Fallen Blood by Martin C. Sharlow

men's voices joining hers. It was only a matter of seconds before they would come into the house in search of him. Yet, a part of him didn't care. He wasn't sure how he expected her to react, but this wasn't it. So he stood there, playing over the last few minutes in his head, trying to see what exactly he had done wrong, and no matter how he looked at it, no matter which side he looked at it from, he still couldn't see it.

    Shaking his head, Brian walked to the bedroom closet. He could hear the police enter the house from the front door as he opened the closet and walked into it as he shut the door behind him.

    Well, he was certainly going to have to handle this differently the next time he talked to her, he thought. It was a good thing he had been right about the closet, it was so dark in it, he couldn't see a thing in here, but then, that was the point, wasn't it? The sound of someone in the bedroom came through the closed door. He clearly heard what he assumed was an officer say the word clear. First, he needed to eat and rest up just a bit. Not sleep, since he really didn't sleep any more. It was like food. He could eat it, and it would keep him alive, but he would start to get weaker and after a while regardless, his abilities would stop functioning. He wasn't sure how long that would go, or what would happen after that, as he really didn't like going without his special powers.

    The closet door flew open. A police officer pointed his gun into the closet, while he shined a bright flashlight with his other hand into it at the same time. Brian could see the stress and tension on the man's face as he shined the light into Brians face.

    "Clear!" The officer shouted, then moved out of the bedroom, followed by the other officer Brian couldn't see. He could smell, but not see. Their heightened tension had their hearts pumping like jackhammers in their chest, and their bodies gave off the smell of the one thing he needed at the moment. Still, he was just going to have to wait and get it once he could get back to his house. He had to admit, the thought had crossed his mind of just jumping out of the little closet and sinking his teeth into the startled police officer, and make it look like it was something out of a movie. That would really have given them something to talk about back at headquarters.

    Yeah, that would have been cool, except that he had no idea what would have happened if they shot him. As far as he knew, he could still be killed with a gun. After all, he had injured himself in the past and he had bled. He also healed, but not like how all those stories always talked about. No, he healed normally, just like everyone else, that was, until he ate. Once he consumed blood, everything changed. Since he didn't eat every day, in an attempt to ration what he had, it was two days until he had eaten the last time he'd injured himself, but once he had, the cut had not only healed, but literally sealed itself shut, leaving not even a scar, when the wound was clearly deep enough to leave one.

    The sound of Heather's voice announced her presence in the house. She was accompanied by several officers by the sound of it.

    "I'm telling you, he was here."

    "Well, he's not now. We're checking his house to see if he's over there. Do you wish to file a complaint against him?"

    "Yes, I mean no, I mean...I don't know."

    "Was he attempting to assault you, Ma'am?"

    "What...Brian? No, he was just..."

    "If he wasn't trying to hurt you, why did you call the police for help?"

    "I didn't. I was calling about my parents."

    "And where are they?"

    "I don't know, that's why I was calling."

    Brian heard the sound of a police radio going off, and a few seconds later the officer that had been questioning Heather spoke again.

    "Ma'am. were going to need you to come to the police station with us."

    An officer walked into the bedroom and looked around. Brian watched as he picked up a few things and looked at them, before putting them