Vittoriana

Well, this may become as a surprise to you but I’m a vampire. Yeah, I know something out of a silly little horror story right? That was my exact thought’s myself until I came upon my death in 1448. But first before I get into that I would like to tell you about myself and my life before I was reborn. You see to me that this life is just as important to me and in order for you to know who I am today; I need you to learn who I was before. I do hope you understand.



Let me tell you first who I am. The name I was given at birth was Vittoriana Carmella Lombardi. I was born to Carmella Mancini – Lombardi and Ferdinand Lombardi. I am the middle child of my family with my brother Felix being the oldest and Bartholomew being the youngest at the age of 21. My life! Oh, what a life I have had. You see my father was a merchant who sold the spices that we grew in the field’s right outside of our villa in the countryside of Florence, Italy. And with him being in that trade he was... hmm how should I say this?..Wealthier then most. So, growing up for me and my two brothers’ was wonderful. We had tutors that taught us arithmetic and Latin and my brother’s had their instructor’s to show them how to use their swords and become great fighter’s to defend our family and make our father proud. But, of course our father was always proud of his children. At times, yes my father was strict but he loved us so. He always told us that we could do whatever we wanted in this world as long as we kept our minds to it and showed strength. My mother was a quiet lady she kept to herself and you could usually find her in the chapel devoting herself to her prayer's.



But enough of that for awhile, I should go on. We do have so much to cover and I don’t want to bore you terribly with my little family. The day was one of the best summer day’s we have had here in Florence. Lately, the weather has been so strange. First it’s warm then it’s cold. It hasn’t’ been too good for our fields. The pepper’s and other vegetables we make for our spices are freezing one day and then next there not! Father said he didn’t know what was to become of the crops, he said we’d have to wait and see. But, anyways like I said the day was just gorgeous. So my brother Bart (That’s what we call him for short) and I decided to go into the woods and take the long walk to the pond that was on the other side of our property. There was a lovely breeze that day and so it turned into a wonderful walk. You could smell the irises’ that were growing wild along side all sorts of other wild flower’s giving off their intoxicating smell. Finally we got to our spot we love to come to when the weather was beautiful and our parents didn’t have anything for us to do back home. Bart asked me if I wanted to take a swim with him in the pond, but I decided not to. The last time I went and I came home soaked mother was furious! I swore to myself I’d never put myself into that sort of trouble again. Laying there in the tall grass with the lady bugs buzzing by I started to drift off. The next thing I new, I hard Bart yelling at me telling me to wake up. As I woke my eye’s up I realized I must of drifted off for hours because the sun was just above the tree line. Bart, I said. Why didn’t you wake me up earlier! Father and Mother are going to be horribly worried and I know we’ll be in so much trouble when we get back home. I’m sorry Vitt. (That’s what Bart called me for short). After I got done swimming I feel asleep to, until now. We better get going before it gets to dark. We shouldn’t’ be out here in the woods after dark, it’s not safe. Looking at him, I agreed. I got up and we started to walk.



See, at this time many things were going on through out Italy. Cosimo di Giovanni de Medici was in power here in Florence and a few other cities in Italy. We were having a hard time with the weather and many of the peasants that had to work the fields were loosing their jobs due to the loss of crops. Plus above all this there had been horrible talk of this plague that was taking over cities and towns everywhere and men, women and children were dropping like flies all over the country. Father told us not to be out after dark because of these things that were going on around us. Luckily, this plague didn't came to Florence yet and we prayed every night that it never wouldnt.



As we were till walking, the sun fully set. Trying to hurry as fast as we could we come upon a fire that wasn’t to far ahead of us. “That's strange, their shouldn’t be anyone on our lands.” We must tell father at once when we get home, said Bart. Walking slowly so that if there was anyone at this camp site they wouldn’t be able to hear us and hopefully get to pass them without to much trouble. We were walking right around it when I heard the baby crying. Bart! There’s a baby out there crying, where is its mother or father? Looking at Bart he knew what I wanted to do. Vitt, NO! stop! We mustn’t, We must go home now and tell father. He can take care of this, but Bart what if something happened to its mother and we leave it out here. The animals will get it! We have to help. As I went to turn around, Bart grabbed my arm. He pointed just to our left. As I looked over, there was the infant’s mother lying on the damp ground.



