Rise of the Dark Sun (The Blood Lust Plague Trilogy Book 1) (3 page)

Micah shook his head. “No, I cannot promise that at all…” He followed the comment with a wide grin, “No, seriously. I won’t laugh. What’s up?”

“Well, while I was in the library one day, I found this book on vampires. I thought it was fictional, but then I did some further research and now I’m not so sure.”

Micah stopped walking and stared at her. “Samantha…” He breathed in deeply, “You do not want to mess around with vampires.”

“So, you believe me?”
she asked, very confused.

Trying to back-pedal a little bit from his outright warning, Micah asked, “Well, why backpack through Europe?”

“I want to learn about vampire history. If I could, I would like to help them in any way that I can,” Samantha replied, “I know it may sound silly, but…”

Micah shook his head
. “No. Not at all. I was just saying, if you were right, then…just, please be careful. They don’t seem like the friendliest people in need. You have a big heart, Samantha. I would just hate to see you waste all of the love that you obviously have to give on a thankless pursuit.”

“I’ve thought a lot about it
, and even if I could help just one vampire find their rightful place, than I would feel as though I achieved what I set out to do. Of course, they would be helping me too. At least then I would know.”

“Just be careful…That’s all I’m saying.”

“Well, that is very sweet of you, Micah,” she replied.

The two walked in silence again, her hand still in his.
  Then Samantha said, “So, we’ve just been talking about me. What is it like in the mind of Micah?”

“Dark…
cold and scary.” He looked at her and smiled. “Just the way I like it.”

She returned the smile
. “So, what goes on inside a dark, cold, scary mind?”

Micah shrugged, knowing that he would have to lie and be a true human again, just for right now. Like Jeremy, Micah got the feeling Samantha was not going to be satisfied until he provided her with some concrete insight into himself. “
Well, not much. I certainly do not have any big plans, like college or backpacking through Europe. I pretty much plan to stay around here until I get some sort of epiphany.” Micah stared at Samantha and she returned with eyes that expected more.
What do real teenagers have problems with? What did I have problems with? Parents! Perfectly relatable and basically true! Yes!

“My parents aren’t too happy about it
. But they haven’t been happy about any of my decisions since freshman year. The last time they were happy about something I did, I think it was the eighth grade science fair. They expected much more from me, you know? I’m just a bum in their eyes. They haven’t even been home all summer. Ironically enough, they’re in Europe, vacationing since graduation night. I worked so hard to graduate, for them, but they were so convinced I wouldn’t that they booked a flight to Europe that night. They had to leave to catch their flight before the ceremony even started. I guess they didn’t believe me when I told them I was actually walking.” The look of pure pity in Samantha’s eyes made his true account of his parents seem far worse than it really was.

“That’s awful!” Samantha exclaimed.

Micah shrugged. “No, really. I have had the whole house to myself all summer, and I was a bad kid anyway, so
I
probably wouldn’t have believed me.” He thought for a moment, then continued, “I mean, I came from a long line of rich hard-workers. I guess they thought since I was an only child, I would double their fortune and work doubly hard. When finishing high school became an issue for me, and after they had bailed me out of trouble so much, I guess I just crushed that dream too far into remission for them to accept.”

Disgusted, Samantha shook her head
. “You’re not a preforming monkey! When a child comes into the world, it should be nurtured to make their own choices, not shoved in a direction that their parents think they should go! I mean, my parents were not thrilled with me taking a semester off from school, but once they knew this was the path my heart was leading me down, they supported me. They still support me.”

Micah nodded
. “Well, that’s a lesson for you. You were raised right; I wasn’t. It’s okay, I’ll live…”
Unfortunately,
Micah added in his head.

Samantha’s lips perched as though she w
ere still utterly revolted by his tale.

“It’s okay. I didn’t tell you that so that you would feel bad for me. You asked. I warned you it was a cold, dark and scary place
.” Micah laughed. 

