Campfire Stories {Closed}

“Alright now y’all settle down,” Jarah said looking around at the kids clustered around her feet on the ground and the adults sitting around the edges on chairs and boxes and wagons, the stars were twinkling in the sky and the fire crackled off to the side. The quite sounds of horses settling down on their lines drifted to them as the kids squirmed a bit more getting comfortable leaning towards her. “I know it’s been a few years since I made it out to these parts, bout 40 if’n I remember right. Nice to see all you youngins and all doin well. Now I reckon I know why y’all came about clusterin around me and this rocker, so, any requests?” She said scanning the crowd of 20 or so.

A small hand shot up into the sky, and a young girl with her hair in braids spoke out, “Gramma says yous about 300 years old! How’sat possible people don’t live that long less they elves or some such and you ain’t got point ears.” Jarah chuckled and began rocking in her chair.

“Well sugar I ain’t about 300 years old, no no that’s absurd. I’m 435 and not a day less,” Jarah said with a smile gasps went up from the little ones and a few of the adults too Jarah shook her head and smiled. “Guess I oughta tell you how that’s possible huh? Well, one day, round bout 380 years ago, give or take a few. My husband Adrian and I were runnin cattle with our youngest son Mica and his family, Couple of cousins were along too cause Mica’s oldest girl Libby was only bout 9 at the time and we had about 3000 head we were runnin. Anyway, we’re runnin the trail, bout half way there, settlin down for the night and Libby comes up to me and says one of the calves is missin. I knew there was a little gully the poor thing mighta slipped in so I told Libby to run tell her Grandpa bout it and I mount up and head that way.”

“It’s a pretty dark night, moons fadin away but I’ve always had pretty decent sight in the dark and I wasn’t much worried, I was listen out for the calf, eyes searchin for his white hide and in an overhang of the gully I see a patch of white with too dark figures hunchin over it, they look to be devourin the thing. So I draw my rifle and level it towards em and holler out, they turn, blood drippin down their faces, and that’s when I notice the fangs. I’d stumbled upon a couple’a blood starved vamps feedin off that calf. They start rushin me and I fire at em, I manage to get a couple good shots on em before they reach me. It ain’t easy to take down a vamp ya know, so them buggers drag me down off my horse and I feel em bitin into me. I’m struggling but they were mighty strong, I feel myself fadin, and my vision goes dark. Before I pass out I hear some hollerin and gunshots and then…it all goes dark.” Jarah looked over her audience, many of whom are staring at her mouths agape, leaning towards her eagerly. “And that children, is how I died.”

“But you ain’t dead Mama J!” a young boy cried out, “You’re right here in front of all of us, how can you be dead and still be here?”

“Are you a vampire Mama J?” A little girl asked wild curls framing her face as she held a stuffed toy close, “I thought vamps were evil?”

Jarah chuckled and pulled the little girl up onto her lap, “Well honey, most vamps are evil, driven by hunger and hatred, cursed forever; but you see there’s something much more powerful in this world than hatred, curses, and evil…love. Love ain’t necessarily magic, but love drives a person to work hard and go beyond themselves and work for others. If you’ve got the strength and the support love can help you do anything. So shall we finish this story?” She asked looking down at the little girl who nodded and rested her head on Jarah’s shoulder. “Alright then.”

“I woke up in one of the wagons with a mighty thirst and chains around her wrists. Adrian sat in the corner, gun resting across his lap, slightly pointing at me, he yelled out through the gap of the wagon cover. “Libby, go get your father tell him she’s awake. Rekon you must be thirsty huh?” he said sadly turning towards me, it hurt to see such sadness in his eyes but I couldn’t quite control my body. I lunged towards him the chains holding me back digging into my wrists and he leveled his gun right at my heart and shook his head. “You knock that nonsense out sugar, we both know you’re better than that. We’re gonna work this shit out ya hear me.” He said softly, his deep warm voice acted almost like an anchor. It took so much control to stop struggling, but I managed and Adrain took a few steps towards me. Then Mica climbed into the wagon looking worried, sad, and scared I hated seein my baby bot that way. Youngest of seven and always so rough and tumble, and here he was hurting so bad.”

“Adrian passed Mica the gun and drew his own knife looking at me with a little smile. “Now sugar, we’re gonna try something here. You need to control yourself as much as you can, and we’ll help you as much as we can.” With those words he cut into his own arm, the smell of the blood was almost too much for to stand but I wasn’t about to act a fool infront of my husband and son, I held steady digging my fingernails into my palms using the pain as a hold. “There we go sugar, that’s it,” He said softly, like I was a spooked horse, raisin his arm up towards me slowly, “Drink, but you stop when I say stop, don’t make your youngest son have to shoot his ma.” He chuckled softly bringing his arm to my lips. I saw Mica adjusted his grip on the rifle nervously. I drank, suckin that warm coppery liquid right from his arm, it helped soothed the burnin in my throat, but I could feel the tension in his muscles, my husband was terrified of me, but workin past that and I swore to myself I would make myself worthy of his love. When he told me to stop that new, dark part of me wanted nothing more than to sink my teeth into him and have my fill, but I forced that part down, beatin it off like it was a cougar goin after a foal.”

