The beaming sun rose over the tips of the snow-topped mountains, casting its rays across the forest floor. The sound of birds singing their morning song ricocheted off the fir trees, and the air was fresh and clear with the scent of a mixture of pine, cut grass, honeysuckle and other wildflowers. There was one scent that didn't linger around my temporary 'camp site'. Blood.
The sun was almost at its highest as I effortlessly ran through the trees, getting ever closer to the highly populated city, which would be my next hunting ground. The scent of human blood was getting clearer, but it was not overwhelming. I had almost reached the edge of the forest, and the rich fragrance of blood was beckoning to me, drawing me in. I finally broke through the lining of the trees. Immediately, all my senses were drawn towards a man, casually slumped on a rickety bench. Before I had a chance to stop myself, I took one great bound towards the startled human and lunged for his neck. Once again, I was stunned by the rich, fresh taste of the blood, and savoured every drop. It was over too soon again.
I moved onto my next victim and my eyes locked onto a young woman. I lunged for her throat, just like before, but this time I had an audience. As I sunk my teeth into her neck, I heard several screams and cries of terror. I tried to blot it out, and focus on my meal. But it made me realise – so does this definitely make me a monster? The heavy sound of human footsteps became less defined as my audience ran further and further away. Running away from me. Once I had sucked all of the blood, and life, out of the woman's body, I left it dried out and empty on the pea green grass – which now had specks of deep red covering the space where I had attacked. I ventured through the wrought iron gate, inside the city walls.
The sight that met my eyes next was not a particularly pleasant one. In the cobbled square there had been a market, and there were still various stalls clustered together. I could smell the disgustingly burnt, rotten stench of human food, and I could hear the sizzling of meat being cooked in a colossal metal pan. But something was wrong. There weren't any people. I could guess why that was. I could still hear hundreds of clumsy footsteps trying to get as far away from me as possible. I could easily catch up with them, and I was about to descend on them to find my next kill, when I heard a new sound. Light, graceful footsteps were slowly advancing out of the forest, and out into the square where I stood. I spun around to see whose footsteps they were.
Stood in the shade of a gnarled oak tree was the most stunningly beautiful woman. She had short, spiky black hair, and she barely came up to my shoulder. Her small bare feet exposed the same pearly white skin that covered the rest of her petite figure, apart from the skin directly under the sunlight that sparkled like thousands of tiny diamonds. Her eyes were golden, the colour of honey. I instantly had a flashback to my last few minutes before the fire started; those frightening, but still beautiful, scarlet eyes stared at me through my memory. Even though they were a different colour, I felt as if it must be connected, all these beautiful people with strange eyes.
Another thing that was different about her compared to the screaming people was that her scent didn't ignite the fire in my throat. Instead, she smelled sweet, and it was not overpowering. The girl took another dainty step towards me, and looked at me with cautious eyes. Then she spoke. "Come with me. I need to talk to you." Then she must have seen the stunned look on my face as she added, "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you." At first I didn't know what to do, I was so mesmerised by her voice. The words that she spoke were barely more than a whisper- but I could hear them perfectly- and her voice was as soft as velvet.
After I had collected my thoughts, I decided that I had nothing more to lose. So I followed this mysterious girl back into the cover of the dark forest. She carried on for about ten minutes without once looking back at me. She walked so daintily and quietly it was hard to believe that her feet actually touched the ground. I obediently followed her, and I didn't question her at all.
We finally stopped next to a stream, deep in the heart of the woods. The girl delicately perched on a log that sat in a bed of wildflowers, and beckoned me to join her. I did as she asked, anxious to find out why she had brought me here. To start with we sat in silence, as if she was trying to work out a way to start. Then she opened her mouth to speak. "I am here to talk to you about … about what you are." I suddenly felt dizzy. Something that the girl said had frightened me. She didn't say 'who' you are. She had said 'what' you are. The thing that had been at the back of my mind the whole time comes into my thoughts again. Until now I hadn't wanted to think about it. But now I knew it must be true.
I am not human.