Man of Her Dreams

Music filled the main ballroom. Beth heard it from the gardens and its beauty filled her with excitement of seeing him there tonight. She had gone to all the trouble of getting her hair and make-up done professionally. As she passed people on the curved grey staircase leading up to the large building, admiring gazes followed her. But none of them mattered. Kris Bowler was there. He stood restlessly by the buffet near the windows but he wasn’t eating anything. His face showed that he wasn’t happy about something. Beth started to walk up to him when another girl did. She asked him a question and he shook his head angrily and stormed outside. Beth followed him at a distance and found him sitting next to the Roman Baths around the back of the ballroom. He had sat down on one of the many marble settees surrounding the Baths. The columns stood with the flowering jasmine climbing around them like perfumed snakes in the dark. Kris’ dark form was sitting about midway down when she arrived. His long hair had been pulled back and plaited with a black ribbon holding it together at the ends. Wisps around his face had escaped and played around his eyes in the evening breeze. Beth thought he looked very hot in that tunic and hosiery along with a cloak he would’ve mixed in very well in the seventeen century.
“Hello.” She said in a timid voice that sounded louder here because there was no background noise.
Kris’ head jerked up as he stood quickly: “Hell, Beth, I didn’t hear you coming.”
“I followed you. You seemed angry. Are you okay?”
“Why?” a frown creased his forehead, “You pity me because I’ve been dumped for some dippy little surfie?”
Beth sat on the settee next to his, “I never pity you. You’re really lovely.”
“I’m sure your date is waiting for you.”
She looked at her hands: “I have never been asked to any of these dances. I came to this one because I have the wardrobe.”
He studied her for a moment before he sat down and his anger melted, “Why not?”
“There’s something wrong with me I suppose.”
He touched her shoulder, “There is nothing wrong you. People just don’t notice you because you’re a quiet achiever.”
“Or they just don’t see me and walk straight into me.”
He smiled: “Yeah, I’ve seen that happen. What’s with that?”
“They need glasses?”
He stood as the music started up. It could be heard on the breeze, “Would you care to dance?”
Smiling she took his hand and stood. He held her close and she could smell his aftershave. The wisps of hair floated around her face as they slowly danced. His right arm around her waist, hold her gently against him, her left hand near the back of his neck. The music from the ballroom played on. The moon set the scene in all the shades of blue and dark shadows framing the Roman baths. But in the distance was a sound and it was becoming louder. It sounded like a radio station.

“And welcome to the beginning of another beautiful day. This is Tom Willings sayin’ Good Mornin’!” The sound of The Red Hot Chili Peppers ‘Under the Bridge’ took over from the voice.
Beth rolled over and slammed her hand down on the reset button on the alarm and murmured as she stretched: “Shit! Just when I was starting to enjoy myself.” She pushed back the covers of her bed and sat up. Looking outside, she sighed and flattened out the mass of unruly red hair. It was raining again; not good studying weather. Pushing herself out of bed, she readied herself for class; which Kris Bowler also attended: psychology.

The classes passed slowly. And the rain was heavy all day. She was trying to study; but the dullness of the day made her tired. She hated the library and so tried to eat and study in the canteen. A cappuccino was cooling next to her half-eaten lunch when a flyer was dropped on her table. She took off her reading glasses and picked it up. The beige piece of A4 advertised a classical ball in the main hall of the university. It was a must that everyone showed up in ball gowns and the men in either tuxedos and tails or tunics and hosiery with cloaks. She smiled at the thought of Kris in either a penguin suit or dressed up like he was from the 1700’s and remembered her dream. He’d look pretty hot in anything… or nothing. Beth looked across the maze of tables to where he was sifting through his notes; well trying to. His girlfriend Liza was sitting next to him eating his lunch and talking the whole time.
“How sickening.” The redhead mumbled. As she folded the flyer, he glanced in her direction and threw her a half-grin. She smiled back and packed up her stuff, finished her coffee and left. He had begun to pack up his notes too as she walked past.

“He must be sick of her by now.” Sidney commented sitting on the wide sill of their dorm room. The book she had been reading hadn’t been read for the last ten minutes and was squished up against her stomach as she pulled her knees to her chin. Her long dancer’s legs were shown off well in the pair of blue jeans and she had the typical Australian blonde hair and blue eyes to match her tan complexion; a complete opposite to Beth.
Beth joined her at the window and laughed: “My god, she’s still talking; that poor guy.” They saw Kris sitting in the mottled shade of a line of willows near the middle of the court outside their dorm. He was using his bag as a ‘desk’ to study. As before, he was trying to concentrate with a little brunette blabbermouth sitting next him and failing. He looked up at their window and held Beth’s gaze long enough for Liza to notice. She punched him playfully in the arm and he laughed, kissing her.
Beth felt her cheeks burning as she quickly looked away from the window, “He’s never looked at me for that long.”
Sidney climbed down from the sill grinning: “He likes you.” She tossed her unread and unbookmarked book onto her bed as she sang teasingly, “Kris Bowler likes you.”
Bethany snapped: “You saw who he kissed.”
The blonde hesitated, “Well, yeah, but you turned away too soon. He looked back up here when Liza took off.”
She spun: “You’re lying.”
Sidney frowned: “No, why would I do that? I would never lie to you over something to do with Kris Bowler.” She approached the redhead, “I reckon he likes you.”
“Well, I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”
“No, I know so.”

The fortnight flowed slowly. Tests and assignments plagued Bethany’s schedule; so she forgot about what happened. She and Kris were paired up to work on an assignment; and so studied together in the library most days until the assignment was finished.
Two days before the ball, she drove home and found her twenty-first dress and tried it on. It totally surprised her when it fitted.
“Well, if I get my make-up and hair done… I may as well go.” She muttered inspecting it in as she stood in front of the mirror. So, she packed the dress into its bag and took it back to the university with her shoes and stockings.
“We’ll go to Mum’s house and get our hair done and I’ll do your make-up.” Sidney smiled, “Seeing Mum doesn’t live too far from here, it’ll be cool.”

