Pilatus the Damned
by
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The myth of Dracula. It is inspired by Pilatus the Damned, the first vampire created by the Light Bearer, a mysterious ethereal being who seems to tantalize and tease Pilatus as he seeks to understand himself and the reason for his being. "The Light Bearer who creates darkness. You are a paradox, a puzzle of such immense proportions I cannot help but laugh." Pialtus tells him in one of their confrontations.
Pialtus makes mates for himself to try to help him discover himself. All are killed by the Roman soldiers or the soldiers of the Papal States. He declares war on the Roman Empire and its Church, both of whom relentlessly hunt him for two thousand years. In that time Pilatus faces madness, wanders alone and in despair, seeking to end his life but cannot as the same recurring nightmare haunts him over and over. He finally discovers Phaedra, his soul mate, and can she save him, can she show him who he was? He will not allow himself to believe in love, and yet he knows, he is not a beast.
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About the Book
He wakes in a cemetery in front of a white marble gravestone that marks his resting place for the past three centuries. Although the letters are faded, he adopts the name Pilatus from the weathered stone façade. He realizes he is dead-alive and embraces the newfound power his undead existence allows. The consumption of blood increases his strength, and so, he is the first of his kind: vampire.
He soon begins to question: Who was I before I awakened to become this creature? Who made me and why? So begins a two thousand year journey in Pilatus’s search for truth, fueled by horrific recurring nightmares. He travels far and wide in search of answers, making the acquaintance of both Bram Stoker and Charles Dickens. He even makes an enemy of the Roman Catholic Church, who pursues him relentlessly.
Pilatus eventually meets Phaedra, who becomes the partner he seeks. Although he feels love is out of the question, he allows her to guide him through his search for identity from Constantinople to Europe and all the way to New York City. The question remains: why did Pilatus awaken from his centuries-long sleep? And who is the deviant mind that would create an immortal monster who feeds on blood to survive?
About the Author
R.D. Amundson was born and raised in the Flathead country of Montana. He spent thirty-two years in Oregon, working various jobs as a logger, truck driver, and draftsman. He now lives in Missoula, Montana. He is the author of Twice Upon A Time, Under the Slaughterhouse, and The Rider.