Fear and Trembling-Renunciation


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Renunciation

Jade Smith

He ran his tongue along the edge of his newly sharp teeth. Kill what you love—

Easy-to-Read B&W Format

Fiction
Horror

Someone was running through the trees in the park, following the path by the river. Jared could see them from the upper story of his uncle’s house. He watched as the runner wound his way through the small labyrinth that graced the garden. The man seemed to know it by heart. He emerged on the other side, breathing heavily, and stopped to stretch.

“Jared?”

He turned to see Verity standing in the doorway of the room.

“You look ready to have fun,” he commented. "Is your boyfriend here yet?”

She frowned at him. “When was the last time you had a date?”

“Amy Forester was my last one, and I don’t want to hear your criticism.”

“You kind of have a thing for shy girls, don’t you?”

He gave her a friendly shove out the door. “Okay, sis. Have fun, and be good.”

She made a face. “Whatever.”

“Have you seen Uncle Lee?” he asked as she started downstairs.

She shrugged. “No. He’s probably in the basement, working on one of those secret projects of his. When it comes to weird relatives, we take the prize.”

“If you see him after your date, tell him I’ve gone to the mall, will you?” he said.

“The mall. Amazing.” The doorbell chimed, and she ran to answer it.

As Verity’s date pulled out of the driveway, Jared waited, listening expectantly.  No one stirred in the lower levels of the house.

Alone once more, he started down the stairs, in pursuit of the jogger. If only he wasn’t too late—

At the garden gate, Jared looked over his shoulder. From here, the place looked like an old European cottage, complete with diamond-paned windows on the ground floor, and heavy shutters. His uncle’s land joined the public park right before the garden crossed the path. There had been private property signs once, but the city made Lee Marcam take them down. After all, city officials pointed out, no damage was being done by teenagers, and the signs diminished the park’s natural look. So Lee constructed the labyrinth, and for a time walkers bypassed it, until the university students found it the perfect private place to take a date.

Jared pushed open the gate and entered the labyrinth. This is home. Another world, where the dark walls shut out the light.

He ran down the path, following the circular walls and dodging the false turns. In minutes, he reached his goal: the fountain in the center of the maze. A bronze basin spilled into a central pool flecked with dead leaves, surmounted by a leering statue. He thought the face belonged to the god Pan, but wasn’t sure; it lacked the traditional beard and horns. A long stone bench, sculpted with runic figures, sat at the fountain’s rim.

Jared glanced into the rusty water. God, how I want to leave here. Uncle Lee may have given us a place to live, but he gets crazier every day.

“Having second thoughts?”

Jared turned. “Elissa.”

“You’re a little late,” she said, “Julian’s already gone.”

“I know. I saw him.”

She moved forward, lightly as a dancer, and kissed him on the cheek. He drew back, and she laughed. “You have doubts about your choice?”

“I don’t know.” He drew her to him, and they sat side by side on the bench. “I’m not sure that I’m ready. You don’t know what’s inside my head right now.”

“Try me,” she said, her light green eyes glinting in the last rays of sun that fell over the trees.

“I can’t think of anything but how I’m going to live now that I have no future. I’ve dropped out of most of my classes at the university. I need to take care of Verity: we can’t stay with Lee forever. The accident was my fault. I was driving that night. My dad didn’t stand a chance; the hit was on his side, and mom only lasted a few hours in the hospital. I can’t live with that.” He paused. “And then there’s you. With your promises.”

“Julian keeps his promises. He can give you what you desire most,” Elissa said, “freedom from those memories and a new life.”

“Technically, you could give it to me, Elissa.”

“I could. But my power is not as strong as his. Although it’s tempting.” She gazed at him thoughtfully. Her grey clothing blended with her surroundings, a camouflage against the fast-falling shadows. “Maybe I will.”

Jared laughed harshly. “I only met you a month ago, and I’m completely under your spell.” And I can’t think straight when I’m with you.

