Preface
In the darkness his canines glistened like two porcelain toothpicks, both fragile and strong. They slowly extended down from his upper jaw as he readied himself to sink them into the woman’s soft pliable flesh. She didn’t look frightened at all in the dark alley, but like all the others he had drunk from before, she wouldn’t be scared until the sharp objects punctured her femoral artery. She only knew the pleasure from her chosen man of the night.
As much as I abhorred men who used women in such a way, this particular act angered me. I had been chasing this guy for months now, and I finally had him within my grasp. He was particular about whom he took blood from, but this night he chose one of the street walkers. Despite the fact this woman probably deserved what was coming, I couldn’t turn away. She had no idea what he had in store for her.
I was their protector – the humans, the ones who were unaware of the dangers from the night. Despite my objections, I couldn’t turn my back on the girl for how she earned her living, even though this act disgusted me.
The seconds ticked by as he took his time. I would only get myself involved if he seriously drank her blood, but as the time passed his fangs retracted. It seemed that he toyed with her skin or my thoughts, however disturbing it was. There was a possibility I had chased the wrong guy after all, but my intuition told me I was right. I waited for the woman to take her cash and leave before I headed for the motel I stayed in. Just because he didn’t drink from her this night didn’t mean that he would act differently another night. But until I finally caught him in the abhorring act, I wouldn’t dare harm him.
It didn’t take me long to reach the rented room. The place was run-down, one of the cheapest I could find. A rusted sign outside my door was missing a few letters and had a broken light on the E. Inside I would find a full size bed with a duvet that looked like it belonged in the 1960’s, complete with vomit green carpet and a lamp missing its shade on the bedside table. The bathroom was worse off than the bedroom. Mold and rust covered the tile on the floor and around the rim of the bathtub. The ivory toilet looked nicer compared to the yellowish tint the washbasin displayed.
Normally I double checked whether or not the cleaning staff had been by, but earlier I had placed a placard on the doorknob, as I didn’t want anyone venturing inside by accident. I opened the door and walked in, satisfied that my privacy had been maintained. Before my eyes had time to adjust to the dark, a hand reached out and latched around my neck. The unknown assailant flipped me upside down and my back collided with the rock hard mattress in a flash. The intruder crept up on top of my body, pinning me. As his face neared mine, I recognized the man. He was the same man from before, in the alley, the one I had been following. He must’ve known what I was up to. He must’ve known where I stayed and came here after I failed to act. Now I was trapped.
He didn’t speak any words at all, but extended his fangs once more and prepared himself for the kill. As his mouth neared my neck I only saw those porcelain white toothpicks, both so strong and yet so fragile.
