BECOMING
Jim R Garrison
Antonio lay on his back in a thick stand of tall grass. Trees towered around him. A warm breeze wafted across his naked body.
Where am I? What is this place? How did I get here?
It was dark beneath a sky filled with stars, but he could see every detail around him as if it were the middle of the day.
How is this even possible?
Excruciating pain rippled through his body, to his very marrow.
What’s happening to me?
Earlier he and Cassandra lay together in his bedroom, entangled in unyielding rapture. Her vibrant red lips caressed his neck while per pale soft skin pressed against him. Auburn hair formed a fiery halo surrounding Cassandra’s oval face. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever known, and she wanted him. What sane man could have refused her?
His entire body changed from the inside out, muscles growing more powerful. The pain was horrible yet delicious, as his old body transitioned into something else, something different.
Antonio sat up and surveyed his surroundings, acutely aware of the tiniest details. He could hear the grass growing and insects chattering. He could hear every sound in the forest.
Somewhere near, he picked up the sounds of animals, and as if by some ancient instinct, he ran toward that sound faster than he ever thought was possible. Instantly he was upon a herd of deer and caught one of the larger animals. Confronting his prey, his mouth changed, incisors extended and became fangs, and he buried them in the animal’s throat, draining that wonderful sweet substance. Renewed strength surged through his body. His hunger quenched, he tossed the dead animal and examined his surroundings.
A dirt road led from the forest. He followed it at a fast pace and soon came to a cabin set back from the road. He climbed the steps to the porch and struck the door with such force it splintered and broke apart, held only by one unrelenting hinge.
Startled awake by the sudden intrusion, a large bearded man threw back the bed covers and fumbled for a pistol that lay on the side table. He fired at the dark shape standing in the open doorway. Antonio avoided the bullet as if it were coming at him in slow motion.
With lightning speed, Antonio attacked the man with bone-crushing strength and buried his fangs in the man's neck. The man kicked and screamed, but any resistance quickly ceased as the blood drained from his body.
Letting the lifeless body fall to the floor, he stared at it for several breaths. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. What have I done? What did I just do?
Shaking his head in disbelief, he gathered the man’s clothing from a near-by chair and pulled on the jeans and T-shirt. A set of keys hung from a nail next to the smashed door. Barefoot, Antonio pocketed the keys on his way out of the cabin. He never looked back at the lifeless shell that lay crumpled on the floor. He got behind the wheel of the old red truck and began driving.
Turning onto a familiar highway, he accelerated. Lights appeared on the horizon as he neared the city. Several minutes later, he pulled into the driveway of his small brick ranch-style house.
The eastern horizon grew lighter. A flash of early morning sun singed his exposed neck. On the small stoop, he reached for the doorknob, but it opened on its own accord. As the first painful rays of light burned his back, a delicate yet powerful hand reached out and jerked him into the darkness of the room. The door slammed shut behind him.
“Cassandra?”
She had covered the windows so no sunlight could get through. Cassandra’s body glowed with a phantom light from within. Her face was radiant with high cheekbones, almond-shaped glowing green eyes, and that mischievous smile.
“What did you do to me?” he demanded.
“How do you feel, Antonio? You look as if you’ve already feasted.”
“I don’t understand.”
Her laugh was musical as she took his hands and pulled him against her. She kissed him, then backed away, studying his face, her eyes mesmerizing. He couldn’t turn away. He couldn’t resist. Her thoughts came into his head, but they made no sense.
She kissed him again, and it was even more delicious. He never wanted to stop and was disappointed when she backed away again.
“You didn’t answer me, Antonio. How do you feel?”
“I can’t explain it. I feel different.” He reached out for her, but she held him at arm’s length.
“You are different, Antonio. I should explain.”
“You’re a vampire, aren’t you?”
“Well, that’s obvious.” She smiled with her eyes.
“You could have killed me, but you didn’t. Why did you let me live?”
“That was never an option. I have searched for years to find a suitable mate. When we met, I knew you were an exceptional creature worthy to be with me.”
“Creature?”
She smiled. “I meant to say ‘human.’”
“I awoke in the woods and was all alone. I slaughtered a deer with my bare hands. I killed a man.”
“I had to leave you there to make the transition. The change. The metamorphosis into what you are becoming. What I made you.”
“For the first time in my life, I feel alive. What is happening to me? What did you do?”
“Now that you’ve had your fill of human blood, your body is changed. What you are now is only the beginning of what you will become. As you continue to feed, you will change even more until the transition is complete. You are no longer human, Antonio. What you once were is gone forever.”
“I should hate you for what you’ve done.”
She smiled and asked, “Do you, Antonio? Do you hate me?”
He shook his head. “No…. Maybe someday I will…but not today.”
Cassandra smiled. The thin gown fell from her shoulders, revealing a perfect porcelain body that shimmered in the darkened room. She smiled and held out her arms to him. Antonio ripped off his own clothing and came into her embrace. Cassandra pressed her ice-cold body against his, her sweet lips on his neck but no longer seeking his blood.
They came together with such force and ecstasy that no human could have imagined or endured.
