Kitten & Marius (Part One)
It was late September and the year was coming ever closer to coming to an end. A cool breeze wafted through the old musty graveyard and gave life to the foliage that hung from the tombstones and mausoleums that scattered the atmosphere. I watched the wind travel through leaves in an old oak tree with large branches that towered over most of the graveyard. It's leaves were slowly showing signs of changing their colors for the autumn. It was such a sacred tree that blessed all the spirits here with a great peace. My dark brown eyes were browsing the dreary scenery I so often surrounded myself with. The evening sun was setting already...but I was far too comfortable to bother with getting up any time soon, there was still light left in the world for me to see what I was doing.
I was sitting with my back against one of the cold hard tombstones, it's name mostly hidden by my leaning form. My long lacy black skirt flowed out before me and matched with my long raven black hair I could pass for being the grave's shadow. Before me were a few items scattered around me. In my lap were two notebooks, one for writing and one for drawing. My hand was still idly holding onto a pen, mindlessly tapping it against one of the open notebooks. On my side were a pack of pencils that lay on top of my black leather bag. On my other side were a few small tea candles I brought with me to elongate my visit to the graveyard tonight. I already had them lit, though their flames seemed small and pitiful with the fragments of light still left behind from the sunset. The only other item I had with me at the moment was my Ipod which lay around my side, though it's position would often switch when my hand would find its metallic body and skip songs. But the headphones had been taken off my head for the moment, finding a moment of wonderful peace from the quiet sound of the wind on an autumn evening. It's true peace, one that you'll always keep with you and will remember in thoughtful moments.
"It's moments like these that I feel close to you again, Elisi. You always told me that a cold wind after a sunset was the moon caressing the earth before sending it to sleep.", I said softly to the tombstone behind me.
The grave I haunted was the one for my grandmother. She died when I was still young but she had left such an impression upon me at just an early age. I had her wild black hair, almond eyes and soaring spirit. It was her Native American blood that ran through my veins. It was her violet crystal that hung from my neck. And it was her lessons that lead me to where I was now. She was the first person to call me Kitten and even though now I know that most of her peers feared her, she was the sweetest woman I had known. And she was first person I lost. Her last lesson was how to find peace after death and to listen to the wind to hear her words one more time.
My eyes were staring blankly down at the open notebook spread out in my lap when I overheard two voices speaking to one another. Two male voices were speaking softly and it sounded as though they had just entered the graveyard. I couldn't see them from where I sat, but I could hear them approaching me slowly. It was strange to have other people at the gravesite this time of day...unless they were like me.
"You can't be serious, Marius, this new age is simply full of new life and wonders. The old world can't compare to the modern world", a voice said. His voice was very lighthearted and full of energy.
"Yes, but this modern world is one of more mystery than the world of gods and ancients. Every person strolling down the street holds some sort of secret that they tuck away within their being. No one lives a simple life. This day could prove to be far more deadly for our kind", the other voice said.
"You must put forth more trust in mortals. You yourself told me these things eons ago.", the first voice replied.
I could hear their footsteps growing closer to where I lingered behind my grandmother's tombstone though I didn't dare make a move to see them. I was planted there as I listened to what I could make out of their conversation. Mortals? Our kind? Gods and ancients? Who were these guys?
"Lestat, all I am saying is that very few of us are adapting well to the changes in the world. Especially here in the west. The world is filled with people who hold greater intelligence than most of the Roman Empire of my time." This voice seemed to be a bit more stern. Firm but not condescending in tone.
"You know, I seem to remember a certain someone that also had a hard time adapting to the changing winds of the world back when I was a bright eyed bushy tailed fledgling. You put forth minimal effort in keeping with the times, as I recall. Perhaps all we need is to see through the eyes of a new fledgling. One than can show us all how to adapt to the new world and blend in with modern mortals in way we cannot do so now".
