the ‘undead’.
I do not remember any of that time. It is a part of my life completely blotted out. My life moved from falling unconscious in the street to awaking in an unfamiliar home, with a strong sense of everything simply being unreal.
But that was when my life turned around. I admit that I was terrified. I denied my very existence – for vampires were monsters that lived only in story-books! I could not understand why this had happened to me; why I had deserved this. I begged uselessly for it to end, for my own freedom… and yet I was only met by a sneer each time.
I learnt though, learnt to do as I was told and soon I lost all hope of ever escaping. I… accepted my fate as a vampire, as my Master’s loyal slave.

Standing up straight, my eyes drifted to the opposite side of the river. How long had I immersed myself in my memories? It seemed as though I had been leant there for hours without taking in anything of my surroundings. Glancing at my watch, I saw that only an hour had passed since I had left the apartment. I supposed that it was safe to remain outside for another hour, although I often found that even when I arrived home it was another two or three hours before Damien returned. It was a simple precaution, for what if he decided to come home a little earlier than usual? I just couldn’t risk such a possibility happening.
I pushed myself away from the wall, my leisurely pace taking me back to the streets. Of course, all the shops that would be usually crowded during the day (although I had never seen it, being a ‘creature of the night’ and unable to enter the sunlight) were deserted and took on a lonely appearance. Various trinkets and gifts sat patiently in the windows, and a particular item, a doll of a girl with large, rounded eyes caught my attention. It stared out into the street, it’s arms positioned so that it seemed to be reaching towards the outside world.
A bitter smirk tugged at my lips.

But then something else entirely caused my head to turn.

A pinpoint of red; the embers of a cigarette glowing brightly as the user inhaled the fumes.
Eyes rose to meet mine. For a moment, they simply stared. Their colour was negligible in this light, but even so I felt oddly drawn to them. The owner of these beautiful orbs paused a moment before flicking the butt of the cigarette to the pavement where it smouldered briefly, it’s dying life cut to a shorter end when the man smartly stepped on it and crushed it into the floor.
I was unable to tear my eyes away from the other male’s face. So serious, and yet more handsome than anything I could have possibly imagined. Tousled hair framed soft facial features, and I perceived it to be a mousy brown colour although I couldn’t tell for sure in the darkness.
We locked our eyes with each other and I held my breath. I thought that he might speak to me, for I could tell that he was not exactly a man but a creature like myself.
He didn’t, however. For a moment he gave the impression that he didn’t want to be here… and then merely turned and withdrew into the alleyway where he’d been stood jauntily in the mouth.

‘A rogue…?’ I whispered to myself, following his retreat with my eyes. In all my outings, I had never seen one for myself – and what a curious incident. Why had he not spoken to me? Or did the outlaws keep themselves to themselves?
My thoughts were interrupted when I saw another figure approaching the male, just in view from where I still motionless. They appeared to exchange a few words to my disappointment, and instead of going their separate ways, they departed together.
I felt confused and somewhat shunned. Perhaps a rogue understood one of their own and he’d realised that he’d only receive trouble from me – or rather from my Sire if a meeting was ever to be found out.

I stepped towards the same alleyway that the supposed rogue had used, halting when the butt of his cigarette was but one or two inches away from my feet.
Vampires didn’t smoke. It wasn’t deemed ‘proper’ for them. They had decided that it dulled the senses, and besides… vampires were very clean individuals. Neat, and naturally drawn to beautiful items. They thought it was ridiculous to want to stink out your own home by using cigarettes. I supposed that this didn’t matter to outcasts, though. I’d heard that people smoked to calm their nerves, and it seemed understandable for those who were hunted to want to relax whenever possible.
I sighed inwardly and moved on.

