The Pilgrimage
Dominique looked back once more at the tiny pinprick in the distance that was Dubai. She had been walking for about an hour. A part of her wished she had stolen a car but deep-down Dominique knew that what she was looking for wouldn’t be anywhere near a road. Dominique continued to move, only vaguely knowing where to go as though she was being compelled by something unseen. There was a frighteningly powerful vampire somewhere in this desert if Dominique could feel them from this far away. As she traveled Dominique thought about last night’s events, first about the two people she had embraced, Dante and Aisha, Dominique still didn’t know if she made the right decision in making more vampires. As a hunter Dominique had been a solitary predator for some time, she found that it was easier to keep people arm’s length that way she wouldn’t be disappointed when they were gone. Being an immortal was already an lonely existence but watching people you love die over and over again for centuries was downright agony.
Dominique laughed to herself, she hadn’t always been so cold and calculating about her attachments. Back in the seventies when she was still young, well young for a vampire anyway. Dominique had been drifting, her immortality had begun to grow stale and she didn’t know what to do about it. She would ingratiate herself to various communities and social situations looking for something, anything, to make her want to stay and often Dominique would find herself wanting. This was the situation Dominique found herself in on that fateful day when she met what she thought was her soulmate. Dominique had been sitting in the park and reading when she heard a powerful voice, at first Dominique was going to ignore it, but the things this person spoke about: black pride, nationalism, socialism, these things all intrigued Dominique. As even then she dreamed of seeing vampires united as a people. Dominique put down her book and headed for the voice, as she got closer, she saw hundreds of black faces all listening to a woman speak, and the second Dominique looked at her she was in love. Dominique watched her speak with rapt attention she knew she had to meet this woman.
As Dominique walked a powerful sandstorm came from out of nowhere and pulled her from her thoughts, this didn’t make sense, but Dominique knew that this was a sign so she steeled herself and marched through the storm. Immediately Dominique realized that something was wrong as the sand began to cut into her skin. It was agony but Dominique kept moving forward, she knew that if she stopped, she would never get the answers that she sought. As Dominique pushed her way through the last vestiges of the storm, she collapsed and found herself not in the middle of a desert, but in a small apartment that she shared with her, but this didn’t make sense. Then Dominique heard that powerful voice that entranced her all those years ago
“Babe, if you don’t hurry up your coffee will be ice cold!” came the voice from the kitchen
“I’ll be right there Akanke.” Said Dominique, pulling herself up off the floor and looking in the mirror looking not as she did when she left Dubai but the way she did in 1982 when she last lived in this apartment
“Well, come on! I want to go open the shop, but I want to have breakfast with you.” Akanke said happily
“I’ll be right out babe.” Dominique responded working to conceal her confusion.
As she left the bathroom Dominique’s surroundings changed around her, now she was in Akanke’s shop. Dominique looked around the back room and saw the calendar it was 1988, then she heard Akanke collapse. This day was still fresh in Dominique’s mind, no matter how many decades she had spent trying to suppress it. She ran out of the backroom to be with her, then her surroundings changed again. Now Dominique stood in the hallway of a dreary hospital, she stood in the doorway of Akanke’s room trying to build up the strength to go in. It had been two years since Akanke first collapsed in the shop, two long years of nothing but painful treatments and grim diagnoses after grim diagnoses. There was nothing that science could do for the woman that Dominique had loved so deeply, so now Dominique would offer her own solution. Gathering up all the will she could muster, Dominique walked into Akanke’s room.
It was a painful thing to see such a strong woman attached to so many machines to keep her alive. Akanke had been a good person, to not just Dominique, but to everyone she met. Akanke deserved to die old and happy surrounded by her loved ones after a fulfilled life. Not cut down in her prime years like this. But Dominique knew that Akanke didn’t have to die like this. Science may have failed them. But Dominique wasn’t bound by the laws of science, Dominique approached her beloved, and prepared for what she needed to do.