“Well, either way,” Samantha replied,
“you do have a high school diploma, which is much better than a lot of people have, so use it to do something you want to do with it. Whether your parents support you or not, you need to follow your own path, wherever it leads you. You need to do what makes Micah happy.”

Micah shrugged
. “What if Micah doesn’t know what makes Micah happy? What if Micah no longer cares?”

Samantha stared at him for a long, drawn out moment. It had not occurred to either of them that they had stopped walking and were now just taking one another in, peering through the darkness. “Then Micah needs to find something to care about,” Samantha replied softly.

Micah felt himself become warm and his fangs began to thump, wanting blood. Although, in this moment, Micah wanted to take far more than just Samantha’s blood. Suddenly, Micah felt that his appetite would not be settled by just draining her. He wanted more. He wanted to feel the touch of her. He wanted to rapture her.

As Micah’s brain was on full overload from all of the signals his body was receiving, one last feeling overtook him
: the feel of Samantha’s lips on his own.

That was the final feeling which yielded Micah’s final decision. It was obvious from the way she kissed him, the softness and the longing that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her.

Micah deepened the kiss, pulling her into him. The feel of her heartbeat against his chest aroused him further.  Micah needed to feel more of her. The closer he held her, the longer they kissed, the more he wanted her.

Micah’s lips traveled off of hers and began to rest against her skin with a growing favor. As his lips kissed her throat, it was as though she felt the passion he emitted
—the longing to bite her—because she moaned with pleasure and began to undress from beneath his touch. Still locked in a passionate tango of the tongues, Micah helped Samantha to shove off her shirt and unfasten her bra. Her shorts and underwear were already partially buried in the sand by the time Micah unfastened his pants. Holding one another, their naked bodies naturally contorting to match one another, they lowered themselves to the ground as they continued their embrace.

The warmth of him against her and her against him added to their passion. Micah held her breast in his hand and fondled it while she pulled herself closer to him.

Within the throws of their passion, Micah knew that if he were to complete this lovemaking, he had to expose himself and drink, lest he begin to feed without her permission, and he did not want that. Breathing heavy and pulling her into him, he whispered, “You know how I believe you…about the vampires?”

“Yea,”
she said as a breath of passion escaped between her lips.

“Do you want to know why?”

“Sure,” she said, opening her eyes and looking up at him as he rolled on top of her. Micah looked down at her and showed her his teeth.

To his surprise, Samantha’s eyes lit up and she moved so that he would enter her. The first thrust as he became one with her felt as though an electrical current charged through them both.

Samantha moaned again with pleasure and hissed, “Bite me. Drink me.”

“Are you sure?” Micah asked quickly, wanting to be sure before his vampire-mind overtook him completely.

“Yes, just don’t kill me.”

Micah did not say another word. He just waited for the right moment, tangled up together; he felt the excitement building in them both. Higher, higher, higher! The first bite came at exactly the right moment, perfectly aligned with a collective orgasm that caused both of their bodies to engage in a natural, pleasure-stricken
torque which intensified their feelings. Samantha screamed out in pleasure and so did Micah. The climax was perfect.

As they came down from their unbelievable high, Micah held her close and drank of her blood, making him feel even more alive than he could have ever thought possible. The endorphins running through both of their bodies were at such high levels they were probably toxic
, and the sweet nectar flowing from Samantha’s veins into his parched body was nothing like he had ever experienced before.

Even though Micah and Constance had made love, it had never left him with this dizzying intoxication, wanting more but
being far too exhausted to even suggest it.

Once Micah was full, drinking just the right amount so that he would not kill or change her, he exited himself fully from Samantha and took her into his arms.

The two of them rested, naked in the sand, holding each other and breathing hard for a long time.

Then Samantha said, “So, you’re a vampire?”

“Yes, Samantha. I am a vampire,” Micah replied, not sure how this conversation would proceed. 

“Have you always been a vampire?”

