Brac's Blog 

The Story of Helena the Vampire 

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Picture One - Introduction (Posted on 1/2/23)

Greetings! My name is Brac and I am here to tell the story of Helena. I hope this blog proves both entertaining and informative. I happened to meet Helena a few years ago and she told me her life story. I decided (as a very successful author) to retell it along with some of the pictures I created to help the reader understand her story (I am also a very successful artist). Helena is very old. I don’t mean old in terms of the typical ages you would consider someone old, I mean old in terms of centuries. Helena was born during the ancient times of the Druids in what is now the country of Wales. She grew up as one of the most well respected females in her clan. Druid females were often called “Bandruls” and on the eve of her 23rd birthday she was set to become what was equivalent to a princess in her clan. 

 

If you haven’t guessed already, Helena is a Vampire. 

 

Helena went to sleep with anticipation of the next day, not realizing hours later her life would change forever. The rest is in her own words….

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Picture Two - The Bite (Posted on 1/3/23)

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I was so excited. I was on the eve of my 23rd birthday and in a few days following my birthday I would be wearing the crown of my clan as one of the leaders. I guess it was close to what we now know as a “princess”. My stomach was in knots as I tried to fall asleep that evening. 

 

I was half asleep when I heard a sound that felt like a gust of wind and by the time my eyes were clear - a hooded figure was on top of me and I felt something bite my neck. I grabbed a knife that was on a stand next to my bed and stabbed the mysterious figure as hard as I could. In a millisecond the unwanted guest was gone. I felt my neck and there was blood on my hand. I grabbed a cloth to press against the wound and the bleeding seemed to stop within a minute and fell asleep a few minutes later.

 

I woke up the next day and noticed the blood on the knife and decided to clean it. I picked up the knife and felt a sense of strength I have never felt before. I felt empowered and invincible. I felt protected and perfect. I put the knife down and every single one of those senses went away. I decided to keep the knife with me at all times. 

 

I spent the next day visiting with the villagers and they were just as excited for my coronation. I loved to walk around in the nearby forest and marvel at the creatures and beauty of the trees. However, it started to rain and I returned to my hut. 

 

The next day, the eve of my coronation it was a bit overcast but I went outside to take my daily walk. It wasn’t long before I felt warm and noticed my skin beginning to burn. The pain became so intense that I ran back to my hut. I was confused and scared and waiting for the sun to set. I tried again to go outside and there was no burning sensation. I hadn’t eaten anything in over a day and yet was very hungry - but with no desire for food. I went back into the woods to gather my thoughts and noticed a nearby deer about 100 feet away. In a millisecond I was on top of the deer finishing every last drop of blood from its lifeless body. I felt strong and satisfied, but looked at the dead deer at my feet and realized I was changing and I needed to think how I would manage my new existence. 

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Picture Three - The Exit - (Posted on 1/4/23)

I went back to my hut and was greeted by my father. He said he had good news for me as my ceremony would take place the next day and he had found someone for me to marry from a very respected clan. I was in a daze but came back to my senses and asked if the ceremony could be held in the evening instead of the day and be held next week vs. this week. He reluctantly agreed and I knew I had bought some time. 

 

I stayed in my hut all day and went out at sundown. The area villagers began to talk about missing livestock and could not explain what was happening. I didn’t care. I felt strong, confident and invincible. I was also able to walk a bit in the sun before my skin would start to burn again, I couldn’t figure out why (years later I figured this out). I avoided people and would stay in my hut as much as possible.

 

The night before my coronation had arrived and I began to believe I could live this new life intertwined with what my reign would bring to my current existence. I sat on my bed and watched the moon glow in the night - it seemed more brilliant than before. I heard a knock on my door, I went to open it thinking it was my father. 

 

It wasn’t, it was another gentleman, rather well dressed and tall. He said his name was Cathbad and he was honored to become my husband. My brain went into overdrive and I realized I had forgotten about my arranged marriage. I invited him in to talk but my sense to feed became overwhelming. I think we were talking about his siblings when I threw him to the wall and drank every last drop of blood from his now dead body. The rush was a hundred times more than drinking the blood of animals. I sat in my hut for five minutes before I realized the implications of what I had done. There were only two things left to do in my mind.

 

The first was easy, take his body to the woods and bury it. The second was much harder. I knew I had to leave my village and family as I would only bring hurt and despair to them. That same night I began to run and realized I could run as fast as the wind. I ran until I reached the coast and a small port with boats. I approached someone who was on his private boat and asked him if I could ride with him. He asked me where I was going and I told him anywhere but here. We got on the boat and it started to rain. He handed me what would become known as an umbrella. This simple tool kept me dry and I also realized it could offer protection from the sun. I thanked him and then killed him. I realized I was a savage but felt remorse for my actions. My instincts were now being challenged by my heart. I went further out into the ocean with no sense of direction or what to do. I wanted to hide and it would be around another 1000 years before I felt comfortable to return to society. 

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Brac

Helena traveled for months on her small boat. The umbrella came in very hand when it came to sunny days although most days were cloudy and rainy. Helena was not able to feed like she could before and would often become tired but never weak as long as she held onto her knife. She drifted and drifted until she reached what would become modern day Morocco. 

 

Picture 4 - My Celebrated Arrival - (Posted on 1/5/23)

I landed in a strange land that featured people I have never seen before, warmer weather and a lot of sand. I was both terrified and excited about who I had become. I found a small city as well as a lot of people using umbrellas in the day time, so I didn’t feel that out of the ordinary. I found what would be called today a library and tried to research what I had become. The term was “Motetz Dam” which means “blood sucker”. I was immortal and would continue to need blood to sustain myself. If I chose I could also go to sleep as long as I wanted if I was in a situation where blood was not available. I decided this was the route to go for the meantime. I found a burial ground, dug myself a spot and went to sleep… for nearly a 1000 years.

