Madalina walked through the cold of the forest in anticipation of her meeting with the vampires. A low-hanging moon penetrated through the upper canopy of the trees creating faint shadows on the ground, and creating bits of fractured light that moved along Madalina’s body as she moved.
From a distance, two vampires watched this tentative shape that moved with circumspect glances in all directions. She did not notice the vampires, since they were perched high in the branches of a tree a significant distance from her. The acuity of sight of the vampires far exceeded that of a common girl, and they had little trouble distinguishing objects even in the dim light of night.
The two of them waited for her to walk near to them, hopping to the branches of separate trees to get themselves closers. When the vampires leapt from one tree to the next it caused the trees to sway as if they were being pushed by a furious wind.
Madalina heard the sound of the trees and looked up above, but could see nothing through the deep darkness above her. Until, almost out of nowhere, she saw the faint streak of a moving object falling in her direction. She again tried to leap out of the way as she had before, but she hadn’t reacted early enough. A net suddenly landed atop her, with heavy weights at the four corners to hold it down.
Madalina scrambled to pull herself out of the net, furiously pulling at it and lunging for one of the weights. She picked up the weight to toss behind her and make an egress from beneath the net, but, just as she was escaping, she saw the legs of a dark figure standing in front of her.
It was the same vampire she’d seen before, and he looked down on her with an amused expression. “Sim,” he said. He then pointed to a second vampire standing behind Madalina, and said, “Bai.” She turned around to look at Bai, who was pale and hairless and looked at her with a vicious look.
“You will bring someone to us tomorrow, here, someone young, or we’ll take you, instead,” Sim said as Madalina began to slowly stand up.
“So I can join your coven?” Madalina asked eagerly.
“Yes,” Sim said, “If you bring someone.”
Madalina wanted to immediately say something to show her happiness and her appreciation, but Sim merely pointed her back in the direction of her convent and said, “Now crawl away cretin, and don’t touch us.”
Madalina slowly backed away from the two of them, nodding her head and said, “I will be back, tomorrow, with someone.” Then when she had put some space between her and the vampires she turned and ran.
It had not been how she anticipated it. She had been pleased by the result, but she had at least expected something in the way of welcome, some interest in welcoming a new member to the group. But everything about their demeanor and tone seemed to add up to bitterness and disdain.
As she approached the wall of the convent, she again waited for the sentries to pass out of sight, and then she entered through the door. Entering into courtyard, she darted to the novitiate and walked down the hall to her room.
When she entered the room, she closed the door and leaned against it to breathe a sigh, as if she could finally relax for the first time in weeks. But within a moment she heard a sound among the three occupied beds. Madalina froze, deciding to remain silent, then she changed her mind and began to undress as fast as possible and try to climb into bed before she was noticed.
Nicoleta had woken and after a few minutes of groggy rolling about, she suddenly sprang up in her bed and looked in Madlina’s direction. Madalina was stuffing her cloak under her bed and hopping into her bed as Nicoleta looked at her.
“Madalina!” Nicoleta whispered forcefully, “You didn’t go out did you?”
“No, I swear,” Madalina replied, “But please don't tell anyone you saw me.” Madalina was optimistic at seeing that it was Nicoleta who saw her. She was the most forgiving of the three, the most pliable and sensitive.
Nicoleta pouted with a loud harrumph and crossed her arms. “Madalina!” she whined, “No!”
Madalina mouthed, “Please,” very deferentially.
After a few more displeased grunts, Nicoleta finally asked, “No one saw you, did they?”
“No, no one,” Madalina assured her.
Nicoleta, though, did not want to leave it at that and was thinking about what to do. She finally resolved to wake the other girls and leave it to them, standing from her bed and approaching them. Madalina saw her and quickly leapt from her bed and gently grabbed Nicoleta’s arm to stop her.
“Please!” Madalina pleaded, “Please. Let them sleep.”
Nicoleta frowned and sighed, but she conceded and turned back to her bed with a disgruntled harrumph. She finally laid down, watching Madalina to make sure she laid down too. After she was sure that Madalina was asleep, she let herself sleep too.
<-- Go to
Part 25 Go to
Part 27 -->
You can see what's been written so far collected
here.