“I stayed in that wagon with the chains on as they finished the drive. Bless their hearts they kept the young ones away, and I don’t blame them. I was so thirsty all the time, my throat burnin and water wouldn’t do a damn thing to quench it. Every night, as they set up camp Adrian would come in and cut himself again for me. I felt so bad, takin from him like that, after a few days I could tell it was takin a toll and I refused. I told him I’d rather die, he kept tryin but I held firm even though the thirst was growin awful. The next day he tried again and again I refused. “Damn you woman just take it! You think I wanna see you starving to death here in chains let me help you!” He yelled kneeling next to me I told him I refuse to kill him, and how I could tell his old body couldn’t take much of this and to put me down gently. Havin him that close…I wanted his blood so bad, that dark beast was a’growlin but I held my ground. He eventually stormed out of the tent fumin about bull headed women.”

“While later someone else came in, it was Mica and His wife Mary, they had pretty grim looks on their faces and Mary was grippin her rifle pretty durn tight. I figured they were gonna help lay me to rest and move on with it, I was okay with that, I’d lived a decent life and I sure as heck didn’t wanna be no monster leechin of Adrian like that. Mica stepped up to me and began rolling up his sleeve, I shook my head at him there wasn’t no way I was gonna let my baby do that but he crouched in front of me and looked me in the eyes. “Mama, you always told me family sticks together through good and bad, and that any time I needed help I could turn to family. You need help right now, you ain’t no blood suckin monster you’re you. You won’t drink from pa anymore, and I can’t blame you it’ll wear him out and it ain’t enough for you either right now is it?” I felt the thirst burn in my throat and nodded at him, tears comin to my eyes. “You’ve fed me for years, hell you take care of anyone who’s ever come to you needed food or a pillow, now it’s our turn.” And then my baby boy, took his knife and cut his arm. I drank for a minute before stopping myself. He wrapped his arm up and looked at Mary who nodded and heavens bless her she did the same. I drank more that night than I’d been able to before and for once that burning became nothing more than a sore throat. As they were leavin Mica looked back, “We’re gonna reach the home camp tomorrow. Pa says he’s gonna take this whole situation up before the elders and see what they think. But whatever they say Mama, me and my family are stickin with you and doin what we can.”

“YOU DRANK THEIR BLOOD!” One of the boys cried out from the back of the group of children “How much blood do you have to drink? Are you gonna drink our blood?”

Jarah put the little girl on her lap back on the ground and leaned forward looking at the boy. “I drank their blood, I don’t need near as much blood these days as I did then, when a vamps just turned they're ravenous, but after a while it slacks off. I still need to drink blood, but not much and only about once or twice a week these days dependin on what I’m doin. As to drinking your blood, I don’t know. You ain’t old enough yet for one. Gotta be 16 years old before I’d even consider it even in an emergency, and you gotta be willing. I ain’t never drank from anyone by force and I don’t plan to start anytime soon. Look around at the grownups though. Show your scars.” She said looking around the edges of the crowd as about 10 of the adults held up their arms and showed the children, one young man still had his bandage on proudly smiling. “Every one of them, and anytime you with family all across the world, that mark means they willingly gave of themselves, Now I sure as hell don’t deserve it but I am mighty grateful. That right there is what makes the Jones family one of the longest operating mostly Human family businesses in the world. Elves and dwarves still have an advantage but if you count up generations…I’ve been around for 17 of em, and there was a good seven or eight before me and that speaks to somethin. One thing a Jones can always count on is family, as long as you live by our rules, we’ll watch your back as long as you’re alive. Now lets get back to the story.”

We reached the home camp, bout 400 people called that place home, only about 200 stayed there all the time, and for big family events we could have as many as 2000 or more there. Family was big then, and it’s a hell of a lot bigger now. But we get there, and Adrian had already sent a rider ahead to gather up the Elders. 12 of them were there. Adrian wrapped me up in some blankets and carried me through the sunlight into the meeting hall. He wanted to take the chains off, but I made him keep them on and even had him shackle my legs. I wasn’t takin any risks on hurtin anybody, even if Adrian trusted me I didn’t trust myself. But we get in there an Adrian unwraps me and sets me down in a chair and these old farts are sittin up there looking at me like I’m covered in cowpies. They talk for quite a while Adrian explaining things and answerin questions, when I tried to speak all I got were glares so I kept my trap shut until they finally started questioning me. I explained what the hunger felt like and how I was controlin in. They didn’t quite trust it though, and honestly I don’t blame them. Every vamp we’d ever heard of or encountered had been evil, wantin only blood and power, killin anyone in their way. Finally though they called for a cleric, She did some studying, cast some magic including detect evil and all that and I was still me, the curse was there, I was pretty obviously a vamp. But I was still me. The elders decided to have me sent to the temple, they studied me, clerics and palidins and doin their woojy magic at me. While Adrian dealt with spreadin the news.”

