Chapter 1 – The First Bite
Another peal of laughter rang out against the starry backdrop of the night sky. The hunt had begun; dark shapes were silhouetted against the buildings of the city as they scoured the urban landscape in search of blood…
Flynn shook his head groggily as he attempted to clamber to his feet, but then with a loud thud again found himself looking up at the underside of a table in the small pub in London. "Damn table," Flynn growled and pulled himself up, properly this time. Once on his feet, he swayed uncertainly as the last night caught up with him. Flynn couldn't remember anything but he supposed that was the effect of too much drink in too shorter time, so he shrugged and headed for the door. As he stretched his pale, white hand out to grasp the brass door knob a ray of sunlight that had managed to shine through the grimy windows fell upon his hand. "Ow!" He yelled and retracted his hand to examine it; a small hole was burned into the back of his hand where the sunlight happened to fall on it. Walking over to a stool at the bar he slumped down on it and attempted to gather his thoughts, he tapped his fingers rapidly on the bar as he considered what to do. "Mick, I need another beer, now," He called and as if by magic an overweight man clutching a dirty rag in his hand popped up in front of Flynn. "I didn't realise you still here, with you leaving with that pretty redhead and all last night," Mick replied with a dismissive shrug as he set a down a foaming tankard of beer down on the wooden counter in front of Flynn. "Than… wait, did you say I left here with a woman?" Flynn asked with a puzzled expression on his face.
"Yeah and she was quite a looker to," Mick responded with a decisive nod as he returned to his former position behind the bar, "if you want to you can use the bathroom upstairs to freshen up."
"I think I will do just that," Flynn replied as he stroked the fine stubble on his chin thoughtfully as he headed up the stairs.
When he stopped in front of a grubby, previously white sink he noticed something extremely unusual. "I … have no … reflection," Flynn stammered as he frantically rubbed at the mirror in the vain hope that it would bring back his reflection but to no avail. "Geez, get over it. I'm the one who should be worried that you haven't worked out what you are yet." Flynn whirled around to see a woman with straight, red hair shaking her head. "I don't believe we've met," Flynn spoke curiously as he stared at her. She was clad in black leather that showed off her figure, she had a motorcycle helmet held in a loose grip in her hand. As she stepped towards him he saw that she had red eyes that stared out from behind her long fringe. "Well I believe you're wrong," She said with a wide grin … that revealed her extra long, razor sharp canines, "Don't you remember last night at all…"She trailed off near the end and Flynn gasped,
"You mean that I … I ..."
"Me and you, I don't think so," The woman doubled over with laughter but then straightened out with a solemn expression on her face.
"You're a vampire, Flynn," Flynn was shocked into silence, "I blooded you last night but I am not quite sure why you lost your memory of it, because when I was blooded I didn't lose my memory."
"Wait, I'm a vampire. So can I turn into a bat, or fly, or walk through walls, or lift cars …" The woman raised her hand to silence him.
"That was the quickest acceptance I have ever seen, plus you haven't even asked for my name and that cuts," Flynn looked a bit sheepish.
"So then, what is your name?"
"Valarie, and since it is daytime you are effectively just a normal person who can't go outside."
"Let's go," Flynn said out of the blue then grabbed Valarie by the arm. He then proceeded to drag her back down into the pub.
The pair were sitting in the basement of the pub; out of the sunlight and Flynn was quizzing Valarie on the life of a vampire. "Let me get this straight, a vampire during the day is just a normal person who can't go into the sun."
"That's right, but you are forgetting that we also have enhanced sense of smell and hearing during the day," Valarie said nodding.
"But at night we are super beings; but our powers vary from person to person or rather thing to thing. Oh and we have to drink blood to survive."
"Yes, we don't need any other form of sustenance to survive but we are partial to strong drink. Also we will discover your powers in approximately thirty-six minutes." Valarie said as she drank the beer that Flynn had bought but forgotten about. Flynn sat lost in thought as he considered the coming night.
"I'm thirsty," Flynn whined as Valarie clenched her hand around a rock that she had pulled out of her pocket. Flynn craned his neck to see what she was doing, unsuccessful at guessing what she was doing, he asked her. "I am checking whether the sun has set yet."
"How does squeezing a rock tell you whether the sun has gone down or not?"
"My power is strength," As she replied to his question the rock shattered and fell in a pile of dust and her feet. "Can I have a go?" Flynn gushed; Valarie shrugged and handed him another rock. But after a few minutes of his effortless attempts Valarie reached over and retrieved the rock from a red faced Flynn. With another shrug Valarie spoke, "Your talents may be revealed later in the night but for now we shall hunt!" She grabbed a hold of his arm and dragged him up the stairs and out of the pub.
"So would you prefer male or female?" Valarie asked Flynn, as they headed down one of London's many alleyways, who then looked at her with a puzzled expression on his face. "For what?" He questioned.
"Your first kill, you know silly, it's like a first kiss or the first time you walked. Basically it's pretty important."
"Umm, okay. I don't really have a preference." He responded still slightly stunned.
"Kay, I'll see if I can find you dinner – to go," she said and strolled off, she turned back, "Wait here." Spotting a bench over to his left he moved off towards it but as he drew close he stumbled and fell forwards into a bin. To his great surprise his outstretched hands and in fact his whole body passed through the bin. Clambering to his feet he stretched out his hand and it connected with the bin. Focussing really hard he tried again and his hand went through it. Shaking his head he kept on passing his hand through the bin till he got bored. As he turned around, he saw Valarie approaching, they both went to talk at the same time, "You go first," Valarie insisted.
"I have discovered my power," Flynn responded proudly.
"What is it?" Valarie asked.
"Phasing through stuff. Now what was it that you wanted to tell me?"
"Found Dinner."
Flynn followed Valarie around the corner to be faced with a middle aged man lying unconscious up against a wall. Valarie demonstrated how to open up a vein for drinking, "You just pinch the jugular like so and bam, you're up to your elbows in blood."
"Err, Okay," Flynn started then stopped, "I don't think I just drink the blood of another living creature, especially not a person."
"Newsflash Flynn, you're not a living creature but I don't think I can force you to drink," shaking her head she handed him a blank business card and said, "when you are ready to embrace the beast you will know where to find me." She strolled off down the street. "But this card is blank!" Flynn called after her.
"Follow your nose," she called back.