Madalina walked through the cold of the forest in anticipation of her meeting with the vampires. A low-hanging moon penetrated through the upper canopy of the trees creating faint shadows on the ground, and creating bits of fractured light that moved along Madalina’s body as she moved.
From a distance, two vampires watched this tentative shape that moved with circumspect glances in all directions. She did not notice the vampires, since they were perched high in the branches of a tree a significant distance from her. The acuity of sight of the vampires far exceeded that of a common girl, and they had little trouble distinguishing objects even in the dim light of night.
The two of them waited for her to walk near to them, hopping to the branches of separate trees to get themselves closers. When the vampires leapt from one tree to the next it caused the trees to sway as if they were being pushed by a furious wind.
Madalina heard the sound of the trees and looked up above, but could see nothing through the deep darkness above her. Until, almost out of nowhere, she saw the faint streak of a moving object falling in her direction. She again tried to leap out of the way as she had before, but she hadn’t reacted early enough. A net suddenly landed atop her, with heavy weights at the four corners to hold it down.
Madalina scrambled to pull herself out of the net, furiously pulling at it and lunging for one of the weights. She picked up the weight to toss behind her and make an egress from beneath the net, but, just as she was escaping, she saw the legs of a dark figure standing in front of her.
It was the same vampire she’d seen before, and he looked down on her with an amused expression. “Sim,” he said. He then pointed to a second vampire standing behind Madalina, and said, “Bai.” She turned around to look at Bai, who was pale and hairless and looked at her with a vicious look.
“You will bring someone to us tomorrow, here, someone young, or we’ll take you, instead,” Sim said as Madalina began to slowly stand up.
“So I can join your coven?” Madalina asked eagerly.
“Yes,” Sim said, “If you bring someone.”
Madalina wanted to immediately say something to show her happiness and her appreciation, but Sim merely pointed her back in the direction of her convent and said, “Now crawl away cretin, and don’t touch us.”
Madalina slowly backed away from the two of them, nodding her head and said, “I will be back, tomorrow, with someone.” Then when she had put some space between her and the vampires she turned and ran.
It had not been how she anticipated it. She had been pleased by the result, but she had at least expected something in the way of welcome, some interest in welcoming a new member to the group. But everything about their demeanor and tone seemed to add up to bitterness and disdain.
As she approached the wall of the convent, she again waited for the sentries to pass out of sight, and then she entered through the door. Entering into courtyard, she darted to the novitiate and walked down the hall to her room.
When she entered the room, she closed the door and leaned against it to breathe a sigh, as if she could finally relax for the first time in weeks. But within a moment she heard a sound among the three occupied beds. Madalina froze, deciding to remain silent, then she changed her mind and began to undress as fast as possible and try to climb into bed before she was noticed.
Nicoleta had woken and after a few minutes of groggy rolling about, she suddenly sprang up in her bed and looked in Madlina’s direction. Madalina was stuffing her cloak under her bed and hopping into her bed as Nicoleta looked at her.
“Madalina!” Nicoleta whispered forcefully, “You didn’t go out did you?”
“No, I swear,” Madalina replied, “But please don't tell anyone you saw me.” Madalina was optimistic at seeing that it was Nicoleta who saw her. She was the most forgiving of the three, the most pliable and sensitive.
Nicoleta pouted with a loud harrumph and crossed her arms. “Madalina!” she whined, “No!”
Madalina mouthed, “Please,” very deferentially.
After a few more displeased grunts, Nicoleta finally asked, “No one saw you, did they?”
“No, no one,” Madalina assured her.
Nicoleta, though, did not want to leave it at that and was thinking about what to do. She finally resolved to wake the other girls and leave it to them, standing from her bed and approaching them. Madalina saw her and quickly leapt from her bed and gently grabbed Nicoleta’s arm to stop her.
“Please!” Madalina pleaded, “Please. Let them sleep.”
Nicoleta frowned and sighed, but she conceded and turned back to her bed with a disgruntled harrumph. She finally laid down, watching Madalina to make sure she laid down too. After she was sure that Madalina was asleep, she let herself sleep too.
<-- Go to
Part 25 Go to
Part 27 -->
You can see what's been written so far collected
here.
Vampire Wares pt 26
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