The Saturday arrived and the two of them went to Sidney’s mother’s house and had their hair and make-up done once they were dressed. Mrs Harris took a before and after shot and the pair looked like two totally different people in both shots. They were spun out. But they had to get going and so were off to the ballroom.
As they arrived, the sun was setting on the campus. The whole place looked like it had stepped back into the days of old with all the girls dressed in ball gowns of all kinds and colours. Nearly everyone wore the wigs and many had heavy make-up and the masquerade masks held up to their faces to really go with the theme.
The curved grey staircase was lit; as on that particular Saturday night turned the clock back. The two approached the staircase and Sidney disappeared into the crowd to find her friends and her boyfriend. Leaving Beth walked up the stairs on her own. The torches lit the way and set the atmosphere as people who didn’t normally talk to Bethany complimented her on her gown asking where she got it from; amazed that it was her own. She walked inside and saw a huge buffet.
But then, suddenly this seemed all very familiar; too familiar. All that needed to happen was Kris to have his heart broken and she witnesses it. Bethany walked to the table and looked at the food there. People had already begun to eat and she noticed a figure standing not too far from her. As she looked up, she realised it was Kris. He was standing there in a tunic and hosiery with a mid-length cloak and leather shoes on. His hair had been pulled back into a ponytail and tied with something. Beth could barely keep her eyes off him; but it wasn’t the same case for him. Kris hardly acknowledged her; he seemed to stare through her as Liza approached him with another guy on her arm.
“Stay away from me!” He turned and strode out of the hall with his cloak flapping after him. She watched him walk quickly out onto the balcony and down the other set of the curved staircase. Bethany walked after him at a distance. This was beginning to get too weird. To dream of this night two weeks previous; and now what happened to him was getting too strange for her. She had to talk to him; make sure he was going to be okay. Sure, she didn’t like Liza all that much, but they had been together since high school and she had known Kris since he was young. So, she wanted to make sure he didn’t do anything drastic. Picking up her skirts, she followed him down the stairs and out into the darkness. She rounded the corner of the building and followed the flagstone pathway to the replica Roman Baths. Her leather shoes fortunately didn’t make much noise on the flagstones, so she could sneak up on him in the darkness.
The Baths were cloaked in shadow and the light of the full moon. A Weeping Willow grew at the far end of the setting with a gazebo next to it. Marble benches surrounded the black water as the sentinel columns closed in the Baths. It was what gardeners called a ‘room’. Normally, she liked it; but tonight it looked really creepy and she didn’t really want to be here.
About halfway down, she saw him sitting on a marble bench with his elbows resting on his knees, head down, his hands were clasped together.
“Kris?” she asked timidly.
His head jerked up in fright: “Oh, hell, Bethany, you scare the crap outa me.” He frowned as he wiped his face with a handkerchief, “What are you doing here?”
“I saw what happened. I wanted to make sure you didn’t hurt yourself; seeing how things were with… you know.” She didn’t want to mention Liza’s name and start him yelling.
“Yeah, well, don’t get too close I might make you hate me too.” He looked down and kicked an imaginary rock.
She smiled: “How could you do that?”
“I saw you tonight… you’re beautiful. But I’m sure your date’s waiting for you.” He mumbled and stood, “I’ll take off home.”
“What date? I didn’t know I had to bring one.”
He turned around, “This was a couples dance. You didn’t see that on the flyer?”
“What I saw was a turn of the century … oh no.” she blushed and was thankful for the darkness. Beth sat down and felt like she had been duped.
“Have you got the invite?”
“Yeah.” She pulled it from her pocketbook and unfolded it, “There you are.”
Kris walked to the nearest working lamp and read it: “I see what’s happened. You got a fixed one. Somebody played a joke on you.” He looked at her, “They gave you an invite so you’d show and be the only one here without a date.”
“Who would do that?”
He refolded the invite and gave it back, “Well, Liza hates your guts and does nothing but talk about how stupid and alone you are. I keep on defending you; reason being… well, I like you.”
“You pity me because I’m never asked to one of these things and finally when I do show up, I out-dress them all.” She turned to leave when he reached out and touched her arm, “Kris, I’m leaving because it’s not a funny joke and I’m humiliated.”
“I was embarrassed tonight too.” He smiled, “By the very person who wanted both of us out of her life.” The music started in the ballroom. Both of them looked toward the building and listened for a moment as its sound drifted on the breeze.
He smiled, “Would you care to dance?”
“I would love to.” She grinned.
Just like in her dream, they danced by the Roman Bath in the moonlight. The scene was no longer creepy; instead it was romantic and the music was perfect as they could just heard it on the breeze. She smiled as they danced: “You want to know something?”
“What?” his voice sounded soft in her ear.
“I dreamt of this very night two weeks ago. Everything that happened in that dream has happened here. Well, except the duped invite. And there was just one main flaw.”
He chuckled: “Let me guess. Just when you were getting into enjoying yourself with me, the damn alarm went off.”
“You betcha.”
Kris looked at her: “I’ll let you in on something.”
Her gut cooled. Bethany couldn’t put up with this being another stupid joke. Not tonight; not ever. She’d become a bloody recluse if he was going to pull a gag on her now! “What?”
“Your alarm isn’t going to go off. This night is actually happening and I’m about to kiss you because I want to.” He whispered in her ear, “Is that okay?”
“That’d be fabulous.” She answered.

The Curse

He wished and ached for her so badly; knowing they’d never last if she found out who and what he was. Besides, their age gap was something she’d probably freak out about. He had been sired in the sixties – the eighteen-sixties that is. James had an absolute weakness for redheads; and this one didn’t have to dye her hair. She was born with fiery lochs that spilt down her back, caressed her shoulders and framed the most perfect heart-shaped face. He could tell she was a natural-born redhead. Her fair skin, ever-changing eye colour and how she never wished to get a tan gave it away. James was always mesmerised by the way her hair moved when she walked. There were no regrowth of another colour to contend with and no trips to the hairdressers – well unless she needed a trim to neaten up the mane she had.He hadn’t taken too many risks in his life and had married once; to a redhead of course. Through time, he had not come across another like his first wife. He hadn’t loved another like her either; not until he saw Amy. However, with a name like that, one would think she was popular.
Not this college student. Amy was the typical wallflower who rushed between her classes, did her work, turned in each essay on time and never attended a party. Not that she wasn’t interested; she just didn’t have the confidence to go alone.
James watched her though. He was always there during the nights Amy studied for her exams, talked on the phone while sitting on the sill of her dorm window. He’d climb up the oak outside and watch from the shadows of the branches loving the way she brushed her hair, the way she fiddled with the corner of a page while reading; and the way she slept. For that, he’d get a lot closer and sit on the sill for most of the night. He found out a lot about her; finding out where she went at night. Sometimes, she’d see him by accident; and at around six foot and having dark features, he didn’t really blend into the background all that easily. He’d follow her to her parent’s house, then make sure she arrived back to her dorm safely later that night. Yes, James loved Amy; but she really didn’t know he existed. She had seen him once or twice. He’d disappear so quickly into the shadows Amy wasn’t sure who – if anyone – was there. So she didn’t tell anybody about the strange shadows in the oak outside her window and the feeling of being watched as she slept. Besides, if there was somebody, he’d show up eventually; that was her theory and she was sticking to it.
One night, he climbed into her room when he thought he was being watched from outside; besides he had to return a book he had borrowed. Once his feet touched the floor gently, he looked around the dim room. He found her laptop closed on the desk, inspected her huge collection of books that crowded a tall pine bookcase on the other side of the room after putting the book back where he had found it, then he ran his fingertips over her possessions of a cordless phone, i-pod, the book she was into now, her favourite bag and the long leather jacket she kept for the cold wet days of winter. He loved that one on her. A murmur from the bed caused him to turn quickly and see her roll on her side. Her eyes were open. He didn’t know whether to stay or run; and he opted for the latter but her voice stopped him at the window.
“What are you doing here?” she asked softly.
He turned and looked at her unsure if what he was going to say would be believed: “Watching you sleep.” He couldn’t pull himself away from the foot of her bed or her green eyes, “You’re not freaked out I’m here?”
Sitting up, Amy shook her head, “I’ve seen you around. I wasn’t sure you were real or not, so I didn’t tell anyone about you.”
In the darkness, he felt the changes he normally would feel around mortals start in his gut. He willed them to stop. “You’re so beautiful Amy.”
“You know my name?” she took a deep breath and glanced at the door wondering if she’d make it there before he grabbed her; and doubted it. She knew what he was and knew he had inhuman speed and strength; but not his name. “If you know my name, what’s yours?”
“James.” He sat on the end of the bed slowly, “I know everything about you; and some things people around here don’t.” she turned and switched on her reading lamp. When she turned back, he had moved up the bed a little and yet she hadn’t heard him. James could see her exposed neck and wanted so badly the youthful blood that coursed through those veins; but only wished to make her a wife.
“Why do you look at me that way?” her voice shook and he could see a light sweat start on her skin.
“Because I like you, Amy.” He said as he reached out to gently touch her cheek, her messy curls but she moved back against the bedhead quickly. “You’re a believer too.”
“In what?” she asked as frown marked her pale forehead, her eyes locking with his.
“What I am.”
“And that would be?” she felt a little uneasy, wondering where this was going to end up.
“A lover.” He could feel her move a little as he kept control of himself and the whole situation. He couldn’t change too soon, she’d freak out and he’d end up killing her and he didn’t want that. “I’m a special kind of lover.”
“What kind?”
“Vampire.”
“Myth.” There was something about James that made him irresistible. He had an animal magnetism about him that made her want to rip his clothes off and…
“Let me love you in my special way and you’ll see everything my way, Amy.” James took her hand and kissed the palm gently as he watched her reaction. She was under his spell, and she was beginning to relax, “I could never hurt you, why would I? You’re just too special to me.” He reached out and touched her cheek and observed as her head turned with his caress. James moved forward as she reached out and touched his pale face. He nearly attacked her, but stopped himself before animal instinct took over. He could almost taste her youthful blood as her hair brushed his cheek, his neck. He felt the changes of the demon and knew if he didn’t strike now, he’d lose his nerve. Her arms held him close as his teeth sunk into the tender flesh of her neck; and he felt her reaction. Blood spurted warmly into his mouth and he closed his eyes as he began to suckle like a baby. He hadn’t come across such a rare blood type before. He had heard these ones tasted so much better; and the rumours were right. Her fists beat hard upon his back as he drank her wine. He knew Amy would be a fighter, but didn’t realise how strong she’d be; he was going to have bruises on him tomorrow. James heard her heartbeat slow and Amy weakened, but didn’t pass out.
He sat back and the redhead regarded him groggily. He sliced his arm with one of his nails and held her mouth to it. She was a reluctant drinker as they all are at first; then she lapped at it hungrily. He watched her drink as he stroked her hair: “Don’t drink all of it, leave some for me, my love.”
She soon laid down and pulled the covers up as he closed the curtains against the false dawn outside. He found some clothes pegs and secured them at the join where sunlight could get in when the breeze blew. After locking the door, he joined her on the bed where she snuggled with him. He pulled the covers over himself as well and looked at her, “How are you, lover?”
“Better now you’re here.” She smiled.

