Liten Vampyr pov

With each beam of light hitting my body I felt my skin sizzle, the smell of my burning flesh bringing vomit to my throat. My skin now blackened and stiff like a tree hit by lighting, I lay there still waiting for the sun to completely rise and finish of my tortured body.

My once long raven black hair now gone apart from the odd straggly strand that is clotted with blood and sticks to my face.

I hear the birds chirp, as they do at the start of any new day, the wind whistles through the trees. Together they are like the beautiful harmony of life playing out around me. A simple sight I'd not been privy to for such a long time.

My eyes fixate on the clouds that roll on above me, gently and slowly moving to eclipse the sun that beats down at my broken charred flesh, that sizzles with each ray of sunlight.

A single tear rolls down my singed cheek and stings my open wounds, I'm crying because I'm grateful to see one last glimpse of life, in the glow of daylight before I go.

In that moment, amongst the excruciating agony, I hope there will be some kind of salvation or forgiveness in the next life for my retched rotten soul. This pain I deserve, this pain I need to embrace as retribution for my wicked actions.

Do I deserve forgiveness; probably not. I'd taken so many life's, why should I be sparred the pits of hell when I'd hurt so many.

My eyelids have now burnt completely away, leaving it impossible for me to look away from my fiery death.

But my view is eclipsed by a lingering shadow. It bends down for closer inspection and I realise it is simply a curious boy, ordinarily, I'd have heard or smelt him before he was this close but my senses are overwhelmed and flooded by waves of pain so that I didn't sense him.

His innocent blue eyes lingered over my charred remains, If he's frightened he masks well. He bends closer so I can hear him "lever du" which is 'are you alive' in his natural tongue.

I don't respond hoping he will walk away, leave me in peace as I burn up.

He bends down gently placing his arm under my head ready to pick me up, with what little energy I have left I scream at him not to touch me, to leave me be. But he ignores my desperate pleas.

I whisper "vampyr" warning him what retched beast he's trying to save, that should be left to die, that he's best to walk away.

He simply nods, he knows what I am yet he's still trying to save me.

I have no fight in me to stop him, he slips off he's worn old coat that two sizes too big and covers me to stop me being further burnt. I can see nothing now but fill his arms underneath me, he lifts me up as he does I scream out in pain, every muscle and bone in my body hurts, the open sores ooze out blood all over his coat.

The darkness overtakes me and I pass out with the pain.

*************************

The smell of animals floods my nose, the stench of their waste lingering everywhere.

I'm buried underneath hay that sticks to my bloodied body, I try to crawl out but my body is still too weak.

I hear footsteps coming closer, I lay still, well aware I'm in no position to be able to protect myself.

The hay is gently removed from me and there once again he is there, his blue eyes shining down on me like stars from above.

He has a bowl with warm water and a washcloth, he quietly cleans my wounds never uttering a word, then from his pocket pulls out bandages and tries to patch me up as best as he can.

Not at any point does he look horrified or scared, when he's done he sits back on a bail of hay admiring his handy work.

"I'm Lucas"

I accusingly glare at him, why did he save me?

He awkwardly plays with his hand, clearly put off by my ungrateful silence.

"Are you hungry" He inquires trying to break the tension.

Still, I say nothing.

He gets up and walks to the front of the barn then comes back carrying a cage, inside are three rabbits. He places them beside me then steps back.

"I know you probably need to eat".

I look at them suspiciously and slightly revolted, while in the past I've lived of livestock blood when needs must it is nothing compared human blood.

He turns to walk away and leave, curiosity has got the better of me and I yelp "Why".

"Why did I help you, because you was going to die".

"But I'm a monster".

He smiles his lopsided grin "Trust me I know plenty of monsters, you don't seem like a monster to me. You will be safe here, no one uses this barn anymore, I'll be back tomorrow night".

With that, he was gone and I felt human compassion for the first time in over 100 years. If my dead heart could, it would have started to beat with the prospect of hope.