prologue
The sun was about to set, and so was the panic in Ava’s heart when she realized there was no shelter in sight. Her knees suddenly felt weak. It was only about time she collapsed from exhaustion. A wolf’s howl could be heard nearby, but it wasn’t the wolves themselves she was scared of.
Her curly hazel brown hair was covering her red face, as the wind blew. She stopped to take a short break and picked off the bits and pieces of small leaves and branches that had been tangled up between the locks.
A bit further from her in the labyrinth of trees she saw the silhouette of a deer feeding on the dead grass. And then BANG! A gunshot, which startled both of them. Ava ran, though her body was so weak, she could barely stand on her own two legs. Before long she lost her balance and fell on the cold, hard ground. On the brink of starvation, face covered in dirt, clothes tattered and body stained by bruises, her only thoughts were:
“Oh, God. At least let it be quick.”
Before the girl lost consciousness, she heard footsteps drawing near her. They were of a person dragging something behind them. The picture became blurry as her mind faded.
Upon awakening, she found herself in the living room of a small house in the woods. Night she had set in. The clock on the wall, illuminated by candlelight was showing 2 am. The poor thing hadn’t found the slightest opportunity to lay her head on something soft and rest for nearly a week. Ava was tempted to turn to the other side to continue with her slumber and wasn’t it for the figure staring at her, she would have done so.
Sitting on the armchair was a man with long black hair. Eyes like two emeralds, that can pierce through your soul. His linen shirt was unbuttoned at the neck, the lower end tucked into his trousers. His clothes looked rather formal, for someone living in the woods and he was perhaps dressed this way to leave a good impression on his newfound company.
“I see, you are finally awake.” He smiled. “You must be famished. Mind if you join me for supper?” He pointed at the table, where there was a plate of deer meat with a side of vegetables.
Ava’s eyes grew wide at the sight. She could barely hold herself from salivating after she hadn’t seen food in so long and didn’t waste time before digging in. It was only moments after that she realized:
“My clothes...” she said faintly with slight confusion in her voice.
“I changed them for you while you were sleeping. Don’t get the wrong idea. I just didn’t want you to dirty my furniture.” He explained, before taking a sip of his cup. “My name is Lynn, by the way. Sorry for not introducing myself earlier.”
“... Ava.” Her head was swarming with questions, but her mouth was preoccupied with finishing her meal. After a long break, she mustered: “Why did you save me?”
“Could I just leave behind a fellow human? It would be a shame if the beasts tore to shreds that pretty little face of yours.”
“But isn’t that what other people do these days? I’ve rarely seen anyone take off their time to take care of a stranger.”
“I am not like other people.” He paused. “Plus, I didn’t drag you here simply out of courtesy. ” He leaned back on his chair and took another sip, swirling his drink as he spoke. “Take a look around you. Does anything leave an impression?”
She didn’t notice it earlier, but the windows were sealed shut, so no light could pass through. On the kitchen shelf, there could be spotted various cups, glasses, and bottles, but only one other plate if we didn’t count the one she was eating from. Finally, she caught a glimpse of the contents of her host’s cup. As one might expect, it was too unusual for someone to drink red wine out of a coffee cup. But upon closer look, the red liquid in it appeared too thick to be wine.
Ava suddenly stood up and backed away. Her body froze as she muttered:
“You are-”
“A vampire. No need to make a big deal about it. I mean no harm.”
Shaken, she searched around for a weapon. The closest thing she could find was a pocket knife, left on the wooden table next to the couch. Although she already knew it wouldn’t be enough to fight off a vampire, the illusion of safety it gave her was enough to help with keep her composure.
“If I wanted to kill you, wouldn’t I have done it already?” Continued Lynn keeping his casual tone of voice.
“Maybe you like to play with your food. How would I know?” She said pointing the blade at him. It was her first time encountering the real deal. In the town she was from there were only stories floating around about these creatures of the night. The place was well guarded enough, so she didn’t have the misfortune to meet one face to face.
“The common folk may paint us as nothing more than bloodthirsty monsters, but I can assure you that’s not the case for all of us. Ideally, we would like to coexist with you humans, but unfortunately, we do need your blood to survive.” He started walking slowly towards her, still keeping a friendly smile, which to the girl seemed nothing more than sinister, now that she was unsure of her host’s real motives. The man gently removed the knife from Ava’s trembling hands, retrieved the blade back in its hilt, and placed it on the table. “Now that we’ve laid our cards on the table, I think it’s time for you to tell me all about your secret.”
Disclaimer:
This story contains content that isn’t suitable for all readers. If movies like Old Boy, The Last House on the Left, Carrie, Berserk, or any other similar pieces of media don’t leave you utterly broken and in need of several years of therapy, then please continue. In the case they do - read something less depressing, this is not for you.
Another disclaimer:
Unlike other books, this one is written more in the same fashion as a screenplay. There isn’t a single unnecessary scene (yes even the spicy ones), so I’ll ask you as you continue reading to pay attention to detail since it’s important to the story.