The Connection

Davin sat at the back of the class waiting for her to come in. Elle was the woman of his dreams and he wanted her badly; but being dreadfully shy was one of the things he wished he could change about himself. Even though he was goth, he still wanted to get to know her. She was… bubbly, light. A complete opposite to him not to mention: a mortal.
She walked in without so much as a word to anyone and climbed the stairs toward him and sat down a row in front of him after smiling in his direction. He just signalled to her with a half-smile and looked at his folder with great interest. Why couldn’t he say anything to her? She was this close! Who’d ever heard of a shy vampire when all the ones he knew were so outgoing and nowhere near being shy? Davin had to work on his attitude towards mortals; especially when it came to socialising with them. He always felt like he had a huge sign tattooed to his forehead that told humans that he was immortal and that he was going to drink all their blood. Maybe it was just him being paranoid.

The class finished and he watched as she gathered her things slowly and stood. He noticed how deliberate she was with her belongings; how things had to be just so. All the pens had to have the lids on. All notebooks were put back into her bag according to size. She even made sure she had her keys and mobile phone about four times.
She looked at him: “What? I’m a forgetful person.”
“Not that.” He muttered, “You’re pretty.” He blushed as he stood, “All that hair is so…”
“Thank you.” She nodded then turned and walked away shouldering her bag.
Davin looked down and found she had forgotten her keys. He grabbed them, “Hey, you… forgot your keys.” He looked at the plastic address attachment and saw it was empty. Her scent was still strong and so he followed that.
It took him across the campus to the girl’s dorm and he stood outside it fiddling with the keys. But he found her scent was still around and looked up. He found she was scaling the drainpipe of the building to her floor.
“She’s crazy.” He muttered, “What’s wrong with her?”
Suddenly, he heard a loud creak and went to cover his ears but when he looked at the other people around him, they hadn’t heard it.
“Oh, shit!” Elle’s voice shouted as the pipe quickly bent away from the building, taking her with it. Strangely enough she didn’t scream like most people did; she just had a terrified expression on her face, almost like a wince.
Davin pocketed the keys and ran up to the building. Dumping his bag behind the bushes that grew flush to the dorm, he pushed himself off the ground, scaled the building and pounced out to catch her as she fell. He landed a little rough but he was more concerned about her. He sat her up on the grass: “Are you okay?”
Her eyes were wide: “How did you do that?”
He shrugged: “I’ve got cousins who are acrobats who taught me one summer. Landing was never my strong suit.” He pulled her keys out of his pocket, “You left these at the lecture hall.”
She took them gently, “Thank you. You have to come in and have a drink at least.”
“It’s against the rules.”
“We are allowed to have visitors.” She smiled, “It’s not like we’re at home with Mum and Dad.”
“I guess so. Thank you.” He stood and dug his bag out from behind the bushes and shouldered it, “Now you’ve got your keys, so can you.”
“You talk more when you know someone.” Elle smiled.
“I was trying to chat you up at the end of the lecture.” He smiled, “But it seems you were intent on getting yourself killed tonight.”
“But you were there.” She shrugged slotting the key into the lock.
“Elle, that’s not the point. I almost decided to give these back tomorrow.” He said, “Had I done that, you’d be hurt and in hospital.”
“So?”
His shyness was coming back. Davin had to get over this problem. He was strong, but had never taken a human life: “I… would hate anything to … happen to you.” Damn it! Why couldn’t he just be like the rest of them? They’re so suave and with it and he’s like a young kid with a sports car! Dumb and inexperienced!
She opened the door and let him in, “Come in, you need a drink.”
Yes, he did. There were so many of them to pick from. He could smell a sick one too. There was a large group of them watching television and so it was hard to figure out who was sick. But he didn’t want to hurt anyone either, so he followed her up the stairs to her room.
As she closed the door, she walked to the windows and pulled the sash down, “So what would you like?”
“What have you got?” he asked.
“I have…” she opened her fridge, “Water, coke. Oh, jeez, that’s it. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” He looked around her bookshelves and smiled at the first editions she had of some of the books. He remembered when some of these hit the shelves. There was one which he had actually owned and he pulled it off the shelf; opening it to the front page where it was signed to him. But his name was different: Mr David S. Smith, I hope you enjoy reading this one! H.G. Wells. It was ‘War of the Worlds’. He smiled as he closed it and put it back on the shelf.
“Oh, you found that one.” She smiled, “My Uncle gave it to me. We are still trying to find out who David S. Smith is.”
He slotted it back into the thin gap the book had created when he pulled it out, “Never mind, it’s in the past.”
“Well, he existed, but then disappeared around the time this book was printed; where to? We don’t know.” She sat in a two-seater lounger, “Come and sit down, I won’t bite.”
‘No but I will.’ He thought, “I better go.” He turned toward the door.
“Davin.” Elle stood and walked to him, placing her hand on his. He could feel her pulse and tried to concentrate on her words: “I’ve been watching you. You’re a great student. Every single essay you’ve written is spot on. It’s like you’ve been there and lived through those times.”
“Elle.” He closed his eyes and wished he could kiss her, wished, for once, he wasn’t immortal, “I need to tell you something.”
“You’ve got a girlfriend?”
“No.” he opened his eyes. He wondered where this was going.
“You’re painfully shy for a reason.” She smiled, “Come and sit down. Let’s go through our notes.”
He held her hand a little tighter as she turned to grab her folder, “I don’t want to go through my notes with you.” How was he going to do this? He was getting nervous again, “You are beautiful.”
“You keep saying that.”
He pulled her arm around his waist and looked into her eyes: “You belong to me.”
“I..” she was beginning to be hypnotised by him; hopefully.
“You are mine?”
“Yes.” She smiled.
