The air surrounding him was cold and bitter, sending comforting sensations throughout his entire body as he morphed into the black forest. Moving at incredible speed he was farther from his home than he realized; branches pricked at his arms and legs and his feet seemed to glide him over the mass of fallen pine needles with great ease. In the blink of an eye he was somewhere entirely unfamiliar. As he stopped the earth seemed to stop with him, lurching into its regular lukewarm pace once again. He let out a breath and the air chilled it to a smokey exhale, the sounds of the residing wildlife rushing through his ears in an instant. Closing his eyes, he chose a sound of rustling leaves and pumping blood in the distance and focused on it. Within seconds his mouth clamped down on fur dampened with blood that escaped his mouth as he fed hungrily, though the thought of never truly being satisfied cringed at his stomach as the carcass was tossed to the ground. On he went, mercilessly and feverishly until he felt his capacity was met and his hunger somewhat subsided into momentary dullness.
With nothing more to accomplish in the solemn confine of the woods, he turned to make his way back to familiar territory, lazily noticing the smells of the trees and the stars in the sky. He indulged in the momentary peacefulness of the silence of the outdoors. A silence that was becoming all too uneasy as it sat heavily in his ears. The peculiarity of the situation created a sense of restlessness within him as he continued onward, cautiously scanning the area for any sense of imminent danger. Just as he rushed through a line of trees, it collided into him.
The thick stench of aged blood pounded against his skull, stopping him dead in his tracks. His skin ignited into a fiery excitement as his feet moved willingly toward the source. Decidedly, he assumed he would merely discover the smell. Perhaps it was an animal; a long dead deer left to die after another animal attacked it. He mulled over the ideas of what may lie beyond the line of trees as he neared. But as he drew closer his many options faded into one surprisingly curious blur. Peering into the trees he could finally put an image to what he tasted in the air, and the abruptness of it all distressed him even at his distance.
A wooden cross was erected in the middle of a tiny clearing in the trees, reaching almost 9 feet into the air. As he studied it further, he could not help himself from lurching towards it in alarm. Every sense in his body intensified as he gazed at hers in veracious hunger fuzed with uneasiness. Her body was tied with thick rope around the cross, the translucent white gown tattered and dirty with days of natural filth. Her scent became irresistible in an instant, the stale fear and blood compelling him to move closer.
Scanning her body he saw that her limbs were not only tied, but staked into the wood through her legs and wrists. Streams of stale blood decorated her like lifeless ribbons and soaked into the towering planks of lumber. He could not bear to look at her face. All he longed for was to tear her body off the cross and drain every last bit of life from her. The thought of it throbbed at his brain as he scanned the area nervously, letting his gaze fall hungrily to the pile of red leaves amongst the brown and tan. Unconsciously, he bent down to reach for the glittering leaves, streaking his fingers with red and bringing them to his lips. His fangs protruded willingly from his gums as he slowly lost the battle against his own humanity. The moment his tongue met the blood on his fingers something inside of him ignited and burned furiously throughout his body. Every nerve was set ablaze and it took everything left in his power to tear himself away from the scene entirely before indulging in what he refused to succumb to.
Note from author:
Set in the time period following Damon and Stefan Salvatore's transformation after Alexia (Lexie) has begun to help Stephan cope with his hunger and humanity.
Ratings and Reviews are welcome,
Celic
