Warning: Cannibalism is a theme in this chapter. There's no gore, but the act is done in a historical context. You've been warned.

~

Rhode Island. The 13th state was the first to declare independence from the Crown before the Declaration of Independence was signed two months later. Not surprising considering he had an independent streak encrypted into him since his beginnings.

In the early days of Colonial America, he was rejected by Massachusetts for his "dangerous" ideas on religion. Figured he was better off alone, he went with Roger Williams to set up their own territory, a safe haven to practice their beliefs in peace. Even while the witch scares were going on, he found the accusations to be a bunch of bologna. Thus, he made sure no one in his home would become a victim to mass hysteria. Little did he know he had more to fear than witches.

In the nineteenth century, his was home was one of many to witness a tuberculosis outbreak, known as "consumption" at the time. There was a widespread fear in families whose members become afflicted with this mysterious illness. Due to a lack of knowledge about the disease's causes, there was little hope for a cure. However, there were those who say otherwise...

☆☆☆☆☆

I hate vampires.

Throughout my life, I have seen all kinds of atrocities that have been enacted upon the land. Whether it be piking a leader's decapitated head on a spike to the slaughtering of a hundred innocent souls, I witness it all happen in my tiny home. Out of all the inhumane acts done on humanity, never did I think of the blood-sucking monster to be one of them. I know. It sounds ridiculous. Which is why I hate them so much.

Why I hate them so much? Well, let me start from the beginning.

It was the year 1892. I was one of the few individuals who was unaffected by "consumption". At the time, no one knew the causes of the outbreak. The only thing we knew about the disease was its ability to "consume" a person in a short amount of time without showing any symptoms in its early development. It was terrifying. Not because of the disease itself, but how we dealt with it.

I don't know where this rumor or "cure" came from, but immediately I thought it was a bunch of crap. Vampires? Weren't they a thing in Europe? How are they involved with this disease? I didn't think this "cure" was believable. I thought it was make-believe. A bunch of bologna and dog shit. Sadly, I was probably one of the few who knew this "cure" to be false.

And yet, there were desperate people gullible enough to try this "cure" for themselves.

I remember the witch scares back in the 1600s. It seemed not that long ago, yet I remember it as clear as day. I couldn't believe what they were doing to innocent people. Not only were they hanging people based on baseless suspicions, but they were also accusing one another without feeling ashamed for their actions. It's like they want to see spectacle! Then again, it's not like they have anything else to do other than clean pig pens and read the Bible all day. Thankfully my people were smart enough not to buy into that crap. Without an argument, witch trials were abolished in my home. That simple. Unfortunately, the others weren't so lucky.

I heard stories from Massachusetts about innocent people getting accused of being a witch. These supposed witches would be put on trial, told to confess of their nonexistent sins or else their soul would be condemned for all of eternity. Even if they weren't associated with witchcraft, they said yes, thinking they would be spared. Little did they know, their confession sealed their fate. Innocent until proven guilty, ha! Tell that to the witches being hanged.

I swear I couldn't help but laugh hearing his stories. Having previously lived in the colony, knowing some of the people and their Puritan beliefs, I would like to think they got what they deserved. For a bunch of idiots who worship Christ, they sure are quick to condemn the innocent. All because they were suspicious of demons, monsters, Satan... All of which they don't have exact proof of. I can't believe they use such excuses for their executions. Such nincompoops!

I told him, "My people would never fall for such nonsense!"

Many years later, I would meet a man who would become a victim to such nonsense.

This man was once a good acquaintance of mine. A simple man by the name of George Brown. I met the guy a couple of times whenever I passed by Exeter, a rural town within the borders of my home. He lived on his own property with his family. I would pass by his home in a horse drawn carriage, and he would be outside to greet me with a bright smile on his face. We weren't close, but he knew me well enough in our small chats. He would always ask if I wanted to have dinner with his family. Being a recluse, I wasn't eager to accept his invitation. After some convincing, I ended up accepting his invitation. Just this once!

