Nosferatu

White. When you went through as much pain as I have, all you could see was a white background. That is, with your eyes closed; With your eyes open, black flowers blossomed behind your eyelids. You cannot move, no matter how hard you try. It is impossible to ever be comfortable. The very air you breath burns down your nasal passages; The expansion of your lungs is dynamite in your chest. Even your clothes scrape against your flesh like a cocoon of shark skin.
The worst part was I chose this impossible pain. It was a conscious decision I made, fully aware of the consequences of my actions. Because it my decision, I couldn't complain. I did not regret choosing this agony. It would not be undermined by my redundant grumbling. I had made my bed and now I must lie in it, for was that not the way things went? It was my only option, besides the white void and cold embrace of death. Then again, this relatively brief moment was a small price to pay for the boon I was to receive.
Immortality wasn't something to be taken lightly, I was told. It would destroy me and tear me open from the inside, spreading my entrails on the cold ground before me. With these dark thoughts bulleting through my mind, the pain began to subside; my vision slowly returned. It returned with a vengeance. Once green, my eyes were now a dark red. I knew they had changed because they would mirror the one whom had blooded me, as well as every other vampire in existence. It was a trademark of sorts, as the legends went.
Engorged with crimson, my eyes were working on overtime. I picked up on every minute detail, even in the pitch blackness of twilight. The confined in which my Faustian bargain was made held no secrets, nor did it hide any truths. The flitting shadows below a dumpster told a story on its own. They danced with serene grace along the dirty ground, captivating me against my will.
Shaking my head, there was a surprise waiting for me. I heard a small pop, then I heard nothing. A brief second passed for a silent eternity, and then I heard everything. The heartbeat of each individual rat beat like a gong against their ribcage, the mighty rivers of blood pumping through their canals like freight trains. Falling to my knees, the resulting thud of impact was a grenade inside my skull. Hurriedly clutching my ears, my eyes screwed shut tightly. I heard everything! It hurt almost as much as the torture I went through.
“Easy Samuel… Just take it all in. You can get through this.” A quiet voice erupted from behind me, and although Azreal was speaking quietly, I heard him as if he were shouting at me through a mega horn. His hand fell lightly on my shoulder, squeezing comfortingly. At least, I think it was supposed to be comforting. My skin was so incredibly sensitive that his touch ignited my flesh, even through my jacket. Wincing, the elder vampire withdrew his hand, a formal apology breathed quietly. I could hear the other vampires now. They had come for us.
“Azreal, Samuel, it is time to come home.” A voice penetrated the blackness that was the alley. I nearly shrieked in pain, but only allowed a whimper to escape my lips. I heard one of the Elders roll his eyes. His hand slid into the pocket of his tweed-smelling jacket, his nails scraping against the fabric roughly. Ripping his hand out, I finally opened my eyes a crack to see what he held. It was a small, opaque-black glass bottle, roughly the size of a Tylenol bottle.
“What’s that?” I choked out, Azreal’s hand on my shoulder once more, although it was slightly more bearable. The old one didn’t speak much, but I knew that from earlier encounters.
“Just a little something to help dull the process. Drink it now before your blood stops pumping.” Lazarus’ reputation preceded him, and all vampires knew him as the ‘Medicine Man’. With his words, I fully became aware that none of the others had a pulse -- and mine was slowing. Deftly, the bottle was cast toward me. A reflex unknown to me before kicked in and my hand shot rapidly into the air. Curling my fingers against the cold glass, I pulled it from it’s trajectory. The grip on my shoulder flexed, and I knew Azreal approved of me drinking it.
Popping the top off with a nail slightly longer and thicker then they had been 20 minutes before, it clattered to the ground and bounced along the pavement. Swirling the sour-smelling liquid inside the bottle, I grimaced. It did not smell too appetizing. But then again, being able to hear the gentle breathing of a sleeping child and smell his blood from three blocks away was not very appetizing either. With a shrug - then a grimace -, I brought the rim of the bottle to my lips and downed the liquid in a single shot.
I was right, it was not appetizing. It burned going down and was incredibly sour. Thankfully, it was immediately effective. A seeping cold started at the back of my throat, pumping through my veins and deep within my bones until I was solidly numb. And then I blacked out.
Upon awakening, the first thing I noticed was the silence. I no longer heard everything around me, and for that I was glad. The second thing I noticed was my back was slightly sore, but not from the metaphorical flame that was previously singing my flesh. No, my back hurt from simply muscle pain, as if I were sleeping on a hard surface. Cracking open my eyes, I sat up slowly. Four vampires greeted me with small smiles. How did I know they were vampires? The men that stood before me lacked a heartbeat Focusing, I realized I too lacked a rhythmic inner pump.
“Where’s Azreal?” My throat was dry causing my voice to crack dramatically. When I looked back to this later on, I realized I never asked where I was, or the other vampires whom had come to pick me up after my transformation. I was only worried about Azreal.
“Out hunting. Your mortal blood was spilled in order for the transformation process to begin, it is only logical he would be absolutely famished.” One answered, stepping forward slightly to deliver his explanation. His voice was soft and gentle, with a Germanic touch to it. I immediately liked him for some unknown reason (perhaps it was part of his vampiric glamour). Nodding to show I understood, the answer made perfect sense, for why would it not?
“Alright.. Where am I?” It finally dawned on me I was no longer in the shadows of the alley.
“Castle Dragula, of course.” A sneer from the next male in line. He was older, much older, and had a look on his face that told me exactly what he thought of me. I was young and stupid, ignorant and a nuisance.
“Why?” Sliding my legs over the table, my feet touched cold ground. With a wiggle, I came to the full conclusion that my toes (and the rest of my feet) were bare. “And where are my shoes?” A final question escaped my lips before I could think about it. “And what now?”
“For this is where all Vampires live. It is where the coven rests their hat at night.” A third vampire stepped towards me. He appeared to be closer to my age than any of them, but it was no doubt a demonic deception. Vampires were nearly immortal, the way our aging process worked, and he was no doubt at least two centuries year old, judging from the dialect of his speech.
“Your shoes are of little value. You want to be able to feel all vibrations in the ground for the next score of decades. They help you master your reflexes.” The first vampire, whom I had deemed an ally already, explained, lifting the hem of his pants to show that he, too, wore no shoes.
“Now you must learn. You must be taught to control everything, from your senses, to your sensitivity spectrum, your strength to your… thirst.” The fourth and final vampire stepped forward. “That is my duty.” The other vampires turned and walked away, leaving me with the final man. “I am Gabriel. It is time for you to truly become one of us.” He was teaching me? That was a…disappointment. I wanted Azreal to be my teacher. He was the one whom blooded me, who came to me that dark night and offered me the choice. Nonetheless, I knew this was the way things were done. I agreed. It was time to truly become a vampire. With a curt nod, Gabriel turned and began walking away, exiting through a large doorway. I followed.