A harsh wind blew as I pulled my shawl closer to my body. I was shrouded in in a thick cloak of black by the dark, midwinter sky. There was no moon tonight, and the stars seemed oddly invisible tonight as well. Something seemed to be awry, but it hadn't mattered to me. My mother had seemed to have gone off the deep end due to my father's recent death. Then my older sister Anne had began to show symptoms. I know it wasn't polite to leave my mother alone at night, or safe to walk out in the dead of night... but things were just to stressful for a mere 16 year old such as myself.

Winter this year of 1666 has been quite cold. I didn't think things could get this frigid in London...but I was wrong apparently. The freezing weather has also brought about more casualties than normal. The ailments of the cold are especially prevalent this year.. Many succumb, one in particular being my father, though I have my own theories... One of them being absolutely insane. One involving vampires. I had been brought up to think of such things as myths.. legends, but I was beginning to doubt they were merely legends.

Another harsh wind blew as the soft pitter-patter of footsteps echoed in the quiet night around me. My instincts had told me to run, told me whoever was behind me was dangerous.. but I could not run. I was curious as to who would be following me this late at night. Curiosity killed the cat, I suppose.

I stopped and turned my body to face the figure I knew was following me. I suddenly gasped. The figure was nothing like I had seen before.. It was like he had stepped out of a fairytale. His skin was very pale, almost snow white. He wore the clothing of a commoner: A simple white shirt and brown pants, though his beauty certainly didn't match that of one. Dark circles were seen under his coal black hues, illuminated by his seemingly glowing skin, even though there was no moonlight. His silky dirty blond hair was pulled back into a low ponytail at the base of his skull. He was tall... even taller than I (and I stand at an inch more than six feet tall.) Despite the fact his smile was kind, an odd, ominous aura radiated from him. He then caught me off guard by uttering one, single word: My name.

"Judith..." The figure's voice was a deep bass, almost musical... even hypnotizing to an extent. The voice didn't carry a British accent as mine did, but some strange accent I hadn't heard before. I don't know whether it was the awe, or the fear, but either way, I couldn't move. I was frozen. "Now now little one..." The figure in the dark addressed me once again, now stepping towards me. "No need to be frightened..." The figure's voice was too kind.. too gentle. I knew he had an ulterior motive, though what it was, I hadn't the slightest clue.

"W-Who are you...? What are you...?" I managed for force the words from my lips, though my voice was small and shaky, making it hard to understand. The fact that my accent was so thick made it even harder to make out.. or at least I thought it would.

"Don't worry about that now, my dear.. Soon, it won't matter. It will all be over soon." The deep bass-toned figure was now behind me, his nose at my throat. He inhaled deeply, almost as if he was inhaling the scent of a sweet desert. I didn't know what fate was about to befall me, but I knew it wasn't good. Despite that, I still couldn't move. I was sure it was the fear now. My heart was beating furiously in my chest. It felt like my heart may burst through my chest at any minute If that had happened, this creature wouldn't have to waste the effort in killing me.

I slowly began to back away from the mysterious man before me, about ready to take of running. I was afraid. I didn't know what was going to happen, or if I was going to ever see my family again. What would my death do to my mother after my father had only died six days ago? I couldn't die. For the sake of my family.. I had to live. Especially for my mother. It had seemed she had already been coming apart at the seems. When she had been given the news of my father being discovered dead in the street. I had heard he had been pale white, and had... teeth marks on his neck. That is what had sparked my suspicions of there being such things as... vampires. After thinking all of this through, my will to live strengthened. I began to run, only to run into some thing that felt like a granite statue. I fell to the ground, gasping for breath. It felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. Upon glancing upward, I saw the man was the granite statue I had ran into. His flawless features had twisted themselves into a slight scowl.

"Now, now dear Judith. I am quite thirsty and you are trying my patience. I must admit, a chase does make the catch more satisfying, but I doubt a mere human such as yourself could put up a fight." With a motion swifter fast than my dazed mind could process, he had picked me up. His icy hands were gripped tightly around my shoulders, yet not tight enough to fracture any bones. The temperature of his skin alone made me shiver.

