OCTOBER 2024

FIRST KILL

With Halloween just around the corner, our Chapter of the Month for October tells how newly converted vampire, Miranda, struggles to come to terms with her sudden, unexpected, and very unwelcome transformation. How will she survive, how will she live… and who does she have to kill to get a drink?

First Kill is from Reborn and follows on from 'A New Millennium', which you can read below.

She looked at herself in the mirror: another thing Hollywood had wrong, she had a reflection. She looked much the same, but she was getting pale. It had been three days since… since, she didn’t know what to call it. Her conversion?

She hadn’t believed it at first, couldn’t believe it. She’d fled the office, gone back to her flat, dark glasses shading her eyes, a scarf covering her neck. She hadn’t stepped outside the door since. Finding she had no appetite, she’d just sat watching old movies, anything romantic or funny. She had to turn the brightness down on the screen. She turned the volume down too. All her senses were heightened, especially her hearing and vision. She’d stopped wearing her contact lenses, her eyesight was perfect… beyond perfect, she could see everything, even in the dark. But she wouldn’t accept the truth, she fought against it, denying it could even be possible.

Eventually, she tried to eat. The food tasted foul, even though it was one of her favourite dishes. Ten minutes later, she threw it all up. She’d tried again a few times, but she couldn’t keep anything down. She could drink though: water, coffee, alcohol, they all worked. But she couldn’t take milk or sugar.

She found herself staying up later each night, sleeping more of the day. Even though she had the curtains drawn, the sunlight hurt her eyes. It all came to a head after the last time she’d been sick. She’d gone into the kitchen to get a glass of water, but missed the edge of the counter when she tried to put it down. The glass fell, smashing on the floor. Picking up the pieces, she’d cut her hand. It was a deep gash, but she watched in amazement, slowly turning to horror, as it rapidly healed before her eyes. And there was no blood. Then she knew the terrible truth. She wasn’t human anymore… she was a vampire.

What the hell was she going to do. She had clients to see tomorrow, appointments to keep, she was supposed to be seeing Diana for lunch on Friday. What would she tell her best friend; she told her everything. But she couldn’t tell her this.

She poured herself a large glass of whisky and sat down. Her head was in a spin as she tried to think through the implications of this bizarre transformation. Could she carry on practising as a counsellor, how would it work? Could she just take appointments in the evening? When and how could she visit her parents, see her friends, how on earth was life going to function?

“Fuck you, Smith, what have you done to me?” she hissed. But then, the worst thought of all suddenly hit her. She ran back into the bathroom and looked in the mirror again. Opening her mouth wide, she saw them. She had fangs!

“No, no, no, no…” she shook her head. Slowly, she walked back to the living room, sat down, and drained half the whisky in a single gulp. She would have to feed and that meant she would have to kill. Putting her head in her hands, she started to cry. At least she could still do that.

*

“Good morning, Miranda,” her receptionist smiled, “decided to join the millennium party after all, did you?”

Pulling off her sunglasses, she blinked as the light from the window stung her eyes. “Something liked that,” she tried her best to return his smile, careful not to display her teeth.

“Well, I hope you had a good time.”

“It was, er… er, life changing, I suppose you’d say.”

“What’s his name, when can I meet him?”

“No, it’s not like that, Pedro,” she shook her head.

“Pity, you deserve a good man in your life, John was an arsehole for leaving you like that.”

“It had run its course,” she shrugged, “we’re different people now… especially me,” she added, muttering softly under her breath. She turned towards the consulting room, she had to get away from Pedro. She’d been battling to keep herself under control since she’d walked through the door, she could see the veins in his neck, hear his heart beating, smell his flesh, the urge to bite was almost too strong.

She’d resolved she wouldn’t feed, she wouldn’t suck anyone’s blood. She felt alright so far, better than alright… she felt incredible, strong and vital; maybe Smith was wrong, maybe she could survive without feeding? But the way she felt at the moment, it was going to be harder than she thought.

“Oh, by the way, Miranda,” Pedro called her back.

“Yes?”

“Thank you for the cash bonus,” he held up the envelope she’d left for him, “very generous.”

“You’re welcome,” she smiled… a natural smile this time.

“Is there something wrong with your teeth?” he frowned.

“Er, yes,” she hastily put her hand to her mouth, “one of the caps is coming loose, I’ll need to go to the dentist and get it fixed.”

