World War

As the years went by I participated in several conflict turned wars. Mostly out of boredom, but also to help alleviate the frustrations I had built up after centuries of playing human. Sometimes I just needed to let the monster out of the cage. It was the summer of the year 1916. Over fifty years after I had started to spread myself out to the rest of the US. 

Turns out even as a vampire with made up identities I could still be drafted. Not that I cared, sure I was hesitant at first being so far away from my base of operations. The bank I started had flourished, raking in a healthy profit. The farm produced so much crop that I ended up buying more land in the surrounding areas to accommodate my fields. It was rather entertaining when the government learned that the founder of one of the nations most lucrative banks had a 'son' who owned a farm. Of course that son was me. That was how I officially became Seth Williamson II. 

An explosion nearby shook the ground around me bringing me back to reality from my thoughts. Dirt rained down on me hitting me like rain. I was stuck in a trench with thirty other guys in various states of shock and injury. We had been stuck in this trench for nearly a month now. The smell of sick and human waste made my nose crinkle in disgust. 

"Fuck it, Jones! I'm crossing no man's land and taking out that damn machine gun nest." 

"Are you fucking crazy? That's suicide, you'll get shredded by a hail of gunfire. You've been lucky with grazes and near misses but this will kill you." 

Grinning at the ranking officer. "Only if I die." 

"Yes, that what 'kill you' mea-" 

Before he could finish I draw the sword, yes I brought the fucking sword, and scrambled up the trench. Dodging bullets I charged at the enemy, careful to keep a relatively reasonable speed. I spun as a bullet hit my shoulder, the wound healed before I jumped into the enemy trench. 

"LEEEEROYYYYY JENKINSSSSS!!!!!" 

The Germans screamed as I hacked and slashed my way through their comrades. Their dying screams alerted more enemies that came charging at me, bayonets mounted into their rifles. I let out a sadistic laugh as I slapped a bayonet away from my face before tearing the heart out of the man wielding the weapon. I neared the machine gun nest and slammed my fist through the guy's chest. I felt a bullet tear through my neck, spitting up blood. I spun around to face the man who shot me. His eyes widened as he saw the wound on my neck stitch shut. I roared and blurred over to him tearing into his neck with my teeth. As his blood splashed into my mouth I felt the aches and pains in my body disappear. I heard a collective war cry as the allied forces charged from the trench I had just been in moments ago decided to advance. 

I continued to tear through Germans and Austrians with my sword, sheathing it I picked up a rifle and fired several rounds into a crowd of enemy soldiers. The allied force reached the trench I was in soon and paled at the carnage they saw. They took out the stragglers, I wiped the blood from my face. Jones walks over to me, shock and obvious bewilderment on his face. 

"Fucking hell Williamson, remind me not to get on your bad side." 

"I only have a good side, besides this was nothing. You should have seen what I did in France." 

"I'm not even going to ask. I'm just glad you're on our side." 

"Me too Jones, me too." 

[Scene Break]

When we finally eased up on the offensive a month later I was sitting in a friendly occupied town. I heard some men whisper when they saw the sword strapped to my hip. 

"Bloody hell, it's the Reaper of the Trench." 

'Who the fuck gave me that name?' I closed my eyes and pretended that I couldn't hear their conversation. 

"Mate I've heard he's untouchable. Been in this war since the beginning and not a single wound on him." 

"Bullshite, he has to have been hit at least once or twice, I've heard how he rushes machine gun nests." 

"No mate, I've seen him move. The fucker is fast, like scary fast. It's like he's dodging the bullets." 

"Dodging bullets? Are you short of a marble mate? No one can do that." 

"He can, apparently last week he tore through the Germans posted in a town by himself. They found bodies torn to shreds, and wounds made by a sword." 

"That's just war time propaganda James, to scare the enemy." 

"You know I can smell the blood on you." 

My eyes snap open, there's a man sitting next to me. I look at him and frown.

"Do I know you?" 

"Rogers, Jameson Rogers. I know what you are." 

My eyes narrow at the man, "And what am I?" 

He grins, "You're like me." He flashes his eyes and fangs before letting them return to normal. 