I should've stayed home that day.

The day I arrived at his home, I was met by forced kindness by him and his children. Mr. Brown led me into his home, wanting me to see his wife who I was told was sick. When we went to their bedroom to see her, she was lying in bed. Her eyes...were closed. Her breath...was still. She looked pale. She looked...stiff.

It was an awkward, depressing situation. I knew she was gone, but Mr. Brown didn't think so. He kept asking her to wake up. He told me to fetch the doctor whom I knew would say the same thing I said. As predicted, the doctor came and gave him the somber news. He stayed at her bedside, mourning in silence throughout that night and her funeral. His loss forced me to do whatever I can to assist him during this time of grief. Hopefully, her soul may find peace under God's healing light.

If it was only her that died, it would've been an unfortunate case.

Sadly, the tragedy didn't end there.

Nearly a year later since his wife's passing, his eldest daughter, Mary Olive Brown, became afflicted with the disease and died soon after. A decade later since his eldest daughter's passing, the same illness began to show itself in Mercy and Edwin. It wasn't until Mercy's death in January this year did Mr. Brown began to act hysterical.

His friends and neighbors were telling him the vampire story, how their deaths weren't coincidental, how one of his family members is "undead". They suggested he burn their organs. They told him inhaling the smoke and ashes would prevent those from being consumed. I argued with Mr. Brown, telling him the rumors were a bunch of bull. I convinced him to leave their graves alone, however, I couldn't help but be a little skeptical. I thought he belied me. I thought we agreed disturbing their bodies was morally wrong and insane. He seemed sane at the time. But was he really? I don't know.

The last time I saw him was two months ago.

In the late March, I returned home after a long trip. During this trip, I learned a little bit about consumption. There wasn't much information on the disease, but it did confirm my suspicions. Supposedly consumption is caused by a microorganism of sorts. The disease mainly affects the lungs of the victim. Some of its late symptoms include severe coughing, fevers, night sweats, and weight loss.

I was still right.

Ka-bump!

"Wha?" I jolted awake in my seat.

I recalled where I was at the moment. I was in a horse-drawn carriage. Having departed in the middle of the night, I must've fallen asleep. I glance at the foggy window, seeing the sun beginning to rise above the horizon. The sky was a milky blue, reluctant to get up quickly. I thought about going back to sleep, but then I lurched in my seat once more. I uttered a curse to myself. I peered down from the window and saw the dirt road. It was full of bumps and dents that made the wheels of the wagon buckle up and down. In the end, I decided to stay awake and marvel at the foggy countryside.

"Where are we?" I asked the driver at the front.

"Finally awake, are you?"

"Just tell me where we are."

"We're in Exeter."

Exeter. Now that's a town I'm familiar with. Was it a coincidence? No matter. I have no business here. I just want to go home and get some proper rest after my long trip.

As the carriage made a right turn, we came upon an old cemetery surrounded by thick pines and cedar. A large sign indicated the place's name: Chestnut Hill Cemetery. Narrowing my eyes, I noticed a crowd of villagers gathering at the front of the white church, causing a ruckus in the normally somber place. At first, I assumed a funeral was going on. With the number of consumption cases going on, it would make sense. However, there was another crowd that gathered at the back of the land, surrounded the entrance to a stone crypt. My heart sank guessing what's going on.

'He couldn't have...' I grew anguished at the thought of what I think is going on.

I asked the driver to park alongside the road and to wait for my return. I got out of the vehicle, making my way through the green field of gravestones. I followed the main dirt road toward the back of the hills and trees, advancing toward the villagers who crowded around the crypt. As I made my way toward them, I started to hear the commotion going on around the area. Most of them whispered and murmured among themselves, all of whom looked rather curious than mournful.

"She really was a vampire," I heard someone say.

"I knew it. She really did cause the outbreak," another person whispered.

I pressed my lips. I shoved them out of the way, earning their annoyed glares. I made my way into the crypt, hearing an authoritative voice proceed to grab my right shoulder, forcing me to turn around to see their ugly mug. I swiped their hand off me before heading inside the cold, dusty vault.