 

I was jolted awake by the shaking of the ground (later known as an “earthquake”). I waited until the sun had gone down to rise out of the dirt and survey my surroundings. I was astonished to see villages around me and people walking around. I was able to feed at the expense of some innocent lives and my strength began to increase. I began to travel across Morocco, Algeria and Libya and shortly after arrived in Cairo, Egypt. It was nothing I had ever seen before.

 

I marveled at the buildings, the people, the culture and the pyramids (some were still being built). However, I became the item people started to celebrate and marvel at. I didn’t look like the rest of the people and the citizens became infatuated with how I looked, my stories of Europe and my travels. I was able to feed at night on a regular basis and could walk in the sun at times. I felt strong and happy to be part of this community (I was quite popular). I found myself catching the eye of many men including a rising political figure named Amenhotep. 

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Picture 5 - Culture, War, Marriage and Rae - (Posted on 1/6/23)

Amenhotep was about to become a Pharaoh. In ancient Egypt a Pharaoh was both a leader - politically and religiously. I became part of his court and would often remain inside his palace. This was fine with me as it kept me out of the sun. However, at night I was able to feed so it wasn’t unusual for me to be outdoors for periods of time. I kept my knife on my person at all times. I felt beautiful and important as more and more people began to treat me as their future queen. I was also well known as a political figure. Women could be strong leaders in Ancient Egypt. In 1388 BC I was wed to Amenhotep and my reign as his queen began.

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Life was very peaceful and my husband became very well known for promoting culture and had an eye for architecture and the arts. Egypt prospered. One evening, raiders from a nearby country attacked Cairo in the middle of the night. We did not have a big army, in fact the military was made up mostly by volunteers. The attacking army was 300 men strong and I killed them all within five minutes. The next morning I was considered a great military leader and was put in charge of developing a more significant military presence in Egypt. I was given a staff and servants, which is when I met Rae. 

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Rae became my assistant, she was with me at all times. She was very sweet and a dedicated servant. However, having someone so close to me at all times made it difficult to feed. At this point, if I fed two times a week and had my knife on me at all times, I could live a relatively normal life. Rae would leave me when I would retire to my chambers each night. I would quickly leave and feed and bury my victim, which was usually a prostitute (who disappeared often as it was). One night I brought someone back to my chambers to feed. In the middle of my meal Rae walked in and was horrified. I slammed the door shut and pinned her up against the wall in a matter of a second. I told her she was to never speak to anyone about this. I was surprised when she told me she thought of me as a goddess and would help me in any way. It was from that moment on that Rae would bring me my victims.

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Picture 6 - My second death and second exit - (Posted on 1/7/23)

This perfect relationship had gone on for five years. Rae viewed me as someone unique and special vs. strange and different. My strength was incredible and I could spend as much time as I wanted in the sun. I became very involved in planning new statues, fountains and the inner workings of the Pyramids (I found it interesting years later when they were unearthed and items I made were discovered). Rae and I were the same age in human years and her dedication to me helped her rise up in the court of the Pharaoh. However, the other servants had grown jealous of her and would want to follow her around to get an idea of the inner workings of my life. 

 

This combined with my husband becoming jealous of my ranking in the country. I began to sense he was having people watch me. He was now 45 years old, very obese with weak bones. He rarely left his chamber and would often want to enter my chamber for sex. His appearance appalled me but I never brought in another lover. I was more concerned that he might find me feeding one day. I confided in Rae about this and we both agreed he was close to death and we should continue our plan. Rae said she would guard my room anytime I was feeding. 

 

A few months went by and everything had returned to normal (whatever normal was at this point). One evening I was feeding on a prostitute when my door bust open and a very feeble Amenhotep entered and was halted in his tracks by the site of me sucking the blood out of a random girl. Rae quickly entered and slammed the door stating that she had walked away for no more than a few moments when Amenhotep entered my room. My mind raced on what to do and in my recklessness I threw him onto the bed and drained him of every single ounce of blood. Then I picked him up and left him on his bed. 

 

I returned to my room and saw a distraught Rae sitting on my bed. I told her that I had to leave before any suspicion arose. She wanted to come with me and I told her that would not be wise and that she deserved to live her own life. I grabbed an umbrella, threw some of my clothes into a bag, kissed Rae on the forehead and was out of Cairo in less than a minute. I was at the coast in moments and found an empty boat there. I untied it, jumped into the boat and never looked back. I had to start over….

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Brac

Helena was heartbroken as she arrived back in Europe in modern day France. She decided to go back into a long slumber and awaken when she was ready to return to the world. She found a cemetery near a church and a coffin. She dug a hole big enough for the coffin and climbed in. It wasn’t long before a caretaker for the cemetery saw the open grave and covered it with dirt. 1800 years passed by in the blink of an eye before Helena returned to a very changed world.

 

Picture 7 - Wounded Warrior - (Posted on 1/8/23)

I awoke from my 1800 year slumber when a fleeting moment of my past life flashed through my head. I was startled and decided to take a look outside. I checked to make sure the sun was down and since it was, I ventured out again onto the soil. The world looked different. I knew I was back in Europe for the first time in a very long time but the countryside looked bland and depressed. I walked into the woods and found a deer and fed on it for the first time (I found it 1800 years later) and I felt my strength return a bit. I knew I would have to feed more in order to become a daywalker, but for now I was ok. I soon came across a town and an elderly lady noticed me. She saw my ragged condition and asked if I was ok. I told her I was lost (that usually worked) and she invited me into a unique looking structure with an interesting object at the top (she told me it was called a “cross”). She allowed me to bathe and clean up and offered to feed me. I politely declined and told her I had just eaten. She offered me a small room with one window - I accepted as the sun would be coming up soon. I sat against the wall that was completely out of the sunlight and began to think of my days in Egypt, my strength, my warrior and queenly status and of course Rae (who would have been long gone by now). I decided to talk to my caretaker the next day about the current status of the world.

