The End of the Union with Elizabeth

The End of the Untion with Elizabeth
by Reuben Gregg Brewer


"I hate this weather," Sabastian said to himself as he sloshed through a puddle. "We should have stayed in Southern Italy where it was nice most of the time."

"What are you thinking," asked Elizabeth, his companion and sire. "You are hiding your thoughts from me more and more."

"I hide my thoughts from everyone, though I have expressed this thought to you before."

"Let me guess, Sabastian doesn't want to be in London anymore," Elizabeth mocked in a baby voice.

"Yes, I knew you would understand," Sabastian said with a trace of anger.

"Oh don't be like that, I was only joking. You’re so sensitive lately."

"Am I?"

"Yes, you are," Elizabeth said in her mocking tone. "And you're always running off by yourself. I can tell from the way this evening is going that you are going to leave me all alone again tonight."

"The idea had crossed my mind."

"You know I don't like to eat alone."

"And I do not enjoy the way you play with your food."

"Now that is a double standard. You play with your food just as much as I do. You just don't like that I bring home new friends."

"I do not like that you are indiscriminant."

"Posh, I have a gift. Why not share it?"

Sabastian didn't answer, he just looked at Elizabeth. A gift, she always called it that. He couldn't deny that he enjoyed being as he was, but describing it as a gift seemed inappropriate. This 'gift' was also a heavy burden, so heavy in fact that it drove many of Elizabeth's recipients insane.

"Don't look at me like that. You are like a prudish little virgin who won't give it up until her wedding night."

"If that is the case, then you are best described as the town whore."

"Oh posh, let's stop this and go sit down for a bit. You will join me won't you? Just for a little while before you go off on your own," she cooed.

Sabastian made no answer, which Elizabeth knew meant yes. "I found this place last week when you were off by yourself somewhere. All the artists come here to drink. I do so enjoy artists, don't you," she asked as she led the way to a small pub. It was down a dark and deserted alley, which seemed a fitting place for the dimly lit and smoky bar.

As they walked in, several rather handsome young men came up to Elizabeth, greeted her, and kissed her hand.

"They are so polite aren't they Paul," she said to Sabastian, making up a name for him to hide his real identity.

"Yes, well it seems as though I am leaving you in good hands," he said--he couldn't sit and watch her play games with these boys. They were mere children and she would likely impart her 'gift' to all of them before she was through. Sabastian wanted no part of it. "Gentlemen, I trust you will take good care of the lady, good night," he said as he turned to Elizabeth. Taking her hand and kissing it himself he said, "I am sorry that I must leave you, but I have a pressing engagement."

Elizabeth glared at him as he left. He could feel her anger.

-----

Sabastian was indeed tired of the game. Elizabeth would sire at least once a month. More often than not the results were disastrous.

Sabastian was one of the rare recipients of Elizabeth's gift who could control the bloodlust. She knew that and worked very hard at keeping him around. She pushed him to his limits, but always backed down before their little coven broke apart, even if that meant killing her newest friends, as she liked to call those she gave the 'gift.'

But Sabastian was growing weary of the games. At first he stayed with Elizabeth for protection, then out of loyalty, and now shear pity. He wasn't sure how much longer he could stand the games now that he could easily look out for himself.

He put this aside, however, because it was getting late and he needed to feed. He found a prostitute, paid her wage, and took her under a bridge by the river. Smiling, he ran his hands over her face.

"You are very pretty," he said.

"Thank you."

He gently pushed he her head to one side and nuzzled her neck. "I am sorry," he whispered into her ear as he placed his hand over her mouth and bit her.

Her essence flowed through him and he was sated, but her dying memories passed in his mind and that saddened Sabastian. He looked at his victim's pale face, it was indeed sad that such a beautiful woman had to live as she had. As he tossed her body into the river, he knew that he had granted her her last wish-an end to her problems.

Somber, he wandered the streets of London for a little while before heading home. Killing usually put Sabastian into a melancholy mood.

Once home, Sabastian opened a book and read. He knew that Elizabeth wouldn't return until the last moments before dawn. He would have gone to bed except that he wanted to know what mess Elizabeth had created before he had to deal with it the next night.

-----

As Sabastian expected, Elizabeth strolled in shortly before dawn. "Oh, you’re still up," she said in mock surprise, even going so far as to put her hand to her breast. "Sabastian, I'd like you to meet Albert, my new friend."

Sabastian said nothing as it was obvious that Albert was stuck in his own world. He was, like many new to the gift, overwhelmed by his heightened senses. After a few moments of silence, Sabastian got up and took Albert's face in his hands. He looked deeply into the boy's empty eyes.

"You have made a mistake with this one."

"You're just jealous."

"Was I just jealous the last time, and the time before that?"

"Oh posh, you're spoiling my fun."

"Look at him, he is just a boy. He is drunk with the power already. When the hunger strikes who knows what he will do."

"We don't all have to be meek and mild Sabastian," Elizabeth shot at him, as she walked Albert into her room and shut the door.

"Nothing good will come of this," Sabastian said out loud and headed to his room.

