DreamWeaver

The unfinished story below is copywrited by Bram Ransey , 2001.  It may not be distributed nor altered in any way without express written consent of the author.  For those not living in a litigious society, this means an OK letter with my valid, legal signature on it. 

This story also contains quotes from Concrete Blonde, and the red-haired imp, completely without their permission.

Comments: That said, I hope you enjoy my efforts. And kindly make time to send constructive comments or just tell me that you liked it.

Part 2

III

His first location was a small college in Maine. It was in the middle of nowhere, but that was fine because the weather stayed reasonably cool in June. There weren�t too many summer students, but enough for a reasonable sample.

After the first week, Thom held most of the interviews in a local coffee house. It had deep booths and there was one in the back that offered great privacy. He found the students were more relaxed in the coffee house than the lab originally provided to him.

Every so often, he would use the Voice to lull a female interviewee into a light trance. There he persuaded her to tell him her fantasies. His interest was somewhat intellectual, he was looking for origins of human fantasies in Shifter archetypes. Yet, being honest with himself, Thom admitted his intellect had very little to do with his actions.

His experiences of persuading women to have sex with him weren�t very satisfying. There were only so many ways for tab A to fit into slot A, B, or C. Oh, he could probably convince them to engage in kinkier activities, but if he controlled everything, it pretty much amounted to masturbation. He wanted new ideas, ones that didn�t come from him.

So far, his efforts had uncovered several white knight stories, a few padded handcuff tales, substantial guilt, and a rather disturbing Elektra complex. Thom began to wonder what 50�s time warp the students were drawn from when he encountered an intriguing young woman named Anika.

She was thin, with pale skin and straight black hair (probably dyed) hanging past her shoulders. Her hair, preponderance of silver jewelry, black dress, and combat boots more than suggested a Goth subculture. Though he knew it was stereotypical, Thom figured Anika would have an interesting fantasy life.

There was some truth to that assumption for Anika. Under a trance, she told him how she fantasized about vampires. She wanted to be drawn in by one, captured by his mesmerizing glance, her will becoming an extension of his. Anika�s fantasy began when she saw the movie Fright Night. She wanted to be the girl in the movie; romanced, seduced by a powerful vampire. Overnight, she became obsessed with the idea.

She read every recent book, saw every new movie on the subject, no matter how gruesome or stupid. Initially, the vampire of her dreams was tall, dark, and foreign. But after reading Rice�s novels, she imagined an exquisitely beautiful blond taking her for his own.

Thom was slightly amused. Anika�s attitude towards vampires was largely media-fed. She was fascinated with the �modern� vampire. He wondered if she would think differently if she had seen Nosferatu or Bela Lugosi in Dracula. Anika�s fantasy also intrigued Thom, because of the relationship between Shifter reality and vampire myth.

Though Thom wasn�t blond, Anika did confide that she was attracted to him.

He asked her unconscious mind, "Would you like to live out your fantasy?"

"Yes!"

"What are your plans for the evening?"

"My friends and I are going to The Warehouse, a club in town. It�s alternative night, and we try to go every week. It isn�t that crowded, but there are enough Goths in the area to make it fun."

"Tonight, when you go to the club, you will see a man with long, blond hair, leather pants, and a black shirt. You will be drawn to him. You suspect he is a vampire, but cannot tell your friends what you think. At some point, he will come over and introduce himself to you, kissing your hand. Then you will know he is a vampire and feel strongly attracted to him. When he calls you �my beautiful Nika� you will be completely in his power. You may want to resist him, but you must do anything he says. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand."

"Good. Now, your conscious mind will not remember any of our conversation, except that on urban legends. When you see the vampire tonight, he will not bear any resemblance to me."

Thom then brought her out of the trance, and ended the interview. He finished his other three interviews and then left to prepare for the evening.

On the way back to his apartment, Thom stopped at the local grocery store. There he picked up a container of liver and a cow�s heart. Though he had never met a human that ate these items, it seemed that every grocery store�s meat counter carried them.

The heart and liver contain the most blood of any organs, and Thom might need some of it tonight. A Shifter�s powers are fueled by blood. Any creature�s blood would do, though mammals were preferred to birds, birds over lizards, and lizards over fish. When he asked, Thom�s tutor couldn�t explain exactly how or why a Shifter�s body used the blood, only that it did.

With the sanguine fuel from the cow�s heart and liver, Thom could effect several drastic corporeal transformations. Any blood he didn�t use, his body stored for later. He didn�t expect to need much blood for the night, but he liked to be prepared.

Anika would not supply him with any blood. Human blood was too dangerous to consume, except on rare occasions. It brought forth bad associations in human�s minds. Besides, other forms of blood were so plentiful that it really wasn�t worth the trouble. Amusingly, Anika�s vampire would not take her blood.

Arriving home, he dumped the organs into a large bowl, made a cup of green tea, and sat down to eat. He finished the meal unhurriedly, contemplating his plans for the evening.

Sated, Thom stood before a mirror and sculpted his fa�ade. Combing his hands through his hair, he lengthened it past his chin and changed it to a white-blond hue. He altered his face slightly, emphasizing the cheekbones and giving his blue eyes a glow that could be seen across the room. He lightened his skin tone several shades to a moonlight tan.

