Chapter 70 - Vladimir, Emperor of Bridgeport

When Vladimir arrived at home the next morning, he stood outside for a few minutes trying to figure out his next move. He could feel that he had changed with the takeover. It was successful and he now ruled the Bridgeport vampire coven. Elvira and William had laughingly dubbed him “The Emperor of Bridgeport”. The vampires now looked to him for guidance and sought out his protection in Bridgeport. He was their ruler.

At home, things were different.  He didn’t ‘rule’ over this household. Delia, Valerie and Victoria were his, but he had no control over them.  In fact, his love for them made him powerless.   It was love that bound them together, not power. He was completely at their mercy. As Vladimir thought about it, he knew it was time to address Delia’s unasked questions that hung in the air and threatened to destroy the love he had found with her and their children. It was a precious thing he never wanted to lose.

He went inside and went straight to his baby daughter and fortified himself in the warmth provided by Victoria’s unconditional love of him. Then he sought out the one person he may hurt more than ever today, his beautiful wife. She had bared her soul to him when he found her basement. Now it was his turn.

Delia took his breath away she was so beautiful. He told her he had fed and changed Victoria and she was sleeping. Valerie was in school and they needed to talk before she came home and Victoria woke.

Delia felt her heart skip a beat.  Those words never meant anything good. “What about?” she asked flippantly trying not to let him know she was deathly afraid of what he was going to tell her, especially in light of Francisco’s surprise appearance the night before.

“Let’s sit, it is a long story,” sighed Vladimir and he continued, “Delia, my love, you have told me everything about you and your bizarre past. Now, in order for me to keep what is most precious to me safe, it is time I told you everything about my past.” Delia just stared at him.  She wasn’t sure where this was going and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. She had adjusted to vampires in her house. What more could there be?

They sat down at the kitchen bar and Vladimir began his bizarre tale.  He told her about what he was really doing in Bridgeport.  That he was the leader of a coven of vampires and had just taken over from a previous leader that was evil. Doing that had now cost him his anonymity. With his Leadership, things would calm down and the in-fighting amongst the vampires would stop. But that was a double-edged sword.  As long as he was the Leader, he would have a target on his back for the rogue vampires that missed being able to feed whenever and wherever they wanted without regard to human life.

“Can’t we just leave Bridgeport?” asked Delia going to her fail safe method of dealing with problems. “No, I would be hunted down and destroyed,” explained Vladimir, “you and the girls would be in greater danger than you are now.”  “DANGER!? So, all of this has been a ruse!” exclaimed Delia, “The dinner parties, the house, Elvira – oh god – Elvira!  What of her. What exactly is your history?” Seeing the look on Vladimir’s face told her volumes and she got up to leave. Vladimir grabbed her and begged her to hear his story.  He had listened to hers, now it was time for her to hear him out.

Resigned, Delia sat back down at the table and Vladimir sat across from her. The look on her face was breaking his heart. “Okay, I am listening,” said Delia, knowing he was right. This was his time.

“Thank you Delia,” he whispered, “Please just let me finish this before you say anything more.”

Vladimir began:

It was a very long time ago.  I was married to my high school sweetheart, Rebecca. We lived in a small two bedroom house in Twinbrook, a place with many supernatural beings although at the time I thought that was only fairy tales and urban legends. Rebecca, she looked at me like you do Delia, with love in her eyes. We had just found out she was pregnant. We were so excited and wanted to celebrate.  I invited two of my buddies from work over to share the news. You know them today as William and Wogan. When they arrived we went inside. We were just going to hang out and watch a movie. 

Rebecca and I called dibs on the couch – no hard chair for the pregnant lady I said.  The two guys were getting ready to grab some chairs. Then, they stopped and told us to shut up; that they thought they heard something.  It sounded like someone was in the other room. 

I had never seen them so spooked.  I can still see the look on Wogan’s face to this day. William just got all macho like he was going to take care of everything.  I immediately put my arm around Rebecca as some sort of protective gesture I suppose.  



We all listened and when we heard nothing more, assumed it was the wind and settled in to watch the movie.  


Well, as it turned out, it wasn’t the wind at all and none of us were prepared for what was in the other room.  A very powerful, dark and evil vampire named Anastasia came into the room.  Later I found out she was the leader of the coven in Twinbrook and was looking to create more vampires to strengthen her coven. 

She had been hiding out waiting for me and Rebecca to arrive home in order to make us her next meal or possibly her newest recruits. She walked into the room and immediately used her mind control on all of us so that we couldn’t move from where we were seated.  There were no ropes or chains holding us in our seats, we were simply unable to move.  It was the worst day of my entire life as Anastasia began her bloody attack on us, one at a time. 

Vladimir paused, took a deep breath and went on:

She started with Rebecca. She laughed and said, “A pregnant woman – two for one – how exciting! Come here dearie!” And with that Rebecca had no will to disobey. She got up and walked over to Anastasia. Anastasia grabbed Rebecca’s arm and sucked her dry.  

