Red Giant - Part 1

Introduction:
This is the first episode in what plan to be at least a 50 part Vampire story. All episodes will appear only here on this blog. I'll try to crank one out every few weeks, but don't hold your breath. So without further adieu.......

RED GIANT
Part One: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

70 AD
Inside the tent David carefully picks the stones and moves them between his fingers, studying each one with as if it held the future in its surface. He places them in the pouch and grabs the long leather strap. Again, with a gaze of intensity, he goes over the strap, turning it over again and again – stretching it and relaxing it. Outside he can hear the dull roar of the thousands approaching from the west. The sun hammers down and the tent radiates. David’s sweat falls on the leather strap as he rises up and looks outside. There in the distance dust clouds form the harbinger of evil.

“Who here will challenge me!” Goliath growls. His spear raised in a victory stance above his head. He towers above his Philistine comrades, they cheer in reply to his boasts, “There is no one that can defeat me. I am a servant of Dagan, Lord of the Land! Within his dark temple sits your gods defiled Ark that I took from your people! The Israelites are a weak clan. Is there no one to defend your failed god?!”

Below Goliath, a robed figure reaches up and touches his shoulder and whispers an incantation upon the mighty warrior. Goliath closes his eyes and fire races thru his veins.

The dust settles. All is quiet. Goliath begins to walk towards the Israel army. His armor flashes in the brilliant sunlight of the desert.

David steps forward, “This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down, and cut off your head; and I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that Yahweh saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is Yahweh's, and he will give you into our hand."

Goliath stands motionless, confused of the site before him. “A child? You send a child to battle for you?” Goliath laughs and readys his spear, “I will take pleasure in spilling your virgin blood on your holy land young fool.”

Goliath starts his death strike – he lunges toward the boy. The Philistines cheer.

David quickly pulls a stone from the pouch and places it in the leather strap and begins to swing it over his head. Goliath is almost apon him when David releases the stone and it strikes the giants skull, embedding itself there.

Goliath falls. Blood pours from the wound and over his angihshed face. David runs to his side and removes the philistines sword from its sheath. In one motion David severes Goliaths head from his body. The blood runs over David’s feet and he lifts his voice to the heavens, “I am your humble servent oh lord. Through you alone I have the strength. Guide us into victory this day!”

The Israelites lift their weapons high and charge at the retreating Philistines - their their fallen champion lies in the dirt, trampled by the onslaught.

After the battle
Goliath’s head rests on top of Saul’s spear. The king inspects it, smiling, “So this is the indestrucalble Goliath. Our ememies are an ugly lot yes?”

The congregation laughs. Saul walks over to David and places his hand apon his head, “Little warrior you have done well this day. Who’s son are you?”

David answers, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

Then he, as well as you will join us tonight for a feast most grand!”

Later that same night - in the charnel pits
The robed figure silently stands before the ruined body of Goliath. The wind carries his whispers into the void that lays between worlds and dimensions, “Oh lord take your servents soul and make it anew. Cause him to rise again and seek to destory your enemies. Lift his body to live again in this world. Only you can grant this gift of eternal life. He we walk this earth forever in your service oh prince of the morning star. Wormword is thy name and thy name we worship.”

The sky turned red. Goliath arose.

131 AD
David finished his supper and bid his son goodbye. He always enjoyed their nights together, talking till the late hours of kings and battles, of miracles and of God. He stood in the entryway of his humble cottage and watched his son till he disapeared over the hill. He looked up to the sky – there a crestant moon was aligned with the evening star and a tinkling red one. The trio stood out in the night sky and filled David with awe. How he loved the stars and their perfect clockwork precison. In the distance a dog begin to howl. It was a erie howl. David stood awhile longer and marveled at the sight above then went back inside, just as the dust began to pick up.

He readied himself to bed, lighting a single candle to read his verses by. The shadows danced on his walls like lost souls. Outside the wind blew. He could still hear the dog howling. He put his book down and a strange thought came to him, “Is something coming?”

Why did he think that? Silly. He leaned over and blew out the flame. The smell of smoke filled his senses and filled him with comfort as well. He drifted to sleep.

Outside the crestent moon and it’s two brothers had long since sank below the horizon. The dark took hold and a cold blue hand reached out from it. It touched David on his forhead. This caused him to stir a bit, and the hand retreated. Once the sleeping David settled, the hand came again and carefully pulled down the blanket.

David awoke.

Before him in the gloom a wrecked face of a man apeared. He was sitting on the bed close to him. This was a face that had haunted his dreams since he was a child. The face of Goliath.

David spoke,”Are you a dream?”

Goliath answered, “I am damnation.” When he spoke David could see the giants gapeing mouth – filled with yellowed, canine teeth.

There was no time to react – the once dead warrior desended on David and tore into the soft of his neck. There was a spray of purple and David was still.

Outside the dog began howling again.

"We listened and looked sideways up ! Fear at my heart, as at a cup, My life-blood seemed to sip! The stars were dim, and thick the night, the steerman's face by his lamp gleamed white ; From the sails the dew did drip--Till clomb above the eastern bar the horned Moon, with one bright star Within the nether tip."

From The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Samuel Taylor Coleridge