Vampire in the Hay

I loaded the last bit of hay onto the truck, and I wiped the sweat from my brow, and took in a deep breath. The air smelled like hay, mixed with the earth, and animal, it made this place feel more like home.

"I'm glad to see that you still aren't afraid to get your hands dirty Seren," I turned and smile at my father. He was a big man standing over six feet, he had broad shoulders and a very muscular body, his face was weathered but he was still handsome in my eyes. His bright blue eyes sparkled with life, and youth but the still reflected, all the knowledge he had learned and the hardships he faced, working on a farm all your life will do that to you.

"Dad you didn't think living in the city would make me soft?" I said putting a hand on my hip.

"No not my girl," He said giving me a light hug. "Hey I really appreciate you giving up your summer to help me out this year,"

"You know I don't mind Dad. If it wasn't for camp I would have been here every year. Besides this is so much better than having to spend my whole summer with Mom and her new boyfriend" I said smiling up at him.

"Then I would have felt bad," He commented with a slight chuckle to his voice. "Come on let's get inside and clean up. I'll cook us some dinner," I smiled and we walked out of the barn together.

My Great grandfather started our small farm. We are just a simple dairy farm, with just enough income, to stay afloat. It's a hard yet simple life, but it's not for everyone. This life leaves calluses on your hands and a smell that is hard to get rid of. I was often ridiculed in school when I was young for my messy hair and the funny smell I could never wash off.

Dinner was a simple meal. Dad wasn't much of a cook; he was always tired after working the farm.

Afterwards I took a long hot shower, combed out, and dried my long black hair, laying it gently on my tanned skin.

I looked into the mirror that hung in my room. I was a little more muscular then most girls but I didn't mind. My features were simple and ordinary; I had an average mouth and a nose to match it. The only feature that really stands out was my bright blue eyes that I inherited from my Dad.

I looked over at the clock and saw it was ten-thirty. I smiled knowing that Dad was already asleep. I opened my window and climbed onto the old oak tree that grew beside my window. I've done this millions of times since, I was six, now I was eighteen, I had twelve years of practice climbing down that old oak.

I ran to the woods that were in the back of our property. We owned most of it, but the terrain was unusable for farmland so it stayed undeveloped and became my playground. I ran through the many trees. I knew this place like the back of my hand, but I haven't been in here for many years, not since the divorce, and many things had changed.

However, it still smelled the same and it still had the same feel in the air. Some of the trees were different but many of them I was familiar with. I reached a large rock, and stood there in the moon light, with a smile on my face. I love these woods, it made me feel free, I breathed in the cool air deeply.

"My, my, my... what is a pretty young lady doing in a spooking forest at night?" Said a dark yet familiar sounding voice.

"Taking a walk," I said smiling to myself, my heart pounded with excitement, but I did not turn around

"Aren't you afraid of those things that go bump in the night?"

I shook my head. "I know these woods, like I know my heart, and know that it would never hurt me,"

"It's not the woods you have to worry about it's the creatures," the dark voice responded a bit confused, and surprised.

"But these woods control the creatures so I have nothing to fear. Besides I pity the creature that has to deal with me," I remarked still smiling. The voice didn't answer for a long time. "Seren? Is that you?" It asked me.

"Yes Darius, it's me," I said spinning around to face his pale figure. He was more magnificent then I remembered, of course the last time I saw him I was only ten years old. Just a mire child, without any cares or worries.

I met Darius when I was only six years old. I was mad at Dad for not letting me play that day; instead, I had to help mom with the cleaning. I just wanted to go outside and play. Unfortunately, by the time we were all done it was time for diner then bed. However, that night I couldn't sleep. My mind was on my woods, so I got out of bed and looked out my window and saw how close the old oak was to my window. That was when I first got the idea to use it to climb down from my second story room. I grabbed a pair of jeans and quickly put them on making sure to tuck my nightshirt into them. I then leapt to the tree and climbed down slowly making sure to find my footing. The ground was soon under my feet, and I took off as fast as I could run.

