The Last Waltz

 

Suggested Audio Candy:

 

[1] LaTour “Blue”

[2] Ledisi “Joy”

[3] Julie Delpy “A Waltz For A Night” 

[4] Paradis Garde “Le Pour Toi”

 

 

“Bless me father for I have sinned. It has been longer than I can remember since my last confessional”

“Go on child”

“I suspect I may have offended thee lord for the sins to which I am about to confess”

“Our heavenly father is all-knowing. He shall provide fitting penance in exchange for your absolution this day”

“I have participated in sins of the flesh and allowed for my divinity to become compromised. In choosing the path of the wrong I have sinned against he whom I am supposed to love above all others. However, I am not here for penance this day”

“Then why are you here?”

“Because I desire the sweet tang of your flesh against my lips”

Without further ado, the mysterious female pulled the lattice clean off of its fixture and reached inside, grabbing the priest around his throat before he could muster a wailed response.

“Father I have another confession to make. Oh I’m sorry, am I pressing too hard?”

Her long serpentine tongue flicked across the cleric’s collar and concentrated its attention on his bulging jugular, all the while ensuring that his airways remained tightly constricted.

“I’m not here for your Hail Marys holy man. Neither do I care whether your lord is judging my actions. He has not granted me eternal life, I owe him no debt of gratitude and instead I feel only contempt”

Priest John O’Driscoll had recently been diagnosed with progressive cancer of the pancreas and the frailty of his own mortality had been exposed before the almighty he worshipped. He was about to become cured of his callous ailments and granted a fresh passage to the tune of a perpetual continuation which had looked decidedly in question since the sickness spread.

With incisors bared and set to commence their cruel bidding, she considered offering him the chance to repent for his own indiscretions, before snatching his liberty away with a measured lunge and puncturing his throat with her flirtatious fangs. At first she met a little understandable resistance as he attempted in vain to free himself from her vice-like grip. Within seconds of his blood becoming tainted, his struggles subsided until which time as the remaining drops of his life force had all but ebbed away and he was little more than moulding clay in her impossibly strong clutches, present solely for further manipulation. The stranger continued to thirst, watching intently as both eyes rolled back in the old man’s skull and the color drained from his spent shell with every next guzzle.

She had had every intention of gifting the clergyman eternal life but her insatiable appetite had proved her Achilles heel on this occasion as she couldn’t resist wringing him dry to his very marrow.

“Oopsie. I am a greedy little sinner. Looks like your road ends here holy man”

After taking her fill she tossed his lifeless cadaver aside and, upon departure from the confessional, drew open the scarlet curtain to leave him crudely exposed, with an example soundly made of him before the eyes of his own almighty.

“Alas, your God will have no further use for you now father”

With that, she turned about-face and strolled nonchalantly towards the church doors. En route, she stopped for a moment to examine a crucifix secured to the wall beside the doorway. She plucked it from its fitting and held it up to her face almost mockingly, before slathering it with her bloody tongue.

“Give me a fucking break”

She looked once more at the cross, with its crucified martyr now painted red.

“And Jesus bled”

With a smirk of defiance, she disposed of the desecrated relic and left the same way she had entered without any official invitation minutes prior .

________

Venus despised the manner in which her kind were pigeon-holed by those with no idea of the meaning of such exclusivity. Sunlight was supposedly deadly but she worked on her tan at every opportunity, garlic was her favorite seasoning when preparing prime rib, fire fascinated her in the extreme, and a wooden stake through the heart had been proven three times already to be utterly ineffectual. She was a hundred and seven years old and fairly smug about her peach soft skin and lustrous blackened hair. In quiet moments such as these she would stand naked before her full-length mirror and admire the reflection that supposedly shouldn’t exist. Not bad for a woman who had witnessed two world wars and nineteen different presidents in her lifetime.

Despite the fact that clueless historians had gotten it so woefully wrong repeatedly; the manner in which she was granted eternal life was very much in keeping with modern folklore. A single bite to the jugular vein had caused her body to cease its aging process and left her a perpetual twentysomething. Since then she had travelled the world several times over and glanced shoulders with others of her kind across all continents. Yet she always returned home to Brooklyn, NY. This was her home and, regardless of the fact that there had been significant modifications over the past centennial and constantly fluctuating personnel, it was still the one solitary place on earth where she felt truly content.

