Lakeside

You sit by the lakeside

Your cherub eyes sparkling

And gazing intensely

Out across the water, sparkling too

Your mouth parting only slightly

As you draw a gentle breath

Fresh midnight air between your lips

Renewing you, giving purpose

Your soft skin is luminous

Alabaster against the night

Drawing my gaze and desire

My loving heart is yours

Your flowing black hair

Reflective of the dark water

Frames your beauty

And presents a timeless elegance

As your welcome hand reaches

I take you in mine

We sit silent for some time

Just thinking

The moon distracts my attention

As it’s radiance slips through water

Mirroring our presence in the lake

And your gaze, that’s turning to me

Looking at you now

I see a warm expression on your face

A flawless smile

And a love without boundary

We lean towards one another

And our lips finally meet

Reflected in the water, too

My love and I, forever

 

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Wretched wood

In the darkened wood, Sirrius could see like no other

His shadowed years now served him well

And would aid him in quenching his thirst for revenge

Every drop of blood was for them

In the distance, a campfire flickered

Sirrius knew this area well, his enemy better

He walked with the certainty of a charging bull

Yet seemed to glide as mist over leaves

Approaching his prey, a twig snapped underfoot

Kurgan threw his gaze

Yet there was nothing, Sirrius had vanished

Kurgan stood and drew his claymore, also thirsting

The others sat and smiled at one another

Laughing quietly at Kurgan and his paranoia

Glarthir, the scout, did not laugh

He followed Kurgan into the blackness

Moments later, Kurgan returned carrying Glarthir

The latter of whom having several wounds

Most notable of which, a deep lasceration to the throat

Had been the first and fatal blow

Hearing the nearby whistle of an arrow, Kurgan fell to the floor

Another fell beside him and did not return to his feet

Now only Kurgan and Masyaf stood, both ready

Their blades drawn and their brows wet with fear

Emerging from shadow, Sirrius was not burdened by emotion

His eyes burned with the fire of his family

His heart needed to answer their cry for revenge

To somehow undo the deaths that he had caused

Masyaf was the first to charge, unleashing a vicious lunge

Sirrius stepped aside, dodging the blow

His blade skewered Masyaf’s thigh, grounding him

Kurgan watched and realised he couldn’t run

Lowering his sword, Sirrius smiled at Kurgan

‘Release me, friend. Send me to my family’

Kurgan’s heart slowed and his fear subsided

He laughed and ran towards Sirrius

Taking a swipe at his opponent’s head

Kurgan fell off balance, missing his target

Sirrius ducked and fed his blade

Kurgan’s blood flowed onto Sirrius

Taking his weapon, Sirrius turned to Masyaf

Masyaf cowered and pleaded with him

Tears ran freely and his voice subsided

Sirrius just stared blankly at his foe

‘They never wanted this for me

They knew I could be better than all of you’

Masyaf groaned and his breath was erased

Only Kurgan was left alive, for the moment

Sirrius stayed with Kurgan for a short while

Watching the gasps for air and bloody coughs

As the dawn approached, Sirrius gathered the corpses

And burned the wretched woods down

Kneeling in front of his wife and son, he watched the sunrise

And prayed for them. Now was the time.

His tears glistened in the sun andwet the sand around him

His hand, grasping his sword tightly

He had one last man to blame

One last demon to send to hell for all time

Yet he could not do it

He knew, somehow that it wasn’t right

 

Sirrius went on to live a quiet life in the hills

Above the ashes of wretched wood

His love for his family, ever present

And reminding him of what was still ahead

Now he is at rest

Living with his wife and child once more

Without care

In a world of bright horizons

 