Hearing their words over the distance made my head feel dizzy for a moment, my eyes closed and were clouded with images. Another vision. They came to me in dreams and every so often when I was awake. It was like a strong epiphany or deja vu that I could not ignore and would not stop picking away at my sub-conscience until I let it out somehow. I had no one to merely talk to about these visions, not anymore, so my options were limited to what could come out of my pen. I kept a journal of these visions written out in detail and the very powerful ones were laid out in landscapes on various pages. I would see places I've never been, people I've never met and hear names I've never known. My drawing skills had grown incredibly over the years ever since my first vivid vision.
This vision wasn't necessarily weak or strong, it was somewhere in between and was short. It was like a quick glance into someone's memories. I saw two men, both young and in their mid twenties at most and a beautiful little girl with a head full of bright yellow curls. They were in an extravagant house filled with glorious paintings, oriental rugs, grand piano and burning candles. The style of their clothing was old, perhaps when America was still young. The little girl wore a glamorous sapphire blue dress that billowed around her as she walked, a porcelain doll held tightly in her little hands, the doll had a matching dress and blonde hair to her own. One man also had a head of bright blond hair, perhaps he was her father. He was also adorned in blue, though his blue was darker...almost black and trimmed with silver and white. The other man wore hues of emerald green and black, his own hair long and raven black. He was dressed the least extravagant out of the trio and his demeanor was more somber. Were they a family? The little girl seemed to adore the raven haired man, she called him Louis and embraced him lovingly. But something about the image seemed wrong. Their skin was very pale and they looked too...flawless. Something about seeing something so perfect made me feel like something sinister laid underneath their skin.
I had written a few sentences on my notebook that was spread out before me about the vision I just had, mentioning the trio and their surroundings. Though as I lingered on the images I began to sketch out one of the men underneath my words. I carefully laid out his raven black hair that framed his face and I took great care to catch that melancholy stare that he held in his gaze. His brow was furrowed but his gaze was soft if not sullen. It was a look of denial and acceptance all in one. My pen made light scratching noises as I filled in the little details of his nearly gaunt features, his lips practically pouting and his dark lashes above his eyes. But as I stared intently at my quick sketch I became aware that the sound of my pen dancing upon the paper seemed to be too loud for my surroundings. I also noticed that the sound of the wind had died down and I could no longer hear the chirping of the insects in the small wooded area near the cemetery. But most importantly I could no longer hear the sounds of the two figures that had been walking around near where I rested. I could feel eyes upon me and it was then that I knew they were close and watching me.
I slowly turned my head to my side to see two tall figures standing next to my grandmothers tombstone and were looking down at me curiously. The figure on the left was a tall gentleman, he looked to be middle aged, but he was aging very gracefully. He had very short dark hair, cut in a very early Roman fashion with dark shimmering eyes and a pleasant smile on his lips. He was dressed in a dark crimson red blazer with black slacks. The man on the right however looked strangely familiar...he had a full golden mane of blond hair framing his pale face and his grin was much more mischievous and Cheshire like with his blue eyes piercing into my soul. He adorned his body in a black leather jacket with a navy blue shirt underneath and rough denim jeans. The grin on his lips reminded me at once of the vision I had just moments ago...how strange to see a doppelganger of the man here. He couldn't be the same person, how could he? But my stomach had dropped and I felt myself tuck my legs underneath of me to prepare to rise from my place. I could feel my inner fight or flight mechanism ticking and I was going to prepare for either. I lifted my black leather bag from the ground by the thick strap, shoving in my Ipod in an exaggerated motion to prevent them from noticing my hand grabbing onto the stiletto knife I kept buried in my bag. I pulled the knife from the bag but kept it tucked under the hand that held onto the strap of the bag to prevent them from seeing the weapon.
"Be you spirits?", I asked of them, my eyes shifting from one man to the other, carefully gauging their expressions. The younger man laughed softly at my question and shook his head.
"I'm afraid we're still of this world, cherie. We're very real and alive. Should I ask if you are a spirit?", he asked, grinning and arching a brow at me. Even though I could feel my heart beating in my throat I had to admit to myself that he was incredibly handsome and that grin looked absolutely perfect spread across his features. The other man remained silent for a moment, he seemed to be gauging my expression as the other spoke.