“Kiss me.” he felt her arms snake around his warm body as her mouth found his. He took up her hair, losing himself in its scent, its gorgeous heady colour and scent. Davin felt for the door at his back and locked it. Her body moved against him as they shuffled toward the bed, stripped off their clothes looked at each other for a moment before gently touching each other again, “You are a goddess.”
“I’m yours.” Elle whispered, “Take me.”
Those were the words he was waiting to hear from her. He entered her gently and they made love until the small hours of the morning when he laid there looking at her; hearing the false dawn approaching.
“Elle.” He woke her from her snooze.
“Mmm?” she opened her eyes, “Davin. What is it?”
“You said you were mine last night…”
“And I am.”
“I need to tell you something.” He said, “It’s very important that you know this.”
“What?”
“David S Smith.” He said, “That’s me. I vanished because somebody sired me.”
“Sired...” That word always gets repeated when he tells people what he is, “I know what that is.”
He nodded, “I’m a vampire.”
Her eyes widened: “A what?”
“A vamp…”
Elle put her hand up and he went quiet as she sat up to turn this around in her head, “And I let you in last night; into the dorm.”
“One of your friends is dying.” He said, “I can smell it.”
She looked at him, “Kymmy. She has cancer. But they reckon she’s going to be okay.”
He shook his head, “She’s not.”
“You can smell death?”
He looked at the sheets and began to fiddle with them, “I hate that part of my life.” He muttered, “I just didn’t know which one was sick. They were all sitting and watching television.”
“How do I get out of this?” she asked.
“This?”
“You tricked me.”
He shook his head as he sat up and took her hands. She tried to push him away, but he hung on, “No, I didn’t.”
“You’re a bastard.”
“You’re a goddess.”
Before she knew what she was doing, Elle kissed him. Then, she broke off the kiss, “What am I doing?”
“You’re mine forever.” He smiled, “You can be a wonderful writer and fantastic lover to me.”
“Why would I ever want to be around somebody like you for eternity?” she climbed out the bed and tried to make a run for the door. Davin was too fast, “What…?”
“Being immortal gives you plenty of traits that come in handy.” He said, “Now, be good and I can make this a painless experience.”
“Davin let me out.” She ordered.
“What, naked?” he looked at her.
She looked down and realised she was yet to get dressed, “Damn you.”
“Don’t worry, I’m going to hell already.” He grabbed her and held her tightly. With the adrenaline of her blood rushing through her veins this was sure to be fantastic. He had never sired somebody before and was looking forward to it. Davin shoved her onto the bed and pinned her down. She began to yell, but he covered her mouth with a kiss, then looked at her, “Will you relax, this will hurt for only a minute, then I have to give you some blood for you to survive.”
“If I don’t take it?”
“You’ll die.” He turned her head to one side, felt the change of the screaming demon within him. The sight of the blood coursing through her jugular was such a turn on. He could feel his indecision coming back when Davin slowed down and kissed her cheek softly. He could smell her fear as she glanced past him, “I hate it that I scare you.” He whispered into her neck as he nuzzled her. He wasn’t going to permit the demon to massacre her just yet; not when he had feelings for her, “I had no choice; just like you.”
“I’m scared of what you’re going to do to me.” She muttered, “Strange thing is: I’m not scared of dying. I didn’t think it’d be this way.”
He touched her face and she flinched a little, “Please, Elle, don’t be frightened. If we have a disagreement of any kind, you can go your own way. I won’t fight it.”
She nodded: “Okay. I don’t have that many friends anyway.”
“Don’t doubt that. Throughout your life, you’ll accumulate many friends. But a lot of them will not stay forever like me.” He whispered, his cheek against hers, “I just want to be with you, love you, enjoy you.”
“I know but can’t you do that without making me one of you?” she asked.
“No.” he looked at her, “I’ve been watching you for a long time and wanted you for as long.”
Elle wondered if he was for real and to prove it, his features changed again and she closed her eyes and turned her head away. But instead of biting, he made love to her again. It was as gentle and sweet as it was the night before. Davin watched her as, still changed from the mortal looks, her blood move around her body; her scent that was stronger than before and how she moved. Their lovemaking was more fulfilling as he gathered her up into his arms and let her sit in his lap and ride him. He leaned back and enjoyed her thoroughly as she looked at him. Then, as he saw she was getting close to climax, he knew it was time to sire her. Elle was losing herself in the moment. He held her close as her hair fell over her shoulders, cascaded down her back and over his long dark curls. Now was the time if not any. He moved her hair, saw the jugular and – as gently as he could – bit in.
Elle took in a deep breath and stiffened a little. He heard her thoughts as he drank her sweet, rare wine; heard her heartbeat begin to slow down. She balled her fists and punched him hard on the back; something he was expecting by the way she fought when he had shoved her onto the bed before. But this didn’t last for long as she weakened from the blood loss and her breaths began to slow; her head lolling back, eyes half-closed. The weight of her body became heavy and she almost lost consciousness and he laid her back against the pillows that were propped against the wall.
He sliced the artery in his elbow and a good stream of blood began to ooze from it, “Feed. You must.”
“So tired.” She mumbled.
“You won’t be after this.” He pushed her mouth onto the cut and soon heard her suckling the blood from his arm. It was painful, but he’d put up with it, “You will need to kill soon.”
Soon she pulled away and looked at him, touching his face, “Have you?”
“Siring you isn’t a kill, but I’d like to have a partner in crime to do it with.” He smiled, “I chose you.”
“My love.” She smiled, “I accept.”

Night Shift

Blake was new on the graveyard shift; from 11pm to 4am. Even though he wasn’t that much to look at, it was his hazel eyes that captured the attention of all the girls. The bad-boy look about him was something they seemed to love; long dark hair, pale features; and he appeared to dominate a room when he entered even though he was only around 5ft tall.

