The Seducer: A Gone From Daylight Inspired Story - 33. William Harker’s Journal: Entry 33

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Monday, December 11, 1989

Upon my suggestion that he take me to quench his thirst, Vlad merely stared at me like I had lost my mind.

“I fear you may becoming hard of hearing or developing a failing memory, William. I will not take you. I will never take you! You have no concept of what this existence is! How vile! How wretched! How…evil! You are in the bloom of your youth! You are alive in this world fully and without the dreadful chains that bind me!” Vlad said to me, pacing back and forth in an agitated state.

“Oh, I have chains alright, Vlad. Grief, despair, and…death! My ‘bloom of youth’ will be gone in the blink of an eye. Then, unless I’m killed first by something, all I have to look forward to is the long lonely march toward death. You can save me from this death and help me keep my youth forever! If you are what you say you are and vampires can do what it is said that they can do then why would you deny this to me?” I countered.

“All you have to look forward to is the long lonely march toward death?“ Vlad’s voice actually quivered as he repeated what I had said. He sank to one knee in front of me and gently took my hand.

“William, I understand that the death of your parents has come as a terrible shock. Perhaps, for the first time, you have realized your mortality by seeing it in those that you thought would die only after the long passage of time. But, you must not despair! You are so very young yet, William! You have yet to take your first love! You have yet to dream and build upon those dreams! Haven’t you even considered a family of your own with children? Beautiful children! Children that will become your immortality on this earth in the right way of all men! Your legacy! A much better immortality than anything that I have and let us not forget about the immortality of your soul! A clean death after a lifetime of living and making and loving…it is good! Wholesome! Right! Then, when it is your time…freedom from this world of tears! Your spirit will be free! You have only the chains that you set in your own mind, William. Break those, and you will know a freedom I will never know again.” Vlad said in a pleading voice, trying to make me understand.

“My first love, Vlad…is you! My only life…is with you.” was my only response.

Vlad looked stunned and looked into my eyes for long seconds. He then slowly rose to his feet after releasing my hand with his gentle but cold iron grip. His eyes continued to fix on mine. Abruptly, he turned away from me so as not to show me his face. I believe he was crying.

“…that is a gift you give me, William Harker. A gift without price! But, that gift I must return to you. I am not worthy of such love. I am a damned thing. A creature of Death that haunts the night and is condemned to linger in this world by stealing the lives of others. This existence…I would not curse upon my worst enemy.” Vlad said with a shaking in his voice.

Slowly, I came to him. I put my hands on his shoulders and bent to rest my head on his back. I then reached around and embraced Vlad from behind. After a moment, he turned in my embrace and we faced each other. Watery tears mixed with a little blood streamed from those eyes. My heart ached to see him in such pain. Could his existence be this bad? Could he be suffering this much?

I held Vlad’s moistened face and pulled myself in to kiss those cold lips. It was my first true love’s kiss! I had given it to him. After releasing him from that kiss, I asked him, “Show me.”

“Show you what, my William?” Vlad managed to say past the rising emotions inside of him.

“You still thirst. You need to hunt. Show me?” I made clear my intentions. I wanted to see his most terrible side.

At first, Vlad looked horrified, but then his face softened and then hardened into a stoney solemnity.

“If it is what it will take to convince you of what I have been trying to tell you, then, yes…I will show you what I really am.” Vlad said to me with sadness mixed with a touch of menace

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Our ‘hunt’ did not go in any way like I thought it would. No back alleys. No hiding in dark corners. No cornering of an innocent person and then Vlad having his gory way with them. No, it was…beautiful how Vlad ‘hunts’.

What’s more is my presence didn’t seem to make that much of a difference. Vlad actually, managed to make me an accomplice of sorts. I was more help than hinderance, apparently.

This is not to say that I’m not somewhat traumatized by the whole experience. I helped take a life tonight. I will never be the same, but I don’t think the impression Vlad made on me was the one he meant to. Somewhere dark and deep inside of me, I could see myself doing what Vlad does. His ‘lesson’ tonight had opened up a part of me perhaps better left closed.

You see, Vlad has managed to pair sex with death in my mind. The life-giving act mixed with the end of life has a poetic symmetry and I am seduced by it. I can see, now, how things can work in Darkness. How death and life can be sculpted by a master of his craft and Vlad…he is definitely a master of his craft!

In any case, I can leave the philosophy of all this for later. Now, I shall simply recount the experience for myself. I’ll probably tear this page out of my diary and burn it later. This vampiric ritual should remain in secret…in the Dark.

It started with our going into San Francisco and choosing a night club to visit. Vlad decided it should be one in the Castro District, a notoriously gay part of town. Vlad didn’t really explain any of his reasons for things, he merely instructed me to ‘watch and learn’. I’ve been trying to rationalize all day why Vlad went for a gay club to find a victim. Perhaps, gays are easy prey because they often only have tenuous connections to family and their communities. If one guy disappears, who would go looking for them? Family probably wouldn’t know where they were to begin with and friends might think the victim went on a trip or left San Francisco for their own reasons. That may be a reason, but I think it was more a preference on his part.

