Drawn to a Vampire (7 page)

I had to make this right.

I hunted, a
final free wild hunt.  And then I bathed in a stream, packed up my things, and headed for the city. 

It felt oppressive re-entering a built up area, being away from my connection to nature, but it also felt exciting, and that worried me.  That first night I didn’t spend trying to find Adam, I used it looking for a place I could crash in the daytime. 

I wandered the outskirts, in the early hours.  There were not many people out, and I was pleased I seemed to be resisting the desire to feed on those who were.  As the streets were nearly deserted I didn’t have to hide.  What I did do was listen out for their breathing, their heartbeats, in search of an abandoned house.  It took me a couple of hours to find what I was looking for – a small terraced Victorian house with boarded up windows – and with no sounds of habitation. 

I walked to the end of the terrace and then climbed over brick walls around the back, until I found the back of the abandoned house, and then I forced the door.  Inside it smelled damp and disused, and the boarded out windows shut out the city glow.  I reached for the light switch, but there was no electricity, so barely able to see anything, despite my vamp vision, I fumbled through the house and up the stairs, my footsteps making loud creeks on the exposed boards.  I found a bedroom.  There was no furniture, but tatty thick curtains hung at the windows, and I figured I could make this my city refuge. 

I took off my bag and then left the house for a final feed before bed.  I caught a wild fox, which made a not too bad snack, and then returned to the house before dawn.  I slept the day away.

That night I was pleased to discover the house did have running water.  I washed and groomed, etc. etc. – getting ready for my hunt for Adam.  I was thinking he’d go down the nightclub route – as I had on becoming newly turned.  Nightclubs were the perfect feeding ground for creatures of the night. 

On my way into the centre I kept an ear out for more foxes, definitely preferable to rats, and found there were plenty to keep me sustained.  I avoided clubs I’d frequented with my friends – too risky – but I didn’t have any luck in finding Adam.  I went into four clubs, surrounding myself with warm bodies, and I’ll admit I was tempted.  But I resisted. 

I did the same thing four nights in a row with no luck so I decided it was time for a different strategy.  I picked up the day’s papers from pubs and scoured them for stories of local killings.  It wasn’t long until I found what I was looking for.

Bodies had turned up drained of blood in the city.  Lots of bodies.  This was not fucking good.  Some of them had been near central nightclubs so I figured perseverance was the key.  That night I went to a large club near where two bodies had been found the night before.  It was a familiar place, I’d been there maybe ten times, so I kept my head low.  My heart pounded, ready to bolt if I saw a familiar face – other than Adam’s, of course.  There was an increased police presence in the city, so I was careful to avoid them, in case I was a wanted person, in case they recognised my face.

On the dance floor people gathered around me.  This happened every single time, which was kind of nice – getting lots of attention after being alone for so long – but also weird as I knew it wasn’t because they liked me, it was something about my vampire essence.  It made it tricky to see far through the crowds so I needed to keep moving.  That night I had no luck. 

The next night I went to the same place.  As I danced a very attractive man approached.  For a second I thought it was Adam as he also had scruffy hair and stubble, but this man was tall, maybe five inches taller than me, with a slim physique and a tight black t-shirt.  His eyes were an amazing blue. 

He smiled at me, raising his eyebrows, looking around at my fan club, as though amused.  He had a very sexy smile.  He slid his hands around my waist and I let him.  ‘What’s the harm in one dance?’  I thought.  And anyway, I wasn’t lusting after his blood.  Hmm … I was dancing close to this man … very close.  His hands were on me.  My nose was near his neck.  What was it about him?  His blood … it didn’t smell like everyone else’s.  No … it smelled like Adam’s.

Shite.

I looked into his eyes in shock.

“Are you…?”

He nodded, twirled me around … and then he was gone.

Shite tripled.  I’d just met another vampire for the first time.  Maybe not all the killings were by Adam.  How many vampires were in this city? 

As he left I looked the way he’d gone and saw a girl from college.  I quickly turned my back on her, praying she hadn’t seen me, and headed for the exit, where I literally collided with Adam.

“Hello Marilyn,” he said, smirking.

I caught my breath when I recognised him.  He looked just the same, except perhaps more smug.  I narrowed my eyes.

“You’re a bastard, you know that? I said.

He nodded, smiling slyly.  I wanted to say, ‘Fuck you’, kick him in the balls – and leave – but I figured that probably wasn’t the best way to get him to stop killing people.

“I need to talk to you,” I said.

