Chapter 2

Caroline’s new mentor was a man. He introduced himself as Robert Elliot Thurston. To Caroline, he appeared to be in his mid twenties, with a swarthy complexion.

“I’m Caroline,” she said. “I’m not supposed to be here.”

“So I’m told,” he said. “Why do you want to be a vampire?”

“I don’t know. Because I think they’re sexy?”

“Sexy?” His voice rose from the bass to the tenor range.

“Why did you want to be a vampire?” she asked.

“I was a marine,” he said, softly. “I died in August of 1801 in a battle between my schooner, the USS Enterprise, and 14-gun Tripolitan corsair crewed by Barbary pirates.”

“Wow,” she said, her eyes wide.

“I wanted to seek revenge on the pirates, and the best way I could think of to do that was by becoming a vampire.”

“Oh,” said Caroline. “And did that work for you?”

“To a degree,” said her new vampire friend. “I found, to my distress, that if I followed the true nature of the vampire and bit them the wrong way, it made them immortal like me. It was better to harass them, frighten them, drive them mad with fear.”

“Oh,” said Caroline, looking at him with interest. “You don’t look scary to me.”

He smiled, and Caroline saw his pointed canines. She felt a little tremor run down her spine.

“Okay, maybe you’re a little scary,” she said.

He bowed, formally.

“I don’t want you to be afraid of me,” he said.

“Is it possible to scare people just a little?” she asked.

“Of course,” he said.

“Okay,” she said, smiling. “Let’s give this vampire thing a go.”

“The first thing to do is decide how you want to look,” said Bob. She had decided to think of him as Bob, rather than the more formal Robert.

He transformed before her eyes, becoming taller, slimmer, with black hair. His body was wrapped in a black cape.

“Oooo, I already have an idea for that,” she said. “How do I do it?”

“Just imagine yourself the way you want to appear,” said Bob.

She did so, imagining her blond hair to be black instead, and putting her body in a Vampirella costume. She opened her eyes to see Bob, staring at her, the whites of his eyes competing with the brightness of his teeth.

“I have never seen a vampire who looked like that!“ he gasped.

“This is Vampirella,” said Caroline. “She’s a comic book character.” She wished there was a mirror she could look into. A full length mirror popped into existence to her right and she turned to examine her image. It was perfect. The red cloth criss-crossed her chest, covering the tips of her breasts, and continued to join the tiny triangle that barely covered her mons. Where the cloth stretched from the tips of her breasts to her hips, there was a gap of two or three inches. Her butt was smaller. When she moved closer and displayed her teeth, her canines were needle sharp and the rest of her teeth were perfectly straight and blindingly white.

Again, she jumped up and down, clapping her hands.

She felt it happen and looked down to see that one of her breasts had bounced out of her top. She scrabbled to re-cover it and looked at Bob. His eyes had gotten bigger, somehow, more luminous.

“I approve,” he said, his voice mellow, silky, almost seductive.

“That was an accident,” she said. “I guess this costume isn’t really very practical.”

“I hope you have many accidents,” he said, moving closer. His smile drew her in.

“You’re trying to hypnotize me,” she whispered.

“Am I?” he replied, his smile wide.

“It’s what vampires do,” she said.

“Is it?”

Suddenly he was just Bob again, in normal clothes.

“That was your first lesson. I’d appreciate it if you look less ... like that ... before we go on.”

“Awww,” she complained. “I don’t get to look like this, back home,” she said.

“I can understand that,” he sighed.

It turned out that the essence of being a vampire was ... imagination. One could force the issue, but that was messy, violent and ... ugly. It was far better, according to Bob, to seduce your victim, to make them want it to happen. In that way you could go just far enough for everybody to have a good time, but not actually create a new vampire. Blood could be let, and tasted, and enjoyed, but one needed to be careful about how far to go. Bob said one needed to be responsible to avoid ... something. He had stopped then. After looking around, almost furtively, he had ended with the word “problems.”

Caroline, of course, knew nothing about seduction, and said so.

“Your appearance was quite seductive,” said Bob, referring to her Vampirella image. “It affected me very strongly.”

“I don’t think just looking hot is enough,” she said. “Besides, I suspect boys who look at Vampirella aren’t thinking about being bitten by her. They’re thinking about sex.”

“Sex can be part of it,” said Bob.

Caroline shook her head. She didn’t feel ready for that. She thought it was ironic that she felt ready to learn how to be a vampire ... but was nervous about losing her virginity.

“There doesn’t have to be any sex,” said Bob. “But there will always be what I’ll call overtones of sex. It all depends. It’s really easy when you get the hang of it,” said Bob. “You simply have to imagine that they want to be seduced.”

