Once upon a fateful night, when icy winds did blow;

Way atop a lonely cliff, under the moonlight's glow;

Knelt a woman, raven-haired, skin white as a dove,

beside the solitary grave, of her once true love.

A rose she held within her grasp, as red as blood would be;

Through her tears she made a wish, her love again to see.

Her eyes she lowered to the ground, when came a voice above;

A voice she knew, that said to her, "Weep no more, my love."

"For though you think that there I lie, I stand before you now.

Another lies beneath that stone, ask not of why or how."

The woman rose, then, to her feet, and thought her head might swoon;

For cloaked in shadows, was a form, outlined against the moon.

"Can it be you, my only love, come back to me once more?"

Her voice, it trembled as she spoke, "Tell me, I implore!"

"It is I, but I am not the same man that you knew.

My fate has been revealed to me, there's nothing you can do."

"Go now from here, and leave this place, speak not of what you know.

You must forget what's happened here.  Take your leave and go."

"Why do I hear such words of scorn?  Why must I leave this place?

Step out from the shadows, love.  Let me see your face."

A cautious step she took to him, reaching out her hand.

"Come no closer," rang his voice, "Try to understand."

"I have changed so much, my love, you need not know the fate.

I want not to frighten you, or be that which you hate."

"You talk of nonsense, come to me.  No need for you to hide."

And with that, she took his hand, and pulled him to her side.

His touch was cold, his skin so pale, his eyes a ruby-red;

Pointed teeth on scarlet lips, all marks of the un-dead.

Her eyes grew wide and icy fear washed o'er her in a flood.

"The curse upon me, now to live, I drink of mortal blood."

Her screams lay frozen on her lips, she backed away in fear.

"My love, I warned you of my fate.  You should have gone from here."

"Now you see what I've become.  In fear you back away.

Stop, my dear, and listen now to what I have to say."

He reached his hand to touch her face, she jerked away and screamed.

"Keep away, you filthy beast!  You're not of who I dreamed!"

One more step she backed away, to the edge she came.

She lost her footing and she fell, calling out his name.

Quickly rushing to the edge, her lover screamed out, "NO!"

He saw her lifeless, shattered form, dead, on the rocks below.

And there upon her ivory breast, lay the rose of red.

One last symbol of the love, that now was also dead.

Now, often on a windy night, under the moonlight's glow;

Kneels a man who's staring down, at the rocks below.

If you chance to see his face, the curse that he has met;

Those piercing eyes of ruby-red, you never will forget.

You'll find you'll look away to check the pulse upon your wrist.

When you look back, he's disappeared, into the icy mist.