"I'm not a spirit", I stated plainly and quickly. I couldn't put my finger on what it was with these two, but something didn't feel right. The aura I felt emanating from them wasn't like anything I had ever experienced and left the atmosphere feeling devoid of space and air.
"Well, if you're not a spirit, then what are you doing here alone?", the younger man said gently, placing a hand against my grandmother's tombstone to lean against and give himself a relaxed posture. "Young ladies shouldn't hide away in cemeteries in the middle of the night", he added.
"Why not? Cemeteries are the safest place in the world; everyone there is dead", I rebutted. His reply was a deep chuckle and he glanced over at the man next to him.
"Don't let him frighten you, dear. But perhaps it would be wise for you to head home. The sun has gone down and it would be a shame if you got hurt", the older gentleman offered. He was the man with the firm voice, the one the other man had called Marius. His voice was filled with sincerity and his eyes bore no lies. He made me feel more at ease while the man next to him made me nervous and yet slightly excited at the same time. I wanted to dash away from the two and yet stay planted and learn more about them at the same time.
"I assure you, I am more than capable of taking care of myself", I answered him, narrowing my dark eyes at them both as I slung my black leather bag over my shoulder, feeling their long leather tassels sway from the quick motion. I felt a bit of intimidation upon standing and truly seeing how they both towered over my short stature. But hell if I was going to let them see that. I could feel my face in a permanent scowl, my brows furrowed and lips held tight as I gathered up my candles to blow out the flames and take my leave.
"Ah yes, I'm sure a little Kitten such as yourself would have no problem when encircled by a pack of ravenous wolves", the younger man purred as his eyes were focused on the purple heart held tight by my choker, the little shiny tag labeled with my given nickname.
"I'm sure even a pack of wolves would be frightened by the roar of my Harley", I smirked as I bent down to stack the small candles along the back of my grandmother's grave to leave for another nightly visit. As I stood tall once more I used my hands to smooth out and knock away leaves and dirt from my long black billowing skirt.
"Such a long dress for a little girl to ride something as powerful as a Harley..", the younger man joked softly.
I paid him no mind as I lifted the material of my long skirt, tying and tucking the light material until it fit me more like a short skirt, the extra material tucked behind me almost like a large ribbon. I hadn't meant to flash my thighs and fishnet tights to the two strangers, but to hell with them anyways. When I glanced back up at the two, the younger man had his head tilted slightly and his mouth was held open slightly, as though he wanted to say more to belittle me, but I caught him delightfully off guard. Marius had a slight smirk on his face, though he had politely looked away.
"Not that it's any of your business, but you'd be surprised at how much power I can handle", I remarked as I took my leave of the two, not even so much as taking a look back as I walked away from them. My switchblade was still held in the same hand that now had a firm grip on my bag as I made my way back to the front of the cemetery. I didn't feel in danger, not enough to watch my back, anyways. I had this unmistakable feeling that the older one, Marius, would ensure my safe departure.
The feeling of danger had completely left me once I reached my Harley that sat waiting for me just outside the entrance to the cemetery. It's pitch black and chrome finish shimmered in the dark night, almost like Marius' eyes had. My hand pulled my bag back towards me and I let the knife fall deep into it's contents again to pull the keys from the bottom of the satchel. The distinct and voracious growl of the revving motorcycle echoed through my body as I mounted it like a grand stallion. I rode down the dark roads like a bat out of hell and yet I took care. I'd had my fair share of accidents, some small...some...bone shattering. But I would never tire of the feeling of the strong winds that enveloped me when I rode. I felt like an otherworldly woman soaring through the world, like I was something more powerful than I really was.
It wasn't until I reached the place where I slept and ate that I realized I had left behind something very important. I had arrived only moments after leaving the cemetery, the small house reeking and jumping from the house party that had erupted in my absence. I had been homeless for several months before finding a nice enough roommate looking for a new tenant. She was a nice enough lady that stayed out of my affairs, but every so often she would throw these loud and rather obnoxious house parties that never ended well for her. She had a bad habit of trying to bang at least two people before the night finished and only having her heart penetrated. I shuffled into the front door, past a group of grinding individuals as I made my way to the staircase where I had been renting space for, praying that no couples had snuck their way up there before I could defend my domain. Luckily for me, it was dark and empty at the top of the stairs and much more quiet than what lay below.