“Love is a sweet insanity for you.” she said. “For me, it’s a clarifying experience. When I saw you, I knew you could be one of us. A suitable candidate.”

“You make it sound like a job interview.”

“It wasn’t that way for me,” Elissa said. “I had no choice. Julian is very impetuous. But now he wants an organization, so we have to be careful whom we choose.  And he’s been tracking you for months. Watching your house, observing you at work, knowing who your friends were. He sent me to bring you in, but only if you were willing, he said.”

“Why? I thought you could just take what you wanted.”

“Power has its pleasures. Forcing initiates into our religion is not one of them. Loyalty is very important. You must be a willing sacrifice. Men have known this since they first began to offer blood to the dark gods. And you know that you must suffer in order to win the power you desire.”

“I want to know something first.” He looked at her. “Would you love me more if I were like you?”

The light eyes darkened. “I am capable of fully loving only my own kind.”

Jared stood, his heart hammering in his chest. “What must I do?”

She rose, and put her hand on his shoulder. “You must renounce all loves except ours. As we follow our leader, you must follow him. Be willing to die for him, or us. Accept our laws.”

The air had grown very chill. “I renounce all loves—I accept the laws.”

Jared breathed deeply, trying to control feelings that were fighting to the surface. Elissa leaned forward and kissed his mouth. “Lie down on the bench.”

He obeyed, and the stone beneath him burned cold through his clothing. The water song played in his ears as she bent over him, holding his face between her hands. Pan smiled down at him.

He willed himself to be still as she knelt down. For the space of two heartbeats, nothing happened. Then she sank her sharp teeth into his neck, and he screamed. He fought against a creature that was no longer a fragile girl, but a strong being draining his blood. Pain burned his body. The moon overhead swam in his vision as his breathing grew sharper. Darkness invaded his mind.

“How is he?”

Jared opened his eyes. The faces that leaned close to his were blurs, and he struggled to breathe.

“Here. Drink this.” The rim of a glass was pushed to his lips, and he tasted a sweet, warm cordial. He blinked rapidly. He was in a cloth warehouse, surrounded by bolts of tapestry and linen, and three people were staring at him. One man offered the glass again, and Jared drank gratefully.

“See, he’s fine.” The man, whose long hair was tied back, smiled. “Just a little bit weak.”

“Right, Doctor,” the voice dripped sarcasm, “just a newborn. Get him fed and walking, and report to Julian as soon as possible.”

Jared scanned the room for Elissa, but she wasn’t there. A girl with short blonde hair gazed back at him with an interested expression, and the man who’d just spoken narrowed his eyes. The doctor frowned. “You don’t have to be critical, Greg. Julian had special orders for this one.”

“I don’t see why anyone has to be excited about this,” Greg spat. “Another mouth to feed, another gun hand. Julian’s gone mad.” He strode out of the room.

The other vampire showed his fangs in a grimace of distaste, and then he and the girl helped Jared to his feet. Jared’s legs felt unsteady.

“I’m Matthew, and this is Carrie,” the doctor said. “You need some more cordial, and then we’ll go on to stronger blood.”

Jared ran his tongue along the edge of his newly sharp teeth. “I’m one of you?”

“Elissa did her job,” Carrie said. “This is blood mixed with wine. It’s what we give you at first, until you’re able to handle the real thing.”

He looked at the dark red liquid in the glass. “Whose blood?”

Carrie grinned. “He’s a moralist! What does it matter? Drink up.”

“It’s not human blood,” Matthew said. “That’s a precious commodity these days. We can’t increase the vampire population too much; there are too many territorial conflicts as it is. A few doses of human blood are allowed every month, unless you are near to Julian—he controls our supply.”

Jared swallowed the cordial, choking a little.  He found himself able to stand. Carrie took his arm.

Matthew smiled. “I see you’ve been claimed already.”

“Where’s Elissa?” Jared asked.

“Asleep. She’ll be out for a few days, and then she’ll wake up. That’s thanks to you: she had to drain most of your blood in order to turn you,” Carrie said.

