The Chronicles of The White Forest – A Vampire’s Tale
Veronica My name is Veronica and I am a vampire. Cliché much, but nonetheless, this is who I am. I agreed to share my story…
Author: Staci Hunsinger
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Veronica My name is Veronica and I am a vampire. Cliché much, but nonetheless, this is who I am. I agreed to share my story…
Veronica
My name is Veronica and I am a vampire. Cliché much, but nonetheless, this is who I am. I agreed to share my story in the hopes that one day it will help others understand who I am and what has become of me. I am by no means a monster, but circumstances have brought me to do things that I would normally not have done. Since I was “born”, I have been haunted by my past. My rage continues to grow and threaten not only myself, but those around me. Those at the White Forest. Those who I love.
I am a member of the White Forest and by that, I mean not only who I am as a vampire, but also my Family. We stick together, take care of one another, and most of all love each other. Something I never thought I would have. I truly am a loving creature who only wants love in return. My heart belongs to only one man, my mate and closest companion. For the pain that I have caused him, I am sorry. I never meant for you to get hurt. I never meant to cause you any pain. You will always be mine! Forever my mate! For now, I will tell my story and hope that one day soon I can come home. Home to you my love. Home for good.
Forever yours,
Veronica
Chapter One
Veronica had dreams just like every other little girl in the world. She dreamed that one day a handsome man would marry her, and they would have a family and a house much like the farm she lived on. He would tell her how wonderful she is, how beautiful she is, and how lucky he is to have her. Yes, it was your typical little girl dream, but that’s all it ever was, just a dream. Reality was a pure nightmare.
The depression that hit her small town was a big one. Many of the neighboring farms have been abandoned or sold off. Drought had hurt many as well. This came in the aftermath of a widespread influenza epidemic that took many, including Veronica’s mother. Her family was able to stay afloat, but just barely. At 12 years old young Veronica had to learn how to cook, clean and take care of the house for her father, Darren and two older brothers, James and Jarrod. To top it off, her father told her repeatedly that it was her fault that her mother was dead. Veronica had gotten sick with influenza and her mother stayed by her side to nurse her back to health, only to fall ill herself and die. Veronica’s dream of finding the perfect man died with the death of her mother.
When Veronica was 18 years old, she was “born” into her vampire life. Her story is not all that much different from many you have heard, but in some ways, it is much different. She was a pretty but shy girl, with deep brown hair and chocolate eyes. She always had a warm smile and a kind word but growing up on the farm was difficult and life was not always kind to her. Her Mother, Gloria, had been dead for many years and her father and two brothers, Jarrod and James were all that remained. . While her father and brothers tended to the fields of the homestead, Veronica kept the house like any good daughter would do. She was basically a servant in her father’s house. Times where tough back then and no matter how hard the men worked there was little to show for the effort.. Taxes grew higher, drought threaten to kill off all they had, and her father struggled to make ends meet.
Veronica had begged her father numerous times to let her try and find a job. She knew that jobs were few and far between, but still she could try. She was a good cook; she kept a neat house, and she was an excellent seamstress. The mortgaged farm and the current drought were not helping. If they lost this year’s crops, they would be finished. . Still, her father said no. According to him, she was worthless, and no one needed someone who was worthless. The pain this caused Veronica was so great at times that she thought there was nothing to live for. Nothing to keep her going. She had thought about ending it all just to make the pain go away, but every time she did, she thought about who would take care of her father and brothers? Who would make sure that they were okay and that supper was on the table waiting for them? No. No matter how much pain she was in, she had a duty and she was not going to slack off no matter what.
Slowly as the years went by, Veronica’s brothers married and moved from the family farm. Although this caused great joy in Veronica’s life, it also caused her much suffering. Of course, she was thrilled for her brothers to have found love and start families of their own, but it left her alone with their father. Darren took to drinking heavily and soon began to blame Veronica for everything, from the poor crops, to the lack of rain, to the rise in taxes. He was always quick to temper, but it seemed that as the years went by, so did his rise in anger. She tried to be the daughter her father could be proud of. She tried to make sure the house was always clean, dinner was on time and his clothes mended and washed. She was always obedient and made sure she never spoke unless spoken to. It helped to be invisible as much as possible.
On a typical day in early spring, Veronica had dinner ready and the table set. They were running low on food, but she had managed to make a decent meal with what they had, hoping that she could impress her father. The recent drought was making it hard for any crops to grow and what little they had Veronica made sure to make last. The front door banged open and made Veronica jump, nearly dropping the rolls that she had just taken out of the oven.
“What’s this?” Darren yelled.
“Dinner.” Veronica said meekly.
“For whom? The farm animals? This isn’t fit for humans!” he spat turning away from her.
Trying not to cry from his harsh words, Veronica said nothing, knowing it would only lead to worse things. She kept her head down and her mouth shut. He turned back towards her and yelled. “This is the thanks I get!”
“For what father?” Veronica asked.
“For YOU!” he screamed and started for the door.
“Where are you going?” As soon as the words left her mouth, Veronica knew it was a mistake. Darren whipped around and stalked towards her. Coming right up to her staring her in the face. Veronica cowered ready for the worst. She knew that this time she was going to get it. She knew that she had crossed a line that would only go from bad to worse.
“You don’t EVER get to ask me that!” he yelled so loudly she thought the windows would break and took a step back. The smell of alcohol on his breath was almost too much. How could he have been drinking already? Where could he have possibly been?
Veronica looked at him with such confusion that it caused Darren’s anger to rise even higher. He stepped up to her again and in one quick motion, slapped her across the face. Then he turned back towards the table, tipped it over, and dishes, glasses, and food flying everywhere.
“Now,” he said his voice full of venom. “Clean it up!”
With that he stormed out of the house slamming the door as he left.
Veronica was in a daze from what just happened and stared at the door in disbelief.
“What just happened?” she said to herself. Tears threatened to fall, but somehow Veronica managed to stop them and keep herself composed. Angry and confused, she went about cleaning up and giving her father time to come to his senses or at least that is what she hoped would happen.
“I know dinner wasn’t something amazing, but it was good.” She said out loud. Not really expecting anyone to answer her but doing it just the same. She knew she shouldn’t care, but her father seemed to be getting worse as time went on. He was angrier and his drinking was getting heavier. Food was running low and now with dinner on the floor they had even less.
It was times like this that she missed her brothers James and Jarrod the most. When they married and moved away, she begged them to take her with them; but they told her that her place was here looking after their father. She knew in a way they resented her too for the death of their mother. Everyone did, but did that mean she deserved what she was going through now? Did that mean she did not deserve love? That she deserved to be nothing more than a servant? She was a person, a daughter and sister. She deserved more.
Finally cleaning up the mess that was their ruined dinner and knowing that she would find her father at the local tavern, her father’s new favorite place to be, she waited for longer than necessary before going to get him. Anger trumped daughterly duties for the first time in her life and even after she had calmed, she still took her time before heading to town to gather him up. She wondered again why she should even bother, but her mother always told her that no matter how bad things got, good always won. Veronica was beginning to doubt this statement very, very much, but off she went anyways.
Once arriving at the tavern, Veronica straightened her spine and gathered her courage before heading inside. It was not common place for a young woman to frequent a place such as this; and Veronica was nothing if not proper, but what choice did she have. She needed to bring her Father home. With a deep breath, Veronica headed inside and glanced around the place looking for her father.
“Can I help you Miss?” said a nice-looking man from behind the bar.
“Yes, I am looking for Darren White.” Veronica said proud of herself for not sounding too scared.
“Sorry, but you just missed him. He left not that long ago saying he was heading over to Tool’s”. The young man said with a bit of remorse.
Veronica shivered at the thought. Tool’s was a place where people went to disappear. It had the reputation as one of the roughest, meanest, and shadiest places around. Veronica hated the idea of having to go there and get her father, but what other choice did she have. Be the good daughter and do what you must. But did it have to be there?
“Thank you.” She said kindly to the man behind the bar and turned around and walked out.
Once outside the tavern, Veronica stared up at the night sky and wondered what to do. She could go to either one of her brothers and beg for help or even a place to stay, but since they left neither one of them had ever come to see if she was okay or how things were going at the farm. It was like they knew that it was bad and did not want to get involved. She decided they would be no help in this matter either. Taking a deep breath, she turned and headed in the direction of Tool’s.
