Alma: Bride

“Crimson Bloom” by Simon Matulef

Alma: Bride (Part 1) by Michael Ryan

In the year 1480, Romania was in chaos, after Vlad The Impaler was assassinated, the people of Romania were wondering who would protect them from their enemies and save their loved ones that were being kidnaped and killed. Because of this, villages were burning to the ground, people fighting each other for food and shelter, while others started to pack their things and head to a new kingdom or just surrendered to the enemies. 

You see, the enemies were Vlad’s and his kingdom’s greatest problem, they were The Ottoman Empire. Their leader was Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, he was feared by his people and army, except for his beautiful daughter, Alma. Alma loves her father, but just wants peace and to be loved. Her mother died from childbirth, and sometimes Alma blames herself for her mother’s death. Alma is also in love with jewelry and being beautiful all the time, which can also be her weakness. She has been flirting and flirted with her father’s soldiers, but they can never truly give her what she wants, internal beauty. 

One day, Alma wakes up with red eyes looking at her and the figure smiling while showing every two sharp fangs coming out of his mouth. One minute she is about to scream, but the next thing she knows she is being surrounded by darkness with several wings and then everything goes back to normal. Alma jumps out of her bed and runs to her father’s room. When Alma gets there, she sees he is not there and then hears him talking to some of his men in the battle hall. The battle hall is where her father and his men made their plans to attack. Alma stands by the door and listens in. 

“Your, Majesty, we shot an arrow at The Impaler, he went into this cave and never came out. We looked for his body, but we found nothing. The only thing that came out was a bunch of bats.” said one of the soldiers. 

“So you're telling me that everyone thinks he is dead and it turns out he could still be ALIVE!!!!! you shot him with an ARROW!!!, but found no body at all?!!” asked The Conqueror.

“That is right, your, Majesty.” said another soldier. 

The Conqueror threw his sword at the soldier, but it hit the wall, missing inches from the soldier's head. The men were so scared, they ran out of the hall. 

“Vlad, that BASTARD!!!!” yelled The Conqueror. 

Alma walked in and was a little startled to see her father this angry. She had heard of Vlad, or sometimes better known as The Dragon, Son Of The Devil, and The Impaler. She also knew that her father and Vlad grew up together, while training for war and future battles, and the two never got along as children and that dislike for each other only became hatred. 

“Dad?” Alma said in a whisper.

“Oh honey, you should go to bed soon.” The Conqueror in a more gentle voice, he only used when he was around his daughter. 

“But it is late afternoon, maybe you should go to bed soon.” Alma smiled as she tried to tell her dad to take a break. 

“I am sorry, Alma, but I still have a lot of things to do. Please go ask one of the servants to make you dinner and then get to bed, besides you are the one who always says you need your beauty sleep.” The Conqueror said

“Alright, Dad, well goodnight.” said Alma

Just as Alma was about to leave, her father stood up and called for her one more time. She turned around and her father had a beautiful golden yellow diamond necklace in his hands. Alma moved her brown curly hair to one side and her father put the necklace on her. 

“Oh, Dad, it is beautiful, but where did you get such a necklace?” asked Alma while she admired the necklace around her neck. 

“Your mother had just one like it, and I just thought you should have one just like it.” answered The Conqueror

Thank you Dad, I absolutely love it.” said Alma while just smiling so hard, her cheeks started to hurt. 

“You are very welcome. Now please go have dinner and go to bed.” ordered her father

The Conqueror kissed Alma on the forehead and she kissed her father on the cheek. Then she walked out of the battle hall, while her father was thinking of his next plan for Romania. 

Alma had the servants make her dinner and then got ready for bed. While Alma was eating her dinner and now getting ready for bed, she couldn't stop playing with her necklace and something felt so familiar about it, but she just couldn't put her finger on it. Before Alma went to bed, she always checked her skin, to see any wrinkles, pimples, bruises, or anything else she didn't want on her face. She had to be beautiful every day, every year, every hour, every minute, and every second. The only thing Alma found on her face was her little birthmark on the top of her upper lip. Alma was afraid to go to bed, because she thought the creature might come back, but she just kept telling herself that it was probably just her mind playing tricks on her. Alma jumped into her big bed and put the covers on her, and went fast asleep. 

A few minutes later, she woke up with a cold breath breathing on her and then the smell of blood. She was about to scream, but a pale hand was on her mouth, before she could even make a sound. The pale hand had very sharp nails and his plan was extremely cold. She tried to move the hand from her mouth, but the hand was so strong, she could barely think straight. The dark figure moved their hand to give Alma a chance to breathe. 

“Are you here to kill me?” asked Alma in a strained voice.

“Of course not, my child, I just admire your beauty.” answered the dark figure.

“Then what do you want?” asked Alma, still afraid.

“I just want to get to know you.” answered the dark figure.

“What is your name?” asked the dark figure.

“Alma, what is your name?” asked Alma.

“I have many names, but you can call me Count for now.” answered the dark figure.

“Nice to meet you Count.” said Alma and gave her hand to him.

“It is a pleasure to meet you too, Alma.” the dark figure took her hand and kissed it. 

Alma felt a tingle when he pressed his cold lips on her hand. 

“Your eyes, they are completely red.” Alma said as she looked deep into his eyes. 

Just as Alma noticed this, The Count’s eyes changed, his eye color was still red, but outside of his eye color was white again. 

“I am so sorry, I am still learning to be this…..thing.” said The Count.

“What thing?” asked Alma

“It is hard to describe and they are others of my kind, but also different too. I am the first of my kind and I am supposed to be the most powerful of all.” answered The Count who struggled with the right words to tell her. 

“Your kind? And the most powerful of all? What do you mean?” asked Alma who wanted answers. 

