Haunted by Past (1)

Chapter 11 - Haunted by Past (1)

As they emerged from the shower, their bodies slick with water, the couple dried each other off with fluffy white towels. Returning back to the suite's main room, Carl, only wrapped in a bathrobe, walked toward a comfortable armchair by the side of a coffee table containing a coffee dispenser along with the coffee capsules.

"Do you want any coffee?" asked Carl looking at Jeanne who also changed into her bathrobe, but her expression, unlike his casual, calm one, she seemed to be in the post-climax clarity and questioned everything that happened tonight.

"Sure," she responded, sitting on the couch opposite him. "What would you recommend?"

Carl gestured towards the selection of coffee pods, moving his hands as if he was a magician presenting a trick. "Just pick whatever flavor you prefer. I usually go with dark coffee."

Jeanne scanned the options briefly before choosing a dark roast blend. "This sounds perfect," she said, seeing how Carl placed the capsule into the machine, acting nonchalant, as if their hot night was an afterthought. 

Was this how a Vampire operated? She could feel that he grew colder and reserved, but his expression wasn't hostile or 'predatory', it felt like a charming villain thinking on how to take over the world.

As it whirred and clicked, Carl took a sip of his own coffee, savoring the bitterness before setting it down. 'Not good, I don't know how to begin. Where do I even start? Should I tell her that she's at risk of becoming my Thrall?'

[The risks are low on the first consumption. But, it's a fact that the 'Bloodbound Domain' amplifies the Vampiric Curse, such that unlike normal Vampires, your powers are more potent. She'll freak out and you'll lose a good blood source and possible companion.]

'Well, that's life. Life always sucks ass, always taking away. Still, if we reach that stage, I'll take care of her if she turns out to transform into Thrall.'

While discussing with Nosferatu on how to begin the inevitable conversation and also about the possibility of Jeanne being infected with the Vampirism Curse, and start her transformation into a Thrall, the silence continued to grow between himself and her.

The silence between them felt heavy, loaded with unspoken words, and the tension thickened like fog. It was almost palpable. Their gazes met again, neither one able to break away first. Finally, Jeanne coughed softly, breaking the silence.

"So how can someone like you exist?" she asked quietly, staring at Carl with wide-eyed curiosity. Her tone held a mix of awe and trepidation; fear of what this man might do next.

"I have never met anyone like you before, though, I've seen some ghosts in the past." she admitted, looking at Carl intently. "How do you survive out here? How come you've gone so far with your 'prey', and why am I still alive? Aren't Vampires usually going to kill their targets to satisfy their blood thirst?"

Carl smiled at her slightly, a glint in his crimson eyes. "Well, nothing that I've told you so far is a lie. I do feel a connection with you, and I believe most of your information is based on online stories. Why should I kill you when it doesn't serve a purpose?"

"Think of it like this instead, Jeanne. When in nature, predators don't go around killing all their prey. They kill only enough to sustain them. It's a survival instinct, though. Same happens for Vampires who predate on humans? We only kill at last resort."

"There's a lot more to me than meets the eye regarding this subject."

Jeanne nodded, taking a sip of her coffee. Her heart raced as she tried to comprehend Carl's words.

"So, I've become your prey," she repeated. "Curious, how many times are you doing this? Feeding on people? Haven't you thought of other methods of acquiring blood that don't require biting people's necks?"

"The last time I remember, you were about to climax from biting your neck. You shouldn't complain when you felt so good from my bite." Carl grinned devilishly, his fangs peeking out from beneath his lips.

Shock rippled through Jeanne's veins, her jaw dropping open momentarily before snapping shut abruptly, she could tell that this Vampire had a thick skin. "And why did you just bite me without my consent? I thought it was just a teasing kiss whenever you would run wild there." she demanded, feeling a surge of anger rise up inside her.

"Ohh that? I couldn't hold myself down, after years of starving down. It must've been an accident," Carl retorted smoothly, shrugging nonchalantly, but also revealing some hints about his story, if she was smart as he thought, she might be sharp enough to put the puzzle together.

"But I enjoyed every minute of it!" He grinned broadly, showing off his sharp, deadly fangs. "Look, I understand you're angry now, but I haven't harmed you. Whatever pain you're feeling now, will subside. Give it some time."

Jeanne stared at Carl, dumbfounded. She couldn't believe how crooked her luck with men was, last week she was devastated to find out that her fiance cheated on her with one of her 'best friends', and now when wanting to forget about all of her nightmare, she had stumbled upon this supernatural creature that truly grabbed her into Hell.

