This was my entry for a friend's Story from a Song challenge. I hope you enjoy it!!! The song I selected is Tony Bennett's "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."
I've always loved San Francisco, The City by the Bay. There's just something special about it. No wonder there's a song about "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." So, at least once a month, my friends and I spend a night there, eating out at some place special, then going to our favorite club. We have a great time!! We laugh ourselves silly, eat and drink a bit too much, but we always feel renewed afterwards. I guess I've always been sort of a night person, so I love it!!
For Halloween, the club was having a special party -- place decorated with all the requisite spooky stuff, cobwebs, ghostly sounds in between songs, and lots of fun. I fussed for weeks over my Cleopatra costume, getting it just right. And, if I do say so myself, it turned out quite nice ... very glamorous... did the makeup, everything. Really looked like Cleopatra, all that kohl. The best part was that I could wear sandals. Mmmmm, love comfy footwear!!! We were all looking forward to the party.
And it was indeed a BLAST... great music, lots of laughter, lots of dancing. Some of the costumes were hilarious, too. But all evening long I kept catching glimpses of this tall dark handsome type watching me from across the room. Never approaching me, but just sort of studying me intently. He didn't really have a costume on, just dressed all in black. He was so striking that I started finding my eyes drawn to him again and again.
Something funny, though. He'd be in one place and then when I looked again he'd be in a totally different place in the club. Now it wasn't exactly an atmosphere that would lend itself to someone dashing around, but he just seemed to move so quickly. Odd, but no big deal really. And always watching me... his eyes so dark, so mysterious, so intense.
The party started winding down... and my friends were getting ready to leave. Laughing and talking, we made our way to our cars. I had driven in separately this time because I was late leaving work. We said our goodbyes, wished each other Happy Halloween a million times, and got ready to leave. My car didn't want to start on the first try, so they took off before me.
Just as the engine caught, there was a tapping on my window. I looked up and ... who do you think it was? Yep, tall dark and mysterious from the club... my admirer. He said "Would it be possible for you to drop me two blocks from here to get my car?" Well, of course, I hesitated ... I mean, I didn't really know this man, but then I thought "Oh, don't get all creepy... just give the man a lift... what can happen in two blocks?" He seemed harmless enough, just a little intense. So, I said, "OK, hop in."
We started talking as I drove. I don't even remember what about and before I knew it I had driven all the way down by the beach --- a lot further than two blocks. I couldn't understand how I had done that. I parked the car and we talked some more. He told me that my costume was beautiful and said "You know, you look very like her. Stunning, sensual." As if he actually knew what old Cleo had looked like. Yeah, right!!
The next thing I know, he's talking about wanting to give me a gift, running his fingers up and down my arm. The most amazing thing of all is that none of it seemed the least bit strange. His eyes were mesmerizing... so deep, so thoughtful, dark pools that I could drown in. He says I can have the gift but I have to ask him for it... those are the rules. I never knew there were rules about gifts... but I play along and ask him to please give me the gift he has.
He draws very close to me, as if he's going to whisper in my ear. But he doesn't whisper... he grabs hold of me, kisses me brutally, then starts to nuzzle my neck. And ... sinks... his... fangs... into... my... neck... At first the pain is agonizing, but it quickly changes to the most intense mindblowing feeling of pleasure I have ever known in my entire life!!! I'm stunned ... I feel like I'm dying... I feel like I'm exploding.
He lifts his head then, and I can see his eyes. They're RED... I remember thinking "how peculiar." But I decided it just must be some of those weird contacts. Things get spookier and spookier... he draws out a pocket knife and slashes it across his palm. Then puts his hand up to my mouth and says "Drink... and you will have the gift."
Entranced, I do. AND... THEN... I... DIE......when I come back to life, at his house, I don't know how many hours or days later, he guides me to find "food" and cautions me not to drink too much or I'll be ill.
So, I guess you could say that I did in fact leave my heart in San Francisco that night. Well, maybe not my actual heart... I presume that's still there... but I don't have a heartbeat any longer. As far as liking the night, well, it's not just a preference any longer, it's a necessity. The sunlight would burn the flesh from my bones. And I guess I'll have to give up my favorite Chinese restaurant and their exquisite garlic chicken. He assures me our kind cannot tolerate such things.
One good thing is that I'll live a very long time -- if you can call something without a heartbeat "living" -- and I'll always... ALWAYS ... look as young as I do when he turned me. At least, I try to tell myself it's a good thing. It is... isn't it?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Copyright © 2006 by Judith Ann Neary. All rights reserved.
This post is the intellectual property of the author and her heirs. It is not to be copied or reproduced in any form without the author's written consent. Please contact me for further information.
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