The Road of Darkness

Chapter Two

Two

Addison moved among the men, grabbing them up with strength unknown to her. Some new instinct seemed to drive her now. Her consciousness took a backseat to this newfound creature she'd become. She tore into their throats, drinking deep of their crimson blood, gorging herself. She would stop, vomit, and then begin anew. This newfound never ending hunger driving her into a virtual bloodbath.

Nothing the men did could stop her. Some tried to fight back, only to have limbs torn asunder. Their bodies twisted and ripped apart in Addison's onslaught.

The screaming and shouting stopped, and Addison stood there, panting, as though she needed to breathe. She wasn't yet aware that her body no longer needed such a thing as air to survive.

Addison, covered head to foot in blood and gore, felt the darkness consume her.

She wanted more.

She crept to where the slaves and prisoners were kept by the handlers in chains and cells. She pulled the chains and locks from the doors and bars with ease. Entering inside, she did much the same as before. She drank and killed everyone; men, woman and even the little children.

When finished, her hunger seemed to have abated for now. Her endeavors had exhausted her, it would seem. Sleep beckoned to her. She crept through the ship, to exit. Dawn had come. She could hear the gulls and the people outside the ship. She stepped past a portal in the hull to the greeting of the fresh risen sun. A sunbeam touched upon her arm, smoldering and sparking in flame. Addison gave a yelp, jumping back into the shadows, using her petticoat to douse the flame. The pain was immense. She looked at her arm; it still glowed with burning embers, scorched. But the pain was leaving the wounded area. She watched in rapt fascination as the flesh and muscle began to heal itself, albeit in a slow manner. But it was healing and regenerating much faster than it would have before the events of the previous evening.

Lesson one. She had to keep away from the sun.

She ran through the ship, into the storage compartments, looking for a place to hide herself. She found a large truck full of various items. She upended the trunk, clearing it out and slipping herself inside. She prayed to whatever deity who may offer pity for her to protect her slumber.

When next she woke, opening the crate with care, she had found it was once again nightfall. She exited the ship, her hunger as great as it was the past night. She moved on to the next ship. She continued with moving from ship to ship before the authorities began guarding them more. And so, this was her first lesson in the need to be discreet in her actions. She would climb overboard, swimming out into the waters to a safe distance before coming ashore to begin her night anew. It did little to wash away the filth and blood clinging to her.

She had been missing for more than a week. Her father and the local sheriff found her horse and carriage. Upon further investigation, they found her soiled, torn and bloodied dress in the dirty alleyway. Her coin purse, still full of money as well as her shoes where there beneath the mess, too. They feared the worst. The case closed as a murder, as no one could survive what the evidence had shown to be such a brutal attack.

Aiden and Caroline mourned the loss of their one and only child. They held a funeral service at the family cemetery on the northern part of their property, far from the swamp and bayous.

Addison remained within the city. She would feed on the less fortunate, the homeless, and the slaves chained to posts in the square. Sometimes she would even break into a home. She would entertain herself feeding on an entire family for the night and then take refuge in the home during the daylight hours. That was when she got the first glimpse of herself and what she had become.