Despite having such an old head on deliciously young and supple shoulders; Venus had never considered herself above learning from those more experienced than she. For as much as knowledge represented power in her eyes, one thing had continually evaded her ever since her initiation. Love was the only emotion she had never felt, the single polarized affection which she simply couldn’t fathom. The closest she had ever come was the moment when she was freed from her confines over eighty years previous but hers was more infatuation than anything else and her suitor had been more enamored than she. Their one night together had changed everything, his gift to her had been unbounded and true. Yet their union had been far too brief to be truly calculable and time had faded her recollection of Dimitri Popescu. Their affiliation ended the very moment she felt the vampire’s searching kiss and he paid the ultimate price for his sentiment.

In her entire protracted life cycle he was the only vampire she had ever witnessed actually dying. Sure, she had watched on as a dozen anointed bullets were fired into one of her associates back in Bratislava, but it had proved more vexation than execution as this was just another misinformed method of dispatch. Indeed, she had shared a glass of Chianti with the chastised party hours later and they scoffed at the folly of man and his wrongful pursuit of a cure to their ‘affliction’. For Dimitri, however, there could be no further part to play from the very moment that he bargained with his undying love during that ruinous rendezvous in Central Park. He was almost two hundred years old at the time of his release and decades came flooding back as he drank from the one fruit forbidden him. This had proved something of an eye-opener to Venus as she knew that, no matter how infallible she appeared to be, she could only hold back the years for so long before meeting the very same end if matters of the heart came into play.

That time was coming and she was already prepared for the eventuality of her ultimate release. Venus had felt most impish for sitting on the intelligence for all that time while so-called experts chased their sorry tails. Falling in love represented her sole out; the only way she would be excused from her perpetual residency was to allow the chemicals to overpower her own will to continue and fall totally and unequivocally in love. She could deny herself no longer and yearned for the one feeling which had evaded her for her entire unnatural life up until now. She was more than mindful of the repercussions of her actions but painfully tired of her humdrum existence and ready to take the only logical step just to feel human again one final time before the curtain dropped.

Adam Greenwood had been more than patient upon instruction that his significant other wasn’t yet primed for coital exchanges. Six weeks they had courted and, during that time, he had acted honorably without exception. They had met in a dingy little goth club called The Monkey Chamber on Bay Ridge Avenue and it really had been a case of ‘eyes meeting across a crowded room’. She always introduced herself at Venus although her birth name was actually Valerie. Steve Winwood received far too much air time in the eighties for her liking and this alternative title appeared more demure and ancient. Plus she liked sticking two black-nailed digits up at convention and found this Roman title, denoting the goddess of love no less, to be somewhat uproarious thus a little rancorous sardonism seemed to be in order.

Three dates in and things began to grow a little more consequential in her mind. For one of such boyish beauty, Adam was certainly not content on banking on his looks to appeal to the opposite sex. He acted with respectfulness at all times and never pushed the envelope when Venus withdrew from embrace. Moreover, he was refreshingly open to self-effacing endeavor and this was a rare quality that endeared him to her boundlessly. During a moonlight stroll down Brooklyn Bridge Boulevard he revealed a little of his melancholy by weeping openly when quizzed on his childhood heroes. Adam’s father had died when he was still an infant and had left a momentous void in his life which was still evidently agonizing to recall. Instead of putting his tears down to the gale force winds, he revealed his fragility to Venus, and this spoke volumes for his character.

It was always Adam. Long before any pheromones started their charge, upon primary introduction no less, she knew how this affair would end. The best and only inheritance she could bestow upon him was to pass on her eternal life in the hope that his protracted pilgrimage would be long and radiant. She wanted him to see what she had seen; travel the globe and visit every dock in every country until he saw fit to punch his own clock many years from now. Her death need not be in vain as she would still exist through him in a sense. But at the same time she would finally be granted the chance to rest. Fatigue is a common complaint amongst hellions, especially given that both night and light feel right. A decent slumber was the one thing excluded from the equation and she longed just once to seal her beauteous lashes and be greeted with evanescence.

Adam would be arriving any moment and not once had tardiness been a concern as he swore by his punctuality. Venus selected her ruby-red matching Chantilly underwear and slid the panties up her slender legs, taking one final glance at her meticulously neatened pubic thatch before concealing her quim with lace. She had watched on as any mortal acquaintances became prone to the wear and tear of natural existence, yet her own breasts remained every bit as perky and voluptuous as they’d ever been. After a few seconds marvelling one last time at her wares, she secured her bra in place and reached for her favorite black velvet gown. Adam hadn’t yet been made privy to this as she had saved it especially for an occasion such as this. Indeed she hadn’t worn the dress since her last dance with Dimitri back in the 1920s. It therefore seemed the obvious and fitting choice for tonight’s engagement.