He shrugged.  “Not sure there’s much to say, but sure.  Are you bringing the drinks?” he said, eyeing a young girl walking by.

“No.”

He gave a mock frown, and said, “Only kidding.”  I was pretty sure he wasn’t.

“Can we go somewhere, err, quieter?” I asked.

He shrugged again.  “Sure.”

I tried not to roll my eyes, he was ‘sure’ annoying now … had he been like this before, only we’d been in such a lust filled daze I hadn’t noticed?

We walked out of the club, through a few streets, and then down to the canal.  We walked in silence.  We sat on concrete steps by the path.  It wasn’t completely deserted, there were odd groups walking towards clubs further down the river, but we had the anonymity of darkness in our favour.

I sat there and turned to look at him.  He stared out at the water.  He was still good looking, but there was something different about his appearance.  Maybe it was just his expression, which was harder.  I wasn’t sure.

“Did I do something … wrong?” I asked.

“Ha!  Is this a breakup talk?”  He laughed.  Not in a good natured way.

“I can’t help but be interested,” I said bitterly.  “Why did you do it?  Why did you take that risk?  And why didn’t you tell me you were leaving?”

“Are you sure you want to know?”

“Yes.”

“After I found out what you were … I was so excited.  I thought it was my way out, so much more than I’d been looking for – a whole new life – a whole new existence!”

“But how did you know … that what you did … that it would work?”

“I didn’t, but I knew it was worth the risk.  I was bored of life.  I didn’t want to go home.  I wanted an adventure, and this is the ultimate adventure.”

“And why didn’t you say goodbye?”

“As if that isn’t obvious – all your feeding off animal blood nonsense – it was driving me insane.  I knew I needed to feed off humans, and I knew you’d try to stop me.”

“Too right.  So … is that what you’ve been doing … feeding off humans?  Killing people?”

He nodded.  He looked sly and proud.

“You make me feel sick.…”

“Oh really?  What if I do this?” he said, and he ran his hand up my leg and grinned at me – his eyes twinkling.

I pushed his hand away.  “You know that shit doesn’t work on other vampires.”

He shrugged.  “Oh well.”  He stood up.  “I’ll be seeing you.”

I stood too.  “Hey, you can’t leave!  We
need
to talk more.”

He stalked down the paved path by the river.  I ran after him, and grabbed his arm.

He turned at me and shook my hand off, his eyes blazing red.

I stepped back.  “You can’t be like this.  Come back with me,” I pleaded.  “I’ll help you learn to feed off animals again.  It really isn’t that bad when you get used to it.  It’s good.  It’s better than this,” I said, opening my arms, trying to encapsulate a life of stalking and killing.

“You don’t get it, do you?”

I shook my head.

“I like this life.  I chose it.  I am not going back with you!” he shouted, then his eyes flared red again, and he pushed me hard.

I flew backwards, and with a huge splash, I went under the water.  I hit the bottom with a jolt, pushed off hard with my feet, but when I came back up I was alone.   He’d fucking left me again.

I groaned loudly.  “Fuck!” I shouted.

I heard some people in the distance speed up – trying to get away from the freak that was me.

I figured I’d lost Adam as I couldn’t follow after him like this.  I’d draw too much attention to myself.  Seeing as I was in the water I thought I’d have my first try of swan blood.  I swam smoothly through the water and approached a swan sleeping on its nest, by the bank.  As I grabbed it, it came awake and tried to get me with its beak, making a high pitched noise, almost a hiss.  I held it firmly, and bit into the bottom of its neck. 

It soon relaxed – vampire pheromones obviously affected birds in the same way as mammals.  Its blood did taste different, quite zingy.  It made me feel as though I could fly too.  After that I soared home (well, to my daytime nook).  Soaring was as close as I could get to flight as my soar was a light footed, long leaping run.  I had my moment, felt wild and free, just for that time, but when I was home and dry I felt depressed.  Adam had no desire to change and I had no idea how I was going to make him see sense.

The next night I went back to the same bar in the hope I’d get another opportunity to talk to Adam, and I’ll admit I was intrigued whether I’d see that other vampire again.  But the first thing I did when I got to the club was not look for Adam or that other vampire, it was checking the coast was clear of anyone I used to know.  I saw the back of a girl with sleek black hair, and for a second I thought she was one of my old friends, Natalia.  I snuck around the edges until I could see her face, but she was a stranger.  I was getting paranoid. 

Then I felt I was being watched.  Like a prickling in the back of my neck.  I turned around, and there he was – the other vampire.  He shot me a grin, but then someone stepped in front of me, and when they’d moved past, the vampire had gone.

