Okay, so I was asked where Sasha from "Confessions of a Vampire" came from. This is the first appearance of Sasha and I don't think I did my best writing this because I was still figuring it out while I was doing it. Two of my good friends and fellow collaborators lost just about all the stories they wrote on Sasha and Angel of Death and so this is pretty much it for that character right now... this little cameo. But we're going to get it up and going again.
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Our story begins in a cathedral just outside of the garden district in New Orleans, Louisiana. Mary sits in the confessional booth, her long black hair flowing and her blue eyes shedding tears. It was raining outside, and in May, that brought a promise of the usual swarm of termites to invade the sky and invade many citizens’ homes.
Mary- Father, I thank you so much for allowing me this confessional so late at night.
Father- It is fine, Mary. After all, this is your usual time, is it not?
Mary- Father, I have done terrible things… I have (crying) I don’t know what is wrong with me. I’ve hurt so many people… I just know I have.
Father- We’ve gone over this before, haven’t we Mary? You told me that you are responsible for the murder of the confessed female serial killer, Conchita Ziel. You honestly believe that you broke into a heavily guarded police station and killed her? And you did this because ‘the angels told you to.’ Mary, you have to get these thoughts out of your head. I’ve known you since you were a little girl, and you have always been practical and smart. You know this isn’t possible.
Mary- I know, but--
Father- Mary, you are having delusions. I am not supposed to reveal information from other confessionals, but when you began telling me of this “Azrael” and that you were seeing angels, and having visions of yourself harming others, I asked your friends and the other members of the congregation about you. Everyone says that you are a model citizen, a great friend, and a charitable person.
Mary- Father, I’m not making this up… I honestly believe that I have harmed--
Father- Mary, I believe that you are watching the news and seeing all of these commentaries on the vigilante and that you are processing delusions. I may not have any expertise in psychology, but I have seen the news reports, and I know that you are incapable of doing what has been described.
Mary- Father, I swear to you on the memory of my--
Father- What I would suggest, is that you pray that God will alleviate you of all these thoughts. You confessed to me that you were a victim of an attempted rape. You work at a homeless shelter; you feel as though you want to help and you cannot. You have processed this information on the vigilante in an effort to make yourself feel confident and as though you are doing justice. The only thing that can help these people is prayer. And might I consider you seeking out a psychiatrist.
Those were the words that Mary did not want to hear as she exited the booth. Mary was so troubled inside and she felt that she had no one to turn to. Ever since the night of the attempted rape… when Mary saw herself burn a man’s face completely off through her own eyes, she did not know what was inside of her. She didn’t understand the power she now possessed. Knots tugged at the raven haired woman’s stomach as she walked through the uptown neighborhood on her way to her home, her umbrella keeping the rain off of her and hiding her face as others walked by. New Orleans’ garden district is still really beautiful; at one time, it was the type of place where you can leave the door unlocked when you leave your house, even for a city as crime-ridden as New Orleans. As Mary approached her home, she heard voices.
“Don’t try to struggle, baby, it’ll only take a minute”
“No, I told you I’m not ready for this, Bob… stop it…(slow crying)
“You’ll love me for it later”
Mary could see the struggle going on in the car, but wondered how, being that the car was all the way down the street.
“I don’t get it. I just don’t understand. I’ve been dating you three fuckin weeks and you won’t let me hit that? Everybody told me you were easy… I’m a fuckin star offensive lineman; I’m going to the fuckin NFL and you just think that I brought you out here just to fuckin TALK?”
“Bob, I just don’t want to be that type of girl anymore. I want to have a regular relationship… I’m trying to grow up.”
“No… NO, you fuckin cxnt!”
“Bob!”
“You just wanna be another girl around ME! What do I have to give you, huh? What the fuck do you want from me… I’m a star; I could have any woman I want and I’m here with you, and that doesn’t make you want me? All my buddies fucked you… I’m the only one who hasn’t, and that’s fucked up! You wanna act all ladylike around me! That’s really fucked up!”
“Bob, let go of me!”