True to form, no sooner had she zipped herself into her chosen gown, than a gentle knock on her front door denoted his arrival. Venus took one last lingering glance at herself in the mirror, grabbed her clutch bag, and made her way out to the reception room to let him in. Tonight was all planned out in her mind; there seemed no more fitting a locale to end her journey than the one which started it all many years previous. It simply had to be Central Park, no further than a brisk cab ride away, and the only place in the bustling city where it felt possible to find some uninterrupted tranquility.

“Hi”

“Hello Adam”

“You look stunning”

“Thank you. I thought we might try something a little different tonight”

“You read my mind. How does Central Park sound? Thought we could eat at The Loab Boathouse, then sit by the lake and take in the sights afterwards. Unless you had another idea?”

“No. That sounds divine”

“Shall we?”

“We shall”

________

Their meal was exquisite and Adam had made a prior reservation for the table directly overlooking the lake. Fine London Broil and sautéed potatoes grilled to perfection had been accompanied by a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino and the excellent service had complimented their dining experience exquisitely as though staff had been aware that this would be her penultimate meal. Her next feed would be most decisive, although she had no intention of siphoning freely. Just enough for Adam to feel her love; that was all that would be necessitated this night. There could be no further denial of the delicate buzz in her belly. All stars had aligned quite beautifully and tonight was most definitely the night.

As Adam settled up the bill with their waiter at the bar, Venus pondered one last time about what would lie in wait once the threshold had been passed. She knew her death would be swift and decisive, but after that things were decidedly clouded. Smart money would be on perpetual purgatory as she spent eternity expiating her multitude of sins and explaining years of taunts and derision. The fact that she wasn’t an atheist would surely bode in her defense as she believed in purification, but simply didn’t choose to practise this wasteful pursuit. Maybe this one final act of spiritual cleansing would gain her the absolution she desired. Despite growing weary of her eternal gift; this wasn’t the existence she wished to lead any longer. Adam deserved everything life could offer and an indefinite reprieve from expiration would surely be something he would feel grateful for, once he’d found his feet as a vampire.

You learn fast once your appetite has been whetted. Her very first feed had come less than 24 hours after she was gifted her own bonus and she had no concerns over her beau hitting the ground running as he was quick on the uptake and passionate enough to excel in his fresh role. There were vague pangs of guilt of course; the fact that she would administer without prior consent left a nagging twinge of culpability but there could be no other way quite so poetic to consummate their union than this. The idea of watching on as the love of her life grew steadily older and eventually succumbed to some bogus terminal illness was a heartbreaking notion to entertain and neither Adam nor she deserved to be put through such. Every end heralds a start.

As the pair commenced their leisurely stroll around the lake, Venus took every opportunity provided to drink in each inestimable instance. Adam was in rare form tonight and had pulled out all stops in an attempt at relaying his affection. It had worked; Venus felt more relaxed now than she had ever been and knew only too well that she couldn’t afford this moment to pass them by.

“Can we sit down for a bit? Here by the water”

“Of course we can. Here, you can sit on this”

“You are so sweet. But aren’t you going to be needing that? It’s a little chilly”

“I’m good”

“I know you are. Adam?”

“Yes”

“How did I end up with someone like you?”

“The same way I was blessed to meet someone like you. Fate”

“You really believe that don’t you?”

“People don’t believe enough. The moment you stop is the moment you die. That’s how I see it”

“I like the way you see it. You know, in the six weeks I’ve known you, I haven’t once seen you act with anything other than kindness. My name’s Valerie by the way”

“I know”

“How?”

“It’s how you first introduced yourself”

“Really?”

“Uh huh”

She honestly had no recollection of such which showed just how fixated she had been during their primary encounter.

“How do you see me Adam?”

“For real? Okay, let’s see. I love the way your bottom lip quivers when you speak passionately about something. And I love that passion. It feels as though you have seen so much in your lifetime and I find your wisdom intoxicating. You’re kind, generous, funny. Not afraid to speak your mind but only when something needs to be said. You appreciate the sanctuary of silence. I love your fragrance and I’m not speaking of your perfume either. Your skin is fresh like a daisy. And the eyes. Where do I even start about those aquamarine peepers? They had me before I even knew I’d been had”

“Wow. That was pretty extensive”

“I could go on”

“No need. You have done more for me in the last six weeks than anyone else I have ever met. And that’s some undertaking let me tell you”

“I just trust my gut”

“And what does it say to you?”

“That this is different”

“From what?”

