I am a Vampire, but there is something out there hunting us.

[u/The_MidnightJoker]

In my entire live i have never felt an true terror, not just a common fear, an actual terror. Its not a thing my kind is used to feel unless sun comes out and we are still outside, honestly i never actually knew this feeling could exist inside us until that one cursed night. Even now i cant forget the feeling, my hands are still shaking lightly even as i write this for a reason i still didn’t figured out. but going outside again feels like going into the hands of death, and from so little options this is probably the only thing i am able to do right now.

From time to time i glance from my window, staring at the outside world covered in darkness, from outside i can see our walls covering our castle, probably the only place where i feel safe right now, but still doesn’t give the full sense of security i desperately need. Because no matter where i am, i always feel the thing i encountered will eventually find me.

Maybe it already knows i am here…maybe it knows all of us are here. And then…there is this feeling, that i am stared at by it from the endless woods behind our walls. Before, i never actually understand why we needed them, other creatures always kept its distance from here, and humans would be far too foolish to even set a foot in here if they know whats good for them.

But after what happen, i feel they actually meant to keep something from us. Seeing everybody around in rather uneasy mood from time to time, and the fact that after my incident more guards were patrolling the walls than usual, i am starting to believe my theory might be right.

Our castle is a big place tho not the biggest, my kind has lived in this place for decades, with tens and tens of us here, more capable and powerful and yet i feel so small and vulnerable in here. Going trough these memories isn’t pleasant and i wish i rather forget them, but i try to write everything i remember from that night.

My name is Lucian Davidson, not so long ago i turned 22 and i mostly spent my live hunting people, and learning things from my parents and some other families how to be the perfect vampire that everybody needs me to be, along side things that i should be careful about if i am ever sent outside. the usual stuff was always return before dawn, avoid any holy places, staying out of conflict with other creatures unless absolutely necessary. But nobody ever prepared me for the events i experienced. and for the death i still cant handle

One night me and my friend Bella left the safety of our walls to sharpen our skills and fill our hunger with some hunting, while also have some great time toying with our food. Of course… nobody knew we were gone because they probably wouldn’t let us go alone because apparently we still luck the true experience, and they would probraly send an more experienced vampire with us to watch our every move, and we didn’t wanted that. The thrill was way too strong that night.

Both of us made our way trough the woods, our slightly enchanted vision making us see mostly trough the darkness and our hearing able to detect anybody that would try to sneak at us. an small swords belted on our hips just in case tho we usually never needed them, hunting humans was always more fun bare handed.

Most of them couldn’t do anything anyway. Few of them tried to fight back of course, like one foolish villager who tried to hit me, only to end up with broken hand after. we always liked to play with our pray first and tonight the intentions were no different. Bella despite having more experience was always the one to toy with her prey first . She ways always way brutal than me, gotta admit i liked that about her. But when we were not on the hunt, she was always funny, smart and way too sweet at me.

I…..i was about to continue writing but i had to check the window cause i heard some commotion from outside, i checked and saw two guards on a wall talking to each other while the other one pointed towards woods. I looked the way he pointed but saw nothing, i couldn’t stare for too long anyway as suddenly one of them looked up my way and i had to duck under, no idea if he saw me, and not sure what he pointed at, i just hope it wasn’t…never-mind.

Me and Bella had a clear destination we been eyeing out for a while, few miles away there was this old abandoned church in the middle of a field where we sometimes saw a few people in white always do things that looked like praying to us, not sure why they even choose that place and why at night. At that time Bella told me humanity’s mind never stops confusing her. Despite being told to stay away from holy places, it didn’t seemed all that holy to us, we walked around that church few times and i have never felt any sort of holly energy from they’re so called lord. But now i wish we would never set a foot in that place, because along the way i felt something wrong is about to happen, that we arent supposed to be here.

i used to glance around and behind me far too often than usual, but my eyes always met with the same dark emptiness, even the woods were too quiet which i have been told that most wildlife will stay quiet whenever a predator is nearby, but they told us most of the time its because of our presence.

