Kiss of Death by Rejoice489

"Hey Kira, how long are you staying after school today?"
Kira looked up from her bookwork that had captured her full attention, despite the chatter amongst her classmates, to find her best friend standing before her.
"I'm not sure. Maybe 'till 6:30." she answered.
"That late?!" Kira's friend, Emily, exclaimed. "Why?"
Emily and Kira had been friends ever since Kindergarten. They were inseparable. Most years, they had at least the same homeroom. This year, though, they were able to take a few classes together, much to their delight
"I have to set up for the conference tomorrow."
"Oh, that's right! Tomorrow's the day the middle school kids comes over." Emily leaned closer. "And guess who's going to be there."
"Who?"
"My cousin! I haven't seen him in so long."
Kira smiled. "My little sister's coming, too."
Emily rolled her eyes. "She's obnoxious."
"Hey, wouldn't it be funny if your cousin and my sister sort of…got together?"
Eyes widening in horror, Emily cried, "No way! You can't be serious, Kira!"
She chuckled. "I'm very serious."
A small smile began to filter onto Emily's lips. Soon she was laughing with Kira. "That would be so weird." she said between fits of giggles. "I'm not sure Bryan would fall for a brat like your sister."
"Don't be so harsh. She's not that bad."
Emily looked at Kira, openly displaying her disgust.
"Alright, so maybe she is pretty bad."
Both girls broke out laughing, again.
When Emily regained her breath, she became serious. "Kira?"
"Hmm?"
"You haven't…heard about any strange deaths, have you?"
She looked at her questioningly. "Strange deaths? I don't believe so. Why?"
"Well that's the funny thing." Emily twisted the silver bracelets on her wrist. "I mean, not many people have. But since my Dad's a cop, I always hear about the homicides and shootings before the information's released to the public. Lately, though, there have been a bunch of murders, all with the same M.O." Emily's voice grew quite. "There's a serial killer out there, Kir, a weird one. Someone's killing young girls, women, but you want to hear the freaky thing?"
Kira nodded her head, imploring her to go on.
"They're all dry as dust. No blood, nothing. It's all gone, like someone's sucked the blood out of them." She shuddered visibly. "They even have bite marks on their necks, Kir. Bite Marks!"
Emily lowered her voice again. "I think there's a vampire here in Elmira."
Kira shook her head. "Vampires don't exist, Em."
"Then how do you explain the bite marks and drained blood?" she countered.
"A vicious-human-blood-draining-rat." Kira said, trying to lighten the mood.
Emily smiled slowly. "That's even weirder."
Kira shrugged. "I know. But honestly, I think I'd choose the vampire over the rat any day."
"I'm not so sure." Emily said. "I mean…what if there really is one?" She shook her head. "It'd be a disaster, Kira."
The bell rang, signaling the end of school. Emily sighed heavily.
"Just be careful, Kira. Whatever's out there, it's bad."
Kira smiled reassuringly. "I will, Em. Don't worry."
She stood and gathered her folder and book, shoving them into her book bag before heaving it onto her shoulder. "I'll be fine." And with that said, she turned, walking out of the classroom and down the hall to the library.

