Summary: Predator. This is one of three Vamp-AU one-shots I wrote back in June for Livie79's birthday! The prompts, as well as other stories, can be found at livsbirthdaybonanza . tumblr . com.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, situations, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended. Please do not repost this story elsewhere.

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Prompt #3

The sun had yet to appear on the horizon when I arrived at work. I loved early mornings during summer. There was never a line at the coffee shop, the traffic was light, and best of all, the office was empty. It allowed me to get a headstart on my day without interruptions.

Not a single car was in the parking ramp, which wasn't unusual for this time of day. I passed up the spot closest to the elevator block in favor of one nearer the exit. A little extra walking never hurt anyone. Besides, it made escaping at the end of the day so much easier.

I felt someone's presence the moment I stepped out of my car. I scanned the garage, but there was no one in sight. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched.

As I neared the elevators, muted footfalls fell into stride behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, I spotted a lone figure following from about fifty feet away. It were as though he somehow materialized out of nowhere.

A chill ran down my spine, but I pushed away my fear. The stairwell was at the opposite end of the ramp. He probably came from a different floor and was lost or looking for the skyway.

His footsteps never sped up or faltered. When I looked back again, he was closer. It didn't seem humanly possible to gain that amount of distance during the brief time I'd had my back to him.

Unease set in. I didn't want to get in an elevator alone with him, but my options were limited. If he had ill intentions toward me, attempting to return to my car wouldn't help. I'd have to walk right past him. My only comfort was knowing the elevators had security cameras, and if he tried anything while we were alone, maybe the security officer would see.

I pressed the elevator button and turned to look behind me, jumping when I saw the man standing within arm's length. Confusion overwhelmed me, momentarily overriding the fear that had settled in my gut.

When the elevator chimed and the door opened, I wasted no time getting inside, praying that he wouldn't follow but knowing he would.

I selected my floor and moved to the opposite side of the car. The man made no move to choose a floor of his own. I looked at the security camera in the corner, silently willing someone to help me.

As the doors slid shut, I felt utterly alone. I knew I couldn't rely on anyone to come to my rescue. I reached in my bag as discreetly as possible, easily finding my can of pepper spray. I removed it and held it down by my side.

My father always taught me to make eye contact with a potential assailant, to strike up a conversation and act confident. Criminals didn't want to be identified, and they didn't want a victim who might fight back.

I wasn't going down without a fight.

Squaring my shoulders, I turned to face the man, expecting him to be looking at me.

But he wasn't.

He faced the doors, angled slightly away from me. The hood of his sweatshirt was pulled up, hiding his hair and most of his face. Only the tip of his nose was visible to me. I couldn't make out any identifying features. All I could tell was that he stood over six feet tall, was thin, and had white skin. Not just white—pale.

There was a tenseness to him that was palpable. From the stiff set of his shoulders to the fists clenched at his sides. It practically radiated from him in waves.

"Beautiful morning, isn't it?" When he didn't answer, made no acknowledgement of me, I continued. "These elevators are so slow. I'm already late to meet my coworker. He's probably already sent a search and rescue team." I laughed, but it sounded as forced as it felt. Once again, the man didn't pay me any attention.

The elevator stopped at my floor. I hesitated when the doors opened. I wanted the man to exit before me. Having him in front of me seemed like a better option.

Of course, he didn't budge.

I took off from the elevator at a fast pace. If his intent was to follow me, I expected him to do the same, but when I looked back, he was nowhere in sight.

It was like he never even existed.

Relief spread through me, and I exhaled a breath I didn't realize I was holding. My body shook with adrenaline, and a laugh bubbled in my throat. Before I could relieve my nervous energy, someone slammed into my side, forcing me against the wall.

At first I thought it was the same man, but this one was closer to my height and stockier. There was no hood hiding his face.

It only took a split second for me to gather my wits and fight back. Before I could so much as prepare a scream, the second man was flying away from me. There was a sickening crack of bones, and then he fell to the ground in a lifeless heap.

I gasped when I noticed my original stalker bent over him. His head snapped up in my direction, causing his hood to fall back. Scarlet red eyes stared into mine.

Terror gripped me. I stumbled sideways, tripping over my own two feet and landing on my rear end. I tried to scream, but my throat was too dry. I looked around frantically. There had to be someone here. Someone who could help me.

When I looked back toward the men, they were both gone. Vanished into thin air. I was completely alone.

Tears streamed down my face as I sat on the ground, still clutching the can of pepper spray to my chest.

The End