“No. I was only changed a few months ago.”

“Good.”

Confused, Micah asked, “Why?”

After a moment, Samantha rolled over to look at him. Touching his face gingerly, she said, “Because I would hate to know that this was possible all the time that I have known you
, and never once did I try to take advantage of it.”

Micah awoke to the feel of warmth on his skin and a blinding white light. Micah hissed as he opened his eyes and was met with the blinding brightness. Sitting up, he shaded his eyes, struggling to see. In front of him, he saw an ocean. Beneath him he felt the sand. After a moment, Micah realized he was outside and it was morning! The strange white light which felt warm on his skin was the sun: direct exposure to the sun.

At this moment, panic set in
, but Micah forced himself to remain clam enough to examine his hand. It was not burning. He took a deep breath and looked at a still sleeping Samantha. Still, in Micah’s panic, she was beautiful.

Remembering his ordeal from the day before, he knew that exposure to light could kill a vampire
. Specifically, it could kill
him
, so why was he perfectly fine?
Am I dreaming?
Micah thought.
Am I already dead?
Is this my paradise?
Micah looked around and saw no one but he and Samantha. He smiled.
I could deal with that…
Then, he began to panic again.
But wait! Why would I go to Heaven? There must be some mistake!

Samantha, fee
ling Micah move next to her, began to wake up. Fearing that once she woke up, she would be a devil or some other crude monster which would unlock the hellish secrets hiding in waiting behind this mirage, he looked over at her cautiously.

Samantha looked beautiful as ever, although
she winced as her hand ran over the now dried blood spots on her neck. Seeing him though, she smiled, saying, “Good morning, Micah! How did you sleep?” Then, fully realizing what he was and what had happened last night, she stopped mid-stretch and stared at him. “You’re a vampire!” she proclaimed.

“Yes…” Micah answered, afraid of where this may go.

Samantha’s eyes darted around nervously. “Well, it’s day time! What are you doing? Are you okay?”

Relieved and somewhat flattered to know the root of her comments were concern for him, he smiled
. “Yea.” He shook his head. “I don’t know. This wouldn’t have worked yesterday. I don’t have any idea why it is working today.”

Samantha thought about this for a moment and then replied, “I have never read anything like it.” She looked him over again
. “From all accounts, if a vampire gets caught out in the sunlight, they die.”

Micah nodded
. “I know.”

“Then how…”
she asked, confused.

Micah shrugged
. “I don’t know.” He breathed in the crisp morning air, smiled and rested back down in the sand. “But until I start to slow-roast rotisserie style out here, I am going to enjoy it!” Micah reached his arm out for her and Samantha looked at him with reservation. “I promise, if I start to heat up, I will run inside.”

Samantha nodded and took his invitation. Cuddling up next to him on the beach, she closed her eyes. “This is nice,” she said with a smile.

Hugging her close, he kissed the top of her head. “Indeed.” Looking out over the ocean, Micah basked in the sunlight. It was a beautiful morning, and for many reasons, this was the first morning he had truly enjoyed for a long time.

“There you guys are!” Jeremy called, running down the beach toward them
. “I was getting worried about you two!” As he came up to them, he realized their closeness and asked, “Am I…interrupting?”

Micah smiled down at a Samantha
, who was still resting in his arms, and then looked back at Jeremy, shaking his head. “No. We were just going to get up soon.”

“Okay, cool. Hey, you’re out in the day! Congrats, man!” Jeremy said in a teasing voice, not realizing how much real congratulations were in order.

“I know, right? Thanks!” Micah laughed. “Beautiful day.”

“It always needs a woman’s touch
,” Jeremy joked. “We’re going to go get breakfast in town. You want to come?”

Micah swallowed hard. Yes, for once he really did want to go. If he was given this new lease on li
fe—a true life—he would take full advantage of it! Samantha was right. Micah should follow his dreams, especially if he was given this gift. However, the fear of spontaneously combusting halfway through the meal caused Micah reservation.

