Vampire's Day Soiree 2015

Once again, its time for the Vampire's Day Soiree, an alternative celebration hosted by Hollyhorrorshow, whose blog resides at a place called Holly's Horrorland.

The Vampire's Day Soiree takes place on February 14, Valentine's Day. The celebration is in its fourth  year and I'm very happy to be a part of it once again.

Here's how it works: Participants first sign up by listing their blog at the appropriate place on Holly's page. This allows her readers to see just who is taking part. Then, when the big day arrives, all involved simply post something about vampires on their own blogs. The list on Holly's page allows her readers to navigate easily through all of the vampire material. Generally, there's a good deal of interaction in her comments section as well. All in all, it's a great celebration and a good place to meet other like-minded people.

This year, I am including an excerpt from one of my more recent short stories called A Fall from Grace: Metamorphoses. In the following passages, the vampire Lady Andrea seeks revenge for the kidnapping and demise of her human lover and blood donor.  

       Reverend Roy returned to the seat behind his desk, the abrupt noise having done nothing to assuage his anxiety. Next, the sound of tapping upon glass broke the silence. He glanced toward the window and seeing nothing, credited the patter to an overactive imagination. The tapping began anew, and this time he ran back to the window to investigate. What he saw made him gasp. On the other side of the glass hovered a large bat. It had a wing span of approximately a foot wide and as the creature remained in place. it seemed to be staring directly into his eyes. The anxious man jumped away from the window and pulled the curtains shut around it.

What’s a bat doing out there at this time of year? He wondered. It must have rabies or that other disease they get. That would explain everything. I’ll notify the proper authorities in the…

His thoughts were disturbed once again; this time, by a slow knocking at the door. With a profound sense of relief Roy extended the invitation.

“Come on in. The door’s unlocked.”

He gasped when he saw a woman stepping into the office. She was tall and sported a full mane of black and blue-dyed hair that cascaded well beyond her shoulders. She was adorned almost entirely in black with a velvet three-quarter length cape lined in violet. Her cloak only partially concealed her leather spike-heeled boots, and as she walked toward him, he caught glimpses of fishnet stockings, which contrasted sharply with the whiteness of her bare upper thighs and short red skirt. It occurred to him that the woman’s complexion seemed to be unnaturally pale. Yet there was no denying her captivating beauty.

She paused in front of him and removed her cloak, revealing more flesh, covered only by a leather corset. The woman stared directly at him with radiant green eyes. For a moment, he felt an urge to touch her, to run his hands along her smooth, flawless skin, to place gentle kisses along the exposed part of her cleavage. Yet, he dispelled the desire as quickly as it had come upon him.

Lead me not into temptation, he thought, averting his eyes away from her. Then, he spoke the words aloud.

“Lead me not into temptation.”

The woman smiled as she handed him her cloak.

“Would you see to a lady’s covering?” She asked.

Roy draped the cape across an easy chair situated by the far wall and then returned to her.

“What can I do for you, young lady?” He asked while attempting to hide his discomfort.

“Well now,” she responded, her eyes boring into his very soul. “You are Reverend Roy, aren’t you?”

“Why…why yes, I am,” he responded, showing his discomfort. “It’s a bit unusual for anyone to meet with me at this time of night. Besides, I’m expecting company and they should be here any minute now. If you’d like to make an appointment…”

“They won’t be showing up here any time soon,” she interjected. “

His mind began to race. What’s she talking about? She acts like she knows something. How could she?

“Who are you?” He asked. “What do you want?”

“My name is Lady Andrea, Reverend, and we have business, you and I. Why don’t you take a seat in your comfortable desk chair, and we’ll talk.”

Although disconcerted by this strange woman seemingly taking control of the situation, he moved behind his desk and took a seat. A growing unease took hold of him, a discomfort not only due to the carnal desire she invoked in him, but also from a growing fear that she might know something.

She smiled at Roy seductively as he sat down, amused at his discomfort.

“You seem awfully nervous,” she informed him. “You’re not used to being alone with a woman like me, are you?”

“I’m a man of God,” he responded. “And if I may say so, Miss, I’m beginning to believe that your intentions are less than honorable.”