By the end of the first two months, this quiet young man had worked with every person from all the shifts; they had simply changed their lives around to work with him. All of them had tried to make a pass at him but he hadn’t shown any interest. However, there was one who didn’t act like a lost ditsy schoolgirl every time he was around her: Ellan. She arrived at work, punched in her timecard, did her time there and left. This stoic redhead never said much to anyone and a lot of the time, the girls treated her like an outsider. The few times they had worked together, he found she talked to him openly about anything he asked her without blushing, flirting or putting on airs. Blake liked this about Ellan and he could sense that she liked him; but couldn’t – or wouldn’t – show it. When they began a job together, he found that she knew the dirtiest jokes, had been around the world and had the funniest things to tell. As soon as one of the other girls came within earshot, she went quiet and would cast him a wary look before putting her head down again. It wasn’t long before the boss put the two together permanently on the graveyard shift; he found them a good team and knew they got along well enough that if anything came up they’d deal with it together.

One evening, they arrived in the lunchroom around the same time. Neither of them had clocked in yet. Blake leaned back against the sink as he watched her sitting at the table looking nervous.

“You’re quiet tonight.” He observed.

She looked at him: “I want to tell you something. But I don’t want to scare you.”

He sat next to her. His hair fell over his shoulders. Flicking it back, he looked straight at her and touched her hands: “I don’t scare easily.”

She looked into his beautiful eyes and felt so comfortable with him; as she always did and smiled: “But what if they find out? They already hate us working together.”

“Whisper it.”

She leaned in close to his left ear, smelling his scent that drove her crazy, “I’m a vampire; I’d like you to be with me.”

He smiled whispering back, “I’m one too; that sounds great.” He reached up and touched her cheek gently as he moved back and looked at her, “I would hate anything to happen to you.”

“And I you.” She stood, kissing his head as she touched his soft hair, then walked out of the room just before some of the girls walked in. Blake turned and watched her as she left the room. He loved how she was so confident in her own way in his company; yet so shy around the rest of them.

When their shift was over, Blake was found leaning against the railing at the bottom of the steps of the loading bay. He watched all the girls leave and knew that Ellan was on her way. But something about the way the girls all had smug expression on their faces told him to go back inside; it was fortunate that he did.

“Ellan!” he called out in the locker room, “Where are you?”

Her crying was heard from one of the cubicles in the Ladies toilets and he rushed in to find her in the last one beaten up, “Don’t look. Please… don’t.” she held her hands up.

Blake took off his jacket and gently wrapped it around her shoulders as she leaned on him sobbing, “Come on. I’ll take care of you.”

“Who’s in here?” the boss’ voice called out and he walked to where they were, “Oh, shit. Who did that?”

“I can’t point fingers.” Blake said as he helped Ellan to her feet and she limped into the brighter sink area, “But the rest of them left looking very smug.”

The boss nodded, “I bet. Listen, Blake you take her back to your place and clean her up. Take a night off and make sure all the wounds are healed properly.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

“I can’t go back to your place.” She whispered, “I can’t.”

“Sure you can. Where else… well, except yours.”

She swallowed, “I don’t want to be a burden.”

Blake looked at her, “You’re not. You’re beautiful.” He adjusted the jacket and wiped her face gently with a wet tissue so that Ellan looked a little better, “I’ll let you come back with me. Sleep there while I get stuff from your place for an overnight stay.”

“Okay.” She smiled, “I’d like that.”

They walked out towards the loading bay, finding it was getting light and time wasn’t on their side. Blake had to rush home. He had to make sure neither of them was burnt and also that she was safe before he went to her place to collect her things.

Once he pulled up to the drive, turned off the engine, Blake found Ellan snoozing. He had to shake her awake and assisted her inside. He called up the boss and asked for her address and got it easily.

Sitting on large bed of the master bedroom, Blake watched her sleep under the covers before she woke, “Hi there.” He smiled, “I’m going to get your stuff.”

“Aren’t you going to risk being burnt?”

“Well, you know we can put up with sun for a little while; so I’ll be back soon.”

She reached out and touched his face, “You be careful. If the place has been burnt down, come back straight away. Don’t talk to anyone.”

“You have my word.” He leaned down the kissed her forehead, “I’ll be back here as fast as I can and join you in there.”

As Ellan had told him may have happened, he found her house burnt to the ground. Blake pulled up to the curb staring at the gutted, smoking building and sighed. He pulled on his gloves and got out of the car to find the fire chief who told him it was arson and the police were still finding out who had done it. Blake wasn’t impressed. He had to find a way to tell the boss about it and told the police who were sifting through the rubble which workplace to start with first – excluding his name and Ellan’s as she was at his place right now. Then, he drove home and called his boss and told him what happened.

“What?” the boss asked, “I can’t believe they’d do it!”

“Well, I said to start with the workplace and filled them in with what’s been happening there.” Blake said yawning.

“Dude, you sound stuffed. Go to bed.” The boss said, “Come back in a few days.”

“Thanks boss.” He hung up the phone, had a shower and climbed into bed next to Ellan. Sleep took him quickly.

Her eyes opened and Ellan found Blake was laying next to her in a large bed in a strange room. Her body ached and she felt terribly hungry. He was awake and looking at her, she knew this, and turned and looked at him. Blake propped himself up on one elbow and gently touched her face. Her hands moved on his cool skin, around his body and the kiss they shared was soft and gentle and loving; making her almost forget what had occurred to her. Then, she caught a mingling scent. Smoke.

“My house.” She said, “You went by there.”

He looked at the foot of the bed for a moment, “Somebody burnt down your house, Ellan. You’ve lost everything.”

“Oh, no.” tears came unabated as she crumbled. She leaned against him, “Not my house. All my ancestors’ things were in that house.”

He hated seeing her this way. Not only did the girls at work hate her; but they hated their relationship. What they’re going to hate more is that they are immortal, “Ellan, honey. You can stay here as long as you need to. I have old stuff here too that I’m terrified of losing; we can share it.”

She shook gently against him as he whispered to her, “I had so much there I was working on. I almost had it right.”

“You mean everything in the house? You life?”

“Yes.” She looked at him, “But you’ve stuck around.”

“Well, that’s a good thing.” He smiled kissing her again. This time they didn’t just stop at the kiss.

Over the next few weeks, Ellan became more comfortable with Blake and decided to find a place nearby. Once she found a house that was partially furnished, she promised to be in touch. However, she became less social inside and outside of work. He knew things were going from bad to worse.

One night, Blake arrived at work earlier than usual. He needed to talk to Ellan about how the girls were treating her. He wanted her to talk to the boss about their attitude toward the two of them as workmates and partners in their shiftwork together. This was starting to affect their relationship too; she was becoming more withdrawn.

The jokes that used to be harmless pranks were now turning into dangerous games designed to hurt and - at times – attempts to kill Ellan. These girls’ jealousy was getting too much. Soon, it was going to turn into mutiny and Ellan was going to be the one they were going to beat up; but then they all didn’t know her secret. He did. This concerned him because it was hard for a vampire to find an honest job and to mix in with mortals; to make a living without being spotted.

