Book Excerpt for BloodFire

BloodFire -- Extract

Richard Stooker

Cover graphic design by Drew at idrewdesign on Fiverr.com.

The right of Richard Stooker to be identified as the author of this book has been asserted in accordance with Sections 77 and 78 of the Copyrights and Patents Act 1988.

Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the author.

All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

This story originally appeared in THE VAMPIRE’S CRYPT Spring 1992.Â

"My lord, Ion came to us today. We saw him. Father, you know what this means. You must grant him absolution."

Boyar held his fork in mid-air. Hot juice dripped off the chunk of beef. Elena's mouth watered. She had not eaten meat since last summer when Ion killed a rabbit for her.

"What's wrong with you? I hung that scoundrel by the feet from a tree and cut his throat like a pig. He's buried in the woods so he won't disgrace the graves of decent Christian folk."

"He is a vampire now, Master. He came to our cottage today. First, he helped us prepare for the cold -- he filled in chinks in the walls with mud and straw. Then he got angry over nothing and broke a chair to pieces on the floor and left. Father, you taught us that such a one's body cannot rest in the earth. I am so scared!"

Father Vasile muttered, "Mother of God." He said to the Boyar, "I warned you! I told you there was no need to excommunicate the boy."

The Boyar said, "It taught a lesson to the other peasants. If they break the law, they lose their souls as well as their lives. Besides, there's no problem here. These peasant women like to tell stories and upset everybody over nothing."

Elena's mother shrieked. "Nothing! I don't tell lies! Elena! Show him!"

Elena shook her head and stepped back against the wall, trying to hide in the afternoon shadows.

"Show him!" Her mother yanked her shawl off, grabbed Elena's head and turned it so Boyar Rovin could see the red and black mark on her neck.

Father Vasile crossed himself. The two wives squealed.

Boyar Rovin stared at the swollen skin, then at Elena's face. He licked his lips. Elena looked down, crushed with shame. She wrapped the shawl tightly around her shoulders and chest. She didn't like the look in the Boyar's bloodshot eyes. Ionica's face used to look like that before he made her go into the woods with him. Could the Boyar smell the monthly blood dripping between her legs?

The grinned as though he knew her secret. How could he? Elena remembered the day last spring when she and Ionica went to the cave with the underground stream. They threw rocks at bats and held hands as they waded in the icy water. When the sun set, Ionica pushed her down and on a big rock made her like his wife. Blood from the broke place inside her body spattered their clothes. Cleaning it off made them so late returning home their mother allowed them only stale bread to eat for supper.

Boyar Rovin's grin grew wider. "Old woman, under the dirt your daughter is very pretty. Such rosy cheeks -- very pretty. She has a love bite from some man, that is all."

"Elena's a good girl! But she'll be dead soon if you don't help her. Before he left, Ion bit her neck and sucked. I saw him! You know what comes next. My own aunt, twenty years ago when your father was Boyar, she died, and when they dug up her grave three years later, she looked as red and healthy as ever. They drove a stake through her heart and she turned into bones. Everybody knows these things are true."