The full moon was out so I could see very well, but I wasn't afraid of the dark, but it was just nice to be able to see. I ran through my woods, a large smile was on my face, as I slid down a ravine and onto a large rock. The moon shone off my messy hair, I didn't take care of it that well back then, it was always a rat's nest.

"My, my, my, what is a pretty little girl doing out here in the spooky woods at night?" Said a dark voice, I jumped and turned around to see a young man maybe about eighteen years old, standing a few feet away from where I stood.

He was pale and the moon somehow made his skin illuminate. He had cold brown eyes that seemed to stare at my very soul. He was very tall, of course I was smaller then him, he was thin but slightly muscular. He was wearing all black, so all I could really see was his head and hands. He looked like a dark handsome prince in my young eyes.

"I'm taking a walk," I said staring at him in wonder. I wasn't afraid of him for I knew I should have been, but my gut told me he would not hurt me.

"Aren't you afraid of the things that go bump in the night little girl?" He asked turning his head slightly to the side.

"I know these woods, like I know my heart, and I know that it would never hurt me," I said standing up straight trying to make myself appear taller, and more threatening.

"It's not the woods you have to worry about it's the creatures," The guy said with a slight smile like he was amused. I just looked him straight in the eye, showing no fear.

"But these woods control the creatures so I have nothing to fear. Besides I pity the creature that has to deal with me," I said with a slight smirk.

"Such big words, from such a small creature," He said moving closer to me so that he was only a few inches away. I crouched into a ready position to either run from him or fight him. "But what if it's a creature that is too much for you to handle? What if it's a creature so evil that it would consume you whole" He asked, squatting down to look at me eye to eye.

My breath stopped time stopped, as his cold brown eyes looked deep into mine. I felt like something stir in my soul. Time froze in that moment, as we locked eyes, then something in my mind clicked and time continued.

"Then I do this!" I said kicking him in the chest and running up the ravine quickly. I could hear him running behind me. I knew I wouldn't be able to out run him. So, I decided to take him through my woods, and the many little surprises it held.

I ran through the trees running as fast as my little legs would carry me. I could hear him gaining on me. I jumped up and grabbed a branch swinging myself onto a rock. Unfortunately, there was a steep wall of dirt behind me. I could climb it but he would catch me before I reached the top.

"My you are a fast-little girl, but you have nowhere to run now," He guys said coming into view. I just sneered at him and watched him closely. He slowly moved closer to me, my heart was pounding so fast that I thought it was going to leap out of my chest. He seemed to be moving in slow motion, but all too soon he was only a few feet in front of me. His face was that of triumph and victory. He stepped under the tree and suddenly his feet went over his head and he was hanging off the ground. I let out a loud laugh.

"What the..." He said looking around. "How in the..."

I stopped laughing and looked at him with a huge smirk on my face. "You stepped into my trap," I declared proudly crossing my arms. My father had taught me how to make traps, for fun.

"Well aren't you just a cleaver human. Now get me down!" He yelled.

I shook my head. "Not until you promise not to hurt me,"

He sighed but smiled. "You are very smart. What is your name human?"

"Seren and you are?"

"Darius," He replied bowing his head slightly. I moved closer to him and looked at his pale skin, with awe and curiosity. Darius looked back at me with the same look. Then for some reason he grinned reviling that, he had fangs. I let out a small gasp.

"You're not human, are you?"

"I haven't been human for seven hundred years," He said with a slight grin.

My mind swirled looking for the answer to what he was. "So, what are you some kind of vampire?"

He grinned wider. "Why yes I am a vampire,"

"Cool!" I said reaching out and touching him to make sure he was real; he was cold as ice to my touch. "You're cold!" I said in shock.

"Yea it comes with the territory of being a vampire. Now could please let me down?" He asked with a pleading look.

"You didn't promise not to hurt me yet," I said crossing my arms.

"Smart human... Fine I swear on the blood of death not to harm you in anyway shape or form,"

"Ew..." I said with a scrunched-up face. The kind of face up make when you smell something bad. "A simple I promise would have been alright," I said jumping from the rock to the base of a tree. I quickly untied the rope that was holding Darius up. I slowly let Darius down being careful not to drop him.

