I sat up, and two things registered in my mind, the vampire was running at an impossible speed away from the street, with a man hanging in his mouth, and two bodies and a path of blood lay behind him. The second thing was that my throat was bleeding critically but I couldn't seem to feel the wound. I watched as the rest of the mob left me behind and went in pursuit of the monster. With a stab of fear and grief I realized my life as I knew it was over. I was going to die tonight one way or the other. The disgusting monster had infected me, and I knew the rules my father had strictly laid down. Anything or anyone ever infected by vampire,witch,or any other evil creature must be disposed of in fire.

I didn't doubt for a second my headstrong father would even hesitate that rule for me, his only son. He would burn me as soon as I was found. I didn't think explanations would help reason my father out of burning me alive, so instinctively I crawled to the cellar a few feet from me to hide myself. To save my life.

Then an intense burning pain rocketed through my neck spreading violently through my body. The pain was unbearable, It was hard to think at all but I thought it must be the venom killing me. If I had been more able I would have prayed the prayer my father had taught me since youth, but the pain made me forget everything that was ever important or unimportant to me. I writhed on the stones, miraculously continuing to move towards the cellar. The fiery pain continued scorching my body as I entered the dark cellar. It was a deep cellar, and in the corner there was a stack of rotting potatoes. I couldn't think enough to look for any other kind of concealment so I fought against the pain and dived into the pile, covering the parts of my body that still showed, hoping that someway, somehow I would be rescued from this torture. I kept expecting it to stop but the fierce pain only grew and grew. I stopped praying for rescue. I started praying for death. Death was all I wanted, it would end the pain. Even if I had displeased God, the burning fires of purgatory would be better than this. Maybe I was dead. Maybe this was purgatory. The barbaric fire went on, and on. For what felt like eternity. Endlessly fire went through my veins, burned me inside and out, Endlessly I fought against yelling so that the noise wouldn't bring anyone down to the cellar. Surely I should be dead by now. The fire drove me insane. I started whispering nonsensical prayers. Things like “Send me to the dogs gracious father” and “Send away the dragon lord”. Another time this may have amused me. But there was nothing humorous about this endless fire. This inescapable hell.