had taken it all too quickly. In the heat of the moment when he had been faced with losing her, he had condemned her to a life like his own.
His head snapped around when he felt the sun rising and saw the shadow he was standing in shrinking. Cold
dread filled him as he watched the bright golden light creeping towards him. He backed away from it. Intense desire to flee loomed up inside of him, making his eyes dart about in search of safety. He swallowed as the light continued to creep towards him, the shadow of the hut growing long. Backing towards the door, he fumbled around behind himself searching for the handle.
A thin strip of light touched his foot.
He cried out in agony as it burnt as though the sun itself had scalded him.
Shoving his way into the dark interior of his home, he slammed the door behind him and pressed his back
against it. Fiery pain tore through him, the toes of his left foot throbbing with it.
He stumbled to the fire and collapsed onto the floor there. Grabbing hold of his foot, he pulled it towards him and stared at the charred flesh on his toes. He
tentatively touched it, breathing in sharply through his teeth when the pressure made new pain lance through him. He stared at his toes, his mind racing to understand what had happened.
11
Eternity: The Beginning – F E Heaton
It was fitting he supposed.
What creature of darkness would be fit to walk in the glory of the sun?
He was cursed. Even the sun itself was against him.
What had he done? What strange life had he been born into after death?
Starving for blood, hungry with desire, and cursed to a life in the shadows.
What other horrors awaited his discovery?
He looked down and frowned when he saw that his toes were less swollen. He gingerly prodded them and was surprised when all the pain he felt was a dull ache.
Turning his arm over, he ran his fingers over the wound on his wrist and couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It was healing. Not as a normal person would, but faster.
His stomach growled, reminding him that he was still hungry. He glanced at the pot that was bubbling away.
The acrid smell of its contents told him that it was ruined and inedible. He doubted it would have been edible even if it hadn’t become burnt.
The only thing he craved, the only thing that he knew would abate his hunger, was blood.
The warm, subtle and delicious taste of blood.
He growled and closed his eyes. He could almost taste it.
He glanced at the door, already knowing that leaving his home in order to find something to eat would be
impossible, but letting his feet take him there anyway.
12
Eternity: The Beginning – F E Heaton
He opened the door a crack, only enough for him to see the world outside. Sunlight was streaming down the alley between the buildings. There was no way he could leave, not until dusk.
The smell of the warm sand and sunshine made his head heavy. He leaned against the doorway and fought the overwhelming urge to sleep but it quickly became
impossible. His whole body felt tired, drained of all energy, and he was barely able to shut the door and slump to the floor beside it.
Closing his eyes, he pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his chin on them.
He had to sleep. Tonight Ineru would awake. He had to be there for her when she did, so she wouldn’t be as frightened as he was on waking to discover what had happened to him.
This was their life now, a life of horror and death.
A life they knew nothing about.
+++
“Brother?”
His eyelashes fluttered on hearing her voice reaching out to him through the darkness.
“Brother, are you awake?”
He smiled. She sounded like she was a child again, her voice full of quiet eagerness. He could picture her on the back of the boat builder’s donkey, her eyes bright with 13
Eternity: The Beginning – F E Heaton
laughter and her raven curls falling messily around her shoulders.
Opening his eyes, he looked at the woman she’d
become.
His head snapped around when he felt the sun rising and saw the shadow he was standing in shrinking. Cold
dread filled him as he watched the bright golden light creeping towards him. He backed away from it. Intense desire to flee loomed up inside of him, making his eyes dart about in search of safety. He swallowed as the light continued to creep towards him, the shadow of the hut growing long. Backing towards the door, he fumbled around behind himself searching for the handle.
A thin strip of light touched his foot.
He cried out in agony as it burnt as though the sun itself had scalded him.
Shoving his way into the dark interior of his home, he slammed the door behind him and pressed his back
against it. Fiery pain tore through him, the toes of his left foot throbbing with it.
He stumbled to the fire and collapsed onto the floor there. Grabbing hold of his foot, he pulled it towards him and stared at the charred flesh on his toes. He
tentatively touched it, breathing in sharply through his teeth when the pressure made new pain lance through him. He stared at his toes, his mind racing to understand what had happened.
11
Eternity: The Beginning – F E Heaton
It was fitting he supposed.
What creature of darkness would be fit to walk in the glory of the sun?
He was cursed. Even the sun itself was against him.
What had he done? What strange life had he been born into after death?
Starving for blood, hungry with desire, and cursed to a life in the shadows.
What other horrors awaited his discovery?
He looked down and frowned when he saw that his toes were less swollen. He gingerly prodded them and was surprised when all the pain he felt was a dull ache.
Turning his arm over, he ran his fingers over the wound on his wrist and couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It was healing. Not as a normal person would, but faster.
His stomach growled, reminding him that he was still hungry. He glanced at the pot that was bubbling away.
The acrid smell of its contents told him that it was ruined and inedible. He doubted it would have been edible even if it hadn’t become burnt.
The only thing he craved, the only thing that he knew would abate his hunger, was blood.
The warm, subtle and delicious taste of blood.
He growled and closed his eyes. He could almost taste it.
He glanced at the door, already knowing that leaving his home in order to find something to eat would be
impossible, but letting his feet take him there anyway.
12
Eternity: The Beginning – F E Heaton
He opened the door a crack, only enough for him to see the world outside. Sunlight was streaming down the alley between the buildings. There was no way he could leave, not until dusk.
The smell of the warm sand and sunshine made his head heavy. He leaned against the doorway and fought the overwhelming urge to sleep but it quickly became
impossible. His whole body felt tired, drained of all energy, and he was barely able to shut the door and slump to the floor beside it.
Closing his eyes, he pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his chin on them.
He had to sleep. Tonight Ineru would awake. He had to be there for her when she did, so she wouldn’t be as frightened as he was on waking to discover what had happened to him.
This was their life now, a life of horror and death.
A life they knew nothing about.
+++
“Brother?”
His eyelashes fluttered on hearing her voice reaching out to him through the darkness.
“Brother, are you awake?”
He smiled. She sounded like she was a child again, her voice full of quiet eagerness. He could picture her on the back of the boat builder’s donkey, her eyes bright with 13
Eternity: The Beginning – F E Heaton
laughter and her raven curls falling messily around her shoulders.
Opening his eyes, he looked at the woman she’d
become.
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