Human Blood

The sound of a maudlin piano instrumental filled the Baudelaire mansion as Lexus Baudelaire, the heir to his family’s fortune gracefully pressed on each key. His fingers were light and aloof—the product of years and years of practice.   The sound produced on the organ had an eerie tone. It was melancholy, almost creepy. The marble interiors caused the sound to echo through the walls. The music was calm and consistent—it didn’t have any powerful crescendos or fortissimos. It was nothing close to Beethoven’s Symphony Number 5, yet something about the piece Lexus was playing could make anyone’s hair stand up. It was the calmness and the softness of it all that made it feel sinister.   Upon finishing the piece, the young male stood up from his velvet stool and closed the organ. He ran his hands through the glossy instrument before heading to the wine cellar for a glass of red wine.   The Baudelaire’s were one of the wealthiest families in Germany. So far, they were able to keep their wealth for five generations. Lexus Baudelaire was the heir to his family’s great fortune—a fortune that would only be granted to him once he found a wife to secure an heir for the Baudelaire’s.   Unfortunately for him, he hadn’t found anyone yet. At least not anyone his parents would approve of, anyway.   Lexus grabbed a wine glass and poured a bottle of fresh fermented grapes into it. He licked his lips upon catching sight of the red liquid that poured out of the bottle. He was a man of refined taste. His demeanour was indeed that of an heir; he always stood up straight, he was still polite, and others often praised him for his manners.   “He has manners fit for a prince!” His aunts and uncles would say, to which he’d reply with a smile before continuing whatever it was he was doing. Lexus also happened to possess “a gorgeous visage that ought to be made into a sculpture” and “a body that would make God’s jealous”, as others would say. He was a prevalent gentleman; young ladies would often gush over him and blush when he walked by. It wouldn’t be that hard for him to find someone—everyone adored him.   But that is precisely what had made it all the more difficult for Lexus Baudelaire. He couldn’t find someone real. Contrary to the men of the time, he didn’t just want a cookie cutter’s wife who’d serve him and cook his meals; they’d have servants for that, of course. He wanted someone who challenged him. Someone who wasn’t afraid to disagree.   And sure enough, he found one. Except she wasn’t an heiress, an aristocrat, or even a noblewoman. She was a peasant.   Lexus took a sip of the red wine. The taste reminded him of her—Amelie Arrhenius. The family cook’s daughter. He remembered seeing her for the first time. Her pale skin had a subtle glow against the dim light of the kitchen. He smiled politely at her, as he did with everyone. She looked him in the eye but didn’t return the gesture for some reason, that made him fall in love.   Everyone reads about two people who look at each other in the eye and fall in love. They smile tenderly at each other, and their hearts melt. For Lexus and Amelie, it was different.   He set the glass down on the counter—the same counter where the two had their first dalliance. He remembered how the two sneaked into the wine cellar and got a little too drunk for their excellent. He remembered her alluring voice whispering.   “I always thought you were too pretentious for this” And he remembered the taste of her lips. The same flavour as the very wine he was currently drinking.   The male leaned against the counter and stared at a single burning lamp. The dim lighting was one of the Baudelaire Mansion’s striking features. Aside from its grand exterior and interior, the mansion possessed the most intricate lighting—chandeliers and lamps surrounded the palace-like structure. It was indeed a reflection of the time—the 1890s, just when the industrial revolution was beginning.   After finishing off the red wine, Lexus set the wine glass down and sighed. At around this time, he’d often meet Amelie out in the near village, and they’d go to the woods together.   That was just another thing that made Amelie intriguing—she was alive at night until the daybreak. She often came donning a black cloak during the day and removing it once entering the dimly lit mansion, even during scorching days. It was as if the sunlight was her enemy.   