Chapter Two
Victor stood in the corner of Tool’s watching the scene unfold before his eyes. He came to this place for many reasons. The main one being a food source. As a vampire, Victor relied on the blood of humans to survive, but unlike most vampires his conscience dedicated that he only feed off the lowest form of human life. He would find the wretched and rid them from doing any more harm. Standing at just over six feet tall, he was a well-muscled man, with an old world look of midnight black hair and the lightest of blue eyes, giving him almost a demonic look; and why not, he was after all a vampire.
He preferred the shadows when it came to one of his all-time favorite past times, people watching. Victor was fascinated with humans and the way they act. A fact he found humorous since he, himself was once human, but that is for another story. Even when he was human, he was always intrigued with how people treated or acted around one another.. He was always a curious creature.
On most nights, such as this, he would visit the local tavern or bar and “hunt” for dinner. It was here that he met a truly evil man. Sitting in a dark corner of the bar nursing a glass of beer, yes vampires can eat and drink, Victor watched the comings and goings of the place. He had been to this place many times over the years and this particular man always intrigued him. He was a vile, mean spirted man who hated everything since the death of his wife. Who cared if his three kids starved, if it wasn’t for his worthless daughter his wife would still be alive? Oh yes, Victor knew his story all too well. He knew the likes of evil and this man was no exception.
Victor considered ending his life the first night he met him, but after being in his head, a special talent of his, he decided to let him live. Victor may be a vampire, but he did have standards. He tried very hard never to let children become orphans or wives with no source of survival. However, if he thought their lives would become better if that person was gone, all bets were off. Unfortunately, this man lived far too many years in Victor’s opinion. He had seen how, at the time, this man’s three children really needed him, so he allowed him to live, but kept a close eye on them all.
Through the years he watched and waited, knowing his time was near. Tonight, he heard the man yelling, drunk and hateful and knew it was time. He knew that the world would be better off without him. He knew that his three children were grown and did not need him, which was until she walked in.
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Tool’s tavern was located on the outskirts of town and was home to an ignorant group of people. Standing at the entrance, Veronica had no idea what to expect when she went in, but she had to find out. She had to be the good daughter and bring her father home before he got hurt. Squaring her shoulders and gathering up her courage, she walked inside and looked around. The entire shady place seemed to stop what they were doing and look straight at her like they had never seen a woman before. Trying very hard not to look as scared as she was, she continued looking for her father and soon found him in the back corner drunk and rambling on like a child. Thankful that he was here and unharmed, she crossed the room and went straight toward him.
Darren looked up from his rambling and seeing Veronica approach quickly stood up from his seat and swayed, proving that he already had far more to drink than he realized. Anger quickly clouded his vision as the bane of his existence came strutting toward him.
“What are you doing here girl?” Darren spat the words from his mouth.
“I’ve come to take you home father.” Veronica said as gently as possible.
Darren let out a belly laugh that held more than enough venom to make Veronica shudder. He then looked her straight in the eyes and slapped her causing her to stagger back.
Thankfully Veronica didn’t fall, but she was still shocked that not only had her father hit her again, but he did it in a public place. Granted this place was not the best of places, but people were there to witness what had happened to her.
“How dare YOU treat ME like a child? Like I can’t take care of myself! Just who do you think you are?” Every word was like a knife driven through Veronica’s heart.
Fighting back the tears that threatened to fall and trying not to show the hurt or pain on her face from her father’s harsh words and slap, Veronica simply said, “Forgive me father I was only trying to help. I’ll go home now.” With that she turned and walked out.
Once out of the tavern and away from prying eyes, Veronica let the tears she had been holding back fall freely. She continued to walk down the road so as not to cause a seen, but soon she could no longer see from all the crying and sat down on a nearby rock to compose herself. How could her father be so cruel to her? How could he do that to her? Not only that, but not one person seemed to notice or care that a grown man hit his own child. Never had Veronica imagined that something like this could happen. Never had she thought she was that unloved or uncared for. Her tears flowed fast, and for once, Veronica didn’t care.
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Victor could not believe that the man rambling in the tavern was the father to such a beautiful creature. He saw her enter the tavern and could not imagine what a delicate young woman would be doing in such a sleazy place as this. She was of average height, maybe five feet six, with hair a deep brown color and eyes that were like pools of deep chocolate. She seemed shy and a bit scared, but who wouldn’t be in a place like this. When she approached the drunk man his suspicions grew even more, but after hearing her call him father his heart, or what was left of it, went out to the young woman. He had been listening to this man all night ramble on about the waste of a girl he had at home, that he was responsible for,and how if she had never been born his life would have been better off. Victor never got accustomed to the way some parents treated their children.
When he saw the way, the man had treated his daughter, he knew that he had to intervene. He may be a vampire, but he was once human, and no one treats another human being the way this man just treated his daughter. How could anyone hate a delicate creature like this woman? Parents are supposed to love their children not berate them. Quickly masking the room so that no one dared to follow the woman out, he took to the shadows and followed her. Something in his once human heart, told him that this woman was special. That she would help heal him as surely as he could help heal and save her.
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Veronica didn’t hear the stranger approach, so when she felt a hand on her shoulder, she jumped up and screamed only to find the most handsome man she had ever seen looking right at her. He smiled and showed her perfectly straight white teeth. A rare trait to find in this small out of the way town. Veronica was not used to dealing with many people, so she was unsure of what to do. She quickly put her head down and tried to become invisible.
“I am so sorry” he said in such a soothing, old fashioned, voice that Veronica felt hypnotized. “I did not mean to startle you.”
Veronica quickly tried to wipe away her tears so that she was more presentable and not such an embarrassment.
“I saw what happened in there and wanted to ensure you were alright.” He said with genuine concern in his voice.
“Thank you for your concern, but I’m fine.” Veronica said and started to walk away. She knew that it was not safe for a young woman to be out alone this late at night, especially in this less than perfect part of town, and having this stranger walk up to her without her even noticing him made that all the more real to her.
Victor quickly caught up to her and said, “Will you at least allow me the pleasure to walk you home? To make sure that you get there all right?” with a slight bow and a pleasant smile.
Reluctantly Veronica agreed, fearing that her father might see the two of them together, but also reassuring she would get home safely from this part of town. For some strange reason she felt safe with this stranger. It was as if she knew in her soul that he would never hurt her. That he was just the type of man she dreamed about when she was a little girl. The type of man who could love her and take her away from all this. The type of man who could protect her and never let any harm come to her. She hoped, for the first time in a very long time, she hoped. Victor offered his arm and together they walked back to the farmhouse. The walk was quiet for the most part, but he was the one to break the silence first.
“My name is Victor.”
“I’m Veronica.” She said with a shy smile.
“If you don’t mind me asking, is your father always like that?”
Embarrassment overtook her and her face flushed with color. She prayed he would not notice since it was already so dark out. “No,” she finally said, “but lately it has been getting worse.”
“I see.”
That was all he said, but to Veronica it spoke volumes. Veronica waited for him to speak again, but nothing. She had no idea what to say now or how to act. Her father never let her out of the house, and no boy, or man for that matter, had ever taken an interest. This was a new thing for her, and she felt completely out of sorts.
“Does your family always send you out looking for your father alone?”
Victor knew the answer to this, seeing as he had been watching Darren for a while now, but he was not about to tell this beauty of a young lady that. He wanted to hear how she answered, how she was going to handle the situation. For some reason, it was very important for him to know.
“It’s just him and I now. My mother died many years ago, and my two brothers have married and moved away.”
Honesty. Interesting. Victor was more amazed than he first thought of this woman.
“I see.” he said.
Those two words were starting to unnerve Veronica, but her lack of experience with men, or people in general, made her remain quiet.
They finally made it to the farmhouse and Victor, always the gentleman, walked Veronica to the door.
“Thank you for seeing me home safely Victor.” She said with a shy smile.
Victor was starting to get the impression that that shy smile of hers was all she ever let anyone see. She wanted to be as invisible as possible and that was not something she should EVER have to be. No one should ever feel as if they were not good enough, at least not with him.
“The pleasure was all mine.” He took her hand from the crook of this elbow and kissed her knuckles ever so sweetly. He watched as the color rose in her cheeks from the kiss, and wished with all his soul, if he still had one, that he could kiss her for real.