On this night, he noticed from the loading bay shadows Ellan filling up the bins for collection the next morning. There were only three or four bags to go. She took her time as they were heavy and she didn’t want to give away her strength. But she didn’t get time to get to the last few as the door opened and five girls came out and circled her. The redhead knew she was in trouble by the way these ones all took turns catcalling and smacking her around. She was finding it hard keeping track of where the next attack was going to come from. They took great pleasure in this game; but Ellan kept her temper and did very little to fight back; as to do so would mean to sire or kill. But Blake could see she was finding it hard to stop herself. Then this little five-on-one took a turn he didn’t expect. One of the girls grabbed Ellan roughly and threw her into an unseen corner. This was when they all jumped on her and beat, punched, scratched and pulled her hair. He couldn’t see her and so had to move to a better position to watch this catfight as it progressed. As he climbed the side stairs next to the massive air conditioning unit, he witnessed a proud moment. Ellan’s demon showed its face. From her crouching position, she leapt forward and emitted an inhuman growl and the girls all ran screaming from the loading bay. Quickly, she grabbed one by the boot and didn’t let go for a few moments. The girl bucked and screamed; terror etched on her face as she clawed at the concrete to get away. The girl saw Blake standing there doing nothing to help her… just smiling at how Ellan had her.

“Help me, Blake.” She pleaded, “Please. Please!”

He looked at Ellan calmly, “Darling, it’s wrong. You know that. Wait until the boss is here.”

She cast him a sour look before pulling on her leg one more time; thus pulling another scream from the already traumatised girl then letting go. They watched as she staggered to her feet and ran from the loading bay hysterical sobs choking from her throat. Blake loved that smell of fear that humans put off; it was such a turn-on.

As the door slammed, he grinned and walked to Ellan’s side: “You really know how to scare the shit outa people.”

“I wish they wouldn’t pick as they do.” She sobbed leaning against the wall, “Now I’ve done it; I’m going to lose the only good job I’ve had in years.”

“By the way you held onto that bitch, you haven’t fed tonight.”

She looked at him, “I don’t get time.”

He glanced at the door before pulling off his jacket and slicing his arm, “Here have a little.”

“Where do you get it? When it’s walking around all the time?”

Blake smiled, “I have friends at the blood bank, the morgue, butchers. There are parties I go to where humans actually pay to get bitten.” As Ellan drank, he felt the turn-on this exercise gave him one time when a vamp went too far on him, “Not too much dear, just a little bit.”

As she finished up, Ellen could see it brought back memories for him. She smiled as she reached up and touched his face, kissing him; her fingers tangled in his hair.

Suddenly the door swung open and the group of five came back out with the boss. Some hangers-on were there too; to see what was going on. They knew those ones had been invited. Blake helped Ellan to her feet as he grabbed his jacket and put it back on.

The one who Ellan had held onto walked to her and shoved her with a broken fingernail: “She’s a monster. She turned into a monster and growled at us.”

“Don’t touch me.” The redhead mumbled, “You touch me again, I’ll show you what I was going to do to you.”

Blake took her hand gently, “Settle down, Ellan. Do you want this job or not?”

The boss walked to them in his grubby blue overalls. His dark eyes flicked from Ellan to Blake then back; regarding them calmly. He smiled as he looked down and pulled from his pocket a remote control and pressed a green button on it. The roller doors began to descend. He kept his back to the humans and his eyes on the two in front of him.

“Boss, aren’t ya goin’ to do somethin’?” one of the five asked.

“What were you five doing out here?” he asked as he turned around, “Ellan is on clean-up; she has authority out here and you don’t. Her partner in crime on this job is Blake. I put them together because you lot treat her like she’s leper; and when I gave her him,” He shook his head, “you got worse.”

The initial five looked at each other and one of them stepped forward, “You don’t understand, she’s a monster. She turned into something else when we …”

“When you made her angry.” He smiled knowingly.

Some of the girls looked at the roller door as it clanged home and locked. The door to the loading bay was suddenly closed too and they heard the deadlock clunk home. It was then, they realised something else was going on. Blake knew they all thought they were going to get a lecture and lose their jobs.

The boss looked at how many were on the loading bay and smiled, “I hired two new people and you lot don’t like them because they’re different.” He half-turned to Blake, “Tell them how you and Ellan are different, Blake.”

He regarded the boss before he looked at the girls: “Ellan and I have been keeping secrets from you all. The fact we’re together isn’t it. We’re vampires.”

The girls all burst out laughing as though he had told a fantastic joke. The boss, Ellan and Blake all joined and the boss walked up and patted one of the girls on the shoulder as he wiped away an imaginary tear, “You think he’s joking don’t you?”

By the time she looked at him, she realised Blake had told the truth and tried to back away, “No!”

The boss grabbed her roughly, pushed her against the wall and fed on her without a second thought. As he dropped her corpse, he turned and grinned, “Dinner time!”

His Secret

At school, Sean was always asleep; well seemed to be sleeping. However he never got into trouble for being late for class. Lydia wondered about where he lived; only because he never seemed to leave the school grounds. He was unusual; she liked that about a person. While Mr Adley’s back was turned from the class, she cast a quick look at Sean as he sat slouched over his desk with his head in his arms, hair spilling all over and his books on the floor. She wondered why he was always tired.