 

Her name was Roselyn and she said she was a nun; a servant of God. She told me about her religion and I was fascinated. In Egypt people worshiped Gods, she worshiped a single, solitary figure she claimed to have existed. However, she even questioned her current belief in God as there was so much death in the world. Roselyn said people were dying due to a condition that would later be known as the “Black Death”. I began to wonder what would happen to me if this disease entered my body. While I walked the Earth I had never heard of a plague and always thought my body was immortal. I stayed with Roselyn a few more days, going out at night to feed in the woods, with my knife, I was now able to walk in the day for a few hours. I left the next evening using my speed to travel and stopped to feed at least once a night. I reached the city of Paris within two days. 

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Picture 8 - The Definition of Evil - (Posted on 1/9/23)

Paris was bigger than Cairo. The structures were magnificent and I saw more monasteries like Roselyn’s - but on a much bigger scale. I found a room above a boulangerie and decided to stay there because there was only one window and it had a covering on it that prevented sunlight from entering the room (interestingly it was later known as a shade when I always assumed shade was what you received when standing under a tree). The plague was rampant in Paris but offered me many opportunities to feed on people who otherwise would die. 

 

I fed every evening, often multiple times. I would just leave the bodies in the street as a cart would come every day to pick up dead bodies. No one noticed bite marks or thought something was wrong. However, a change was taking place within me. The blood tasted the same but wasn’t calming. It made me act differently. I felt invincible once again but I felt evil. I wanted to kill - not just to feed. I was hypnotized by the fact I could kill and no one would think any different due to the death that was all around the city. I had no remorse, I was a machine and couldn’t be stopped. I believe I murdered hundreds and hundreds of people over the course of only a few months. I was drunk with power, I’d become the definition of evil.

 

I guess you could equate how I felt to someone who was addicted to drugs. That instant rush would initially satisfy the hunger but fade quickly. However, it wasn’t fading in me, it got stronger and stronger. At the same time, I was forever 23 years old and beautiful. I didn’t have a problem with men wanting to marry me. Women were jealous of me. And I realized that if I held a position of leadership in this city, my power would be limitless. This is how delusional I had become. I was introduced to King Philip IV. King Philip wasn’t having the reign that he had hoped for. He was locked into the 100 years war, France had been defeated in several battles and now the plague was engulfing his country. I told him I had a plan to help clear the bodies from the city and that if he would make me nobility I could help. He was happy to crown me and jokingly referred to me as the “Queen of Death'' (he had no idea). 

 

I was free to reign at night and feed. My presence scared many others and my appearance seemed to frighten others (I tended to wear all black and wore my crown at all times) but I didn’t care. Just like in Egypt, I had power and my plan was to grow stronger. 

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One night that all changed….

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Picture 9 - Change of Heart and Scenery - (Posted on 1/10/23)

I would go into homes and ask if any bodies needed to be taken away. Once I had the body I would drink from it and make sure it was disposed of. I did this for over a year and Paris began to slowly but surely recover. Philip died in 1350 and was followed by his son John - so asked me to continue my service to the king. The plague seemed to end a couple of years later and the ease of which I could feed began to diminish. 

I used to be evil and satisfied and now I was evil and hungry. The people of Paris felt comfortable to once again walk the streets and feeding became increasingly difficult. I was desperate one evening and found myself at an orphanage. My hunger took over and I fed on a small child. The warmth of the blood rushed over me followed by what felt like a smack across my face. However, no one else was there. I realized what I had done as I gazed upon the lifeless child in front me. I quickly buried the child as an overwhelming sense of guilt and grief passed over me.

This feeling wasn’t one I could remember having. I felt terrible for what I had done and overall felt this way about my entire time in Paris. I grew hungry with power and used that to my advantage. I decided this would never happen again and told King John I was going to leave Paris due to the end of the plague (not mentioning my devastation). I returned to see Roselyn as I decided to leave France and go to England. I was told she passed away peacefully a year earlier and that she did mention me on her dying bed. The year was 1360 and I boarded a boat to England and decided to once again sleep. I found a cemetery near the shore line, once again I dug a hole and filled it back up. I felt peaceful and hoped that when I awoke again 1800 years later that things would be better. However, it was only about 480 years before my time on Earth was renewed. 

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Brac

Helena awoke to a very different world vs. the last time she spent time on earth. This period of time made her realize that no matter what, it was better to stay on earth instead of missing what happened over time. It was also the last time her knife would be of any significance in her existence. Helena awoke in the “modern” age. Her existence was about to change dramatically. 

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Picture 10 - My how life has changed - (Posted on 1/11/23)

I awoke out of my slumber due the sound of a loud rumbling. Luckily it was sundown when I awoke and noticed something moving at a fast pace on what looked like a set path. I was eventually told this was a train and it was racing along the tracks (I still think I’m faster). I awoke in a very different age, a modern world and I marveled at what my old eyes were witnessing. I felt more at peace. My time in the middle ages was done and over with. I wanted to explore and find the most populated city possible to start this new page of my life. I moved quickly across the country side, feeding on animals to build up strength and still had my knife which helped me to endure when I didn’t have the energy to feed. 