"Mmm," I turn away and continue to rest. "What made you join?" 

"Boredom," I grin. "And the free meals." 

"A man's after my own heart." I turn to him and offer him my hand. "Seth Williamson, pleasure to meet you Jameson." 

He shakes my hand, "The pleasure is mine Reaper. " 

We talked quietly to not draw attention, he had been keeping a lower profile than I had. He stuck to the field hospitals helping out the medics and the wounded. He only drank the blood of anyone who was too far gone. Apparently he had been turned in in 1912 by his fiancé. He never asked when I had been turned, he left me a note with his home address on it telling me to visit for some drinks if we made it out of the war. He wandered off a moment later probably to look for some blood. 

Standing up I decided to walk around the town, the rubble from destroyed buildings scattered on the streets. Soldiers nursed injured limbs and sat against walls as they rested. The smell of blood was heavily saturated in the air. I eventually stopped at a partially destroyed home, I could hear someone whispering inside. I opened the door slowly and walked inside. The woman screamed and shielded someone behind her. 

"It's alright. I'm not here to hurt you." I raised my hands in a peaceful gesture. 

"Y-You are s-Soldier non? I have heard about the things you do." 

She had a thick French accent, her daughter peeked from behind her mother. I waved at the little girl, she was holding a teddy bear against her chest. 

"Amelie, stay behind me." 

"Look lady, I'm not going to hurt you."  

Her eyes widened when I spoke to her in French. When you had an eternity at your disposal learning new languages was painfully easy. 

"You speak french?"  

"Learned it a while back."  

I wasn't going to tell her that I had spent a summer in New York screwing the daughter of a French diplomat. I eventually learned the language after many nights spent buried balls deep in the man's little Louise, who he thought was a darling little angel. 

"I'm here to help, see." I take off my pack and pull out the rations that had been issued to me. 

I didn't need them, obviously, and they just added weight to my pack that slowed me down. She took them carefully, and handed a pack of crackers to her daughter. 

"What's your name?"  

"Anais, my name is Anais."  

"Pleasure to meet you Anais, my name is Seth."  

She hesitantly takes my hand, I raise her hand to my mouth and kiss her knuckles. She quickly pulls her hand back and turns to start putting away the rations I had given her into various containers. Pulling up a chair I sat down, Amelie walks over to me and looks at me with big eyes. 

"Thank you sir."  

"I'm no sir, little one. What's his name?" I pointed at her bear. 

She lights up and holds the bear in front of herself. 

"This is Monsieur Lupin."  

"It's a pleasure to meet you Monsieur Lupin. Keep little Amelie here safe for me okay?"  

Amelie giggles and hugs her bear tightly. 

"I'm not little, I'm already seven years old."  

"My apologies madam."  

She giggles again and runs back to Anais. Who was watching my interaction with her child. She places a cup of tea in front of me and I thank her before taking a sip. 

"You are good with children, do you have any of your own?"  

"My girl and I wanted one, sadly she passed before I could make our dreams come true." 

"I'm sorry for your loss."  

"It's fine, it was a long time ago."  

"Monsieur Seth, you do not look that old."  

I didn't reply, I just offered her a smile, sure I had moved on. But I still thought about Nicole every now and then. She had been my first love, she wouldn't be my last, but she would always be my first. 

"I know how it feels, I lost my husband to disease before Amelie was born. It has never been the same since."  

"Maman, Maman, don't cry." 

Amelie hugged her mothers leg, Anais picked her up and gave her a hug. 

"When this war is over, how would you two like to leave with me?"  

"That is too much, we could never imp-"  

"You won't be imposing, I have plenty of room in my home back in the states. You two can live there, and don't worry about paying rent. Take it as a thanks for your hospitality today."  

"I-I don't know what to say. Thank you Monsieur Seth." 

"Just Seth is fine."  

I heard Jones calling for me outside, turning to the two I smiled and bid them farewell.

"I will return for you two when the war is over, I promise."  

"Then stay safe so that you may keep that promise."  

"As long as you two do so as well."  

Anais nods as Amelie waves goodbye, I wave as I walk out of their home. Remembering where it was I jogged back over to rejoin my unit.