Before Sunrise Ch. 01

++++++++++

Fifteen minutes after sunset, the alarm on Ras's cellphone chimed to awaken him. He shut the incessant ringer off then grinned slightly as his head flopped back down on to the pillow. He had the same thought almost every morning for nearly one hundred fifty-six years: People think we sleep in coffins. His bed was so comfortable that there were days (nights) that he contemplated getting up at all. But usually hunger or the call of nature decided for him. Even though he wasn't technically human anymore, he still had to pee first thing after waking.

Ras reminisced about his near-misses with sunlight as he showered and readied for the night's festivities. He chuckled as he recalled the time back in the late Sixties that he had stayed out later than usual chasing a pretty young co-ed in San Francisco. After feeding off her in a back alley, Ras had misjudged the time (there were no handy devices such as smartphones during the Summer of Love) and saw the sun begin to rise. He quickly sprinted down a back alley and leapt into a large trash receptacle, what are now called dumpsters. Ras swiftly closed the lid then covered himself with flattened cardboard boxes to shield himself from any odd rays. Although he finally slept, and surprisingly well, Ras would never forget the smell that emanated from the container and from himself after he awoke when the sun disappeared into the San Francisco Bay.

Ras's mind raced with other memories of the past one hundred fifty-six years as he prepared to join his brethren at the gathering. He had met six United States presidents beginning with Ulysses S. Grant and, most recently, Bill Clinton, and had, inadvertently, caused the death of one first lady, Caroline Harrison, the wife of Benjamin Harrison. Ras had been on the guest list for an evening gathering at the White House. He became overcome with bloodlust and entranced one of the few female attendees, First Lady Harrison. He would feast on either gender if need be, but Ras preferred the taste of female humans over males. Although the official cause of death was that Mrs. Harrison had succumbed to tuberculosis, the doctors and morticians of the day failed to notice the two bite marks behind her right ear.

Ras had often wondered if there was any evidence of his long "life" such as photographs or historical accounts. He had once had a picture of himself taken a few years after his transformation, but it had come out as just a blur, almost ghostly. Now, with the advent of digital cameras on everyone's smartphone, Ras had to be careful in whose photographs he appeared.

He had no fear of anyone, human or non-human, but he did feel some anxiety about the event he was to attend that night. Solomon and Elizabeth had been gone for a long time and, although Ras tried to keep to himself in most matters, everyone in the community had to pay heed when beckoned by these two. They were the Alpha and Omega of the clan, and no one, not even Rasmussen Delevan, would dare keep them waiting, or worse yet, decline their invitation to a party.

++++++++++

Ras pulled up to the monolithic estate that he knew all too well and parked his sportster in the circle drive. Attendants rushed to help him from and to park his car. All of them knew who he was. One brave being even dared to speak to him.

"Good evening, Mr. Delevan," the young-looking ghoul said as he wiped a small broom-type brush over Ras's shoulders to remove any foreign matter. "The Master and Mistress will be pleased that you are here. Shall I have your arrival announced, my Lord?"

"No," Ras replied, annoyed at the minion's sycophantic attention toward him, "And I'm not your Lord. He resides inside."

"Terribly sorry, Sire," the fawning subservient continued, causing Ras to give him another hard look, "But the Master would have me torn apart if I were to address you common."

"Never mind," Ras responded and waved the smallish creature away. He had no time for cowards. It was one thing to live under the rule of a superior being, but quite another to enjoy it. Ras buttoned his black suit jacket then made his way up the massive marble stairs to begin and, hopefully, finish his meeting with the owners of the modern-day castle. Ras could hear loud droning music blaring from the other side of the house and deduced that the party was already in full swing. He did not care for modern music much, but took a liking to some classic rock, most notably Bob Dylan. But the music (if it could be called that, he thought) playing here tonight served only to aid in hypnotizing the unknowing.

Ras made his way into the main room from where the music was emanating and did a quick scan. Familiar faces stood out to him in the flashing colored lights and fog provided by the DJ. He nodded to a few then made his way to the bar.

"Good evening, my Lord," the female at the bar said. Ras visibly flinched at the second utterance of that particular moniker but said nothing. "May I get you a drink, Sire?"

"Scotch. Single malt. On the rocks," Ras answered matter-of-factly. The creature at the bar was no better than the one that helped him from his car, but at least she was mildly attractive. He would remember her and, if things went well with Solomon and Elizabeth, may ask for her services for the night. The servants were pledged to attend to their master's needs and would obey any command given to them. Ras hadn't had sex in some time. Most of the human female companions he had seduced were much too fragile and did not survive the coupling, which Ras found to be a pity. When it came to sex with women, he did prefer human females to the transformed women. The warmth of the living was an aphrodisiac and his groin stirred at the thought.

