1 comments/ 4630 views/ 2 favorites Life of a Deadman By: thesinofme Author's Note: This is a re-post of my previous and first submission. This time 'round, it has been revised, changed and lengthened. I hope you enjoy it. Also, there is NO sex in this first chapter, and there may not be any in any further chapters, I don't know yet. If you are looking for a quick wank, then look elsewhere; if you want a good story, read on. Oh yeah, don't forget, this piece is only allowed on Literotica. My Introduction to Death The ringing of my seldom used cell phone startled me out of my stupor; I had been aimlessly watching the TV and had begun to space out, thinking about nothing at all, letting the drone of commercials slowly hypnotize me. I didn't bother checking the caller ID. "Hello?" ... "Oh, hi, How are you?" ... "A favor? That depends, what is it?" ... "You know I don't –" ... "Yes you are my friend, but you don't need to worry about me." ... "Do I have to dress up? Is it black tie?" ... "No that doesn't mean I'll go. Why don't you ask somebody else who likes going out?" ... "Egh... alright. I'll go." ... "Seven? Alright, see you then. Yeah, bye." I put the phone down, wondering what I had gotten myself into. But, maybe the night won't be so bad, I reasoned. It's just a ball, after all. I'll just go drink out on the balcony and let her do whatever it is she does. If only I knew what I really was getting into... ******************* Bright colors, fancy clothes... So many unknown faces. "Why did I let her drag me here?" I wondered out loud, moving slowly through the crowd out to the stone balcony. I didn't care for the gaudy attitude the whole ball exuded. It seemed so merry and jovial at a glance, but when in the mix, I just felt like it was a big play and I should have been trying to act important like everybody else in the room. I was in fact the only man that night who didn't wear anything more that a simple brown suit. No tux for me, thank you. Also, I was apparently the only one out on the balcony, away from the party, or so I thought. "Athan! Come here, I thought I lost you..." Shari Spence, my 'date' and the only reason why I was even at that ridiculous ball. Apparently, she knew some city official of Chicago and was invited to attend. What was it for again? A fundraiser? Or was it a charity event? Did it even matter? "I came to check on you and see how you were," Shari continued, "I knew I would find you out here all by yourself. If you were going to do this all night, why did you accept my invite?" "Shari... look," I started, but then stopped. Why did I go along with her? I went along because I had nothing better to do with my evening. She knew it and needed a date in a pinch. It's not like she couldn't get anybody else to go with her; she isn't horrible to look at or anything, with her bright green eyes and her short, bobbed blonde hair. Attractive smile too. She is just charitable, and probably, knowing my habits, wanted to do something nice for me. Oh well... "I came along because... uh, well what is thi-" I was going to ask what exactly the ball was for, but Shari cut me off. "Oh! Uh, well I'll see you in a bit, I just saw an old friend," she said, looking over my shoulder. "Don't get lost again, okay? Go and have fun... talk to people!" "Yeah, bye. Have fun." With that, she turned away and ran back inside, apparently after that 'old friend' of hers. I couldn't blame her; I wouldn't really want to mope outside with myself either. So I too made my way back inside. I found myself at the snack and refreshment bar, which was actually a long table cloaked in white, surrounded by waiters. Feeling only a little thirsty, and more bored than anything, I poured a glassful of punch. "Egh! It's spiked..." I coughed, after taking a hearty pull from the too-strong alcoholic punch. Shrugging, I tossed the rest back, feeling the warmth tingle its way to my core. Holding the glass, I turned around, gazing at the rest of the party from my post at the bowl of punch. There wasn't much to look at; just rich people dancing, talking, or arguing with one another. It was all rather ordinary despite all the flourishes of the ball. No matter how you dress them up or where you find them, people are still people and still boring. And thus the next couple of hours passed: Myself, loitering near the spiked punch gazing at the general crowd without incident. I had become such a fixture there that near the end of it, men and women were approaching me with the expectation I was there to refill his or her drink. I was mesmerized by a woman on the dance floor, feeling almost as if she were dancing for me. I had been watching her for quite some time when suddenly, and quite sharply, I felt a tug on my sleeve. "Excuse me, but I would like some more punch. Hello?" To my left, a smaller woman who had obviously been trying to get my attention (for how long I didn't know) was waving a glass at me. She had interrupted my daydream which left me staring, but at whom? Even as I poured the guest's glass, absentmindedly over-filling it, I continued to stare into the crowd, trying to find the woman who held my attention so strongly just a moment before. I had too much to drink; I couldn't seem to concentrate at all. In the same stupor, I began to drift away from my tableside post into the crowd feeling like I lost something and had to find it. I saw Shari approach me, worry showing in her eyes. "Athan!" she exclaimed, "Are you okay? You really don't look well." All I could muster was a grunt in reply, because at that very moment I found myself staring at a dark haired beauty from across the ballroom. I had completely forgotten about Shari, who was calling after me, and started making my way towards this woman when she turned and vanished into the crowd. That was her! She was the one that held me so entranced earlier, it had to be! Don't ask me why, but I had to find her. I am normally not the kind of guy that goes chasing after women, in fact, I lead a solitary life. I was never married and didn't care for social outings, much less grandiose get-togethers such as the ball. But this woman – her image, frozen in my mind, had me entranced. I had to find her. So I rushed through the crowd, bumping here and there into faceless faces and nameless bodies. Before long, I spied her starting up the largest set of stairs in the room, disappearing around the corner. "Shit..." I could have sworn she glanced down at me, just briefly, but I couldn't tell. "Who is she?" As I made my way up the stairs I could feel my pulse rising, along with the temperature. I had to go so far as to loosen my tie, which was fine; I hate ties anyway. But why was it getting so hot? My head began to get swimmy; I felt ready to pass out drunk by the time I reached the top of the stairs. "Shit..." I said again. I