“Good night Victor and thank you again.” She said as she walked into the house and closed the door.
Taking a deep breath, Veronica went to the window to see which way he went, but when she moved the curtain aside he was gone. She ran back to the front door and quickly threw it open and stepped outside, but no one was there. How could he have just disappeared? Surely, she would have seen him walking up the road. She looked all around the front of the house, but no one was there. Not wanting to venture too far from the safety of the house, Veronica returned inside and closed the door. She climbed to her room and got ready for bed, all the while trying not to think about what had happened and how a person vanished into thin air.
Victor, having cloaked himself, stood by and watched as Veronica came back outside. He knew she was looking to see which way he went, but he also knew that she would not find him. At least not yet. He wanted to make sure that she was safe and that that low life of a father did not come back and cause her harm. He knew now after spending time with her, that he was not about to let her go. No, Victor was more determined than ever to make sure that Veronica was safe, loved, and cared for, and he was just the man to make all that happen and so much more. He was about to become the beast he was known for.
Chapter Three
The next morning, Veronica woke up to find her father had made it home and was snoring, loudly, in bed. She quickly dressed and began her daily chores, thankful for the quiet. These quiet times she cherished more than she could ever say. It was not often that she could enjoy the beauty of what was around. Most days she was up before the sun and too busy trying to keep out of her father’s way to see that there was so much to be grateful for. Yes, she had it hard, but there were many people worse off than she and she needed to remember this. Times were tough, but she still had a roof over her head and even though it wasn’t much, she still had food on the table.
She went about her morning with a genuine smile on her face, not just because her father was still asleep, but also remembering last night. Victor was truly a memorable man. With his dark looks and caring attitude, he made her weak in the knees. It was a feeling that she never thought she would ever have given the life that she was living, but somehow Victor made her feel as if she was someone special, as if she was someone who deserved a second chance. Giggling to herself for the first time in forever, Veronica continued on with her chores.
Around noon, Veronica was out back doing laundry, when Darren woke up and Veronica could tell that he was not in a good mood; not just because he was sober, but because of the way that he bellowed for her.
“Girl!” he screamed. He stopped calling her by her given name a long time ago. “Where in the blazes are you?”
Gathering the clothes basket she was using to take the freshly laundered sheets off the line, she headed inside.
“I’m right here father.” She said placing the basket on the floor near the table.
“What is the meaning of this?” Darren had picked up the sewing basket that Veronica had and held up the new blouse she was working on.
“What about it?” she asked cautiously, knowing that no matter how she answered this question things were not going to end well.
“Where did it come from?” he said staring down at her with hatred in his eyes.
“I bought the material some time ago and was making a new blouse for myself.”
“You’re telling me you wasted my money, the money that I earned, on some filthy cloth so that you could what…whore it up and make me look like a fool?” There was anger growing in him with every word. His face getting redder and redder that the fire in his eyes almost seemed real.
Veronica had never seen her father so angry. She truly feared that no matter what she said it was not going to be the correct thing.
“No father…I just needed a new blouse….I didn’t think…”
“That’s right you didn’t think. You never think you stupid girl.” With that he took the blouse and threw it into the fire.
“NO!” Veronica screamed and ran to the fire to try and save the blouse, but Darren caught her by the arm and swung her around to face him.
“You think you’re so smart. You think you can get away with it. You think you can waste my money on foolish things. Well think again.” And with that he slapped her across the face and shoved her toward the table.
Veronica staggered back trying to gain her balance but tripped over the clothes basket dumping the freshly laundered sheets all over the floor.
“Now look what you have done! Clean up this mess and rewash all that!” he screamed and stormed out of the house.
Sitting on the floor, Veronica cried for a very long time. She had saved the few meager pennies that she had to buy the material for that blouse and now it was ash. Then, like the obedient daughter she was, she began to once again clean up the mess that her father had made. It was going to take her all day to rewash and dry all the sheets, and she still had dinner to make and other chores to do. She began to hate her father for the way he treated her. What did she ever do to deserve this kind of treatment? She began to hate her brothers for not rescuing her. Did she mean nothing to them now? Was she so forgettable that they didn’t even consider checking in on her now and then? Why was this happening to her? Was there not one person out there who cared about what happened to her or who loved her?
Veronica felt as if her life was slipping away. She had no idea how things had gotten so bad. She knew that her father never really cared for her since her mother’s passing, but did that really warrant hitting her? Did it mean ruining a dinner she worked so hard to make? Or even destroying clothes she scrimped and saved to buy? No! No, it did not! If he really felt like she was such a burden to him why didn’t he just throw her out? Why make her suffer? Why not tell her to leave?
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Victor watched from the shadows as Daren came barreling out of the little farmhouse. His face was red with anger and hatred. Victor had heard everything that the man had said to his daughter and how Veronica was simply helpless to do anything about. He hated that she would not stick up for herself. He knew that doing so would probably make things worse, but damn it all he was just so angry. He wanted so badly to tear in there and simply kill the man on the spot, but his conscience held him back. He needed to make sure that Veronica was okay before he went and did anything rash.
He could hear Veronica crying and carefully cloaked himself invisible. He entered the house and watched from the corner as Veronica went through a variety of emotions. From sadness to pity to frustration to finally anger. He could see it all in the depths of her eyes. He knew that she was hurting, and he wanted more than anything to go to her and tell her that it was going to be okay. That he was going to take care of everything, but for now he just stood back and watched.
He needed to make sure that this beautiful creature was cared for and, most of all, loved. He needed to show her that she was someone special and worth so much more than she thought. He needed her father out of the picture and he had a feeling that he knew just how to do it. For now, he would sit back and watch. Watch and see what that vile man had planned next and then he would make his move. He just needed a bit more time.
Chapter Four
Hours passed and Darren had not come home. Veronica finished her chores and then tended to whatever chores she could of that were her fathers. And then still he did not come home. Deciding to keep herself busy, Veronica made dinner and waited some more. After eating by herself, which was something that she did often, and cleaning up, she decided to get ready for bed. Tonight was one night that she was not going to chase after him and bring him home. Tonight was one night she was not going to be the good daughter. She was not going to worry about whether or not he was okay, drunk, or even coming home. No! Tonight she was going to be selfish and just stay home. She was still too hurt to go looking for him.
At around midnight there was a knock on the door. Veronica jumped at the sound, quickly grabbed her robe from the end of the bed and then ran to answer the front door. Confused and worried as to who it could be this late at night,she opened it a crack and was startled to see Victor standing on the other side. When she opened the door wider, she noticed that Victor was standing there with two other men and these men were holding up her passed out father. .
“Sorry to have disturbed you Veronica, but when he passed out at the tavern, we decided to bring him home.” Victor said giving her a slight bow and sad smile.
“Thank you. Come in.” She said opening the door to allow the men to bring in her father. “You can bring him right in here if you don’t mind.” Leading the way to her father’s room.
Once the men had Darren in bed, they tipped their hats and went back out to the front room. Veronica set about removing Darren’s boots and covering him with a blanket. Satisfied that he was okay for now Veronica walked back out to the front room surprised to see that Victor was still there with the two men, and that is when Victor got a clear shot of the bruises on her face.
Victor saw red! Trying very hard to keep his temper in check, he closed his eyes and counted to ten. This was the last straw. He could no longer sit by and watch the way Darren treated his daughter. He may be a vampire, but he knew that no one, especially someone as beautiful and precious as HIS Veronica, deserved that treatment. He didn’t know when he started thinking of her as his, but he did, and he was very possessive.
“Why don’t you wait for me outside?” Victor said to the two men that accompanied him. The anger clear in his voice; his eyes closed.
“Sure. Goodnight Miss.” Said the one man and they both headed out the door.
Victor opened his eyes and stared at Veronica with a cold hard look of hatred and anger that it caused Veronica to take a step back. She quickly ducked her head trying to become invisible once again. She had no idea what had caused him to become so angry with her all of the sudden and fear began to creep in.
“When did this happen?” he said pointing to her face in a voice so low she almost missed it. He had a pretty good idea when it happened, but he did not think the man had hit her hard enough to actually put a bruise on her face. Had he known about the physical abuse he would have done something sooner. He felt like his control was slipping and that was one thing he hated.