“Shall I book an appointment for you?”

“Er, no, that’s alright, Pedro, I’ll sort it out myself.” 

She walked into her room, closing the door behind her, relieved to be on her own at last. But how was she going to cope with her clients?

*

“Are you alright, Randa, you look a bit peaky?” her best friend asked as she sat at the table; “and why the dark glasses?”

“I’m a bit hungover, to be honest,” she lied. “And I think I’m coming down with a cold, that’s er… that’s why I didn’t really want to hug.”

“Thank goodness for that, I thought I’d done something to offend you. Now what do you fancy?” Diana studied the menu, “I like the look of the Pizza Fabuloso.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Oh,” Diana frowned.

“I’ll have a drink though.”

“That’s more like it. But I thought you didn’t drink while you were working?”

“Well, you know, new millennium, new me,” she shrugged, “anyway, I’ve cancelled all my appointments this afternoon.”

“This is shaping up to be a good lunch. Are you sure you’re up to it though, you really do look rather pale?”

“I’m fine, Di, honest. Let’s have a good time, eh? Catch up, have a good chat.”

“Sounds good to me, but do you mind if I get something to eat, I’m famished.”

“Me too,” Miranda muttered under her breath, trying not to stare at her friend’s neck. Such a beautiful, elegant neck. She wondered what it would taste like. Shit, no, what was she thinking, she couldn’t hurt her best friend… she didn’t want to hurt anybody. And she wouldn’t. It was all a question of willpower, she could do this, she could fight it. She wasn’t an animal, she was still a person, with morals and principles, values and beliefs… even if she wasn’t human anymore.

*

Alcohol dulled her senses, made it easier to cope with the urges raging within her. But she was worried she might lose control if she had too much. Who knew what she might do then?

Funnily enough though, she wasn’t getting drunk. Well, only drunk enough to try to eat something, which did not go well. But Diana was a different story, by midnight her friend could hardly stand.

“I think I should take you home,” she said, pulling her friend to her feet.

“No, no… no need, I’s can fine m’own way.”

“I’m coming with you, I’ll walk you to your flat.”

“I’s bee alright, I’s new as good soon as I’s get some fresh air.”

They left the club and walked out onto the street. It was dark, pouring with rain, there was a cold breeze in the air. There was hardly anyone around.

“See, good as new,” Diana smiled, “I told you the fresh air would sort me out, always does.”

“I don’t know how you do it,” Miranda shook her head, “I’m still walking you home though.”

“No, you’re getting soaked, that cold will turn into pneumonia. Get yourself home, you silly girl; you should have brought a coat.”

“I know, yeah,” she smiled carefully, “well, don’t go through that alley, I always worry when you do that.”

“It’s fucking miles ‘round the other way.”

“Please, Di, promise me?”

“Alright, I promise.”

Miranda watched her friend walk away in the rain. She smiled, it had been a great day. For a few hours, she’d felt normal again. And she hadn’t hurt anybody. It was going to work, she could do this. She didn’t need to kill to survive.

*

She heard the screams from more than a mile away. She knew it was that far because she knew Diana had broken her promise and gone through the alley. She started to run, astounded by how fast she could go. And she could see everything in the darkness of the night.

Turning the corner, she charged into the narrow passageway. She saw the man had Diana pinned to the ground. As she watched, he slapped her friend hard across the face, ripped off her underwear, and pushed his way between her legs. He held Diana down while he reached inside his trousers.

Smith had said they couldn’t fly, but she could leap a long way. Her foot smashed into the would-be rapist’s head, sending him rolling across the ground. She landed next to him, looking down at the blood gushing from a deep cut in the side of his face. She smelled it, it filled her nostrils, it filled her mind. She fell on him, her fangs sinking deep into his neck…  and drank her fill.

When his heart stopped beating, she sat back, some instinct telling her it was time to stop. She saw her reflection in a puddle, her fangs were bared, there was blood all around her mouth, all down the front of her blouse. She looked up and saw her friend staring at her, a look of utter terror on her face.

“It’s alright, Di, it’s me, I won’t hurt you, I…”

“K-k-keep away f-from me. You… you’re… I don’t know what you are.”

Diana turned and ran. Miranda watched her go. She didn’t know what she was either. She started to cry again.