“You’re a whore… a fuckin whore and a skeezer (a skeezer is a woman, usually a bit of a tease, who only associates with men who have money or popularity, but usually won’t put out unless she gets some sort of gifts or status elevation) at that! A fuckin skeezer, that’s what you are! But I’m gonna fix you!
Mary could see the 6’4” 306 lb blonde haired guy as he got out of his black Escalade, pulling the tiny blonde haired girl into an alley. Mary didn’t know what to do; at 5’8” and 140 lbs, she was completely overmatched against the monster, even as she ran down the street. Mary pulled out her cell phone and got ready to call the police… when it hit her. She felt a twinge in her throat as the girl’s neck snapped; she felt the victim’s eyes on her with the curious expression of a former promiscuous girl now seeking to turn her life around. The anger welled up inside of Mary as she doubled over. She felt it taking over as her eyes cried black tears that coated her entire eyeball. She felt her hands growing sharp at the fingernails and her body rising as the wings were fighting to spring from her back. She felt the leathery black and red outfit growing from the pores of her skin and the black mask seeming to roll onto her face. She felt her blood moving inside of her and the burning hellfire in her eyes as she rose. Mary was Mary no more, all that was left was the angel Azrael… the Angel of Death.
Bob stood over the corpse and began to cry.
Bob- Oh god, I’ve fucked up… what the fuckamigonnadoaboutthisshit??? I gotta get rid of this bitch… I can’t go to fuckin jail… I can’t fuck my dream up… not for one stupid bitch! Fuck that… I gotta get rid of this bitch. I really fucked up.
Azrael- Indeed you have, Robert Norris.
Bob turned around and saw the tall woman in the mask and black and red outfit, her wings cupping around her shoulders and resting like a cape.
Bob- What the fuck is this?!
Azrael- You have killed an innocent. Shelley Peterson was a troubled young lady, but she belonged to God, not you. And now, you must pay.
Bob pulled out his .25. He knew it was a small gun for such a big guy, but it was easy to conceal. And when you’re driving around in a brand new Escalade in a crime-ridden city, you need protection. Bob didn’t think about the strange situation he found himself in; he shot off as many rounds as he could at the approaching thing before him. But Azrael kept coming, only pausing and squinting her black eyes as the bullets disappeared into her flowing skintight black and red suit.
Azrael- Your weapons cannot harm me, Robert. My armor was forged from the very foundations of Heaven. And you are lucky that you cannot harm me, for my very body is composed of the Death Force; my blood is more dangerous than any poison, and if exposed, all who are within a seven mile radius of me would die. You are a rapist and a murderer, but I am the Angel of Death, and your day of judgment has come.
Bob- I am having a fucking nightmare.
Bob threw his gun at Azrael, and the angel caught the weapon and crushed it in her hand. The weapon caught on fire with a flame so white, Bob turned away to avoid it. Bob screams as he charges Azrael, but the angel easily grabs the large athlete by his throat with both hands and lifts him up. Bob can feel the white hot flame as it burns the sides of his neck and his face becomes a bright and glowing red.
Azrael- Now, do you understand that there is no escaping my vengeance?
Bob- I’m sorry… I so fuckin sorry…
Azrael- May your soul find eternal salvation in Hell.
With that, Bob’s body burns up as the white flame engulfs him and Azrael lets go. The angel watches with euphoric ease as the large man twitches and shrivels up. Azrael looks down at the body of young Shelley Peterson and cries out in anger, letting loose as hellfire shoots from both her hands.
Azrael- Why Lord, why? Why have You given this task to me?! Why must they die before I can help them?! You are the one who has power to save them… where are You when they need You?! This innocent… this innocent blood… all for a feeble act of pseudo-gratification and You allow this?! Am I not Your servant… why won’t You answer me?!
But the sky does not open up, nor the heavens roll with thunder. No acknowledge comes to Azrael from her creator, and the angel destroys Escalade in frustration.