“It’s been happening on and off for some time now depending on how much he drinks or how mad he is.” She said looking away from him and holding back the tears that were very close to falling. Why she was telling him this she had no idea. She never told anyone what happened, nor did anyone ever care. But she felt she could trust Victor and so she told him what he asked. The fear she had earlier began to recede when she realized that he was not angry at her, but at what her father had done.
“And why have you not done something about it?” The anger in his voice frightening Veronica.
“What am I to do Victor? I’m a young unmarried girl living in my father’s house with no other family! No one to take care of me. No one to protect me. Tell me what am I supposed to do?” she screamed at him. There was so much hurt in her, not because Victor talked to her the way he did, but at her father for allowing it to get this far, her brothers for not coming to her rescue, for the people of this town not caring about the way a young woman was treated. She knew that it was useless to be mad at everyone, but she had reached her breaking point and was done.
“What about your brothers? Surely they know what is going on here!” He screamed back. He knew that they did not come around and given up on their only sister, but for some reason he needed to hear her say it. He needed to hear her say she was all alone.
“If they do, they do nothing about it.” She said turning away from him. “I haven’t seen or heard from either one of them in a long time. Besides, they always told me that my place was in the home taking care of the family.” She turned her back to him knowing that she could no longer hold back the tears that threatened to fall. All her life she had wished that someone cared about her and would come to her rescue, and now someone had, and she had no idea what to do. She just stood there with her shoulders slumped, feeling more defeated than ever.
Victor walked over to Veronica and gently put his hands on her shoulders turning her around. He knew he had hurt her with the words he said, but something in him snapped. He just could not believe that Darren could treat her so poorly and then have her seem genuinely concerned about him when they brought him home drunk. She took care of her father, when Victor would have thrown him on the floor to rot. He wanted nothing more than to see this man suffer but knowing that what he said hurt Veronica made him stop.
Looking into her eyes he said, “It stops here and now! I will see to that.” Then he gave her a gentle hug, a kiss on the forehead, and left. It was all he could do not to take her in his arms for real and kiss her the way she deserved. She deserved so much better than the life she was living right now and he was going to make sure that somehow, someway, she got it and him with it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After Victor left, Veronica sat in her favorite rocking chair by the fire and cried for a long time. She cried for the little girl she once was, she cried for the woman who has never known love, and most of all, she cried for the sheer kindness that Victor continued to show her time and time again. She didn’t know what she ever did to deserve this man who came into her life, but she did know that she was grateful for it. Oh! She knew that it would not last and that eventually he would realize she was not worth his time or energy, but a girl could hope, and right now that was all Veronica felt she had left. Just a small bit of hope. Once she felt there were no more tears to shed, she dried her eyes, picked herself up, and went back to bed. Tomorrow was another day.
Chapter Five
Early the next morning Veronica set about doing her daily chores. Darren finally woke and seemed to be in a fairly good mood, but you could never tell when the tide would turn and the hatred would rise up again. She felt it was better not speak to him so as not to cause any undo conflict. Having her father quiet was so much better than hearing the hateful things he had been saying. It broke her heart to know that they never shared a father/daughter relationship, but at least she could say she didn’t miss what she never had.
Veronica made her father his breakfast and had just sat down in her favorite rocking chair to do some mending when there was a knock on the door. Veronica got up and went to answer it. Standing at the door was John Ericson the town’s tax collector. Veronica knew this was not a good sign and the good mood she her father was in was about to be ruined.
“Good morning Veronica! Is your father here?” he said taking his hat off and giving her a sad smile.
“Yes, of course. Come in. Can I get you some coffee?” she replied in her sweetest voice. John did not need to know hisvisit was only going to cause her pain. It was not his fault that he was here.
“No. Thank you.”
She brought him into the small kitchen and then returned to her mending. She learned a long time ago that when her father had visitors over, she was to make herself scarce.. Her mind raced with the possibilities of what John was doing here. She knew nothing of the household finances, so she could not say, but having the town’s tax collector come to your house was definitely not a good thing.
“John, what are you doing here?” Veronica heard her father say. His voice was so loud that it was not like Veronica had any choice but to listen.
“Morning Darren. Just here to drop this off.” John said. “Sorry to have to do this but I really had no choice in the matter.” After that, John returned to the front room, waved to Veronica, and left.
Veronica got out of her chair and headed back into the kitchen. She knew it was a mistake to go in, but she just couldn’t help it. Part of her had to know what was going on. She saw her father reading a note and then watched as he flew up out of his chair, threw the paper and the rest of his breakfast across the room, and turned to look at her. She let out a gasp and jumped when she heard the dish shatter on the wall. He caught her eavesdropping. His face was so red and his eyes held nothing but hatred. She knew that he was going to come after her, but she froze on the spot and nothing could make her move.
“Clean this mess up girl.” he said as he stormed out of the house slamming the door behind him.
Veronica just stood there for what seemed like an eternity. She could not believe he just left. Feeling more shock than relief, Veronica began to clean up the mess. It was as if she was hypnotized. Her father left without really making much of a fuss over John’s visit. Maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. That’s when she found the note John had given to her father.
Notice of Tax Lean
The amount of $500.00
is due by Friday or the
bank takes over the land.
So, this was the reason her father was angry. $500 is a lot of money and Friday is only four days away. Somehow this was going to be Veronica’s fault and she knew it, but right now she could not think about it. She needed to get this mess cleaned before her father came back. Although with the way he stormed out, she did not think his return would be anytime soon. After she finished cleaning up the mess she went back to her mending and tried not to think about what was going to happen. No matter what, it was not going to be good, but she tried to stay positive. Oh well, so much for the good mood she started out in this morning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Around noon, her father came home and sat down at the kitchen table. Veronica had lunch ready, so she set a plate down in front of him and then went back to get a plate for herself. Afraid to get him angry, Veronica ate in silence and refused to make eye contact. After he finished, without saying a word, he left again. The same thing happened at dinner time and then again as the two of them went to bed. She could not believe that he did nothing to her, said nothing to her, or went without a drink. . She knew it was too good to be true, and that sooner or later, the other shoe was going to drop, but for now she would take it. The day, although not perfect, was the first day that Veronica felt as though she could breathe. The tax lean still weighed heavily on her mind, but what was she to do about it. It was not as if she could come up with the desperately needed money. She had no idea what her father was going to do, but at least for one day she lived freely from the hatred that consumed her father.
The next morning when Veronica got up, her father was already gone. She didn’t think too much on it and thought it was probably for the best and went about her daily chores with a smile. She was feeling better today than she had in a long time and wondered if things were finally starting to change. She didn’t mind that she and her father were not speaking, at least he wasn’t yelling or hitting her. Silence, for once was a blessing to her. She wondered if he had gone to talk to the bank about the tax lean or even John to see if something could be done, but she also knew that it was none of her business and that she was better off probably not knowing what was going on.
When her father did not come home for dinner that night, she began to worry that something may have happened to him. She knew she would have to go and look for him, but she really did not want to, because she knew that he was most likely at Tool’s and that was someplace she really did not want to go. She knew if he was there he would be drunk and that was going to make things much worse.
Veronica was tired, both mentally and physically, but she knew she had to find her father no matter how drunk he was and she needed to bring him home. If not, she feared something may happen to him. The tax lean that John had given her father had put him in a mood and she feared that he may get himself into trouble because of it. Since he was the only family she had left, she felt it was her duty to fetch him. If anything happened to him, what would she do? Where would she go? She was a single young woman with no prospects. What would happen to her? This thought frightened her more than her father’s anger.
The entire time that she walked to Tool’s, she debated on whether or not she even wanted to be here. Maybe her father would just come home, maybe she didn’t need to go looking for him. Even as she thought this, she knew it was a lie and she needed to bring him home. On her way there, she felt as if she was being watched which made her very uneasy; not because someone was out there, but because she had this feeling before. Lately it was getting worse and she feared she was going crazy. She knew that this was not the safest part of town, but it happened at home too and that is what truly unnerved her. She wondered if her mind was playing tricks on her or if the stress of everything was finally catching up. She knew things were not well, but she wondered if maybe she was imagining everything. No, she was not going crazy and the paranoia had to do with the part of town she was in; but even as she thought this she had to wonder. She wrapped her coat tighter as the wind seemed to have picked up and kept walking.