†

Wiping the sweat off her forehead, Kira turned to survey the scene around her. Half the library had tables and chairs set up, facing toward a wall with a large poster on it. The poster welcomed the Middle School students to "the wonderful world of High School". Balloons were tied up by the entrance, a variety of color brightening the atmosphere. Streamers and banners dangled from the ceiling, just out of reach from eager hands.
Kira collapsed into one of the chairs.
"Wow, Kira! Nice work!"
She jumped, turning to face the speaker.
"Relax, Kira. It's just me."
Kira sighed heavily, relieved that it was just her brother.
"You scared me, Matty."
Matthias sat down across from her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. Do you need a ride home?"
She shook her head. "I'm going to walk home, tonight. Besides, you always stop by to see…what's-her-name."
"Stacey?"
"Yea, her." Kira shook her head. "I don't like her. I don't know why but…she's just not right for you."
"And what would you know about it?" Matthias asked harshly.
Kira looked at her hands. "Nothing. I'm sorry, Matthias."
He sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Yea, me too. I gotta go. Are you sure you don't want a ride?"
"I'm fine."
"I'll see you at home, squirt." He tousled her hair, getting his keys out of his pocket, before leaving.
'I guess I should get going, too.' she thought, looking around the library once more. Satisfied at what she saw, she stood and grabbed her backpack.
She practically ran out of the school, pushing the school doors open as soon as she reached them. Eagerly, she hopped down the stairs. She just about burst with joy. 'Thursday!' she thought 'Yes! No homework and only one more day until Saturday!!'
Kira looked to the sky, a laugh escaping from her lips. Her eyes widened as she looked up further and further. The sun was starting to set, painting the sky crimson red. 'Like blood…' she thought. She shivered, thinking about what Emily had told her. Over in the east, darkness crept farther up the sky.
Kira sat down on the steps staring at the sky. Gently, she laid her head against the step, letting her long brown hair sweep over it. She smiled and breathed deeply. It smelled like…fall. The leaves had mostly fallen, the ground littered with color. The air was cold but fresh, blowing the leaves into a frenzy.
A dark shadow suddenly fell over Kira, making her jump. She sat up, looking behind her…no one was there. Kira shrugged her backpack on her shoulder and stood up, beginning the long walk home.
As she walked, the streetlights blinked on in response to the darkness. Kira walked past a dark trail that led to the elementary school. She shivered as a cold wind blasted down from the trail. A shadow fell across her again. Kira jumped and whirled around. No one! She turned around, her heart pounding. 'I hate the dark.' she thought. Kira walked faster, gripping her book bag until her knuckles were white.
"I wish I had gotten a ride with Matthias." she whispered, trying to break the silence around her. Soon, the familiar forest loomed beside her. Kira paused before the dark trail that usually led the way home. She gulped, trying to stop the fear raging through her. For some reason, the forest itself seemed foreboding, that if she went down it, something bad would happen.
"Get a grip, Kira. You're sixteen. You shouldn't be scared of the dark." she tried reassuring herself, unsuccessfully.
Taking a deep breath to clear her swirling mind, Kira stepped onto the trail. Drawing courage, she walked forward into the darkness. The stars above seemed to shine brighter in the forest, casting what little light they could.
Abruptly, a dark shadow fell over her again. Kira started, her heart hammering in her chest. She turned around slowly, her hands shaking noticeably. When she saw that no one was there, she closed her eyes.
'Oh God, I can't do this.' she prayed. 'I'm so scared.'
Turning back around to face the darkness, Kira opened her eyes. Instead of finding the empty trail she expected, she found a shadow-like figure looming before her. Before she cold scream, pale hands reached out and grabbed her, pulling her away from the trail.
Kira felt frozen. Suddenly, her adrenaline kicked in. Dropping her book bag, Kira immediately began to struggle against the hands. Whoever held her was immensely strong and Kira quickly found herself being pulled into the forest.
The figure slammed Kira's body against a tree like a rag doll. Looking up into the face, Kira's eyes widened in horror. It was definitely a man, from what she could see. But what stood out the most were his eyes. They glowed brightly, even in the darkness, almost inhuman. Cold, cerulean eyes.
The man grinned, his blue eyes staring icily at her as a strange emotion passed over his face. He licked his lips hungrily.
Kira's mind raced. 'Who would want to hurt me?' her mind cried. She grasped for answers, unable to find any. 'And the emotion that I read on the man's face?' Kira shivered violently. When he leaned down toward her, Kira jerked away from him, trying to tear away from his grasp.