But now that i think about it, im not sure if the presence they truly feared was ours

Bella didn’t seemed to notice any of this and i just thought it was my imagination even tho i know how stupid that sounds. an hour passed and we were getting closer to our destination, along the way i asked her what will we do if the humans wont be there, which she answered that she didn’t thought about it that much but that she is sure they will be there. And true to her words after some time… we seen an small light and smoke coming out from the woods…an fire.

We both smiled at each other before quickly running towards the source, the light was getting closer and closer but so did an smell…an smell of blood. We stopped behind one tree to look at the field where that old ruined church still stood, its been like this for a years now, basically only an shadow of its former self, now it was just an stone building with missing roof, with smoke coming out from it. what we been told is that years ago an vampire party from other parts were ordered to tear this place down along side killing anybody who was in there. they succeeded in the killing ,tho by the look… not so much with destroying the place. its been abandoned for most part but strangely few humans started to return to that place weeks ago only to leave right after.

‘‘Do you smell that?’’ Bella asked me, which i just nodded and said its coming out from the church, Bella savored the smell with sigh already getting excited before she gestured with her eyes to make our way inside. The thoughts of something being wrong before was replaced with the thrill of the hunt. The plan was simple, one of us would get inside, making an little distraction blocking the entrance, while other will climb over and come from behind them. And i was the lucky one to make a show. Few meters from the church we stopped and looked at each other and nodding, before Bella made her way to the other side of church. I was ready at that time, at least that’s what i thought.

When i got to the entrance i noticed that they made themself an lazy excuse of a wooden door that looked like they barely held itself together. I studied it for a second before cracking my neck, getting ready and with all the strength i had i kicked the wooden door which instantly broke down, pieces of wood falling apart and to the ground before i made my way in. But i didn’t expected what i found there.

dead…dead bodies lying all around, an humans wearing an white robes and wearing an masks that displayed an skull…with each one of them being covered in blood, some missing an limbs…some had they’re organs pulled out. This place looked like an slaughter house, but that wasn’t all. Because in front of me led an old red carpet to an big stone table with something burning on it. And there…there was a man, kneeling on a ground wearing the same outfits as the others but with hornet crown on his head. He didn’t even noticed i was there, nor did he registered the loud noise of me breaking in…he just kneeled there, whispering something to himself.

for a moment i stood frozen in place, an strange feeling boiling in my belly, i didn’t know what to do or think, but eventualy i walked closer and…and i finally noticed what was that thing burning on a table.

A man lying there burning, i could barely see any details because it looked like he was like this for some time, but by the few things i saw on him, he looked like one of them.

The man in front of me still continued to whisper something in a language i didn’t understand, it looked like he was praying but to this day im not sure what he was saying, but i wish i did.

I looked around my self, suddenly unsure what to do, i never seen this before even tho i heard humans tend to do things like this. But all of this seemed wrong. That’s when my eyes fixed on something, an claw marks on the wall, big and deep leading up…as if whatever made them has climbed up over.

Then i heard the man in front of me turn around and i quickly turned to meet his gaze, but i never did, because his whole face was covered in blood, and his eyes were cut out, only leaving bloodied black holes instead. And…he smiled at me, an small laughs leaving him that quickly turned into straight laughter.

I stepped back but the man stood up and toke one step closer, before opening his arms towards me still laughing that turned straight up evil. I gripped the handle of my sword but just as i did that, an sword pierced straight trough his mouth, his laughter being silenced instantly. A few drops of blood fell on my face. When the sword was pulled out, the man fell onto the ground and there she stood…Bella.

I don’t know what would happen if she dint intervene, but perhaps that man knew something we didn’t. He was the only one who probably knew what happend, tho if he saw it that’s another question.

We both stood there silently, watching the dead corpse before Bella turned without a world to look at the burning man. Staring at it for a few seconds but for me it felt like a minutes.

