yet
he continued. ‘I can! It’s there, under the door. Yes, it is dawn. No, I am not
afraid,’ One of the other workers pulled me around a bend in the tunnel and
said, ‘Close your eyes, son.’ But it was too late. I had to see. I watched as
the old man walked out into the sunlight. His hair caught fire first, then his clothes burst into flames. I will
never forget his screams , they were unbearable .
And the smell was overwhelming. The old man was no longer recognizable, his
garment gone, his body bubbled with blisters. He dropped to his knees, still
screaming. I clamped my hands over my ears, because I couldn’t stand to hear it
anymore. When I looked back, all that was left was black ash. It was the wind
that took care of discarding the remains.” He paused momentarily, as if to
return to reality. “It was that dawn that I learned why we must not go out in
the sunlight, and it was the next night when I woke that I found out how close
I had come to my own demise.”
I was shocked by the story I had just heard. How could it be true? I had
never heard of such a thing. Then again, if someone had told me about our kind
before now, I wouldn’t have believed that either.
“It must have been horrible for you, Martin,” I said. “May I ask you
something else?”
“Of course,” he said, unwrapping his bandaged
wrist as we spoke. “I think I will have much to answer before our journey
ends.” He examined his wound, then looked at me. “The
bleeding has almost stopped, but I may need one more piece of your gown to
re-wrap it.”
“Oh, sure,” I said, jumping down from my perch. I reached down, and
tore another strip from the hem of my dress. I walked over to him, and he
smiled, raising his arm for me to see. I was in disbelief of what I saw. What
should have still been bleeding badly had slowed to a seep. “I don’t
understand,” I said. “No wound like that would be getting better in an hours’
time.”
“That is one of the things I tried to tell you,” he replied. “We heal
much faster than normal.”
“I see it, but my mind just doesn’t believe it.” Seeing the healing
wound made me completely forget about the question I was going to ask, and all
of a sudden, I felt very drowsy. “I am starting to feel very tired. I think I
best lay down.”
“Yes, Renee,” Martin said, as if he knew what I was feeling. “Like I
have said, you feel the pull of the coming dawn. It takes us without our
choice. When you become stronger, you too will be able to stay up longer,
providing you have shelter, and you will also be able to rise earlier.”
I finished wrapping his wound, and he spoke to me, “If dawn was not
imminent, we could learn to enjoy our time together.” Then he gave me a wink.
“You don’t think I know what that little wink means, do you?” I said,
already walking toward my side of the room. “Like I said, I am old-fashioned,
and I will be married before I learn that much about any man. So,
goodnight... err, good day. Oh, whatever. I’m going to
bed.” As I was lying down, I noticed the little gold box was missing from my
table. I looked around to see if it had fallen, and noticed Martin holding it
up.
“Is this what you are searching for?” he asked.
“NO,” I said childishly. “Well, okay, maybe. Why did you take it?”
“Because it is something I wanted you to have, but I will keep it until
things can be done in the fashion you are accustomed to. Then, I shall return
it the way it should be done.” he said, placing the box in the pocket of his
jacket, which now lay next to his bed on the floor. I was pretty sure at that
point what the box held, but I guess I would have to wait to see if I was
right. “Sleep well, my lady, for tomorrow night, we hunt.”
What does one say to that? Did he really think I could do that to
someone else? Drinking from him was the worst thing I had ever done in my life.
It was wrong to do, and no matter what the consequence, I would not let
he continued. ‘I can! It’s there, under the door. Yes, it is dawn. No, I am not
afraid,’ One of the other workers pulled me around a bend in the tunnel and
said, ‘Close your eyes, son.’ But it was too late. I had to see. I watched as
the old man walked out into the sunlight. His hair caught fire first, then his clothes burst into flames. I will
never forget his screams , they were unbearable .
And the smell was overwhelming. The old man was no longer recognizable, his
garment gone, his body bubbled with blisters. He dropped to his knees, still
screaming. I clamped my hands over my ears, because I couldn’t stand to hear it
anymore. When I looked back, all that was left was black ash. It was the wind
that took care of discarding the remains.” He paused momentarily, as if to
return to reality. “It was that dawn that I learned why we must not go out in
the sunlight, and it was the next night when I woke that I found out how close
I had come to my own demise.”
I was shocked by the story I had just heard. How could it be true? I had
never heard of such a thing. Then again, if someone had told me about our kind
before now, I wouldn’t have believed that either.
“It must have been horrible for you, Martin,” I said. “May I ask you
something else?”
“Of course,” he said, unwrapping his bandaged
wrist as we spoke. “I think I will have much to answer before our journey
ends.” He examined his wound, then looked at me. “The
bleeding has almost stopped, but I may need one more piece of your gown to
re-wrap it.”
“Oh, sure,” I said, jumping down from my perch. I reached down, and
tore another strip from the hem of my dress. I walked over to him, and he
smiled, raising his arm for me to see. I was in disbelief of what I saw. What
should have still been bleeding badly had slowed to a seep. “I don’t
understand,” I said. “No wound like that would be getting better in an hours’
time.”
“That is one of the things I tried to tell you,” he replied. “We heal
much faster than normal.”
“I see it, but my mind just doesn’t believe it.” Seeing the healing
wound made me completely forget about the question I was going to ask, and all
of a sudden, I felt very drowsy. “I am starting to feel very tired. I think I
best lay down.”
“Yes, Renee,” Martin said, as if he knew what I was feeling. “Like I
have said, you feel the pull of the coming dawn. It takes us without our
choice. When you become stronger, you too will be able to stay up longer,
providing you have shelter, and you will also be able to rise earlier.”
I finished wrapping his wound, and he spoke to me, “If dawn was not
imminent, we could learn to enjoy our time together.” Then he gave me a wink.
“You don’t think I know what that little wink means, do you?” I said,
already walking toward my side of the room. “Like I said, I am old-fashioned,
and I will be married before I learn that much about any man. So,
goodnight... err, good day. Oh, whatever. I’m going to
bed.” As I was lying down, I noticed the little gold box was missing from my
table. I looked around to see if it had fallen, and noticed Martin holding it
up.
“Is this what you are searching for?” he asked.
“NO,” I said childishly. “Well, okay, maybe. Why did you take it?”
“Because it is something I wanted you to have, but I will keep it until
things can be done in the fashion you are accustomed to. Then, I shall return
it the way it should be done.” he said, placing the box in the pocket of his
jacket, which now lay next to his bed on the floor. I was pretty sure at that
point what the box held, but I guess I would have to wait to see if I was
right. “Sleep well, my lady, for tomorrow night, we hunt.”
What does one say to that? Did he really think I could do that to
someone else? Drinking from him was the worst thing I had ever done in my life.
It was wrong to do, and no matter what the consequence, I would not let
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