Inside were the bodies of the dead who have died during the cold months, placed behind stone temporary until the ground started to grow warmer for them to have their proper burial. I expected to see untouched tombs. Instead, I saw a living man among the coffins. He looked somewhat professional, wearing a brown tailcoat and tie that made him stand out among the farmers of this town. I guessed he's a doctor because he didn't look like a crypt keeper or a priest. There was no reason for him to be down here in this cobweb invested cellar unless...

I paled seeing the doctor kneel over an open coffin. I wanted to puke seeing the corpse of Mercy Lena Brown. For some reason, her front body was torn open, revealing the contents of her fleshy organs in sickening detail. The doctor had on a pair of rubber, blue gloves that were already covered in wet blood. In his hands was an organ. A lung, I assumed. Mercy's lung...

He quizzically looked up at me. "What are you doing here?"

"I could say the same thing!" I yelled. "Who are you? What are you doing with her body?"

"Calm down. First, you shouldn't be here, child."

Child?!

I grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt collar, forcing him to drop the lung in the coffin. "Listen! I may be short, but I'm no child! You got that?!"

He nodded shakily. "I-I'm sorry! Forgive me for my mistake!"

"I'll forgive you if you answer my questions." I let go of his shirt collar. "Now then, what are you doing with Lena's body?"

"I'm a doctor. I was asked to remove the organs of the deceased Mercy Lena Brown."

I gritted my teeth. "Who asked you to do it?" I already knew the answer. I just wanted to be sure.

The doctor lowered his head. "George Brown. He gave me his permission although I was reluctant at first. However, he and those around him desperately wanted me to do it."

"Bullshit!" I cursed. "There's no way he would let his daughter be exhumed. Where is he?"

"He's at home. He didn't have the heart to come here due to unstated reasons..."

Looking down at the bod, I couldn't help, but feel responsible for all that has happened. I couldn't stop him even after telling him many times. Lena, she didn't deserve to be treated like this.

I was about to look away when I spotted something odd about Lena's frozen body. In particular, I noticed a hole in her chest. It wasn't a lung for the left lung was still intact in the chest cavity.

"... Where's her heart?" I looked at the doctor. He didn't answer, so I asked much louder, "Where's her heart, damn it?!"

He shook his head before frowning. "They took it to the chapel," he muttered. "Against my best wishes, they were determined to proceed with the burning."

A morbid silence crawled down the chilling, stone walls of the tomb.

I couldn't believe this. I just... Those freaking bumpkins! Damn them! Not only have they pushed him into insanity, they insiste on watching the show. They really believed she was the cause of the outbreak. They really believed she was a vampire. They really believed her heart was the "cure" to the sickness. I just... Aaaah!

"You make me sick," I grumbled before leaving the doctor.

I rushed out of the crypt, pushing people out of the way as I sprinted toward the chapel in the distance. The blood underneath my skin boiled, ready to explode the moment I get my hands on whoever is responsible for this absurd bullshit. Gaaah! This whole situation make me sick. I hope they all get consumed after this. I swear to God!

I stormed through the large doors of the chapel. Out of breath, I stood erect at the doorway, observing a commotion at the back where the old altar was underneath a tall, silver crucifix. A dozen men and women, some I recognized as Mr. Brown's friends and neighbors, gathered around the first two rows of pews. They all chattered in excitement, anticipating something about to happen I'm not aware of. My dark brown eyes grew wide noticing Edwin, Mr. Brown's sick son, among them, sitting at the first pew on the left. He was supposed to be in Colorado Springs. Why is here? He should't be here.

Unless...

I sucked in a breath, seeing a silver chalice in Edwin's frail hands. Everyone in the room watched Edwin in a moment of anxious silence. The young clerk tipped the brim toward his pale lips, shivering slightly. I wanted to scream. I wanted to stop this. Yet, the voice inside didn't come out. Nor were my feet able to move, refusing to budge as if they were glued to the burgundy red. I helplessly watched the sick man gulp down the false potion: a concoction of water mixed with his sister's ashes. I couldn't believe it. He actually...did it...