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I had heard a lot about the city of London when I was in Paris. The war painted a dark picture of the city but I was curious to see it for myself. I arrived in London around 1840 and found myself in a city unlike anything I had ever seen before. There were plenty of places to stay and I found an apartment above a newspaper company. I was able to feed at night quite easily and my strength began to build up. In a few weeks I was able to walk during the day (still using an umbrella) and enjoyed sitting in Trafalgar Square, watching the people. The residents seemed so refined, so happy. I thought about how I would handle myself if I didn’t go to sleep and stayed awake in this world. I realized I would have to move often and possibly make up new names that I was not recognized. I wanted to be part of something - even if it was for only a short period of time - and that was when I heard two people talking about how the Everett Household needed a new caretaker in the city. I loved the idea of helping out on a much smaller scale. I visited the home, interviewed with his butler, and I had a new place to live and work at the estate of the esteemed James Everett.

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Picture 11 - The Amazing Mr. Everett - (Posted on 1/12/23)

Mr. Everett was involved with building around London and had become very wealthy. He owned a beautiful and spacious mansion (his home reminded me of a church) in the city and there were several maids working in his home as well as the butler. I was hired to be his personal maid. Another one of the maids took care of the home and the other maid was for his wife, Gabriella. I would take care of his personal needs and make sure everything was in place when he hosted people at his home. He was often not at home so for the most part I stayed in the mansion and would often venture out at night to feed. I got along with the other maids (they were older than me in regular years) and enjoyed this new lifestyle. I figured I could do this for about a decade before moving on. 

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A few months went by and Mr. Everett would often host clients at his home and I would assist. I began to spend more and more time with Mr. Everett and he seemed to enjoy my company. Gabriella would often host her own parties and while those were happening, I would sit and talk with Mr. Everett. I enjoyed hearing about his travels, especially the trips he took to this country across the ocean called the United States. I often mentioned my travels to Egypt and Paris (of course not mentioning they were centuries apart). I began to visit the library in the home and read about everything that had happened since my time in Paris. I loved this current time, learning so much during the day, spending time with Mr. Everett and going out at night to feed. 

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I also began to spend time with Gabriella. In human years she was 22. She married Mr. Everett just two years ago and was from an elite family from the United Kingdom. She would often confide in me about her marriage (Mr. Everett was 40) and how she loved him, but they had nothing in common (where I had a lot in common with him). She had a circle of friends she liked to spend time with and would invite me (although I would often decline unless the parties were in the evening). Gabriella was a beautiful redhead (like me) and would often shop for new dresses and had a love for animals. I helped her pick out a beautiful Standard Poodle (she named it Winky - and I had the pleasure to walk at night). I began to feel like I was more than a maid. I was an important part of the life of Gabriella and the life of James Everett - but in a very separate way. I loved Gabriella as a friend and realized I had feelings of a different sort for Mr. Everett. I felt more like the wife vs. the maid. I began to have these feelings towards Gabriella that I had never sensed before (jealousy) and hated when she would leave the home to go with Mr. Everett to different functions while I stayed at home to clean and organize. I needed to keep my feelings to myself so that nothing like Egypt or Paris would repeat itself. 

Six months later - life would change again….

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Picture 12 - On the run again with a teammate - (Posted on 1/13/22)

I was still spending a lot of time with Mr. Everett, he would even ask for my opinion on his business deals and often left me gifts, saying that they “thank yous” for my great assistance. I would try to keep my schedule the same as the rest of the household so I would “turn-in” to sleep at 11:00 pm. I would often read or paint all night or escape into the city to feed. I would “sleep” from sundown until about 10 am (when my day would start). 

It was a cool fall evening when Mr. Everett visited my room. I sat on my bed and he began to tell me how he and Gabriella were growing more distant due to their age difference. I tried to show empathy while my brain raced with a certain satisfaction of this news. He asked if he could talk to me about this as he trusted me and felt I was mature beyond my years (he had no idea). I told him that he could visit me anytime he wished.

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A month later he entered my room but I didn’t hear him knock due to a thunderstorm that wreaked havoc outside. I noticed him in my room as I was changing. My thoughts were racing as I moved towards him and kissed him. He reciprocated and we made love the rest of the night. This affair continued for over two months as I walked the delicate balance between my affair with Mr. Everett and my friendship with Gabriella. I hadn’t felt this “alive” since my days in Egypt and didn’t want it to end. I felt needed for the first time since Egypt, Gabriella was my new Rae and I could feed as often as I wished. The only raging battle was within my own body - a growing sense of jealousy towards Gabriella and the life she had - that I now wanted.

A few months later I was combing Gabriella’s hair. This was something I did often, she would talk to me about her life and the latest gossip. She began to mention how she wanted to stay with Mr. Everett and they even began to talk about having children together. She also mentioned how she was going to have me transferred to another home so that they could have the money for a Governess to raise the children. 

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My body raged, my mind raced and my only thoughts were to kill Gabriella so I could be with Mr. Everett. I did not want to leave the home and my anger grew. Gabriella turned towards me. I couldn’t control myself. I didn’t want to control myself. I threw her onto the bed and drank from her until I heard a knock on the door. Gabriella was unconscious, blood drained from her neck, I assumed I had killed her and quickly moved her body to the terrace. I wiped the blood from my face and answered the door. Mr. Everett was at the door and said he was here to ask Gabriella a question. I lied and told him she had stepped out for a moment but would be back soon. He smiled and kissed me passionately, heading back into the hallway. 