Dusk was falling over the city as they left the warehouse and headed downtown. Jared stared out at the clubgoers on the street while they waited at a light. One of the girls smiled at him. He started to open the door.

“Stop that!” Carrie grabbed his arm. “You can’t just go out there.”
He pulled away from her, and reached for the handle again.

“Matthew!” Carrie cried. Matthew speeded up, pulling away from the curb. “Don’t do that again!” she yelled at Jared.

His head cleared, and he realized he’d been trying to bite her. “Sorry,” he muttered.

“Sorry is what you will be if you start that again. If you attack a human, and you’re caught, Julian will terminate you long before the police know you’re not just another homicidal case.”

Jared’s hands were shaking. “I could kill someone.”

It was more a question for himself than a statement, but she answered anyway. “You knew that before you joined us."

Julian’s house was palatial, and Jared, holding Carrie’s arm as they walked up the steps, felt that here at last was the power Elissa had talked about when he had been recruited. They were received in an atrium filled with exotic plants and original artworks. The servant led them through a set of massive doors into a study.

“Hello, Jared. I’m sorry that I wasn’t present at your initiation. I had to leave. Business matters.” The voice was strong, but not loud. Julian stood from behind the ebony desk, and walked over to meet them. “And Carrie, charming as always.”

Jared stared at Julian. He didn’t look like a vampire at all, not like Carrie, with her fangs that showed when she bit at her lower lip, and her pale skin. He was very fit, and his complexion was lightly tan. His blue eyes were dark, but he looked well-rested. He wore two heavy gold rings, and a small diamond gleamed in his ear.

“However, I trusted to Elissa’s discretion in her mission. And here you are. One of us.” He stretched out a hand to his servant, who brought a salver containing three glasses. “Please, have a drink with me, and we can discuss your new mission, as a member of our coven.”

Jared took his glass and drained it. It was strong and bittersweet, making his head swim. He glanced at Carrie, and saw her expression change as she sipped.

“What are you, exactly?” Jared asked.

“You should be ashamed that you didn’t ask that question before you became an initiate.” Julian said. “We are one of the oldest and most powerful vampire covens in this city. We’ve been involved in territorial wars for over one hundred years with other groups, and we have always survived.”

“And you wanted me—why?”

“Don’t make the mistake of thinking that Elissa wanted you here for love—although she probably does have an interest. You were chosen because you are close to an enemy of mine. A most powerful one, capable of doing great harm.”

“I don’t know who you mean.”

“Really,” Julian sneered slightly. “Please bring in our guests.”

Greg and another man marched a teenage couple into the room.

Jared gasped. “Verity!”

His sister stared at him, and clung to her boyfriend. “Jared, what happened? You look terrible. Uncle Lee has the police looking for you!”

Jared stood. “Let them go.”

“Sit down.” Julian was calm. “Your uncle is working against me. You are the one who can get close enough to destroy his work and kill him.”

“Jared, what’s he talking about?” Verity cried.

“I don’t know what kind of work he does. Verity and I just came to live with him a few months ago, after—”

“The accident?” Julian smiled. “You made it too easy for us.”

Verity’s boyfriend tried to break out of Greg’s grip. The guard pulled him back, and pressed him against the wall.

“Greg.” Julian said. The vampire had bitten the boy’s neck and begun drinking. “Stop.”

Greg drew away, and Jared stared at the red wound. He lunged forward, but Carrie held him back.

“He’s still weak, Julian!” she hissed.

“Of course. And he needs to feed.” Julian smiled. “He’ll help us—and he’ll have enough to eat.”

Verity was crying softly. The guard watched her, but he made no move.

“Bring the girl here.” Julian said softly. Verity moved forward slowly, trembling. Julian held out his hand to her. “I want her to stay here until you return.”

Verity looked at her brother. “Jared, what are you?”

He stared at her. I renounce all loves.

“Jared!”

In that moment, she seemed like someone else to him: a weak creature, easily overpowered. “I’m one of them, Verity.”

