Vampire stories
can be addicting. If you start writing them, you end up doing some world
building, because not all vampire worlds are alike--and this a lot of fun. I’ve read tales where the
vampire only need a few drops of blood per month and never kill anyone in their
nocturnal quest to stay alive. There is the most common scenario, derived from
Dracula, mother of all vampire novels
(though not the first). Whatever you thought of Twilight, the vampire world presented on those novels, the world of
“sparkly” vampire who are not killed by sunlight, was unique; its uniqueness
made the novels so popular because it was something new. So as a writer you get
to formulate the details of your vampire universe—well, or world, since so far,
the vampires in these stories have never left the earth. (Spoiler warning: some have, and I’ll be writing about them in
a while.)
My particular
vampire world is pretty much the standard one. Vampires cannot go out in the
sun or they die gruesome deaths. They must feed once a month. Like a lion,
though, they do not kill their victims by biting them. They most often hit
them, as a lion will hit its prey with its paws, and break the person’s neck—then
feed. My vampires are rather human most of the time: they eat and drink regular food and their
bodies are like human bodies. But when they hunt, when they are afraid and
sense danger, what they call their “vampire hormones” kick in. They develop
fangs, talons at the end of their fingers, impenetrable skin, and superhuman
senses. They can transform into a bat easily; also into a wolf, which is more
difficult; and, for the very careful and gifted, into a mist (one vampire in another
my stories can change into a cat; South American vampires know how to transform
to snakes). They have social networks, even an online dating service (see my
story
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| Jancinda |
One of these is
an ongoing character, Jancinda Lamott. She is an figure about whom I
have published seven stories. In my vampire world, one can become one of the
undead by initiation (rare—often frowned upon by other vampires) or, most
commonly, by being bitten. One person out of about five thousand transform
after being bitten. There are not many vampires the world I created.
"Flowers of Evil”
took a personality from the past and imagined he was a vampire. In this
story, the historical figure was the French poet Charles Baudelaire. Baudelaire lived from
1821-1867. His most famous volume of poetry Les Fleurs du mal (Flowers
of Evil), a collection of sonnets, was considered
decadent and evil by the French public. It dealt with sex and death, which many
people at the time thought scandalous. Baudelaire lived a very Parisian life,
kept mistresses, drank, and took opium. He also, by the way, translated the
works of Edgar Allan Poe into French.
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| Baudelaire |
When
the story “Flowers of Evil” begins, Jancinda and her friend Trinity are running
from vampire hunters. They manage to escape. The vampire community in West
Michigan goes on alert, hoping to stop the vampire hunter (whose last name is Liam
Joyce). He strikes once more, this time taking the life of a young woman who
worked at a brothel run by a woman who is among the undead. Constantine, one of Jancinda’s lovers, knows forensics,
investigates, and finds out someone fired an archaic sort of pistol at whoever killed
the working girl.
Later,
Jancinda learns it was none other than Baudelaire himself.
You
are Charles Baudelaire, the author of Flowers of Evil?”
“I
am.”
“I
didn’t know”—she could not finish.
“Most people don’t. With me it was an
odd story of crossing the River Styx into the world in which we now dwell.” He
looked up. “The dawn is near. I need a place to stay.”
She takes
Baudelaire home. Jancinda has long loved his poetry. She hears his backstory.
And, of course, her desire kicks in. They end up making love. Baudelaire leaves
and promises to come back. Jancinda works on projects at her computer, hears a
knock at the door, and, thinking it is Baudelaire, opens it. Instead, it is the
vampire hunter.
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| Jeanne Duval painted by Manet |
He uses a
magical spell to disable her and prepares to drive a stake into her heart. The reason, he says, is that she killed three of s his colleagues once--and a relative. She remembered the
incident. Before he can carry out his design, Baudelaire shows up and kills him.
Baudelaire tells
Jancinda he used her as “bait” to find Joyce. She is angry but he tells her she
was never in any danger. A relative of Joyce had killed Jeanne Duval,
Baudelaire’s long-time lover, also a vampire. The role of vampire hunter had
passed down to new generations, and Joyce had tracked Baudelaire for years.
Finally, the French poet had his revenge on the family that destroyed the one
true love of his life. Jancinda cannot stay angry with him long. More love will
come. And, Baudelaire says, they will continue to see each other from time to
time—if she wishes it so.
"Flowers of Evil" appeared in the anthology Midnight Thirsts II. Available, lots of good stories.
For additional titles, check out my Writer'sPage.
I would love to hear
your comments.
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