“From everything. I have never met anyone quite like you Valerie”

“Ditto”

The moment felt right and, as Adam leaned in for a delicate kiss, Valerie reciprocated with every last yearning muscle. Their embrace was more intense than ever before and this time she had no intention of curbing her hunger any longer. Every touch lit a benign beacon of pleasure and she radiated happiness as she nuzzled him closer, running her longing fingers across the malleable skin across his throat tantalizingly. He was evidently erect; that much could no longer be concealed, but still he refrained from acting on its behalf and allowed her to dictate the pace at all times. She had fucked before quenching on numerous occasions over her tenure and often that fate-sealing bite had been orchestrated during the violent throes of sex but, in all her plentiful years, she had never actually made love. Valerie wished to know how that felt just once before the final curtain. One eternally treasured waltz.

Clearly she would be required to take matters into her own hands as Adam was respectful in over-abundance and unwilling to start the fire. Reaching into his lap and gently lowering the zip of his jeans, she grasped his rigid member and afforded it the entitlement it craved. Adam may well have been a gentleman and, indeed, he demonstrated unerring goodwill as he gently lowered her down onto his affectionately placed jacket, but his resolve was weakening and it was time for him to assume the lead. He did so with both fortitude and hospitality; tenderly trespassing beneath her gown while sliding his warm hand up her inside thigh towards her sopping hub.

“Are you comfortable?”

“Never more so”

“May I?”

How sweet. Even though her legs were now parted and all signs pointed to penetration, he was still the gift that kept giving. Her saturated quim had already betrayed any ambiguity as to just how much she wanted this and her panties were almost softened enough that his burly member could cleave the fabric with even the faintest thrust.

“Yes you may”

Valerie let out a vague gasp as Adam slid his throbbing girth beneath her veil for the first time.

“You okay?”

“Yes. Yes I’m fine”

Another inch brought another exclamation of intense gratification and she contracted her fluttering muscle against his length as she allowed for greater traction. Her dress was now up around her shoulders although Adam had been thoughtful enough to unzip with his one free hand before pushing it over her plumpened breasts. He lifted the underwire of her bra and released the catch on the reverse at the exact same moment, releasing her sweetened peaks and cupping each in turn as he lapped at them with his strapping tongue. This was bliss; worth every second of restraint and made all the more poignant by the fact that she had waited so long. A lifetime no less.

With cloying honey facilitating every stroke, Adam began to percolate down deep in the root of his testicles and Valerie knew only too well what this meant. The time had come for her to come clean about her bestial orientation and bestow upon her soul mate the gift of eternal life. She released the clutch of moist soil from both hands and grasped each side of his head, pulling him topside and revealing the artery she intended to admiringly punctuate. Once in place, she retracted her jaws and her incisors began to protrude towards his persuasive neck muscle. The next moment appeared to last forever as her entire life flashed before her eyes, semen now being dispatched for his final flurry and ascending his straining totem. One hundred and seven years plus change. Not a bad run all things considered. The Eiffel Tower, The Great Wall of China, Niagara Falls, Tuscany in the spring, and the Lake District in the autumn. Sufficient memories for two lifetimes. But here the Waltz had to end.

In a solitary forceful motion, her hankering fangs made contact, puncturing with ease and sinking deeper into their receptive target. This intensity was something totally alien to Valerie; it was as though his skin parted voluntarily to offer its donation. She drank heartily enough to confirm her presence whilst remaining mindful of not drawing too much and compromising his safe passage. Adam’s ventricles willingly catheterized and not once did her resist her advance. Eventually, she accepted that the moment was destined to end and felt confident that the baton had been passed. Pulling back momentarily and licking her lips just for one last taste of this man’s luscious solution, she spoke the three words which had never before entered her vocabulary.

“I love you”

“I know. I love you too”

Valerie stared admiringly into his eyes and instantly realization dawned. The light began to flicker within them in synchronicity with her own fade out and his eternal continuation was suddenly no longer an applicable option. Love was the only toxin potent enough to snuff a vampire’s existence and, for all her meticulous preparation, she had never once considered the ramifications of mutual adoration. Despite this cruel enlightenment, he seemed unfazed, right up to the moment where his beautiful face began to crack and smoulder. He was still smiling warmly as the heart in his chest began to implode and, when it did, it did so in unison with her own. Their embrace remained unbroken as they completed their last waltz and settled into the soft grass verge while their skin continued to blister and split until all that remained was ashen. The blustering winter gale did the rest. True love was every bit as eternal as she had speculated. Just in a different way than expected.

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