“Dominique is that you?” Akanke asked sleepily
“It is babe, I closed the shop and came straight here like I promised. How are you feeling?” Dominique asked holding back tears
“I’m here with the woman I love most, I’m feeling happy. I’m feeling content.” Akanke said calmly
“It’s difficult seeing you this way, Akanke.” Dominique said unable to contain her emotions
“Why?” Akanke asked
“Because you’re in pain, it’s always painful for me to see you hurting like this.” Dominique said through tears
“You think I’m in pain? No, I’m not. I’m a million miles away from this bed. I’m thinking of all the good times we had together, all the breakfasts in bed, all the moonlit walks, I’m thinking of all the joys I got to experience in my life. The time I had was a beautiful adventure.” Akanke said contentedly
“Our adventures don’t have to end, baby.” Dominique said lovingly
“What do you mean?” Akanke asked
“You know what I am don’t you?” Dominique asked
“If you’re asking if I know you’re a vampire, then of course I do Dominique.” Akanke said coolly
“Then if you know I’m a vampire, you know what I’ll ask next. Let me turn you, you’ll never have to worry about tumors ever again and we can be together forever.” Dominique pleaded
“I-I, I don’t want that, Dominique.” Akanke stammered.
“But why?” Dominique asked taken aback
“Well babe, I’m content with the life I was given. I just don’t feel as though I need more time.” Akanke said
“I understand.” Dominique said collapsing into a chair and breaking down
“No, no, no, babe. No tears, you’re too beautiful to me for my last memories of you to be you in pain.” Akanke said clutching Dominique’s hand
“Ok.” Dominique said
Dominique remembered sitting there for hours with Akanke, until she finally passed. The greatest love that Dominique had ever known was gone. It was the most painful thing that Dominique thought she would ever experience. As the vampire wept, the hospital room faded away. Dominique was back in the desert. She looked around attempting to regain her composure, and already Dominique was confused. It seemed that during her journey into the past, Dominique had continued to moved through the desert despite the sand storm that had been tearing her to shreds. Taking little heed of the pain from her many cuts, Dominique took out one of her emergency blood bags and drank. The blood wasn’t from a living source, it would kickstart her healing but it wouldn’t completely restore her. Getting back to her feet, Dominique took an appraisal of her surroundings and saw the opening of a wide canyon. Feeling an odd sensation in the back of her mind, Dominique knew that it was the way forward. As she walked towards the canyon Dominique saw a familiar face, Amare sit cross legged in deep meditation waiting for Dominique. As the vampire approached, Amare smiled
“I’m surprised, here I thought you’d be wandering in that storm for far longer.” Amare said not opening her eyes
“Why, how long was I there?” Dominique asked
“For some time.” Amare said cryptically
“What does that mean? I don’t have time for your bullshit!” Dominique said angrily
“In this place all you have is time, it’s the currency of the realm so to speak. But to better answer your question, you’ve been wandering for a month give or take a few days.” Amare said calmly
“A month? But that doesn’t make any sense! It’s only been a few hours since I left Dubai.” Dominique said incredulously
“Time is odd that way.” said Amare plainly
“How could anybody want to experience that for any amount of time?” Dominique asked in bewilderment
“The past is like a mire, its easy to get trapped in what was and lose focus on the present, or the future. There have been many vampires so enamored with their past accomplishments that they take little heed of the sands that are tearing them to pieces. Though I must ask, what did you see that you wanted to get away from so badly?” Amare asked
“A month ago, I hated you, Amare. I’m not about to share my life story with you.” Dominique said dismissively
“Fair enough. Though for what it’s worth, I’d like to apologize to you. I was wrong to judge you or your life choices without knowing you.” Amare said
“I appreciate that, now why are you here? Am I finished?” Dominique asked curtly
“No, this desert is broken into three trials. You’ve moved through the past, however the present and future still remain.” Amare explained
“What’s the next trial then?” Dominique asked stretching
“That I can’t tell you, I’m only here as a guide. Though to make up for my past rudeness I have this.” Said Amare pulling out an ornate scimitar and presenting it to Dominique
“This is beautiful.” Said Dominique accepting the gift
“You will need it to defend yourself. Also should you become thirsty I would advise not trusting anything in the canyon.” Amare said before disappearing.
Dominique wondered what Amare meant about not trusting the canyon. She removed her knapsack and felt a lightning bolt of fear creep up her spine. It seemed that within that month that she wandered that Dominique had depleted her entire supply of blood. For a moment she thought about going back and maybe finding some more. But it was only a moment, Dominique knew there was no turning back now. The vampire took a deep breath and ventured into the darkness of the canyon.