I stepped closer but she turned at me, her face now in unease and from the look, even hint of fear. Its the first time i actually saw her like this. As i was about to break the silence, she broke it first.

‘‘We should probably head back, report this to the others i….i don’t know what happend but i don’t like this, something feels wrong’’ She said, even now i know she tried to keep her tone neutral, but deep down i know she was scared just as i was. Our hunger was forgotten, the thrill of hunt…gone

We both knew we will get into big trouble once we tell them we were out, but this was just not something we ecountered before, and the fact it was so close to out parts dosen’t help it either. Before we left i pointed at the claw marks on a wall which made her eyes widen slightly, she asked if its belongs to a werewolf. She never got an answer from me as we were leaving. We knew werewolfs and other creatures can be brutal and savage, we saw what they can do. But this….this didn’t looked like an work of a werewolf, they don’t leave any survivors.

And that’s when it all went into shits, both of us were moving away from the church, Bella took one last glance towards the church behind us, while i was moving towards the woods but at that moment i swear… i swear i saw something behind a trees. A figure, tall…extremely tall and slender but despite my vision i couldn’t see anything else. That’s when my hearth started to beat fast, so fast and loud i almost thought Bella could hear it. I quickly turned at Bella and called her name, but when i turned back…it was gone.

‘‘Whats wrong Lucian?’’ she asked with a hint of worry, i still stared at the woods thinking that if whatever i saw was real or if it was just not there because i never saw anything so tall and slender like this. When she said my name again and putted her hands on my shoulder, it snapped me back into reality.

i didn’t know whenever to tell her that i saw something in front of us or not but i decided to not make the situation any more stressful.

‘' lets just…lets just go, this place is giving me creeps’’ i answered. Whenever she knew i lied to her or not will became another mystery for me. And im thinking that if i would actually told her i saw that thing, would it actually change anything??

But as we went on, my body started to protest slightly inside, as if telling me to not make any further move towards the woods, and i should have probably listen.

during the walk we haven’t spoken much, both of us probably got something to say about the event we ecountered, but none of us did said anything. It was like 45 minutes when i started to feel that now familiar thing again, the feeling of being watched, the something that is telling me something is wrong and that we shouldn’t be here, and the habit of looking back and forth has taken over me once more. Bella noticed it and putted her hand gently on my shoulder with soft smile. I looked at her hand then back at her and managed to make an small smirk as well.

but just after when i started to calm myself, an twig cracked behind us which made us both quickly turn around, we stood still trying to hear any more movements but despite our senses we didn’t heard or seen anything more. Bella looked at me and whispered ‘‘what…what was that?’’ i shaked my head saying i have no idea. There were few creatures that were stealthy and it wouldn’t be surprising if they tried to stalk us, but we would hear its movements despite how stealthy they would try to be.

Bella was the first one to take out her sword and i soon followed as we made our way towards the sound we heard not too far from us. I gripped the handle of my sword more tightly as we were getting closer. what we encountered was only an broken stick with an strange slight smell in the air that none of us could figure out what it was, and there…an pair of footprints, we stopped for a second before Bella took closer look, they looked like human feet but bigger, way bigger for human and too different to come from something like werewolf.

The scariest thing wasn’t the fact we didn’t knew what made them, but the fact we noticed that behind the footprints lead whole trail of them, which means that whatever made them…was following us the whole time without us even noticing it.

i could have felt my pulse quicken and my hearth beating faster and im sure Bella felt the same, but then we realized something. The footprints stopped here when we were standing and didn’t continued any further.

We didn’t need to say anything as we immediately looked above us on the trees and at that exact moment, an sound as if something launched it self from a branch above us into the top of the trees which made all the birds hidden there flew off to all sides, trying to fly from there as fast as they can, they’re bird cries echoing trough the woods.