Across town…
Mercury Davis was a track star with an appropriate name. The 5’10” black girl with her light skin and long black hair reminded many of the late Florence Griffith-Joyner. She set records at Tulane University, but hid her lesbianism. She dated many men, but had found her love in a female foreign exchange student. Sasha showed Mercury that there was nothing to be ashamed of in who she was, and the two quickly fell in love. But now, she lay in the hospital, dying of AIDS, as Patricia Martinez stands over her, twitching and scratching herself.
Patricia- Come on, Mercs. I know you’re gonna get outta this in one piece. I just know you will. I don’t understand how the fuck it is that you got sick and I didn’t. I’m the one who did the ‘roids, I’m the one popping the pills. All you did was donate blood, and that fucking contaminated needle got you (crying) you didn’t do any of the shit I do, and I kept fuckin offering… but you’re the one who got sick. How the fuck is that?
“Who are you talking to?” a voice with an accent said
Pat looked up and saw a tall woman with long black hair and pale skin, but with gypsy eyes and a mouth that always looked like it was smiling. The tall woman was dressed in all black and wearing gloves, even for the heat of the summer night.
Pat- Oh, hi Sasha. Mercury is asleep, and I was just… praying.
Sasha- Praying? Indeed you were.
Pat- Uhhh, so Sasha… where’d you say you were from again?
Sasha- I am from a small city in Transylvania. Why do you keep scratching yourself and playing with your nose?
Pat- Uhhh, you know, there’s a lot of bugs around here and I caught a cold in the rain on my way over. So, like, is it true about the vampires in Transylvania?
Sasha- Very funny, Patricia, but you know that vampires do not really exist as you westerners describe them. That is foolishness.
Pat- Yeah, but you know, when you got here with the exchange program and you always wear black, I never see you during the daytime, and you know…
Sasha- So, do you think I am a vampire? Seriously?
Pat- Of course not.
Sasha- For a second there, I thought that your drug use was affecting your senses. I left Transylvania to get away from my past; that is true. I came here as part of the exchange program because New Orleans is probably the closest thing to home that I have without actually being there. I found love here, and back home, all there is, is the hatred for my family.
Pat- How do you like New Orleans?
Sasha- I’ve been here long enough to appreciate it more and more. But I am so worried for my girlfriend as she lies here before me. I never loved anyone as much as I love Mercury, and to discover that she has this virus… it troubles me. And you trouble me, not only have you been a poor teammate to Mercury, but you have been an even poorer friend.
Pat- You have to have faith; that‘s all I‘m going to say. I have been a true friend to Mercury; if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be here right now.
Sasha- I think you are feeling guilty, Patricia. Have faith, indeed. Is it faith that has you poisoning your body with drugs and steroids? Is it your faith that has you here every day, standing over this beautiful woman confessing your sins because deep down, you know that it is you who should be dying and not her?
Pat- What the hell?
Sasha- Would that your faith have any effect on you, you would stop abusing yourself and stop abusing my girlfriend with this foolishness. But it does not; you continue to use steroids and you continue to pincushion your body with heroin, even after you have seen the current situations in the sporting world associated with drug and steroid use and even after Mercury has contracted an advanced version of the AIDS virus from a simple blood donation mishap. You sicken me, Patricia.
Sasha rises and Pat feels the room darken as the girl in black stares at her.
Sasha- Do you believe that you can save her by talking her to death? Do you believe that your guilty conscience can bring her from the death that she is so certainly, days, maybe even hours, away from? Your kind never learn.
Sasha grabs Patricia up by her throat and the latina tries to scream, but realizes that she cannot because Sasha‘s nails are impaling her neck, but somehow, she‘s not dead.
Sasha- Your blood is very thin… not my type. You want to speak, do you not? I would allow you to speak, but you would probably scream… and you should. Guess what, Patricia? Vampires do exist.
With that, Sasha launched her head into Patricia’s neck and buried her fangs into the latina’s throat, ripping the flesh from her neck and spitting it on the floor. The dead latina falls to the floor instantly.