 

I turned towards the terrace and there was Gabriella in the doorway staring right back at me. I was ready for her to scream but instead she fell to the floor. I walked cautiously towards her and realized two fangs had developed in her mouth and she felt cold to the touch. I stood up in shock and looked back at the bed as my knife faded away and disappeared into dust. Gabriella stood up and stumbled towards me and bit into my wrist the way a baby would latch onto a nipple. She drank from me and I realized that Gabriella was no longer human, she was a vampire. She stopped drinking and looked up at me and said “What are you? And how long have you been having an affair with my husband?!”

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I told her what happened. She said she was hungry and wanted to leave the room and feed. I told her to stay put as I needed to think about what to do as my mind raced. The door opened again and it was Mr. Everett. In less than a second Gabriella had raced towards him and drank every last ounce of blood from his body. She laughed afterwards, saying “this was the closest to him she had felt in years”. I grabbed her and raced with her to the garden. She was still delirious when I told her to stay put as I dealt with the body of Mr. Everett - but Gabriella grabbed someone tending to the garden and drained them. She looked up at me and said “we have to leave - we cannot stay here”. I had run away so many times already but realized if we didn’t leave London, the consequences would be very different than before. I gently cleaned off her face and then grabbed her hand and ran. In seconds we were at the port of London. I found an empty boat, stole it and Gabriella and I began our adventure out to sea. I looked back at the shore line thinking of Mr. Everett. I had to keep her away from people, I had to keep myself away from London, I had a responsibility now that I had never had before. I had both a child for life. I realized my knife disappeared the moment I accidentally turned Gabriella into a vampire. The knife was my companion and was replaced with Gabriella.

 

We stayed inside the boat during the day and would sail at night. We sustained ourselves on the blood of fish until we arrived to another shore. Gabriella grew weaker as she needed more blood. A few months passed before we arrived in what would become the commonwealth of Australia. We remained there for about sixty plus years. I taught her as much as I could about being a vampire, we had plenty of moments to feed and slowly but surely Gabriella learned how to keep her rage in check. In 1912 I decided to leave Australia and go to the country I had read and heard so much about - the United States of America. Gabriella wanted to go with me so we agreed to stay together. We boarded a boat bound for New York City. 

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Brac

Helena and Gabriella had entered the modern age and a new country. A centuries old Helena (23) and Gabriella who would have been in her 80’s was stuck at 22. They were a year apart in actual age but light years apart in being vampires. Gabriella provided companionship yet presented even more problems. Helena had made the decision to no longer sleep for thousands of years… how would her new existence be impacted by continuously staying on the move?

 

Picture 13 - The Arrival - (Posted on 1/14/23)

 

The boat ride was difficult at times due to rough weather. Gabriella and I had chances to feed on dying passengers so we were able to keep our strength up but we rarely went on deck. We spent our time going over why Gabriella had to maintain control at all times. While in Australia I learned how to hide my fangs and only use them when feeding, but Gabriella tended to keep her mouth closed as she still felt uneasy in her new life. We both realized that in order to maintain a lifestyle in the modern world we would need to have money and save. I did have money from London and knew I could exchange it when arriving in the United States but we would have to find a way to make sure we had a home, security and most of all, a way to feed. 

 

The boat arrived at Ellis Island but we stayed on the boat until the sun went down and left the boat on a cool and rainy autumn evening. We both laughed as we were processed as sisters and we exited the welcoming center and onto the promenade. We looked out to the incredible scene that was New York City. London was captivating but old - New York was exciting and modern (we both marveled at the Statue of Liberty - I remember reading about it when France gave it to the United States). I was excited to explore and see this country, but in reality, my daily life now revolved around Gabriella.

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Picture 14 - Gabriella - (Posted on 1/15/23)

In all my years I had never met another vampire. I could barely remember my first days as a vampire and how I felt and the hunger that grew inside of me on a daily basis. I was turned at a very different time and learned how to manage on my own. Gabriella was different. She was often reckless and violent and would often rebel. While I still had a sense of my own humanity, Gabriella at times was wild and only had fleeting moments of reality and calmness. I spent most of our time in Australia trying to make her realize she could not kill at random, what kind of consequences that could bring and that while at times we could be social, for the most part we had to stay together and out of the public. 

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Gabriella grew up in a very different time and that impacted her a great deal when she became a vampire. It took several years before I would go outside with her (I would bring victims home) and allow her to see other people. It turned into a cycle where Gabriella would feed, have the ability to be herself for about three days, begin to turn again to a killing machine and then feed again (and repeat). Once I established this pattern, it was much easier to leave our home and try to have some semblance of a life. It was only at this point that I felt we could take a long boat ride. I taught Gabriella how to use her strength to run at amazing speeds, how to kill when no one would notice and how to use alternate sources for blood (like animals).

 

In reality, that was all I really knew in regards to being a vampire. There were times I wanted Gabriella to disappear and times when I loved her like a daughter. The reality was, I felt strong when she was around and realized that bond replaced what the knife meant to me. I didn’t want to lose her and made the decision to build my life around her. 

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It was that moment that someone passed by us and Gabriella lunged at him in an attempt to feed, I reeled her back in, something that had happened plenty of times prior to this one. 

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Picture 15 - Parenting Problems - (Posted on 1/16/23)

Gabriella began to become more manageable at the turn of the century. We were able to find an apartment in Sydney and would stay in during the day and only go out at night. We would feed on the same nights by using our speed to enter a hospital, feed on a patient that was near death and get out as fast as possible. However, this sense of normalcy presented problems as Gabriella wanted to enter the social scene. She even spoke about falling in love and having a family and the lifestyle she once had in England. I tried to explain to her that while a social existence might be possible, it was now impossible to have things like a family and a long term relationship. It took years to firmly plant the idea in her head that while other people would age, she would not. She would have to keep moving in order to not bring attention to herself and what we truly were. 