“While I was bein kept in the temple all my children came to visit, and some of their familys. Adrain and Mica had told them about the feeding, and every single one of them volunteered, some of the grandkids did too and even cousins. So many people wanted to help, for the first time since the attack, the burning was gone and I felt like myself. The next few months were filled with discussions and magic and politics. Somehow they acquired a special Ioun stone, it kept me safe from the sun and Adrian had it fashioned into this here necklace.” Jarah said absently playing with the bauble around her neck. “I drank a lot too, every night it took about 3 volunteers to quench that fire. Eventually I was free to go home, but I wasn’t allowed to be out in public alone, someone always had to be there actin like a guard. The scariest moment was when I was walking with Adrian by the river people were playing and splashing, and a kid fell right in front of me scrappin their knee open and that smell hit me. I froze, that beast was fightin for me to go grab that kid and drain them dry, but I was stronger, I buried my nose in Adrians coat as he ushered me away. That’s when I knew I was gonna be okay.”

“After about 3 years in home camp, Adrian and I were able to return to workin jobs, we tended to stick to merchant duty since Adrian was getting on in years. Sometimes people would get hurt, and there would be blood, but I kept the beast in control, and after a while all he’d do was growl a bit, he was getting plenty of food though that was the key. After about 4 years it only took 2 people to satisfy the thirst, 7 years after the attack, it was one. Then one evening 10 years after the attack, Adrian and I are visiting Mica and his kids, and Libby offers me a drink, and…I’m not thirsty… For the first time in 10 years come evening there ain’t even a tickle in my throat. I still had to drink every other night but still, if I had to I could go without. That was an amazing feeling.”

“That’s how I’ve been around so long. After the first hundred years it don’t take much at all to keep me goin unless I manage to get myself hurt or something. The hardest part about the whole thing, is seein my family grow old and die. When Adrian passed, it dang near broke my heart and I just about gave up on all this. But there was always a new grandbaby or great-grand baby…now days it’s the great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great-grandbabies. Seein this family grow, and doin what I can to keep y’all on the right path and keep you safe is what keeps me goin. The world ain’t always kind, but you’ve always got someone standin behind you. And Mama J is always watchin over you.” Jarah leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. “Now it’s time for you youngins to scatter off to bed. I’ve probably already kept you up to late with my blatherin.” The children mumbled protests even as they rubbed their eyes as their parents ushered them off to bed. Jarah pulled out her pipe and lit it blowing smoke rings into the sky as she fingered the necklace she wore lost in thoughts.

A few hours later as the rest of the camp slept Jarah heard a twig snap, and she drew one of her revolvers pointing it to the sound, and there was the curly headed girl with her stuffed animal. “Can I be a vampire like you when I grow up Mama J?” She asked sleepily crawling into Jarah’s lap. “That way you won’t be alone.”

Jorah stroked her hair and chuckled softly, “I doubt that baby girl, and I ain’t never been alone, everywhere I go there’s somebody who’s family you’re gonna live your life like a normal girl, I wouldn’t want anyone else to have to carry this beast even if they want to. Who knows what made me special enough to control it, and I wouldn’t wanna risk it for anyone else.”

“Even Adrian?” the girl asked her voice heavy with sleep.

“Mmmmm, even Adrian, I didn’t ever wanna burden him with this, and when he was a wrinkly old man in his chair by the fire I offered him. I didn’t wanna lose him. But he said, “Sugar, I’d love to. I wanna spend forever with you and I’d do it if I could, but I ain’t as strong as you, no way I could hold that beast back like you do. Even if I was a youngin again full of energy I couldn’t do it. You’ve always had the bullheadedness to get you through anything you set your mind to and that’s one of the millions of things I love and always will love about you. Just know I’ll try and keep tabs on you from the outer plane, and just know I’m gonna be proud of you.” I’m not sure there’s anyone else out there like me sugar, and I don’t know which god I have to thank for it. I’m not willing to risk it on anyone else though, gods ain’t always as kind as they were in my case. Sleep well sugar,” Jarah kissed the top of the sleeping girls head before carrying her back to her tent. “All y’all sleep well,” she said looking over the camp.