Sirrius

Sirrius awoke to the smell of burnt flesh

His healing wounds still crimson

His entire body throbbing with sharp pain 

Memory searing through his mind

Opening his eyes, the world was a bright horizon

All ventures far beyond reach

The ground, however, was soaked with blood

As were his his clothes

Next to him lay his bride, smiling back at him

She reached out to provide comfort

And Sirrius took her hand, assured of his path

The world then faded to reality

Sirrius opened his eyes once more

This time, ready for the truth of it all

He lay motionless in a patch of scarlet sand

And stared, enfuriated, at the ashes of his home

On his feet, Sirrius could no longer feel his agony

His flesh ceased to burn

Instead, all that remained was rage and sorrow

His clenched fists bled

He did not even glance at the twin mounds of ash

He did not weep and did not pray for them

He knew how best to honour his family

One last venture into wretched wood

Selena

Selena opened her eyes and stretched

Extending her body to release the lethargy

Looking outside, it was a glorious day

She smiled softly,savouring the peace

She feared for her husband, Sirrius

He had started out with good intentions

He needed to feed and clothe her

And so had turned to robbing passers by

Checking her son, Valen, he was still asleep

So she went out to the garden

She looked far out to the bright horizon

But could not see Sirrius

Returning inside to attend to her son

Who continually craved her attention

And habitually ran to her upon waking

Following her around the house

Some hours later, as Selena occupied Valen

Four horsemen rode from the east

With madness in their hearts

And murder, abundant in their eyes

Calling her out, she recognised the leader

Kurgan, her husband’s ally

Selena stared at the men, worrying

‘Where is Sirrius?’

Kurgan said nothing, he simply pointed

His finger aiming at Selena and the boy

As three thugs approached

Laughing, they drew their swords

When Sirrius arrived, beaten and limp

He saw his family tied and helpless

He had no weapon and faced them all

They pummeled him until he fell

His blood coloured the sand

His eyes refused to open

He may as well have died

Nothing mattered now, he couldn’t save them

 

Will

How cruel a divine creator

 

To seperate twin hearts

 

Give the gift of life, with an ocean between

 

But a will to overcome

 

A desire to find each other

 

Though it seems unlikely

 

Could our passion be enough

 

To let us walk on water?

 

The passage of time

 

Is too painful a price

 

I need you here, now

 

I need to hold you tonight

 

If I could, I’d be there with you

 

And I swear I’d never leave

 

You’d be my life and only love

 

And I’d be your happy ending

 

 

Offering

As the gentle current

 

Flows down a clear stream

 

You, too carry us onwards

 

And relieve us from our burdens

 

As a sturdy rock

 

That stands for countless generations

 

You, too are always there

 

Always ready when we need you

 

As the tallest tree

 

Offering forth succulent fruit

 

You, too offer us a part of you

 

To restore us and bring us joy

 

As the brightest star

 

Can light the way of a weary traveller

 

You, too show us the path

 

And guide us to a better place

 

Gillian, you are all the friend I’ll ever need

 

My selfless guardian angel

 

You deliver bliss and ask no word of thanks

 

You are who I wish I could be

 

 

Depravity

A solitary figure Stepping forth from the shadows

Scarlet flooded eyes

Surveying the cobbled streets

With his hand, he guides a woman

Another who operates at night

He leads her as a wounded stray

To draw the life-force from her veins

These streets are abandoned

The dusk, irrelevant

But rather, sadistic rumours

A different kind of hunter

Anyone of sense has left this place

And dare not speak it’s name

They know of the blood shed at their door

They fled without a hope

Only the deranged are found here now

The destitute and non believers

Their god fearing bodies an unwilling sacrifice

For the devil’s favourite son

The woman seems impatient

Intolerant of this one’s haste

But then, the money is her only care

She left her body long ago

She, too has heard the rumours

But did not choose to leave

Perhaps she does not know the truth,

Perhaps she does not care

What is it to her, her life or death?

As long as she gets a hit

All she really notices

And all she ever craves

Slamming her against the wall

The man looked at her with lust

A sight all too familiar to her

And yet it’s purpose, disguised

Seeming somehow unholy

His eyes pulse blood red

And his ashen white hair

Hangs and frames his gaunt face

He leans in towards her

Breathing on her neck

And softly pressing down

As if to kiss her

Feeling for the buttons on her dress

She doesnt even realise

He takes a step back

And like an animal, hisses

Looking down, she sees her dark blue attire

Now a colour to match his eyes

She tries to scream, but it’s too late

He rips her apart, he consumes her

The vampire Matthew is satisfied

And returns to his lair

Where he waits, forever

For his next victim

Always watching, always waiting

And never to be escaped

 