-----

As usual, Sabastian awoke before Elizabeth. He changed and waited in the living room.

He hoped that his initial impression was unfounded, but experience had taught him otherwise.

After about an hour he heard Elizabeth screaming, "Get off of me! Get control of yourself. Off! Off! Off!" The last words were more grunts than screams.

Sabastian hesitated, thinking that this was merely poetic justice, but pity moved him and he burst into Elizabeth's room. There he saw Albert clutching at Elizabeth, who was fighting to push him away.

"Sabastian, stop him, he's trying to bite me," she pleaded.

This was indeed unusual, Elizabeth should have been able to fend this child off easily. Tentative, but resolute, Sabastian grabbed him by the hair and tossed him across the room. Albert crumpled to the floor.

"How many times must we go through this," Sabastian asked standing over Elizabeth's naked porcelain body?

"Watch out," she yelled as Albert jumped on Sabastian and tried to bite him. With some effort, Sabastian threw him out of the room.

"This is your doing," Sabastian stated angrily as he went after Albert.

Albert had apparently weathered Sabastian's attack and had burst through a window to escape. "Oh hell," Sabastian exclaimed as he leapt through the window to the ally below.

It didn't take long for Sabastian to figure out where Albert had gone--he could hear muffled screams just around the corner. Running, he found a crowd hovered around a dead body. A woman in the crowd said, "I don't know a man just ran out of the ally and... and..." She began to cry.

Sabastian looked around but could see nothing that drew his attention. "Albert could not have gotten that far," he thought when it occurred to him that he had looked everywhere but up.

Looking up, he saw Albert watching the crowd from the roof of Sabastian's house.

Sabastian went inside slowly so he wouldn't raise any suspicions, so got to the roof too late. Albert was already three houses away. Taking off after his prey, Sabastian watched as Albert entered the house through a door in its roof. "I must stop him, even if it means killing a house full of innocent people," he said as he entered the home.

Killing a house full of people turned out to be unnecessary, though, because Albert had already taken care of that issue before Sabastian arrived. He found Albert bent over a corpse lapping at its ripped open chest.

Sabastian looked on in disgust just long enough for Albert to jump at him. Surprised, Sabastian stumbled backward and the two fell down a flight of stairs. At the bottom, Albert dug his teeth into Sabastian's neck.

Pulling Albert’s head back and off of his neck, Sabastian lost control of himself. He stood, lifting Albert off of the floor and then, not realizing what he was doing, killed him by draining his blood.

-----

One of the first rules Elizabeth had explained to Sabastian was that he should never feed on his own kind. At times it was necessary to kill another with the 'gift,' but never by drinking his or her blood. Sabastian had violated this rule, but that thought didn't occupy his mind because he was enraptured by the power now coursing through his body.

Sabastian had never felt anything like this before, it was the most engulfing experience of his life. He felt Albert's angers and pains, his pleasures and joys. Moreover, he could feel the life force of the people Albert had drunk from.

There was the man on the floor, his wife and child, and Albert's best friend the night before. Each was distinct, unique, but Albert's life was the most vivid. The most powerful images were of Elizabeth embracing him.

She did not offer Albert the gift, as she had to Sabastian. She forced the gift on him, she made him against his will and forced him to kill his best friend. This image was the last of Albert's life and death.

Sabastian let Albert fall. Supporting himself with the wall, Sabastian felt both drawn and unusually alive. Angry, but at peace. He looked down the remaining flight of stairs and saw people coming toward him. He could hear them yelling, but it barely registered. He knew he must act now or surrender to death, killing so many people would be impossible. And, he could not lie because his head was spinning and he did not know how much had been seen.

He grabbed Albert's corpse and ran for the roof. To the people in the house, Sabastian's escape was a blur. If there had been no trace of his presence, they might of thought him an apparition. After examining the blood left on the landing, the group followed him up the stairs. They stopped at the mangled bodies on the top floor. Sabastian was forgotten long enough for him to escape.

-----

When Sabastian arrived back at his own home, Elizabeth had already left. It was likely that she had gone to help find Albert. Too little too late, as usual.

Sabastian sat on the couch with his hand still thrust into Albert's chest--he was holding him by the spine.

Lifting the body he looked for a long time at its pale, drained face. There was nothing left, it was a husk. But Sabastian knew that this husk was empty long before he had drained it of its blood. He threw Albert's remains across the room.

Sabastian now focused on the present. He had been seen and bodies had been found. It didn't matter if he killed them or not, he would be blamed or a search would be made of the area. Either way, it wouldn't take long for people in the area to figure out he was involved if he didn‘t do something. Although he and Elizabeth kept a low profile, they were well known by the locals.

He had to cover his tracks and run for his life. It was unlikely that anyone could catch him at night, but during the day he would be defenseless.

He took the lamps in each room and smashed them so that their oil spread across the floor. When he had been through each room, smashing lamps and collecting anything that he thought should be saved, he walked back to the living room and set fire to his home of over 20 years.

He stood on the roof watching the fire burn below, waiting until he was certain that the building would be destroyed. He fled with only a small leather bag, mostly full of money.