“Ah, I see that you have a sound system here,” she said after looking around the room. “Good, let’s create a better atmosphere, one in which we can better discuss things, shall we?”

She walked over to the stereo and turned it on. The sound of Southern Gospel music immediately permeated the room.

“Ugh,” she recoiled. “That’ll never do for what I have in mind.”

Lady Andrea studied the system for a moment, and then began changing stations.

“Oh good, you’ve got satellite,” she exclaimed. “Who said you evangelicals don’t believe in science? Hmm…I should be able to find what I want here. Ah! There we go.”

Suddenly, the sound of heavy metal music filled the room. It was slow and mournful, but also powerful with the vocal sound of despairing death growls interspersed between heavy, distorted and dissonant guitar chords and symphonic orchestration. She turned off the light switch, thereby leaving on only the dim lamp on the top of the man’s desk. Dr. Roy reacted sharply.

“Now see here, young lady!” He began. “That evil music is not allowed on this Christian campus. I think you’d better leave.”

Andrea turned the music down a bit and smiling, sauntered over to the chair that faced his from the opposite side of the desk. She positioned it at just the right distance to give the man a full view of her. After sitting down, she slowly crossed her legs and gave him a seductive smile.

“That’s better,” she began. Now we can get down to business.”

“Why are you here?” Roy demanded.

“You see, Reverend. I had the most romantic evening you can imagine planned for tonight, just between my Jessie and me.”

A sickening and paralyzing fear gripped the minister when he heard Jessie’s name. His blood ran cold. Lady Andrea, sensing his sudden horror, grew more excited as she continued speaking.

“I’d never experienced such sweetness before I met him. Truth be told, I was planning to drain him dry when I caught him snooping around my house. He was such a pervert, staring at me from his window night after night while having nasty thoughts. But he was not only willing to surrender to my type of eroticism, but he reveled in it. That turns me on. And when I got the first taste of his blood…well, I almost lost myself in it.”

She stared hungrily at the man sitting before her. Andrea’s enthusiasm continued to grow with his rising level of disgust and fear. In the background, the music served to promote a sense of terror and even doom within him.

“But I didn’t,” she continued. “Somehow, I managed to stop myself. When Jessie recovered, he agreed to my terms. He was mine and we had such a sweet, sweet love. But now, all that’s changed because you killed him.”

“I didn’t, truly I didn’t,” Roy responded, breaking into a sob. “It wasn’t me. I only wanted to save his soul.”

“By forcing him into the frigid waters against his will? By having your friends sink him to the bottom of the river?”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he said with hands covering his face.

Andrea knew that she had broken him. Now, it was time to close in for the kill. She stood up and moved to the other side of the desk where she removed his hands from his face and began stroking it with her own, seductively.

“What’re you going to do now?” He asked. “Call the police?”

“Of course not,” she said while continuing to stroke him. “There wouldn’t be any pleasure for me if I did that. Besides, I did have a special evening planned and I still intend to see it through”

At first, he felt a sense of relief upon hearing those words; but as he pondered their meaning, a sense of dread began to overtake him. Meanwhile, the unusual woman’s demeanor took on a more sinister tone. She got out of her seat and began pacing around him.

“To tell you the truth, Reverend, I can’t remember the last time I drank a preacher’s blood.”

“You’re crazy, woman!” He shouted, attempting to re-take control of the situation. “What manner of evil have you brought to these holy grounds with your talk of blood?”

She swooped back down in front of him without hesitation, pinning his shoulders against the chair while hissing with open mouth only inches away from his eyes. He saw her razor sharp, elongated canines and cringed in fear. Andrea took in his terror and then returned to a more gentle and seductive behavior. She sat upon his lap and began placing gentle kisses on his cheek while speaking to him in a soft, sensuous voice.   

There you have my contribution to the Vampire's Day Soiree. This and a collection of other shorts should soon be available in paperback. They'll be more on that when it finally happens. Meanwhile, enjoy the Vampire's Day celebration and be sure to check out the other contributions by going to the heart of the celebration at Holly's Horrorland.

Photo source Gothic Pictures Gallery
Author unknown