Yet, this Hell was rather sweet, almost toxic to be true. It made no sense to her, but at the same time with her past experiences at her workplace, she believed in the supernatural, and seeing a living and breathing Vampire that made love to her, didn't seem that far stretched. 

Seeing how he was dismissing most of her worries in a calm tone, there was something undeniably intriguing about Carl.

As the weight of their conversation settled over them, Jeanne felt a nagging sense of unease gnawing at her. Despite Carl's assurances, she couldn't shake the feeling of vulnerability that lingered in the air.

"Carl," she began tentatively, her voice barely above a whisper. "I need to ask you something."

Carl turned to her, his gaze filled with concern. "Of course, Jeanne. What's on your mind?"

"It's just..." Jeanne hesitated, her words catching in her throat. She knew she had to voice her concerns, no matter how uncomfortable they made her feel. "Am I in danger when I'm with you? I mean, now that I know... now that I'm your... 'prey'."

The weight of her question hung in the air, the tension palpable between them. Carl's expression softened, his eyes filled with understanding.

"I won't lie to you, Jeanne," he replied solemnly. "There are always risks when involved with a Vampire. But I promise you, I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe."

Jeanne nodded, her heart heavy with apprehension. "But what if... what if you lose control? What if... you can't stop yourself from... hurting me?"

Carl reached out, gently taking her hands in his. "I won't let that happen," he said firmly, his voice laced with a comforting calm. "I've lived with this hunger for a while, Jeanne. By this point, it became something I can control. You have nothing to fear from me."

Jeanne studied his face, noticing the slight tension etched into his handsome features, as he was breaking the ice between them, explaining himself, while she didn't extract her hands from his gentle hold.

"Thank you, Carl," she murmured softly, her gaze meeting his with a mixture of gratitude and uncertainty. "It means a lot to me to know that you're looking out for me."

Carl drew a deep breath, steadying himself. "You might feel disgusted, fearful, but that's who I am. I'm a Vampire." he confessed quietly. "I feed on human blood to survive. Cursed by God with an insatiable thirst for human blood."

Her eyes widened slightly, but she didn't recoil. Instead, she reached out and placed her hand on his arm. A slight chill ran down Jeanne's spine, reminding herself how he fed on her neck, but she quickly banished the feeling. "I appreciate your honesty, Carl," she told him sincerely. "And it will not change a thing between us."

Carl stared at her incredulously. "That's shocking. Really?" he asked. "I imagine that most women run away screaming their lungs out when they find out I'm a vampire."

Jeanne shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe most women don't understand you," she suggested. "But I do." Jeanne squeezed his hand, looking up at him with understanding acceptance. "I've seen things in my life that others wouldn't believe. Things that changed my perspective on reality. Like when I saw ghosts..."

Carl blinked, surprised. "Ghosts? Ahh, that's right, you mentioned something regarding ghosts. How come? Aren't you a simple human?"

"... Wait, do you believe me?" Jeanne inquired, staring into her mug of coffee before shifting with a shocked expression at Carl's face.

"Why should I disagree with you? If a Vampire like myself exists, why shouldn't a Ghost exist? It isn't that strange when you think about it."

"That's right! Wow, finally someone who understands me, and doesn't call me crazy and nuts." Jeanne affirmed, nodding emphatically. "Remember, I told you I worked as a nurse in a hospital. Well, one day, I swear this is true. I saw a ghost. A patient's spirit is stuck in the room."

"I tried to warn the doctors, but no one believed me. Still, somehow I managed to convince the hospital staff to call the Priests to perform a specific ritual for spirits." she said, her voice quivering slightly. "After that, the ghost vanished peacefully."

Carl's eyes widened slightly before narrowing into slits "Heh, I bet they continued to appear, since the death rate in a Hospital is high."

"That's exactly what happened!"

Carl listened attentively, absorbing her every word. "What did this ghost look like?" he asked, genuinely curious.

Jeanne hesitated for a moment, her brow furrowing in concentration. "It was difficult to describe," she admitted. "Its appearance kept shifting, like it was changing forms. At times, it appeared transparent, barely visible to the naked eye," Jeanne recounted, pausing to sip her coffee. "Other times, it was solid, fully formed with details so real, it gave me chills at first."

Carl sat up straighter, his interest piqued. "That's fascinating," he said, his voice hushed in awe, reaching out to squeeze her hand. "I feel bad that you have to experience so much trouble from some stubborn maggots that can't live past their failures in life."

"Nonetheless, it's amazing to know that you're capable of seeing ghosts and even communicating with them."

Jeanne brushed off his praise, her cheeks reddening slightly. "Well, not communicating that much since they would always ignore me. Besides, it's nothing extraordinary," she smiled awkwardly, her gaze drifting away.