It wasn't until I let my bag fall from my shoulder that I noticed how light it felt. How empty it seemed. My heart had nearly leapt from my chest when I realized what I had forgotten. My journal. The private outlet for all my crazy visions and sketches, left laying in the cemetery behind Elisi's tombstone! I immediately flew from the small house, practically knocking down a few people on my way out and back to my bike to soar down the dark roads once more. I hadn't even grabbed my bag on my way out, only focused on getting that notebook back. I was breathing in short gasps, giving myself a small panic attack as I pushed the limits of legal speed to get back to the gravesite. It had to only be a few minutes before I had once again arrived at the cemetery and leapt from the motorcycle in a grand motion. My heavy black boots were thudding against the ground loudly as I quickly ran back to Elisi's grave.
My heart nearly stopped beating at what greeted me there- Marius and the younger man were both skimming through my notebook with concerned looks on their faces. My face was filling with hot red blood and I was practically seething with quiet rage as I stomped over to them. The younger man, his name was Lestat, wasn't it? He had been sitting on top of Elisi's tombstone while Marius stood over him, looking at the pages of my journal over his shoulder. Both men looked up at me at the same time when I approached.
"It's not very nice to read a girl's diary, you know? You two should be ashamed of yourselves", I seethed as I held out my hand to retrieve the black leather bound journal from Lestat's hands. His face was no longer lighthearted and filled with a grand grin. It seemed confused and almost frustrated. His brow was furrowed and his blue eyes seemed dark and dangerous as he stared into me once more. He held his lips tight together as he stared at me, leaving the silence to be broken by his elder, Marius who held a somber face.
"Dear child, were you the one to illustrate these images? Are these your writings?", he firmly asked of me.
"Why would I run back for a diary that isn't filled with my own thoughts and rambles? You don't have to tell me how crazy I am, I don't need any kind of help or church, just give me the notebook back. Please.", I said, almost mocking his own firm voice as I reached for the notebook only for it to be pulled back away from my grasp.
"How do you know Louis? Why is he here in your book?", Lestat spat at me in a cruel voice, flipping pages in my journal with an incredible speed back to the last page I had left it on, the sketch I had done only an hour ago at most. Marius placed a hand on Lestat's shoulder and gripped it tightly.
"Lestat, please, she means no harm to any of us.", he said softly. "But child, these images you have created here, do you know who these people are? Have you seen them in person?"
I shook my head at him, feeling myself become nervous once more. I didn't want this kind of confrontation and I could almost feel tears begin to well up in my eyes. They were just visions, nothing more. This man can't possibly know the names and faces I'd drawn there. It has to be some sort of sick coincidence.
"With such detail, you've had to have seen them somewhere. In dreams perhaps? Ash, please, you must tell me how you know of them", Marius said to me in a pleading tone. At once I flinched at his words.
"How do you know my name? I never told you my name. I don't have that name written anywhere in those pages!", which was true, we never formally introduced ourselves and I always signed my full illustrations with Kitten as opposed to my given name. Who was he to know me?
"How do you know of the Ancient Ones sitting on their throne of stone?!", Lestat implored, his fingers once again flipping through the pages to one of my first full illustrations. This one shown two marble statues, a man and a woman. They looked like statues of a king and queen, sitting straight and staring forward.
Tears were indeed welling up in my eyes as I felt my face heat up from frustration of dealing with such a confrontation.
"I saw them in a vision. I see these...these...flashes. They're like fragments of memories...that's where I saw them. That's where I saw others. That's where I saw you!", I said, pointing my finger at Lestat and letting the tears fall down my cheeks and my voice break as I spoke. "I've seen visions of terrible things. I've seen two red haired twins, I've seen an entire theater filled with this..this cult...I've seen people burst into flames".
Through my tears I saw the two men exchange glances and Marius moved to approach me. I wanted to back away from him but I couldn't find it in myself to move in the moment. His hand came up to gently cup my face and pull my gaze up to him.