The night haunted his every sleeping moment at school. Sean remembered it clearly; his last sunset that is. He never knew it’d be so painful to be so different when he was already a fly in the ointment at this place. All he was doing that night two years previous was going to a party. He walked because he knew his parents would never allow him to go; but he never got there. Instead, he found himself in the basement of the school, trapped by one of the cleaners who stayed here late. She had jumped him in the park and when he woke up on her makeshift bed downstairs, she had just finished feeding on him; he was almost dead. The very thought that filled him with fear was that right then she could have left him to die. But she didn’t. Instead, she sliced her arm and shoved it into his mouth… forcing him to drink. As he did, taking it all, killing her; even when she fought to pull back, he knew he was going to win. Since then, he had been tracking down criminals and taking them off the streets and making it safe for people; people he liked… like Lydia over there in the third row who keeps on looking over at him during class. He can smell it on her that she likes him; but she won’t say so.
The bell rang pulling him out of his snooze and he reached down and grabbed his books as he looked over at Lydia. She pulled her bag onto her shoulder. Her gorgeous mane of hair was curly today; he loved that kind of red that only Mother Nature hands out to certain people. But it’s not a burnt Irish colour; not Lydia’s. Her colouring was a beautiful red that people spend a lot of money to get and usually fail. She glanced at him and smiled before leaving the classroom. Yep, she liked him. He began to follow her out the door and down the hall toward the cafeteria. Instead of going there, he went to the Library; knowing she was working there today.
Sure enough, she showed up fifteen minutes later and signed herself in. She walked in behind the counter and put her bag in a locker, closed it and looked on the roster to see what she was doing that day. He watched her grab the trolley full of books and began to shelve them; so he walked into her line of sight in the next isle as she put the books away.
“Hello, Lydia.” He took a book down and pretended to read it as she put one back.
She looked through and saw him: “Hi Sean. How are you?” she moved onto the next shelf below.
“I know all about you.” He put his book back and smiled at her, “I knew you were watching me in class.
”She looked at him with an uneasy expression: “What do you mean?”
“I have a secret.” He whispered, “But can I trust you with it?”
She pulled the trolley long and started on the next lot of shelves: “You’re strange. I like that in a person.” She smiled, “But we all have secrets.”
He rounded the end of the shelves and blocked her way: “Not like mine.” He picked up a book from the trolley and put it away on the shelf without looking; as if he knew exactly where it was supposed to be, “You were watching me instead of the board when Mr Adley had his back turned today.”
“I … um…” she blushed.
“I noticed you.” He smiled, “You thought I was sleeping. In a way I was.”
“For such a strict teacher, he doesn’t jump on you for your habits of crashing in his class.” She put away a few more books, “I find that unusual.”
“Well, he and I have an agreement.” He let her pass, “I show up, he doesn’t bother me.”
It didn’t seem to make sense to her, but she nodded anyway, “I see.”
“You don’t.” he looked straight at her, “You don’t see at all.”
She smiled, “I see you.” She pushed part of his long fringe behind one of his ears, pleased to see green eyes looking back at her, “Your eyes are beautiful.”
“That’s one thing you’ve noticed.” He muttered, “Another is that I don’t leave the school.”
She fiddled with the next book’s spine; pulling a bit of plastic off it that had been picked at by somebody else first, “Yeah. So, you’ve never had a tardy slip.”
“Nope.” He smiled a little, “Strange for a Goth to get such good grades and still sleep through every class.”
“Yeah, it is.” She put the book on the shelf and started along again, but his hand on her elbow stopped her, “I have to get this done.”
“What are you doing tonight?” his whisper filled her ear with cool air, “I’d like to take you out.”
She looked at his face. It was a few centimetres from hers as his longer right fringe touched her forehead. His eyes held her attention: “Nothing much. Where are we going to be?”
“What movie haven’t you seen?”
“The ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ is being played at the local drive-in.” she smiled, “I could drive…”
“I don’t want that. Too many of the other kids will be there.” He said, “It’s playing at the cinemas too. Let’s go to Garden City.”
“Okay.”
“No car… bus.” He looked her up and down in her uniform, “I’ve seen you in your Goth outfits. Wear one. You look hot.” With that, he leaned in close as though to kiss her, instead he smelled her hair and walked away.
She watched him as he left the library and wondered how he knew she was a Goth outside the school, then remembered he hadn’t given her a time; just a place.

At the Springwood Bus Station, she sat down on one of the seats at sunset, wondering if he was going to show. She had dressed the way he asked her to and after she checked her watch for the umpteenth time, she looked over at the electronic timetable to see when the next bus to Garden City was and Sean was sitting there on the seat underneath it. He had been watching her; but she hadn’t seen him show up and wondered where he came from. He stood and walked over and sat next to her.
“You look amazing.” He smiled, “And I remember the last time you wore that outfit was while you were in town once… you creeped out a lot of people.”
“You saw me in town?” she asked.
“Yeah.” He nodded, “It was a Halloween night with your witchy friends.”
Lydia smiled remembering that night was two years previous and she had gone
rollerblading across the Storey Bridge, “I almost stacked it on the blades.”
Touching her hand with his fingertips, his dark lashes were a stark contrast against his pale skin, “You were amazing and beautiful.”
Lydia didn’t know what to make of him. She knew she liked him, but he was so mysterious and weird that she wondered if she had made the right choice about going on a date to see a movie like ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ with a Goth. Would it be fun or would he scare her?

Once inside the cinema, they sat near the middle where it was crowded with people in costume; so they both fitted in. The management said they wouldn’t put on the sprinklers as the water would ruin the seats. But people were encouraged to get up and dance and do the rest of the singing. The movie came on and the songs and dances were incredible. Lydia joined the crowd up on the stage and did ‘The Time Warp’ with Sean watching on grinning with pride and whooping at her open inhibition; he loved the way she was away from school. When she climbed over the seats to get back into her seat next to him, he assisted her so she wouldn’t fall and hurt herself.
Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he looked at her, “My God, you got great balance.”
“I skateboard.” She smiled.
He touched her face and held her gaze for a few more seconds as he leaned in and kissed her softly on the mouth. Lydia pulled back and pushed the arm of the chair up; letting him kiss her better, “You’re beautiful.” He mumbled into her ear as he nuzzled her neck; moving her curls, “Such a beauty, Venus.”
“Sean.” Her voice sounded distant as he inhale the scent of her blood through that thin layer of skin, “Sean.”
He looked at her, “Yeah?”
She looked around, “We’ve got an audience.”
As he cast his eyes around, the people around him were looking, perving, at him and her. They were waiting for what they were going to do next. Forget the movie; this was better – live – entertainment. Two Goths getting it on in the middle of a Gothic movie; what more could a square ask for? He didn’t want to scare her with his secret here; not with all these people around. Sitting up he signalled her closer to him and let her snuggle into him as she put her feet up on the chair, “Let them fantasise.”
She smiled at him: “This is a fun first date.”
“You’re not so much of square than I thought you were.” He kissed her temple, “You little rebel you.”
A tap on his left shoulder caused him to turn and he saw a few science geeks grinning at him: “What?”
“Aren’t you going to finish?” one asked.
He checked on Lydia and she was glued to the screen. Turning back, he let his demon’s face show; yellow eyes, the teeth and he let out a low growl. The three geeks all turned pale and as one jumped up and ran from the darkened theatre. By the time he had turned back to Lydia, his features had turned into the mortal that Lydia knew.

Too soon the movie was over and they exited the cinema. Sean and Lydia were holding hands and laughing at the antics of the audience during the movie. She had enjoyed herself. She turned on her mobile and there was a message from one of the geeks who had sat behind them on it. While she took the message, Sean went to the toilet. She looked around and found them at the snackbar.
“What?” she asked. The three split up as one talked to her the other two kept an eye out for Sean.
“Sean isn’t who you think he is.” Derrick said quickly, “Yeah, he’s Goth, but he’s no good.”
“Come on, bro.” she said, “We just watched a weird movie.”
Derrick’s forehead creased, “I wouldn’t do this if I wasn’t worried sis.” He checked around behind himself and motioned her closer; whispering: “He’s a vampire.”
She whispered: “That’s a myth. Go home. You’re being overprotective.”
“You’re my sister and I worry about you that’s all. I know what I saw.” Derrick looked behind her, “He’s coming, just be careful.”
“I know.” She hugged her brother and smiled, “Go home, the movie is over.”
Sean walked to her side as the three geeks left the cinema area, “Who was that?”
“Oh, my brother, Derrick. He’s a science geek and he was sitting behind us in there. I didn’t know he’d come along.” She shrugged, “Oh, well.”
“What did he say to you?”
“To be careful and that you were a vampire.” She laughed, “It’s such an unusual thing I didn’t know what to say.”
He nodded, “He’s right. You’re brother is right.”
“To be careful?”
“No…yes.” He looked at her, “But that’s what I am.”
Lydia shook her head: “No way. But that’s a myth… it’s… no way.” She took a few steps back and looked around for her brother.
“Oh, no, he’s left the building by now.” He followed her and quickly grabbed her arm, “Here I’ll take you home.”
Lydia got the look her brother called the ‘oh crap’ look; when things went pear-shaped on her. She wasn’t too sure how to handle this and wondered what would happen next; so she decided to go along with Sean for bit, to see if she’d have an opportunity to get away.

