Unearthed After Sunset
by Lauryn April is the first novel in the Cereus Vampire Chronicles.
Continue reading to find out how “Seven Devils” by Florence and the Machine inspired a scene from the book.
Song
for a Scene: “Seven Devils” by Florence and the Machine
As many writers do, I like to listen to
music when I’m writing. Music helps me tune out the rest of the world so I can
stay focused on my novel, but it also inspires me. When I was writing Unearthed after Sunset, the song “Seven
Devils” by Florence and the Machine really spoke to me. Though the song isn’t
about vampires (I don’t think), with lines like “holy water cannot help you
now,” and “I was dead when I woke up this morning,” it was hard for me to
listen to it and not think of vampires.
“Seven Devils” has this spooky sound that
reminded me of Greg’s journey into the world of vampires. The lyrics also
remind me of the different battles that occur in the novel, especially the line
“See I have to burn your kingdom down.” In Unearthed
after Sunset there are two gangs of vampires that are trying to destroy one
another and will stop at nothing to win. There’s also the constant battle that
exists between the Vampires and the Hunters.
Here’s
an excerpt from a scene where the vampires make a statement at a local club:
I spun. The lights flashed. The music pounded. People danced. Movement pulsed all around me.
A girl brushed against me, swaying to the beat, her body pressing against mine. Her curly blonde hair thrashed about as the tempo of the music sped. An image of Caroline flickered through my mind, but I caught the girl’s eyes; they were green, not brown – green like Sarah’s. This is wrong. She danced, and knocked her head back, exposing her neck. I smelled the blood, watched the pulsing vein in her neck, and it was all over. The lights, and the sounds, the smell, my gums tingled and in a rush my lips were at her throat, teeth embedded in flesh, hands holding her small frame tight against me. This feels right.
Her screams drowned in sound waves. I grabbed her hands as if we were dancing, and her distress went ignored by the partygoers surrounding us. Flashing lights veiled her death, and she slipped away.
After I’d drained her, after we’d all fed, there were some who started to take notice of our activities. People shook the lifeless corpses of their friends, and it became apparent they hadn’t passed out. It didn’t matter. They’d never know that vampires had stolen their lives. We sneaked out into the night and left the rest of the party to devolve into madness.
As we stepped out the back door of the club, I saw a red symbol spray painted on the wall. A round eye, with a circle on either side, and a triangle behind it lay atop a thick x. It hadn’t been there when we arrived. My sight remained focused on the design as we walked away, but I didn’t ask about it.
I spun. The lights flashed. The music pounded. People danced. Movement pulsed all around me.
A girl brushed against me, swaying to the beat, her body pressing against mine. Her curly blonde hair thrashed about as the tempo of the music sped. An image of Caroline flickered through my mind, but I caught the girl’s eyes; they were green, not brown – green like Sarah’s. This is wrong. She danced, and knocked her head back, exposing her neck. I smelled the blood, watched the pulsing vein in her neck, and it was all over. The lights, and the sounds, the smell, my gums tingled and in a rush my lips were at her throat, teeth embedded in flesh, hands holding her small frame tight against me. This feels right.
Her screams drowned in sound waves. I grabbed her hands as if we were dancing, and her distress went ignored by the partygoers surrounding us. Flashing lights veiled her death, and she slipped away.
After I’d drained her, after we’d all fed, there were some who started to take notice of our activities. People shook the lifeless corpses of their friends, and it became apparent they hadn’t passed out. It didn’t matter. They’d never know that vampires had stolen their lives. We sneaked out into the night and left the rest of the party to devolve into madness.
As we stepped out the back door of the club, I saw a red symbol spray painted on the wall. A round eye, with a circle on either side, and a triangle behind it lay atop a thick x. It hadn’t been there when we arrived. My sight remained focused on the design as we walked away, but I didn’t ask about it.
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About the Author:
Lauryn April has always been fascinated by the
paranormal, picking up a healthy Stephen King habit by the age of thirteen. Her
favorite TV show growing up was "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", and she's
always preferred bands like The Rolling Stones, and The Doors over whatever
they're playing on the radio.
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