Julian turned to Greg. “You can kill the other one. But don’t resurrect him.” The two guards forced the boy out of the room. Until the door closed, Jared could hear him screaming down the hallway.

“I’ll go with you,” Carrie said. “Meet me at the labyrinth after you’ve searched the house.”

“Bring me evidence that you’ve completed your task.” Julian stoked Verity's hair.

The house was dark and silent when Jared and Carrie arrived. Only one light burned in the lower level, a security feature.

“Uncle Lee?” Jared called softly, as he opened the front door. There was no answer. His uncle was probably at the police station or out looking for himself and Verity. He decided to go down to the basement. Only after he started down did he realize he was seeing in the dark.

There was an entire laboratory, obviously abandoned in a great hurry. So when his uncle had been working on projects, and insisting on privacy, he had been—melting silver into crosses? Carving wooden stakes? A Book of Common Prayer lay on a splintered table, some of its pages missing.

A leather-bound journal lying face down next to it drew his attention. He picked it up.

If they can resist the desire for blood, they will turn away from the darkness. It is not in their nature to do this.

He flipped through a few more pages.

To destroy them—they corrupt the strongest—fire purifies—inside the maze—

The labyrinth. Suddenly, Jared knew. Lee would be waiting there, for the enemy.

Jared ran to it. He knew its most intricate twists and turns. Or did he? Jared shook his head. He was confused now, and weak. He still needed blood badly.

“Jared?” a voice called.

“Uncle Lee?”  The glow of a fire drew him to the center.

His uncle was standing beside the statue of Pan. He held the limp body of a girl in his arms. “Jared, where’s your sister?” Lee Marcam was a middle-aged man, but strong. He placed the girl on the stone bench with Jared’s help.

“Carrie!” Jared exclaimed. “What did you do to her?”

“We have to burn her, quickly.” Lee faced his nephew. Then his expression changed. “Jared.  They’ve turned you.” He reached inside his jacket and pulled out a square-barreled pistol. “They’ve taken everything from me: my sister, her husband, but I won’t let them take you and Verity.”

“What is the labyrinth?” Jared asked, keeping his distance.

“It’s a maze to lead the undead to a point where their minds are confused. It won’t work on some of them, I don’t know why. There are certain charms concealed in the maze, underground. When a vampire enters the maze, he must always stop here at the fountain, for a certain period of time. I waited, with weapons I had fashioned, and put them to rest. I was ready to set more traps like these through the city.”

Lee lowered the gun. “I can’t murder you. I hate what you’ve become, but I can’t do it.”

Suddenly, a figure rose behind Lee, pinioning his arms. “Jared.” Carrie hissed. “Help me.”

“I can’t kill him.”

“You can. You’re stronger than you realize. Do it now.” She sank her teeth into Lee’s shoulder. His hand loosed the grip on the gun, and it fell into the grass. She pulled him down. The fire blazed, turning the water red as sunset.

“You have brought me evidence of his death.” Julian raised his brows as Jared laid a blood-splattered book on the desk.

“Yes. These are his plans to destroy the coven.”

Verity began to cry.

“Did you find anything else?”

“There may be more at the house, but I thought you’d want this.”

Julian pressed an intercom switch. “Send a team to the house. Destroy everything there.”

Taking Verity by the arm, he slashed her wrist with the edge of a knife. “And as I promised, you will have human blood to drink. She is yours.” He pushed her toward Jared.

If they can resist the desire, they will turn away from the darkness. The scent of blood was sharp as fire.

Jared embraced Verity. She trembled in his arms. “You believed I was a killer.” He spoke to Julian over her shoulder. “I am.”

Jared aimed Lee’s gun at Julian. There was a hiss of compressed air, and a silvery dart thudded into the vampire’s chest. “It’s forged of sacred metals. And the blood on the diary is Carrie’s.”

Taking Verity by the hand, he led her out the door, not looking back at the dying vampire.

“I renounce all loves, but those that are my own.”