“A Vampire, or better known as The Ultimate Vampire. I am the first of my kind, or well first of this kind of vampire species.” answered The Count.

“Vampire, but they are mythical creatures, who feed on blood and can never age at all. There are just scary stories like ghosts, witches, and dragons.” said Alma.

The Count came closer to her, and put his hands on her.

“They are Mythical Creatures and they are very much real.” said The Count.

“So how did you become a vampire?” asked Alma who was still finding this hard to believe. 

“After I lost my wife and gave up my son, I sold my soul to the devil himself. Then he granted me these powers beyond imagination.” answered The Count.

“What powers?” asked Alma

“Mind reading, Telekinesis, Telepathy, Weather Control, Strength, Speed, Flight, Shape-Shifting, Invisibility, Healing, Immortality, and so much more, but there is cost to this power.”

“Immortality means you can never age and die.” Alma was now even more intrigued and was about to ask The Count something that was about to change her entire life for forever. 

“Count, can you make me into what you are?” asked Alma who knew she was asking a lot from him.

“Of Course not.” The Count raised his voice. 

“But please I can not bear to grow old and die old, I want to be beautiful forever.” 

Just as The Count was about to say something, his head hurt for a minute. Alma noticed and put her hand on his to make sure he was fine. The Count raised his face and tears were spilling from his eyes.

“You poor child, you have no idea what your father has done to you and your mother,” said The Count.

“What are you talking about?” asked Alma

The Count put his index finger on Alma’s forehead and she saw her mother giving birth to her, the mother was so happy and showed her father, but was angry and yelling he wanted a boy. The mother cried and then escaped the castle, while running, the father caught up and his men took the baby girl from the mother’s hands. The Father cried and was saying if you can’t give me a child, then someone else can. The father impaled the mother and watched her bleed to death. The father said it was Vlad The Impaler who killed the mother. From that day on, the father slept with a lot of women, but could never produce a boy and only a girl.

The Count moved his index finger and Alma was in shock. The man she loved had lied to her for her entire life. Alma then realized The Count was actually Vlad The Impaler. 

“You are The Impaler. You have known my father all of your life.” said Alma

The Count just shook his head.

“Why would he tell me that mother died from childbirth?” asked Alma

“To spare you from his evil. I am so sorry, my child.” said The Count

Alma looked at the necklace her father had given her, and she realized it was her mother’s. They both loved the color gold. Alma realized what she wanted now and realized there was no going back. 

“Make me a Vampire, so I can get justice for my mother. Please, I am begging you. He has to pay for what he has done to you, me, my mother, and so many innocent people.” Alma asked this with tears spilling from face.

“Lie back. Once you are like me, you will never age and never die, but I should warn you— the sun will burn you, silver will burn you; stakes, holy water, crosses, will be your enemies. But most of all, your thirst for human blood will be unstoppable. Your love will become your hunger.”

Alma did not care anymore. She just wanted revenge for what was taken from her. The Count’s fangs came out and he bit her on the neck. She felt weird and tired, like her soul was being taken from her. She watched The Count bite his wrist and put his wrist on her mouth. She could taste his blood in her mouth. Part of her wanted to stop, but the other part was enjoying the rush of a new life full of wonders and power. The blood tasted so good, she could not stop. The Count took back his wrist and Alma wiped the blood from her mouth.

“What happens now?” Alma asked, trying to sit up, but having a hard time. 

“Now you die.” answered The Count who was smiling an evil smile.

All of sudden, Alma felt dizzy and could not see right, then her heart was hurting so bad, it felt like it was going to come out of her. Then she blacked out and fell back on her bed.

Alma woke up and heard almost everything. She heard the plates and silverware being moved around by the servants downstairs, the soldiers training, and a spider climbing on her wall. Alma was about to go to her mirror and suddenly she was already there. She stared at her reflection, amazed at her transformation. Her skin was pale and ice cold. Her eyes were red as blood and the bite on her neck from The Count was gone. She tested her strength by lifting her colest, and it was like lifting a hair clip. She went to get her robe, but it came to her. She realized she had telekinesis. She put her robe on and turned around to look at The Count, but he was gone. Alma didn’t worry— she knew what she had to do. She walked out of her room and back into the battle hall where her father was still where she left him. 

“Father, I know what you did, you bastard.” said Alma

The father turned around and almost had a heart attack. He knew it was his daughter, but her appearance was fighting and beautiful at the same time. 

“What has happened to you? What are you talking about?” asked The Father in a very concerned voice.

“You killed my mother and lied to me all of my life.” answered Alma

“That is not true, Alma, you know me, I loved your mother.” The Father replied.

Alma read his mind and could tell he was lying. She could hear the other people’s thoughts in the kingdom, and they also knew about her mother’s real death. Then when she turned next to her, The Count was already there. 

“Vlad, what have you done to my daughter?!!!” asked The Father in a very angered voice.

“I have shown her the truth and a new path full of power and things you will never understand. Unfortunately, you will not have time to understand because you will be dead. You killed my wife and ruined me and my son’s life. Enjoy hell, Mehmed.” said The Count, smiling so much you could see his fangs.

Alma ran to her father and smelled him. Her eyes became full red and her fangs came out for the first time. She bit into her father, sucking the life out of him. After she was done drinking her father’s blood, The Count offered his hand and she took it. 

“Alma, join me in starting a new race of vampires and a life full of power and eternal beauty.” said The Count.

“Yes, Vlad I will join you.” answered Alma. 

The two kissed. A servant came in and began screaming and dropping food and plates everywhere. The Count and Alma smiled while showing their fangs and eyes fully red. They knew this was not the end of their story yet. 

“Lay all your love on me” by Simon Matulef