He sat up quickly sat up and tore the rope from his feet and stood up brushing the dirt from his clothes. "Thank you Seren,"

"You are welcome," I said staring at him from behind the tree. Darius turned and faced me with a wide grin. "So, what is a vampire doing out here in the middle of nowhere?" I asked jumping up and swinging from a tree branch.

"I could ask you the same thing," He said looking at me with interest.

"This is my families land. I live on a farm not far from here," I swung my legs up on the branch. "I come here all the time, and play, but this is the first time I've come out here at night," I said swinging up onto the branch so that now I was sitting on it. Darius watched me with interest. "So, what are you doing here?"

Darius smiled and before I knew it, he was sitting next to me. I did not remember seeing him move. Even with my young mind I knew that he could have caught me at any time when he was chasing me "I have just awoken. I have been sleeping for the past one hundred years,"

"Why?" My eyes full of questions

"Well you see sometimes a vampire gets so tired that they just want to sleep for awhile, just like you go to sleep at night," He answered watching me carefully as if trying to understand me.

"Oh, I see... so you live in the woods?"

"Well under it actually. I have to hide from the sun,"

"Why can't vampires play in the sunlight like everyone else?"

"Don't you watch horror movies?"

"I'm only six," I said putting my hand on my hip. Darius laughed. It was a wonderful laugh that sounded like the soft roar of the ocean it me laugh as well. "You are very funny girl Seren,"

"Thank you, Darius. So what else can you tell me about vampires?" I asked looking up at his pale face. His eyes were the only thing that gave away his age. Now that I was closer, I could see that his eyes weren't cold at all. They were soft, and gentle, but I could see the knowledge in his eyes the power he held which gave his eyes a fierce look.

"I wouldn't want to scare you," He said looking away from me.

"I'm not scared of anything," I said proudly. Darius laughed again then began to tell me all about vampires. How they were ten times faster and stronger than any human.

"If you are so fast than why did you not simply catch me?" I asked with a curious voice.

"Well, the truth is, I never meant to hurt you. I just wanted to scare you, so other vampires would not find you," He replied softly his voice filled with concern

"There are other vampires in these woods?" I asked looking around in the darkness with fear in my eyes.

"Not at the moment, but it never hurts to be careful," He said smiling, as he ran his hand over my hair, calming me down, and making the fear vanish.

He then told me how vampires couldn't go out in the sun, because it could boil them alive, and how they had to drink blood to keep alive.

"You were going to drink from me, weren't you?" I asked looking down at my dirty hands.

"I am not going to lie to you Seren the thought did cross my mind for a second, but then as quickly as it had come it disappeared, I have no taste for human blood, so I drink from animals,"

"That's nice of you," I said looking at him with a smile.

"Yea I think so too. Well now that you know about me. Tell me about you and this new world I have woken up to," I told him everything I knew at the time. About our history, and what has happened since he went to sleep. I told him about the farm, and how I didn't have any friends because I smell funny. "You don't smell funny to me, and trust me I would know,"

"Really you don't think I smell?" I said looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Not at all, all you need to do is brush your hair out and they may see the very pretty girl underneath all of that dirt and you will soon have a lot of friends,"

I giggled when he called me pretty then shook my head "I don't know about that. Besides that, maintaining your hair is very hard when you work on a farm,"

"I can imagine," He said with a soft smile.

I let out a small yawn and leaning against him. He was cold yet comforting. "It's late little one you should go to bed,"

"Will you be here tomorrow night?" I asked looking up at him with innocent eyes.

"Yes, I will I will see you tomorrow night," He said kissing my forehead with his cold lips, which made me shiver.

"Now go!" He said with a light smile on his face.

I ran all the way home, I wanted to tell Mom and Dad, but I knew they would never believe me. So, Darius became my secret. For four years I spent nights with Darius talking, laughing, playing childish games like tag and hides and go seek. Than the year I turned ten everything changed. That was the year my parents got divorced.

One day Mom told me to pack some of my clothes and toys because we were going on a vacation. "Is daddy coming?" I asked,

"Yes, hun he will be joining us latter," This was a lie of course, to keep me quiet and manageable.

