The Misconception

• Jessica Green, Grade 9, Burnie High School
• Short Story
• 2001

Finalist in the 'Zapped! 2001' competition

The wind blowing freely through the shattered windows of the old ware house sounds like a myriad of wailing ghosts, lamenting their empty souls, while rusting gutters whine and loose boards sway rhythmically on rusty nails.
Listening to the night’s cacophony, a young woman shivers. She anxiously awaits her adversary. Clear emerald eyes, nervously scan the area. Crimson lips quiver slightly, exposing two long, slender fangs. Nervous fingers twitch to the beat of the night.
Minutes pass and her agitation increases infatuating a cold sweat. Her darting eyes see him at last, a tall dark being. The silent pulse of her life now throbs in a quickening crescendo.
He comes closer and she is drawn into the emptiness of his eyes. He smiles and she reciprocates, a smile laced with insolence. Confusion briefly shows on his face. Then she feels it; his extraordinary power, rife with arrogance, infiltrates her defenses and electrifies her senses.
Struggling to control this adrenaline rush, she becomes startled. Why is he giving of himself? He is the enemy! Instantly she bars the receptiveness of her aura and displays the signal of confrontation, a challenge he must accept. Pointing to the roof, he silently invites her to join him. She accepts, and with ease, leaps to the top of the warehouse. He immediately follows, and stands facing her from the opposite corner, waiting. Focusing on her newly acquired strength, she ascends on him with great speed, clasping his head and instantly attacking his neck with her fangs. Her mouth fills with the sweet taste of blood.
Her ecstasy is short-lived, as she is suddenly flung backwards from the ferociousness of his power. She falls hard, excruciating pain temporarily blotting out all else. As the pain subsides, she opens her eyes and struggles to rise. He is coming, slowly and deliberately. But then, with a thunderous roar, accompanied by the resounding of shattering glass and the crash of countless shards and splinters, he vanishes. Before she has time to think, she descends through the gaping hole through which he fell, into the dusty darkness below.
He is lying motionless on the cold, concrete floor. Understandably wary, she holds back until curiosity over rules and she approaches the lifeless form. Kneeling almost reverently, she takes his head in her lap and studies his face in the enshrouding dimness. Turning his head to the side, she notices a familiar mark on his neck and peers closer. No! No! It can’t be! She freezes. A sharp painful sensation engulfs her inner body, as the realization of her actions becomes embedded in her brain. Wretched and filled with dread, she whispers hoarsely, “What have I done, Master?” His lashes flutter briefly and she cringes as the raw, unbridled hatred she sees in his opened eyes, pierces her heart and destroys her soul. A fierce bright light suddenly blinds her and he is gone, into the sanctuary of the Crystal Ring. The young woman slowly slumps, awaiting his retribution.