Strzymarta

 

It all started with a single, strange plant that appeared out of the blue in Marta's yard. It stretched its two-petaled flowers toward the stars, looked withered by day, and at night came alive, captivating with its uniqueness. Marta, a plant lover, went to water it every evening. Soon, the plant bore fruit. Marta knew perfectly well not to eat the fruit of unfamiliar plants, but something drew her to eat the gelatinous, shapeless balls. In the dead of night, she awoke with the realization that she MUST eat the fruit. She ran to the garden, lighting the way with her father's old flashlight. The garden at night bore no resemblance to the beautiful, sunny place it had during the day, where flowers bloomed and colorful butterflies flitted. Finally, a faint light fell on the wretched plant, looking exceptionally miserable. Marta, possessed, tossed the flashlight aside and grabbed the fruit. She ate handfuls of bitter-salty, purple doughnuts, feeling that this was precisely why she had been born into this world.

The next day, her parents didn't notice the enormous change that had taken place in their daughter. Or perhaps they did, but they dismissed it as another sign of growing up. Marta's eyes darted wildly from side to side, her muscles tense and ready to attack, her breathing ragged and rapid. She couldn't communicate with anyone, sensing hostility in everything she spoke to. Her friends watched with surprise as she argued with various people, especially her friend Arek. Returning home, Marta ran to her room without even greeting anyone. She didn't want anyone to see her stack of books. From legends and herbal remedies to medical treatises, everything lined the large desk, eager to be read. When Marta didn't understand something, she reached for the books—it was her solution.

After a day of reading, finding nothing, she went to bed. The full moon peered through her window. Then the essence of this story happened – Marta felt herself transforming into something she couldn't even imagine. Her pupils dilated, her irises tinged purple, her fangs blackened and elongated; to make matters worse, her supple arms became feathered and distorted, and her legs looked like a combination of a bird and an octopus. Marta's consciousness was terrified, but soon it was drowned out by hunger, or rather thirst. Yes, a thirst that couldn't be quenched by juice or water, the girl, or maybe not so girl, realized she wanted blood. Human blood. Something pulled her toward the window, and Marta felt herself rising into the air. The city swirled beneath her feet – its claws. The streets were deserted, except for a drunken homeless man lying in a tiny square. Marta, struggling with the arms as if they belonged to someone else, swooped down like a hawk and landed softly next to the drunk. "Yes, yes, yes!" laughed her other soul. It sank its black fangs into the man's filthy flesh. The blood was saturated with alcohol, but that only made it taste even more delicious. Suddenly, the deathly pale face of the moon was hidden behind a black cloud. Marta realized with fear that she was herself again. Seeing what she had done, she almost fainted. Sensing she had to flee, she ran home as fast as she could. Behind her, someone began howling, calling for an ambulance and the police. Only in her room did she feel safe. She looked in the mirror and saw herself, covered in red liquid. But that day, nothing could frighten her anymore. She washed herself hastily and tried to sleep.

This situation repeated itself many times. Everyone around them began to fear Marta, but they couldn't find a reason. There was simply something terrifying about her, a hint of death, though hidden deep beneath her skin, yet very visible. Only her friend Arek showed no fear. He tried to amuse her with jokes, as he always had, taking her on trips and for ice cream. They talked a lot, and soon Marta revealed her secret to him. Arek couldn't believe it. Wanting to help his friend, he brought her tons of literature on the subject. Marta knew she was a striga, a ghost, and a vampire. It terrified her, but she couldn't change it. She decided to move out. After all, she was already of age; in the meantime, she had passed her high school leaving exams and taken entrance exams to a distant city. Arek also got into a nearby university. The day they left, the townspeople breathed a sigh of relief. They had had enough of the strange girl living in the old, ugly house on the small street.

Marta, too, breathed a sigh of relief. She'd had enough of her double life; she'd pinned great hopes on leaving. She wanted to either become a Strigoi forever or return to being a mere human. She'd read in a book that she'd transform into a full-blown Strigoi when she killed the person closest to her. She didn't want to hurt her father or mother, so she decided to leave. After all, she wouldn't have any loved ones in a distant city...—she had no idea what a grave mistake she'd made.

At first, everything was going perfectly. In the dormitory, she was warmly welcomed, and the professors were very kind. Marta spent most of her free time with Arek, supporting him through difficult times. Things weren't so rosy at the computer science department. Each exam was simply like sifting through a sieve to select the best and not pass the rest.

One moonlit night, Marta, as usual, donned her hawk feathers and set out on the hunt. Blinded by the effects of the gelatinous fruit, she was always tracking down her next victim, losing her memory. She didn't know who she was hunting this time, only finding out after regaining her normal form. This time, her wings led her to a lit building. Some rooms radiated good cheer, others were steeped in study, and still others were overcome by sleep. She flew through an open window into a dark room. A student lay in bed. The vampire fulfilled her duty and flew away, carefully drawing the curtain. Her roommate, Ewelina, didn't even notice her absence.

The next day, Marta waited a long time at the agreed-upon meeting place for Arek. When he didn't show up, she decided to go see him herself. There, she encountered his distraught neighbor, babbling about a tragedy, and an ambulance taking someone to the morgue. Marta was terrified beyond words. She peered through the car window, and what she saw completely blew her away. Her boyfriend was inside. Marta shuddered and felt the urge to kill possess her again. She looked around and, seeing the mortal terror etched on a dozen faces, looked at herself… Then she regretted once again that she had never been born. Her body once again became that of a blood-sucking ghost. Strong wings hung limply, enormous talons clinging to the crumbling pavement. She bounced off the pavement and, forgetting all feelings or human characteristics, flew away.

She was never seen again in this country. Rumors spread that every now and then, during the full moon, a weeping woman, dressed in a cloak resembling bird feathers, wandered the cemetery. Some said she sat on the grave of a certain Arkadiusz K. and spoke to him as if he were a living person. Old town gossips claimed that she sometimes managed to draw the ghost from the house, and together they walked through the dark cemetery, wailing and sobbing. But whether this was true, no one could say.