The New Immortal

Why am I in the forest? I look around and begin to rise, overwhelmed by confusion but strangely at peace. My first reaction was to cover myself with the blanket I was lying upon, as my skin started to itch, like the sun was two feet from my face. The sun felt blisteringly hot which seemed peculiar, because it was only mid morning. The shade was my savior as I covered myself with the blanket and moved underneath an oak tree of massive proportions. I stopped to admire the beauty of the forest, its tranquility, and the purity of nature, animals, and plants within it. The trees and branches providing home to many birds, whose calls served as a wake up for the rest of the forest. The rain from the night’s storm collecting on the leaves of trees, then slowly dripping to the ground and quenching the soil’s thirst. Oddly enough, I felt more a part of my environment than ever before, no different from a wolf or any other primal carnivore. I had never been much of an outdoors person and this sudden connection peaked my curiosity.
As my stomach began to growl, I stood up, trying to gain a sense of location, and decided it would be best to head home so as not to worry my family any more. Maybe they would know more about my night than I did. I began my trek moving from one spot of shade to the next, secret agent like; luckily, the clouds were of aid in my shelter from the sun. My course was laden with difficulty, circling numerous times, as I was unable to find any familiar landmarks and after much wandering my house was finally in sight. As I started towards my house a flashback from the previous night played inside my head. A large set of white fangs pierced my neck, drawing blood, but devoid of any sense of pain. I was unable to make any advance against my stranger; he had attacked with surprise, his hands like two steel brackets against my neck, prohibiting any movement. In contrast, I felt more alive than ever before, as fast as a speeding bullet, with the strength of twenty men. Was this flashback what had really occurred last night, or something of wishful thinking and of my own imagination? My mind was racing, unsure whether to trust my own thoughts and memories. I needed to clear my head, think rationally, there was certainly a better explanation to last night. This could be a dream, and a bad one at that. No, everything was too real. An immense hunger soon began to override all of my other senses, becoming my only focus. I could see a field of horses off to my right, and before I could react I was moving towards the field, sprinting to be exact. Launching myself onto the meatiest horse I could find, tearing into his flesh and muscle with the utmost brutality, desperate for the warm blood to course through my parched veins. The rest of the horses fled in fright, as I drank from the horse, feeling stronger with each pulse from his dying heart.
I must have fed for hours, for when I looked up, the sky was dark and the moon shone, as a slight evening breeze ran through my hair. My mind was clear now that I had quenched my thirst. I rose from the dead carcass of the horse, and chose to return to the place in the forest where I had been attacked the night before, in search of answers.
The forest was the same as I had left it and as I searched for any signs of my attacker, I stumbled upon my reflection in a puddle. My new appearance startled me as I studied my new features. My normally tan complexion was now pale, and my incisors must have at least doubled in length. My reflection had confirmed my suspicions; my head began to spin, as I finally understood my transformation. The newfound strength, speed, hunger, all of it, fit perfectly into place, I was now a vampire.
With sudden surprise and fear, I noticed I was surrounded but I did not feel threatened, rather I felt at home among this group of strangers. One of them began to address me, she was a woman, and clearly the leader, “You are one of us now. There are two options before you, either you join us and live with others who will help you become accustomed to your new body and understand you. Or you return to your old life and try to retain some sense of normalcy.” She was right, my old life would never be entirely normal. Some of my powers would be easier to conceal than others but, I would forever feel distant and isolated even from those I had known my entire life. In addition, I would have to stay out of the daylight and avoid any other situations that would cause speculation. Whereas, if I chose to leave with this group, I would be leaving all my friends and family, relationships that I held very close to my heart.
Although I did not know any of these people, I felt a strong sense of belonging, and felt my life would be easier if I felt accepted. With uncertainty, I addressed the woman, “I have chosen to join you.”
“Good,” she replied. “We were never meant to live among them. You will find it easiest to adjust to your new life, among those who have already made the transition. Welcome, to the brotherhood.”