Disclaimer: I now have to publicly claim that none of these characters are
mine ... even Paul. But I think I could take on Stephen King in a fist fight
for rights to him.
The boy wandered from room to room, passing silently. He examined the faces of all the patients. Most of them he knew, those he didn't, he would watch for a while. It was one of his ways of amusing himself.
Tonight he needed something to get his mind off his encounter with Mary. He had gone through several rooms before he found a face he didn't recognize.
It was a girl about his age; she was sleeping soundly – oblivious to his presence. He snickered – that wouldn't last for long.
Quietly, he walked up to the nightstand, where a glass of water sat. With a quick swipe of his hand, he knocked the glass to the floor where it shattered with a loud crash.
The girl sat up in bed, now wide awake, and looked in the direction of the sound. For a moment, her eyes darted around the room before finally stopping in his direction.
Except, it wasn't just in his direction that she was staring, her focus was directly on him.
But that was impossible: The only way mortals could see the boy was if he let them, which he never did. How could she possibly be seeing him?
Then, she spoke. Her voice wavered a little bit – she was obviously shaken by waking up with someone in her room.
"What are you doing in here?"
For a moment, the boy stood there in shocked silence, but only for a moment. He decided to take advantage of her discomfort... perhaps it would help cure him of his foul mood.
He sneered, tying to look fierce as he bared his fangs. The girl looked at him strangely. For a moment, the boy thought he saw a hint of fear in her eyes – but it passed quickly, turning instead to a look of curiosity.
"What are you?" she asked.
The boy glared at her angrily.
"None of your business."
The girl laughed softly.
"What are you trying to do, scare me? It's not working."
The boy stepped forward in an attempt to intimidate her. She watched him and shook her head.
"I'm not afraid of you..."
He was right next to her bed now; he put his hand under her chin and lifted her face. She had no idea what she was dealing with obviously.
He snarled at her and leaned down until their faces were almost touching.
"You should be."
She looked him in the eye defiantly.
"And why is that?"
The boy tilted her head back farther, exposing her throat. Slowly, he leaned in and whispered in her ear.
"Perhaps I should show you."
With a sudden movement, he sunk his fangs into her throat – just deep enough to draw a small trickle of blood.
Her heartbeat quickened... but she remained outwardly calm – as if it didn't bother her at all that his teeth buried in her neck.
He pulled away, shocked. She laughed impertinently.
"Done trying to scare me?"
The boy was thoroughly annoyed. This girl had made a complete fool of him. He didn't answer. She looked at him for a moment, and then nodded understandingly.
"Oh, I see. You're embarrassed now. You should have listened... I'm not afraid of you."
"And why is that, pray tell?" he snarled.
She shrugged. "You're just not scary. Besides, it's hard to be afraid of someone who tries to be intimidating." She smiled. "So do you have a name?"
The boy looked at her, slightly confused. Every mortal that had seen him before had regarded him with fear. Now this... girl – whom he had bitten – was trying to be friendly.
"All right," the girl continued awkwardly, "don't tell me. I'm Alyssa."
She offered her hand to him. The boy just stared at it and didn't move. He wasn't sure if he trusted her yet.
Alyssa yawned. "So are you just gonna stand there all night? If you are, I won't be able to stay up and talk to you. I've got to get some sleep."
She laid back down and pulled the blanket up over her shoulders.
"Good night, whoever you are."
In a moment, she was asleep. The boy stood there entranced.
"Good night... Alyssa."
The boy wandered from room to room, passing silently. He examined the faces of all the patients. Most of them he knew, those he didn't, he would watch for a while. It was one of his ways of amusing himself.
Tonight he needed something to get his mind off his encounter with Mary. He had gone through several rooms before he found a face he didn't recognize.
It was a girl about his age; she was sleeping soundly – oblivious to his presence. He snickered – that wouldn't last for long.
Quietly, he walked up to the nightstand, where a glass of water sat. With a quick swipe of his hand, he knocked the glass to the floor where it shattered with a loud crash.
The girl sat up in bed, now wide awake, and looked in the direction of the sound. For a moment, her eyes darted around the room before finally stopping in his direction.
Except, it wasn't just in his direction that she was staring, her focus was directly on him.
But that was impossible: The only way mortals could see the boy was if he let them, which he never did. How could she possibly be seeing him?
Then, she spoke. Her voice wavered a little bit – she was obviously shaken by waking up with someone in her room.
"What are you doing in here?"
For a moment, the boy stood there in shocked silence, but only for a moment. He decided to take advantage of her discomfort... perhaps it would help cure him of his foul mood.
He sneered, tying to look fierce as he bared his fangs. The girl looked at him strangely. For a moment, the boy thought he saw a hint of fear in her eyes – but it passed quickly, turning instead to a look of curiosity.
"What are you?" she asked.
The boy glared at her angrily.
"None of your business."
The girl laughed softly.
"What are you trying to do, scare me? It's not working."
The boy stepped forward in an attempt to intimidate her. She watched him and shook her head.
"I'm not afraid of you..."
He was right next to her bed now; he put his hand under her chin and lifted her face. She had no idea what she was dealing with obviously.
He snarled at her and leaned down until their faces were almost touching.
"You should be."
She looked him in the eye defiantly.
"And why is that?"
The boy tilted her head back farther, exposing her throat. Slowly, he leaned in and whispered in her ear.
"Perhaps I should show you."
With a sudden movement, he sunk his fangs into her throat – just deep enough to draw a small trickle of blood.
Her heartbeat quickened... but she remained outwardly calm – as if it didn't bother her at all that his teeth buried in her neck.
He pulled away, shocked. She laughed impertinently.
"Done trying to scare me?"
The boy was thoroughly annoyed. This girl had made a complete fool of him. He didn't answer. She looked at him for a moment, and then nodded understandingly.
"Oh, I see. You're embarrassed now. You should have listened... I'm not afraid of you."
"And why is that, pray tell?" he snarled.
She shrugged. "You're just not scary. Besides, it's hard to be afraid of someone who tries to be intimidating." She smiled. "So do you have a name?"
The boy looked at her, slightly confused. Every mortal that had seen him before had regarded him with fear. Now this... girl – whom he had bitten – was trying to be friendly.
"All right," the girl continued awkwardly, "don't tell me. I'm Alyssa."
She offered her hand to him. The boy just stared at it and didn't move. He wasn't sure if he trusted her yet.
Alyssa yawned. "So are you just gonna stand there all night? If you are, I won't be able to stay up and talk to you. I've got to get some sleep."
She laid back down and pulled the blanket up over her shoulders.
"Good night, whoever you are."
In a moment, she was asleep. The boy stood there entranced.
"Good night... Alyssa."