SARAH'S FATAL DATE WITH DESTINY
Queen of All Vampires for an Eternity
by Jaime Crawford

It is 6pm, on the night of Halloween, of the year two thousand and something.
Sarah and her two friends, ZsaZsa and Nadja are out in the forest gathering mushrooms. It is Sarah’s 18th birthday. The three young girls laugh happily as they gather up mushrooms for a delicious birthday treat later on. Very soon now, the Vampires, the undead, will be emerging from their tombs to feed. Vampires will feed on anybody’s blood, although they are especially partial to the life source, the hot, scarlet jugular blood of young virginal girls - but all that young innocent Sarah and her friends know about Vampires is that they hate anything good, anything Godly; like the sign of the cross/the crucifix.
Vampires are creatures of the night; they cannot tolerate sunlight; it destroys them totally.

Suddenly, in the twilight, a chilling howl rings out in the distance but, even though it is not too close, it still sounds far too close for the girls. They don’t like wolves and they become extremely frightened. The Vampires are arising from their tombs. The frightened girls drop their baskets, the gathered mushrooms tumbling out onto the ground. The girls gaze all around them. Pulling their jackets closer to their bodies, they run. Suddenly, Sarah stops in fear. They have wandered too far into the forest and she now realizes that they are lost, but her two friends keep on running; straight into a mob of Vampires. Sarah watches in horror as her two friends are grabbed and then drained of their blood right before her very eyes.

Then, there is nothing. Only cold, empty darkness. ZsaZsa and Nadja - now Vampires - have vanished into the darkness with their fellow bloodsuckers.
Sarah begins to weep bitterly.

"SARAH".

Wiping her eyes, she gazes around her.

Silence.

"ZsaZsa? Nadja?", she calls out between sobs. Shaking her head sadly, she knows that her two dear friends have left her for ever; left her alone in this life. "I wanna go HOME". Wiping her eyes again, she sees a clearing. She moves towards it, hoping that it will lead her out of this nightmare. Once at the clearing, a short distance ahead, shrouded in mist, she sees a castle. Krolock Castle. It is the castle of Vampire master Giovanni Von Krolock, the master of all Vampires; but Sarah does not know this.

"SARAH".

"Wha’…?" She shakes her head as if trying to clear it. Gazing at the castle in wonder, she begins to slowly move towards it. Perhaps the owner can guide her the right way home? Sarah’s gaze remains fixed on the castle. The castle draws ever closer with each step that she takes.

"SARAAAAHHHH".

There it is again. She gazes around fearfully. "Who’s there? What do you want?"

Suddenly, Vampires appear all around her. They are awful creatures.
Sarah’s friends ZsaZsa and Nadja appear, stepping forth from the mob of Vampires. Together as one, they say, "Hi Sarah".

Sarah screams in horror. Her friends look absolutely awful; so deathly pale, so sickly. As the circle of Vampires draws tighter around her, she backs away from them.

"Join us Sarah", her friends say to her.
Still the Vampires move in on her. Closer. Closer. Quickly grasping her birthday present - a crucifix - from her pocket - she stretches out her hand with the crucifix towards the gruesome beings. The Vampires stop, shielding their eyes. Backing away, they hiss angrily. She really didn't want a crucifix for a present. In fact, at the first opportune moment, she was going to "accidentally" throw it away, but she is so glad for it now. It should save her life this very night. The Vampires want her blood, but they cannot get close enough to her while she has a crucifix to keep her safe. Still holding out her crucifix, Sarah backs away until she can back away no further; she has bumped into something solid behind her, but it does not feel like a stone wall of the castle. Keeping her eyes on the Vampires, she reaches back with her free hand to feel what the object is behind her.

It feels like…wood? Sarah turns around, dropping her crucifix. Staggering back, her eyes widen in utter horror. She has come face to face with…! Standing before her is an upright coffin. With her crucifix now out of her reach, the Vampires begin to slowly move forward towards her again.
As she stares at the coffin, the lid drops to the ground. Inside the coffin stands a man and, even though his complexion is deathly pale, he is extremely handsome; gorgeous in fact. As Sarah gazes into the two gold blazing eyes watching her, she becomes very calm; like she is in a trance. Gazing down at her, the head Vampire, Count Giovanni Cappillinni Travatori Von Krolock, steps forward from the coffin and smiles. His teeth. Teeth? Oh no, they are not teeth; they are fangs, and they are awful.

