Date: Wed, 3 Apr 1996 16:52:29 -0500 From: John Stroud Subject: Knightmares (1/4) Disclaimer: I know, I know. No playing with vampires in the house, but they're SO CUTE! I'll return them to James Parriot when I'm done. See, no harm done. Spoiler info: Human Factor (don't they all), Avenging Angel, and Hearts of Darkness, but I consider none of the spoiler info serious enough to justify you quitting reading. Send all comments, criticisms, and vampires (Roman, French, or any other nationality) to: jstroud@iquest.net OR katie725@aol.com. WARNING: Serious Tracy story. Reading may cause cogulation of blood, or...worse. I'm not a Perkulator, but this story may make it seem like it. Knightmares Flesh, soft and white. The scent of blood running through blue, spidery veins. Bending down, to inhale the sweetness of her essence. Sweeping back raven hair, to expose a slender neck. She lifted her head back, willingly. So beautiful, so... savage in her wanting. And she wanted me to drain her. To fill my ache with her. To blend into oneness.... Tracy Vetter bolted upright, drenched in sweat. Damn. Another dream. She had these dreams on and off since she was eights, maybe nine years old. It was several years later before she realized they weren't her dreams. They were the dreams of friends, family, colleagues. This last one, though not new, was the most disturbing. With most dreams, she could place the owner. Not this one. It wasn't Vachon's. She knew what his dreams were. A bimbo in a tight dress saying, "Take me," or something equally perverted. Besides, many of the settings are before even Vachon's lifetime. The earliest appeared to be circa 1200's. Way before Vachon was even thought of. So who? Tracy pushed the thought out of her head when she glanced at the clock. 4:57. She had to be at work by 6:30. Might as well get up and get ready. She turned off her alarm clock (set to go off in 3 minutes), and headed for the shower.... Continued in part 2 Katherine Same disclaimer as before. Tracy Vetter dropped on to the couch. It had been a long day at work, and particularly distressing. She needed to phase out, to meditate, but her mind kept coming back to her...gift, if that was what you'd call it. Perky, that was what Nick had called her today. If only he knew how much she hurt inside, how much she had to force herself to act normal. Perky, for her, was just an act. Miserable, that's what she was. Her gift was a curse. She had known her parents' divorce was coming long before they had even said the words to themselves, let alone her. Her father's dreams of other women, her mother's alcohol induced nightmares, those were her childhood dreams. As an adult, life wasn't any easier. Natalie's nightmares of burn victims, Vachon's sex/killing fantasies, Urs's dreams of dying as a mortal, all accompanied her. As if her life needed anymore misery. Then there was those dreams of that other vampire. Something else...a woman, a man, that seemed to always be in those dreams. Both looked familiar, but she couldn't place them. In the dreams, she learned more. The tall, blond-haired man was his master, his father, and his torturer. He tormented him because he wanted to regain his mortality. Then there was the woman. Dark haired, beautiful, sexy, and strong-willed. They had been married for a century, and it had never quite ended. He loved her still. Sleep overcame Tracy Vetter.... Continued in Part 3 Katherine (jstroud@iquest.net OR katie725@aol.com) Same disclaimer as before. "Janette, don't leave." "We have been married for one-hundred years, longer than the longest mortal marriage," Janette showed sympathy for the vampire, but no sign of wavering. She was going to leave regardless of how he felt. "We're not mortal." "I know," With that Janette left his life, but not forever. Tracy Vetter awoke to a tear-stained bed. Why had she been crying? These weren't her dreams, but sometimes she felt empathy for the person. He had truly loved her, hadn't he? What was her name? Tracy searched her memory, knowing she had learned an important clue. "JANETTE!" The name came to Tracy Vetter like a flash of lightning. Janette D'Breubont. The last name didn't seem appropriate somehow, but that wasn't the important part. She had placed the woman. Janette D'Breubont had been a material witness in a case a few months ago. Nick, her brother. "OH MY GOD!" Nick...no. But it seemed so clear now. D'Breubont. Nicholas D'Breubont! Janette had been his wife for a century, and used her married name when she was recently in Toronto! Nick was a...a vampire. Tracy Vetter scrambled up from her position on the couch, and spotted the clock on the wall. 7:35, but it was her and Nick's night off. She hoped he was at home. Grabbing her keys, she left for his apartment.... Continued & finished in Part 4 Katherine (jstroud@iquest.net OR katie725@aol.com) Same disclaimer as before. "Nick, let me up!" Tracy Vetter screamed into the intercom. A beep told her he had released the elevator, and that she could come up. It seemed like an eternity before the elevator reached his floor. She gingerly stepped into his apartment. He was sitting on the couch, staring at his partner. "What brings you here?" "You, Monsieur Nicholas D'Breubont." Tracy locked her knees, afraid she would bolt or faint. Either of which could be misinterpreted by her partner. Nick looked up in surprise, which quickly melted into anger. "I'll KILL Vachon!" He started to raise up, but Tracy's voice stopped him. "It's not his fault. In fact, if it's anyone's fault, it's yours." She looked at his face. Sympathy, that's all she felt for him. She couldn't fear him. She felt like crying for him. "I know about it all. LaCroix, Janette, your quest for mortality... I'm sorry" Then she did cry for him. THE END CHALLENGE: I declare a challenge! Tracy's Enlightment. Write about the circumstances surrounding the eagerly awaited realization, and people's various responses. Katherine (jstroud@iquest.net or katie725@aol.com)