The Vampire Queen Chapter 3

Vampire Queen

Chapter 3

The tomb stood in the middle of the cemetery. Creeping vines slithered upward, wrapping the ancient structure in a green spider web. Weeds sprouted from the cracks that appeared over the years due to neglect. The tomb that was forgotten by time was soon to be visited once again. Once more, it will be noticed and once more, the thing that it housed would shift and walk the earth.

******

He stood outside of the tomb. Darkness engulfed him and his surroundings and the only light was that of the moon and the soft glow of his cigarette. He leaned up against an adjacent structure to keep himself from falling to the ground from exhaustion. The smoke curled around his head like a make shift halo before disappearing into thin air. Sighing, he looked down at his watch, which read 11:27 p.m. He’s late, he thought, as he exhaled another batch of smoke.

He could still smell the soldiers blood that they spilled days before. Only the grass and air left remnants of the slaughter. The wind suddenly picked up as a cool breeze wafted toward him. Even though he felt no cold, he still shivered as he looked over his shoulder at the deserted tomb.

Knowing full what was inside made him uneasy and restless. His only thought now was hightailing it out of there before it woke. Suddenly he heard a noise coming from the northeast section of the cemetery. Cautiously, he went to investigate and as he neared the foreign sound, a hand reached out and grabbed his shoulder causing him to spin around and snap into striking position. Instead of meeting eye to eye with a stranger, a pair of familiar set of azure eyes greeted him. Letting out a sigh of relief, he once again let down his guard.

“Boss, I didn’t see you there,” He said with another sigh of relief.

“Of course,” Separh said with a roll of his eyes. “Any movement from inside?”

“No, none. I don’t think we spilled enough blood,”

“We spilled more than enough!” Separh snapped as he stopped and stood to face his flunky.

“Yet to be sure…” He sneered as he inched toward him “ We should enter the tomb and see for ourselves,”

“But boss, isn’t that a bit dangerous?”

“Not in the least,” He said. After saying this, they made their way toward the tomb. Moonlight engulfed the interior as they pushed aside the heavy door. It made a loud scraping noise as it made contact with the floor. Cobwebs dangled from every corner and nook; the air was stale from years of being locked away. Separh coughed as the dust entered his lungs as he made his way to the centre of the room. He pushed the cobwebs away from his face as he spotted what he came for. Behind him, his flunky rang his hands together in an act of nervousness. His head jerked at every move and beads of sweat were forming on his brow.

“Boss, this isn’t right,” As he backed away to the entrance.

“Nonsense, you fool,“ He replied as he grabbed the guys shirtfront causing him to come face to face with his boss. “ I didn’t spend 10 long years formulating this plan to flush it down the drain in an instant!” He shouted as he tuned back towards the casket and releasing the guy from his grasp.

Licking his dry lips Seraph approached the decaying coffin. He ran his hands alongside the rim, His slender fingers feeling for the lip of the object. His face showed recognition as he discovered where the lid of the coffin began. As he started to lift the lid up, he stopped mid action and beckoned to his follower.

“Toby, come here,” Toby looked back at the entrance and never did that darkness feel so welcoming. His legs shaky, he took small steps over to where his boss was.

“Yes, boss”

“Open the coffin. I don’t want to get my Armani suit all soiled,” He said as he backed away while crossing his arms across his chest. He watched the young man inch even more toward the coffin. Within his mind, he smiled a smile knowing what await the young man.

Toby hesitated; his forehead was cover in a fine sheet of perspiration. His throat felt dry as he reached under the cover with his fingers. Giving it a hard yank, he slid the lid until it was almost completely off. With a final grunt, the lid landed with a heavy thud on the dusty floor, sending dust clouds billowing up from underneath.

“Well what are you waiting for?” Seraph motioned with his hands to Toby to peer inside the decrepit object.

With one last desperate glance at the door, Toby shuffled his feet even nearer. His eyes held within them fear. Fear the unknown and fear of what could be laying in wait. He craned his neck slightly over the edge as he peered inside.

Suddenly with a jolt, a skeletal hand shot out, causing both of them to jump with fright. The hand found it’s target, that of Toby’s neck. With one quick jerk, the neck snapped with a loud CRACK!

Toby lay motionless on the floor; his dead eyes stared unblinking into nothingness. Seraph’s gaze diverted from the Toby’s body to the now rising corpse within the coffin. The hand now grasped the edge of its prison; it’s elongated fingers, curved as it grasped the rim. Nails that grew while the body died were inches long and ended in a sharpened point. Using the coffin as leverage, the hand pulled the rest of its body upward until it was in a sitting position. It looked more like a skeleton than a body. Its skin was taunt and greyish in colour and its hair hung in matted clumps that hung down it’s back. Clothes that once covered the body now hung in tattered remains, hanging loosely off the corpse.

Seconds ticked away before either the living corpse or Seraph made any movement.

Then, its head began to turn; it rotated its head until its eyes met his. Eyes of the damned they were. Sunken deep in the skull and had a slight reddish tint, almost the colour of dried blood. He didn’t dare make a move, not unless he wanted to end up like Toby. His mind began to work feverishly as it formed an idea. Seraph smiled an inner smile before getting down on one knee and bowing.

“ My lady, my Queen. I am yours to command,” This seemed to please the body as she smile a grotesque smile, it’s gums had declined over the years and its teeth were showing more than ever especially it’s incisor in which they were pointed much like a snakes would be.

Seraph remained in his fixed position yet he knew that the tables have turned and he found a new ally.