Edwin made a hollow cough after swallowing some of the morbid liquid. His friends and neighbors assured him, coming to his side as an elderly man took the chalice away from him. With the cup in his hands, he proceeded to take a sip before giving the chalice to another villager. That person then took a sip as well. And then another. And then another. They passed the chalice around, getting a taste of Mercy's medicine until there's nothing left. Every single one of them drank her ashes. Human ashes...

"I forgive them."

I abruptly turn my head to the voice I heard. I found a young lady on my left, sitting in one of the pews in the back. Her long, brunette hair seemed to glide off her shoulders, hiding her face from me. There was something unworldly about her, yet I wasn't as shocked to see her float as she sat then the cannibalistic feast going on in the church of Christ. The transparent lady sat quietly to herself on the maroon cushions, her gaze elsewhere, specifically toward the front of the chapel. No one seemed to notice her. Or, me for that matter.

After getting over my shock, I managed to move my heavy feet, taking cautious steps toward the mysterious girl. I wanted to say I knew her. At least, her time when she breathed. She didn't seem upset. Yet, why do I get the feeling of a stone in my chest.

"... They're eating your heart," I uttered.

She made a single nod, still looking toward the altar. "I still forgive them."

"But-"

"Fear," she interrupt, "Fear made them this way. If it wasn't for my death, they would've been on their farms wondering how bright the sky is today."

I don't know why, but I imagined a sweet smile on her face when she said this.

I looked out at one of the tall windows along the walls. "... It's a cloudy day outside," I noted.

A short giggle came out of her lips. "Don't worry. By noon, everything will return to normal."

"Lena..."

"I was given a chance. To come back temporary at any given moment in time. To see how life is doing without me," she paused, "I didn't think of coming back so soon. But then...something about me didn't feel right. And then...I came back. I saw Father. My sisters. And then my brother... Here I am..." There was a sense of heartbreak in her tone.

Looking back at the front of the room, I wanted to force every single offender to spit out what's left in their stomach. And yet, the grudge I once had was gone. The moment I saw her here, she seemed to take away whatever hatred held within my heart. All that remained was a bitter sentiment. I couldn't even look at her in the eye. In a sense, I regretted not coming here sooner to stop this from happening.

"I'm sorry you have to see that," I apologized in a low mumble.

"It's alright," she softly smiled, "At least they promised to give me a proper burial. I won't have to be kept cold in a crypt any longer. That's good to know..."

I wasn't sure if she was trying to reassure me or herself of what happened. In the end, I decided for her sake I forget what happened here. It's best I treat what I saw as an unfortunate act caused by widespread panic and misfortune. Her family and friends, they were both the perpetrators and victims in this gruesome mess. Poor Edwin, he's just like her, desperate and frightened. I shouldn't blame him for what he did. Still, I wished they didn't resort to...this... Why couldn't they...just...

"How is it over there?" I asked, steering away to a different subject.

"It's nice," she said, "Mother and Olive greeted me with open arms when I arrived there."

"... That's good to know..."

Lena paused for a moment. "I'm afraid it's time for me to leave."

My eyes widen. "So soon?"

"Yes," she sounded sympathetic. "There are others like me who wish to see this time period as well. My time is up I'm afraid."

There were many things I wanted to say. And yet all I asked was, "Do you really not hate them for what they did?"

"... No," she muttered, "What they did was unnecessary. I hope my maker is as forgiving toward them as they were to me. I could never hate my family and friends. All that I ask is mercy to all for all that has happened."

Her body slowly grew transparent.

"... Goodbye, Lena..."

She softly smiled, turning slightly to meet my eyes. "Goodbye," she whispered.

And just like that, she was gone. All that's left was our talk together. It will probably be the last time I see her. For that, I hope she finds peace wherever she's at right now...