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It didn’t help that Gabriella was beautiful. She drew attention everywhere she went. I didn’t have the same interest that she did to enter the social scene, but would go with her to simply watch over her and make sure she didn’t do anything to force us to move again. I felt like a big sister watching over her little sister to make sure nothing bad would happen to her. Most of the time this worked, but there were several times I had to dispose of a body that had been a meal of convenience for Gabriella. I would bear that for having some semblance of a normal life with Gabriella. 

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For many years Gabriella would kill with little regard for her victim. I tried to instill in her that when she took a life, it would impact others that we didn’t know. In reality, this was a difficult idea to plant in her brain. In time she started to show some remorse for her victims. But her impatience would win, quickly apologizing to me… progress was progress.

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We left Ellis Island and entered New York City. I was able to exchange my money and we easily found an apartment in an area of the city called Brooklyn. I had no idea what to expect in this next chapter of life.

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Picture 16 - Bleakness and Blood Part 1 - (Posted on 1/17/23)

Life in New York City was very difficult at first. Society had changed. It had become challenging to find victims. Gabriella and I found the occasional drunk but their blood was just enough to maintain a small amount of strength. The truth was, we spent most of our time in the apartment, managing to turn it into something formidable to stay in. The apartment wasn’t  expensive to rent. There was one window and it faced the building next door so that the sunlight could only reach one small portion of our apartment. I began to collect books so we could pass the time. Gabriella was educated to begin with and enjoyed reading books from the collection I amassed. We would often sit and talk during the evenings and sleep all day. Vampires could use beds - we didn’t need coffins like you tend to see in movies or on the television. 

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We didn’t go outside until we were often too weak and hungry. Then I would often use what was left of my energy to quickly enter a hospital and steal blood to bring it home to Gabriella. We were miserable as the summer of 1914 rolled around and a world event would begin that would change our lives forever. 

 

Picture 17 - Bleakness and Blood Part 2 - (Posted on 1/18/23)

I was walking around New York City one evening when I heard the usual call of a young man selling newspapers. “War in Europe breaks out!” he hollered. I bought the paper, read the headline, and the article was about how some European countries, including my home, were now at war. I often wondered after the Hundred Year war why people would want this mayhem… There had been several wars over the years all over the world including a recent one in the United States. It was then that an idea popped into my head and I raced home to tell Gabriella about the news and my proposition. 

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I sat in my usual chair and Gabriella laid her head in my lap (as she tended to do) and I showed her the newspaper headline. She said “wow, I would have thought the world would have learned its lesson by now”. I agreed and told her that I had an idea that far outweighed our gains from the recent trips to the hospital. I would notice the nurses there and how they always had access to blood (for traditional reasons of course). I explained to Gabriella that we could go to Europe as Red Cross Nurses and basically have access to all the blood we wanted. Gabriella wondered if this would be a good idea since neither of us were nurses. I agreed so the two of us took jobs at the Brooklyn City Hospital (night shift) and spent a short time learning how to “treat” patients. We figured that learning these new skills would help alleviate our boredom and keep us fed - and if, perchance, the United States entered the war - we could possibly be of some value out on the field. This all went according to plan in 1917…

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Picture 18 - War: Part 1 - (Posted on 1/19/23)

The United States entered the war in April of 1917. Gabriella and I arrived in Belgium as red cross nurses in June of 1917. We were given our own triage tent to help during the Battle of Ypres. We did not know it at the time but it would become one of the final battles of the world war. It wasn’t long before soldiers were coming into our tent. Gabriella and I agreed to only drink from soldiers that were not going to survive (there was no shortage of that). We were so well fed we could walk in the sun whenever we wanted to and would often watch what we could see of the battles. Delirious soldiers would mistake us for angels and the fear in their eyes was something I will never forget. We did the best we could and the two of us found ourselves trying to save lives versus taking them. I could tell Gabriella was gaining a sense of humanity from this, as she took her role as a nurse very seriously. I began to think of life after the war and how it might be all the better for us with a more mature Gabriella. Needless to say, the endless supply of blood made us very happy. 

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Picture 19 - War: Part 2 - (Posted on 1/20/23)

Another month went by and an American soldier (first name: John) was brought into the triage. He was badly wounded, having been shot in the chest, but the bullet missed the vital arteries. He would live but would be in triage for an extended period of time. Gabriella was treating him which led to talking with him for hours on end. I could tell she took a liking to John. He was intelligent, charming, handsome; John was a 22 year old southern gentleman from Texas with so much life in front of him. It wasn’t long before I noticed Gabriella and John becoming closer and closer. She fell in love with him. However, John was badly wounded and Gabriella could not imagine having a life with him in this condition (forgetting she couldn’t form a long term relationship with him anyway). 

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One evening I was busy with other triage items when Gabriella decided to “heal” John and turn him into a vampire so that they could be together. My back was turned when she bit John. The next day John awoke feeling fine. I checked him and could not believe that he had healed so fast. He grabbed his rifle, kissed Gabriella good-bye and rejoined his regime. 

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I looked at Gabriella and said “Can you believe it? It’s like a miracle!” Gabriella broke down and admitted she wanted to be with him forever and bit him hopes of turning him. I asked her how long she bit him for and she said “only a few seconds.” I stared at her for a long time before I let out a roar. She only gave him enough blood to heal. And to heal quickly. He wasn’t going to become a vampire. I was disappointed in Gabriella’s carelessness and let her know she could have destroyed everything we were doing in a split second. She stormed out of the triage and didn’t return for hours. I calmed down and by the time she returned, she apologized and we agreed to forget about the incident. However, I realized life with Gabriella post the war wouldn’t be as easy as I thought it would be. 