Thom didn�t own a pair of leather pants, but that wouldn�t matter. He only wore natural fibers, because they could be manipulated or absorbed. All of his clothes had buttons made of organic material instead of zippers. He changed the jeans he was wearing to something resembling black leather. His T-shirt became a tight, long sleeved, black crew neck. A pair of black boots from his closet completed the outfit.

The town was small, with downtown consisting of only four blocks. Thom found The Warehouse easily. He arrived a short while before Anika and her friends. Using the time, Thom familiarized himself with the club and made acquaintance with the bartender. He ordered a ruby port wine to complement his role for the evening. In the club�s darkness, he would appear to be drinking a glass of blood.

By the time Anika showed up, Thom had staked out a section of the back bar. Anika did not see him right away, by design. He waited about twenty minutes for her to get comfortable, find a table, and order a drink. As she talked with her three friends, her eyes darted around the room, searching.

Thom stepped off his bar stool and half into the light. He turned to face Anika, catching her eye. She sat riveted as he gazed at her. Thom grinned faintly, raised his glass, and then turned away. As he walked to another corner of the club, he could feel her watch him furtively. He was pleased, the suggestions were working.

Thom moved around the club, from shadow to light. He noted that Anika glanced at him each time he revealed himself. Then he slipped into a back corner to wait.

Before too long, Anika urged her friends to dance. They finished their drinks and proceeded to the dance floor. As she danced, Anika looked around the club for Thom.

He crept up behind her, tapped her shoulder, and smiled at her surprised look. "Excuse me. Would you like to dance?"

Her friends stepped back, looking towards Anika for an indication of how to treat him. Unsure of herself, Anika stammered, "Y-yes."

"Thank you. My name is Tomas. What is yours, may I ask?"

"Anika."

"Ah, Anika," he replied, taking her hand and kissing it, "it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

She froze, staring at him wide eyed, her suspicions confirmed. He was the vampire, the one for which she secretly hoped and feared. She never really believed in him, yet here he stood. He was compellingly attractive, as she knew he would be.

"Well, my beautiful �Nika, shall we dance?"

As they danced, Anika knew she was in the vampire�s power. He whispered words that only she could hear, but not remember. She soon forgot her friends, her fear. She fell deeper under his spell, until he was all she saw. All the while, she grew more and more aroused.

The way he looked at her produced a warm thrill in her belly. His pointed teeth sent shivers up her spine. But being in his thrall, knowing he commanded her will, that filled her with a burning lust.

After a time, they bade her friends good night. A small corner of Anika�s mind was surprised that her friends made no objection. They walked back to his apartment, and he invited her inside, for a drink.

The implication caused butterflies in her stomach, for she knew what kind of drink he wanted.

Inside, they kissed tenderly. "My beautiful �Nika." Thom said. "You want to give yourself to me, don�t you?"

She gasped, "Yes." and exposed her neck in answer.

He kissed it lightly at first, then with increasing roughness. His hands roamed her body. , He whispered so softly between kisses that she couldn�t make out the words. With one hand, he teased a breast. The other found the high slit in her skirt and caressed her bare leg. As she trembled under his touch, he slid a hand between her panties and skin. She was wet.

Thom�s upper hand tugged at a nipple through the fabric. His lower one stroked her nub in time with his fierce kisses. Anika felt her climax rising. Suddenly, it was upon her. As she came, she felt him bite her neck. She cried out in ecstasy.

His hands kept up their erotic rhythm while he drained her life�s essence. After only moments, Thom broke off the dark kiss. He sustained Anika�s orgasm until she thought she would swoon from the pleasure. Then he brought her down gently, only stopping when her breathing resumed its normal cadence.

Anika opened her eyes. "Tomas?"

"Yes, my sweet."

"Please, make me like you."

"Not yet, my beautiful �Nika, not yet." He smiled at her.

Laying her on the couch, he said, "Remain her a moment."

Thom returned with a glass of dark liquid. "Drink, my sweet. This is my gift to you, my blood." He handed it to her.

With eyes raised in supplication, she took a sip. The taste was pleasant, and she finished the rest quickly.

He spoke for a few moments, but Anika did not register the words. She was lost in the sensation of his blood coursing through her. His will was a palpable force inside her.

Surfacing from reverie, she heard him instruct, "You will not consciously remember this night until I reveal it to you. But any time your mind wanders, whenever you daydream, in your sleep you will recall our time together. The images will be fleeting, slightly distracting, yet they will not upset you. At some level, you will know your fantasy is becoming real. You are in the thrall of a vampire."

"Now, you must go." He commanded. "You will return to me when you feel my call, for we are linked. Linked by my blood. Now go downstairs and wait in the foyer for my coachman to take you back to your apartment."

Anika shut the door behind her, and Thom quickly altered his appearance. His hair changed to close-cropped, black, and curly. His features flattened out and became more round. A stockier, red shirted man followed where Anika went a few minutes ago.

She did not question him as he escorted her back to her apartment. He watched her make it safely inside and then returned to his place.

Thom was delighted with the evening. He had loosely followed the script Anika gave him, with great results. She was really taken with Tomas. He had nudged her feelings only slightly, at the beginning. By playing to her fantasies, he was able to arouse a fiery lust

It was fun. He enjoyed some carnal pleasure, and she got to realize a fantasy for a while. A good time was had by all.

IV