Looking back at the front altar, the commotion was still there. Rather than choke the daylights out of them, I simply turned my back on them. I left the chapel and walked out of the cemetery, heading back to the horse-drawn carriage I've arrived in.

When the driver asked what happened, I could only reply, "I don't want to talk about it," before ignoring him for the rest ride.

Maybe I should've taken the ship ride back home. Then, I wouldn't never stumbled upon such a depressing sight. The whole sight disturbed me enough to avoid the town entirely. It was hard to believe humans are willing to believe more in an imaginable bloodsucker than logic and morals. That "cure" they drank, it'll do nothing to them other than give them a bad taste in their mouth. I hope it never happens again. Never do I want that to happen ever again. Never...ever...again...

~

Two months have passed since the incident in Exeter. I heard Edwin Brown had died despite consuming the "cure" to his affliction, according to gossip around my home. It was the last time I hear the Brown family name. At that point, I could care less what happens to George and the rest of his family. It's heartless, I know. Still, I can't forgive him for what he did. I stopped seeing his face ever since I avoided Exeter. I haven't thought about him until news of his son's death came to mind.

Sure, the poor man should be pitied. The loss of his wife, his two daughters, and his only son had taken a toll on that old fool. I don't know what's it like to be in his position. To love a person you knew almost your whole life get taken away from you without knowing why, I guess that enough can crack one's mentality. Even so, I just can't see myself sympathizing with him without having to be reminded of Lena. But for Lena's sake, it's best I avoid him and forget everything I knew about him.

After Edwin's death, rumors of a vampire among the living decreased as consumption cases started to decline in reports. The "cure" now debunked, everyone still lived in fear, but without making the unnecessary, inhumane acts this time. Eventually, the causes of the disease will be known in addition to the introduction of an actual cure that'll combat the affliction. Until then, people will continue to fear the infected.

Back to the question, why do I hate vampires so much?

Well, there are many reasons other than this story I've given. They're old. They're creepy. Some of them are pedophiles who should be locked up in prison. I hate how literature and Hollywood tend to romanticize their freaky nature. I especially hate the idiots who are obsessed with these pale assholes. That reason alone is why I hate vampires.

I'll never understand why people go to such lengths as to admire and worship these undead monsters. True, there are no such things as vampires. Yet, the idea of one can somehow influence us to do stupid things. Whether it be causing someone to exhume a corpse to making teenage girls read garbage, vampires will continue to affect our lives without their physical presence. In the end, I'm glad they're only a myth. A myth that I hope stays a myth.

☆☆☆☆☆

+ The Mercy Brown vampire incident happened in Rhode Island in 1892. Prior to that, Mary Eliza, the mother, was the first to die from the disease. Mary Olive, the eldest daughter, also became afflicted and died from the disease in 1883. Later in 1891, both Mercy and Edwin became ill from the disease; Mercy died in January of 1892, two month prior to her exhumation.

- Many rural residents were convinced a vampire was the cause of the tragedies. George Brown ended up giving in to the demands of his neighbors, granting the villagers his permission to exhume his family's bodies. It was then they discovered Mercy to be the "vampire" plaguing the family. Her body was cut open, her organs harvested and used to create a tonic as a cure for Edwin's affliction. Unfortunately, Edwin died from his illness two months later after the incident. What was left of Mercy's corpse was buried in the ground.

+ Tuberculosis was historically called "consumption" due to the noted weight loss in its victims. Many Americans in 19th century didn't know the disease was caused by a bacteria that spreads in the air. As a result, they were left with to come up with their own theories. One such theory was a vampire within the family being the cause of the unfortunate deaths.

- The reason the rural folk assumed Mercy to be a vampire was due to evidence of her being "alive". Mercy's body was left in a vault for the winter until the ground became warmer to dig a grave. As a result, Mercy's body didn't compose; her blood was still fresh from preservation. When her corpse was exhumed, the rural folk assumed the lack of decomposition and fresh blood meant she was still alive as a vampire plaguing the Brown family.

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