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Picture 20 - Alone again Part 1 - (Posted on 1/21/23)

Gabriella became depressed. She would still treat patients but showed no interest in feeding and would only do so every so often. She was too weak to go outside and would often just watch the battles and at other times sleep during the day. I was worried about her and would offer her blood at various times during the day. I just wanted the war to end so we could get out of Europe and she could forget about John.

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A week later we were watching a fierce battle and just waiting for soldiers to be brought in for treatment or last rites. We both noticed John on the battlefield, about a hundred feet away. I was the first time we had seen John in weeks and he made contact with Gabriella. He smiled at her at the same time a German bullet pierced his chest. He immediately slumped over a mound of dirt. My hand reached out to Gabriella as she ran towards John. She reached him as she burst into flames with him in her arms and a grenade hit their area (thus no one realized a women had burst into flames). 

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It took several seconds for my eyes to register what I had just seen. Gabriella was gone. I was alone and for the first time in a long time I cried, but the tears were blood. I walked back into the triage and paced back and forth. It wasn’t long before soldiers were brought in for treatment. I treated them as usual so no one would notice my grief. However, a day later I was paid a visit by an officer to say that due to the loss of my sister, I was allowed to return home so I could bury her - but they never located a body. I agreed to go back to New York as there was nothing left for me in Europe. The war ended shortly after that anyway. 

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Picture 21 - Alone Again Part 2 - (Posted on 1/22/23)

I went back home to my Brooklyn apartment. I would work at the hospital each night and just stare out the window all day. It was now 1919. I decided I needed a change. I could not stay in the city any longer as I kept thinking about Gabriella. One night at the hospital I asked one of the nurses where it might be a great place to visit. She told me that she heard Chicago was a really nice town. I was sold. In January of 1920 I packed my bags, packed some blood and boarded a train for Chicago. I hoped to return to New York City again one day. I had no idea how my next 50 years would lead to that path. 

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Brac

Once again all alone, Helena boarded a train from New York City to Chicago along with several vials of blood for her to safely feed and stay strong. She kept to herself on the train, occasionally speaking with other passengers. She arrived at Grand Central Station in Chicago and found an apartment in the city. She could initially afford it with the money she made in New York City but she would soon need a job she could do at night. As luck would have it, two blocks away was the Green Mill Cocktail Lounge. 

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Picture 22 - Chicago

I did a lot of thinking on the way to Chicago. I realized I needed to do a better job fitting into society as well as changing my name every other decade. Society was changing rapidly and I had to move with it. I had saved up quite a bit of money while living in New York and already had a plan to rent an apartment in the heart of the city.

When I first arrived in Chicago I could not help but enjoy the beauty of this city, walking around it at night. However, prohibition soon became the law of the land and the noisy city night life became very quiet. I would still walk the streets at night and occasionally take the life of a homeless person so I could remain strong. I felt remorse but it was still difficult to control the beastly need to feed. It wasn’t long before I noticed more people were walking the streets of Chicago late at night from a set of steps at a location just a block and a half away. I began to investigate and realized it was a venue called the Green Mill Cocktail Lounge. 

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Picture 23 - Lilith

One night I knocked on the door and asked if they were hiring. The doorman led me into the back office of the owner. I walked through the club and admired its charm and dim lighting. The owner took one look at me and offered me a waitress position. He said I would be paid a salary and would have to split my tips with the lounge. I knew what was happening was illegal but I didn’t care. I could sleep during the day and enjoy the work at night - this job was perfect for me.

There was various entertainment each night. It revolved around live music, comedians, dancers and even the occasional ventriloquist. I rarely looked up to see who was on the stage until I noticed a stunning young siren whose voice was so beautiful the club would come to a stand still when she sang. I could not take my eyes off her and would schedule my breaks around her time on stage. She was hypnotic and I felt drawn to her for a reason I could not quite explain. 

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Picture 24 - Lilith Continued

I noticed this alluring young waitress staring at me the same way the patrons would stare at the alcohol. She had an aura about her that I hadn’t seen in quite some time. I began to walk around the club a little bit more so I could study her and meet some of the regulars. One night I walked behind her as she took an order in front of a large mirror. I stopped dead in my tracks when I noticed she had no reflection. I saw the reflection of everything else in the mirror but not hers. “Meet me upstairs in my apartment at 3 am” I whispered in her ear. She turned to look at me nodding “yes”.
 

I walked up the stairs with a great deal of anticipation and fear. Lilith had a glow around her I hadn’t really seen since Gabriella (when Gabby had been in a good mood at the very least). The way I felt about her was similar to Sir Everett. I often cursed still having a great deal of humanity within me when I knew I was very different from every other person. I knocked on the door and a stunning creature opened it slowly and said - “I’ve been expecting you Helena… My name is Lilith.”

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Her apartment was draped in red silks with black curtains that faced the street. She had a kitchen, but I didn’t see a single appliance. Her apartment was blanketed in clothes, hats, furs, and cold hard cash. I was so mesmerized by my surroundings I didn’t notice that she was no longer in front of me. She suddenly returned from the kitchen holding two glasses of wine. She insisted I take a drink and while I was hesitant I couldn’t help myself. I took a sip and instantly knew it was blood. In a heartbeat she showed me her fangs, threw me onto the bed and was on top of me. “Who are you and why are you here?!” were her next words. 

 

PIcture 25 - Lilith Continued

She told me she was also a vampire and I asked how she knew I was? She mentioned the mirror and I mentioned that she was the very first vampire I had met. I wanted to know more about her but she asked me to tell her my story. I recalled as much as I could, mentioned Gabriella and why I came to Chicago. I wasn’t sure how I turned but I knew it was a very long time ago. I also told her that I continued to have a sense of humanity, about the knife that sustained me for so long, and that I believed I came from a part of Europe. Lilith laid on the bed beside me and told me her story.

