Nightmare City

February 1648 / Present

“How’re ya feelin’ now? Hungry yet?”

I was growing hungry, but not quite ready to slay the young slave girl, not that she knew what was going to happen. She still thought she was supposed to feed me human food.

“I’m not starving, and would like to hear your singing again.”

She shook her head. “Ah nearly kill’d my voice just now. Ah should’na dun it, but ya looked so scared.”

“Is something wrong with your voice?” I asked.

She laughed a hoarse laugh. “There’s somethin’ wrong wit all of me.” She pulled up one of her sleeves and I could see dark oozing welts marring her chocolate colored skin.

“You’re beaten pretty badly.”

“That too, but these’re from the sickness.” She smiled widely. “Ah’ll prolly be dead afore we reach port. The cap’n got a sore deal when he bought me.”

“He doesn’t expect you to make it to port, if it’s any consolation.”

“Then he’s as daft as ya.”

“I know him personally. Trust me, he’s much more daft than I am.”

She wrapped her arms around her knees. “Tell me about ‘im.”

I scrutinized the ceiling, barely noticing the ship’s rocking now. “He’s the same as me, but our personalities are completely different. The sea is in his blood, has been for as long as he can remember. I joke with him often that he must have been born on a ship. He does not fear the water as he should. He respects the sea, but somehow the fear does not take hold of him.”

“So, he should be scared of the water, like ya?”

She laughed again, coughing at the end of it. “Yer so daft.” she said, with a sort of fondness in her voice.

“Not any more so than most. The Captain is the daft one, who’s ever heard of a vampire pirate?”

“Ah don’t believe a word yer sayin’.”

“You should. I never lie.”

This surprised her, making her eyes go wide. “Wut, nevah? That’s rich.”

“Never. A lie is the ugliest thing in the world. It taints a person down to their soul. Tell a lie long enough, and even the liar will believe it.”

“Sounds like a lie hurt ya pretty bad.” I stayed silent. She was right, but if I confirmed it, she would only ask for details I wasn’t willing to share.

“Where did you learn to sing?” I changed the subject, a skill I had perfected ages ago.

“My mama taught me.” she answered cheerfully. “Ah miss ‘er so much.”

“She was a good mother?”

“The best tha’ she could be.” She shifted uncomfortably. “The slavers killed ‘er a few years back, when they tried ta take me. Ah was too little ta stop them.”

“That’s why you wouldn’t mind being strong enough to rip apart this ship, isn’t it?”

She shrugged. “Better’n dyin’ ere.”

“I suppose anything would be better than that...”

She smiled a wide, crooked smile. I could count the gaps in her teeth, but it wasn’t an unattractive smile. “Not much ah kin do about tha, though, is there?”

“Nothing you could do, but maybe I could help you.”

“Wha kin you do, chained ta a crate?”

“You’d have to unlock me, of course.”

She shook her head. “Ah’m supposed ta feed ya, not free ya.”

I sighed in exasperation. “These are my chains, I’m restricted by my own free will. The keys are in my coat there.” I gestured awkwardly with my face.

She crawled over to where my coat lay over a barrel and reached into the pocket. A set of three skeleton keys hung from her fingers.

“Those are them, bring them over.” I added a layer of influence to my voice, and she obeyed.

********

“I’m taking off the bandages now.” Ciel said

“His skin has grown back already?”

“His chest and torso, yeah. He’s still regrowing his arms though.”

“Ciel, I thought you got all the ash off his legs?” Anais asked impatiently.

“I did, last night. That’s not ash. His body is trashing the dead cells so it can make new ones.”

“Ohhhh. That makes sense, then. That way his arms and legs will match. He still hasn’t regained consciousness yet?”

“Look at the monitor, no sign of conscious brain activity.”

“He must be pretty deep under then. I wonder what he’s dreaming about.”

********

The heavy locks soon thudded on the wooden floorboards. I sat up at once, turning to her in one motion.

It was at that moment that the ship rocked violently, waves crashing against the hull. Terror blinded me briefly and I clutched the girl’s shoulders.

“S’all right.” she said softly, putting her hands up to my face. “This ship is good and strong. Tha water’s not gettin’ in.”

My fear subsided almost at once. “How are you doing that?”

“What am ah doin’?”

