It was only as the sun slowly started to rise and paint the world in an early dawn amber that my mind would stop recalling those eyes that seemingly burned themselves perfectly onto the back of my eyelids, and I could rest. Needless to say, when I woke up with the sun bright in my room only a few short hours later I was not feeling my best. I was groggy, stiff and for some irrational reason, scared.

I could feel those eyes that haunted my short sleep beckoning me still.

I stumbled I into a scalding shower. I wanted to scrub away the influence of those eyes. I wanted to wash away the memory of how they examined me head to toe, greedily devouring me as if he intended me to be his next meal.

Despite the heat of the water, I shivered. A very big part of me wanted to forget everything, and a smaller, darker part of me wanted to relive it; this time falling in front of the tall blond, begging him to have me, instead of running away.

I didn't let myself dwell on this long. I jumped out of the shower, put on jean shorts and a flowy coral chiffon blouse. I would try my hardest not to think about anything anymore.

Thoughts like mine get stupid girls killed.

Since it was the first official day of the weekend, Saturday, I didn't have work. My efforts not to think of the dead man I saw last night proved entirely fruitless.

When I turned on the TV, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was playing. Which a far cry from reality, still had plenty of scary monsters that kept me thinking of him. And guess what Buffy was doing this episode? Against her better judgment, she is making love to a blond vampire. My cheeks on fire, I quickly turned off the TV before I let myself get carried away, imagining crazy things.

My next effort to try to empty my brain was cleaning the small pile of dishes that collected in my porcelain double sink throughout the work week resulted in a gushing cut which nearly caused me to faint.

Quickly I ran to the bathroom and put a band aid on my thumb to cover up the blood to stop my nausea, but I couldn't ignore the throbbing.

I desperately needed a distraction, but I didn't know anyone in this town besides Cindy. I nearly groaned when I thought of calling her. Not only was she super chatty, she also was apparently crazy- going after vampires for blood and sex.

But with no other options, I picked up my beat up phone and called her. Instantly I was greeted by her perky recording, asking me to leave a message.

I sighed, recalling how much she drank before I left the bar last night, knowing she was probably still nursing a killer hangover.

So without anything else to do, I hunted down my car keys. I drove around for a moment before I decided to go PieWorks Pizza for lunch since it was already afternoon. I chose to sit on the patio to take in the sun and people watch. I demolished my small pesto pie with a dark wheat crust and coke. I needed to get groceries, so I headed to Brookshire's, the only grocery store really worth going to in this town, even if it was kind of overpriced.

Slowly I started filling up my cart with enough food to last me the week. As I walked down the cooler aisles I couldn't help but notice rows and rows of TruBlood. I scanned them, wondering if they had my blood type in stock. When I spotted the one box of AB - left I laughed out loud. I wondered if they all tasted different? It seemed like this was the most popular 'flavor'- my flavor. I scrunched up my nose not really liking that idea. I moved on to the wine, grabbing a bottle of Apothic Red Blend, checked out, loaded up the back of my Beetle, Lola, and headed home.

Once I climbed the three flights of stairs to get to my quiet apartment, I peeled off my sticky clothes. Even just the five minute walk from the car to my door was enough to coat my entire body in sweat with this humidity. I slipped into a pair of black running shorts and a loose heather gray racerback tank, pulled my long thick hair into low pigtails with the help of two brown elastics. I poured myself a generous glass of wine and I passed the remainder of the day away, crouched over my sketchpad trying to imitate a pair of blue orbs that just can't seem to be captured on paper.

Abruptly, I needed to get up.

I dropped my charcoal pencil carelessly, its tip breaking on the floor. Normally that would be something I would beat myself up about, but right now, I barely cared. In my hurry to stand, I knocked my desk, spilling the remainder of my wine onto my sketchpad- the red wine staining an otherwise perfect face. For a moment, now I was angry and upset with myself.

But when I took a step back to grab my paper towels, I noticed that's just what his face was missing this whole time.

Red- the color of blood.

I grabbed the paper and crumbled it up, careless tossing it across the room towards the trash bin, my heart racing anew.

I paced for a moment in my living room, hoping to appease my sudden restlessness.

I grabbed my phone and tried Cindy's number once more, it just went straight to her voicemail again. I gnawed on my bottom lip, worried. I pushed her out of mind before throwing my feet into my Nikes and flying out the door.

I used to run all the time, but when I moved here to Shreveport the mugginess always seemed to put me off.

Tonight it didn't bother me.