“That’s it? I just have to wish that they wanted me to seduce them?”

“It’s more of a yearning,” said Bob. “The very best is when you want them and they want you. But you don’t want them to lose their fear. Fear is what makes the blood taste most delicious.”

“More adrenalin,” surmised Caroline.

“More what?” Bob looked confused.

“Yeah, you know ... the hormone,” said Caroline.

“What is a hormone,” asked Bob.

“I never thought of that,” said Caroline. “Hormones were probably discovered after you died. It’s a chemical that gets made inside your body. It’s released into the bloodstream when people get afraid.”

“Fascinating,” said Bob. “I have to meet more new arrivals. I can learn so many interesting things.”

“Okay, so I have to yearn,” said Caroline. “I’m not sure I’ve ever yearned before.”

“Would you like me to demonstrate?” asked Bob.

Caroline noticed his eyes looked bigger again.

“Are you doing it now?” she asked, a little breathlessly.

“We’re just talking, that’s all,” he said. He moved closer.

“I feel funny,” said Caroline. His eyes looked huge, almost big enough she could swim in them. His smile was dazzling. As he touched her elbow she felt like her knees might give out, but all she did was float.

“You’re very beautiful,” sighed Bob as he gathered her into his arms.

“Ohhhh,” she moaned.

“I haven’t done this in a long time,” he said, bringing his lips close to hers.

His kiss felt like zings of electricity were chasing each other through her veins.

“I haven’t done it at all,” she gasped, as he pulled back.

He pushed her back, gripping her arms below her shoulders. His grip felt like iron, but was still gentle somehow. His eyes ranged up and down her body.

She looked down and gasped as she realized she was wearing her Vampirella costume again. Her nipples thrust proudly through the thin, red cloth that covered them. She felt her stomach growl ... except it wasn’t her stomach that growled. It was somewhere lower.

“Delicious,” he hissed.

She looked to see his pale, aristocratic face, below a black widow’s peak. His eyes were luminous. His tongue flicked to test the sharpness of his fangs.

“Ohhhhh,” she groaned, at once horrified, and yet strangely excited.

“Just a kiss,” he whispered, moving his lips to her throat.

Her chin raised, as if of its own volition, baring her neck to him.

She felt the scrape, a little line as if made by a scalpel. She knew a sharp fang had done it.

His tongue lapped.

Just like that ... Caroline had an orgasm.

She would decide, much later, that it was that unannounced orgasm that did her in. It made her want another of those luscious kisses. In fact, it made her wish she was a python, so she could wrap her whole body around his in a loving embrace.

She was helpless as his fingers flicked at the Vampirella outfit and it drifted off her body as if it were spider webs, caught by the wind. Just as suddenly he was naked. She knew what was about to happen but, rather than feeling rushed, or nervous, she couldn’t wait for what she knew came next.

She cried out as there was pain, a choking sob that held forgiveness for what he had just made her feel. Then there was a moment that felt like a tornado had picked her up and was flinging her across the sky. There was more pain, this time in her throat, and she knew his fangs had punctured her deeply. She didn’t care, because at the same time, an explosion happened right behind her pubic hair, where he filled her and stretched her.

Her vision dimmed, faded to black just like she’d seen myriad Television screens do. She woke again floating in darkness, but saw a pinpoint of light in the distance. She couldn’t tell how far away it was, but it drew her.

“Caroline!”

Her name piqued interest. She tilted her head in an attempt to tell where it had come from.

“Caroline!” came the insistent voice again. “Noooo, please don’t die, Caroline!”

She blinked.

Die?

Why would she die?

Wasn’t she already dead?

No ... she was in the land of the dead.

As her memory burst into her mind, the light rushed toward her with alarming speed. It enveloped her and, suddenly, there was Bob, leaning over her. His face was concerned, but his mouth was bloody.

“You bit me!“ she yelped.

“I’m sorry!” he gasped. “I couldn’t help it. I didn’t know you were a virgin!”

“I told you I’d never done that,” she said.

“I didn’t think you actually meant it,” he moaned.

“Why would I say it if I didn’t mean it?” she said.

“Girls always say it,” he said. “But it’s not always true.”

“You fucked me,” she said, her voice much calmer.

“I was trying to show you how seduction works,” he panted. “I didn’t know you were a virgin!”

“What does me being a virgin have to do with anything?” she asked.

“It was the blood,” he moaned. “I only meant to get a little taste, a sip, but as soon as I tasted it I couldn’t help myself. It was instinct.”

“What does this mean?” she asked. “Did you make me into a real vampire?!“

“No!” He licked his lips. “Maybe not.” His eyes, no longer luminous, blinked several times. “I hope not,” he ended.

“What do you mean maybe not ... you hope not?” she asked.