Fingers interlock, slipping on the sweat but grasping strong, building security and dependence. Nothing to break the hold, nothing to tremble the trust held by two beings as they dance along the road. The moon, bare and vulnerable, offers a narrow spotlight to cherish as the two bodies twirl to nothing but the gentle melodic whispers of peace, crickets chirping and the breeze calling, the hushed rustle of leaves as a raven flies from a branch, disappearing into the clouds as the grey wisps slide along the navy sky. A night, perhaps like no other, dark, eerie and beautiful.
Giggling, high pitched and wavering, flies from a mouth, legs tremble as they barely hold themselves upright. Fingers continue to grip tight, offering support as eyes flicker up to the sky, sparkling and glimmering with a smile to match. Bats flutter, beating their wings as they soar through the sky, destined for one purpose. A faint hint of worry sparks in the dark irises of one of the beaming dancers as the mist slowly begins to descend from the clouds, blanketing across the ease of the night, hiding the twinkle of an emerald ring that shimmers in the moonlight. Smiles twist to grimaces, flushed faces paling.
The moon turns sinister, the mist gains density, the atmosphere is suffocating, surrounding the two beings and swarming their lungs, choking them. The haze smothers, enclosing until nothing is left but two limp bodies.
The mist raises, the moon shines once again. A rustle shakes the bushes not too far from where the two beings lay. A cackle howls loud, a piercing sound of insanity as a man, tall and lean, steps from the undergrowth, scurrying towards the two fallen humans. The creature presses his face to their pale necks, inhaling the freshness, shivering with intense pleasure before sinking his long teeth into the junction of their neck, taking the delicate care to not devour, but to savour.
Somewhere close, a wolf howls. The sound low, a melody of melancholy as it echoes through the darkness, unknowingly mourning for two lives whilst singing for the feed of a monstrosity.
The Bulletin Board – 18th of September
Stoker University is deeply saddened to say that Lilith West and Patrick Hawke have died overnight. There is no need for panic, as there is nothing to worry about. Lilith West and Patrick Hawke were both respected students here at Stoker University and it grieves us to officially claim they have had simultaneous heart attacks. Classes will be cancelled until further notice.
Exhaling, Adeline turned away from the dreadful news the bulletin offered, distracting herself with the view nature had to offer her, not the loss of her two friends. Without watching where she stepped, Adeline did a double-take when something crunched beneath her shoe. Jolting backward, she blinked at the small, green ornament beneath her shoe, crushed into the pavement, hundreds of little pieces shattered as it lay there in dejection, as if it had once been a prized possession and now lay helpless in the clasps of the earth.
Frowning, Adeline bent down, looking around to be sure nobody had seen her destroy something so precious. She gently brushed the pieces into her palm, standing up to study them carefully. Where they touched her hand, a shock of electricity pulsed through her, boiling her blood and making her shiver.
"Help me." A soft voice made her jump, her eyes widening as she whirled around. At the sight of nothing, Adeline blinked, the unknown emerald forgotten as she turned around again, colliding with a hard chest.
"Adeline," a different voice. A soft smile graced her lips as she peered up at the man in front of her. Stephanus offered a gentle grin to his beloved, hooking his arms around her waist and pulling her close. "I heard about Lilith-"
Adeline squeezed his arm, shaking her head in grief, the disaster had yet to settle with her. Her emerald finding completely wiped from her mind, being replaced by a restricting layer of sorrow as she pulled away from the man she loved.
"I'm sorry." Stephanus whispered. Adeline wrapped her arms around herself, shaking her head. She leaned forward to press a chaste kiss to Stephanus' cheek, her voice a hoarse croak as she breathed.
Stephanus inhaled slowly. "I'll walk you home."
"No." Adeline whispered, needing to be alone. A dull ache throbbed in her temple as the weight of what happened settled upon her. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
Stephanus grimaced, regarding her as if he wanted to hug her once more, but resisted, allowing her to walk the path which had only served her heartache. Leaving behind her beloved, Adeline barely registered the small glint of green which clung to her bag like a lifeline.
"Help me."
Night came sooner than she expected, relaxing against the couch, fighting to not think of her two friends. At one stage she felt a slight chill, a coldness that bounced around the room, despite the lack of cool air outside.
Adeline frowned, closing her notepad to tuck it into her bag before standing up. Another chill swept through her, this one harsher than any previous and, for a horrifying moment, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Adeline didn't let it bother her, despite the conflict within her. She couldn't shake the eerie feeling of something being off.
Turning around, Adeline walked slowly toward the window, twisting her neck to look around, reaching forward to close the curtains as the moon shone straight into her apartment. Her fingers trembled, but she shook it off as being jittery after such an unspeakable day.
Adeline curled back up on the couch, flicking the television on. The static buzz of disconnection echoed through the small room, goose-bumps immediately flying across Adeline's skin. Something green briefly glinted on her bag, catching her attention, but as she went to touch it, a shock sparked the air and the overhead lights flickered off.
Adeline stifled a scream, her pupils dilating in horror as a pale figure appeared in front of her, standing- no, hovering above her carpet. Its pale skin, almost transparent, rippled briefly and blood dribbled along the junction of its neck. The creature, a female, stared down at Adeline, before caving in on herself, a high-pitched whine escaping past chapped lips.
"Help me!" The girl shrieked, moving toward her, hands outstretched. Her eyes wild, flickering as if insanity had taken its grasp on her, desperate for an escape. "Help me-" The voice… Adeline held her breath, petrified as she squinted at the female, the white gown, the flowing hair- it was Lilith West.
Lilith West reached forward, her hands cold as ice on Adeline who couldn't stop the scream from tearing past her throat, scrambling off of the couch to press her back to the far wall. The creature merely watched. Adeline opened her mouth to scream again, unsure what else to do. Her mind was a haze of fear, her body trembling as she stared at the dead creature.
"I'm trapped."
Her teeth sunk into her lower lip, almost ripping the sensitive skin before a knock on the front door made her shoulders draw taut. Fright froze her to the spot and not even Stephanus' voice calling from the door could calm her down.
"I was killed." The soft voice of Lilith West pulsed the air. "I'm trapped."
"Stephan-" Adeline's voice trembled as the sound of a door opening echoed through the apartment. At the arrival of Stephanus, Adeline reached with unsteady fingers to pull him close, but he stepped away from her. Instead of cowering, he snarled. His eyes flashing a dark red as he lunged toward Lilith West, catching her around the waist. She screamed, the noise shrill and terrifying.
"You!" She screeched, the sound vigorous.
Adeline croaked, her voice thick with panic, as she bit down on her hand, desperate to silence any sounds that wished to escape. Her teeth broke into her skin, crimson liquid hesitantly slipping across pale fingers. A miniscule of blood dripped to the ground, a shock of power blasted across the room. Stephanus, his lips pulled back to reveal long, white fangs, spun around, no humanity left in his bloodshot eyes. His nose twitched toward the blood that dribbled across Adeline's hand, his eyes flickering to the floor where the speck sat, so precariously.
"Stephanus, my love-"
Stephanus lunged toward her, releasing Lilith West, and pinned Adeline to the wall. Her cries for help couldn't reach anybody as more blood seeped from her body, draining her. Her body, weakened by her thrashing, fell limp in his hold. Not a speck of mortality lived within Stephanus as he savoured the sweet essence. As the soul of his once-beloved drew to the small emerald ring he held secure, Stephanus didn't flinch. The moon empowered him tonight.
As the small, emerald ring dropped to the stained-red carpet, two hysterical voices cried.
"Help me!"