The Vampire speaks with an Italian accent. "Aaaahhhh, a visitor! How SCRUMPTIOUS!" He licks his lips and, gazing at his fellow Vampires gathered around, he dismisses them with a gesture, saying, "Go now. Thissa one belongsa to ME. Go now anda find-a your owna victims".

As instructed by their leader, the other Vampires bow to the Count and, before becoming bats and flying off into the night in search of their own victims, they hiss once more at Sarah. After the last Vampire has departed from them, Count Von Krolock gazes back at Sarah. He says to her tenderly, "Iva beena waiting for you since-a youva beena born. I amma the Count Giovanni Cappillinni Travatori Von Krolock. Anda YOU, are PERFECT". The Count reaches out a gloved hand towards Sarah. She smiles and takes his hand. The Count leads her up the large stairs of Krolock Castle. Once at the top of the stairs, two large iron doors open to admit them. Once inside the castle, the two large doors clang shut. The Count Von Krolock has brought his young victim into his domain. Over in a corner, Sarah notices a beautiful long, blood red ball gown. Gazing back at him, she smiles. The Count nods.
"Yessa my dear Sarah. Thatta izza for you. Pleazza put it on". Sarah nods and, moving behind the curtain, she undresses. The Count watches Sarah’s silhouette through the curtain intently as she undresses, licking his lips hungrily.

Pulling the blood red gown on, she zips it up and then she steps out, the gown a perfect fit on her body. Licking his lips again, the Count smiles. As Sarah moves around the castle, the beautiful long gown flows around her. As she wanders around, she is not aware of the destiny which awaits her; her destiny; the bite which must be dealt her. The Count is VERY hungry and he MUST feed. As he approaches her, she turns around to face him. Standing directly in front of her now, he smiles and, moving behind her, he pulls her closely to him, wrapping her up into his arms. As Sarah’s back leans into his chest, he gently bends her head over to one side and, opening his mouth, his tongue begins to caress her jugular vein tenderly. Sarah’s eyes are closed in sweet ecstasy. Very tenderly, the Count whispers to her, "Aaaahhhh, Sarah. Tonight, you willa become mya Queen. Tonight, you willa die anda ‘live’ forever witha me azza my Countess", and, with those words, the Vampire thrusts his fangs into the jugular vein of the young Sarah, holding her tightly.

His long, hot, sharp fangs melt Sarah’s flesh as he feeds on her.

Sarah opens her eyes and, suddenly aware of what is happening, she tries to scream and to free herself from his grasp, but she cannot because she feels so weak, and the Vampire's arms and fangs hold her with an immense strength; he becoming stronger as she becomes weaker. Soon, she too will become a Vampire, as had her friends before her - and as had the Count; centuries before. Soon, she will have no choice but to hunt down her own victims and feed on their blood. That is the way of the Vampires. Finally, she succumbs, dying in his arms.

Lifting his head, his fangs dripping with her blood, he gazes down at her lifeless body. "Ah, mya sweet Sarah", he smiles. "Nowa we willa NEVER be apart. You willa be mine fora ALL ETERNITY". Thrusting his fangs deep into Sarah’s neck once again, he drains her body dry, relishing the sweetness of her scarlet nectar on his tongue.

Finally, he places her corpse gently down onto the ground and, kneeling down beside her, he softly strokes her face.

Sarah wakes. Gazing up into the Count’s eyes, she smiles at him and, as she does so, two young, fresh fangs begin to appear through her gums.
Helping his young Vampire Queen to her feet, he takes her into his arms and, both becoming bats, the Count Giovanni Capillinni Travatori Von Krolock and his young Queen, his Countess Sarah Chagal, fly off into the night to feed on the hot, scarlet blood of the living, and to ‘live’ happily together for all time.

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