"Now, my dear.. It will all be over quickly if you just hold still..." The figure smiled kindly.. yet the smile was still menacing. I narrowed my eyes, remembering my promise to survive.. for my family. I quickly kicked the offender in the stomach, only to get no response. Instead of his cry of anguish, I heard my own. The distinct snapping of a bone; my bone, echoed quietly in the blackness of the night. I immediately silenced myself, biting down on my lower lip. No one else needed to die tonight. No one else needed to share the same fate; my fate. I soon tasted copper; I bit down so hard on my lip it had began to bleed. That most definitely did not help the situation. Tears began to roll down my cheeks. I could feel the tears and blood intermingle on my face.

"Bleeding doesn't not improve the outlook of your situation, young one.." The figure addressed me once more. Despite my current situation, I narrowed my eyes through the tears, and agonizing pain in my left leg. I still wasn't going to give up. I couldn't give. Sixteen years of life was not enough for me; sixteen years of life wasn't going to be the end. I was determined not to let that happen.

The figure's lips were suddenly at my throat, his teeth now only inches away from my neck. I could feel his icy breath on my neck. It was cold.. colder than the outside air. I shivered once, though it would do no good.

"Now hold still..." The figure murmured softly. "This will only hurt for a moment." I once again narrowed my eyes. It was now clear to me that vampires were not simply legends. Vampires were truly real, and I now knew that my assumptions regarding my father's death were not insane, and very true; he had been killed by a vampire.

In a last ditch effort to survive, I threw a punch toward the figure's jaw. That was a very bad idea. Again I heard the sickening crunch bones snapping, and felt the agonizing pain now increasing.

"I thought you were a bit smarter than that.." The figure chuckled lightly as he inhaled the scent of my blood once more. "Those two broken bones should have taught you that your strength is not enough to hurt me in any way, shape or form, young Judith..."

He was trying my patience now. Patience was something that had been wearing thin throughout this whole affair. This strange creature had been addressing me by my name, and I hadn't the slightest clue who he was. How had he known me? "Who the devil are you?" I spit through my teeth. Anger and adrenaline had over over-ridden fear. I was furious.

"Such volatile language for a young lady like yourself.." The figures lips were now closer to my neck. His breath was even icier. "Though, seeing as though you're not going to live to do anything about it... I suppose it won't hurt to tell you who I am..." The figure paused. I could see his kind smile contort until it was no longer a kind smile. It was now a smirk. "My name is Nathaniel... and-"

"You are a vampire.." I finished. "You feed off of innocent humans.." Pausing, I furrowed my brows. If there had been a vampire in the village in the last week.. that had to mean.. "You killed my father.." I murmured in disbelief.

"That I did..." The vampire's smirk widened a degree. "And now, it is time for you to join him..."

I opened my mouth to speak, making to give him worst cursing out of his miserable existence, yet I was cut off by a searing pain. It had started in my neck, and began to travel throughout the rest of my body. It took me a moment to realize this monster's fangs had sank into my throat, and I was dying. It was difficult to think coherent thoughts through the burning. This pain had even outweighed the two fractures I had sustained. I once again bit down on my lip to keep myself from crying out in agony. I heard Nathaniel, as he had introduced himself, chuckle as he drained my life force away.

I was getting tired...oh so very tired. The pain was almost too much. I felt myself began to slip away.. whether it was from consciousness, or life.. I could not determine.. I just wanted the pain to go away... yet I had to hold on.. for my family. I couldn't... wouldn't... grasp the idea that I was going to die. I was much too stubborn for that. I kept fighting, focusing on forming coherent thoughts, and ignoring the seering pain and weakness. I was failing though. When I had tried to focus on things, such as my younger brother Matt, it only made me realize how torn apart my family would be.. and why. Every coherent thought I managed to form brought me back to the sering pain. My vision was blurring and fading more and more as the remaining time of my lifespan ticked away. I could feel my heart beat slowing.. Breathing was becoming more and more to accomplish. As my eyes finally slid shut, and I slipped away from consciousness.. possibly life, a thundering boom echoed in the distance.. then everything went black.

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Teh cliffies. :3
I know. I'm mean. X3
That was the first chapter of this fanfiction... which I need a title for. --
I is working on a title now. :D
YAY FOR IMPROPER GRAMMAR. :D