Nocturnal Pleasure
By April French

Pompeii: AD 79

They had escaped through the aqueducts to the far edge of the city. The sun had just barely disappeared below the rim of the sea, and Lucius had to bite back a whimper when the last of the light reflected off the ocean and hit the back of his shins. "Look at it, Lucius," Divia said, almost gleefully, sweeping her arms out towards Pompeii.

Lucius looked.

There's a blood red circle
On the cold dark ground
And the rain is falling down
The church door's
thrown open
I can hear the organ's song
But congregation's gone
My city of ruins
My city of ruins

"We should keep moving," he said, turning away. Moving inland, the two vampires, master and new fledgling, quickly fled the danger of Pompeii behind. Lucius could swear that the screams of the dying followed on their heels. Impossible. All the inhabitants of the pleasure city, senator and slave alike, had been buried alive under a mountain of ash. There was no one left to scream.

They reached a shepherd's hut, and Lucius paid close attention as his daughter--now his master--instructed him in his first kill. The man's blood was sweet, but it could not stem the rising horror of what he had seen.

His city, his friends, his lover... his home...

"Stay here for now, Lucius," Divia instructed, "and sleep, while I go and find my own meal."

But sleep did not come, and Lucius found himself lying on the floor of the shepherd's poor shelter, feeling the cool night air through the doorway.

Now the sweet
bells of mercy
Drift though the
evening trees

The soft breeze soothed his ears, bringing gentle sounds of birds, slumbering animals, running water... and yet, beneath them all, the mountain still burned. He could hear it.

Young men on the corner
Like scattered leaves
The boarded up windows
The empty streets
While my brother's
down on his knees

Lucius shuddered and cursed himself for his cowardice.

My city of ruins
My city of ruins

His hands were clenched into fists so tight, his fingernails had bitten into his palms, drawing blood. Lucius opened one hand, and watched in amazement as the small, crescent wounds closed and vanished.

Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up!

"Truly eternal..." he whispered, touching the palm of one hand with the fingertips of another.

Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up!

He was not a man prone to excessive emotion. First his father, and then nearly three decades in the military had driven all the softness from his mind and, he had thought, his heart as well.

Now there's tears
on the pillow
Darlin' where we slept
And you took my heart
when you left

Selene was gone... but there would be others, he was certain. In time... But Divia, his beautiful daughter, was gone as well. Though she lived still, she was not the same child that she had been.

Without your sweet kiss
My soul is lost, my friend
Tell me how do I begin again?

But then, neither was he the same man as he had been, a mere day gone by.

My city's in ruins
My city's in ruins

He clenched his hands again, this time into fists of determination.

Now with these hands
With these hands, With these hands
With these hands, I pray Lord
With these hands, With these hands
I pray for the strength, Lord

He was strong, stronger than in his wildest dreams, never again to fear the threat of age or disease, stronger than those who had died at Pompeii this day.

With these hands, With these hands
I pray for the faith, Lord

He was a blessed man... blessed by the gods or blessed by nature herself, he didn't know. Nor did he care. Lucius sat up, staring at his hands as though he had never seen them before.

With these hands, With these hands
I pray for your love, Lord

He was an adaptable man, one who took everything in his stride. There would be others, other lands, other loves.

With these hands
With these hands

Lucius had never bowed down before any enemy. Now Death itself would bow before him.

Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up...

He heard his daughter, his master's voice, calling in his mind. Lucius rose and went outside to join her.

~Finis--July 1st, 2004~

"My City of Ruins," by Bruce Springsteen, from the album The Rising