Life's As Fun As Ya Make It.

Your stomach panged again making you hunch over, you knew what you needed but it was so late. You move to the center of the old cathedral and slouch over the steps of a small stage in the middle. You groan and cut your losses, maybe if you were lucky your sire would come so you could punish him for being late.

“Help! Someone please!” Your voice is raspy and weak, the perfect damsel in distress. You were a small dainty flower but also the poisonous snake beneath it.

That’s when you hear it, a heartbeat. Some living thing nearby. 

“Hello? Where are you?” a man's voice echoed into the cathedral.

You almost wanted to snicker at how stupidly convenient this all was, you felt an excitement in reeling in this human your prey right into your trap.

“I’m over here!” You try to act frail and helpless.

The man walks over, he doesn’t look very old but also not very young. You remember where you are, and that everything comes with a price here. This man could genuinely help you but he could also make an attempt to mug you. You hoped for the later, as it would soften the blow on your conscience.

“Now what’s a girl like you doing out so late?” He tilts his head and offers his hand. Your heart flutters and it’s almost as if you’re human again but the thoughts you’re thinking are quite the opposite.

“I’m a bit of an urban explorer” You lied, “I tripped over some broken concrete and messed up my ankle”

“A pity” the man says as he pulls you up, as you reach your feet the man attempts to shift you unawares and tries to point you back into the concrete.

“Idiot” you hiss and counter his attempt. You throw him on the broken pundit that’s laying across the stage.

“What the hell?” The man pants, terrified as if he’s seen a monster.

“Trying to mug a woman while she’s down, that’s low” gritting your teeth, your gums are throbbing. You’re so hungry and livid, “Not that I’m surprised though”

“What, what are you?” He begs.

“Karma perhaps? Or maybe a just a nightmare” You lurch closer to him, "Unfortunately for you I’m very hungry”

You pin him to the pundit, you can hear his heart racing. For you, this is your first time feeding yet you feel like it’s been natural to you forever. You feel needles forcing themselves through the gums above your canines. You drive those ‘needles’ your fangs into the man's throat, he lets out a loud curdling scream. You place one hand on his left shoulder to stabilize yourself and the other hand covers his mouth to muffle his screams. You moan in satisfaction, his blood rushes from his throat and down yours. You feel a cooling sensation in your throat. That irritating and dry feeling is now completely gone. You clench down harder, a faint growl escaping you. The man's screams cease and he doesn’t have any more strength to fight you. You press him farther onto the pundit, the position change causes some of his blood to escape from himself and your mouth. It begins making a mess but at this point you don’t care, you couldn’t care less. Your thoughts only consisted of completely draining him until there is nothing left. You feel euphoric, you feel full and you don’t care about what you had to do to achieve it. You would do it again and again, to anything and to anyone. Everything was a dark and red blur, a violent and numb abyss. Until a voice pulled you right out of your trip.

“Now this isn’t you at all sweetie” A deep voice rattled into your ears more clearer and crisp than ever, so powerful it immediately sobered you up. 

You unclench your jaw from the man's throat and turn around slowly, that ecstatic feeling replaced with anger for the owner of that voice. You stagger backward and slouch to the side.

“Oh look who finally decided to show up” you hiss.

Sylus stands about 10 feet away from you yet you can see him crystal clear. He looks nonchalant as if nothing is wrong. You walk slowly down the staircase like a prowling cat.

“I know kitten, I fucked up” He meets you in the middle and grasps the bottom of your chin. He turns your face and admires you like he sculpted you himself.

You pull his arm down, “What are you looking at? Idiot” You snarl.

He merely giggles at your remark, he quite enjoys it when you insult him. He can’t be mad,  you have every right to be angry with him.

“Where have you been?” You encroach towards him, your emotions are tied between being furious at him but also wanting to rush into his arms and embrace him.

“I apologize, I know that means nothing at this point. I can assure you it was a matter I wish I could have ignored but I couldn’t. I figured I could just slip away and be back by the time you woke up but your body responded to the change very quickly” He rubs his pointer finger and thumb together like he’s putting out a miniscule fire.

“I needed you, and you weren’t there. How did you even find me?” Avoiding making eye contact, you look around bashfully.

“I followed the agonizing scream of course, and the smell of spilt blood” He smiles, “I figured, it might prove fruitful”

“So tell me, how did you even get here?” He surveys our environment.

How did you get here you thought, after feeding it was haze what even came before, you reach into your mind and pull out your story.

“Well as you know, you put Luke and Kieran on watch, when I woke up I was really hungry. I couldn’t bear to hurt them so I bolted out the window. Then I just ended up here” you gesture around you.

“And your prey?” He leans to the side to look at the man's body you drained like a juice pouch.

Shyly you add, “I pretended to be hurt and he showed up. He was going to take advantage of me anyways. I couldn’t resist anymore I had to-”

“Yes, I’m impressed. What a very vampire thing to do. You do what you need to do” He pets the top of your head. He stops and returns his hand to his side. You freeze and pick up on the sound of too fast heartbeats. 

Sylus sighs and grabs the bridge of his nose, “Luke, Kieran, you can come out, it practically sounds like your hearts are going to beat out of your ribcages”

“We're sorry Boss! We tried not to lose her, it won’t happen again!’ The two plead in unison.

“You’re right it won’t, because you won’t have to watch her again” He reassures them, “To make it up to me I need you to dispose of that body”

“Yes sir!” The twins rush over to grab the hands and feet of the man, the two are wearing masks but you can tell the two are looking at the gash you left in the man's neck. They don’t dwell on it for too long but you still feel some sort of embarrassment. Hoisting the man up they disappear into the corridor. Leaving the two of you alone again.

“Now let’s go home” He moves to put an arm around you, but you have other plans.

“Oh you’re not out of the woods yet! I’m still mad at you!” You moved out of his arms, folding your hands and turning your head away.

“I know you’re a fledgling but now you’re going to throw a fit like a child kitten?” He scoffs, “Do I need to throw you over my shoulder like one?”

“You can start by telling me what was so dire you had to leave my side” You pout.

“I will” he scoops you up from behind and cradles you with one hand, “I will tell you all about it while I clean you up”

You rest your left arm around his neck and your other arm against his broad chest. His scent feels like home, you’re not sure if it’s some sire placebo but you feel your anger towards him fade away.