Looking down at Samantha, Micah decided
that if he was going to have any sort of life with her, he needed to take risks. If this was supposed to be his final day, if he were randomly going to combust or otherwise perish, then he would like to know that he did everything in his power to spend as much time with Samantha as possible.

“Sure,” Micah said finally
. “Yea, we’ll be right there.”

“Yea? Awesome! It’ll be just like old times! Glad to have you back, buddy!” Jeremy smiled, seemingly excited
, and then turned to walk away.

During breakfast, Micah was pleased that he did not combust; in fact, there was not a puff of smoke, or even a bout of uncomfortable warmth that plagued him all day. He was still not sure why he was given such a gift, but every moment that passed while spending time with Samantha, and even his other former friends, awarded Micah with more of a will to live. He even began to think about what he wanted to do with his life, whether it was a night job if today was just a fluke, or a day job if he could sustain this lifestyle.

For once in a long time, even before becoming a vampire, Micah felt good. In fact, he felt great! There was nothing he could not do
, and even as night fell, Micah was eager to stay with the rest of the group and be human.

Since he had fed, their heartbeats and pulses were far quieter
, so engaging in conversation with them was increasingly becoming: almost pleasant.

Once darkness had consumed the beach entirely, Micah even felt safe enough to venture away from Samantha, just enough so that she could have private time with her friends. He went to find Jeremy, hoping that maybe he could rekindle a friendship.

Of course, to Jeremy, there was nothing he knew he had to forgive, so there was no awkward apology, but there was a part of Micah that still felt bad for not speaking to him for months.

As they talked, Micah remembered how much fun it was to just enjoy the company
of a friend. Today had provided such a clearer outlook on life, both that of a vampire and that of a true human, that it made Micah excited to be able to be a part of that human connection.

Especially if Samantha would allow him to feed, he would not keep the fear that he would randomly attack anyone.

“A well-fed vampire is a vampire that is in control,”
Constance used to say, and it was not until today that Micah had fully understood that, because he was in control. Micah could control every part of himself. His thoughts were not consumed by feeding, his fangs were not throbbing, and although he could feel his friends’ pulses, it did not drown out the world around him.

Micah was laughing again and joking again. Eventually, all of the guys were teasing him about spending the night on the beach with Samantha. Again, he found himself to be center of attention,
but that didn’t bother him. In fact, he kind of liked it. The crowd seemed to hang on to his every word with genuine interest.

They did not just talk about Samantha, though; they asked him advice and shared stories with them. Micah would actually describe this experience as having fun. He felt like himself, but a better, stronger, more capable version of himself.

Even as a true human he had never really liked himself, which was partially why he acted out. He had never understood why people liked him so much; he was angry and mean to people, which seemed to only draw them to him. However, now, as a vampire, being social after being deprived of human contact for so long felt empowering and exciting.

He liked
how he was acting. Micah’s reactions became more genuine with every gesture and more fluid with every word. He truly felt, without losing what made him a vampire, that he was scratching the surface of a humanity he had always possessed, but never really addressed.  Finally, for the first time in a long time, Micah felt at peace with both the truly human world and the vampire world. Micah smiled as he peered over the true humans: his friends.

Then, a scream erupted out in the night, echoing out over the sand. Micah became alerted to the heartbeat of two women coming towards the group before they could be seen through the pitch black night, which lay beyond the bonfire’s flames.

The women ran right over to Micah and as they approached, he realized that it was Samantha’s friends. Micah’s own heartbeat began to pound in his chest and his eyes became wide. His fangs began to pulsate in his mouth, wanting blood not because he was hungry, but this time because it was a symptom of an adrenaline rush. This was Micah’s body telling him he was ready to fight.

Micah stood as the women approached
, and the rest of the crowd huddled in to see what they had to say.

“Micah, it’s Samantha
,” the first one, Amber, said.