Rebecca fell to the floor at my feet. Then the evil queen wiped Rebecca’s blood off her face and licked her lips.  

We were all helpless to do anything as we were stuck in our seats with no ability to defy her mind control.  I swore at that moment that I would have my revenge upon this evil monster as she surveyed the room to pick her next victim with my wife lying at my feet. 









She walked over to William next and with a sickly sweet smile told him he would make a really strong handsome vampire.  He said “Never, I would rather die!” She just laughed and said that could be arranged. She took his arm as she did Rebecca and fed from him until he slid down the wall and passed out.  Wogan and I were not able to do anything but sit and watch.


Next she called over poor Wogan. He pleaded with her but that only served to excite her more.  




Instead of taking his arm, she decided to go for the ‘gusto’ as she called it and bit him on the neck.  She let him fall to the floor when she was done with him. 

I was now the only one left.  She walked up to me as I sat on the couch with tears flowing down my face and unable to move.  The tears were not for me, but for my wife and unborn child as well as my two friends.  I wasn’t able to protect Rebecca and it was killing me.  I wanted Anastasia to take me and end my misery.  I was ready to die.  She put her arms around me and purred that she had definitley saved the best for last. That moment is seared into my memory like it was yesterday.




"I think I will enjoy feeding from your neck much better than that wimp Wogan," she said to me.

“What?” she asked when I said nothing, “Cat got your tongue, no last words or begging?  I like you. You won’t be joining the little woman; you will be mine. Don’t worry handsome, you will forget about her soon enough." And with that she sank her fangs into my neck and began to drink.  I blacked out thinking, even hoping, that I was going to die. 

After she was finished with us, she surveyed her handiwork and left.  She called one of her minions to come clean up, telling her to make sure William and I had no trouble ‘turning’. Pick one for yourself, she said, and I will take the other. Yes, Delia – her minion was Elvira.

When Elvira arrived, we were all still passed out – or dead in the case of Rebecca. She surveyed the damage much as Anastasia had done before she left.
  

Then Elvira set about checking to see who was alive and dead. She had to 'save' Wogan and turn him herself or he would have died. They still have a love/hate relationship to this day.  






I came to while Elvira was checking on Wogan and William. I didn’t even know she was there I was so focused on getting to Rebecca.  I pulled her lifeless body into my arms and I knew she was gone but I couldn’t put her down. I just held her. 

That is when I noticed Elvira. She had come over to the couch and just sat and watched me grieving over the loss of Rebecca.  I looked at her and thought I saw sadness in her eyes but it was quickly replaced by boredom. I wasn't afraid of her. I guess I didn't care what happened to me anymore. 


That’s when she spoke to me for the first time.  She told me my friends were resting in the bedroom; they would be ‘okay’ and so would I.  She promised to make the transition easier for us. I had no idea what she was talking about. What transition I asked her. To vampirism silly, she said as if it was no big deal. Just another 24 hours or so and it would be over she said before adding, Grimy will be here soon for Rebecca so hurry up and say your goodbyes “lover boy”.  Then she told me her name was Elvira, but I could call her El and winked at me. I was repulsed.  

Sure enough, the reaper came to claim Rebecca. Wogan and William must have heard because they came running in from the bedroom to where we were and began to mourn with me.  Even Elvira mourned.  I was flabbergasted. How dare she I thought. 

Later, after Rebecca was gone, I was amazed and suspicious at Elvira’s tenderness and concern for us. I began to talk to her to get information. She tried her best to comfort me. She was patient with me and explained who Anastasia was. She told me Anastasia was her creator, and now my creator too, which would make me very strong, but I would be bound to her as she was. Elvira also said that Anastasia was pure Evil. I was crazed with grief as I tried to take it all in. 

When I told Elvira I wanted to hunt down Anastasia and destroy her, her eyes lit up. Elvira also wanted her dead but couldn’t do it alone. When I said I would do anything, Elvira impulsively grabbed me and kissed me.  I surprised myself by kissing her back with some primal need. But it was only a kiss of need, not love.  I wasn’t proud of what I was doing, but my life had been forever changed and I needed that connection. We both needed to feel again and were searching for that in each other. We formed a bond that day and vowed that we would one day kill Anastasia for all the wrongs that she had brought upon Twinbrook, us and Rebecca. Wogan and William readily agreed to help us.  

Later, before our final transformation, Elvira fixed us all our ‘last supper’.  All of us were enamored with her. She knew that as soon as the curse took hold and we all transformed we would only want to drink blood. As I was finishing my ‘last supper’, the transformation took hold of me.  I began to sweat and things began to hurt as I succumbed to the inevitable curse that was given to me by Anastasia and became a vampire; what I am today Delia. 