In fact I welcomed it. I hoped as the sweat rolled off my body, my head would also rid itself of a certain pair of eyes that kept calling to me.

I rejoiced in the feeling off my blood pounding throughout me, and realized how much I missed this feeling.

I felt so alive.

And then, as if to mock me a coldness started in my chest, seeped out into every muscle and uneasiness settled deep into my stomach like a rock.

I froze and before I even turned around, I knew who was watching me.

I knew, with more detail than I wanted to remember the exact shape of the eyes that I felt trailing up my spine and exactly how they set into his face. I could picture that face cocked to the side inquisitively, held aloft by broad shoulders, a flat chest with strong arms across it and long, stretched legs firmly planted onto the ground.

Slowly, I craned my neck to look behind me.

No one was there.

Something like relief started to warm me and I turned completely around, intent on running back home. I looked around again noticing I ran a lot further than I meant to- I was in the middle of nowhere. I wanted laugh at myself. There was no one here- how much of an idiot am I to think some vampire would come looking for me?

Why would anyone do that?

And of course it was then that I felt an icy breath on my neck and my heart dropped right down into my stomach.

"Haven't you ever told pretty little girls shouldn't stay out at night all alone?" I closed my eyes at the sound of his voice. Somehow it was completely different and yet exactly how I imagined it to be. And just like last night, some crazy part of me wanted to throw myself at his feet and beg for him and another much more logical part of myself wanted to run as fast as I could back to my tiny apartment and hide under the covers.

"Running from me would be a very bad idea." I am pretty sure my heart stopped beating then and there at his words. Slowly, very, very slowly I turned back around to face him. And, of course, that's when I stopped breathing too. Instantly my eyes were glued into his icy ones.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" That fact that I managed to speak surprised me more than anything- even if my voice came out in a stuttering mess.

"I am here for you." He sounded nonchalant, almost bored, but those eyes that have been plaguing me were dancing with amusement.

"Me?" I squeaked out. "What do you want with me?"

He gave me a crooked smile and took a long step closer to me- I couldn't help myself- I took two scrambling steps back. In response, his fangs popped out from, well, from wherever he hides them. It was enough to kickstart my heart back into action threefold.

I turned to run, but before I could get even one step away he had me locked in his vice-like arms. One arm holding my back against his taut chest and another silencing any screams I dreamed of making.

"Livia," He breathed out, it didn't seem to bother me that somehow he knew my name. He trailed his nose up the side of my neck, and somehow instead of fear, I felt yearning start to warm my belly. He inhaled deeply and growled. "I told you it was a bad idea to run." Whatever my crazy body was feeling before this moment was completely eradicated as undiluted fear rampaged me.

Stupidly, I started to kick at him, tried to scream even though I knew I was muffled by his large hand. My arms were worthless, pinned to my sides but that didn't stop me from trying to fight like hell with them. I remember I heard him laugh, a deep resounding sound, I remember I felt his breath cool, way too close to the thin skin of my neck, I remember bitterly recalling Cindy foolishly laughing away my concerns about vampires drinking my blood, and of course I'll never forget the pain from when he bit me.

It didn't stop hurting either. It felt as though there were two icy needles drilling in my neck, draining me dry. Which, I guess was exactly what was happening.

Slowly my limbs turned into lead and I stopped fighting. The terrible heavy coldness I was feeling just a moment ago gave away to an extreme light warmth. I felt like I could fly away.

Far, far away, I heard a moan.

I felt arms, so cold compared to my warmth, tighten around me as I sagged against an unyielding chest. Vaguely I remembered I didn't want to be here, even though I couldn't imagine why; I could almost taste heaven. Feebly I tired to move those iron arms imprisoning me. Unsurprisingly, they didn't budge an inch. All I wanted to do was sleep. "P-please," I whispered. "Stop." Slowly, black spots started to swim into my vision.

I was thrown from my warm cloud unceremoniously back onto the cold ground as quick as anything. Cold reality hit me hard and my hand shot up to my abused neck as my eyes stared wide open at my attacker.

"Utsökt," He murmured some weird word as he slowly licked his lips. I nearly fainted when I noticed those lips were stained red from my blood. He slipped his long fingers through his hair, disheveling his blond halo. His eyes, practically glowing in the moonlight, never left mine. "Just what are you?" He asked, sounding like he was in a trance.

I didn't need any further encouragement to get my butt up and get the hell out of dodge.

I don't think I've ever ran so fast.

And I don't think I will ever stop.