VAMPYRE 2000: No Rest for the Wicked

Cornelius stepped cautiously onto the covered wooden porch of the pub. Suddenly, he was reminded of Eloise's words of wisdom and he thought not to exhibit any confidence in himself prematurely. Even though he may be superior to those inside, he was not invincible. To these people he was a stranger and the last thing that he wanted was to cause trouble of any kind. Standing off to one side of the door was a lady that Cornelius found rather scantily dressed; she was wearing a dress that exposed her bosom and her shoulders and neck were also bare. As he reached for the handle of the front door, he nodded politely to the lady while passing in front of her. "Why, hello, stranger." said the woman to Cornelius abruptly. "I don't believe I've seen you around here before. If I had, I'm quite certain that I would've noticed." Cornelius removed his hand from the door knob and hesitated for a moment. He was excited about having the opportunity to go into an establishment of this kind for the first time in his life. On the other hand, it was not in his nature to be disrespectful to a lady. "No ma'am, you are correct. This is the first time that I have visited this place." replied Cornelius. "Then allow me to introduce myself." said the woman as she extended her arm, covered in a delicate gauntlet, toward him. "My name is Loretta and what might be the name of this fine gentleman?" she asked. Her question had caught Cornelius off guard and it took a moment for it to sink in. At first, he had no idea that she was referring to him. Appropriately, he took her by the hand and gently brought it to his lips. "I am Cornelius and it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance ma'am." he replied politely. "My, my, you are a gentleman indeed. I fear a bit too refined for the likes of the ruffians inside." "You mustn't let my conservative appearance fool you. I can assure you that I am quite capable of taking care of myself." "I see, but what of me? Are you quite capable of taking care of me as well?" said Loretta as she took one step closer to Cornelius. She was now just inches from his face and looking him in his eyes seductively. "Yes, ma'am. I believe that I could, should the need arise." "How quaint your choice of words." she responded. "I'm afraid that I don't understand, but if you will excuse me, miss. My pursuits await me inside." said Cornelius as he placed his hand on the door knob once again. Loretta was a very persistent woman; realizing that he literally didn't understand what she was suggesting, she placed her hand over his and stopped him from opening the door. "Cornelius, do you have any idea, any at all, of who I am and what I engage in as a profession?" "No ma'am. We have only recently made one another's acquaintance." "You are such a strong and handsome young man." said Loretta as she rubbed her hands all over Cornelius' chest and abdomen. "Certainly a man such as yourself is married?" "No ma'am. I am not married." "Then allow me to ask you but one question." said Loretta. "Wouldn't you prefer to spend your evening alone with me or would you rather spend it inside of that stench filled pub full of raving and drunken lunatics?" Cornelius took a moment to consider her proposition. The situation that had presented itself was finally beginning to become clear to him. There he was on his very first trip into Plymouth and he had been approached by a beautiful woman that knew little to nothing about modesty. She had no companion and no one had seen the two of them talking together. Then, surprisingly, she expressed a desire to spend the evening with him alone. It was simply too good to be true. "When given the choice between those two options, Miss Loretta, I cannot argue with the purity of your logic. "What, may I ask, do you have in mind?" Across the street from Liverpool Union, next to the church, was a large open park. It was scattered throughout with lovely wrought iron benches, beautifully trimmed hedges and a generous number of large, older Elm trees. Because it was early November, the canopies of the trees had already lost their leaves which lay on the grass hidden by a blanket of newly fallen snow. Cornelius marveled at the beautiful landscape as he escorted Loretta through one of the paths in the park. There were no light poles within the park, so the only lighting that it received was from that of the moon. For that particular reason most of the residents, living in this part of Plymouth, stayed out of the park at night as they feared that its unlit boundaries were a magnet for unlawful activity. The two of them wandered, arm in arm, throughout the park until they found a bench that they believed to be far from any watchful eyes. Cornelius seated the lady and then he joined her on the bench. "I must say, Miss Loretta, that your idea was an impeccable one. This has already shown itself to be the wiser of the two scenarios." said Cornelius. "Why, thank you. You certainly are a perfect gentleman." said Loretta as she scooted closer to him. "I seem to have forgotten my overcoat; do you think you might be able to keep me warm?" "I am at your service Madame. Unfortunately, I have this growing notion that soon you will be even colder." he replied. Cornelius put his arms around Loretta to help shield her from the elements. After getting comfortable in his arms she reached out and with both hands held Cornelius by the face. "My heavens, Cornelius, it is you that needs warming. Your skin feels as cold as night. Come, let me warm you up." said Loretta as she pulled his face close to hers. She kissed Cornelius passionately on his lips and then she held him tight. That kiss electrified him; it had felt better than almost anything he had ever experienced. Not because Loretta was a very skilled professional, but because it was his first. Leaning in again, this time it was he who gave her a kiss and it was no less passionate as the first. The two of them continued to kiss romantically for more than a minute when Loretta withdrew from Cornelius and wiped the saliva from her mouth. "Perhaps, you would like me to open your trousers? Shall I do it here on the bench or would you prefer that I do it over there in the trees?" she asked. Cornelius really could not have cared less, because he had no intention of opening his trousers for this woman. He hadn't escorted her into this park at night to enjoy some carnal pleasures with her behind a tree. No, he had brought her here tonight to satisfy his most fundamental need to drink her fresh, warm blood. As attractive as her offer may have been, sexual relations were not something that were normally in the forefront of his thoughts. However, in regard to the question, they were sitting, more or less, out in the open; it might be a better idea to take Loretta's life behind the tree as opposed to the bench. "I must agree with you once again. Yes, let us do it over there behind the trees." said Cornelius as he stood up from the bench. A moment ago, while they had been kissing passionately on the bench, Loretta's heart rate had begun to beat faster. She was beginning to become aroused and had started to perspire slightly. He could smell the hormonal releases within her body and it was so intoxicating to Cornelius. Suddenly, he could wait no longer and the urge to feed was overcoming him. Loretta grabbed onto the arm that had been extended to her and rose to her feet. Together they stepped off of the path and into the snow. Walking at a brisk pace, Cornelius immediately rushed Loretta over to a nice secluded spot behind two large Elm trees. "That's the spirit." she said. "And I was beginning to think that you weren't interested in me." "Quite the contrary, Miss Loretta. My interest in you is far too incredible to believe. You'd think that I was mad if I shared it with you." "Of that I can't be sure, I have seen and heard a number of outrageous things in my years, more than I can remember." said Lore