“When you talk to me, the fear goes away.” I said. “It’s like I don’t even notice the water, the whole ocean of water... just a few yards away...” I started to shake and she gripped my wrists calmly.

“Ya’ve never been soothed before, ‘ave ya?” she asked, sympathy in her voice. “Look at me, ah’ve lost everthin’ tha was ever important. But... ya never had it in the first place.”

********

“His arms and legs have grown back.” Ciel’s voice, soft and happy.

“That’s the last of the bandages. Should we dress him?” Anais asked.

“Sure, get him some of my old clothes, they should fit him perfectly.”

“I’ve always admired that dark blue suit of yours...”

“Anais, when do you think he’ll wake up? He’s been healing this whole time and he’s not woken even once.”

“He’ll wake up when he’s healed.”

“Don’t you think it’s strange though? Healing doesn’t usually leave someone unconscious like this. I hope nothing’s wrong with him.”

********

“Do you want to live through this voyage?” I asked her seriously.

“More than anythin’.” she answered just as serious.

“Even if it means never seeing the sun again?” That was important to humans, I remembered. Why, I hadn’t a clue.

This made her think a moment. “‘ow could ah see the sky anyway, if ah’m dead?”

“I don’t mean not going outside again, not seeing the sky. If I change you, the sun would burn you, you wouldn’t be able to go out in daylight.”

She shrugged and gestured around. “Wha’ do ah have to live for?”

“I’m not going to kill you. I’ll change you. There is a distinction.”

“Yer a madman.” she said calmly. “You’ll kill me, but ah don’t care. Ah’m sher ya kin give me a better death than illness.”

********

“He’s been healed almost a week, what’s taking him so long to awaken?” Ciel asked impatiently.

“He might only appear to be fully healed.” Anais answered practically. “Most likely his internal organs are still regenerating.”

“But he’s healed, inside and out. Fully. I had the doctor run an x-ray. Everything is intact.” Ciel was silent a moment, contemplative. “Maybe you’re right and his brain has been affected negatively.”

“What? You think he’s forgotten how to wake up?”

“The healing was drastic, he’s changed so much since we found him. Maybe in the end it’s not enough. Maybe he’ll just stay like this: alive, but unresponsive. Look here, I touch him with silver. His skin burns but there’s no response on the monitor.”

“Just wait a little longer, Ciel, before you dismiss him as permanently comatose. I know saving him means a lot to you. You want to be a great doctor, too. And you will be... the best doctor our kind has ever had.”

“Anais, you’ve always had a cool head to temper my emotional heart. Where would I be without you?”

“Staked and probably hung up like this guy was.”

********

The boat rocked mightily, but I kept my perch on the crate, holding the lid down with my weight. The water’s threat had diminished significantly. We were finally at port.

The hatch opened almost immediately and my old friend dropped lightly down to the floor. “The sun’s just set and we’ve finally docked. Time for some revelry!”

He was a daft old fool, that Captain Donovan Blackswell. He wore a long, garish, red coat trimmed with gold thread. Underneath that was a garishly frilly white shirt and black waistcoat. The only sensible thing he wore were his long, black leather boots. He carried a sword at his side who’s blade was pure silver and who’s hilt was of gold.

“Paris awaits us, my friend!” He grinned at me under a mop of ragged, dusty blond hair. He saw me sitting on the crate, alone and his smile turned to a look of confusion. “I could of sworn I sent a meal down to you a fortnight ago...” He ran a hand through his hair, pulling it out of his eyes for a brief second. “Did you consume her flesh and bones as well?”

“Her clothes were too tough for my teeth.” I grinned back at him. I rapped the box under me and it lurched forward, the lid nearly coming off with me still on top of it. I managed to force it back in place, with some effort. I perched back atop it again.

Understanding dawned in Donovan’s eyes. “I see...” He put his hands at his waist. “So you turned her, eh? Why would you do a daft thing like that?”

I shrugged. “I wanted to save her voice.”

Confusion clouded my friend’s eyes once more. “How’s turning her gonna do that?”

“She was half dead when you bought her.” I said in exasperation. “How else was she going to make it to port?”

Donovan arched a brow at me. “You’ve never turned anyone before have you?”

********

My eyes flew open. I sat up, reaching my hands under me, pressing down firmly with all my weight. Fear and horror clutched at my chest. I had done something so terrible, so unforgiving.