I spent the rest of the night not paying attention to the city in the least. My mind buzzed with questions, and I continued to recall the rogue’s face… though to my frustration I began to forget little details of it. The thing I couldn’t forget, though, was his eyes… I wanted to see those eyes closer. They held so much feeling in them – in a way they were wild like an animals, but wizened from living the extended life an immortal always endured. Was it possible for them to appeared hunted and yet soft at the same time? This man had achieved that…

I later found myself outside the towering apartment building, my head tilted backwards as I stared up towards the window that belonged to mine and Damien’s room. A light shone out through the glass, but this was normal. I always left it on, hoping that it might discourage any burglars that might be hoping to get into any of the extravagant rooms.
Deciding it was time to return, I pushed open the double doors and stepped past reception – again with my head bowed. It was only a matter of minutes before I was back in the all too-familiar room, pressing the door closed quietly behind me and letting loose a soft sigh of relief. Of course, this was not the relief of simply coming home – this was the relief created by knowing that I’d successfully strayed away from my Sire again without being caught.
Slipping my coat off, I hung it on the third hook along the wall… the same one I’d taken it from. I assured myself that everything looked in place and as it should be, although the only thing I had moved had been my own coat. Sometimes living here… it made you paranoid.
I moved across to the nearest couch and collapsed back onto it, glancing about myself before reaching out to pick up the television remote and switching on the large screen in front of me.
As I drowned myself in the sounds of chatter and canned-laughter, I allowed my head to roll back comfortably and for my eyes to slowly close.
It was only a matter of seconds before I’d fallen fast asleep.

Northern-Star · Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 7:13 pm Post subject:

I voted Sins of the Master

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Hannah · Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 7:22 pm Post subject:

*cries* Despite my warning, Steve voted for the obvious. I shouldn't have but it up there!

Admin · Museaholic Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Posts: 762 Location: Earth

I still like 'Bins of the Vampires'

Hannah · Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 7:29 pm Post subject:

You would

Teabags of Dracula?!?!

*fires Steve*
You should be helping me with my proposal!

Admin · Museaholic Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Posts: 762 Location: Earth

'A Nightmare on Twit Street'
'A Nightmare on Sesame Street'
'Hamster's Horrid House of Horrible Horrors'
'Legend of the Return of the Revenge of the Curse of the Vampire'
'Great Grandson's Goldfish of Dracula'
'Fish Fingers with Frankenstein'
'Fangs Can Only Get Better'

The nations demands that you use one of these amazing titles, Hamster!!!

Hannah · Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2006 9:50 am Post subject:

*cries* It's bad enough already that one of my lenses decided to drop out of my glasses, and now I'm blind and have to lean in to 5cm away from my screen to read anything!

At least I know how to type on the keyboard with out being able to see the letters... unless... *leans in to see a load of goggledegook typed up*

It's a hard life to live, being a blind hamster with Steve chucking awful titles at my head

D:D

hystericali · Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 9:37 am Post subject:

Fangs Can Only Get Better does have a cetain ring to it....

Fangs For The Memories?

**I see the cannon and am just about to get into it, to save Steve and Hannah the effort of loading me in**
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MUSE CALENDAR 2006/07
27th August 2006 - Leeds Festival
17th November 2006 - Nottingham Arena
18th November 2006 - Sheffield Arena
16th June 2007 - WEMBLEY STADIUM
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Northern-Star · Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 10:47 am Post subject:

oooh just read your chapter one...brilliant! Very descriptive..me likey

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Political_Assassin · Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 3:12 pm Post subject:

WOW!!thats incredible hun!!post more dammit!! i went with *A Sire's Gift*, it sounds cold and slightly twisted...which would fit the story perfectly i think!
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~*~When we bleed,we all bleed the same~*~

Hannah · Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 7:15 pm Post subject:

Thank you for reading! It makes me happy, do it more often!

I'm writing random bits right now!! But I probably won't post up a whole chapter again! I don't want to put the whole thing here!

Hannah · Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2006 11:57 am Post subject:

Here is a sneak preview of a new drawing.
It's not very proportional... it's not the same style I would usually use but I actually like it quite a lot. The full picture is Sylas and Denzel. But it's looking a bit scratty and I ain't done!