I danced until late, but I saw neither of the vampires I was hoping to see.  In the end I gave up and left the club.  I walked past some police, keeping my head low, but they didn’t even look my way.  I breathed a sigh of relief and picked up my pace, but a little further on I heard a noise … a moaning … a slurping. I sniffed and smelled blood. 

My heart jumped into my throat, and I soared towards the source of … whatever was happening.  I went around the corner and down a dark alley, and there was Adam, pumping into another woman, with his teeth in her neck.

Betrayal and disgust burned in my veins.

“Adam – stop!” I hissed, reaching him and yanking him back.  But he held on tight – neither his teeth nor his penis left her body.  He snarled as I tried to prize him off.  I could hear her heart rate slowing … this wasn’t working.  She was going to die.  She was dead!

Adam groaned and pulled himself out of her then, as she tumbled to the ground.  He zipped up his jeans and turned to face me.  There was blood on his lips, and his eyes still glowed, his expression dark.

“Want to try some?”

I shook my head, and stepped back.  “You’ve got to stop this,” I said.

“I’ve not got to do anything,” he said, and then the next words he uttered he said slowly, articulating each sound, “I can do whatever I like.  Whoever I like.”  He looked me up and down.  “Whatever I like,” he repeated, leering.

“That’s not true!  These are people Adam.  Don’t you feel … guilty?  Sorry?”

He shook his head.  “Nope.  And you shouldn’t either.  Why don’t you join me in our next feed?”  He winked at me, the leer back.  “It could be fun.”

“I don’t think so Adam.”

He stepped closer to me.  “Are you quite sure?” he said, cocking his head.

“Yes.”

“Well then,” he said.  “Goodbye.”  He said it flatly, like he’d never cared one way or the other.  Then he was gone.  Again.

I glanced down at the girl, and ran from the scene myself.  I couldn’t be seen there. 

I didn’t follow Adam.  It appeared he was stronger than me, and had no desire to change.  If I tried to stop him taking a victim in a club it would draw attention and I could get caught.  What if … what if the only way … if the vampire myths were true … if I could find a wooden stake….

The thought filled me with horror.  Adam was a vampire.  Like me.  But I had felt remorse, and it appeared he felt none.  He had been a person.  If I killed him it would be murder.  I did not want to kill anyone else.  But if I killed him it would save lives.

What if that was the only way?

I didn’t go
back to the bar, instead I went back to the house.  On the way I drank the blood from city foxes.  At the house, thankfully just as deserted as when I’d found it, I lay back on my makeshift bed, my mind racing.  Well, it was weird, it was kind of racing, and kind of numb, at the same time.  I know that doesn’t sound possible, but it’s how it felt. 

Whether I could kill Adam, and the repercussions of it if I didn’t, dominated my thoughts. 

Eventually, as the sun began to rise, I slipped into a fraught sleep.  I dreamed I was searching for Adam, but after looking and looking, I finally found him.  But my stake was gone – I’d lost it.  Instead of me staking him, he attacked me, and I awoke as he sank his fangs into my neck.  My eyes shot open, but I was alone in the room.  Eventually I slipped back into sleep, but my dream repeated, one way or another, until night time arrived.

When I woke up I felt on edge, like I was at a crux, like it was going to be me or Adam that survived this.  And I had no clue which of us it would be.

Washing, dressing, and hunting done, I hit the town.  On my way I walked a longer route, taking back alleys behind residential streets, looking for something I could fashion into a stake.  I found a big yellow skip containing goods from a house clear.  Pushing a knackered and old sofa aside, I found a wooden chair.  I broke off the legs near the joints, causing the wood to splinter.  It created a stake of sorts, a splintery wooden spike. 

I broke each leg, creating the same effect, and tucked the two strongest stakes into the inner pocket of my leather jacket.  It felt slightly awkward and bulky, but it was something … someway … a way that might just work.

I returned to the same club again.  I repeated the same pattern – searching for familiar faces, dancing, looking for those two vampires.  I danced, surrounded by people, by attention.  I danced and danced and danced, and eventually one of those vamps was before me, but not the one I was hunting.

He stood before me and grinned.

“Hi again,” I said, smiling tentatively back, after-all I had no idea what ‘type’ of vamp this guy was – he could be just like Adam.  He certainly had the eye twinkling thing going for him.  And his smile was definitely alluring.