He ran across the city to a small pub that also let rooms. He needed a place to stay for the day and to think about what he should do next.

He walked in, acquired a room, and told the inn keeper not to disturb him under any circumstances.

The rest of the night he sat in the room turning over his life, his death, and, most importantly, the present situation. "What should I do now," was the single question that drove him to seek answers, otherwise he would have crawled into a hole and cried.


-----

The emotions from Albert and his victims were still coursing through Sabastian’s body. He was unaccustomed to dealing with such powerful feelings. He was used to the feelings that come with a human kill, but those that come when one takes another with the 'gift' were far stronger.

He knew that he would have to leave London, that was certain. He had dealt as best he could with Albert's body, nothing more could be done on that front. He had found a place to hide from the day, though not as secure as he would like, it would suffice. The only real problem was Elizabeth. Where was she? What did she know about what had happened? What should he do if he found her?

Sabastian felt as though he needed to avenge Albert's death by killing Elizabeth. Instinctively he knew that she had taken many in this same way, that by killing her he would end the pain that so many had felt. The pain that he had eased by killing her victims, those on whom she had forced her 'gift,' was only a partial resolution, killing the cause of that pain would be the only way to end it for ever.

It was clear to Sabastian that Elizabeth had slipped into a self destructive spiral. The constant siring and the cavorting with humans were signs that she was tired of her life. She craved the excitement that only a fight for her life could bring.

On this thought Sabastian drifted into an uneasy sleep.

-----

The next evening, Sabastian arose and drifted back into thought. He didn't know what he wanted to do, but he needed to find Elizabeth. He had to confront her and end their union one way or another.

Sabastian waited for the bar to be full so that he could move without much notice. When he could hear a healthy din he walked down. As he stepped into the bar, he saw Elizabeth sitting at a table near the door with two or three men.

He walked to the bar, paying the inn keeper for a second night and thanking him for not disturbing him during the day. All the while, though, his eyes were fixed on Elizabeth in the mirror. She, too, was watching him.

Sabastian walked through the bar toward the door, planning on ignoring his sire, when she got up and stood in front of him.

"This is the man I told you I was waiting for, gentleman. Thank you very much for keeping me company, but I must leave now," She said to the table as she stood and kissed Sabastian on the cheek.

"How are you my dear," Elizabeth asked Sabastian?

"I am well, and you?"

"Aside from having to wait much longer than usual for you to arrive, I am fine.

"Shall we," she said taking his arm and leading him out to the street.

"What happened? The entire city is flooded with rumors of a werewolf or something killing the entire family that lived just two doors down from us. And our house has been destroyed. They are saying that you and I are werewolf’s," Elizabeth said as soon as she had taken Sabastian down a quite alley.

"I found him, but only after he had killed several people. He was in the house standing over a body. He had ripped it apart. It was horrific," Sabastian said looking Elizabeth directly in the eyes. He longed to see some reaction, perhaps remorse, but saw none.

"I should have known he couldn't handle the 'gift.' I am sorry. You know that we must leave now, perhaps we should go to Italy, you liked it in Italy."

"Yes, I did."

"We can go back there if you would like. With all of the commotion, it would be best if we left tonight."

"Yes, we should leave tonight."

"What's the matter, dear? I've never seen you like this before. You have been distant of late, but tonight it is different."

"You did not give him the 'gift,' you sired him against his will."

"No, of course not. How could you say that?"

"You forced the 'gift' on him and then made him kill his best friend."

"No."

"You are lying."

"Sabastian, I swear I would never do such a thing. I would never force the gift on anyone."

"How many others have you forced into this life?"

"None, I have never forced anyone to take the 'gift.' Sabastian, you have to believe me."

"I am not sure I believe anything you have ever told me."

"Sabastian, what happened? What did he tell you? Whatever it was, it was a lie. I swear to you."

Sabastian's head was swimming again. He was caught between rage and pity. How could he kill his maker, wasn't it she that had treated him kindly for many years? She had helped him and nurtured him.

But what about the changes that he had seen in Elizabeth. The reckless behavior, the indiscriminant siring, the...

Sabastian didn't know what to believe, but knew that he couldn't be with Elizabeth anymore.

"I am sorry," he said as he turned and walked away.

"You can't go," Elizabeth screamed as she ran after him. "You can't treat me like one of your victims, apologizing for killing them just before they die. I won't accept that.

"I made you!"

"Yes," Sabastian answered, "you did, and now it is time that we go our separate ways. I have not needed you for many years. It is now too dangerous for us to be together."

"I won't let you leave me," she said as she shoved Sabastian to the ground, falling on top of him. "I will kill you first."

Sabastain had quickly grabbed Elizabeth’s arms, surprising her with his strength. "No, you will not. But I will kill you if you do not allow me to leave."

Elizabeth crawled off of him and huddled next to a wall crying. "I didn't force him, I swear," she sobbed unable to tell the truth even while Sabastian walked away.

[Copyright Reuben Gregg Brewer, 2003. All rights reserved.]