The Vampire's Promise

I did as Vladimir suggested, and sat back down in my chair. He stepped behind the chair, and his hand came gently down in front of my eyes, and I instinctively closed them. He leaned his face close to my ear then too; I could feel his breath against it. The sensation made me shiver a bit.

"Keep your eyes closed," he whispered. "Relax, and clear your mind of all thoughts, except those of the library. Relax."

I breathed inward and outward slowly, picturing the library in my head. No matter how hard I tried, I could not imagine any books on the shelves. This fact frustrated me.

"What now?" I asked Vladimir. My eyes were still closed.

"Shh, shh," he murmured, gently caressing my cheek. "Remain calm; remain relaxed. Open your mind, Carol; open your mind to the library, but do so carefully. Be wary of what may come."

My eyebrows furrowed, and I almost opened my eyes and turned to him, but I allowed myself to relax. Open my mind? I thought. How do I do that?

I summoned a door in my imagination, allowing my imagined self to wander over to it. The pale being cautiously opened the door.

Everything disappeared, and I gasped, opening my eyes.

"Did you do it?" Vladimir asked, excitement in his voice. I looked around the library.

There were so many books! Piles of books, of many different sizes, rested in front of shelves and on tables. All of the shelves in the room were full; some shelves were so deep that they could store three rows of books on each shelf. I gasped and continued to look around the library, taking in everything.

When my gaze landed back on Vladimir, he was grinning like a madman.

"I know that look," he wagged his finger at me, but not in a disapproving way. "So it worked! Come here, I want to see how you're seeing the room."

I gave him an odd look, but stepped around the chair and into his arms anyway. He rested his chin on top of my head, and the room began to spin, taking on a violet color. I heard and felt Vladimir's sigh. There was a strange connection between us in that moment, and I felt Vladimir's hand on my back as if it was my hand, too.

"You see it exactly the way I do," he whispered, his chin moving slightly against the top of my head. I looked around, to the sides, and saw a violet color outlining everything within eyesight.

"That outline... is that- is that what you're seeing?" I asked him. I turned my head and watched his chest rise and fall as he breathed.

"Yes, it is," he chuckled a little as he spoke. "This is the happiest I've been in a long while."

I thought about that and focused a little too much; I could feel his happiness as if it was mine.

"How are we doing that?"

"Another vampire trick," Vladimir laughed and pulled away from me. The room returned to normal.

"Oh," I gasped. I looked around the room in awe again, my eyes widening.

"This is just the beginning," Vladimir enthused, his voice a whisper once more. "There is so much more in store for you, Carol. This is just brushing the tip of the iceberg."

"Uh," I struggled to think of something to say. I was scared of these new-found abilities. Vladimir seemed to sense the fear.

"Oh, don't worry," he soothed, "we'll be taking it slow. If you want, this can be it for the day."

I nodded quickly at the offer, "Yes, please." Vladimir grinned again.

"Then, how about I give you a tour of this place?"