Sasha- Disgusting. No organs in you that are not corrupted by this plague you have given yourself to. There is nothing for me to feast on. But alas, my hunger must wait; there is something greater for me to do.
Sasha stands over the beautiful Mercury’s body.
Sasha- I loved you the very first time my eyes laid on you, jogging at the track, late that winter night. I did not know if you were like me, if you liked the same sex, but you were open to dating me and accepting me for who I am. Ah but Mercury, you know not who I truly am. I am a direct descendant of Vlad the Impaler… your literature books and movies know him as Count Dracula. For centuries, my family has hid in secrecy; some have come here to America, and others have been found and destroyed. I have lived my childhood in castle Dracula, living off the blood of mice and chickens. But I had to escape and see… now, I wonder if I have made a mistake. For seeing you like this destroys me and weakens me at my very core. I have only known you one year, and I am so deeply in love with you. I wish that I were like you, beautiful and able to see the sun rise and set, able to feel the warmth of its rays… but I am not. You deserve to live happily; you deserve to live eternally, but I… you are dying because of your love and your want to help others… that is not fair. I must save you by making you everything that I hate about myself. My love, please forgive me.
Sasha bites Mercury’s neck, slowly sipping out her AIDS affected blood and spitting it on the floor, until there is barely any left in her body. Sasha picks the beautiful black girl up, rips away all of the medical equipment and carries her to the large window.
Sasha- You are still corrupted, my love, but I will find one who is of good blood and I will exchange it with what is left of yours. At last, we will truly be able to be together.
“Freeze!!”
Sasha turns around and sees the medical staff, two big white men in white uniforms. Sasha hisses, showing off her fangs and the two men look at each other briefly before charging. Sasha whips her long black hair forward, and the tips cut deeply into the hands, faces, and bodies of the two men as they approach. Sasha puts Mercury down.
Sasha- I will only be a moment, my love.
Sasha launches herself at the two men, sticking her hands into their chests and pulling out their hearts, as well as their rib cages.
Sasha- You would come between my love and I?!! You would try to stop me from freeing her from this plague you have brought down upon her?!!
Sasha feeds on the men, drinking hearty portions. Sasha drinks the remainder of Mercury’s virus blood and quickly injects the fresh blood using her fangs. She’s never done this sort of transfer before, but she feels she is successful as Mercury begins to take on a ‘darker’ look as she rests. Sasha finishes her drinking and dining on their organs before taking Mercury and leaving, smashing the glass window and dropping out of it. The fat nurse enters the room and screams at the gruesome sight. As Sasha descends, she looks up at the moon and sighs.
Sasha- I will find you a virgin host to feed upon, my love. I am so sorry… bloody Hell!! I wanted you to be saved, and now I have made you like me! But I will make more like you… servants to your beauty; I will bring you to my home and then, I’m sorry my love, but I must leave you to find more to aid us. We will make them pay for what they have done to you, my love, and what they’ve done to me. We will give them a reason to fear us, and together, we will rule the night!
“Hello, Mary.”
Mary wakes up in her bed and finds a woman, who looks Brazilian, with long curly black hair and green eyes, sitting on her bed. As Mary rubs her eyes, she can plainly see the big white wings coming from the woman’s back as the woman smiles at her.
“And they’re not going anywhere either.”
Mary feels herself blacking out…
“No, no, don’t pass out on me. I have a message for youuuuu. Michelle, Michelle, help me, we‘ve got a fainter here.”
A beautiful tall black woman with honey skin long wavy black hair, blue eyes and dimples looks at Mary and touches her on the forehead… instantly Mary is wide awake and the two angels share a smile.
Mary- I’m going crazy… this is all too crazy.
“Nah, you’re not going crazy, Mary. It usually happens that way… you know, the shock of it all? You never immediately realize that you’re carrying the Angel of Death inside of you.”
Mary- Who are you people?
“We’re not people; we’re angels. I’m Gabrielle and that tall beautiful woman is the One’s right hand girl, that’s Michelle.”
Mary- And you are REAL angels? I thought angels were men.
