Crimson Romance By: Geo S

 Desperate for love, hungry for something more

A lonely bachelorette is unwittingly pulled into the world of vampires

Lonely office worker Helena Bathory is excited for her first date in ages only to be stood up at the last minute while waiting in a restaurant. Her predicament catches the eye of smooth operator Victor Tepis. Victor approaches Helena and offers to buy her dinner and be her date for the evening which Helena happily accepts. Victor, pouring on the charm, wows Helena with his worldly knowledge and experiences which Helena swoons over while Helena essentially tells her lonely life story lacking love and filled with the mundane of office work to which Victor compassionately listens too. 

As the evening progresses, Helena surprises Victor by inviting him to her apartment to which Victor initially refuses but ultimately accepts to Helena’s delight. At the apartment Helena opens a bottle of wine that she was saving for special occasions, this being the most special in long memory for her. The evening progresses into the night and into the bedroom where Helena and Victor have passionate sex. Afterwards a sleeping Helena is unaware of a departing Victor who leaves a hand-written note indicating to call him the next evening.

Helena awakens the next morning feeling cold, slightly sick, very hungry, and scratching at her neck. When opening her blinds to what is a sunny day she quickly closes them back after noticing the sunlight has a burning feel. When she looks in her bathroom mirror she is shockingly startled and screams as there is no reflection in the mirror. The continued scratching at her neck, burning sunlight, and no reflection leads her to believe that Victor was a vampire and has bitten/infected her aswell. After calling in sick at work she calls Victor who sounds annoyed on the phone and explains to Helena that he prefers to sleep during the day and she should have called later. A scared yet furious Helena begs Victor to explain what happened to her and to cure her but a disinterested Victor simply informs her she will just have to get used to it and that he will call her back later in the evening.

Becoming increasingly paranoid and delirious Helena begins to think she is hallucinating and it is all a bad dream. She takes extra drowsy headache tablets in hopes of sleeping it off. Upon awakening later in the day and still in the same situation as before, Helena opens her blinds again and realizes the sunlight of the setting sun is less painful, the bite marks on her neck are nearly fully healed but she still casts no reflection and her hunger is reaching painful levels. Realizing she has not eaten anything all day she quickly notices that all of her food and beverages have no taste or flavour and are essentially useless. 

After a call from her nurse friend Sally, Helena agrees to invite her over hoping her medical skills can assist her. Sally is shocked at Helena’s state as her eyes appear bloodshot, skin pale, lower than normal body temperature, and overall weak appearance of Helena. Sally attempts to administer fluids to Helena to no avail who is now desperately hungry and becoming increasingly unresponsive to Sally. When Sally attempts to call 911 Helena leaps at her biting her neck with ferocity. While Helena’s hunger is satisfied she is shocked at her actions and not wanting her friend to end up like her, cuts her throat, stabs her repeatedly and puts her body in the bathtub.

Victor arrives at the apartment and Helena attacks him with a knife but Victor subdues her and utilizing his charm once again, calms her down and explains that this is her life now and what happened to Sally will be one of many going forward. Victor notes that sunlight is really the only thing that can kill them once the “purity” takes effect. And, since Sally has not fully turned her body will have to be disposed of in a more normal fashion which he will help arrange. Victor has Helena get dressed for dinner as they are meeting her new “friends”

On the way to dinner Victor explains he is well over 500 years old and there is no cure “only everlasting life under the stars.” Helena is fascinated and mesmerized by his speech and questions him on when she can eat again to which Victor assures her it will be shortly. At the dinner Helena meets other vampires who embrace their “purity” and welcome Helena into their world which operates at its best when the sun is set. The guests explain that many of the missing persons in the city are often kidnapped and used as their “food” to satisfy their eternal requirement for blood but often instead of adding to their numbers, the victims are quickly killed and disposed of with only a select approved few being groomed and accepted into their ranks. Helena being selected by Victor because he saw “deep sorrow, pity, and elegant beauty” in her. Whatever ailments their victims might have, disease, substance abuse or otherwise only affects the quality of taste as opposed to transmitting any ailments to them. Helena is offered a kidnapped victim which she initially is reluctant to “eat” but ultimately her hunger takes over and she feeds on them with the body disposed of afterwards.

Later in the night Victor takes Helena home and they have rather rough sex that Helena initiates to Victor’s delight. Afterwards Helena spikes Victor's wine with the extra drowsy headache tablets and ties him to the bed. In the morning Helena opens the blinds to a bright sunny summer day while Victor in horror is steadily cooked alive screaming in agony until he is burnt to a crisp. Helena then contemplates standing in the sun herself but then wonders how to trick and gather the other vampires into sunlight instead.