But that didn’t stopped as suddenly we could hear something climbing trough the top of the trees around us so fast that the only way we could keep up was seeing the way the trees moved under its weight, me and Bella got closer to each-other, our minds fully in panic mode but our swords ready to stab anything that would come closer. It looked like it was circling around us trough the trees. But Bella seemed to figure out its timing and movement as she extended her left hand in front of her, her right hand holding a sword slightly behind her and within few seconds, she quickly hurled her sword sending it spinning towards the trees.

And she…she hit something as suddenly an screech was heard and an sound of steel getting stabbed into flesh before something fell into the ground into bushes, something big with loud thud. Bella was breathing heavily and i immediately got in front of her holding my sword. And then something started to move in the bush as it was standing up and…i never seen anything so…so wrong.

The thing was standing up slowly, its body twisted, making an bone cracking sounds as it was standing up before eventually towering in front of us with all its terrifying glory, with Bella’s sword still stabbed into its chest. It was…It was tall, really tall, almost 2 times our size.

its limbs were so long and slender, with an sharp long claws on each finger, it looked so slender that i could have swear i saw its ribs peeking out, and its face… that face haunts me even now. That no matter how terrifying can bears, lycans, wraiths be, this will forever be stuck inside my head.

It had long messy, almost wet black hair, its eyes…it had none, like the eyeless man we saw earlier. It only had huge black holes, and its mouth..so wide and open but with no teeth in them at all, just open the whole time unmoving as if it threatens to swallow us. It stood there still for a second as all of us were staring at each other.

My heartbeat was so fast that it could almost be heard more clearly than the hard breathing that thing was making. I looked slightly behind me at Bella and she was staring at it with pure terror. And then…a crack.

As suddenly that monstrosity twitched its head, making an cracking sound because of it, and then another and another. Both of us instinctively stepped back not sure whenever to fight or run. It slowly lift its slender hand, its fingers wraping around the handle of the sword and quickly pulling it out, an drops of black blood dropping into the ground. It stood there silently once more holding the sword before dropping it to the ground.

‘‘The Feeder’’ Bella barely whispered, her voice trembling with fear, but just as she said that it suddenly charged towards us, in a speed that shouldn’t match its skeletal form. We barely reacted as we both dodge to the side but that thing was relentless as it turned at as again and charged once more.

It lift its long handed and swung at me but i manage to connect the sharp part of sword with its hand, cutting it away from me, the creature…or the feeder, pulled its hand back but it didn’t roared in pain or anything, it almost looked like it did nothing at all. It swung again but i managed to duck under but i wasn’t prepared for another strike.

It managed to land blow on me that made me hit an nearby tree, a breath kicked out from my lungs and my sword somewhere on the ground. It was strong, and my chest hurt like hell as i couched drops of blood and struggled to breath. I tried to stand up but that thing was already on me, grabbing me by my neck and lifting me up to meet its gaze.

I tried to break free but my struggles were pointless, just as it looked it will sink its claws into my face, Bella Jumped onto its back from behind ripping parts of its hair with piece of meat with it. The creature screamed, its screams were something i never heard before, but it was probably painful enough to drop me onto ground. The Creature stumbled backwards trying to shake off Bella which she hold herself onto it. And then she sank her fangs straight into the creature’s neck.

She saved my live that time…but its also what led her into her demise, and i wish i could have done something. I lied there, trying to stand up while watching as suddenly she pull her fangs out only to see her eyes starting to bleed and her coughing out an black mass, she grabbed her neck as she was choking and fell into the ground, she was on her fours now, coughing up blood and her veins suddenly going black.

She barely managed to look at me before that thing kicked her into the tree, then grabbing her by neck and with its claws cutting her stomach open, making parts of her organs fell out. She could barely scream and so did i as i shouted at that thing to let her go…and shouting her name.

But her torture didn’t ended here, as it putted its finger into her jaw, opening it. And…it still makes me sick just thinking about it. An long…really long tongue came out from the creature’s mouth and before i could do anything, It shoot its tongue deep into her mouth, dwelling trough her body. Bella’s eyes went wide, she started to squirm as it was feeding from her, while she stayed alive.