Michelle- We appear to people as they choose to see us. We are entities.
Mary- So, you’re Gabriel and you’re Michael, except in my interpretation, you’re Gabrielle and you’re Michelle.
Gabrielle- Well, something like that. We’d love to stay and chat, but there’s some stuff that I’ve got to tell you and tell you fast, because you know, we’ve got other obligations and I’ve got a long list of messages I need to deliver, though most of them are omens and stuff like that. Mary Cross, you are now the proud possessor and host to Azrael, the Angel of Death. Whenever we call on you, or even whenever someone is killed and you are nearby, Azrael will force her way into control and you will become her. Now, she’s got some issues; she’s not exactly the most grateful angel on St. Peter’s block--
Michelle- Gabrielle…
Gabrielle- Uh yes, well, for the most part, she is the best at what she does.
Mary- And what does she do?
Gabrielle- Welllll, she is the Angel of DEATH… sooooo, you know?
Mary- No, I don’t know. This is the weirdest day of my life.
Gabrielle- And there’s nothing wrong with that. Let’s say that Azrael is the hit woman for the One.
Michelle- For a very long time, there has been a cold war going on between Heaven and Hell. Every once in a while, someone, either a demon or rogue angel will cross the line, and Azrael must deal with these problems by destroying the offender. That is what is inside of you, Mary. She possesses many abilities, but there are those out there who would try to possess her powers or destroy her.
Mary- Why me?
Gabrielle- Because we LIKE youuuuu. You’re a saint, Mary, and you’re not even a real saint. You do for others, you--
Michelle- You have a true and pure heart, Mary… and you’re trustworthy. We could not give this power to anyone else on such short notice.
Gabrielle- Yeah, as reckless as Azrael can be, we definitely didn’t need a reckless host.
Mary- Okay, so if all of this is true and you guys are real angels, then how do I get in contact with you if I have any questions… or how would I get to Heaven if I need to speak to God?
Gabrielle- You don’t contact us; we contact you. And as far as speaking to the One, do like everyone else does and pray. He listens. We just wanted to introduce ourselves and give you this message. One of the angels, Dominique as a matter of fact, has crossed the line.
Michelle- Dominique is a rogue angel and is very powerful. She attempted a coup to take over Heaven, much like Satan before her, but was discovered before she could put her plans into motion. She made a deal with Satan for support in her efforts to overthrow the One, but Satan did not keep her end of the bargain and much like I did Satan, I personally--
Gabrielle- Michelle personally kicked her butt out of Heaven!
Mary- Satan is a female?
Gabrielle- A pretty famous one. Just listen to the story, Mary; if you listen, then our buddy inside of you will know exactly what to do when the time comes. This isn’t an easy mission; Dominique is no joke. That’s why we’re gonna send the best problem-solver Heaven has in its stable.
Michelle- Dominique is now here in New Orleans gathering both demons who were kicked out of Hell and other defectors from Heaven and slowly building an army to overthrow both Satan and the One. Her temptation has destroyed her reasoning and she is lost. She isn’t a serious threat at the moment but eventually, she will need to be dealt with and Azrael will be summoned to do so.
Gabrielle- So there you have it, Mary. You’re officially hosting one of the most powerful beings in the universe, and a good friend of ours, though she can be a bit cranky. So, take good care of her and you know about the confidentiality of all this, now that we‘ve seen you. And by the way, that priest you see, he means well, but I’ve sat in on some of his sermons and they are boooooooring, he--
Michelle- Gabrielle… it was nice meeting you, Mary. We’ll be watching.
Gabrielle- And try to get some sleep, you’ve got school and work tomorrow.
Mary- But wait-- I have other questions…
But just as quickly as they appeared, the two women were gone. Mary fell back on her bed and shook her head from side to side. She really didn’t understand why she was chosen for this sort of thing, and she knew that this wasn’t going to be an easy thing to get used to.
Back at the cathedral, Father Owens was getting ready to lock up and head to his house next door, but the four women showed up. The one in lead was very, very tall and fit with long black wavy hair and golden brown skin with pale blue eyes. She spoke first.
