-1"Daylight will be here soon. Let's go." He broke the silence, standing up and taking my hand.
"What happens when the sun comes up." I asked, curiously.
"Well, we don't burn, if that's what you are wondering. Our skin…Well, it's hard to explain. It sort of sparkles in the sun. Blinding, almost, to human eyes." There was no way that I could hide the shock on my face. "It looks like there are millions of diamonds etched into your skin. You can not let humans see you though, Alice. That is very important. Never let a human know what you are, no matter what."
"Why?"
"It's against the rules. Well, really only the one rule. Walk among the humans if you can stand it, but never let your true identity be known."
We walked past a bar, it was close to dawn, closing time. A hand full of drunk men were walking down the street, up wind from me. I couldn't help but breathe in the sickeningly sweet scent of their blood. My body went rigid, it was almost too much to handle. "Hold your breath and follow me."
He turned right onto a dead end street. It was too narrow for cars, surrounded by tall, brick wall. We got to the end of the ally and I looked up at the twenty foot wall that cut us off from another street. I risked a breath and found it instantly easier to breath with the humans blocks away.
My savior tugged on my arm and led me through a small door way on the right. It was pitch black inside, but after a second of adjusting, I could see perfectly. He led me through a labyrinth of hallways, finally stopping at a wooden, unmarked door.
"Welcome to my home." He announced, proudly as he opened the door.
We stepped inside the small makeshift apartment. There were no windows and from what I could see, no light fixtures. Even though I could see well in the dark, it bothered me that there was no light source in the room. Sensing my discomfort, he walked across the room and swiftly lit several large candles, lighting the room moderately.
"I prefer to stay old-fashioned." He grinned.
On one side of the room was a couch and small table with a radio. The other side of the small room was a kitchenette. It looked spotless and I'm sure it was never used.
There were no other doors in the room. Homey. I thought.
He giggled beside me. Leading me to the small couch, he spoke again, quieter than before.
"We never sleep." He explained. "It's just not necessary. Our hearts don't beat, they don't pump blood, though it is still inside you." I looked down at my smooth, marble wrist. Sure enough, the blue veins were still there, but they no longer pulsed with the painful life I left behind.
"Try to avoid physical contact with humans." He continued. "To them, our body temperature is as cold as death." I remembered the first time he touched me and shivered. "Emotional contact should be avoided as well. You are strong, but your urges are stronger. Trust me, you don't want that on your conscience." I look at his red, monstrous eyes and saw deep regret and sadness. How long had he been like this? How long had he been alone? What had he seen in his unnatural life?
"Too long and too much." He replied, dismally.
I started to feel sorry for him, but something in his face told me not to. He was happy now, that's all that mattered.
I wasn't in the small room anymore. I was in the forest, running away from something, but what?
Then I saw him. James. The name was spoken aloud in my head. He was running through an ally, then through a small side door.
Suddenly recognition caught up with me. James was on his way to the apartment. He knew where we were and he was coming to find us.