Horror spread across my face, Even though I was scarred out of my mind, I went over to the women. She was dead, it was true. It looked like all the blood was drained out of her. She was disgustingly white, whiter then I’ve ever seen a human be. Panic and fear ran through my veins when I saw two small puncture wounds on her neck. I’ve never see such things before. Putting my hands across my mouth and fighting back the nauseated feeling that was creeping up from the bottom of my stomach into my throat. I turned to my brother, what should we do Bart? I asked him. He was standing there trembling, and just as white as the lady before me was. Snap out of it Bart! What should we do, I screamed. We just can’t leave her baby here. Still standing there and not saying word. I got up and followed the sound of the tiny infant’s cry. She was close to the smoldering fire. By now it was completely dark and getting home now was going to be a huge task. I picked the infant up and wrapped her in the shawl I brought with me. The baby was terribly hungry and I knew we had to get home. As Bart finally started to get out of the trance he was some what in. We started walking, finally getting home.



Father was pacing back and forth outside and as we walked towards him, he was just about to start scolding us for disobeying him. He stopped and stared at the little bundle I was holding against my chest. Tears came pouring out of my eyes. Father, I...I. we... found this baby in woods, her mother dead. That’s when I couldn’t hold them in any longer. I started to ball like a baby and my poor brother Bart was still shaking from the seen of the dead mother. All I could hear was my father yelling for my mother and my oldest brother. Giving the baby to my father, I ran away. I just couldn’t bear to be around them. I had to be by myself so I could cry and sooth myself with out the embarrassment of having them watch me. My brother Felix found me sitting on the bench next to the fountain. Felix, please leave me alone. I just can’t be around anybody right now. I need to figure this out in my head; I don’t know how to feel right now. I have never seen something so horrifying in my whole life! With Felix giving me a sympathetic look, he knew I’d be okay if he left me. Sitting there for some time, the wind began to pick up and the tears on my face started to feel very cold against my skin. Wiping my tears away, my face felt raw.



Then that’s when I out of no where I felt his cold hand on my shoulder. Why are you crying so my beauty? Looking up slowly, I saw this beautiful man standing in front of me. Who... who... are you? I ask him. He grasps my chin giving me the gesture to stand. Lifting myself off of the bench, I gazed into his beautiful crimson eyes. Looking at me he say’s I’m Renato. It’s such a shame for a beautiful lady as you to be crying like this. I hope it’s not over a boy? Renato said questionably. Feeling my face turn a shade of red, I lowered my head. Oh no, I... I … I wasn’t crying over a boy. Well, then for me that it a good thing he said seductively. Confused as I was and as frightened as I was, I couldn’t break my eyes from his. Something about them made me feel calm again, it gave me feelings I’ve never felt before. So, please tell me why you are crying then, Renato said again. Well, tonight I came upon a woman just at the edge of our property. She was dead; it was the most horrible sight I have ever seen. I... I .. Can’t bare to think about it anymore, I said.



Then don’t, you shouldn’t cry another tear my beauty. Looking into his eyes again, I felt my heart flutter and I felt weak. It felt like his eyes could see into my very soul and his gaze was a drug. I felt intoxicated by him. May I? He said. Not knowing what to say, he nuzzled his check against mine and I could smell him. His face was so cold but not so cold that it stuck my raw checks. He lingered his mouth around my neck while he was pulling back my hair and running his finger’s through the tangled black strands… Even though in my mind I knew I have never met this man before and it was terribly wrong for me to let a man do this to me, even so I still couldn’t tell him to stop. My knees were shaking but my mouth felt dry and sticky, I tried to speak but nothing came out. My blood started to race fast and my heart was pounding with this stranger so intimately kissing my neck. Mmmm was all Renato had said. You smell delicious my beauty, my I have a taste? For some reason those words couldn’t registered in my brain, I was in a daze. Holding my neck back and kissing me passionately on my dry lips. That’s when I saw him really for the first time, but it was too late. He was whiter then snow and his eye’s had a dangerous look in them and his mouth was in this wicked smile. His teeth were beautiful and they glistened in the moonlight. Frightened as ever now, I still let him linger back down to my throat. (Not understanding at the time what it meant to hear warm blood flowing through a human’s body meant) Renato retracted his fangs and dug them into my neck. I was paralyzed from all the emotions that were running through my body. I could feel him sucking the blood out of me; I could hear him moan from the delight of the blood that slithered down his throat. I couldn’t bear it any longer I let my body go limp against his and prayed I’d wake up from it.