I'd been fascinated with the wild colors of their camp for as long as I can remember. Bright, full of life, and in such contrast to my village. It was hard to look away. They came through every year and I secretly looked forward to it. The people of my town never made eye contact. "Wild" my mother would say, shaking her head and making the sign of the cross.
I'd tried to sneak out once as a boy to go watch them but my mother caught me and gave me a nasty beating. She never looked at me the same after that. It was like she knew. I think she thought the devil himself had crawled inside me. And maybe she was right.
It was years later that my fate was sealed. Some friends and I were leaving the tavern when we noticed the flicker of their fire in the distance. We never spoke, we all just started walking towards their camp. Moths to the flame. The women were beautiful, barely clothed and they danced with seductive grace. I was paralyzed by the movement and my heart kept time with the beat. One by one, my friends moved closer. I stayed where I was until I saw her. Dark Goddess. Her eyes sparkled a brilliant blue and I couldn't look away. I walked slowly until I reached her. My skin burned as she pressed against me. Her body was a perfect combination of soft curves and hard muscle and she smelled like smoke and spice and rain. Her gaze was piercing, like a dagger through my heart. Two stars twinkling in the night sky.
When I heard the first scream, I knew something was wrong, but I couldn't stop dancing and caressing the woman in my arms. The screams were like a distant dream and I must have been aware of my friends falling one by one to the ground, but I did nothing. Then as if being slapped awake, I found myself surrounded by the other women, their faces dripping with the hot, red blood of my friends. I looked, pleading to my blue eyed angel and I was once again paralyzed. Pleasure and pain coursed through my body as she bit me, bringing me to my knees. I watched as she drained my blood, her eyes turned dark and I knew this was my last moment.
Funny how I wish now that it was. I woke, nauseous, in a wagon moving west. There were at least a dozen men and we were all in cages. We were all the creatures' firsts. Their life blood. A bond is formed the first time they drink and they need us to survive. She has to feed from me, less often as time passes on. We grow no older, time stacks on time. Only the firsts can father their children. We see the girls from time to time. Blue-eyed beauties. I don't know what happens to the boys.
I escaped once, but didn't make it far. I became so violently ill, I couldn't move after a distance. She found me easily. She cursed at me and brought me back. It was the only time I've ever seen a flash of emotion cross her dark face. Pity. Maybe I'm not the only one who's trapped...
