!Warning: Rated PG-13 for adult language!

Chapter Four

I had been a vampire for a little over a month before I started realizing that what I had wasn't a gift: it was a curse. It suddenly donned on me, while watching two young lovers in the park at night, that I was alone and that I would always be alone. I was frozen in a still frame with a dead body and electrical pulses in my brain. I would never know what love was; and even if I did, she would die and I would live forever to wallow in the vast puddle of depression and heart break. I was a meager worm and a puppet to the devil…

Also I have a never ending ache somewhere in my body. It's difficult to explain…I can feel where it is but I don't know what or where it's located. I doubt that makes sense, but these days, what does? My skin feels like it did when I was first bitten; like paper. Every time I move my arms, when I walk, even when I blink, my pores scream with sweltering pain and cause me to stumble around. Even my gums burst like Roman Candles when I drain a victim, creating Hell for me later on. There were few times where I considered finding another bottle of Holy water and dumping it on me to end my misery, but that was a coward's way out! Suicide would never be the answer.

It was a bleak night in mid September; I walked along in the forest secluded in my own depression. Though my kill for the night filled me with temporary warmth, my veins were cold and my mind was dark.

I don't exactly know how long I had been staring at the water of the lake, nor how long ago I got there, but it suddenly donned on me that I had no reflection… I frowned as I tried to remember what I looked like. Blood red hair swept up in a high pony tail, bangs brushing in front of my bird-of-prey golden eyes, a flawless complexion; skin clear of blemishes or unsightly marks, a well built body, and short in height. I'm not sure if I had changed for better or worse but that was something I would never ever know…

Then, I suddenly detected I was not alone…

I sat still, staring at the blank water as the ki of my intruder leapt around. The trees, I concluded mentally, He's in the trees… Sure enough, the leaves rustled in the windless night; energy flaring as he jumped from branch to branch. I felt cold eyes drilling in the back of my skull, intense with black hatred and desire to kill. This was no animal, my friend, only humans possessed this specific love to kill.

Ten minutes passed and seemed like fifteen years. Though the rustling stopped, I could still feel the eyes glowering daggers in the back of my head; contemplating if he should fight honorably or take the element of surprise and annihilate right then and there. When I shut my eyes, I could see two bright orbs staring at the back of my head with flaming revulsion.

I decided to end the tension…

"Good sir," I said, shattering the silence engulfing us, "I am aware of your presence, that I am, and I have been for sometime. Please, show yourself. There's not point anymore to hide from someone who clearly knows your existence."

Nothing moved, nothing breathed, and the energy I detected shot down low and tried to mask itself. I chuckled; this guy clearly had no idea who he was dealing with.

"Please sir, don't embarrass yourself or try to tell yourself I don't notice you because I do. Now show yourself, sir, let us talk…" This time, the trees rustled and the soft plud of feet meeting the grass clouded from the earth. I smirked.

"Now, if you don't mind my asking," my voice was heavy in masked superiority, "Why were you watching me?"

"Because I've come to slay you," the intruder yelled in a voice that obviously belonged to a young female.

I whirled around, a little surprised, and took in the sight before me. It was the same girl from the other night, if I was correct. Her ki and her height were the same, and her voice sounded familiar, then again, I only heard her mutter. Though I could not see her countenance, for once again she was in the shadows.

"Oh have you?" I was skeptical, "I'd like to see that…" I stepped closer and she immediately fell into a fighting stance with her hand on the sword at her side. I laughed. "A mere blade won't kill me, Sweet Cheeks."

"Don't call me that!" She yelled, stomping her foot on the ground. How cute…

"Hmph…" I ran my fingers through my bangs haughtily, "Go home kid, you don't know who I am."

She growled and stepped into the dimly lit meadow. "I know you killed countless helpless people!" She said in a proud, confident voice; "In life and after it…"

I raised my eyebrow in question. How could she know? Does she know? I glanced up at her and froze at the sight. I couldn't help but stare at her; she truly was like nothing I've ever seen before. Her frame looked like that of a wooden board and she really had nothing to brag about when it came to her chest, but her eyes were mystifying. They were heterochromatic (each eye a different color). Her left eye was a deep, sapphire blue with threads of silver embroidering her iris; the right eye was a green so deep it would put even the most precious emerald to shame. Her face was young and fresh but within those deep, heterochromatic eyes was hate boiling over the edge. Whether I was the core of it or someone else, I did not know.

"What do you mean," I began slowly after I pulled myself out of those bewitching eyes, "After it?"

She spat and lifted her chin high. "Don't play coy with me," she hissed, "I know what you are!"

I became intrigued. "Oh?" I mocked, "Then what am I, Fair Maiden?"

Her eyes darkened and her face grew grave. "A vampire…" she whispered as if the very words were toxic to pass her lips.

Ah, she's smart! Bravo—

"And not a very bright one at that!"

I glowered. Excuse me madam? Not bright!

"What kind of idiotic pawn of Satan would touch Holy Water?"

