Soon enough the sun began to set, and I could emerge from the shadows in search of a light snack. Yet, just underneath the burning thirst, my mind yearned for knowledge. My ming being able to wrap around both thoughts it was hard to think clearly, despite that clarity, over the thirst. Gliding into Seattle I wandered the more hip parts of town. In my time with Riley, my food source was too often saturated in the awful taste of drugs and alcohol. I was really looking forward to life on my own terms.
Humans were stupid and dense creatures. That much I had gathered in this new life. A large wild coven of twenty something fresh young vampires, was simply a rampaging gang activity of new proportions. I figured on my own, I could roam about, taking my meals on the move and nothing more than the usual gruesome demented killer would be suspect. If only they knew how pathetic their little human killers were. No I was a real killer, their worst nightmares couldn't touch me.
Halted in that train of thought, I caught sent of delicious sweet scent. Not like the one on the red shirt, that was sweet like a floral sweet. No this was like cotton candy sweet, a real desert. This was a scent that made my mouth burn, setting my whole throat into flames. Inhaling deeply, I let the sweet taste engulf me letting me transform into the monster, the hunter. Within the second I shed every pretense of humanity and surrendered to the animal in me.
Clinging to the shadows of the alleyway I sat in wait of my prey. Instinctively I crouched down, becoming hyper aware of everything around me. I could feel the pores of the brick underneath my hands. The quiet humming of the flies several feet away from me forging in the dumpster. I could smell the disgusting human food frying away. As the patrons munched and chewed like cows on their greasy fast food. I could hear children bickering with their parents, the old folks mumbling about their aches and pains, maybe I should eat them. Would they taste like a vintage wine or all those drugs they guzzled down every few hours? Leaving that thought behind I moved on to hear a few guys flirting shamelessly with some girls. But then the squealing utterances of a group of teen girls caught my ear.
"Oh Shana, I don't know what your talking about the guy that played the vampire was just to die for!" the girl squealed.
"You always fall the mysterious type Tammy," the other girl laughed.
"Oh your always such the Debbie Downer," the first girl, Tammy, complained. "Just admit if Vampires were real you would want to be one too!"
With a hint sarcasm, the second girl Shana answered, "Yes, maybe being a Vampire would be to die for!"
Her other friends were amused and joined in chortling with laughter.
All the while I followed the scent, only to find it mingling in the air with the awful burger scent that wafted out each time someone opened the door to the restaurant. A low snarl ripped through me realizing I would have to wait for who ever it was to exit. My nails dug into the wall, creating deep dents, showering the pavement in a fine red dust.
Spending the few seconds it took me I went through my options. I could walk away now and find something quicker. Or, I could wait and have my patience rewarded with sweet blood. With the way that the scent was intoxicating I figured I could wait for them to emerge. I wasn't sure I could go through forever and not find a blood so tempting again. But the longer I waited, the more my instincts overwhelmed me to charge in there and drink every last one of them, leaving that sweet treat for last. No, I fought with myself there was a reason vampires didn't just tear through cities anytime they felt. The logic part of my mind warred with my primal side at this notion. Of all the things Riley fed us, the not letting humans know made the most sense. Surely if the humans were to know we were real then somewhere in my murky human memories I would have known to run away from Riley. Not that would have done much good.
While my head thought through the importance of keeping myself a secret, my head wiped up as the scent now saturated the air in a gust of wind. Cringing deeper into the shadows, trying to mold myself into the wall. And with a creak I realized I was doing just that, if I didn't stop now there would be a perfect imprint of my body. Hovering millimeters above the wall, I crouched down deep waiting to pounce. Balancing on the balls of my feet I flexed my calves while I waited for the slow human to come across the alley way. I could hear the giggling girls had left the restaurant and were about to walk by. That's when the scent hit me in full force. She one of that pack of giggling hyenas. Crap! One was just a small little murder, two was still okay I guessed but five of them? I wasn't so sure.
Quickly I tried to hold my breathe but it was too late, the air was already saturated by her. Bounding up from my crouch I launched up myself up on to the roof, inhaling the mostly unsaturated air to clear my head. Nearly running on air as I followed the giggling chatter of the girls below, oblivious to the monster following them above. I could hear every giggle and every useless errant thought they let bubble through their lips.
"Crap! Guys I left my jacket in the restaurant," cried out one of the girls.
"Ah, Lizzie!" cried out the girls in unison. Peeking over the ledge I could see them groaning as they turned around back toward the restaurant.
"No, no, keep going and I'll catch up," she waved them back. My lips curled up into a smile as my luck changed. Bounding back I followed off after her. I let her enter the restaurant as waited once again for the cotton candy scent that wafted off her. I heard her light hurried foot step approach me again.
This time I didn't hesitate as I coiled into the familiar crouch and sprang at her. Placing one hand over her mouth in an iron clad grasp. I heard her jaw crack under the weight, spreading the lovely warmth of pain under my cold stone hands. While my other arm crushed her waist as I forced her into my body. Her body was so deliciously warm against me. Feeling her pulse against my still body was exhilarating, just begging me to bite down and drink. Inhaling deeply I ran my cheek against her neck up her jaw line and back down to her neck again. Her body became ridged in fright as she uncontrollably responded to my touch in a flood of goose bumps. I sensed her looking at me trying to twist from my grasp on her. Reaffirming my grasp on her I straightened her out.
"Uh, uh," I purred. "My momma said never to play with my food."
Growling in delight I licked her neck before going in for the kill I shuddered as I heard the tear of the girl's skin. It was a soft, wet, moist sound of a tear. Shock taking over she went limp in my hands as began to drink deep from her frail little body. It was only the matter of a few seconds in which it all happened and I could hear the mob of girls about to pass by me and my meal. Quietly I began to back away from the light. But in pursuit of my prize, my honed in vision, I had somehow missed the glass bottle at her feet. I hissed in anger, but it was too late. At that moment, the girls had passed by my alley way. One of them hearing the bottle fall looked and took in the sight of me clutching my prey. No sooner had it happened she let loose one of those blood curdling screams you only heard in the movies. Before the rest could turn to see me I had dragged us behind the dumpster.
"Oh em gee! Someone has Lizzie!" she screeched.
"Stop being such a drama queen Tammy," sighed one of the girls.
"No I swear! Someone has Lizzie," I could hear her tugging on someone's sleeve. Quickly I worked to gulp down my meal. As I tried I could hear one them digging around in their purse. Followed by the uncapping of something. Internally I groaned. Why couldn't they just go away? I spied a faint glow come down the alley way while a canister was being shook. I heard the faint hiss of a canister, followed by the scent of mace. Really a group of four girls, armed with a cell phone light and a can of mace? What was the matter with kids these days, scampering off into dark ally ways after some bad guy with nothing but mace to protect them...
I had nearly drained the girl, so I let her go and flew up and over the building side. I raced over the roof tops, putting distance between them and me. Within a few moments I heard the young terrified screams echo after me. No doubt they had found her body.
Now that I had a sweet snack, it was time to fulfill that other nagging thought I was having. What was I? Did those human myths hold any weight? It was time for a little light night research.