"Do you want answers, child?", he asked of me softly.
"Yes", I whispered to him, my dark almond eyes staring up into his own dark eyes. "Please, tell me".
And so now I sat in front of a large roaring fire in a vastly different place. It was a large warm home. The walls were lined in thick leather bound books and fine furniture. The only true light source in the room was the fire in front of me. I sat, slightly curled in a soft leather chair, Marius sat across from me in a similar chair. He had brought me here to his home, how exactly I'm afraid I can't tell you. It's like my memory becomes fuzzy when I try to think of what happened between then and where I last remember myself being in the cemetery. But Marius was smiling at me warmly as I looked around at the new surroundings. I felt on edge but not truly afraid. I looked over my shoulder to see Lestat pacing around with my notebook still held in his hands, flipping through the pages.
"So what's his problem anyways? Who are you two?", I finally asked.
"We are unknowable, by nature. But my name is Marius and his is Lestat. We are very old, Ash, much older than your parents, than your grandparents and so on. The images that are splayed across your pages are secrets that you should not be aware of. Not even others like us are aware of these secrets. They are safeguarded for a reason. And it troubles us to find a young mortal with a short bullet point essay and illustrations that broadcast the history of these secrets".
"So what, you're vampires or something?", I said bluntly.
I saw Lestat stop pacing from my peripheral vision and when I turned to look at him fully, he merely smirked at me once more, the grin returning to his features for the first time since finding my journal. When I looked back at Marius, he had his eyes closed and his hands held before him, his index fingers pressed tightly against his lips while he thought to himself.
"Wait...you're not really vampires...are you? I mean, my grandfather was a self proclaimed warlock and my grandmother was a psychic witch, so it's not like I can't believe that it's not possible...but...are you really?".
Marius opened his eyes but remained silent, merely acknowledging my words. I turned to Lestat once again and saw him approach me slowly.
"Ma cherie, I can assure you that we are, in fact, vampires", Lestat said to me as he drew close, kneeling before the chair I sat in, his hands finding their way to my bare legs above my knees, his thumbs brushing against my thighs. It was such a sensual feeling I felt myself flinch and instinctively pull myself away from him. Lestat was smiling widely at me now, and there was no denying it now. His fangs flashed at me in the smile.
"You mentioned your heritage containing history of witchcraft, tell me, was your grandmother's maiden name Mayfair?", Marius asked of me gently. Lestat pulled away from me fully and stood, his form towering over mine, but his eyes stayed locked onto mine.
"I don't know. What does it matter?", I answered rather bluntly.
"The Mayfairs are a long standing family of witches with history that intertwines with many vampires. I wouldn't be surprised of one of their offspring would receive visions."
"Then wouldn't I have visions of witches instead of vampires?"
"Not necessarily. Even visions of the past could be seen as foresight. Think of it as your sub-conscience sensing the nearby presence of preternatural creatures and your abilities draining memories and visions from these creatures to alert yourself of their growing presence. I've been staying in this area for quite some time now and it would make sense that you could grab fragments of the Ancient ones from me. Lestat has only just come back to me, so you've only just now seen a fragment of his past", Marius replied.
The idea mulled about in my mind for a moment, my eyes were cast back down to the fire that crackled and danced in front of me. The room was silent during a long moment. This was heavy information to digest.
Lestat had taken himself back to flipping through my journal, contempt with reading about the visions that I've had. I turned my attention back to Marius who was looking away from me, staring deeply into the fire just as I had just been doing. He looked handsome with the light dancing around him. His eyes held such a soft gaze while it pierced your soul. It matched the firm voice he spoke with, firm and yet filled with a sincere kindness.
"So...", I cleared my throat to break the silence. "You haven't told me how you know my name? Did you read my mind?". Marius' eyes came back to me and a smile played on his lips.
"Yes, I read your thoughts. I can pick up many things about you just by skimming the top layer of your thoughts. Things you aren't even particularly even thinking of. Like of how you don't really want to go back to that ramshackle house a few blocks down. Of how sick you were when your father forced you to ride with him to Florida for a trip you didn't even understand. Of how you've had to push yourself so far to end up with so little", he answered.