Chapter Six
Victor could not believe that Darren had not only showed up at the bar so early, but also at the things he was saying. He had been watching this man for so long and could not believe he was now, once again, accusing his daughter of such vile things. After taking a look inside his mind, Victor decided that he needed to get Veronica away from her Father and he needed to do it very, very soon. Darren’s diluted thoughts were so vile that Victor actually feared for Veronica. Her life depended on it and in a way so did Victor’s. He could not explain it, but he knew that if anything was to happen to her, he would most likely never recover. It was so strange. He had never felt this way about anyone before, human or otherwise, but Veronica was different. It was as if they were somehow connected and he needed to make sure that she was always safe.
When Veronica finally got to Tool’s, she took a deep breath for courage, told herself one more time that she had to do this, and stepped inside. As she did the place instantly got quiet and everyone stared right at her. Why did this keep happening?
“I’m looking for my father Darren White.” She said.
“He’s over there.” The man behind the bar said.
Veronica cautiously walked over to where the man said her father was. She could see that he was sitting in the far corner of the room with his head down on the table and a hand around a beer. She walked over and touched his shoulder gently.
“Father.”
Darren leapt out of his chair, swinging his arms wildly and catching Veronica in the face. She stumbled backwards and fell hitting her head against the wall. By now the whole tavern was on its feet waiting to see what would happen next, but not one person made a move to help Veronica. As she struggled to get up, her father turned to her with fire in his eyes.
“You!” he screamed coming towards her. “What are you doing here? Haven’t you caused me enough trouble?”
“I was worried about you. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” She said rubbing the back of her head.
“Okay!?! How can I be okay when you have cost me everything!?!” he said grabbing her by the arm.
“How did I cost you everything?” she said raising her voice slightly.
“Your foolish spending and whoring around is going to cost me my land.” And with that he shoved her against the wall and turned his back on her.
Veronica didn’t know what came over her, but she straightened up and said, “Your drinking cost you your land, not me!”
As soon as she said it, she knew she shouldn’t have. Darren spun around so fast with a look she had never seen before. She knew that he was going to kill her. The only question remaining, was anyone here going to stop him? Judging from the people in the room, the answer was no.
Chapter Seven
Out of nowhere, Victor appeared and was standing between her and her father. Veronica did not know where he came from or how he got there so fast, but here he was, and she was so glad for it. Her heart was beating so loudly it took all her energy to hear just what Victor was saying.
“Now let’s just settle down. What is going on here?” he said in such a calming and hypnotic voice.
“She dares to talk to me in such a way! She has cost me everything!” Darren’s words dripped with hate. “Because of her, I’m going to lose everything!”
“How can you say such hateful things father?” She knew the tears she was holding back were not going to stay there much longer, but she had to try. She had to try and be strong because she knew that no matter what her life was over today. She had to try and make him see that this was in no way her fault. How could it be?
“Because it’s true!” and with that he turned his back on her again.
Victor looked at her and gave her a sweet smile, then turned back to Darren who had sat down with his beer.
“You were saying earlier that you needed $500 to pay off the taxes, is that right?”
“Yes.” He said not even looking up from his beer.
“Well then, how about this. I will give you $1,000 and you give me your daughter.”
“What!?” Veronica screamed. She could not believe she heard what he said. There was no way that Victor just asked to purchase her. Did he think her father was just going to sell her like cattle?
“Done.” Darren said without even thinking.
“How could you?” she yelled with tears streaming down her face. She didn’t care if anyone was looking at her. Veronica could not believe this was happening. How could her father just sell her like she was nothing?
Victor and Darren shook hands and then Victor said, “Allow me to take her back to your house to gather her things and then we will be gone.”
“And the money?” Darren asked. Of course, that would be what he was thinking about. Not that he sold his only daughter.
Victor counted out the money and placed it on the table in front of Darren with a hard slap. Darren picked up the money and placed it in his pocket and said, “Fine. Just be gone by the time I get home.”
“Father, how could you? I’m your daughter.” She said through her tears.
“Not anymore.” And with that he went back to his beer.
Victor took Veronica by the hand and led her outside to a waiting carriage. He carefully helped her up and then climbed in beside her. Soon they headed toward her home or rather her father’s home. She no longer had a home and soon she would no longer have a life. How could she have thought Victor was someone who cared about her? He just bought her like she was nothing more than livestock. What did he expect to get out of this deal? No matter how she thought about it, this arrangement was not going to be a good for her. Her life was truly over. The hope she had been holding onto had finally extinguished and she no longer cared if her tears fell.
Chapter Eight
They rode in silence and Veronica cried the entire time. Victor knew that he was to blame for the way she felt, but he had no choice. There was no way he was letting her leave the tavern with that man and there was no way Darren was letting her go without making a profit. Finally, Victor handed her a handkerchief and said, “I know this is hard for you, but believe me it is for the best.”
“How so? I was just sold for $1,000.” She said with bitterness in her voice. The tears streaming down her face.
“I saved your life.” He said looking at her for the first time since they started back towards her house. “He was going to kill you.” The steel in his voice was one even he did not recognize. What he saw in Darren’s head was some of the vilest things he has ever seen, and Victor was a vampire.
“You don’t know that. He was upset yes, but I don’t think he would have killed me.” She said with anger. Part of her believed what Victor said about her Father killing her, but part of her wanted to believe that he was her Father and would never do such a thing. Her head was beginning to hurt from not only the shock of what had just happened, but also the crying she had been doing as well. She rubbed her temples to try and ease the ache, but it wasn’t working.
“Veronica listen to me. He was going to kill you!” He looked sad and concerned all at the same time. “I couldn’t let that happen. Trust me. I saved your life.” The way in which he spoke to her, he hoped that she would believe him and not ask too many questions. He couldn’t give her all the answers right now, but there was no way he was going to let anything happen to her. This sweet, young, amazing creature was destined to do great things and he was going to make sure she did succeeded. If that meant right now she hated him then so be it. There was no way he was going to let a man like Darren White continue to hurt her.
Everything that was happening had Veronica deeply confused. How did Victor know; yet somehow, she believed him. He seemed to know things that no other person could. Things that no matter how hard you attempted to decipher, you just couldn’t. Her head was pounding now, and she knew that it was only going to get worse before it got better. This night had gone from bad to worse in the blink of an eye and no matter what she did she knew the night was far from over.
“Did he tell you this?” She asked in a small voice. Part of her wanted to know, but part of her didn’t. She didn’t know which part was winning at the moment. Did it really matter? Yes, she needed to know.
“In a way, yes.” He simply stated..
“How so?”
“You don’t need all the details, just believe me.” And with that he turned back to watching the road. He knew the words were harsh, but he couldn’t reveal the truth just yet.
Soon they arrived at her father’s house and Victor helped Veronica down.
“Do you need me to help you?” he asked with concern in his voice. He knew he was harsh on the ride over, but it was important she understand what he did saved her. He may be a vampire, but he was also a gentleman.
“No. There really is not much. I will be done quickly.” She said. Her words clipped as she turned and went in the house. She felt as though she was moving on her own without fully knowing. The sorrow she felt was crushing, but what could she do?
The house was small and Veronica did not own very many things. Her father never allowed her to have much. What she did own she placed in one bag and headed back to Victor. Before heading out the door, she took one last look at the place she had called home for 22 years of life. It was not much, but it was all Veronica had and she knew that she would miss it. Not wanting to shed any more tears over a life that was not intended to be, she turned and headed out. Back out to the man who now owned her. How could her father have sold her? How could a father do that to his daughter? The sorrow and hatred she felt inside for the man she called her father made her not even look back as she closed the door. This place was no longer her home and she no longer had a family. She was now completely on her own. With that thought, the tears began to fall again. She was done with the tears, yet they still fell. They fell for the little girl who would never know love; never know family; never know where she belonged. After Victor helped her back into the carriage, they left.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The silence broken once again by Victor when he looked at her and said, “You know he blames you for everything, including your mother’s death.” He knew it was going to shock her, but he felt if he did not tell her something than she may never understand why he did what he did. He knew this may be the only way to get her to see that he was saving her.
Shocked she turned to him. “He said that!”
“In a way, yes.”
That phase was starting to infuriate her.
“But I was only a little girl when she died.” The tears still coming. “How could I be to blame?”
