A Reluctant Vampire by Carla Krae

A RELUCTANT
VAMPIRE
    It was the first day
of the year the sun’s warmth made my robe feel too warm. Sitting on
a stone bench, I inhaled the scent of herbs and greens. Spring was
late this year and my brothers kept me inside until the slippery
threat of frost had fully faded from the garden's stone path, so
finally getting outside again was a blessing.
    Footsteps crunched
the dirt, coming nearer. "What is it, Brother Michael?" I
asked.
    "How do you always
know, Adamo?"
    "Your footfalls are
heavy, my friend. I doubt you could creep upon the ancient."
    He placed a hand on
my shoulder. "It's time for supper."
    Steadying my walking
stick on the ground before me, I stood and set my hand on his
shoulder. He was one of the few men taller than me at the
monastery, but not by much, and he was used to modifying his gait
to match my hesitant steps. Twenty paces later, we reached the
kitchen door.
    Ours was not an order
subsisting on bland and meager offerings, so the scents of roasted
meat and vegetables came to me upon Brother Michael opening the
door. My mouth watered and stomach growled, causing me to wonder
how much time passed while I was outside. He led me to the dining
hall and my usual seat at the end of a bench. Someone would place a
plate and mug in front of me. Needing to depend on them to feed me
bothered me at first, when my world went dark, but by now I knew I
could trust them implicitly.
    Brother Michael's
footsteps neared again and something thumped on the wood table.
Sliding my fingers along the surface of the worn wood, I found a
bowl. "Stew?"
    "Brother Thomas
thought the bowl would be easier for you. The food is already
cut."
    "Hm." I found the
handle of a spoon when I felt around the circumference of the bowl.
"Did I leave the table dirty?"
    "Calm yourself,
Adamo. He's only trying to help."
    "I don't need to be
treated like an infant, Michael."
    "Thomas hasn't been
here long, Adamo. Eat, friend, and don't be offended."
    Nodding, I picked up
the spoon and shoved the bite into my mouth. Most days, I was
grateful to be in the abbey instead of out in the world where
people like me were beggars just to survive.
    Someone slid a torch
into the wall sconce to my right. Dusk must have fallen, cutting
off the light coming through the windows. The night breeze stirred
my hair, still carrying a touch of Winter's chill. Brother Theo
called for someone to close the window from the cold. He was one of
the elders and the cold sank into his bones more easily these days.
Soon, it would be full dark and we would lock up for the night. Our
location was secluded, but we were close to a main road for
travelers.
    After supper, we
attended evening devotion, then separated for free time before our
rituals for bed. Some read, some wrote, others played music or
games. We liked each other and it was unusual for one of us to seek
solitude in his chamber unless he was ill.
    I couldn't read or
illuminate manuscripts, but my hands were nimble enough to be
useful. So, I was in the middle of counting stitches, needle poised
in my right hand, when I heard horses' hooves outside. Who could be
here at this time of night? A lost traveler?
    Boom. Boom. Boom. Three
knocks. My brothers murmured among themselves and I heard someone
walk away down the hall to answer the door. Michael came to my
side.
    "What is it?" I
asked.
    "I don't know. It
bothers me."
    "The Spirit giving
you intuition, Brother?"
    He snorted. "Nothing
so grand, Adamo. Just a feeling."
    "The Lord is subtle,
Michael. Perhaps you should tell--" There was a shout down the hall
from the front of the building. "Michael?"
    "Go to your room,
Adamo, and wait for me."
    "What--"
    " Go ." He shoved my staff
into my hands and left me. There was much commotion and shuffling
of feet around me.
    Counting off the
steps in my mind, I walked to my bedchamber, my free hand clutching
the cross hanging from my neck. Getting inside my room cut off the
noise, but not my anxiety, and I whispered a prayer for