"Oh...you see all of that...", I sighed, casting my eyes down once more to avoid his gaze.
"Even if he didn't, you have it filling so many of these pages. Your father was a monster through and through, ma chere", Lestat said.
"I had to put those thoughts and words somewhere. I dont' exactly have friends to go to in times of need or when I just need to vent out my frustrations.", I muttered.
"And what if we were to become that for you?", Marius asked of me, his eyes shimmering brightly at me. Lestat put down my notebook and peered at Marius incredulously.
"You can't be serious", Lestat exclaimed.
"Oh but I am. You said it yourself that we need new blood to show us how to adjust to the coming ages and I believe this beautiful young woman has shown more than enough potential to teach us, Lestat", Marius said, looking over his shoulder at the younger vampire that approached us once more before bringing his gaze back to me. "What do you say, Kitten? This home would be yours, your life would no longer be one of pain and suffering and you would have everything you would ever need".The thought sounded far too good to be true. Deals like this always came with some sort of crazy catch and I wasn't going to immediately fall head over heels for this offer.
"But I would have to kill, wouldn't I? I may not have the fondest feelings for the people that shuffle around me, but I can't just kill every night just to sustain myself", I said, shaking my head at the notion. Marius once again put his fingers against his lips in thought and he nodded his head as though it was the response he wanted to hear from me.
"Ah, but alas, the kiss of death is the deal breaker for the girl, Marius", Lestat said as he drew close to me again, his long pale fingers sliding along the arm of the leather chair I sat in and his eyes flashing a dangerous glance in my direction. He was coming around me as though he were a hungry wolf coming onto his prey. Didn't he mention wolves to me earlier in the night? "It's a good thing that death is not always a promise with our kiss, love".
"What do you mean?", I nervously questioned, raising a brow at the vampire before me. He was once more kneeling before me, his hands gripping the arms of the chair on either side of me, effectively trapping me for the moment as he drew ever closer. I pushed as far back into the plush material of the chair as I could to back away from him.
"We are able to control our thirst to take small amounts of blood from our victims. We sink our fangs into the skin for only a few seconds at best and then we withdraw, leaving our mouths with filled with blood and our victims spinning with pleasure and none the wiser to what has actually transpired", Marius stated calmly as he merely watched Lestat ensnare me like a trapped rabbit.
"Relax, Kitten. It won't hurt at all...just relax and give in to me", Lestat whispered in my ear and I felt my face heat up once more at his words and the way they hung heavy with sex and lust as I felt his lips brush against the shell of my ear. I stiffened at feeling him come so close to me and pushed against his shoulders...but it felt like I was pushing against a brick wall that wouldn't budge.
"You'll love how it feels...they say it's an addicting experience", Lestat purred into my ear, his lips brushing against my ear with every word. His lips began to slowly move down my ear to my jawline and down to the top of my neck. My eyes closed and I felt my body seem to act on it's own and my head tilted to offer more of my neck to the purring vampire.
"That's it...good girl. Keep your eyes closed for me, Kitten", he whispered softly before I could feel the unmistakable feeling of his fangs piercing my neck. The pain only lasted a second before a wave of pleasure wrecked my body. I could hear myself gasp and my back arch. It was like having a mind blowing orgasm run through your body without warning. The peak of the orgasm lasting for what felt like several minutes, erasing whatever thoughts I had filled my mind with seconds before and removing all control from my body. When Lestat pulled away from me, I became aware of the soft mews and moans coming from my lips and I opened my eyes just in time to see the younger vampire lick the blood from his lips lovingly.
"You should taste her, Marius. She's divine", he said, turning to face the other vampire that sat in the room. My eyes shifted over to Marius to see a look of pure lust glazed over his eyes though he remained silent at Lestat's remark.
I closed my eyes once more, my head spinning though not from blood loss. I wanted to lay down and ask for more all at the same time.
"Well, since you seem to have enjoyed his kiss, perhaps when you are ready I will show you just how deep the rabbit hole goes", Marius finally said.