“Yes, but you are also a girl and were no help to him on the farm. At least in his eye.” He turned away. “Your mother kept you alive and your father has been trying to get rid of you ever since she died.”
Veronica wanted to scream but held herself together. He father had never really wanted her! It was only because of her mother that she was even alive now. How could that be? How could a parent not want their child? “It doesn’t matter. I belong to you now, and I must obey you.” The hatred was rising in her and not only for her father, but for her brothers as well. How could they leave her? How could they not help? Didn’t they care a strange man purchased her? Was she so beneath everyone that no one cared what happened to her?
“Your father saw to it that your brothers would never help you. He poisoned them against you.” He never took his eyes off the road as he said this. He knew this was going to most likely push her over the edge, but he knew he had to tell her. He was already keeping enough secrets from her. Telling her what he learned from Darren was his way of showing that he could be trusted. At least he hoped so. He was not sure what else he could do without revealing everything to her.
“How do you know all this?” Her voice rising and on the brink of hysterics. How could a man, who claims to have never met her and her family before, know so much about their life? He was beginning to scare her. Maybe Victor was not what he seemed. Maybe he was out to hurt her and, now that he owned her, there was nothing she could do about it.
“He told me.” He said in a hypnotic voice. “And by the way, you are not a slave or servant to me. You do not need to obey me. You are a guest in my home. You will be safe there. You will be protected.”
Veronica gave him a weak smile and turned away. It was as if Victor was reading her mind, but she knew that was not the case. It must have been how she was acting that made him say that. Her headache was growing by the minute and her mind was racing at all that occurred in the last few hours. How could life have taken such a turn in such a short amount of time?
Chapter Nine
The remainder of the ride was in silence. They pulled up to a house deep in the woods. From what Veronica could see in the dark, it was very large and well maintained. It seemed to Veronica that Victor had money, between the house and the way that he dressed, he portrayed all the signs of being well off. Well that and the fact the man had paid her father $1000 in cash. Victor helped her down and escorted her into the house. The interior was just as large and beautifully decorated. Several people came out to see what was going on, but Victor did not talk to any of them. He simply nodded his head and then led her down the hall. Veronica wondered if all of these people were servants. She wanted to ask, but Victor seemed determined to get her settled, so she kept quiet. Being invisible was something that she was very good at.
At one of the last doors down a long hallway, he opened the door and entered. It was a large room with a double bed, dressers, mirrors, chairs and even a place to hang some clothes. Veronica took it all in with wide eyes and amazement. She had never seen such nice things or so many things. Never in her life had she ever dreamed of such things; let alone be in a place that had them. Her tiny room back home was not more than a bed and a small table to keep a wash basin.
“This is your room, so please make yourself comfortable. I will be right back.” And with that he gave her a slight bow and left closing the door behind him.
This was her room! This room was beyond anything that Veronica could have imagined. She was in complete awe of all she saw. For being a servant in Victor’s house, she was at least going to be comfortable. She smiled at the thought. Victor kept saying that she was not a servant, but what else do you call it?
Veronica was still looking around the room and all that was there when she heard voices in the hall. She quietly went over to the door and put her ear against it. She was not one to ease drop, but she just had to know what was going on. This place held so much mystery that she had to know what they said. Besides, if it was about her, she had to right to know.
“No one is to touch her. Is that understood?” this was defnitely Victor. “She is under my protection and….she belongs to me.” This last part stated with a sort of pride.
“Is it safe?” asked a female.
“She needs us more than you know. I can feel it. Besides, he was going to kill her anyways.”
“But you don’t have feelings.” A man said laughing.
“Oh Victor! I can’t believe it. She seems helpless. Are you sure?” said the female again.
“Trust me Anna. I am more than sure. She is exactly the right one, not only for me, but for us as well.”
Veronica’s mind was racing with ideas as to what Victor meant by all of this.
“And her father, what is to become of him?” the male said again.
“Not to worry. When the time comes, she will be more than ready to deal with him.” Victor said.
“But what if…”
“Quiet!” Victor said. “She is listening. Come.”
Veronica could hear their footsteps move down the hall and then nothing but silence. How did Victor know she was listening? It was not as if he could see her? Could he? She stood still a while longer to see if anyone was coming back. Finally resolved that they were not coming back, Veronica began to unpack the few things that she had, still wondering what to make of the conversation she just heard.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She had just finished putting her things away when there was a knock on the door and Victor returned with a young woman carrying a tray of food.
“This is Anna. She will help you get settled and get you whatever you need.” Victor said as the two entered the room.
“I brought you some food and something to sleep in.” She said. It was the same female voice that Veronica had heard in the hall. She was sweet looking woman, who had a gentle smile and very kind eyes. Veronica felt as if she could trust her.
“Thank you.” Veronica said giving the woman a smile.
“That will be all Anna.” Victor said as she turned and left. “I hope you are comfortable here. If you need anything, just let Anna know.” He crossed the room to stand next to her.
“I’m fine. Thank you.”
He put his hands on her arms and pulled her close to him. “Please believe me when I say I did what I did to save you.”
“I do Victor. I do.” She said looking up at him. His eyes were the brightest shade of blue Veronica had ever seen. She knew she could easily get lost in them.
“Then I bid you good-night.” He gently kissed her on the forehead and left.
Dazed as to what just happened, Veronica changed into the nightgown Anna had given her. She had never in her life had anyone, let alone anyone as handsome as Victor, be so kind or caring towards her. Never had she had anyone cater to her or kiss her, even if it was just on the forehead. Not wanting to think too much on it, Veronica ate some of the food Anna had brought and then crawled into bed. The minute her head hit the pillow she was fast asleep.
Chapter Ten
The next morning Veronica woke up to grey skies and the sound of rain. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she noticed there was a breakfast tray already at the table and it smelled wonderful. She found a robe laying at the end of the bed and putting it on she sat down to eat. Not only was there more food here than she could possibly eat, but she didn’t have to make any of it. She knew it was silly, but for some reason not having to make her own breakfast was heaven to her.
Giggling like a little kid she happily dug into the wonderful feast before her. Savoring the rich coffee and fluffy eggs. She had never tasted such amazing food and wondered if everyone would think she was a pig if she ate it all. She realized she was really very hungry and did not care if anyone objected to her eating like a pig. For once she was going to eat her fill and just be happy.
She had just finished, when there was a knock at the door and Victor entered.
“Good morning. Did you sleep well?” He asked coming over to sit next to her.
“Very well thank you.” She said shyly. “And thank you for breakfast too. It was truly wonderful.”
“Glad you liked it.” He took her hand and helped her to stand. Gently he pulled her towards him and kissed her ever so gently on the lips. It was a kiss full of passions that Veronica never knew existed. He released her, gave her a wicked smile, and left closing the door behind him. Veronica stood looking at the door dazed for a moment and pondering what had happened before coming back to reality. She smiled and touched her lips then went to get dressed. She could hardly believe Victor had kissed her. It was her first kiss and it was amazing. She wondered if it was all a dream but knew it was not.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Victor took a deep breath after leaving Veronica’s room. He could not believe he kissed her. What was he thinking? That was the problem he was not thinking; he was feeling. It was more than he could possibly have imagined. She was so soft and delicate, but strong and resilient. He knew one kiss would never be enough. He knew he needed her in his life now and forever. However, he also knew that keeping secrets from her was not the way to start a relationship. With a heavy sigh he gave one last look at her door and then headed down the hall. He had work to do and daydreaming about his beautiful house guest was not going the work done.
Veronica did not own very much, but what she did she tried to keep in top condition. She hoped that maybe, now that she was here, Victor might see to it that she could have a few new dresses. Not wanting to feel beholden, Veronica pushed the thought from her mind and continued to get ready.
Once dressed for the day, she decided to leave her room and venture off to see the rest of the house. If she was going to be living here, she might as well get an idea of where everything and everyone was. Victor did say she was not a servant in his home, but a guest, so that meant she was free to leave her room, did it not? She had not gone very far when Victor appeared before her.
“Hello love.” He said in that hypnotic voice she was coming to recognize as his. “Come to see the rest of the place?”
“If that is alright?” She asked shyly. Now that she here, maybe it wasn’t such a good idea. Maybe she should have stayed in her room.
“Of course. Come. I will give you the tour myself.” He said taking her hand and leading the way.
