An Exercise in Futility. Aka A Love Story.

Darkness.
You know, everyone has an idea of what the end has in store. Locusts, raining blood, fire from the ground, every person has their own bullshit they expect from the apocalypse.
I guess I should retract that statement about it being bullshit since right now I'm looking at the  sun going black and waiting for us to die, but I don't think it really matters now. Considering all the shit that's gone down the past few months of my life/death I suppose I should be a little more reticent to complain. You are gonna love this story. My name is Jeff. Hers was Carmella.


1- The number of the conflagration

My existence was destitute. Well, I guess not really. I'm rich, you see, but I've learned that all the money in the world can't buy enough blow to really make a dent in my day. Drugs just didn't mix well with my ambition of doing nothing. I did drugs for about a year and half that time I was speeded out so hard that I built a rowboat and a surfboard in about 4 months. Just not my style. I live in a pool house close to Lake Erie. I actually own the house but my heart just wasn't into a huge house that was built on the misery of others. I was a banker at one time. A real "gem", according to the higher- ups in my company. Usually I could turn a foreclosure on a dime, carefully waste a 401k with not a care in the world, of course while pushing the limits of how much we could bleed from them. I was a real "gem" all right, where do you think I got the blow habit?
Anyway, I finally grew a conscience about 2 years ago. Sent a few emails, made a few calls, then ducked out. Left that fucking bank and the CEO in shambles.

So now that you know my life story, here's the best part. I tried to kill myself, but just couldn't muster the courage to end it. It was almost like I felt I needed to suffer more since I basically ruined countless lives on my own. So I moved into my pool house, rented my psuedomansion, and prepared to bore myself out of existence. Or so I thought.

I never really had a girlfriend. Never decided that it fit with my lifestyle. I was so drawn into my own actions I would have never allowed a woman to take up any of my time.
But a guy has needs.
So, I usually indulged in those wonderful ladies of the night about once a week. It really was a win-win. I get what I need, the ladies get a cool couple hundred to pay their bills. As always, though, my conscience is paid a visit, and I started to just pay them to pass the time with me. The flesh had just worn out its welcome.

It was about 6 months ago when I met her. Picked her up on the north side of town. Long brunette hair, about halfway down her back. The metal band shirt she wore had intentionally been ripped down the back and retied, showing strips of her pale back. Of course, cutoff Daisy-Dukes style jean shorts and about calf high black boots. Strong vibe of a rocker chick. The ever present red lipstick also accentuated the ghost white cheeks and blue eyeshadow. Then, those eyes. Blue as the lake itself.
I strolled aside in my black Chevy Sonic.
"You workin?"
"You payin?"
"Step on inside."
"Thought you'd never ask."

As soon as we pulled away from the city block, I could tell something was amiss. Her demeanour was, to put it mildly, suddenly cold. Normally if you pick up a prostitute, the touchy-feely never ends. She was strictly business. I must admit, I liked that.
"Just to let you know, you aren't going to be asked to do anything. No matter what the price is, all I require is a couch buddy for a couple hours."
I suddenly felt her eyes on me.
"Oh, come on. Everyone wants a piece of the body. It may start with nothing, but we both know where it ends up."
Now her hand had found itself on my arm.
"Seriously, no sex. Had my fill for a lifetime."

We pulled into my place right about then.
The door was so sooner closed on my house when she started to disrobe. I stopped her, held her hand and placed $500 in it.
"Consider this a paid day off. All I require is companionship. No girlfriend to walk in, no wife to catch us. I live alone. And this is much easier than any other option I really have."
Her hand was deathly cold.
"You're not making this easy for me.."
Her hand was now clutching mine, so hard, infact, that I was bleeding due to her nails in my palm.
BI wanted to pull away but she had an unearthly grip. I tensed to yank my hands down but she held firm.
"Why do you think I let you invite me into your home?"
I was too busy whimpering to answer.
"You see, I have a curse. My life is different than yours. You tail the days and nights, never appreciating the sunrise. You use people like instruments of your own joy. I, too, use people. You, my friend, will be tonight's meal. For I am a vampire. You will pay for your earthly indiscretions in blood. "

I finally was able to wretch my hands away, either that or she let me go...    Can't really tell which.
I struggled to grab a towel to calm the bleeding a bit, but at least I could talk.