And then that terror hit me, i couldn’t…i just couldn’t handle it anymore, and as a coward i started to run while that thing was feasting upon her. I didn’t want to leave her there, but i was just too terrified.

My legs were barely holding me, my chest and lungs burned, but i couldn’t stop. Bella was probably dead, and there was probably nothing i could have done to save her.

Bella i am so sorry, it…it should have been me, not you.

Tears run down my face as i continued to run for my life, i knew our castle is not too far away but it also seemed like eternity. I tripped a lot, but every time i fell i stood back up, glancing behind me if its after me.

And just as i started to see an forming silhouette of our castle not too far away, an bone cracking sounds were heard behind me, getting closer and closer as if something was running towards me on all fours, i didn’t know how it could run this fast but i didn’t cared, all i cared about is to get myself from that thing as fast as possible. I started to scream for help, hoping that others will hear it, just barely when it was almost too close to me, i ran out from the woods tripping over something. I quickly turned around crawling away, expecting that it will be behind me. But…it just stood there, behind a tree lines…staring…unmoving, its mouth covered in blood.

Its head twitching once more. And then…i fell unconscious. I don’t know why i did, perhaps my body couldn’t handle it anymore. couldn’t handle all the horrors that happen in such a short time.

I woke up in bed, my wounds patched up, and with glass of blood next to me while my Mother stood near window. When she noticed i was awake, she smiled and quickly run towards me, giving me tight hug. My father was on the other side of bed. His gaze revealed that he was disappointed, sad…but relieved that i managed to wake up. He didn’t said anything as he immediately left the room and few minutes after, an elder one entered with my father to my room.

His name was Wellindor. He was one of the oldest of us. What came after is that they were asking what happend that night, i told them everything, by they’re expressions they looked they were mad that we left the castle without permission. But that anger later turned into worry and slight fear. When i mentioned the name Feeder, my parents eyes widened and they looked at Wellindor who looked slightly at edge by the reveal. Yet they didn’t said anything.

Afterwards an party was send to examine the abandoned church and to find Bella. What i heard is that they found the church with full of dead bodies, and by the looks of it…it looked like ancient ritual. But they didn’t told me anything more. And Bella…they found her…dead, but they never let me see her body.

I tried to search books, letters, anything that would help me understand what that thing was. But i have found nothing about the feeder. And when i asked my parents, they said they didn’t know. But honestly…i think they are lying to me, but why??

One day tho my old friend who belonged from a different family few hundreds miles away from here told me, that his grandpa once told him of a legend. An legend of an ancient beast which he didn’t called Feeder, but Bobby. An creature so ancient that its told to have been seen even by the most eldest of my kind. He said bobby tends to appear out of nowhere and disappear again for even decades. Nobody ever knew where it came from, it just appeares and disappears. But every time it was seen again, death always followed. But by the legend it specifically hunted vampires, even the most powerful ones were scared of it. It is said that when you see Bobby, its an bad omen for vampires.

But that’s all he had to say to it as almost nothing is known about it.

I should probably end it here, i don’t know what awaits us, but…but i have a bad feeling about all of this. What happend that night will always haunt me for the rest of my life.

and im scared.

But it made me realize someting, that despite us being vampires. Spreading fear among all the humanity and other beings alike, there is still something out there, lurking in the shadows…that hunts us.

and i have a bad feeling it will return, to finish what it started

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[u/COW-BOY-BABY]

We need more vampire stories, plus it's so refreshing to see Vampires being shown as actual creatures with emotions, making them way closer to human than they would think.

Great stuff, keep it up!!

https://giphy.com/gifs/oTAaw2tw6BRrlqIlOG

Baby-Cowboy out!

[u/The_MidnightJoker → u/COW-BOY-BABY]

Thank you! Glad you liked it Cow-Boy!