Conversion

Stepping forth from the shadows

Matthew stalked and skulked against the moon

The torchlight from the street below

illuminating his white and undernourished skin

He tried to summon strength

Atleast enough to run from the baying mob below

But he had nothing left

He was empty, he had refused to feed on his pursuers

The rain beat down on him

And dampened the torches below

He stifled groan after painful groan

And silently watched them

Matthew had not become a monster

He had refused to kill

He had refused to feed on those who shunned him

And would enforce his death

His pink eyes were now fading out to white

He couldn’t survive like this

Chasing after animals and hiding from the light

Would suffice for only so long

He dug his overgrown fingernail into the roof

And dragged his carcass to the edge

The mob had split up, to search for him

And burn him to a second death

Seeing a straggler, he fell gracelessly from the roof

Landing in a shadowed alley, he waited

His eyes were failing and sealing shut

Starvation, taking hold of his limp body

Morality meant nothing now, only survival

Hearing the thud of the vampire’s corpse, the straggler drew near

And smiled with pleasure, grinning and feeling satisfied

As the albino hunter lay on his back, eyes closed

Ready for the devil’s embrace

The straggler tried to take the credit for tonight’s kill

Striding towards the vampire, torch in hand

But when the others found him, he was pale, white, drained

They took his torch and burned him

They cleared the evil from him, so he may rest

The vampire Matthew knows no such pleasure

Now, he knows only lust, hatred and revenge

They chose to hunt him, and now reap their reward

That night, a massacre ensued

Matthew did not lie among the bloodless, ivory bodies

He had changed forever

And he was never to be the hunted again

Innocence

Looking up from his son

Matthew gazed out into the darkened night

The sea had lost it’s calm

And swayed violently,  without rhythm

Matthew gently ruffled his son’s hair

And turned his back, walking away

He moved through to his bedroom

And found his wife still asleep

She even looked beautiful now

This late, this dark

His love for her was certain

And proven daily

‘Sarah’, he whispered, with a gentle smile

He leant over the bed

Gently brushing his nose against her cheek

Kissing her slender neck

He quietly crept outside, to the street

And walked to the market district

There were few stalls on this late at night

And the cold discouraged more

But still there were people laughing

Arm in arm and smiling

Walking home or moving onward

All happily intoxicated

Matthew made haste, uncertain of the hour

To a stall he’d seen that day

Which, thankfully, remained open

For only long enough

Purchasing a certain necklace

With a white gold heart shaped pendant

Matthew grinned and felt gleeful

He pictured the look on Sarah’s face

Returning home, Matthew began to worry

He could see shadows through the dark

The alleyways seemed to crawl and wriggle

He felt like someone’s prey

With sudden impact, He was thrown against a wall

His head struck badly, his concious mind fading

When he came to, he thirsted deeply

And felt groggy, being somehow altered

He could hardly walk the way home

Struggling to support his weight

He had to lean on several objects

And nearly fell at his front gate

The necklace remained with him

In it’s bright red, pristine box

The perfect present, for the perfect bride

Matthew’s only love

Crawling into bed, Matthew couldnt stand it

Something terrible was wrong

Sarah’s slumber tempted him

Her tender flesh like rare meat on the bone

Running his finger across her throat

He nearly lost control

He couldn’t stop his new desire

He couldn’t tame the urge

Matthew softly kissed her forehead

And a tear met with her chin

She didn’t stir or waken up

She was lost to a distant dream

Kneeling by her bedside

Matthew couldn’t stop the tears

The pain inside kept growing

He had a life no more

Seeing his loved ones for the last time

Matthew had to say goodbye

Turning his back on all he cared for

To let them live in peace

–

When Sarah woke, she found a necklace

In a pristine bright red box

She wore it forever, with mourning pride

To remember all she lost

Beneath the container, a note was placed

With a vague and brief goodbye

The last words she’d ever read

From the only man she loved

–

‘To my darling Sarah

My heart is yours for all time

But I, never more

The man you love is dead’

By your side

Oh God, I hope you’re listening
I have to ask for your approval
I ask your power and your will
To remain by my side

I can’t face life without her
I can’t see through another day
And when she’s standing near me
I wish I was with you

I pray that you destroy me
I pray you break my every bone
Return me to the dust, where I belong
And rip out this loving heart

I don’t care what I must go through
What pain I must endure
I just ask, at any cost
You return me to my bride

You’ve watched my life and seen the changes
You’ve let me rise to love intensely
But now you’ve taken her from my arms
And I can’t see myself the same

When I look in the mirror
I always see a weeping face
Of a broken hearted boy
Who’s eyes still register her form

You’ve watched me lose her
and now you see me on my knees
begging, pleading, hoping, praying
that you are merciful to me

So I’ll suffer any agony
I’ll endure humiliation
I’ll accept a life of hatred
I’ll release my dignity

I just ask that you return me
And the spark within her heart
So that we can live in bliss
Until we rest by your side