"Finally, someone to put me out of my misery." I chuckled.
She had this sudden dazed look on her face, she wasn't expecting that.

" I have always wondered where my penance lied. I've ruined so many lives. Broken homes, ended marriages and probably fast tracked suicides. I may not believe you're a real vampire and I don't care. Just end what little I have left of my life."

"Why?"

You had to be fucking joking. Now she decided she didn't want to kill me?!

2- Interview with the Vampire

The next few hours of the night were spent explaining my sins. Where, why, how I lived my life. You would have thought she was Oprah.

About the time 4 am rolled around she jolted my senses.
"Today is not your day to die. I'm not going to kill someone as ...interesting as you. I've spent the last 20 years since I was turned ending the lives of drug pushers, killers, rapists. You have a true human quality. Remorse. You can be better, live better. You just need to learn to live with yourself. I wasn't given a choice to be this. You have an opportunity to make your choice. "

"However, I am hungry. The night has almost run its course and I have no meal to show for it. "

Then she straddled my hips on my couch, snatched my hair back, and bit me. Like, seriously dropped two fangs into my neck. Sure as hell didn't notice THOSE on the street.

Immediately, I was dizzy. She took a little less blood than my last donation, I think, but I was not there physically I can tell you. She then cut her hand and wiped a small amount of her own blood on my puncture wounds and my cut up hands. By this time I was damn near knocked out.

"See you tomorrow night. Lover."
She sped out my door faster than anything I have ever seen. My last thought before I passed out wasn't even complete.
Ah, fuck. Lover?

I slept like a fucking baby that day. I woke up about 6 pm. Immediately I went to properly dress my hands but not a cut was there. Checked my neck out as well and nothing but a little dried blood remained.

I ran to the fridge afterwards. Famished was not the word for my state. Ran through 3 pizzas that night. Right around mid pizza #3 (damn I love bacon on pizza) was the realization that vampires DID, in fact, exist and I lived to see another day. Next was the thought that she was probably coming BACK for more, god only knew why.

So I did what every sane person does.

Pulled out every garlic clove in my cupboard, grabbed extra wood from the firepile outside for stakes and crosses and , finally, said a few Hail Marys. You know, for good luck.

Night fell slowly as I stared at the door. I swear it was torture, swirling thoughts filled my brain as the absolute worst occurances. Would she attempt to turn me? Debilitate me and slowly kill me? Oh the dreadful things I wrought on myself.

9 pm struck and I was cold stuck on the door. My head laid on my wall right next to the only real window of my place, lucky for me it sat catty-corner from the door.
Then she knocked on my window.
Damned if I hadn't thought of that.

"Boo!"

I flung  myself from the corner and screamed as she laughed uncontrollably.

"Sorry, I just couldn't help myself! You should have seen your face! Just BLECH!!" Her face contorted to mock mine.

She made her way around the door and , of course, invited herself in. She twinged her nose. Yeah, garlic bitch! Take that!

"You really need to get a grip, all that bibbity-bobbity bullshit doesn't really work.Nice work on the crosses though! You must have some carpentry experience."

Remember that blow habit?

"So why did you come back? To finish me off? "
" I told you it wasn't your time. I meant that. I was actually hoping for something else from you."
"And what would that be?"
My grip on the stake I clutched loosened.
"A little companionship. A girl gets lonely sometimes."

The following night was the closest thing to a date I think I ever had. We talked about each other's life. We just sat in silence for a time. Once again the 4 am hour rang and I grew uneasy.

"So, what happens now?" My gaze turned to her eyes.

"I told you last night you had a choice. Make yourself better. Pick up the pieces of your life. What do you want from your life now?"
"Seriously?"
"Yep. What is it you want at this moment?"
"For you to come back tomorrow night."
Who would have guessed that reaction 8 hours ago?

