He was feverishly scanning the woods, searching for my soon-to-be victim. I closed my eyes, allowing the bloodlust to take over. I felt the intoxicating scent of human blood slither through my body like a venomous snake, wrapping around my organs and refusing to let go. The smell was so strong, so powerful; I hoped it would serve as a guide.
“Follow me,” I said, opening my eyes. I wasn’t exactly sure where the vampire was making its kill, but the aroma of free-flowing blood was strongest in one direction, so I made the snap decision to follow it.
“Whoa,” Chance said, his voice full of nervous surprise. He stood motionless, staring down at me.
“What?” I asked, confused by the look on his face. He was ogling me like I was some sort of freak. I mean, I was a freak, but I didn’t think I looked like one.
“Your eyes,” he answered, almost in a whisper. His face was twisted with confusion, much like you’d see on someone at a county fair trying to guess the number of jelly beans in the jar.
“What’s wrong with them?” He was really starting to freak me out. For a second I actually was able to ignore the blood calling out to me. At that moment, I was only concerned with why he all of a sudden seemed repulsed by me.
“They’re glowing .” He moved closer, studying my eyes like a map. He brought his hand up to my face, and my first instinct was to pull away, but I didn’t. I let him brush over my eyes with his hand, flinching at the jolt of his touch. He moved to the skin on my cheek, all the while keeping his gaze locked on my eyes. “Amazing,” he added after a few more seconds. When I realized that I actually could have stood there forever with his hand caressing my face, I jerked away. Chance didn’t seem to notice so I played it off.
“Uh, thanks,” I said when I couldn’t think of a better response. “Now let’s go.” I took off in a slow sprint, Chance fast on my heels. I followed tiny, nature-made pathways slicing through the thick brush of the forest, ignoring the tiny nicks I was getting from briers and thorny vines that jutted out in my way. I was solely focused on finding the source of the blood. I let the smell of it guide me, hoping I was going in the right direction. I had to see it for myself, see if I would want to drink it as badly if I actually saw it spurting from the neck of a human. I would occasionally glance over my shoulder as I pounded through the woods to make sure Chance hadn’t fallen behind. His face showed signs of fatigue, but he was keeping up perfectly; just one more mysterious thing about him.
We made it to the edge of a small clearing deep in the woods before I came to an abrupt stop. My entire body locked and I instinctively threw my arm out to my side. Chance nearly fell down when he hit it.
“Wait,” I whispered, my voice so low even I had trouble hearing it. Thankfully Chance had enough common sense to know that’s what I meant when I stopped him. He stood tall and rigid next to me, the only movement the rapid rise and fall of his heaving chest. I noticed that I wasn’t breathing hard at all—apparently another benefit of my new life as a monster. I crouched down low, my senses precisely focused. I could actually hear everything : Birds in the trees; crickets and mosquitoes busily toiling away at their respective duties; the labored breathing and thrumming heartbeat of a human in distress. My ears perked up and I became rock-solid still, not even allowing myself to breathe as I listened to the sound of death slowly creeping in.
“Stay here,” I told Chance as I stood back up. He didn’t protest, remaining perfectly still. I could sense, however, his reluctance to let me go out into the clearing alone. His concern gave me the strength I needed to face what I had to do. I decided during my run through the woods that I would look at the challenge Aldric threw in front of me from a different angle. Instead of seeing it as killing people
“Follow me,” I said, opening my eyes. I wasn’t exactly sure where the vampire was making its kill, but the aroma of free-flowing blood was strongest in one direction, so I made the snap decision to follow it.
“Whoa,” Chance said, his voice full of nervous surprise. He stood motionless, staring down at me.
“What?” I asked, confused by the look on his face. He was ogling me like I was some sort of freak. I mean, I was a freak, but I didn’t think I looked like one.
“Your eyes,” he answered, almost in a whisper. His face was twisted with confusion, much like you’d see on someone at a county fair trying to guess the number of jelly beans in the jar.
“What’s wrong with them?” He was really starting to freak me out. For a second I actually was able to ignore the blood calling out to me. At that moment, I was only concerned with why he all of a sudden seemed repulsed by me.
“They’re glowing .” He moved closer, studying my eyes like a map. He brought his hand up to my face, and my first instinct was to pull away, but I didn’t. I let him brush over my eyes with his hand, flinching at the jolt of his touch. He moved to the skin on my cheek, all the while keeping his gaze locked on my eyes. “Amazing,” he added after a few more seconds. When I realized that I actually could have stood there forever with his hand caressing my face, I jerked away. Chance didn’t seem to notice so I played it off.
“Uh, thanks,” I said when I couldn’t think of a better response. “Now let’s go.” I took off in a slow sprint, Chance fast on my heels. I followed tiny, nature-made pathways slicing through the thick brush of the forest, ignoring the tiny nicks I was getting from briers and thorny vines that jutted out in my way. I was solely focused on finding the source of the blood. I let the smell of it guide me, hoping I was going in the right direction. I had to see it for myself, see if I would want to drink it as badly if I actually saw it spurting from the neck of a human. I would occasionally glance over my shoulder as I pounded through the woods to make sure Chance hadn’t fallen behind. His face showed signs of fatigue, but he was keeping up perfectly; just one more mysterious thing about him.
We made it to the edge of a small clearing deep in the woods before I came to an abrupt stop. My entire body locked and I instinctively threw my arm out to my side. Chance nearly fell down when he hit it.
“Wait,” I whispered, my voice so low even I had trouble hearing it. Thankfully Chance had enough common sense to know that’s what I meant when I stopped him. He stood tall and rigid next to me, the only movement the rapid rise and fall of his heaving chest. I noticed that I wasn’t breathing hard at all—apparently another benefit of my new life as a monster. I crouched down low, my senses precisely focused. I could actually hear everything : Birds in the trees; crickets and mosquitoes busily toiling away at their respective duties; the labored breathing and thrumming heartbeat of a human in distress. My ears perked up and I became rock-solid still, not even allowing myself to breathe as I listened to the sound of death slowly creeping in.
“Stay here,” I told Chance as I stood back up. He didn’t protest, remaining perfectly still. I could sense, however, his reluctance to let me go out into the clearing alone. His concern gave me the strength I needed to face what I had to do. I decided during my run through the woods that I would look at the challenge Aldric threw in front of me from a different angle. Instead of seeing it as killing people
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