"Pardon me," I interrupted acidly, "I happen to be atheist. I do not partake in affairs of religion so how would I know what holy water looked like."

She laughed. Not a laugh of amusement; a laugh of superiority. My laugh.

I sneered, "I fail to see what is so funny—"

"You're a pathetic excuse for a ghoul," she chuckled, "I image this won't take me long." From her side she exposed a leather grip about half a foot long. Then, with the click of a button on the end, a long, ominous silver stake spat out from the other end. Etched deep into metal were Latin inscriptions and crucifixes. I had a feeling in the pit of my stomach that could kill me. "Go back to Satan you foul leech!" She cried and ran at me, eyes blazing.

I kept my guard up and waited for the last moment to react. She was about a foot or so away from me when her foot slipped on a river stone and sent her flying into me with her stake sailing right into the river. Acting on impulse, I quickly wrapped my arms around her waist and fell back as she hit me with full force and hit my head on an exposed tree root. Stunned for a moment, I was caught in a parallel world of daze and abstract until the softness of the rise and fall of breathing against my chest brought me back.

I shook my head and blinked a few times to filter my vision back and was greeted by a mass of black, glossy locks spilling onto my chest. For some reason I felt exhilarated and energized; like a child with a sugar high. The smell of lilac perfumed my nostrils with pleasant sensations.

"My head…" she murmured, pushing herself away from me, but I refused to remove my arms from the small of her back. Realization crept back into her mind when her eyes scanned up my torso to my face.

I smirked.

She panicked.

Quickly she dug her palms into my pectorals and shoved herself on her buttocks and scrambled away. An expression of shock mixed with embarrassment and fright painted itself in an interesting fashion on her face. I sat up, amused with her bold terror, and rose to my feet where I loomed a good four heads over her. "Are you frightened?" I asked mockingly, "Frightened of a 'pathetic excuse for a ghoul'?"

"I'm not afraid of you!" She stated firmly, but I wasn't fooled; I could feel the tremors in her spine. She was afraid. She was deathly afraid.

Smirking, I walked over to her, causing her to press herself against a tree further as I offered her a hand. "I won't kill you, sweet cheeks." I said sincerely, "Don't be afraid." She glared up at me, her face contorting with abhorrence as her hands ran across her belt. I raised an eyebrow. "Will you take my hand or not? All I wish to do is help you up—"

From out of her belt, she pulled out a flask decorated with spikes and skulls, bit off the topper and splashed its contents in my face which suddenly combusted. I kid you not, my face actually caught fire. I shrieked demonically and flew backwards, cradling my face in my arms, twisting and turning in god forsaken pain. Static and drills roared in my ears and the Voices all shrieked and hiss in never ending torture. Low frequency gurgles turned into human screams and instantly gained pitch to an ear bleeding shriek. God, what…what is this pain! IS THIS EVEN PAIN! No, no, no, no, no…pain didn't even come close to putting a dent in what I was feeling. This was something…that just could not be described in one word.

I fell to my knees, my flesh singeing, blistering, and sloughing off as black smoke lifted from my pores. God I couldn't even see! Stupid bitch! I screamed in my mind; that stupid, God-damned, revolting harlot! I'll fucking kill her! I'll put her through the worst hell imaginable and drain her fucking vessels dry! I'll make sure there's nothing left of her! Stupid bitch!

She took advantage of my paralyzed state and took off, running for her life. Smart, incredibly smart, for I don't care if I was suffering after death I was going to make her life hell if she stayed around a fucking second longer. Stupid bitch…stupid fucking bitch. But oddly enough, even as I stood there in ultimate hell, I couldn't help but think of those eyes… those horrible, sweet, soul-sucking eyes… And as I became lost in static pain and drilling suffrage, my mind came across one conclusion: I would kill her. And make it messy…

So help her God.

AN: Yeah, as you can tell, this was quite heavy in cursing. I'm sorry if you have a problem with it but I believe it adds more emotion and character to the writing; and every good author knows that every work (especially in 1st person) should have voice/character. . so, so sorry if you don't like swearing. Just say 'bleep' when you don't want to read the word. lol

Plutobaby494: I'm sorry, I have no intentions of blending this into his rurouni days. :( sorry.

tyker101: I'm sorry it wasn't your taste. But please, constructivecritism. Thank you.

Minoru Kimori:I beg to differ, my dear Jessie, it was incredibly random... 0.0 burning butterflies? intriguing...

ELLIE 31773: . thank you! hee hee! Yush, I know I rock. lol jk ;)

Ame Ulan: No kiddin'? Awesome. lol. Yes, for some reason, I just think Catholisism is a perfect religion to put in a Vampire story. I don't know why...O.o Nope, sorry, Kaoru nor Tomoe will be making an appearance in this fanfiction (unless Kenshin goes back to a bar where kaoru works XD), Tomoe might make a brief appearance though. I haven't decided. And I should shut up more before I unveil spoilers that I'm oh-so tempted to spew.

Thank you all who reviewed! I love all of them and I thrive off of them! No review is too long or too short! Keep 'em coming guys! 3