Winter Horror Story
Thuringia — 1503
Mary wandered through the crisp morning air looking at the prints she had made in the snow only moments before. She jumped from footprint to footprint and squealed with delight.
The snow was deep but the air was clear. For eighteen such seasons Mary had enjoyed winter the most.
The small Thuringian village of Köhlstadt with its wooden palisades was comfortingly still in sight.
Mary’s father Helmut had always taught his children never to wonder too far. Mary turned about to check to see if she could still see it, and she could. Sometimes when you feel safe you are in the most danger.
Hungry eyes watched Mary.
Lilith was as white as snow. Her jet black hair, and eyes contrasted to her alabaster complexion; only her pale pink lips any variance.
Lilith was naked. She lay in the snow like a predator. The cold had no affect on her.
She slithered through the snow stopping only momentarily to raise her head and gauge her distance from her prey.
She got to with 100 metres. A distance still for any other hunter.
Mary felt a shiver down her neck. She turned as Lilith ran towards her. Mary took a moment to sense the danger. She got half-way into a turn before she was felled. Mary went to the ground. A part of her had to have been impressed at how swift Lilith had been able to move.
Mary went to scream. The black eyes gazed into her “Be still” came the voice in her head.
She heard it, as if it were spoke to her. And her body relaxed.
She looked down at herself wondering why her limbs were not working as they should. In a moment she realised Lilith was smiling.
Lilith’s mouth opened wide. Her upper canines extended into long fangs. She turned Mary’s head to one side, exposing her throat.
Lilith’s head snapped forward. Her razor sharp fangs cut easily into Mary’s flesh. Mary cried; sharp pain. She sucked
…And the pain washed away
Mary felt her heart beating fast. She didn’t feel the cold, lying in the snow—only the burning sensation upon her throat as the vampire fed from her.
She found herself clutching at her assailant; as if trying to hold her to herself. Apart from her beating heart was the animal grunting of the vampire, her tongue flickering out, pressing against the puncture-wounds in Mary’s flesh.
Suddenly she arched her back and let out a low guttural sigh. She orgasmed… but she did not know what it was.
Mary woke in her bed. Her mother was there smiling. “She’s awake!” she exclaimed. Mary looked about.
Apart from her mother Helga, there was her father Helmut, and the head-man Kessel.
Kessel and her father were in a heated discussion by the door.
“What…?” Mary began, her voice raspy and dry.
“Here, my child” Helga said pouring her a cup of water, “Drink this…”
Mary strained to hear the conversation.
“She has the mark of the beast!” Kessel said, “We must get rid of her”
“Lay a hand on my daughter…” Helmut warned….
“What are they saying?” Mary asked, “What mark?”
Helga thought to shy away from this but changed her mind… she would be direct.
“You were found in the upper field…” Helga said, “You had lost some blood… You have the beast mark on your throat…”
“Beast mark…”
“The vampire has marked you..”
“Vampire?”
“Yes, the beast…” Helga said, “She will come for you until you are no more…”
“Please, momma…” Mary was frightened.
“Stand aside, woodcutter!” Kessel said
“I will not!” Helmut said
“She will bring the beast to us!” Kessel said
“You will not touch my daughter!” Helga said
“Be quite, wench” Kessel said
Suddenly Helmut drew a dagger and pointed it at Kessel’s throat.
“You will not talk to my wife that way…” Helmut growled
Kessel went white… he was very afraid
“Stop, both of you!” Helga screamed
She looked down at her trembling daughter
“Fetch the priest” Helga said, “He will know what to do…”
“Do you agree?” Helmut asked
Kessel nodded. “It will be done”
Helmut released him and Kessel scurried away.
Helmut looked at his daughter but he offered her no comfort. He also knew what would happen…
Mary tossed and turned. She woke, sitting bolt upright. She felt a tingle between her legs. A whisper on the wind “Mary…”
Mary looked about. Her mother was asleep. Mary slid quietly out of bed. She went to the window—a hole in the wall covered by a wooden hinged-block. She opened this
The cold touched her.