Lexus thought of Amelie as very daring and adventurous. She was outspoken, and she had a lot of things to say. She always spoke her mind, and she wasn’t afraid of what others would think. That contrasted heavily with her sweet, angelic appearance.   “Good evening, sir Lexus.” His butler, Cornelius, gave him a small bow as he passed by, to which Lexus replied with a gentle nod. He went up the staircase and into his large room. He opened his cabinet and grabbed a silk cloak with dark green embellishments—one of his favourites. He draped the veil over his masculine body and clipped it securely. Then, he went back downstairs and headed for the exit.   “Another stroll at this hour, sir?” Cornelius asked. Lexus laughed softly. Cornelius had been a loyal employee of the Baudelaires ever since Lexus was a child. Being the only child in a large mansion, Lexus often turned to Cornelius for companionship. He was always mesmerised by the male’s articulation and intelligence despite being a butler. In truth, most of his manners stemmed from being taught early on to treat his butler with respect.   “Yes, that’s become somewhat of a common occurrence, hasn’t it? Tell father; I’ll be back by midnight.” Lexus replied. Cornelius nodded and opened the door to let Lexus out. No one in the mansion knew about what was going on with Lexus and Amelie. Not even Lexus’ own family. If they ever found out he was seeing someone from the working class, they’d probably ban him from ever leaving the house.   It was nearing midnight, Amelie’s favourite time of day. Lexus headed to the stables and walked past three horses before finally coming face-to-face with his horse, Erebus. Erebus was another one of Lexus’ childhood companions. He had always been in love with the horse’s ebony pelt.   The horse seemed to communicate with him, expressing disdain and annoyance. Lexus chuckled. If he were a horse, he certainly wouldn’t want his owner dragging him along for midnight adventures.   “Oh, I’m sorry, Erebus, but you know how much I love Amelie. Please do this for me again?” He cooed as he stroked the horse’s chin. Erebus neighed in reply, and Lexus decided to take it as a “yes”. He opened the door, brushed off the remaining hay from Erebus, and fixated his saddle. The horse had always been loyal to him, and he considered him more dedicated than most men.   “You know, if Amelie ever leaves me, at least I’ll still have you.” Lexus smiled. He then mounted his horse and set off on his journey to Leiden, Amelie’s local town.   It was fall, the season just before Winter. The trees had orange leaves, but in the moonlight, it was hard to tell them apart from trees during the spring or summer. Some trees already withered to make way for Winter. The air was cold, and the full moon shined brightly up in the night sky. The stars were scarce and almost invisible.   After a few minutes, Lexus finally arrived at the edge of Leiden. He saw a familiar face wearing a plain black cloak. She was then, but she didn’t look anywhere near fragile. Her angelic face looked up at Lexus, and her dark brown eyes seemed to sparkle.   “Amelie.” Lexus grinned and got off his horse. He engulfed Amelie in a tight embrace and kissed her passionately. The taste of red wine once again filled his lips.   He held both her hands in his. She felt cold. Almost too cold.   “You’re freezing.” He told her. She simply shrugged.   “Well, it is near winter after all…” She smiled at him before abruptly looking down at the dirt. All of a sudden, her mood shifted. The sparkle in her eyes was gone.   “Is something wrong?” Lexus whispered, placing his hand on her cheek to caress it. Her face was just as cold as her hands.   “No…” Amelie shook her head.   “Let’s just head to the woods again, alright?” She gave him a faint smile. Lexus nodded. Perhaps something had happened that she didn’t want to talk about. She’d open up in the future, anyway.   The two mounted Erebus and headed to the woods. Once they reached the entrance, Lexus helped Amelie down from Erebus, and they began walking. Midnight strolls were relaxing for the both of them. Amelie was the only girl that Lexus knew who enjoyed the activity. Others preferred afternoon tea parties and lavish balls. This was what made Amelie alluring to him. She had a mysterious aura to her, and she left him wanting to know more every single time.   “So, tell me, miss Arrhenius,” Lexus chuckled. Amelie rolled her eyes playfully at his formality.   “Is there anything that should spark my interest in your day?”   “Well, if I were, to be honest… Nothing. Today was just like the rest. I helped father out and yearned for your company all day, as usual.” The female chuckled. She looked around as if there was something new to be discovered—there wasn’t. It was just the same as always. The trees, the shrubs, and the berries.   “Mine was quite similar, except throw in a few reading sessions and piano playing.” Lexus smiled.   “You know, our days are so mundane and full of this… Malaise… No matter what class.” Amelie remarked. Lexus nodded in agreement. It was true. Whether you were rich or poor, some days were just straight. No excitement. No adventures. Just daily routine.   “I agree. Boredom cuts across classes… But I also believe that we shouldn’t let classes define who we are as people.” Lexus responded.   “You see, we need more people who think like you.” Amelie smiled. She suddenly came to a halt, and Lexus walked back and stood in front of her.   “Is everything alright?” He assured. Amelie’s gaze was no longer passionate or filled with excitement. It was filled with dread.   “Amelie?” He moved forward to take her hand, but she refused.   “Lexus… What if I told you that your life would never be the same?” She questioned. Her voice was soft and monotonous as if what she just told him was some sort of bad omen.   “Well, my life has never been the same since you became a part of it…”   “No, I mean… What if I did something that changed everything?” She made eye contact with Lexus, and her irises seemed to shift to a lighter brown.   “Amelie changed ever since you…”   “You don’t understand!” Amelie’s skin turned a lighter shade, and cracks began to appear. Lexus gasped in shock. He didn’t know what was happening. Amelie was trembling, looking down at the dirt.   “Amelie, what’s happening?” Lexus asked nervously. He inched further away. Suddenly, Amelie’s face shot up, and it was far from the angelic and innocent face she always had. Her skin was now pure white, and veins covered her once delicate face. Her eyes were red, and her lips were the same colour as her skin.   Lexus stood in fear. The love of his life was a monster. He knew that he had to run, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Even Erebus quickly galloped away upon the sight of Amelie.   The young man slowly backed away, and Amelie stared at him intently. No one spoke a word.   Without warning, Amelie charged for Lexus. He couldn’t run away, and she was far too fast. She pinned him down with immense strength effortlessly. Lexus struggled against her grip, but it was no use. She hissed at him and   Revealed fangs that he never knew she had.   She sunk her teeth into his neck, which, caused him to scream in agony. The pain he felt was excruciating, and for a while, he thought he was going to die. Little did he know, what was in store for him was the complete opposite of death.   As Amelie withdrew herself from him, Lexus prepared for the worst. He was surprised to be still able to look at his surroundings. He looked up to see Amelie back to her regular self—the Amelie, he fell in love with. She looked at him, sympathetically with her dark brown eyes. It was as if what had happened earlier never really happened, yet Lexus felt a stinging pain around his neck.   “Amelie…” He breathed heavily as he slowly sat up. He felt weak like all the blood was drained from him. He touched his neck and looked at his hand to see blood. Fresh blood. He looked back at Amelie, who now looked scared as well. But she did this to him. Or did she?   “What… Did you…” Lexus had many questions. He was clueless as to what had just happened. He was speechless. He didn’t know what to say.   As if on cue, five figures appeared out of thin air. Lexus trembled in fear as the figures surrounded him and Amelie. He limped to her side to protect her, still utterly confused.   “Amelie.” A voice spoke. Amelie looked up at one of the cloaked figures.   “Sir…”   “Is this fresh prey? You turned him?”   Amelie nodded, and the figure approached Lexus. He unveiled his cloak to reveal his pale face and red eyes, just like Amelie’s.   “Do you know what we are, boy? What you have just become?” The male’s voice was dominant and authoritarian. Lexus gulped nervously and shook his head. He didn’t know. He didn’t know about anything at this point.   “N-no, sir…”   “You have just been turned into a vampire, lad. Now get up. Come on.”   Lexus got up, surprisingly, with ease. The pain had alleviated in a short amount of time. He held his neck and saw no sign of fresh blood.   