"Be still!" he whispered. Her eyes widened, realizing that the voice that spoke to her was not a man's at all. It was almost boyish, like a man not even in his twenties.
"If you do what I tell you, you won't get hurt." he said, soothingly.
Kira tried to jerk away from him, to loosen his grip on her, but couldn't.
"I warned you." the boy hissed. He slammed her against the tree again. Kira's head snapped back, hitting the wood. Stars appeared before her eyes, her head spinning. Kira barely saw him lean towards her again, bending towards her neck. Before she knew what was happening, his mouth was on her neck. She tried to struggle against him, tried to get her voice to work, but fear choked down any sound. And then, Kira felt them pierce her neck. Teeth.
Her mind briefly went back to earlier that day. Emily had said something about a murderer, was this boy him? Was he a…vampire? Did they even exist?
Kira felt her knees going weak, her body shaking violently. Abruptly, the boy stopped and looked up. Her eyesight cleared a bit and she noticed blood smeared across the boy's mouth. Kira felt like retching; it was her blood.
The boy's grip weakened for a moment as he looked into her eyes. He smoothed the hair away from her face, smiling.
"I've never tasted blood like yours." he whispered. His mouth moved closer to her ear. "Maybe I'll savor you. Let you last longer then the others."
The others. He was taunting her. Daring her to get away. She took the challenge, to save her life, to save others.
Kira thrashed against him, kicking out and screaming. The boy struggled to get a hold of her. Finally he grabbed her neck, clamping a hand over her mouth to silence her.
He was breathing heavily in her ear. "I think I will let you suffer!" he said furiously. "I'll suck you dry, weakling!"
A sudden bright light pierced the darkness. A loud voice boomed from the trail. "Who's down there?!"
Kira bit the boy's hand, who cried out, cursing loudly.
"Impudent kids!!" the voice yelled.
That was all Kira needed to get away. With a sudden burst of energy, Kira tore herself from the boy and ran blindly down the trail, towards the voice. And then he was there. He stood in front of her, walking swiftly toward her. Kira froze and looked over her shoulder and then back at the boy. 'How did he…' Kira shook her head and slowly started to walk backwards. The boy reached toward her. Kira turned and bolted in the other direction.
"Hey, what's going on down there!!" The voice boomed again.
An arm encircled her waist, causing Kira to shriek in terror. She beat at the hands, trying to pry them off her.
"Ow! Kira? Is that you?"
Kira's chest heaved, tears forming in her eyes. Slowly, she stilled, the familiar voice flowing over her senses and calming her. She turned to look up into the face, hoping, praying that the voice was who she thought it was.
"Kira, are you alright? You're crying! Oh, Kira!"
"Matthias?" she whispered, raising shaking fingers to his face. "Matty!" Kira buried her face in her brother's shirt, tears of fear and relief flowing from her eyes.
"Kira, what were you doing?!" Matty cried. "Why were you running from me?"
"I wasn't! There was this guy and he-he…Oh Matty! I was so scared!"
"I didn't see anyone, Kira. Are you sure you didn't just imagine it?"
Kira's head snapped up to look into her brother's eyes. "You don't believe me?"
"It's not that I don't believe you-"
"You have to, Matthias! He-he was a vampire! And he tried to kill me like he killed all the others!"
Matthias stared uncomfortably into Kira's eyes. "All I know, Kir, is that I heard something down there. And when I went down further, I found you running away from me."
Tears welled up in her eyes. "Please, Matty!" she whispered. "Please trust me."
He nodded. "Let's go home." he said, wrapping his arm around her protectively.

†

Rei cursed himself. How could he be so foolish to let his prey get away? 'And she knows the truth about me, she knows what I am.' he thought. Rei's hand clenched into a fist. He slammed it into the tree that he was pressed up against, not noticing the blood flow from his knuckles. After a few minutes, the cut healed.
There was something different about his prey tonight, about the girl. When she looked at him, he saw something in her eyes. Not just fear, which attracted him further to her, but there was a light that shone in her.
But he shouldn't be attracted to the light…even the sun condemned him. In her eyes, he had seen the chance of… He couldn't bring himself to say the word.
He came to this town to find something. For hundreds of years he had searched for something, his soul in endless turmoil. He wouldn't rest until he found what he was looking for. But…
Rei's mind thought back to the girl again. He had seen her at the High School, the way she smiled when she got out. It made his heart yearn. 'Yearn for what?' he thought. Rei scoffed, what was wrong with him?
Rei punched the tree again as fury lashed out within him. He would have to do something about her, something soon.

Continue to Chapter 2...