 

I was born in modern day Germany in the early period of the Germanic tribes. I was 25 when I turned. My maker was actually a family member that died in battle just a few years later. I traveled the world for centuries and slept for centuries (I realized I wasn’t alone when I did this). In more “modern” times I traveled to the United States around 1700 and fell in love with this country. I settled in Boston and one evening met a French speaking woman who instantly recognized I was a vampire. Her name is Ares and she had a large home just outside of Boston. She was living with other vampires. So she invited me to live at their home and I accepted her invitation. 

 

We all loved this country and helped fight during the war to preserve the states. We were always strong and walked during the day because we would feed on the English soldiers at night and burn the bodies. The country began to prosper and Ares and I found ourselves enjoying music and performing for people in and around Boston. We also supported the North during the civil war and helped slaves escape the south during those years. 

She told me she came to Chicago in 1910 due to its growing nightlife scene, her desire to sing and that it was time to move around a bit. She never expected to meet another vampire in her life until she looked into that mirror. 

I took this all in and while it was nice to hear her story, I felt that there was probably more to her tale but I did not ask her anymore questions. She turned towards me and asked if I knew any tricks of the vampire trade. I told her I knew that if I had enough blood in my system I could walk during the day and how to hide my fangs. She laughed and said “oh honey - you haven’t even gotten to the tip of the iceberg”.

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Picture 26 - A Knock at the Door

She said I could get anyone to do anything I wanted by compelling them. She taught me how to stare into the eyes of someone to a point where their eyes would lock onto your eyes and not drift away until you let them. I practiced on her and actually learned how to compell pretty quickly (I compelled her to sing and she did the same - little did I know I had a wonderful voice). She said to only use this power when I truly needed it or when it would keep other vampires and people from getting hurt. She taught me how to hear what people were thinking. I learned various other skills as well that have helped me over the years.

She told me that we were immortal outside of burning up in the sun (of course I knew that all too well) and from drinking holy water. I asked how to explain more about this and she said it was simply an ancient curse of being a vampire, that by drinking blessed water you could die. I couldn’t imagine a scenario where I would want to drink holy water so I wasn’t that worried. Lilith also explained the importance of moving around every generation (for obvious reasons) and keeping a low profile when it was needed. 

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We talked all night and throughout the day. I was enthralled with Lilith and her presence 

was intoxicating. She understood my pain when I lost Gabriella as she had known loss throughout her existence on the planet. I felt alone after that moment but now I felt complete - similar to my time in London. I wanted to live with Lilith but she said it was best not to draw attention to ourselves and for me to stay at my apartment. She promised we would spend a lot of time together and she would watch over me - it was then that there was a knock at the door and a gruff voice barked “Sally - you in there?”. 

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Picture 27- Gangster Life....
Who the hell is Sally? (Is what I was thinking when the door opened and this mess of flesh and hollow man stood in the doorway). Lilith whispered to me that she was Sally (as she had different aliases). “I’m here for a quick one Sally. Who’s your cute friend? “Sally” introduced me to Al Capone. She explained that he was a well known gangster that had a nice side when he wanted to have a nice side. Al seemed to grunt in agreement to that statement. Al then mentioned that he needed a new “cleaner”. Lilith explained that this was a job for someone to help clean up a mess (whispering to me again that meant blood). Her eyes then sparkled and she said to Al - “Kelsey” here would be perfect for the job. I thought to myself I would get paid to feed? - this was perfect. Al said he would meet with me that night (give me an address). Then he shoved me out of the way and kissed Lilith. I left her apartment elated and in need of a shower.

Later I found out from Lilith that Al paid her for sex and she had compelled him to come once a week. That explained all the gifts and nice items she had in her apartment. I met with Al that evening (along with other members of his gang) and he offered me the job. He said if I was needed - I would be notified and always work alone. I began my new “job” the next week and quickly found out that Al murdered people from time to time. My sense to feed would always kick in as I would drink from the bodies, dispose of the bodies (in a furnace) and clean up the scene. It was easy work. I found myself enjoying the Chicago night life now as a patron versus a worker. I still spent time with Lilith and continued to learn more about being a vampire and my attraction to her was electric. Lilith and I had our moments and I realized I wanted to live with her. Lilith was open to the idea but wasn’t ready for a roommate. Still, I was having a great time and hoped to be in Chicago for a long time - that changed very quickly. 

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Picture 28 - and another departure...

On February 14th, 1929 I was asked to clean up a scene. I arrived to find body after body in a room. I felt myself more horrified than desiring to feed as my eyes fixed on so many dead bodies. My humanity was creeping back in and I began to realize that perhaps this was not the life for me. I did my job, but decided this would be the last “clean-up” I would do for Al. 

Following this event Al and his gang laid low and I wasn’t needed to help clean up another job. A month had passed and I went to visit Lilith. I knocked on the door and opened it to find a very panicked Lilith packing in earnest. She told me Al had been arrested and the police were coming for anyone who was associated with him. I knew I could not be arrested as it could create a situation where people would realize I wasn’t normal. Lilith told me she was going back to Germany (not Boston) until things died down. I wanted to go with her but she told me I could not as the people she would be with would not welcome me and my life could be at risk. Instead, Lilith arranged for me to take the train to Boston and Ares would meet me and keep me safe in their home until she came back. 

Two nights later I boarded a train to Boston. I was devastated to leave Chicago and separate from Lilith. I trusted her and thought this was the best plan for me. I had no idea what to expect and no idea how much my life would change again. 

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