3- The Night Train
I had a newfound love of the night. The next few months were filled with the happiness I never had. She always had fresh O- Negative from my connection at the State Red Cross, and I kept a night schedule. Such a shame the End Of Days started around that time.

The sun started to shine a little less in the beginning. Flickered during the sunset, sparking the horizon like lightning. The newspapers called it  "The supernova we all knew was coming!"
We never really found out what happened. As time progressed, the sun shone less and less. Also during this time, the freaks really came out.
Looters, religious fanatics, and just general nut jobs always knocking, always asking, or attempting, to wretch whatever riches they thought they could take to what afterlife they believed in.
The end times really were a disappointment. No acid rain, no rivers red with blood. Although there were earthquakes because of the solar flares, this planet really went out with a whimper.
The evangelical factions paid a few visits during this time. Asking to "save" all of us, we had a few instances of having to remove them from my property because, as it turns out, sprinkling Holy Water on grounds where a vampire lives is frowned upon.
Speaking of, I was very lucky to have installed a basement in my pool house. She actually had a coffin, and DAMN it was heavy. Freaked out the neighbors though!
Now normally all these out in the open activities would have drawn unnecessary attention to us, but considering the circumstances, we were damn near normal. We gazed at the shaking stars together, marvelled at how the moon reflected what little sunlight it could muster. Up until the last week or so, we lived well. That is, of course, until the real danger came. Apparently we caught the ire of one too many people in my neighborhood. They were paying attention, and our silent happiness was threatening to their life. You know, what was left of it.

The moon was so pale that night. The gleam felt like a soft light bulb on the ground. We had just come out of the basement when she stopped me.
"There's someone here."
Then an arrow flung from the bushes struck her in the leg. The shriek pierced my ears. It was ungodly. Another quickly struck her other leg, dropping her to her knees.

"Gotcha bitch! Come on out boys!"

I didn't know the voice, but 4 people rose from the bushes, 2 with bow and arrows, other 2 with rifles. I tried to tackle the one who was reloading his bow, but my face unkindly met the butt of a rifle.

"Settle down boy, we just saved your life. This bitch here likes to kill her boyfriends. Drink their blood too, at least that's what she tried to do to me. You remember me? "

He slapped her as she crawled towards me on the ground.

"Yeah. I bet you do. See, the only thing that saved my ass was a drunk security officer. If his whitewashed ass didn't stumble onto that balcony that night, I would have been maggot food. But fate gave me a second chance. I found God! And he has given me a task. I know what you are girly, hope you didn't mind the holy water I put on those arrows."

I ripped out the arrow in her left leg.

"You sick son of a whore. She wasn't going to kill me. I know what she is. And she is more human than all four of you twisted fucks."

I took out the other arrow as the moon came out. Funny I noticed that, because we were being watched, by  more than a few eyes. As fate would have it, one of the hilljacks with a rifle noticed too.

"Uh, Jim, we might want to get out of here."
"Shut the hell up Bobby, we are doing the Lord's work here! "

That was the last thing ol' Jimbo ever said. A fist barreled through his chest right as he finished that sentence. Suddenly there were at least ten figures around us, eyes red as blood. Just as quick, Bobby and the other two nameless guys fell to the ground, blood soaking my lawn, wounds countless.

I blinked, then they all surrounded me as I held her. The ground shook as an earthquake hit, much harder than others. The end was coming, and it was going to be swift.

What appeared to be the leader stepped forward and kneeled. He cut his hand and brushed his blood onto her wounds.

"At least I can offer you some painlessness and a free 4- course meal before we all die. As for you,"
His gaze turned to me.

"You gave her something none of us ever could, a heart. Maybe we can all enjoy a nice last sunrise."

4- The Last Sunrise

So here I sit. The last sunrise we will ever experience. I have to say, these last few months have been the best I could have ever had. We looked into each other's eyes as those wonderful earthquakes kept rolling. We were totally oblivious. It was getting hotter and the sun still wasn't fully up. Her head laid on my shoulder as the heat got more intense. I turned for one last kiss, closed my eyes and felt her lips as-

Darkness.