Is Dracula gay?

Tonight seemed to answer that question rather obviously. But, Vlad never explained and I, just, watched as instructed.

The first unusual thing: I’m not old enough to be allowed in these bars because I’m not drinking age yet. This didn’t matter in the slightest to Vlad. Neither did the line to get into the place. Vlad simply walked to the VIP part of the entrance and did that mind-whammy trick he does to the security guy at the door and we were both in, lickety-split, with no questions asked!

This instantly got the attention of the patrons in the club. VIPs get noticed in such clubs and ones as striking as Vlad get really noticed! Vlad went to a table toward the back of the club off of the dance floor in the VIP section. As soon as we got to the table, the patrons already sitting there suddenly got the urge to go dancing and left their booth for us to have. Again, Vlad must have used his mind-whammy trick to convince them to leave.

After that, we just sat and watched…and watched…and watched. I finally had to ask what he was looking for and Vlad told me he’d know when he’d found it.

A few guys, most very good looking, came to our table and tried to join us, but Vlad politely refused them. I’m thinking that most of the guys got the message we were an exclusive couple and didn’t need company. In a way, I hope that’s true or could be true if Vlad ever managed to turn me.

At last, Vlad must have found his target, because he excused himself and went to the bar. I watched him as he picked out a particular guy at the bar and made eye contact with him. I watched Vlad as he tracked the target with his eyes never losing that eye contact. Vlad settled into a bar chair and broke his eye contact with the guy. He ordered a drink and just sat there for a minute. I watched his back as he just sat there stirring his drink. I watched the target too and he never once stopped staring in Vlad’s direction. He was a twenty-something with blond hair. The distorted colors the club lights played on his face made it so I couldn’t tell his eye color. I suspected blue since they were clear and reflected the club lights so well. A strange feeling came over me that I recognized the target somehow.

With something of a shock, I realized that they guy took a striking resemblance to myself!

I saw Vlad talk to someone at his side with a smile. He then looked over at me and then back at the patron. The patron at his side looked over at me smiled and waved! I waved back sheepishly. This was the first time I realized that I might become part of Vlad’s plot to get his target.

The patron at his side got up and hurried over to my table. He looked just a little older than me with black hair and bright green eyes. He was very ‘pretty’ and I couldn’t help but blush and shift in my seat uncomfortably as he came up to me.

“Haay! I’m Marcus! What’s your name, Cuteypie? Your friend thought I should introduce myself so…here I am!” Marcus lisped a bit in that stereotypically gay fashion. He took the liberty of sitting down right next to me. One thing Marcus wasn’t was shy!

“Hello. Um, I’m William. Good to meet you.” I said as I tried to divide my attention between Vlad and Marcus.

“ ‘William’? Not ‘Bill’ or ‘Billy’ or ‘Willy’?” Marcus chuckled.

“No, just William. Wil if you like.” I tried to be as uninteresting as possible, because I really didn’t need Marcus as a distraction which he definitely was.

“How formal, Sweetcakes! But, to each his own, I suppose. Hey! Let me get you a drink, ‘kay? What would you like?” Marcus said, touching my knee which made me jump a bit.

“Ooooh! So nervous! Don’t be! You’re safe with me and, I must say, you’ve got nothing to be self-conscious about! You’re quite dreamy, William!” Marcus managed to catch my eyes while he blinked at me slowly. I almost wanted to laugh because he was so forward!

“I’ll take a…Coke, please.” I said uncomfortably.

“Sure! One Cuba Libre coming up! Don’t go anywhere, Sugar! I’ll be right back!” Marcus flourished flamboyantly as he went to the bar.

I was thankful that his distraction was gone for the moment as I was losing track of what Vlad was doing. As predicted, the blond had come to sit in the seat that Marcus had been in next to Vlad. They were carrying on like old friends with a laugh here and a nod there. Every now and then, the guy would touch Vlad on his shoulder or back. Vlad returned the favor which made me a little jealous despite myself.

Unfortunately, Marcus was back much sooner than I had hoped. He put the alcoholic Coke in front of me, set a bright red drink in front of himself, and then plopped right back down next to me again.

“Drink up, drink up! I made Barney do his famous Super Lucha Cuba Libre! It should fuck you up just right!” Marcus clinked his glass on mine and then sipped daintily from his own drink using a straw.

I smiled and thanked Marcus politely, but that moment’s distraction was all Vlad needed! I looked over and they were both gone!

I stood up to look over the crowd of people on the dance floor. Marcus looked up at me with a strange look.

“What’s up, Baby? Come on and talk with me! I’m sure Daddy will be back soon enough after he’s gotten a taste of Hunter.” Marcus said with fake annoyance.

That ‘taste of Hunter’ is exactly what I didn’t want to miss and now Vlad had managed to ditch me with this weirdo!