“Hello,” he said, and he had a very sexy voice.  Damn him!  I was supposed to be concentrating on finding Adam.  He started to dance, close to me, and I couldn’t help but move with him.  He was interesting … a fluid dancer.  Commanding.  I hardly had to think about how I moved, I just moved with him.  He met my eye and smirked, and I felt myself flush.

“Can we go somewhere?” I said, and then I figured that sounded like I wanted to … you know … get it on … and I flushed again.  What was with me?  Recently I’d been so in control … taking charge … not caring what anyone thought.  But this guy.…  “I mean … to talk,” I quickly added.

He chuckled, and I went even redder.  “Where would you like to go?”

Umm … I looked around, through the crowd we had dancing around us I could just about see an empty bench near the edge.  I nodded that way, and he followed me.  I sat down first and he sat very close, so his knee was an inch from mine.  I was very conscious of it.

He smiled at me, his blue eyes twinkling.  Again.  “What would you like to discuss?”

“I’m looking for someone … someone else like … us.  Are there many of us here?”

He shook his head.  “I think I know who you mean – a man – my age-ish, hair colour … stubbly …”

I nodded.

“He’s the only one of us I’ve seen.  Apart from you.”

“Right.  Well – have you seen him here tonight?”

“Nope.”  He grinned.  “Looks like you’re stuck with me.”

“Ha ha,” I said, but I did give in and smile a little.  His knee brushed against mine and my leg tingled pleasantly.

He grinned.  Then his smile fell away and he looked vulnerable.  “So … this guy … are you two, err, involved?”

I shook my head, and I was amused, and a little excited, to see that he looked relieved.  I decided right then I was going to risk being entirely honest – that way I’d get a better idea what this guy was really like.  “We’re not … but we were.  I was lonely … living in the woods … feeding off animals.  I approached him at a campsite.  He was human.”

This vamp watched me avidly as I spoke – when I said ‘feeding off animals’ his eyes widened.

“I wanted company, and, well, you know how it is … don’t you?” I said, suddenly uncertain.

He nodded, all seriousness now.

“Well – we had a relationship, I suppose, although obviously he had no choice in the matter … but then I lost it, and fed off him … and then he nearly died, so I fed him my blood.…”

“Did you change him?”  He looked aghast.

“No!  He killed himself.”  I fell silent.

“Fuck.”

“You could say that.  Then I tried to teach him to be like me … feed off animals.…  But he left while I was sleeping.  I guess … you probably know what he’s like….”

“Yes, I’ve seen him in action.”  He didn’t look as though he approved.

“Is that what you’re like?” I asked, and felt a lump in my throat as I said it.

He shook his head.  “No way.  But I’m not … not as good as you.  I did kill.  The first few days … but since then I’ve learned I can stop.  Feed and not kill.  It didn’t even occur to me to try living off animal blood.”  He paused.  “What’s it like?”

I shrugged.  “Fine.”  And then I smiled.  “It’s great actually.  It’s not as, umm, seductive.  Not at all seductive in fact.  But it is nourishing.  And it doesn’t make me feel like a shite person.  Vampire.”  I looked into his eyes, and he met my gaze, transfixed.  “Do you want to try it?” I asked.

“What?  Now?”

“Sure.  Adam’s not here, so why not?”

“OK then.”  He stood, and gave me a vibrant smile.  It made my insides feel funny.

I stood too, feeling uncertain.  We left the dark and noisy club, and went out into the just as dark, but far quieter, streets.  My uncertainty increased.  This guy was sexy.  And nice.  And wanted to be good. 

Or did he?  What if he was just having a laugh?  I didn’t know my place with this guy.  I was sure intrigued though.  But what if … if he was just doing this to get in my pants….  Hmm … not that that would be such a bad thing, I figured, glancing at his face, his body….

He caught me looking and I blushed.

He smiled.  “So … why are you looking for this guy?”

“Adam?”  He looked confused, so I elaborated – “The other vampire?”

He nodded.

“I’m not sure how you will react to this,” I said.

“Try me.”

“Well … I can’t let him keep killing all these people.  I tried to talk to him … but he doesn’t want to change.  I don’t know what else there is to do….”

“You’re planning on killing him,” he said.  It wasn’t a question.

I nodded helplessly.

I looked up at him – trying to gauge his reaction.  His jaw was set.

“It makes sense.  I think I’d do the same … if I was in your situation.”

“You would?”

He nodded, and then glanced away, looking thoughtful.  He looked back at me, his blue eyes shining.  “I could help you.”

I shook my head.  “Thank you though.  But I feel that this is my problem … my fault … and the risk of sorting it out should be left to me.”