I blinked, and the small white room came into focus. I sat perched atop a plain white bed. The ship was gone, merely a fever dream. A memory long passed.

I was not alone here. I turned to the girl who sat at the other end of the room, a large book in her hands. She was a small girl, with short black hair done in large, wavy curls that covered one eye.

She wore a pale pink dress with black lace accents, pale white tights covering her calves, the tops ending just under her knee and edged with more black lace. Large rocking horse shoes covered her small feet, tied with pale pink ribbon.

She stared at me, the one blue eye that I could see wide with surprise. She dropped the book on the floor and ran out the door. “Cieeeeel!”

Footsteps converged on the room. A boy entered first, his blue eyes wild with excitement. “You’re awake!” he cried, rushing over to me.

I scooted back on the bed as the boy placed his hands on the bed and leaned towards me. “What’s your name? I’m Ciel, I saved your life.”

He was a small boy, with straight, jet black hair and alabaster skin. His hair fell over one eye, covering it completely. He wore a black suit jacket and black shorts, as well as a white shirt that was particularly fancy, tied at the neck with a thin black ribbon.

“I- I’m...” I looked around the room. “Where am I?”

“You’re at the doctor’s clinic. I brought you here after Anais and I found you tied up in that old building.” His black eyebrows scrunched together. “What were you doing there?”

“I don’t know, the last thing I remember.” The ship’s interior flashed before my eyes and I flinched. “I don’t know.”

“What’s your name?” Ciel reached into his pocket and pulled out a stethoscope. He put it on and placed a hand on my back with a practiced air, pressing the stethoscope to my chest.

I blinked in confusion. “My name?”

“Do you remember your name?” The girl asked, peeking around Ciel’s frame.

“Of course I do!” Anger burst out of my chest, unwarranted. It vanished just as quickly. “It’s...” I looked back at Ciel. “What are you doing?”

“Recording your heartbeat.” He put the stethoscope away. “Ten beats a minute, perfectly normal.” He leaned his face close to mine again, peering into my eyes. He shined a light quickly into my face. I squinted against it. “Pupil response is normal.”

“I’ll go fetch the doctor.” Anais declared, running lightly out the room.

Ciel put the light away and I stared at him. There was something strange about this boy, but I couldn’t quite place what. “Are you all right?” he asked, pressing his forehead against mine. “You don’t have a fever.”

I was starting to understand what the problem was. “You’re small.” I said bluntly.

He stepped back smiled, showing off his pointed fangs. “Yeah, I am.”

I slid off the bed, standing in front of him. We were eye to eye. “We’re the same height.”

“You’re a quick one.”

I looked down at my hands. They were tiny, like that of a child’s. “I wasn’t this small before, I remember that. What happened to me?”

“You were out in the sun.” Ciel answered gently. “You lost sixty percent of your body.”

I recalled a blinding light and the feel of burning, and flinched again. “How am I still alive? I’m dead, aren’t I?”

“I brought you here and fed you till you healed. You killed all of the houseplants in the entire clinic by the way. The doctor was not happy about that, it’s bad for business.”

I put my fingers to my face, feeling the smooth, slightly chubby cheeks. “The doctor?”

“Doctor Gregory Smythe, he owns the ‘Gentle Skies Birthing Clinic’, our home.” He spread his arms out grandly. “Welcome.”

“You saved my life?” I asked. “Why would you do that?”

“I couldn’t just leave you there without trying to save you. I’m studying to be a doctor, like Doctor Smythe. He’s the only vampire doctor in the entire city.”

“I’m having trouble remembering what happened to me.” I admitted.

“You suffered a lot of cranial trauma. Your skull split from the pressure of the sunlight. Anais said it looked like a squished grape in there.” He made a face. “You’re bound to have lost some memory, but hopefully most of it is just temporary. In the mean time, you can stay here.”

“It looks like I’ll have to.” I said helplessly, dropping my hands to my sides.

“How are you feeling?” he asked sympathetically.

“Like I’ve lost something very important.”

He placed his hands on my shoulders. “I understand. The memory loss must be very frustrating.”

“It’s something else. Something I was supposed to get back to. It’s extremely urgent.” It was barely a feeling, more like an echo in my chest. What was it?

“The things that affect us the most are written in many parts of our brain. If it’s really that important, then it’ll come back to you.”