“Oh, I’m sorry. I just…wondered where he went is all.” I apologized to Marcus distractedly.

“Ah, William! There you are! Allow me to introduce Hunter. He is a student at the University of San Francisco studying…what was it?” Vlad had suddenly appeared before us at the table with the striking Hunter next to him. Hunter was even more gorgeous up close and personal!

“Anthropology! It’s a great major! I don’t know what kind of future it has for me, but I love the subject! How do you do, William?” Hunter extended his perfect hand to me which I took. It was a solid handshake! Nothing limp wristed in it at all!

“I’m…good. Good to, um, meet you, uh, Hunter.” I felt very weird just talking normally with this guy that I knew would probably be dead shortly.

I felt Marcus tug me by my back pocket gently, “Come on! Sit down! Please?” Marcus was becoming pretty ‘handsey’ as far as I was concerned.

“Oh, this is Marcus.” I said to Hunter while sitting down and trying to be ‘polite’ too.

“Oh, yeah. Marcus and me’ve met before. How are you Marcus?” Hunter said as he sat across from us with Vlad.

“Just peachy, Hunter-doll. Can’t complain. Not when I’ve met William here. Isn’t he cute?” Marcus had a way of making me want to wiggle out of my skin with embarrassment.

After about forty-five minutes of chatting and Marcus, basically, hanging all over me and force-feeding me my ‘Super Lucha Cuba Libre’ (which was way too strong for me), Vlad suggested we move on.

“William, let us introduce our two new friends to the Salon Rouge, yes?” Vlad said with a completely uncharacteristic bright smile on his face. His first drink was completely untouched where I felt woozy from my drink, Hunter was on his second, and Marcus was on his third.

“Salon Rouge? Wherezzat?” Marcus slurred his question.

“Nearby.” Vlad saved me from having to further implicate myself in the coming murder(s) by telling Marcus.

“Never heard of the place. It’s not in the Castro or on Mission. I’ve been to every club around here and I don’t remember that one.” said Hunter, the walking dead-man.

“It is on Nob Hill so not in the Castro. It is an…exclusive club. I doubt many will have heard of it.” Vlad seemed to tease Hunter and Marcus with his mentioning how ‘exclusive’ the Salon Rouge is. They definitely showed their interest.

“Wow! An underground club! Sweet! I’m all in! I can’t wait! I’m so excited!” with that Marcus suddenly hugged me close and kissed my cheek. I would have stiffened up from his taking such liberties, but the Cuba Libre was doing its work and keeping me relaxed despite myself. He did make me giggle bashfully, though.

“Let us be away then. Shall we?” Vlad rose gracefully and gestured for us to leave.

“You’ve gotta love that accent! It just kills me!” Hunter said with a flirtatious smile. I cringed inwardly at his choice of words.

~

“Jeeeezus! What the fuck? How could they hope to keep a place like this a secret?” Marcus gaupped.

The uniqueness of the place was not lost on me as it still amazed my eyes, but the newness of it had long since been forgotten. Now, mostly, this Salon Rouge held terrible memories and it was an effort for me just to stay in the place.

“It is easier than you might think, Friend Marcus. Outwardly, the club looks just like any of the other tenements along the street. Inwardly, though…” Vlad explained as the usual ‘parting of the ways’ happened for the Vampire Lord. Somehow, knowing what these ‘people’ were should have sent me into a cold and clammy sweat, but I was not bothered. In a way, I felt superior to these ‘lesser’ vampires. I was alive and I was the obvious ward of one of the most powerful of their kind!

“Woooow! Is that real silk? I’ve only heard of silk wallpaper! I’ve never actually SEEN it!” Hunter, who was a strange one, had taken notice of the wallpaper, obviously. He looked at it and touched it like it was a rare gem. I found this weird yet charming and suddenly I felt a pang of regret knowing that this bright, beautiful, and now unique character was going to be snuffed out this night.

I had to ask him, “Why is silk wallpaper unusual?”

“It’s rarely found in houses anymore. Like modern houses! It was common for the really, really rich to afford things like this, but not everybody. Today, because silks degrade, you only see them in historically restored Victorian homes!” Marcus still remarked at the beauty of something I had taken for granted due to the whole of the splendor of the Salon Rouge!

“Wow! How did you notice this out of everything else going on in here?” I cared to ask while kicking myself for getting any more attached to Hunter than I already had.

“My Mom was an interior decorator and architecture historian. She helped to restore old places. She taught me a lot of things about how well crafted things were in the olden days. This Salon Rouge needs to be a secret club! The people who come here obviously have a respect for old stuff!” Hunter cast his gorgeous eyes over the crowd of vampires and their ‘guests’. All looked on us with a kind of hunger and envy.

“Come along, you two! We should celebrate this evening! Finding new ‘friends’ is always a rare and precious gift!” Vlad bid me follow. I obeyed my beloved without question. Hunter followed me…

…to his doom.