“Some guy was passing us on the beach,”
the second one, Julie, said, “and we didn’t notice him at first—”

“But he passed us,
then he turned around and took Samantha—” Amber interrupted.

“He had a gun!” Julie blurted.

“Which way did he go?” Micah demanded.

The girls both pointed in the same direction, down the beach from where they
had come.

“He took her back up the beach,” Amber said.

“We were scared and we figured there was strength in numbers, so we came back,” Julie added.

Micah nodded to them, trying to assure them that they did the right thing
, then he looked up, now noticing that everyone was for some reason looking at him, waiting for him to tell them what to do. So, Micah told them, “He couldn’t have gotten far,” he yelled, and everyone paid attention. “So, I want everyone to fan out and find him—that is, except for two men. I want two men to stay here with Amber and Julie. They don’t need to be put through anything else tonight.”

Two men broke loose from the crowd and waved to signal that they had th
e task covered.

Micah nodded in acknowledgement and then turned back to the crowd
. “However, the rest of us: If you do find him, don’t put yourself or Samantha in any more danger. Rather, you come and get me.” Micah yelled, having a moment where he wanted to show them his fangs and pronounce the reason why he would be so much better suited to save Samantha, but the crowd didn’t mind. There was a passion in Micah’s voice that caused the crowd not to challenge him.

The crowd thought
that he must be right, to have this much conviction lining his words. They responded in rearing-to-go cheers and so, Micah yelled, “Then let’s get him!” and the crowd dispatched, with Micah quickly taking the lead.

Micah could not wait to sink his teeth into this guy. Micah normally did not want to cause anyone harm, but right
at this moment, the second he found Samantha and knew that she was safe, he was almost looking forward to allowing the vampire disease that now coursed through him to take over and have some fun in the process.

He wanted to become this thing in order to punish this man for taking his beloved away from him
, and if he had hurt her, even in the least, then even God would not be able to help him.

When they got away from the fire, although the moon lit their path, Micah was certain he was the on
ly one who could see that well, which was perfect because he needed to be the one to find him. However, Micah was also confident that if someone else did find the man who took Samantha before him, his heart rate would change, which would alert Micah.

He had thought he had felt something right before the girls showed up without Samantha, but he had been too busy being happy that he had not noticed the fateful sign of danger. If he
was going to continue living with this disease, Micah knew that he needed to become more in tune with the signs his body was giving him.

Micah stopped for a moment, trying to call on something of a vampire beacon that he arguably should have, but
he did not know for sure. He drank of Samantha’s blood; therefore, he should be able to locate her, especially if she is in trouble. He felt the faintness of a heartbeat leading him; however, he first hoped it was actually Samantha’s heartbeat, and second, he hoped that by following it as a direction was the right move. He hoped it would get stronger as Samantha got closer.

The heartbeat did begin to strengthen, leading Micah up the beach, just as the women had said. Soon enough
, the beach became lined with rock formations: with caves and caverns.
This has to be right!
Micah thought.
Which means, the man who took her probably knew this area well…But why Samantha?

Every time another thought crossed his mind, Micah’s heart burned with ire and loathing. With all this hate welling up inside of him, Micah was beginning to worry exactly what he was capable of
, and if he would be able to control himself. He wasn’t worried about inflicting pain upon this man, who ripped Micah’s still-beating heart from his body and hid it away with malicious intent. This man would receive no mercy. Micah was beginning to worry about the effect that letting go in this manner would have on himself, and how it would be seen by Samantha. He wanted to be the best lover, friend and companion he could possibly be to this angel, who was given to him to save him, but if he could not relinquish the hate he now held in his heart, or the fear he now had of letting her have the freedom she deserved, Micah’s intentions of protecting her could end up imprisoning her just as maliciously as the man whom Micah sought to punish. Love could create its own impenetrable fortress; Micah knew that, but he would not be with Samantha if he thought the foundation of that fortress was to be laid tonight, or any night.