I became the unofficial ‘leader’ of the rebel gang of four; me, Elvira, Wogan and William. Together we set out to hunt down and destroy Anastasia for what she had done to us and countless others. That was our sole purpose in our now immortal lives. 

Delia was dumbfounded and silent tears were rolling down her cheeks as Vladimir told her his story. She had never really thought about how Vladimir had become a vampire. She wanted to comfort Vladimir and began, “Vladimir, I am so sorry. I had no idea you were married before and to lose your wife like you did is horrifying…”  “DON’T Delia!!!!” shouted Vladimir, “Just DON’T say anything. I am not finished.  It gets worse. Just let me finish, please!”  Delia was shocked at his outburst and wondered how it could possibly get worse so said nothing.

Vladimir continued….

The four of us became inseparable.  We knew we had to hide from Anastasia as we formulated our plan to capture and kill her. We built a dungeon under my house; one that a vampire would be unable to escape from. We lured her back to my house. Elvira and I were the bait, or rather I was. Elvira helped because Anastasia trusted her. Elvira had told Anastasia that the three of us had escaped and that the ‘girl’ was dead. Anastasia wanted me really badly. His blood was divine is what she told Elvira. She wanted me for her MATE!  


The day finally came to rid our lives of Anastasia.  Elvira told her she had found out I was hiding in a basement below the house where she had turned me.  She bought it and came to visit. I took her down and showed her the ‘bed’ I prepared for her. I acted like it was in her honor in exchange for the ‘gift’ of immortality that she had bestowed upon me. It sickened me to say those things to her. She went down and lay upon the bed.  That was her mistake. 

As Anastasia eagerly tried out the bed, we closed the door and locked it.  Elvira knew a witch that could place a spell on the door so it could never be opened from the inside.  

Anastasia was entombed in her final resting place. It took almost a year for her to expire. Most vampires would only have lasted a couple of weeks. We could hear it when the time came. She literally woke the dead with her screams before everything went deathly silent. 

 Finally after several days of silence we gathered our nerve and opened the door that had been locked for almost a year.  All that was left of Anastasia was a pile of dust.  

I would like to say we celebrated, but we didn’t. We had taken a life and as much I felt like I would savor the revenge, I didn’t. We somberly left Twinbrook that day for Bridgeport.  As soon as the word got out we would be hunted down by those loyal to Anastasia. 

When we arrived at Bridgeport we just tried to blend in with the other vampires.  I had become very strong having been the one to inherit Anastasia’s power once she died since she died at my home. We managed to live in here in Bridgeport in peace for almost 100 years. Then for the last few years, the Bridgeport vampires started to become like Anastasia and began killing people and leaving them for everyone to find.  They were close to exposing themselves and alerting the human vampire hunters that we were living here. It was disgusting what they were doing. The four of us decided to round up additional vampires that shared our view and overthrow the existing ruler. Things were too much out of control. I met you soon after we started our takeover and you know the rest. 

Delia got up. She wasn’t sure what she was going to say and she saw Francisco out of the corner of her eye watching which made her more determined to make this work.

Vladimir continued as she rose:  “Don’t get me wrong, Delia, I haven't been Snow White. I fed on human blood, but I have never killed anyone else since Anastasia. I have wanted to, but resisted the impulse remembering how unfulfilling it was to exterminate the evil queen. And, Delia, I haven’t loved anyone since Rebecca - until you. Yes, I have had affairs; there were many including Elvira.  But you showed me how to love again; something I thought was impossible.  Elvira knows I never loved her. She doesn’t love me either. We were just convenient and we had no one else. True, she is jealous of you. She misses the intimacy of our relationship but you have nothing to be jealous of. You are my light, my world, my reason to live. You, Valerie and Victoria…nothing else matters.”

Delia was confused. She had a horrible past and Vladimir was able to accept it and her. Now she was required to do the same and found it was much more difficult than she thought. She knew he was a ‘vampire’ and drank from her, but it was so erotic. It didn’t seem evil at all, but what he had just described was the embodiment of evil.

Vladimir had professed his love but at the same time told her he was a monster and had now put their lives in danger. And he had this bond to Elvira that she could never overcome. She hated Elvira, but if not for her, Vladimir wouldn’t be here now. She felt like this was only the tip of the iceberg. Was this her normal or maybe her paranormal?

Delia took a deep breath, put a smile on her face and walked over to her husband. She lovingly caressed his face to let him know he still had her love. Then, she thought of something; her cure potion. It cured the zombies. Could it cure Vladimir? If so, they could cure Elvira, William and Wogan.  They could be normal again. Maybe being normal wasn’t entirely out of her reach.

Delia was determined to accept Vladimir’s past as he had done with her and move forward; not run away as she has always done. It was springtime and she could begin to make the ingredients needed for the cure potions. When it was ready, she would surprise him with her gift. For now all she could do was show him that she still loved him so she put her arms around him and kissed him sweetly before little Victoria interrupted with a wail and brought them quickly into the present.

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