IM01 - Carpe Noctem by Katie Salidas

temporarily relieving my de-hydration. I sat under the spout, soaking up all of the water until the warmth ran out.
    It wasn’t until I finished showering and dried off that I realized I didn't have any clean clothes. The only items of clothing I had were the blood-spotted ones I’d been wearing since the night before.
    “I’m not wearing these dirty things for the rest of eternity,” I grumbled to the empty room. So far, immortality wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.
    The house was still quiet. Lysander hadn’t returned, and I was beginning to feel desperate. The water’s hydrating effect had vanished as soon as I stepped out of the shower and the parched and itchy feeling returned with a vengeance. My throat dried out; each breath I took burned as if a blow dryer were aimed directly into my mouth. I needed something to quench the fire.
    I turned on the faucet, plunged my hands into the cold water and gorged myself on it as it pooled into my cupped hands. The flavorless liquid cooled the burning. But that victory was short-lived. Within a few seconds of savoring my relief, I was hunched over the toilet, throwing it all back up.
    My body wanted nothing to do with this liquid. Like a horrible punishment, the nagging ache of thirst returned worse than before. Lysander’s words were true; only blood would stop this pain. The ache filled every part of me.
    Defeated, I gave in to the thought I’d been trying to avoid.
    I need blood. 
    Lysander still had not returned. Past desperation—unable to sit around waiting any longer—I willed myself to get up off the bathroom floor, and put my blood-spotted clothes back on.
    I walked outside, determined to find something to end my suffering. The night air smelled fresh, clean, and welcoming. It had an energizing effect on me. Looking up, I spotted the full moon. There wasn’t a cloud in sight to hide any of its light. It shone clear and bright in the darkened sky.
    Sucking in a deep breath, I noted a variety of scents. Never before had I been able to discern so many different smells at once: pine trees, fresh-cut grass, roses in a nearby garden, and the oily, tar smell of the asphalt in the street. Each one was distinctive and enhanced by my new sense of smell. There was something else too, an enchanting, musky perfume wafted through the air.
    Mmm, what is that?
    Looking around, I spotted the owner of the scent; a stray dog, wandering down the street.
    I sniffed the air again noting how the smell faded as the dog walked further away.
    Instinct told me to follow the scent . No way. I’m not doing that. Ewww. I shook my head. I am not chasing down a stray dog. I don’t care how good it smells.
    I breathed through my mouth, attempting to avoid smelling that wonderful, tempting aroma again.
    Walking down the street, I looked for signs, hoping to get my bearings and recognize something.
    Maybe I can get to my apartment, and pick up some clean clothes and money. Maybe even find something my stomach will accept as food.
    I didn’t want to think of blood and killing, but the nagging thirst wouldn’t stop.
    Maybe I’m going about this all wrong. If I’m stuck with drinking blood, maybe there’s a way to do it without killing.
    Spotting a street sign ahead of me and quickened my pace toward it.
    What if I could get blood from a butcher? The animals it came from would already be dead.
    I smiled, feeling very smart for coming up with this new idea.
    Now, I just need to figure out where I am .
    Lysander’s neighborhood was quiet, and I didn’t recognize any of the street signs. I was used to my inner-city apartment enclave just outside of the college. This was nothing like that. This was a nice, middle-class neighborhood filled with one- and two-story homes.
    As was typical of suburban homes, they all looked alike. This neighborhood was no exception; it was filled with pink, Spanish tile roofs and white-and-cream stucco walls. The only thing distinguishing one house from the