Just a moment ago he felt weak and helpless. Now, there was some sort of strength pulsating in him. It was strange. He felt powerful, almost.   He then began to digest what the man had just told him. He was a vampire. He had read all the myths, stories, and tales of those creatures, he just never thought that they were real.   So this was what Amelie was telling him. This was what could change his life.   “No… I can’t… Amelie?” He looked at her with fear. He was petrified.   All Amelie did was give him a nod. He looked down and took a deep breath. Upon exhaling, he finally made up his mind about how to feel.   At least this meant that he could be together with Amelie forever, right?   “I thought you’d find out sooner or later, and I just thought I’d get it over with…” Amelie explained.   “I have to go.” She made eye contact with Lexus. Her expression was sympathetic and almost melancholy.   “But you… You have an important mission, Lexus. As a vampire, you…”   “Tut, tut… I’ll take it from here.” The authoritative male told her. Amelie sighed and left. She disappeared in the speed of light without saying goodbye.   “Amelie!” Lexus tried to run after her, but the man held him back.   “You may not run after her. She is just a vampire living in the town. You must stay with us. You can’t go back to your old life.”   Change. That was something that was now happening so quickly for Lexus. Everything changed from Amelie to him, to his feelings about the whole ordeal of him being turned into a vampire.   Did he want his old life back? No. But he didn’t enjoy life without Amelie.   “And can I ever see her again?” Lexus asked. The male scoffed.   “Well, once we defeat the werewolves, then you can run off and elope to some remote island. But for now, we have to concentrate on the prophecy.”   “What prophecy?”   “You see, the vampires and werewolves have been at war for centuries. Even before the world can remember, we, vampires, have immortality, but the werewolves can kill us. We are immune to everything but their attacks.” The man explained. Lexus took the time to process everything. It was all so new.   The vampire continued, “Blood has been shed on both sides, but there is one way we can stop this war. There is a prophecy that states that when the full moon is red, a baby will be born of a mortal. That baby will possess powers that could eliminate one side if claimed. We can defeat the werewolves by converting the mother.”   Lexus nodded even though he didn’t fully understand every single word that came out of this vampire’s mouth.   “Alright, so when is this red moon?”   “That is the problem. No one knows when or where this baby will be born. All we know is that it will be under a red moon, and the mother will have a star-shaped birthmark on her left wrist. It is also said that the father of the baby will be of our kinda vampire.”   “But there are millions of women and thousands of lands, and there’s still a multitude of land undiscovered… How will we find this woman?”   “We wait. And until then, we turn more and more people into vampires so they can join us. If the werewolves ever dare try and kill any vampires, at least we’ll have more to spare.”   What an anti-human way of thinking… Except they weren’t human. They were vampires, and somehow that made all the difference.   “So can I at least be with Amelie?”   “No. She is tasked with turning. She has to blend in with the crowd. We, however, will be in charge of making sure the werewolves don’t go anywhere near us or our prey. Understood?”   “So she just used me…” Lexus was genuinely in love with Amelie. He was always charmed and endeared by her elusive nature. Maybe that was just her way of seduction. Perhaps this was her plan all along. To involve him in something he never asked to be a part of.   “Oh, grow up. Of course she never really loved you. That’s her job. Now, get up. You have a lot to learn.”   From that day on, Lexus never believed in love. He indulged himself in lust, and he broke many, many hearts over the years.   He became ruthless and heartless as a vampire—the complete opposite of what he was when he was human.   People no longer loved him or even knew him. After he was turned, he was declared dead. He couldn’t return to his everyday life. It was too demanding, being an heir. He was forced into isolation with other vampires somewhere far away—somewhere no one would find him.   From someone who was always warm and gentle, Lexus Baudelaire turned into a cold and stoic vampire.   All because he fell in love.