After a failed attempt on the independent beauty I started to get hungry and started to search for a shop to buy some doughnuts. Not far from the main street I spotted a bakery and behind the cash-register stood my destiny, the independent beauty from before! Immediately I sprinted in before anyone else got a chance to stand in front of her. "Hello there, it seems destiny has other plans than expected." I smiled.
"Wha-! You again? Stop following me! I want nothing of you, got that!" She exclaimed angered. Her cheeks flushed, how adorable!
"Why so riled up, Flora? Isn't it what true lovers do nowadays? Is he your boyfriend? Oh, I'm so happy for you, Flora dear." Walked in an elderly lady from another room with a contented smile.
"Hello miss!" I greeted. "Flora, the name for flower. What a beautiful name to a beautiful woman."
"Mom! It's absolutely not what you think! He's not my boyfriend! I don't even know who he is! I only met him few minutes ago."
"Dear, there is nothing to be ashamed of. Everything will take its time, you'll see. Above all you've picked yourself a handsome fella, don't waste your chance." She winked at Flora.
Flora took a deep breath and slowly turned to me, her long hair covered most parts of her eyes. "You wanted to buy something?" She asked calmly but I felt clearly behind the tone her anger boiling.
"Oh yeah, fresh made doughnuts for 30$$." I laughed nervously and held out a banknote. I think I'll stop there for today.
In silent anger she filled a small paper bag with freshly made doughnuts and handed them to me with shut eyes to avoid eye-contact.
Maybe I'll take the chance before it's too late. I gently brushed her soft hands to see if she reacts, nothing changed. Now or never! Quickly I leaned over the desk and was about brush away some of her hair from her face.
Rapidly Flora opened her eyes, our glances met. Suddenly a hard slap hit my cheek and easily put me back to the spot where I stood before. Ouch.
"You jerk! Stuff like that won't do any good and have you ever heard of personal space?" Flora shouted.
I sighed and headed out with my bag of doughnuts. At least I tried, maybe she's just overly cautious due to the circumstances here. I guess this porch will do, having a clear view of the main street in case I might spot the scary guy who dresses similar like me. After my doughnuts I'll take a nap until sun sets and then let's see what the night has to offer in this town since this guy only appears at night. Once seated I took out a doughnut, oh boy just the smell alone is great! I took a bite. Oh boy! Feisty Flora sure does know how to make doughnuts, she is the woman after my heart!
Suddenly I felt glances from the across the street. A mother with her son were walking cautiously and their frightful glances were locked to my direction. I smiled and waved friendly. "Hey there! Would you like a doughnut? They're very yummy!"
The young boy began to smile and wanted to walk to me but his mother kept him by the hand and almost pulled him away, heading desperately their own way.
I'm sure this is a nice town to call home but this scary guy is making everyone on edge, even during day. This makes me eager to solve this problem but first when the sun sets and not before. All I can do for now is wait, enjoy these super tasty doughnuts and then sleep…
"Ah! Help me!" Boomed a woman's voice out of nowhere close by. I screamed and expected to see that scary guy. I stopped screaming as I recognized Flora's beautiful face smirking down at me. "Oh, it's just you. Why did you scream? You're not in any danger, are you?" My heart went badaboom, badaboom!
She shook her head and crossed her arms. "Only yourself dummy. Sleeping out here is far from safe with a murder on the lose."
I gave a short laugh and smiled. "Ha ha! Thanks for waking me up." So, she does care for me, in her own way.
Flora blinked surprised and tries to conceal it but her cheeks flushed. With those rosy cheeks she looks even cuter. I couldn't help stop smiling at her. "You thought I would be mad at you after what you just did."
"It doesn't matter what I think." Flora turned away from me and was about to walk away.
Quickly and gently I took hold of her hand and looked deeply into her eyes. "Not alone you're going home, allow me to escort you home safe and sound."
She shook off my hand. "No way! And secondly, if I can handle four robbers I'm sure I can walk on my own."
"You're after the murder, aren't you?" I spoke softly while my eyes where focused to hers.
Flora stared at me astonished but quickly recollected herself. "So?"
"Let me help. You and I are after the same guy after all."
"A stranger in this city, why are you after him?"
I smiled. "I guess it's one of my habits." I scratched the back of my head.
"Why am I not convinced?" Flora scoffed with doubt. "Are you trying to be some kind of a hero?"
"Me, a hero?" I laughed. "I don't see myself as a hero."
"Whatever, I'm heading home." Says Flora and walks off.
There she goes again and with cold last words. Oh man!
I stretched myself while throwing a brief glance over the main street and make myself ready for the night. Somehow, I've got a feeling tonight will be different than any other and with that feeling makes me even more curious to know who am I up against. Quickly checked my gun; oh, the cylinder was empty all this time? That means I was up against the robbers with blanks? Never mind, I hope I won't need those bullets tonight. A soft breeze is stirring the night and no one in sight, even the windows and doors were shut tight and not a single light flickering. I felt my fear rising in every step I took, whoever this guy is, he sure knows how to put fear into others-
"Fear is a strong emotion and hence the perfect leverage to control others." I heard a man's voice speaking in my mind with an odd accent that I think is long gone.
