The sun began to set gifting the land with its brilliant radiance one last time before the fading into darkness. The faint glow of the retreating sun illuminated the hanging clouds with a perfect orange hue. The wind rippled through the leaves of the trees sending a slight chill down the young man's back.
He ran a hand through his course hair sending sweat droplets spraying behind him as he ran. His white tank top soaked through with damp perspiration, clung tightly to his back. He could feel the soft grass penetrating through the holes in his shoes as he pounded his way across the field. He bore a grimace as thoughts flashed through his mind.
Through the trees, he could hear the hum of engines as cars stopped at the light down the way. The quiet chirping of the evening crickets serenaded his trek. The grass parted a little in front of him, a small mouse raced from its hole beginning its evening quest to quell its fasting. The young man shook his head, sweat dripping down his forehead.
Behind him, the sound of thundering drew his attention momentarily. Turning to investigate the disturbance, he stepped on a protruding stone, his momentum carrying him into the ground. Falling heavily, the rising ground met him with a start. Lightning raced through his body as the pain circulated through his person. He felt another surge of pain course through his back arced. He felt the sharp point not unlike that of a pinprick followed by darkness.
The sky was dark; a moonless sky hung overhead sending the world into an eerie darkness illuminated solely by the street lights down the road. The crickets silent, the young man slept.
0000
'Oh man…I'm late…they had me working longer than expected with the movers.' Kenta ran off the main sidewalk through a few trees and entered the park. Shiihaba Nature Park was a shortcut for him as he went from his job as a mover towards home. From there, he left for work over at Julian's Family Restaurant and today he was already running late.
Running a quick hand through his hair, he realized how hot it was as his hand become damp from the sweat in his hair. 'Get home, change clothes, get to work…fast.' It was a chant he was saying to himself. The grass was dry today and it was getting harder to see with the sun setting. Normally, he would have been off from his other job and had a good ten minutes before he had to get to his other job, but not today. The grass jabbed at his feet through his shoes. He grimaced, 'Damn…these shoes are already wore out? How am I going to afford new ones, I was lucky to find these tossed out by someone last month.'
A few cars screeched to a halt down the way. He wondered if someday he would ever find a car for himself for cheap. 'Nah…then you have to buy gas…maybe I'll find a bike someone is throwing out sometime.'
Ahead of him, a mouse jumped from some hole hidden in the depths of the grass. 'I bet that mouse is looking for food…I wouldn't mind a bite myself, not that I have the money or the time to afford it.'
Young Kenta ran, not just for his job, not just for himself, but for the money this brought in for him and his mother. 'Maybe she got a job today', he pondered to himself. He smiled at the thought of that, it had been some time since his mother had a job and she seemed to be getting more depressed as a result.
He heard a twig snap behind him and branches rustling. 'Huh? What's that? Is someone else up here? Nobody ever goes up this way.' He turned his head to peer into the depths behind him.
'Ow, what the?' he yelled in his head as he kicked a rock in his path tripping him. Without the time to even think about anything, he slammed into the ground, leaves kicked up from the disturbance as well as his breath. Struggling to regain his breath, Kenta had a second to realize that, yes, someone was following him…and at a frightful speed. A moment later someone jumped on him; tears welled in his eyes. It was hard to make out in the dark, but peering up, he caught a quick glance of a girl's face before it descended upon him. He felt a sharp pain, then nothing.
'Damn…sorry boss…looks like I'm going to miss work today.'
00000
At times like these, she really felt as if she needed to say the words 'I told you so', but that wouldn't make things any better. Staring out her window as the evening sun faded from view, young Anju picked up her doll Boogie and headed for the door. Outside the window, a small bat hovered telling its tale to its master.
"Alright Boogie, time to go. Seriously, sometimes you think that I wouldn't have anything better to do." Stepping outside, she beckoned to the bat to direct her. Stepping through the darkness as smoothly as though it were daytime, the young vampire waltzed through the night.
00000
'I can't believe it! I go out for a nice evening stroll only for me to somehow get a blood rush out of nowhere!' Karin screamed at herself. She was running. Someone, anyone, this was no time to be picky.
She was window shopping the stores in the neighborhood thinking she should get herself a new shirt, something nice but practical just the same. That's when it hit her, she had a spontaneous headache and it felt like the world was spinning. Her canines grew inside her mouth stabbing at her lower lip, the pressure behind them felt like a dam at its breaking point
'Why is this happening now? I don't think I'm near anyone depressed, at least I can't sense depression from anyone around, and I just bit someone last week! I hate my body!'
She closed her eyes and ran, letting her legs and instinct carry her. The sun was just beginning to set and she had the urgency of a time bomb, she had to find someone fast. She ran down the various buildings peeking into back alleyways and hidden corners, there just wasn't anyone out today.
The pain was getting extreme. 'I can't let it out now, I have to find someone…I can't just walk around town looking like I rolled around in a crime scene or anything…I would just die!' Looking down the road, she saw a lone jogger running into Shiihaba Nature Park. She was a good six blocks away but she could clearly see he wore the attire of someone who ran frequently.
'At this time of day, the park should be mostly empty and the path they are going through is one of the least used paths. Victory!' Karin congratulated herself on her find. She took off for the park.
The sky was mostly dark and it was hard for her to see. The pain was practically unbearable for her as she tore through the park. She could smell the guy ahead of her despite being a good ways away still, her vampiric senses becoming more acute with the need for blood, or release of it, in her case.
Despite her more acute sense, it still doesn't make a klutz any less of a klutz. Halfway through the park, Karin happened to find a mouse hole that fit her foot nicely. 'Oh damn it…not now of all times,' she cried to herself as the rising ground decided to meet her face. It was the last thing Karin remembered before everything went red.
