By For this prompt we all selected either one or three Tarot cards. If we just drew one, we made a character from that card; if we selected three, then they were past, present, and future. I opted to select just one card. The card I pulled was Reverse Death, this is meant to symbolize resistance to change – internal purging.
They had decided long ago that they were set in their ways. With hubris they met Death when Death came and made a deal. Death agreed they could remain unchanged as they were now on earth – with three conditions:
- They had to feed on the life blood of others to sustain this indefinite life, to stop would be to meet Death for the final time.
- They would carry the weight of each soul they took to sustain their unchanging self on their own soul.
- They would always be the only one of their kind.
Thus the vampire was born.
For the first century they bathed in fear and blood. A lord laughing over the weak humans, resplendent in all the finery terror of death could build and buy. The word “monster” came from every human but they did not care for they were the unchanging.
In the second century, the gore became old but they still resided as an immortal lord, dancing and enjoying the company of all those in power. Feeding in the dark of the night on those who had slighted them somehow. The epithet of monster, still circled but now it was only said in hushed tones, behind closed doors.
As the third century dawned, those that preyed on humanity began to shrink back into the shadows of legend. Whispers in tales told to frighten the gullible. Science coming to might over superstition. The weight of all the lives cut short began to weigh on the unchanging one. Their dreams, their potential, their love snuffed out feed a life that long ago changed in truth.
Five centuries and the unchanged one longed for a companion. They had tried keeping humans as pets, the people rarely stayed long willingly, but fear or age or sad consequences had torn them from the life of the one who would not die. Smoke filled the skies from industry. The world was moving on and they were stuck in the ages that were long past.
All these years and lives later the hubris has been broken and the one who faced Death to live forever lay in the ruins of their once great castle. Vibrant time they had spent on this earth, faded and blurred. Name forgotten, pride dissolved, they lock themself in chains to stop the mindless hunt they would go on when the hunger hit and waited in weariness for Death.
I honestly had no idea where I was going to take this story when I started it but I’m happy with the way it turned out. What do you think of Tarot cards? Let me know in the comments. Happy writing!
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McGee Travel Tales 