Rapidly I turned to the direction where I felt the source. In the shadow of the moonlight along a wall of a house I noticed a figure of a man grinning at me. He wore a large hat and a red coat as many described and his blood red eyes glowed through the round glasses that rested on his nose.
"You only kill to gain control?" I wondered.
An amused chuckle came from him. "For a man in your age and this environment you are naïve as a child. No wonder your pulse is somewhat calmer than the rest I've encountered. But of course, that could mean that you've seen already many things in life." He paused."Or you have no idea what you're up against." He whispered to my ear.
Quick-witted I pulled out my gun and pointed it right at his forehead.
He chuckled. "There comes the familiar reaction; good old fear."
"Why do you need to kill people?" I asked calmly.
"Why? A simple question to a simple answer, to survive."
I froze in shock.
He cackled and vanished into thin air.
This, can't be. This can't be true, it must be some nightmare and I'll wake up from it! I blinked and quickly lowered the gun. No! How can one survive by killing others! Is he another from Knives? I balled my hands into fists and clenched them so tight that I felt the pain and noticed no difference in front of my eyes. I gasped to the realization, this is all real! Tears began to well, all these poor people that died, sons, daughters, fathers and mothers.
"For that you are not human, you do know how to act like one." Approached the man to me. His eyes were still glowing, a fair warning that I should have seen coming. "Speaking of human, any man would have fired the gun at me at this point but you didn't." I remained silent and speechless as I stared at him. "What changed your mind?" He tilted his head with an evil smile.
I blinked to his question. "My mind has never changed."
"Huh, then you really are different."
I took a deep breath to gather my strength. "Why do you need to survive by killing people?"
He sighed. "Just like in the old world, when knowledge there are always gaps missing." He paused. "In the old world I was known as a vampire. A creature that lives of the night and blood of the living yet appears almost human that it once was. From the blood vampires get eternal youth and powers that humans can only dream of, without it they all wither and turn into dust; however, the instinct for blood is more than difficult to resist. Just like you in the desert for water."
I gasped to his information, my knees began to shake and my hands trembled.
"Why the shaking?" He wondered with the same evil smile. "Fear is a natural emotion and part of instinct that you humans can never fully control. Vampires like me are made to spread fear and death." He chuckled.
Suddenly a desperate cry cut in. I blinked as if awaken by a trance. The stranger made a sharp gasp of surprise. Wait, if he is here, then who's the killer? Immediately I sprinted off to the source of the desperate cry.
As I raced down one of many streets, suddenly something black covered my sight and path. As a reflex I held up an arm to protect myself, immediately I noticed a pair of red glowing eyes looking at me.
Suddenly there was a loud gun shot that hit the dark figure and red blood oozed from the wound on the shoulder. I winced and realized that the guy dressed in red stood beside me, where did he come from when I sprinted ahead? He must be extremely fast and above all quiet. The soft groaning of the dark figure made me face it. A cold shiver went down my spine as I noticed its sharp yellow teeth and became somewhat nauseous as I smelled its foul breath. The soft groaning sounded like the thing was in pain, a living being.
The stranger pulled the upper blade back to reload his large gun, ready to fire another bullet. Quick witted without thinking I stood in front of the thing to hinder the stranger from hurting it.
A short deep growling came from the stranger that almost made me flinch in fear. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Why do you want to kill it? It is a living being!" I held my ground.
"That's where you're wrong, it's already dead and should end now and forever." He smiled while holding his gun steady and aimed at the thing behind me.
I noticed a flash of white teeth, some of them quite sharp for any man. Suddenly I scented the foul smell from before and heard an odd sound behind me. I turned my head to see; the dark figure's head was very close to me and had its mouth open, just about to bite into my arm. Before I had the chance to remove my arm another bullet accompanied by a loud shot hit the creature's head. It gave an eerie shriek and within a blink it was gone, I barely saw where it went. I gasped to its speed and blinked, trying to recall what just happened. For some reason my heart is beating wildly and heard a faint throbbing at my ears.
"It's alright to be afraid, lad." He suddenly stood beside me and grinned. From his eyes I sensed he beginning calculate my character. "Don't think that I've grown soft hearted after that little act of yours, blondie." He removes his gun and walks few steps but then he stops and turns his head slightly back to me. "If you value your life then leave it but if you won't…" He chuckles.
"I won't leave it. Tell me what is that thing? Why did it want to bite me?" I questioned with a calm tone.
He turned to me with the same smirk. "What you saw was a spirit that survived from the old world. A spirit that was once human and a vampire like me."