She saw Lilith standing there below, naked in the snow. Mary smiled, and unconsciously touched herself between her legs
Lilith leaped up to the window and Mary stepped aside. Lilith saw Helga sleeping there.
Mary nodded to the unspoken question. Lilith spoke in her mind “Is this your mother?” she had asked
Lilith opened her mouth and her fangs extended. She bit quickly into Helga’s left wrist. At the same time she muffled Helga’s mouth with her hand. Helga woke in a start but as she gazed into those dark eyes she relaxed.
Lilith fed.
Lilith slurped and grunted with delight as she fed. And then she drew Mary to her. She rose quickly biting her own wrist and offering it to Mary. Mary kissed it, then tasted the red ambrosia that flowed from Lilith’s flesh
“Quickly!” Lilith demanded, “Before the wound heals”
Mary sucked.
As she did Lilith looked at Helga—Helga sat there with fear in her eyes as she watched her daughter feed on the beast’s blood. She was unable to move.
Lilith smiled and Helga reluctantly raised her own wrist. Lilith bit and fed.
Suddenly the door burst open.
Father Bernard burst in, bearing a wooden crucifix. Lilith saw it, screaming with pain as she was caught in its holy glory. The cross burst into flames and Lilith leaped back
Mary moved between them, protecting her mistress
“Step back, child” the priest cried
“Leave us!” Mary spat, “Leave us alone”
“My daughter!” Helmut called from behind the priest, “Let us do our work”
Mary would not, but then Lilith was backing away. Lilith turned and leaped out the window
Mary ran to the window and cried after her “Don’t leave me!” she screamed.
“What have you done?” she cried turning on the men.
Helmut had run to his wife, who sat there weak. Only now that the vampire had gone she was able to begin to speak. “Save our daughter” her dry lips gasped.
“She is becoming as the beast!” Helmut said
“Promise me!” Helga said, holding her husband’s hand.
“She…”
“Promise me!”
Helmut nodded and Helga suddenly let out a sigh; she expired.
Helmut rose to his feet. The priest, Kessel and Jan the Smith were wrestling with Mary, bringing her to her back. The priest had a sharpened wooden stake, Kessel held a mallet
Mary screamed in horror as they wrestled her, pinning her arms to the floor.
Suddenly Helmut stepped forward. He kicked Jan in the head. Jan tumbled away, smarting.
He drew his dagger and Kessel, not wishing to try him again leaped away also. Only the priest continued to fight.
Mary spat at the priest.
“Leave her!” Helmut cried
“You dare not lay your hands on a servant of the Church” the priest hollered back, still determined to do his work.
Mary felt a great strength come over her. They watched in horror as her complexion grew milky white.
She lifted the priest off and flung him away
She sprang to her feet and menaced them. She looked now on her father and stopped.
“Father?” she cried
“You cannot stay here…” he said, “You must go… go far away from here…”
“I…”
“Leave here, or you will be snuffed out…”
Mary looked at her mother… she had caused her death.
She looked at the men with hate in their eyes
Mary nodded and turned and leaped out the window
The priest ran to it and could not see her, she had already sped away.
The priest looked at Helmut
“Seize him!” he commanded to the other two
“Seize him yourself” Kessel said, knowing what Helmut was capable of.
Mary ran. She was filled with life. She found herself covering the ground as if she was flying over it; barely touching it.
She ran to a clearing outside the village. And stopping by the woods she looked about her.
She heard an owl hooting and her eyes zoomed in on it immediately. Though it was a hundred metres away she could see it clearly. Other sounds, then smells, then sights. It was like looking at the world anew
And she felt no cold. Her clothes fell to the snowy ground.
The snow seemed to shimmer like diamonds.
She ran some through her fingers. She bellowed with laughter at the sensation. Her skin was alabaster white.
Then she felt it… a presence. Familiar.
She turned and ran towards it. A cave—most than twenty kilometres from her village
In the cave she found her… Lilith
Lilith rose as she approached. The two naked bodies drew closer, and then a kiss.