I was nervous about this chapter, especially considering it's a short one. This is Eric's POV after he is cursed, and even though I usually enjoy writing him, I found this one difficult. Please be kind enough to let me know what you think, bearing in mind this version of Eric is sticking around for a few chapters, at least.

All characters belong to Charlaine Harris and Alan Ball. I own nothing.

I am a void, a great yawning chasm filled with emptiness. There is nothing but darkness, but still, I run, the echo of bare feet slapping on pavement the only sound in the night. Blood stains the asphalt and pain echoes through my body with every step I take, but still, I run.

The tree-lined road I travel is unfamiliar, but it will take me where I need to go. I know this as surely as I know the sun will rise. I run with a single-minded purpose toward my unknown destination. I run quietly, my steps sure and steady until a rumble of noise shatters the stillness of the night. My head swivels to look over my right shoulder. A bright light bears down on me quickly; the light grows larger and brighter until I am bathed in its glow. For the first time I can remember, my feet falter beneath me and I come to a stop.

"Eric?" A sweet, feminine voice rang through the stillness of the night. My unbeating heart seized in my chest. "Eric? What are you doing out here?"

A tingle in my gums preceded my fangs snapping into place and panic welled over me as I saw the slight girl emerge from her car. I didn't want to do her harm. She knew me. Perhaps she was the only being who did.

"Stay back, woman." I growled, trying desperately to will my fangs back into my gums.

"What's the matter with you?" Showing absolutely no fear, my unlikely saviour marched toward me with determination in her step. Her sweet scent washed over me and a warm feeling of familiarity flooded through my senses. Confusion reigned when she stopped in front of me, anger on her beautiful face and her small hands planted firmly on rounded hips.

"If you expect me to have a civil conversation with you, Eric Northman, you'd best put those fangs away." Her unexpected order achieved what I was unable to accomplish through willpower alone. With a soft click, my fangs snapped back into place.

"You know me?" I questioned, my eyes focused on hers intently. While she did not look familiar, she absolutely felt it. With the familiar way she was addressing me, I was willing to wager she knew me well.

"Do I know you?" Her incredulous tone matched the look on her face. "What kind of game are you playing here?"

"It is no game, woman." I replied stiffly.

"Yes, I know you. You are Eric Northman." The name meant nothing to me, just as I feared. But the fact this gorgeous creature knew me gave me hope.

"Are you mine?" She smelled like me, and something else very familiar.

"You really don't know who you are, do you?" Side-stepping my question, the girl took a step closer and peered up at my face. Her beauty was even more pronounced this close. "OK. I think it's best if we get you into the car. We can go to my place and figure this out." She hesitated for a scant moment. "You won't hurt me, will you?"

I gazed at the dainty beauty in front of me, the slight slip of a girl who stopped for a vampire in the middle of the night. I wondered briefly if it were she I was running to. At this moment, she was the center of my universe. I would follow her anywhere she led.

"I will not harm you." I spoke solemnly, the words feeling more like an oath on my lips. She felt like salvation. I would not allow any harm to come to her.

"Well, let's get going." She briskly rubbed her arms with her hands and I noticed she was wearing very flimsy clothing for the coolness of the night. I nodded my head in agreement, wondering if I were making the right decision.

Leading me to the side door, she opened it and removed a set of silver wings from the seat before indicating I should get in. Returning to the driver's side, she tossed the wings into the backseat before getting in.

I folded my long frame into her small car, sighing with relief as the pain in my feet receded just a little. Breathing deeply to gain control over the pain, I quickly encountered a different kind of agony. In such close quarters, her scent enveloped me in a silken caress, her sweetness permeating my very pores. My fangs ached to descend, but my willpower held them at bay. I didn't want to offend my fiery savior.

"Do the windows open?" I asked gruffly.

"Well, yeah, of course they open." The woman looked at me with confusion on her lovely face. She slowly rolled down her window a few inches. "Is this good?"

"Thank you." The fresh air diluted her sweetness, but it was for naught. Her tantalizing scent clung to everything. "Why do you have wings in your car?"

"I was at a Halloween party earlier; your party, actually. The wings were part of my costume," she explained.

"What was your costume?" I asked, curious about what she wore beneath her thin coat. "Were you with me at the party?"

"I was dressed as a fairy," she replied, giving me a sideways glance before returning her eyes to the road. "And, no, I was not with you at the party. I was there as your maker's guest."

A stillness came over me as dread filled my soul. Her eyes shot to me again and I looked at her silently while I digested her information.

"Do you belong to my maker?" I asked.

"No," she said firmly and the crushing feeling in my chest disappeared. "I belong to myself."

I stared out the window, watching the dense underbrush fly by as I considered her statement. We travelled a mile or so further down the road before the car slowed. I turned to look at my rescuer, studying her profile. Was I really this close to her when she came upon me, I pondered as she took a right hand turn and slowed the car to a crawl. Was she who I was seeking? Would I have known to turn here? The car bounced and jolted up a long driveway which had seen better days. She drove the obstacle course like a pro, avoiding pot holes and ruts with an ease that spoke of experience.