“My name is Eve. We are looking for the angel Azrael.
Fr. Owens- I don’t have the slightest idea--
Eve- She has been here… I can SENSE her presence. Where is the angel Azrael?
Fr. Owens- Look around you… this is a church. There are angels everywhere.
Eve grabbed the man by his throat and lifted him up. The priest looked down Eve’s body, to her large breasts covered in the leaflike outfit to her firm stomach and perfectly round navel, to her strong legs and bare petite and soft feet.
Eve- You take me to play for, old man. When I ask you this question, you better well have the answer.
Fr. Owens looked behind the tall black woman at the other three and gasped at what he saw. The first woman was a beautiful redhead with dark tanned skin and grayish eyes. She was dressed in an all white Greek warrior’s attire, complete with armor and sandals, and a gold Spartan’s helmet on her head. To her right was a woman so thin, that it seemed at any moment, she could fall over. Her skin was dry and seemed to be leathery and her hair barely covered her head. And lastly, there was another woman who’s skin was covered in boils and sores, even on her eyelids. Her eyes were red and her hair was a greenish brown.
Eve- WHERE is the angel Azrael?
Fr. Owens- I will fear no evil.
Eve squeezes the old priest’s throat, but then drops him.
Eve- She comes here often enough, we’re sure. Know, that we will find her and she will take her place as the fourth. There are things at play and a war brewing that you do not have any say in. Old man, you have just put yourself in the middle of something that you could’ve easily not been a part of had you been forthcoming. War, Famine, Pestilence, let’s go.
With that, Eve and the three others left, and Father Owens went to his altar and began to pray.
Fr. Owens- Whatever Mary has gotten herself in to, may Your Grace be with her.
Audobon Park…
Mary couldn’t sleep, so she decided to jog, even in the late hours of the night. Everything that Gabrielle and Michelle told her was weighing heavily on her mind. She felt like she was running from these new revelations and running from the being inside of her. She really wished this had happened to someone else. She could hear a hissing sound coming and she saw a figure, but as soon as she saw the shadow, the figure was gone. After Hurricane Katrina, wild boars had been sighted at Audobon Park, possibly having escaped from the Audobon Zoo. Mary pulled out her pepperspray and jogged faster. Usually, she’d go home because of this, but for some reason, she didn’t feel that worried. Mary fell to her butt as a tall black haired woman with pale skin and dark eyes descended right in front of her. The woman was dressed in all black and seemed to have fangs in her teeth and claws on her hands and blood dripping from her mouth.
Sasha- You have been chosen for eternal life, my dear. This will hurt you, but you will be thanking me soon.
Mary- I don’t know who or what you are… but I think you’re making a big mistake.
Sasha- I don’t believe I am. I am full, having feasted five times tonight, and leaving my love a fresh meal for when she awakes… now, you will join me and serve her.
Mary felt it coming on inside of her. She really didn’t want to let it take control; she fought against it, but she could feel the burning.
Sasha- I am Sasha Dracula; that is my real name. I have come to New Orleans to escape my past and to escape the hatred of my family. But I realize that there is no escape for me. The only way is to turn more people like me. People, good people, they get sick and they die… and that is not fair!!
Mary- YOU ARE MAKING… a big… MISTAKE!! Ahhh!! I can feel the innocents you have killed!! You better leave!!
Sasha- My love… struck with the AIDS virus because she sought to give blood to those in need… my love dying before me, and I… the thought of me not allowing her eternal life… NEVER!! My Mercury will live by my side in peace and a new family of Dracula’s will rule. You cannot struggle against me and you will die if you continue to disrespect the gift I am about to bestow upon you.
Mary could no longer fight it, as the red and black poured from inside her and covered her skin. Sasha was surprised by what she saw; she didn’t know what this was, but she knew that she would have to fight this new being before her as the angel rose to her feet.
Azrael- Sasha Dracula… your time of judgment has come.
TBC…