Veronica could not believe how big the house was. There were many different rooms and all of them so open and inviting. The walked along and she could see he was very proud of this place. This house was not only beautiful, open, and warm, but it also radiated a sense that a true family resided here.
“We are a family, even if we are all not blood related.” Victor said taking her hand and continuing with the tour of the house. He knew that once the words were out there was no way to take them back. He had no idea what made him say them. He was not ready to tell her everything, but apparently his subconscious was. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. There was no way that she was going to let that comment go without panicking.
“What?” Veronica asked with a puzzled look. There was no way she really heard what he just said, right? It was not possible that he commented on something she thought in her head and not said out loud.
“You said that you felt a true family was present here.” He said acting like it was no big deal. Well in for a penny in for a pound, right? There was no way he was going to get out of this, so he might as well keep going.
“I never said it out loud; I only thought it in my head.” She said stopping to look at him.
“I know.” He answered looking back at her. He tried to get her moving again, but she was holding firm.
“But how?” She was trying to take her hand away, but his grip was too tight. He was not hurting her, but he was not letting her go either.
“I read your mind.” He said pulling her closer, because he knew she was going to try and run away once he said those words.
Her eyes went wide and she gasped. She froze in his arms, stunned by his words.
“You can do that! But how?” Veronica wasn’t sure if she was in awe of him or scared he could read her mind. That’s not something people do, right? So, he had to be lying to her. Maybe he was crazy? Maybe the whole house was crazy?
“No, the whole house is not crazy and neither am I. It is a special gift that I possess. Actually, it’s one of my many special talents. Do you want to see more?” he said staring deep into her eyes. Veronica began to feel weak like she was under sedation. She nodded her head, not feeling as if she was completely in control of her own body. The next thing she knew, they were moving down the hall to one of the other rooms. They walked into another room and again its beauty amazed Veronica. It was simple yet truly elegant.
Turning to Victor she asked, “Is this your room?” She was unsure how she knew to ask him that, but the room held his essence. . There was a massive desk that took up most of the room, along with a couch, a fireplace, bookshelves filled with books, and a floor to ceiling window complete with window seat.
“Yes.” He said pulling her into the room. “Well, at least it’s my office. I don’t have a bedroom per say.” If he was going to do this, he was going to tell her everything.
“Where do you sleep then?” She asked. She wasn’t sure if she was curious or crazy for asking such a question, but know that it was out, there was no turning back.
Chapter Eleven
“I don’t.” he answered in a very matter of fact tone. Turning and walking towards the windows at the other end of the room.
Veronica could sense he was telling her the truth, but her mind kept telling her that this was in no way real.
“What do you mean you don’t sleep?” She was trying to come up with all the reasons that a person would not need sleep, but there was no logical reasoning.
“Just that. I don’t need to sleep.” He said looking back at her from the windows. He knew she was coming up with all sorts of crazy ideas as to why he didn’t sleep. He must admit some of her rational were pretty elaborate, but still it made him smile to know she was worried about him not sleeping. It gave him hope that he made the right decision. His brain was begging him to make her his, but his heart was telling him to be cautious.
“But how?” She was beginning to feel like a broken record asking how over and over again, but she just couldn’t understand how all of this could be true. People needed to sleep and they couldn’t read minds. It was not the way things worked.
He laughed and walked towards her and took her in is arms. She felt safe, loved and protected, but she knew that those feelings were because of him saving her and not real, right? He gave off a sense of warmth and understanding that made Veronica feel like she belonged.
“It is one of my special gifts. Sleep is no longer required. That doesn’t mean I can’t or won’t; just that I don’t have to. Not anymore. Besides, this is more like my office where I conduct most of my business.”
Many thoughts began to run through Veronica’s head. The biggest being what exactly was Victor? How could a person not need sleep? Could it be he was not human? If not, then what was he?
“I will answer all of those questions if you would just relax and sit down.” He said helping her into a chair. “I will not bore you right now with the details of my life. I promise to tell you that later. All you need to know is that I am special. I was human, but that was many years ago. I am 25 years old and have been for a very time. I no longer age; I don’t get sick; I don’t need sleep; but I can. I don’t really need food, but again I can eat and do at times, enjoy a good meal. I will live forever. I have special gifts, and most importantly…….I am a vampire.” He said as he walked towards the window knowing she was going to need a little room after what he just said.
A small screech escaped Veronica’s lips at the sound of his last word. She felt the room begin to spin and darken but forced herself to stay awake. Taking some slow deep breaths, she focused on the man standing at the window. He was the same kind man that saved her, the same man who made sure she was safe and cared for, but still she had to wonder if he was not somehow crazy.
“Vampire?” She asked. Hoping her voice sounded steady. “Does that mean you drink blood?”
“Yes.” He said in a matter of fact tone turning from the window to face her but not moving from his spot.
“Are you going to drink my blood?” She asked shaking uncontrollably. She tried not to, but just couldn’t help it.
“No. I told you I saved your life, why would I lie to you?” He crossed the room and knelt in front of Veronica. He gently took her hands in his and looked into her eyes. “I would never do anything to harm you. I saved you because….I love you; because I want you to be with me forever. You are my other half. The one that completes me. Veronica, I have searched for a very, very long time for you and no matter what, I would never do anything to harm you. If you believe nothing, believe that.” His eyes held such trust and honesty that Veronica began to wonder if in fact everything was real
Veronica looked at him with a puzzled look. A thought occurring to her. “You mean….”
“Yes Veronica. I want you to join me. Become like me. Live with me and stay by my side forever. Be my other half.”
“But how? Why?” Again, the room began to spin, but she again willed herself to stay focused.
“I can transform you myself because I love you and have waited a lifetime to find you. Once we are together no one will ever be able to hurt you again. No one will ever make you feel like you are worthless. No one will ever take you away. You will have a true family and know true love. You will never have to worry again.”
“Victor this is so much to think about. I don’t know if I even understand any of it.” She said looking away. Her mind was a jumbled mess of thoughts and feelings. How could this be happening? How can it be happening to her? She was just a farmer’s daughter who no one cared about.
“I understand.” He said moving closer. “Think about it. Know that no matter what, I love you and only want you to be happy, but know that here,” he said gesturing to his surroundings, “here you have a true family. Here you will always be safe.” With that he leaned in close and kissed her again. A soft, gentle kiss that told her just how much he loved her and how much he needed her just like she needed him.
There were so many thoughts running through her head. The why’s and how’s all running together. It was all so much and Veronica’s head began to hurt.
“Victor I need time to process everything. To think this all through. You have to admit that this is a lot to take in.” She said rubbing her temples. “Would it be okay if I go back to my room now? I think I need to lie down.”
“Of course, love. Let me help you.”
Victor walked Veronica back to her room, kissed her one more time, and left her alone. Once alone, Veronica decided that rest was what she needed, so she decided to lie down. She hoped that rest would help clear her mind. She kept thinking about how this could not be real. Vampires didn’t exist, did they? If they did, did that mean other creatures existed too? Monsters and witches and things that came out only at night? Did that mean that fairy tales were real and not just stories told to children to make them behave? It was all a lot to take in and the more Veronica thought about it, the more her head hurt. No, right now all she needed was rest and hopefully things would look differently after that. Lying down on her bed, Veronica told herself just a few hours and things would be better. The next thing Veronica knew it was morning.
Chapter Twelve
It was another gray and rainy day when Veronica woke up. For some reason this day made Veronica think of her father. Maybe he was happy the rains finally came; but this thought also made her angry because he willingly sold his only daughter and to a vampire no less. What were the chances? What was she going to do? She had just pulled the covers over her head when there was a knock on the door and Victor stepped in before she could even say “Who’s there?”
“You know you are going to give yourself another headache if you don’t try and clear that mind of yours.” He said with a little laugh.
Veronica threw the blankets off and looked at him. “Are you always in my head?” she said with a bit of anger in her voice. She didn’t mean it, but with everything that happened yesterday, how could he be laughing? How could he be so calm?
“No love, only when you are hurting or upset do I go in.” he said sitting down on the bed next to her. He was serious now but still smiled at her.
“Why?” she asked with a sad voice. Needing more than anything to understand what was going on.
“One, because I hate to see you hurt or upset and two is to see if I can help. Veronica, I don’t know how many times I have to tell you. I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe and make you happy. You will always be my number one concern. The number one priority in my life. No matter what I do, it will be for you.”
