Pale in Comparison

Why did I do that?

How uncharacteristic of me. Instead of using my head, I let emotions took over.

Because of it, I’m now also being chased.

For I can only dodged for so long, my luck inevitably ran out as I stumbled.

Wounded and on the ground, not much one can do in that situation.

How did this happened? Well, the answer was clear. I came to this country not too long ago.

The news of the Union’s victory during the civil war has finally reached the European continent. It eventually reached my ear who resided in the French countryside, in a region named Lozère.

Just like any other European at that time, I was giddy to hear it. Mind’s filled with fantasies of travelling the vast American west.

However, I’m still indecisive about it.

I lived solitarily in this stone house that’s on the mountain side for a very long time. It was the most peaceful period of my life.

Naturally, the thought of leaving this abode made me anxious. But I know that it won’t be peaceful forever.

I will eventually have to venture out. I retreated here because I’m fleeing from something. And I felt it getting closer and closer everyday.

After much thinking and planning, I began my journey.

Everything went a lot smoother than I thought it would. Almost as if it’s meant to be.

My worry is slowly fading away, as I began to board the ‘SS La Bretagne’. The next 9 days is going to be a travel that’s filled hope.

I began to feel glad the farther the steamship is from Europe, and the closer it gets to New York.

“There’s no way they’ll cross the Atlantic to hunt me right?” I thought to myself. It appears that I’m not the only one, as I met my fellow aboard this steamship.

It’s been so long since I last met with another one of my kind. Unfortunately, I’ve forgotten how the conversation went. I also don’t know his name.

Eventually, I set my foot on the American soil.

I arrived at the New York Harbor. The scenery was so new to me. I can’t help but feel optimistic about it.

The first thing I do when I arrived here, I went to a local restaurant. Without hesitation I asked for pemmicans, cornbreads, and a glass of sarsaparilla.

I’ve been hearing about them nonstop during my cruise to here. They might not be the best, but they can hold their own against European cuisines.

I discovered long ago that foods and drinks made by humans are very exquisite. It definitely helped me to suppress my desire for human blood.

My indoctrinated way of thinking and what happened to them back then, caused me to stop drinking human blood altogether. So I seek salvation with human’s food.

The next thing I visited is a saloon that’s coincidentally beside the restaurant. Of course, I asked for a glass of Bourbon whiskey, it’s a no-brainer.

I became acquainted with the saloon owner. I shared my knowledge of beers, wines, and gins that I attained from reading my books. However, I’m not quite a connoisseur.

There’s nothing else for me to do in that stone house besides reading the vast library of books in my basement, or taking care of my flowers in my garden.

Villagers and travellers sometimes came to visit me. I would ask them to share their stories. Those hundreds of books and stories has somewhat broadened my knowledge of this world, human’s world to be exact.

The owner then taught me the basics of distillery and bartending to return the favour. Consequently, he offered me to work in his saloon. Of course, I accepted it. I worked there for two months before continuing my journey.

I was nervous at first. Can’t help it since New York has been kind to me, but I know that I can’t stay here forever. After all, I came here to travel the vast west and start a new beginning.

I began by visiting the states in the east cost that are near New York.

First, I visited Paterson, New Jersey. Not much to see here besides the abundance of factories sprawling throughout.

But, they gave it quite a memorable name. It was ‘Silk City’ if I’m not mistaken, it’s somewhat romantic. I used that word to describe it, but, I have never experienced it myself.

I’m sick of reading fairy tale stories where the princess is always somehow and someway find their true love.

But no matter how long I wait, no chivalrous knight or charming prince ever visited me and took me to the promised land.

Perhaps that was it. Maybe it’s because I never ventured outside. Though, the last time I did that, it almost spelled out the end of everything.

But I believed that this time will be different.

That’s also among the goals I’m hoping to achieve by adventuring the Americas. I hoped that I will find said knight or prince along the way.

Then I remembered, there’s no monarchies or kingdoms here right? I don’t think I’d find a knight let alone a prince.

I guess I’ll figure that out later. My main objective right now is to experience and explore this new world that’s in front of me.

From here I continued to head west a bit.

By using a train, I’ve arrived at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It’s a beautiful city, I heard that their declaration of independence was signed here.

When I first heard the name of the state, I felt some kind of familiarity towards it. Ah, I remembered now. It’s where that man, whose name shall not be said once resided.

I think father described him as ‘deranged’.

I wonder if he met him before. If he did, it’s probably before he got drawn and quartered by the Vanquishers. They then burned his half alive body.

At that time, I don’t know why they felt the need to do that. As beheading or putting us under direct sunlight is enough to kill us.

But now, I understand. It was a declaration of war. As after that, massive killing and hunting against our kind began.

Even though it happened a long, long, long time ago, their presence still certainly inflicted massive fear to vampires who are still alive today.

But that’s all in the past. While they’re rumoured to become more and more inactive alongside the dwindling number of vampires that becomes smaller and smaller, I don’t think they will come here.

So I continued my journey without paying their existences any heed.

I visited the states one by one and stopping along the way working at saloons to attend the bar.

After Pennsylvania, I went to Delaware. And then Virginia. I then headed south a bit to visit North & South Carolina.

To the west of it, I visited Georgia. It appears that the more I travel westward, the towns and cities I visited became less and less developed. Well, at least the peaches here are tasty.

It’s pretty normal really. That’s why, through ‘The Homestead Act’, they want settlers to settle the lands out in the western part.

I then head back north a bit to visit Tennessee. And then went south west to Mississippi, before finally arriving to Louisiana.

It’s been a long journey thus far. It’s been almost two decades since I’ve arrived in New York. And yet, I haven’t scratched the surface on what this country has to offer.

Today I arrived at another city, Plum Fool. I quickly searched the nearest Inn since I’ve been travelling all night. I passed a man wearing a cowboy hat when I entered the Inn.

The lady at the front desk was nice, the rent is also cheap too. Without wasting too much time, I headed upstairs and sleep for the rest of the day.

I mean, there’s not much a vampire like me can do during the day. The bed was hard to sleep in, but I managed to sleep for the next 12 hours or so.

When I woke up, the moon hung high, signaling it’s midnight.

I headed downstairs. The man at the front desk greeted me.

“Good evening miss!”

“Good evening. I was wondering if there’s any saloon that’s worth visiting here?”

The man then thinked for a bit before answering me.

“That has to be ‘Route Ol’ Blue’ at the central district.”

“I see. Thank you mister!”

I said as I raised my hat a little bit. He’s a bit surprised to see my face at first. I mean, almost everyone I met did.

“No problem, enjoy your night miss!”

I took my leave and swiftly head to the saloon. It only took a few minute, but I’ve arrived.

When I entered, I looked around the saloon for a bit to decide where I want to sit. However, I saw a man with cowboy hat sitting at the rightmost seat on the bar counter.

I sensed some familiarity about that man. Is he the guy I passed at the Inn? But that guy was wearing a leather vest, this one’s wearing a fur jacket.

There’s only one way to find out.