Mom took me from my father because she was tired of living a farmer's life, and wanted more for her daughter and herself, and took me to the other side of the country. I still got to see Dad for two weeks in the summer. But during that time, I was either spending the day with him at some theme park or I was doing hard farm work. I was so tired that I couldn't get myself to get out of bed at night to see Darius and when I did go, there he wasn't to be found. It broke my heart. He was my only friend I was always seen as an outsider at my new school never quite fitting in. I missed the nights with Darius.

I often wondered if he forgot about me. Then when I was eighteen years old, I convinced Mom to let me spend the whole summer with Dad. It wasn't just to spend time with Dad, but to also find Darius and see once more before started college. To make sure it was not all a dream.

So now, here I was staring at Darius once again. He had not changed a bit over the years. "Seren!" He said embracing me. "Oh, I have missed you;" He said with happiness, I hugged him back.

"I missed you as well Darius. I am glad you have not forgotten me," I said with a smile, grateful that I had not dreamed it all up.

"I could never forget you Seren you are my friend," He said pulling back to look at me. "My have you grown, in intelligence and beauty. I see you learned to comb your hair it looks nice," I blushed.

"Thank you, Darius, you haven't changed a bit," He laughed. I didn't realize until then how much I missed his laugh until then. "Come you must tell me everything that has happened my Seren," So there we were once again two of the best of friends talking about things once again.

However, I saw Darius in a different light then I had in my younger days. He was no longer a dark handsome prince in the fairy tales I once read. He was a handsome looking man. Everything about him drew me to him. The way he laughed and smiled, the way he would look at me.

"Where have you been?" I asked looking at him with hurt. "I came up here when I could, but I could never find you. I began to think...that you were not real," I did not realize that I was crying until he brushed tears from my eyes.

"I was looking for you," He said softly. "Your mother left so suddenly with you I thought I would never see you again. When I found your mother moved you to the city I stayed as close as I could. I let you have your time with your dad, for I knew it was short. However, we have this summer, to do whatever we wish,"

I smiled brightly at him. "Yes, we do. Let us not talk about the past or the future, let us enjoy this moment,"

We spent the summer together once again, playing our childhood games. All that time, Darius, was captivating, drawing me in. Everything about him made me want him in a way I never thought of. He moved from a friend in my heart to something more.

The last night of the summer we sat in a tree looking at the moon. I was leaning against Darius's shoulder as he played with my hair. I could tell by his touch that he also felt different about me. It made leaving the next day even harder. "This summer has been perfect my Seren. It reminds me of those happy days we used to do this when you were younger," He said softly breaking the silence.

"Yes, it has reminded me of that as well, but this summer feels different than those" I said sitting up and looking at him, with a small smile on my face.

"Yes," He said softly. "I have come to realize that my feelings for you have changed," I bit my lip in anticipation, and my heart pounded in my chest.

His eyes reflected his love for me his longing to be with me. "There is something we have yet to do," I said leaning in towards him.

He licked his lips and leaned in as well. "And what is that Seren?"

"This... TAG!" You're it!" I said jumping from the tree and running away from Darius towards the farm. A few second later I heard Darius running behind me, not as fast as he could go. He agreed long ago to never use his vampire talents when we played, or at least would try not to.

I ran as fast as my legs could take me. Within minutes I ran into the barn, and stopped to catch my breath, this was my safe point.

I looked back behind me. "I must have lost him," I said to myself looking into the night.

Suddenly a cold arm wrapped itself around my waist and pulled me close to a cold body. I was about to scream, when a dark voice said. "Shh... Seren it's just me,"

"Darius you scared me! How did you get here so fast?" I asked with accusing eyes.

"I'm a vampire love; I can run so fast that you don't even see me..." He whispered in my ear. His voice sent shivers of pleasure down my spine and made the hair on my arms stand on end.

"That means you cheated. You aren't supposed to use your vampire powers," I said in a soft whisper.

"I let you reach the safe spot before I used them... So, no rules were not really broken," He whispered his breath tickling my neck.