"We're here," she announced as she parked the car along the far side of the house. Pulling the keys from the ignition, she stuck them in the tiny silver bag she carried and made to get out of the car. "Let's go in and figure this out."

Light had flooded her yard as we pulled up and I glanced up to see the motion activated security lights mounted on the roof of the porch. I looked around curiously. This was a very secluded place. I wondered about her safety in such a remote area.

"You live here alone?" I asked her, watching as she climbed the stairs in high heeled, strappy silver sandals. She walked gracefully across the wooden floorboards with my eyes following her every swaying move.

"Yes," she replied as she unlocked the door. "My Gran passed away a while back, so it's just me now. My brother lives in our parent's old house."

"You have a brother?" No sister of mine would live like this, I thought as my quick eye took in the rotting floorboards of the porch, the peeling paint on the old wooden clapboard. The house had seen better days, certainly.

"Yes, Jason." She replied absently as she walked through the front door and into the house. I stood on the porch and waited. When I didn't follow, she looked back. "Aren't you coming in?"

"You need to invite me in," I said somewhat stiffly.

"You already have an invitation, Eric." She looked me directly in the eye. "You've been here before."

I walked through the door and into her home. The interior proved to be in better shape than the exterior. The meticulous care and pride of ownership was evident. The aging house was seeped in her scent, but there was a faint undercurrent of me in the air. I'd absolutely been here before. The thought came with comfort attached.

"Thank you." I felt a swell of gratitude move through me and even without my memory, I knew it to be an unusual feeling for me. I wondered who this girl was to me. She'd cleverly avoided answering my question earlier, but she smelled strongly enough of me for me to think she carried my blood. Again, I felt this was an unusual circumstance, even though I had nothing to base my assumptions on.

"For what?" she quizzed, blue eyes staring at me. She unbuttoned her coat and slid it off her shoulders, revealing her fairy costume. Even without the wings attached, she was a stunning vision. Why was I not with her at my own party? Why was she with my maker when it was my blood in her veins?

"For taking me in." I wondered again if I had indeed been running to her. Had my blood been calling me to her?

"You would have done the same for me." She waved it off, acting as if her act of generosity had no meaning. Looking down as she unbuckled her sandals, her eyes connected with my bare feet and a yelp sprang from her throat.

"Where are your shoes, Eric? Oh my God, you're bleeding everywhere!"

I looked down as well and frowned at the bloodstains on the floor. "I'm sorry. I will clean it up," I offered immediately.

"I'm not worried about the mess. Let me see your feet. Come into the kitchen." She took my hand with her much smaller one and pulled me into the kitchen. Pointing at a chair, she commanded me to sit. "Sit down. I'm going to get some soap and water."

She turned around and then slowly turned back to face me again. "Your jeans are a mess, too. I can wash them for you if you want," she offered.

I stood and undid the button on my jeans, my fingers finding the zipper and sliding it down. A quick motion later and I was holding the offending garment out. They were quite dirty.

"Sweet Jesus," she gulped, averting her eyes. I scented the blush forming under her skin before my eyes registered it. The delicate pink flush only enhanced her natural sweetness. "Let me get you something to cover up with."

She grabbed the jeans from my out-stretched hands and disappeared without another word. I sat back in my seat and waited patiently for her to return. Interestingly, I could track her movement through the house in my blood, as well as with my physical senses. I wondered about the reasons why she had my blood as I waited for her to return.

"Here you go." She returned with a basin in her hands and a blanket tucked under her arm. Laying the basin on the table, she thrust the woolen blanket toward me. I stood and took it from her, shaking it out before throwing it around my body. She kept her eyes averted until I was covered. Even then, her enduring blush remained.

I sat down, the itchy fabric bunching uncomfortably around my neck. She filled the basin with water and returned to the table. To my surprise, she knelt at my feet and placed the container of water next to me. She picked up my foot gently, lifting it and making soft noises of disapproval as she saw the few remaining cuts. I didn't point out I was mostly healed by now. I found I didn't want her to think about how badly I was hurting when she found me.

I watched in silence as she carefully attended to my injuries, excusing herself to get a pair of tweezers at one point. She apologized softly for causing me more pain as the tweezers did their job and three sharp stones fell from the soles of my feet. I could feel the skin and underlying tissue begin to knit itself together.

Her fingers tenderly stroked the closing wounds as she washed away the remaining traces of blood. It was an intimate, personal moment. An unfamiliar tightness built in my chest as I watched her care for me. Her touch unleashed an immense flood of emotion through me; feelings I was unprepared for and ill-equipped to deal with. They pressed insistently at me and through me, ravaging me until all I felt was pain.

I spoke without thought, exposing myself without considering the consequences.

"Why does it hurt so much when I look at you?"

And there you have it. The next chapter is from Sookie's perspective. I'd really appreciate it if you all could give me some feedback on this one.

Thanks again!