The Monster Inside: The First Vampire

The following day, the Doctor advised that Rassa was well enough to leave. He was still pale, and his eyes were still very sensitive to light, but he was much more energetic and was even eating again unlike the day before. The Doctor simply gave instructions to Phillip and Anna to bring Rassa back should any problems arise, and to keep a close eye on him. After all, they weren't entirely positive as to what power Rassa had awakened.     

As for his sensitivity to light, the Doctor could only give advice, which was to ensure Rassa would either remain in shadowed places, or wear hats to block out direct sunlight. Rassa didn't think that would be enough. In his experience of the previous night, he'd pretty much worked out that night time was better suited to his new body. Unfortunately, he lived in a village that was most active whilst the sun was high in the sky. Until he discovered another way, he would just have to make do.     

As a result, Anna placed a broad rim hat on Rassa head then held her hand out for Rassa to take as they walked back to their home. Rassa smiled and reached up to take his mother's hand. After last night he felt much better. No aches nor pain, nor hunger. He even felt quite strong and healthy, even if a rather obvious shadow was cast over his future. He took his mother's hand, and immediately felt all those feelings he was celebrating disappear. His eyes widened as he felt his hunger awaken full-force, and his strength leave him. He felt his mother's warmth and the strength of her grasping his hand. It should have made him feel relieved to have such a thing available to him again, but it didn't. Rassa yanked his hand back quickly and felt the hunger disappear instantly. Rassa frowned, looking at his hand, then at his mother who was giving Rassa a concerned frown.     

"Rassa? Is everything okay?" asked Anna. At her son's wide eyes, she let her smile drop, "We can stay longer if you don't feel well".     

She reached out to him and Rassa pulled back. Anna frowned.     

"Rassa?"     

Seeing the worried look in his mother's eyes, Rassa worked to school his expression, giving a small smile, "No, I'm fine mother, I promise".     

He caught it then, as Anna dropped her hands to her sides, the metallic glint of her wedding ring. It was quite ordinary, a basic commoner's ring, but as Rassa ran through the scenario again and again in his head, he realised that it certainly wasn't his mother that had made him feel that way…it was the ring.     

Rassa rounded his concerned mother and took her bare hand. She managed a smile down at him, though she was no doubt concerned over his behaviour. Phillip had already left for the fields that morning upon hearing that Rassa was fine to leave when he woke up, so she could not share her concern with her husband. Rassa cheerfully pulled her forward, "Come on, mother".     

Anna looked at her son's bright and smiling face and her concern faded. He was fine. Perhaps not the same as before, but he was alive and smiling. As a mother, it was all she could ask for.     

Returning home, Rassa was pleasantly surprised to find Jane and Falla, and even Diggory waiting for him.     

"Rassa!" the girls called out happily. They raced up to greet him, both of them flinging their arms around him. Rassa barely felt them as they landed on him with their full weight, but for the sake of appearances, Rassa pretended to fall back onto the ground.     

"Girls!" Anna scolded, "Careful he's only just gotten better!"     

Rassa chuckled, "I'm fine, mother, promise".     

Falla and Jane moved back though, looking at Anna sheepishly.     

"Sorry," they mumbled, then they turned their full attention back to Rassa.     

"Are you okay?"     

"Why are you so pale?"     

"Are you feeling better now?"     

"What's with the hat?"     

The quick-fire questions caught Rassa off guard for a moment, then he just smiled.     

"I'm fine, the Doctor says I'm better now, but he doesn't know why I'm so pale, maybe it's a side effect of whatever I had?" Rassa questioned. The official story that had spread around the village was that Rassa had caught some kind of disease, therefore, he hadn't been allowed visitors in the Doctor's office. Anyone who had seen his Life Lines had agreed to keep quiet about it. After all, there was no need to talk about something that could very well be used to bully the poor boy.     

"What about the hat?" asked Falla.     

"My eyes are a bit sensitive, so the Doctor said I should either wear one or keep to shadowy places from now on," Rassa replied.     

Falla nodded, accepting the information easily, Jane nodded too, though was annoyed that Rassa had directed the answer at Falla.     

Diggory approached slowly, then held out his hand to Rassa. Rassa smiled and let Diggory help him to his feet, "Glad you're feeling better".     

Rassa nodded. Then frowned as he looked at Diggory.     

"Don't you have lessons this morning?"     

Diggory scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "...No..."     

"Dig, you need those lessons if you want to be a Knight," Rassa frowned. It was at this point that Anna decided to leave her son alone with his friends, venturing back to their home. She gave a small wave to Rassa which the boy copied before he returned his attention to his friends.     

Diggory sighed, "Knights only need sword fighting, why do I need to know any of that reading nonsense?"     

"But if you can't read, how will you know who you're supposed to fight? After all, a knight must listen to the Lord he is sworn to serve, but a lord can't always be around so he sends letters," Rassa stated, "And what must a Knight then do upon receiving those letters?"     

Diggory sighed and rolled his eyes, "...read them".     

Rassa gave a small smile, "The rest of us don't get to learn, Dig, you should at least try for us. I know I would be very happy if I could learn to read".     

After all, his father had taught him without the knowledge of the rest of the villagers, and Rassa couldn't read in front of his friends for fear of them thinking ill of him. Being literate was a sign of higher status, and clearly, with Phillip being a mere farmer, Rassa was not of a high status, at least, not in the eyes of those in the village. If he was to say he now had a family name, and a Duke's family name at that...there was no telling how they would react.     

Falla's eyes stayed on Rassa, "You want to learn how to read, Rassa?"     

Rassa hesitated, then nodded.     

"What use is reading around here?" asked Jane, scoffing, "There are so many better things to do!"     

"Exactly," Diggory pointed at Jane, then seemed surprised he was agreeing with the girl. Jane seemed surprised too, and frowned at him in annoyance.     

"Come on, we're going to go and help with the apple picking," Jane insisted, then she grabbed Rassa's hand and began dragging him towards the orchard. Despite the fact that it was now incredibly easy for Rassa to resist, he relented, letting himself be dragged by Jane. He looked back over his shoulder at Falla and Diggory.     

"See you!"     

Diggory had lessons, besides the fact that he would never hear the end of it should his father caught him doing the job of someone of a lesser status. And Falla...well, her family was more a merchant family than farmers. She often took lessons with Diggory, though Falla never talked about them, and never endeavoured to show her knowledge.     

After they were well on their way, Jane dropped Rassa's hand awkwardly and dropped back to walk beside him.     

"Are you really okay?"     

Her voice sounded smaller than usual, not as straightforward.     

"I'm really okay," Rassa reassured her.     

"Because when you disappeared like that...then they brought you back like that...well it scared me," Jane admitted.     

Rassa looked forward, "Well I promise I'm fine. How are you?"     

"Huh?" asked Jane.     

"You fell over when we were chasing the rabbit, you're okay now right?" asked Rassa.     

Jane's eyes widened in realisation, "Oh, right, yeah. I'm okay. The Doctor gave me some bandages".     

Rassa nodded in acknowledgement.     

The truth was, Jane had completely forgotten about her own injuries. She'd been so busy worrying about Rassa for the past few days that she hadn't cared much about her own pain.     

"Well anyway," Jane perked up with a smile, "Mr Harold said that the harvest this year is especially good!"     

Rassa listened aptly as Jane animatedly told him the happenings of the last few days. And all the while, he could not help but wonder.     

Will she still smile at me like that when she finds out I'm a monster?     

He did not realise how much he appreciated her smile until he realised it might be taken away.