Shining in Crimson: Empire of Blood Book One (A Dystopian Vampire Novel) by Robert S. Wilson Page A

face struggling between pleasure and abhorrence as he let them tear apart his innocence and feel the pleasures of his flesh. Then, in a blur, he saw the Stratosphere towering in the sky as he felt a burning in his neck. At first he thought he was reliving his death, but then he realized he was physically seeing the Stratosphere.
    The next moment, he became distracted by intense agony all through his body. He was actually feeling his body. He was still lying on the sidewalk, the top of his head pressed against the brick building. But there was something else and it was all wrong. The side of his neck burned. Long black hair spread all around his right shoulder draping over different parts of his face. He screamed out hoarsely as he understood what he was feeling in the side of his neck and what the black hair belonged to. The thing smelled of mold and something else much more vile . As the burning spread out through all his veins, Simon’s panic mixed with confusion as he remembered he hadn't felt this way the first time being bitten. The sensation changed. It felt electrifying. His limbs vibrated with pleasure. He felt the vampire's fangs slide, somewhat painfully, out of his flesh. It reminded him of getting stitches after the numbing shot. The tingling he felt all through his body was much more important to him at this moment. The vampire stood up, fully in Simon’s view, and looked down at him. Its eyes were completely black and it smiled at him. Scraps of old black fabric hung from the crude dark tunic covering the natural vampire. Simon lay there motionless, afraid to do anything. A split second later, the thing burst into the air, still smiling down at him as it flew. Then, in a flash blurring southeast, it disappeared.
    Simon didn't get up for a long time. He watched the stars in the sky. He could see countless more than ever before, even on the clearest of nights. He could see water particles hanging in the air and small wisps of cloud beyond the vision of any human being. A wave of revulsion went over him as he realized what had happened, what he had become. He recalled all the years he had spent building his righteous life. He thought of all the horrible things he would have to do now if he was going to survive. His mind raced through his memory for everything he could recall about the filthy abominations. He began to sob as he lifted into a sitting position, bringing his knees to his chest. Tears flooded down his face. Even his emotions seemed to be amplified.
    He gripped the knees of his pants as he wept bitterly, ripping them. He looked at the torn material in both of his fists and threw it at the ground. He used his right shoulder to wipe away some of the tears. As soon as his shoulder was close, he smelled what he knew to be Peter's scent there. He wasn’t sure how he knew this, he just knew. His pain and horror faded to the back of his mind. He stood up quickly and deliberately. He could sense a trail of motion with Peter's scent. His heart was screaming out "Kill him." Simon made no hesitation. He broke into a run that caused the concrete and blacktop below him to burn into the rubber of his shoes. The friction of the wind warmed his body as he began following the scented trail. An exciting feeling came from inside his mouth. His canines extended. A shudder went through his body as he imagined himself ripping Peter apart with his bare teeth.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 7
    The Shadow of Death
     
     
     
     
     
     
    A shrill scream came from behind Hank and echoed off the surrounding houses. Although it was distant, Hank recognized the shrieking. It sounded just like the first vampire he’d encountered. He hooked his thumbs in the straps of his backpack, took a deep breath, and ran. He could see nothing but abandoned houses and empty streets. He veered toward the house closest to him. The house had a more modern style than most of the others. What little he could make out