“Well, I’m here.  If you change your mind.”

I smiled at him.  “Thank you.”

“No worries.”

“So, how about you?  What’s your story?” I said.

He shrugged … and looked away again.  “I’ve been this way for about a year.  I move from city to city in the hope I won’t get caught.”

“Have you ever changed anyone?”

“No, no way.  I couldn’t do that … for the reasons you’re saying – in case they turned out like Adam.”

“At least you’re not like that.”

He looked at me sideways.  “Nor you.”

I held his gaze, and the air felt full of static, of potential, and of understanding.  We smiled at each other weakly, and walked on, down to the canal that Adam had pushed me into the night before.

“What was your life like before you were changed?” I asked.

“It was good.  I had a job.  A girlfriend.”  His eyes welled up.  “She was my first victim,” he said bitterly.  “That took a long time to get over.  I still haven’t gotten over it, in fact.”

“Yes, I killed my best friend.  I haven’t forgiven myself.”

He took my hand as we walked and gave it a reassuring squeeze.  I felt disappointed when he let my hand go.

We took a left turn, and I heard the heartbeat of a fox not far off, down an alley, and as I stopped, so did he.

“Are you ready?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Expand your senses out until you hear the heartbeat of a fox – there’s one nearby.  Then go for it.”

I watched his face as he closed those gorgeous blue eyes.  His eyelashes were thick and dark.  His skin pale, of course, but not as pale as mine.  He didn’t look like a vampire!  But as he ran around a corner, his speed was incredible, and his vampire-ness could not be doubted. I followed, and watched as he lunged onto a fox, grabbing it and biting into its neck.  He drank, then let the animal go, and it skittered away.  Alive.

He stood up straight and wiped a little blood off the side of his mouth.  Then looked at me.

I laughed.  “It’s not that bad!”

He chuckled.  “I guess not.  I think I could get used to it.”

“Really?”

“Yes.  It makes sense.  I would be glad to stop feeding on humans.  Let’s try it again.”

We spent the next hour hunting together, before walking back to the river.  He took my hand, brought it up to his lips, and kissed it.  I shivered with pleasure.

“What was that for?” I said.

“Thank you,” he said, “for showing me a different way of living.”

“It can get lonely,” I said, without thinking.

He grinned at me.  “It won’t if we stick together.”

I looked into his eyes, assessing him.  Was he serious?  This guy, this
nice
guy, a nice
vampire
, wanted to get to know me.  And I liked him.  And I sure fancied him.  I felt the first spark of hope I’d felt in a long time, and I smiled at him, hoping that this time it was
my
eyes that were twinkling.  I wasn’t sure if he was interested in me as a friend, or as more, and I knew what I wanted.  After our hunt I was feeling reckless.  I stepped closer to him and his blue eyes widened, and I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the lips, then I leaned back so I could see his expression.  He was smiling broadly. 

Phew. 

He wrapped me in his arms and I rested my head on his shoulder.  And we just stood right there, like that, as time passed.  I breathed him in, and he smelled so good.  He had the sweet scent of a vampire but also something more, something that was just him, very masculine and sexy.  He felt solid.  A lifeline, and I didn’t want to let go, but …

“It’s not that long till dawn,” I said.  “Can I … can I show you where I’m staying?  In case … for some reason we can’t go back to the same club….”

He nodded, smiling at me.  He had a permanent smile etched onto his face.  I did too, but I was also worried about what was to come.  Worried about Adam and how our fight would go down.

We walked back to the house I was living in in near silence.  It wasn’t awkward exactly, it was charged, and felt exciting.  I was buzzing.  When we got to the back entrance I turned to him and said, “Goodbye.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, and it was full of meaning.  His eyes told me how he felt.

And I wanted to see him then, but – “I …”

The smile fell from his face at my hesitation.

“Tomorrow night I’m going to look for Adam … but will you wait for me?  Don’t go leaving the city, not until you find out if I’ve survived … or not.  I’d like to see you again.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll be seeing me.  I have faith in you.”  Then his grin returned, and this time it had a cheeky edge.  “I don’t even know your name!”

“It’s Marilyn.”

“Peter,” he said, and he held his hand out.

I shook it, and tingles of pleasure shot up my arm.  I so didn’t want him to go … but I felt I really needed to sort out the Adam mess before I got involved with anyone … and I felt … I hoped … that this guy, Peter, that he was a long term thing.

“I’ll be seeing you,” he said.

I watched him leave, then, still buzzing, went to lie down for the day … and that night my dreams were quite different ;-)