They got outside and walked to the bus terminal. Not many people were around. Derrick and his friends had caught the last bus and Sean made sure she wasn’t going anywhere soon. She wondered how she was going to get out of this horrible date.
“You can’t run.” He said.
“You’re too fast.”
“You can’t hurt me.”
“Inhuman strength.”
He touched her hair and she almost jumped out of her skin, “You were willing to be touched before you learnt about my secret. What’s so bad about it now?”
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“You would never have come.” He whispered into her ear, “You would have left me in the Library with that trolley of books.”
She looked at him and found that his eyes were no longer green but yellow. Her fear pumped the blood through her veins faster as she saw the change that the demon made him take on, “Don’t I have a choice?”
“I’m not going to kill you. I’m going to sire you.”
Lydia burst out laughing: “Oh, that makes it so much better because?”
He kissed her cheek, “You’ll live forever.”
“But be hunted because we kill.”
“I kill criminals.”
“Gee, that’s sounds great… but they are somebody’s kids.” She shook her head and looked at him again, “And I don’t think I could do that.”
He touched her cheek and felt her relax again. His hypnosis was working as he kissed her softly. Dammit she smelt so delicious; why wouldn’t she let him take her now? “You are Venus, the most breath-taking goddess of beauty.”
Her mind swam, “Sean, I… please don’t do this.”
He kissed her again and felt her hands slide up his arms to his shoulders; knowing he had her again. Sean moved her hair and kissed and nuzzled her neck; feeling her relax more as he moved her to lay down on the bench. Now was the time to take her; now, and he did. He bit in quickly and easily into her soft pale neck. The artery allowed the blood out through the cut he had made; but this was different. He wasn’t killing her; he was releasing her from this mortal life to be with him for eternity. He wanted this – and when she realised it – she wanted it too.
He remembered when to stop; and could hear her heart slowing to a good rate and sliced his arm. Quickly, he looked around as he propped her up into a sitting position. He pushed his arm into her mouth and she drank deeply from it. It was painful, but it was a good pain. He watched as her demeanour changed from hesitant to loving. His girlfriend was here… Lydia… his lover, partner in crime; and his queen.
She opened her eyes and looked at him. For a few moments, she looked around. The sound of everything was turned up. It took a few seconds to accustom herself to tune it out, “What did you do?”
He touched her arm, “Lydia, we are one.”
Standing up, she backed away, “You… you. You didn’t!”
He smiled: “Your soul wanted it.”
“You didn’t think of asking my mind?”
“Hey, lady, you okay?” a man walked up slowly. He looked like he would help her. As he entered the light, his eyes slid all over her; undressing her.
“I’m fine.” She said, “You?”
“This guy bothering you?”
Suddenly, Sean backed off; knowing it was time she made her first kill. He sat down and watched, “Not anymore.”
She glanced over at him in disgust. While her attention was distracted, the man quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, “You’re on your own then.” He muttered.
“Get off me.” She hissed.
“Oh, dress like a hooker then expect men piss off and leave ya alone! Nah, not this little black duck!” he slapped her hard and Lydia fell to the ground where the guy climbed onto her and held her down. She could feel his hard-on through his jeans as he tried to pull up her dress, grabbed roughly at her breasts and pushed a hand into her face to hold her head down, “You little slut… come ‘ere!” he pulled her legs open, tearing her skirt and her underwear off as she fought.
Once she heard her clothes tear, Lydia glanced over at Sean and saw that he just sat there watching, waiting for her to do something. She grabbed a hold of the guy’s balls and gripped hard making him scream. As he threw his head back in his first reaction of agony, she grabbed a handful of hair on his head and yanked it to one side where she saw the vein pumping the blood of a good kill. Without a second thought, Lydia attacked him. His painful screams turned to fear. He tried to get off her, but she held onto him tightly; tighter by the balls than before.
“Honey.” Sean’s voice was next to her, “Save some for me.”
She turned and threw the writhing man off her. He hung onto his crotch and rolled onto his side sobbing as Sean grabbed him from behind, pulled him to his feet and turned him around to face him, “You can have the rest.” She laid there on the ground for a while catching her breath and pulling down her skirt.Sean looked at the man as the wound Lydia made bled freely, “You just had to pick on her, didn’t you?”
“You weren’t about to do anything.” The man whispered, “Now, she bit me.”His green eyes regarded the mortal, “Wasn’t it fun?”The mortal gave Sean an incredulous look, “Are you crazy? No, I’m in pain.”
“Oh, sorry. Here let me put you out of your misery.” He grabbed the man’s jacket by the lapels and finished him off; dropping the corpse as the heartbeat stopped. He walked to Lydia and put his hand out to her, “You’ve done your first kill. Very good; didn’t think you’d do it so soon.”She sat up and looked at him: “Why didn’t you help me?”
“A first kill is something you do on your own.” He said, “I’ll take you home now.” He assisted her to her feet, “You skirt is torn. We have to do something about that.”
“His jeans.” She said, “We’re the same height.” She pointed out.
“Good point. But we don’t rob the dead.” He said, “Come on, you can fix that one, can’t you? I like that skirt. Makes you look sexy.” He put out his hand, “I’ll take you home.”
“Which one? Mine or yours?”
“Where do you wish to go?”
“Well, I’m not sure.”
He sat her down on the seat where he had sired her: “If you go home – your real home – you’ll have a hard time getting to school. But if you live at the school with me; we will be okay.”
“How do you survive the days?”
He blushed, “I have the teachers’ texts in the basement. They keep them down there for when we have tests. I study up on the answers and then I get assignments from the teachers given to me in class while I read my own textbook and read some books at the library.” He stood again, “Come on, I’ll show you.”
“I don’t know. What if I don’t want to do this?”
He laughed: “You’re doin’ this. There’s no going back to being what you were. You’re not human anymore.”
She sat there realising that her brother was probably the only one who could help her. But then, she could kill Sean if she really wanted to, “Could I get some stuff from my house? I just want to make the basement look a bit like it’s mine too.”
He nodded: “Sure, but be quick.”
They arrived at her house and Lydia packed some things in an overnight bag as fast as she could. Then, she visited her brother in his room where he was typing up something on his computer. The curtain was pulled and so were the blinds.
He barely got out: “Shit, Lyddie.” When she covered his mouth.
“Shut up.” She whispered, “I gotta go away for bit. Tell Mum and Dad I’m staying at one of the girl’s places, okay?”
He nodded with her hand over his mouth still, “You were right about Sean. But I’ll take care of him.”
He pulled hand off his mouth and stood, “You cut their heads off.”
“What if he’s not the master?”
“You’re in deeper shit than you think.”
“I love ya brother.” She kissed his head and walked out of his geeky room. This time, it didn’t bother her that he was a geek. This time, she was going to really miss him if Sean killed her. She had to come up with a plan to get this vamp; but it would take time. Time was certainly on her side now that she was immortal. First thing’s first: move in with the bastard and then plan on killing him.

If she’s stuck as a bloodsucker? Well, she’d cross that bridge when she came to it.