Ten Generations

A guard pulled Osiris and me into a throne room, throwing us down in front of the king.

He looked over at the two of us and then to the guard. "Why are they here?"

The guard, as swiftly as possible, knelt down in a bow and stood again. "These two have broken the most important rule to you sire."

The king thought for a moment, staring at the two of us, then standing and walking over, circling Osiris. "This one with the almond skin and bright sun-bleached hair, and the blue eyes of the sea. Obviously one of my council members, but," He said, walking over and lifting my head up by my chin. "This one has the pale skin of paper and black as night hair. And her eyes are as red as the blood she has sucked from my people." The king said, glaring into my soul.

"Then shall she burn?" The guard asked.

"No. It will be worse. We will kill her lover and force her to eat his heart. We will keep her locked away for ten generations, then tear her apart limb by limb until the last generation is here. Only then will she burn to death on the cross of God." The king said, looking to the guard.

He nodded and ripped Osiris and me from our places on the ground, dragging us by the hair to the center of town, chaining us both to poles. We faced each other, both with burning tears in our eyes.

An executor in a long black cloak walked over, talking to the guard for a moment. They nodded in agreement and the executor looked into the ground, beckoning someone over.

A woman in a white dress carried a long box over, opening it and handing a long blade of silver to him.

The executor looked over to me and back to the still growing crowd. "People of the Ash-land meadows, today is a dark day for us all as one of the king's council members has fallen in love with a wretched beast! To be punished for his crimes, he shall die today, and this monster will be left with a symbol on her neck to show that she is to die ten centuries from now." He called to them.

The crowd laughed and cheered as if this was a wonderful occasion, like a festival held on a sunny day with games and vendors.

I looked at the ground, tears beginning to fall from my eyes.

"Another life," Osiris called to me. "In another life we will meet again, just be brave through the rest of the life you have! Repent for our sins so God can find the heart to forgive us!" He called to me.

I looked up to him. "Why would he forgive me?"

"Because at some point before this life you were another one of his angels." He said.

I smiled a little and the executor lifted the blade, swinging it down into Osiris's neck, his head coming clean off.

I stared for a moment and went limp, crying more than I had ever. My world was ruined, and I had forsaken my lover. Nothing happy would ever come out of this, and I will be tortured for as long as I live.

The crowd cheered as the executor carved the heart of my lover out of his chest, walking over and holding it up to my face. "Isn't it lovely? You caused this to happen you monster. But this will be the last joy you ever shall receive from Osiris."

I shook my head, turning it away and closing my eyes. The smell was so sweet and good. I almost couldn't stop myself. I had to remind myself that this was wrong.

The executor forced my mouth open and shoved the heart into it, pushing my jaw closed.

Oh God forgive me! I thought. My fangs sharpened and I could no longer hold back my hunger and taste for this luscious sweet liquid any longer. It was like I was home again, and human. Oh, it was perfect! I wanted to hug my mother and kiss my father's cheek, telling him how much I'd missed him while he was in the war. I wanted to tell Mother about my day and eat one of her homemade meals again. For once, I was home in their arms again, happy and human.

Hisssss!

I screamed in pain, as a metal ring had been pressed to my throat. It was so hot that it had turned white. I coughed and choked, crying and scratching at the pole, to which I'd been tied to.

It was removed and the king himself smirked in my face. "Now Ophelia, you demonic vampire, for your imprisonment." He said as the guard untied me, only to chain me up into silver chains that had been soaked in holy water. It burned my skin, making me whine and cry for them to just kill me.

I was laughed at and as we walked through the crowd, most of the people threw more of the water at me and muttered prayers that gave me horrible headaches. Everything hurt. I couldn't get away either. Nothing would help me now.

Ten generations later

I finished my morning prayer and sat down, looking around the new cell. It had been founded in 3000, so it was brand new. I paced around, listening for any people, and hoping to God that they had forgotten the rule about my life.

I'd prayed, and begged, and given without hoping to receive. For ten generations, this was all I'd done. They'd given me a bible, and though it burnt terribly to touch, I read it everyday.

The cell door clicked and swung open as I was finishing up my verse, making me jump up and stare at it. I set the black book down and got up, walking to the door and looking out of it. There was a long hallway, the rest of the cells still closed, but the door at the end open. I stared and started walking there. My cell door slammed closed and locked behind me and I shrugged it off, looking into the room. Was this it? Are they just letting me go home?

A man in a long black cloak.

Chains dipped in holy water.

A priest.

Cross.

Bible.

I folded my hands, bowing my head. "God, please forgive me for my sins in the past, let me come home I beg of thee. Amen."

The executioner walked over and chained me, pulling me to the outside. The light burnt my eyes, and the heat gave me a headache. It hurt so bad. I was dizzy and could hardly open my eyes to look at where I was stepping. All I knew was that as soon as we had stopped, I opened my eyes to see a wooden cross set up in the center of a field. A few people were dumping gasoline around it, others readying restraints.

The executioner and the other people chained me to the cross, setting it up and dumping more gasoline. The priest started a prayer that hurt my head again, and the executioner lit a match.

I stared at the ground, waiting.

"Ophelia." Someone whispered to me.

I looked up slightly, Osiris being there.

I stared at him, my eyes watering up. "How are you here?"

He smiled and held my face in his warm hands, kissing my cheek. "We've been forgiven by God, but not our people. I will wait for you inside the gates of Heaven. Make it there for me and do not let anybody convince you to turn to Hell."

I smiled and shook my head. "I will never be accepted there."

"Hark, Ophelia, you shall see." He said, kissing me.

As the hot and searing flames burst up around me, my love vanished from sight and for the very last time, I was home with my family. It hurt so bad, but I got to see their smiles again. I would soon see Osiris again, and we would soon stay together forever. Even if we don't find each other in Heaven, another life will cause us to meet again.

Forgive me God.