He got off the bed, kissed her on the forehead, and then left, leaving Veronica alone both physically and mentally.
Veronica sat there for what seemed like an eternity just thinking about what Victor had said. She knew that no one, not even her own family, made her feel what she feels for Victor. Her family never cared about her well-being, or happiness, or even who she was as a person, but Victor, Victor cared. He worried that she was going to hurt herself just by thinking and that made her smile. He may be a vampire, but to Veronica he was becoming her hero, her savior, her everything.
Chapter Thirteen
The days went on and her life at the house seemed to be going fine. Everyone was very nice and so helpful, especially Victor. The more she was around him, the more she hated when he left her. She could feel the loss in her very soul and that scared her. His was a love girls only dreamed about and few ever experienced. His warmth and protection made her feel safe and she knew that he was right. That she needed and could not stand to be without him, just as he could not stand to be without her, was she really ready for that type of commitment? And then one day, it happened. One day as dusk was approaching Victor entered her room. Her thoughts must have told him about how she was feeling.
“Veronica, you must know by now how much I care for you. How much I, and everyone here, love you.” He said coming close to her and putting his hands on her arms.
“Victor, I feel something, but I have had so much happen to me lately it’s so hard to tell.” She said trying not to look at him.
“You and I both know that the time has come. I have waited a lifetime for you and now is as good a time as any for you to join me.” His voice was so hypnotic that there was no way for Veronica to look away from him. Veronica could see the lust in his eyes. “Give yourself to me and I promise to not only love you forever, but to always be there for you no matter what. I will give you your every heart’s desire. I promise. Marry me Veronica and become my Vampire Bride.” He said this last part as a mere whisper in her ear. She could feel herself melting into his arms. Her legs grew week and she could barely stand. She collapsed into him and he quickly wrapped her in his arms.
“Say it Veronica. Say you will be mine.”
“Yes Victor, I give myself to you.” And with that she closed her eyes.
Chapter Fourteen
What happened next was like a dream, only Veronica knew it was real. She could feel him slowly move her hair away from her neck and then holding her in a tight embrace. In a lovers embrace. She felt the first pinch of his teeth in her neck. She gasped at the feel, but there was no real pain. Veronica could feel the blood drain from her body with every pull and this is where her fear started to take over. The next thing she knew Victor had scored his wrist and put the wound to her mouth.
“Drink my love and forever be mine.”
On instinct, Veronica closed her mouth over Victor’s wrist and began to drink his blood. After only a few swallows, it felt like a fire flowed through her. Victor’s kiss lasted only mere minutes, but the fire that raged seemed like eternity. Victor held Veronica close and kept whispering in her ear, but the fire prevented Veronica from hearing anything. She thought that she heard herself scream but was not sure. The pain was so great. It was like nothing she had ever experienced before and never wanted to experience again. She felt sure she was going to die, but once the pain subsided, a peace came over her, one that she had never felt before. It was all consuming and pure heaven. Victor continued to hold her and now she could hear just what he was saying.
“We are one now Veronica. You are my bride and I am your one and only. We are each other’s missing half. I love you Veronica, forever and always. No one can hurt you. No one can ever harm you ever again. I love you.” He kept repeating this over and over again.
Veronica slowly opened her eyes and all at once she noticed things looked differently, clearer and brighter somehow. As if reading her mind, and he probably was, Victor said, “Relax. Your new life comes with new senses.” He slowly released her, taking a step back, but watching to make sure she would not fall. Veronica looked at him. He was even more handsome than before. He smiled at her and she smiled back.
“Welcome home my beloved.” He said opening his arms to her.
“Oh Victor!” she said and ran into his embrace.
They kissed and held each other for a long time. She knew that she had found love when she found Victor, but this new life brought with it a new sense of just how loved she truly was, not just by Victor, but by everyone in the house as well. She could feel their emotions for her and their joy that Victor had found his other half. These new senses were absolutely amazing. She was in awe that she could see, hear, smell, and even feel things better than before.
“Come now.” He said. “I know that you are growing hungry and we have much to do.”
He took her by the hand and led her down the hall.
He was right of course; the hunger was growing inside of her. One that she had never thought could happen; and it wasn’t just hunger, but the thirst for human blood.
“Relax my love, soon you will feed, and the thirst will subside.” He said squeezing her hand.
He took her out and taught her how to hunt. Feeding on thieves and murderers. Victor taught her that even though they may be monsters it did not mean they acted like one. Hunting the lowest of low made sure the good people were able to thrive and bring new life into the world. She learned to kill cleanly and make no one suspicious as to the actual cause of death. She learned to control her thirst, but her thoughts were always open to Victor. She learned to hear him as well, but his thoughts were hard to hear and usually she could only hear him when he was in her head. She learned to keep, not only what she was a secret, but also what everyone at the house was. You see fairy tales are real and monsters do exist.
She learned that the house was full of people like Victor, like her now. Oh, not all of them were vampires, but they were supernatural creatures all the same. All of them, no matter what they were, were totally devoted to Victor and looked to him for advice and acceptance. Veronica was quickly learning that Victor served as a leader to them, but in some ways more like a father, helping to mold and guide their lost souls. Just like her. It was in this knowledge that she fell in love with him even more.
The days and weeks went by and she grew stronger and happier with her new life and powers. She learned that there was more to this new life than just the thirst. She learned that her new family was more than what she thought a family should be. That was until the day Victor said they were to leave.
“But why?”
“Not to worry. Everything will be fine. We are going somewhere safe, somewhere where we are free to be us with no worries, but first I have a surprise for you.” He said crossing the room and holding me.
“What is it?” She asked smiling.
He leaned in close and whispered in her ear. “You get to hunt your father.”
Veronica’s eyes grew wide and her mouth hung open.
“Rumor has it that he is bragging all over town at how much better he is now that you are gone.”
“I don’t believe it.” She said half in shock.
“Believe it. I was down at Tool’s last night and he was going on about how better life is without you. So, I thought, as a going away present, you could go and see him and say good-bye.” This last part he said while looking deep into her eyes.
He took her hand and led her out into the night. Victor dropped her off at her father’s house and then left to bring him back to her. Veronica sat and waited in her old rocking chair, staring at the door. She had not been waiting long when the door opened and Darren walked in. At first, he did not see Veronica drunk as he was; but once he spotted her, he stood still and took one step back towards the door. Even in his drunken stupor he could tell there was something different about his daughter. Something very different about her; it was almost like she was not human.
Veronica smiled as she read the thoughts going through her father’s head. Oh, he had no idea just how right he was. She was far from human now but so much better.
“Hello father.” She said in a cold and unwelcoming tone.
“What are you doing here? Get out of my house!” he said moving toward the door. Victor stood with his back to the door not allowing him to leave.
“I came to say good-bye.” She said taking a step closer to him.
“Fine! So, say good-bye and get out!”
“With pleasure.” She said smiling at him, showing him her pretty new teeth.
His face went white with horror and Veronica turned out the light.
Chapter Fifteen
“We have to go now.” Victor said, stepping over the lifeless body that lay on the floor at Veronica’s feet.
She looked at him. “Back to the house.”
“No, not the house. I am going to take you home, to a place where we will be able to live freely. A place where your past can’t haunt you. A place where your hate will disappear. I’m taking you to the White Forest.”
“Can I see my brothers before we leave?” She had a glint in her eyes that said she wanted more than good-byes with them.
“No. Although your brothers did not ever help you, they did not hurt you like your father did; and therefore, they do not deserve to die.” His tone was firm but gentle. Veronica knew he would not give in but still she had to try.
“But…”
“No Veronica!” There was much power in his voice.
Victor could feel Veronica’s hatred raging inside of her at the thought of the man she formerly called her father.
“You will learn to control the hate and soon it will disappear. You will learn to overcome your past and then, and only then, will you be able to move on into the future. It is going to be a bright future my love. You will have all you’ve ever wanted and so much more. No one will hurt you now and you have a family that truly loves you.”
“You are my family now Victor. My life. My other half.” Veronica looked at him and sees someone who truly does love her for her. Someone who will take care of her through the good times and the bad. And there will be bad times, more that she would ever realize. Even knowing this, Veronica realized that her old life is over now but a new one is just beginning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is not the end by far. There are many more tales to come an
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