The lower creature at the bar handed Ras his drink and he took a small sip from the glass. Solomon always had the best liquor, and this scotch was no exception. He turned away from the bar and the mildly alluring female behind it and scanned the room further. More familiar faces appeared through the haze and he acknowledged the ones that made eye contact with him with a tip of his tumbler. Ras's gaze stopped halfway around his examination of the hall when he spotted a crimson-haired beauty. His beloved Anna had been a redhead and he had always had a soft spot for them. But where Anna had been beautiful, this human female was exquisite.

Ras's eyes made contact with the statuesque redhead and he could feel himself trying to put her under his spell. But something seemed to be wrong and he couldn't feel the light vibration in his skull that would have normally happened with his "sixth sense." Ras blinked twice and shook his head a little to clear the would-be trance then decided to go the old-fashioned route: He would go talk to her.

As he crossed the room, the tall crimson-locked beauty took a few steps to meet him three-quarters of the way across the dance floor. She was dressed in what could be called a little black dress that stopped mid-thigh. She was wearing modest-height matching black heels that shot her stature to less than an inch of Ras's height. As the two came nearly face-to-face, the fire-haired vixen surprised Ras by speaking first, loud enough so that she could be heard over the drone of the dance music.

"I was hoping you'd come talk to me," she said and watched Ras's eyes widen a little at her revelation. "I saw you come in and hoped that we might meet tonight."

She offered him her hand and Ras took it, bowed slightly, then kissed the back of it. He felt her warmth and grinned a bit. She was indeed human. "Rasmussen Delevan, at your service, Miss...?"

"Evans." She replied. "Dana Evans. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Delevan. Are you friends with Solomon and Elizabeth?"

"'Friends' would not be the word I would use, Miss Evans." Ras answered. "We are members of the same community. No more."

"Fair enough," she said as she looked him over. "And please call me Dana, but for the record, it's Mrs. Evans."

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, Mrs. Evans," Ras said letting go of her hand, a bit taken aback by her marital status. "Forgive me, but I just assumed that..."

"Don't worry, Mr. Delevan," Dana interrupted, "there is no Mr. Evans... not anymore. He passed three years ago..."

"My condolences, Mrs. Evans," Ras said somberly, "I am truly sorry for your loss."

"No worries, Mr. Delevan," Dana replied trying to put her new acquaintance's mind at ease, "He wasn't a very good husband. But he was a good provider. I am grateful for that. He left me a very rich widow. And, please, call me Dana?"

"Of course, Mrs... Dana," Ras stumbled but caught his words. "My friends call me Ras. Please feel free to as well."

Dana moved a little closer to Ras and was about to speak again when her eyes went from Ras's face to over his shoulder. Ras saw her look away then felt an icy grip just below the base of his neck through his black sport coat. He didn't have to look behind him to know who it was. He smelled the creature coming moments before he felt his hand.

"Artemis..." Ras said, not taking his eyes off Dana.

"Ras," Artemis replied in his drawl. "So nice to see you again, old friend. I see you've met Dana. How wonderful. She's very enchanting, wouldn't you say?"

"I would," Ras answered, still not turning to face his old adversary.

"Just thought I'd remind you that Solomon and Elizabeth are waiting to see you in the other room." Artemis continued. "They asked me to fetch y'all."

Ras finally turned to face his Southern opposite and lowered his voice to a tone that only the two could hear. "Just because you're their lapdog doesn't mean I will be jumping at their command. Or yours, for that matter." With that, Ras turned from Artemis and once again faced his new friend. "Dana, would you like to go somewhere a little less crowded and get to know each other better?" Ras cocked his arm so that Dana could take it. She laced her arm with his and rested her hand on his upper arm.

"That sounds wonderful." Dana answered. "Lead the way, Mr. Delevan."

As they walked out of the large hall, Ras didn't need to see Artemis' face to know that he was steaming mad. He could hear it in his voice. A voice so low that only Ras could hear him:

"You've pressed your luck one too many times, Yankee." Artemis spoke, his voice seething with rage. "I will take great pleasure in watching your destruction. His judgement cometh, and that right soon..."

Although Ras was a little upended by Artemis' surprise Bible quote, he nevertheless focused his attention on the tall beauty walking stride for stride with him out of the giant double doors of the mansion and back out to Ras's shiny red sportster where the full moon reflected off the tinted windows. Ras checked his phone. Seven hours until sunrise.

++++++++++