The Turning

“How did you know?” I asked, unsure that I wanted the answer. I thought I had been careful. I thought she hadn’t noticed. I had always made sure to stay away from her when I knew the temptation would be great.

            “I saw you.” That was all she said, before she turned first walking, then running out the door. Was she afraid I would follow? What had she seen? Had I gone too long without breathing? Had I moved too fast? Was it the marks on my neck?

            It hadn’t been my choice. My parents owed debts to the wrong people. The payment… me. They had been forced to conceive, then at age ten, a man showed up at the door. Dad made himself scarce. Mom started crying. The man told me to get in the car. I had wondered what compelled me to follow his order, but later I learned he had done it. It was probably for the best. Not saying I didn’t love my parents, I wouldn’t have willingly gone with the stranger, but my life improved. I got to eat everything I wanted, learn what I wanted. All I had to do was give the man some of my blood every couple of days.

            Then, when I got older, he wasn’t content with just drawing blood from a needle. I knew by then, of course, what he was. What they all were, the entire community in which I lived. He promised me it would be pleasurable, and it was. He said he’d never turn me, and he didn’t. But his master, the one who turned him, was not pleased. Payments were always taken by age ten, turned by age fourteen. I was eighteen when I was turned. He was being forced to do it, but he still gave me a choice. If he fully turned me, I could never leave, never see him again. I’d be ordered to a new part of the city, unable to leave a certain area. It didn’t make sense, but only those turned by his master had complete freedom. If he only gave me a half dose, I wouldn’t fully turn. I’d be what they called a dhampir. I’d have some traits of my master, but I could be in the sun, I could still eat real food, though it wouldn’t sustain me.

            These traits allowed me to be amongst humans. It also meant I could stay with my master, follow his orders, and if, for some reason, he died, I was free to leave. No other would be able to turn me, and no other would be able to control me. He told me it wasn’t bad, but felt I deserved a choice. I hadn’t been given one my entire life, and now, I will never know the truth behind why he gave me a choice. My master is gone; he has been gone for almost five years. I guess when you slight the leader, you don’t last very long afterward. He knew this. I guess he always knew it would end that way. I found the note. It had instructions. I was never going to need to find work, nor a place to live.

He’d set everything up in a place on the complete opposite side of the world. His teaching me other languages finally made sense. I stayed locked away for a long time, only leaving to feed. I’d find the worst individuals and drain them within an inch of their life. It made it easier for the authorities to catch them.

However, one day, a woman ended up on my doorstep. She was lost and needed help. She was beautiful. My first thought was to charm her. I wanted to keep her, but I didn’t. I swear she charmed me. Before I knew it, I was walking out of my house, showing her around the town. We talked, we laughed, and then I was asking her out to dinner. We dated for two years. I kept my secret for two years. I had planned on proposing tonight, but when she showed up, she had a wooden stake in her hand.

Normally fatal to vampires, but not me. I’m not a full vampire. That was what I admitted when she questioned me, threatening me with the stake. Then she ran out. I know what will happen now. I guess I always knew it would, but she was so… I hear them coming. I can’t stay. The instructions my master left told me what to do if this happened.

I wondered how many places he’d set for me. How many would I have to leave at a moment’s notice? It had come already furnished, including a full closet, and I rarely kept much money on hand. No, I wasn’t going to be missing anything. I went to the basement, opening the door that they’d never be able to find, let alone open, and I slipped away.