had just glimpsed her slipping into a room. Now I new something was wrong; I couldn't hear anything, just a faint humming and the beating of my heart, explosive like a cannon in my ears. I couldn't take my eyes off the doorway I was slowly stumbling towards. I don't think I could have stopped myself had I wanted to. Would I have wanted to stop if I knew that it would mean the death of me to continue? I don't know, and try not to think upon it. "It's you," I gasped when I tumbled into the room, as if I knew who she was. As if I knew what she was. All she did was smile, her ruby lips curling at the sides to show me an impossibly white set of teeth. Her deep blue eyes drew me in like a flame does a moth. Before I knew it I was locked in her embrace; I had no power over myself to do anything but let her hold me up, buried in her earthy scent, tangled in her velvety black locks, thrown upon her cold, hard frame. How odd it felt. In a gloriously painful instant I felt the life drain out of me, all at once a liquid fire bleeding from my core. Darkness seemed to flow around me, through me, and a gentle peace quickly took me over. At that moment I fell in love. At that moment I died. Myself, My Story My name is Athan Briggs. I am your typical nobody, hiding in plain sight. I used to be somewhat of a recluse... Now? I am just dead. I guess you could call me something of a vampire. However, that title is more of a misnomer than anything else. I am not what Hollywood and modern society would consider a vampire; I can eat regular food, I can sleep and wake whenever I want, day or night. And I live forever. I cannot read minds, although I can be very, very persuasive. I drink blood, yes. The experience is akin to cumming all at once all over, a sustained explosion surging through ones whole being, to be frank. And my endurance and strength is definitely not human. To be honest, most of my body isn't really human anymore. I would explain now, but I'll just get to that in my story. You'll see. Other than all that, I am still a normal person. Oh, others of my kind, along with myself, seem to have some sort of unique ability that they have developed, usually different per individual. Some can ignite held objects on fire; others may be able to read minds. There is only one whom I know to posses the incredible ability to fly. Our special skills have developed to and are intended to help us hunt, to help us survive. Not that my kind really need the help. So, what am I doing this for? Why am I writing down my story? I only halfway know. I want to come out of the shadows; I lived my whole natural life hiding from society, from people. I hid from the world, wasting my life hidden away in the safe corners of my own mind. I never was a family man, having only a few short relationships more akin to brief encounters than anything else. There is no one left of my human bloodline to carry my name, not even an old friend to remember who I was. They are all dead now. But I'll get to that. This is my story. My life after "death," my deadly romance with the woman who killed me, the loss of everything I've ever known, and the crazy obsession with everything I used to be. Finally, I am saying good-bye. Good-bye to the human in me, the humanity that has now faded away, nothing more that a vague memory. In writing this, anything left of my humanity will have been transferred onto paper. I feel that then, and only then, I can truly live. I spent much of my first years as an emotional, guilt-ridden vamp, but I am done with that now. I guess you could say I am coming into my own. This is my story. Who knows what will happen in the future, but I want what has happened in my past recorded, leading up to the present. Even if no one ever gets to read this, as I am liable to burn it, I hope to find some sort of release from within the words of this manuscript. A release from the humanity that made what I had become unbearable. Perhaps I should start by briefly visiting my old life. Running through those boring days may give a better insight to what I am now, a better understanding of my need to rid myself of humanity. Maybe I am just dragging this out longer than needed, maybe I am stalling. I don't even remember my teen years, much less my early childhood. My first human memories are that of war. I was a Marine, a grunt. I didn't join up for my country though, or for personal pride. I was honestly bored with life, that is all. I didn't even do anything spectacular during my time served. I just got through it. After that I did the college gig for a while, getting my associates before taking on a job in a factory as a supervisor. That was the first of many dreary jobs that got me through life on a day to day basis. I was never poor, but I was never particularly wealthy either. I was never much for relationships or even people in general. I wasn't necessarily a loner; I had a few friends, some of which were rather close. However I always held even the best of them at no less than an arms distance. I constantly spent time thinking, introspectively observing my life and being in the world around me. I was not terribly emotional either. Things just never affected me the right way, as they would other people. Honestly, be it because I have left that life behind or whatever other reason, in retrospect I find my old life to have been nothing but a grey fog, a slow black and white film unfolding predictably. I went to work daily, ate at all the normal times, and even had normal, although rare, physical relations with women. My life was plain, boring. Add that to the frustration of not being capable of 'connecting' with those around me, and my world was pretty shitty. I guess I just put on a good face and lived through it. Until I died that is. That's when everything changed. That's when my story really starts. The Pain of Waking I felt nothing but pain, white-hot burning pain, wracking my insides, coursing through my center; that was my world as soon as consciousness took a hold of me. My eyes weren't even open yet! I could hear my cries echoing all around me, screaming so loud my head felt as if it were splitting. Everything seemed heightened; the pain was only increasing, the screaming louder than it seemed possible. Was that screaming me? And then... Silence. Everything was gone. Spasms of pain still clutched at my chest and stomach, and little whimpers still escaped my lips, but other than that, my world was empty. Suddenly a stench reached my nostrils, causing my stomach to wretch with a sickness. What was that? With a groan, I realized I soiled myself. I shit and pissed myself like an invalid. At that, I broke down. The pain, the sickness, the stench and shame were all too much for me to handle. And so I cried. Sobbing into the cold floor, the confusion of what was happening finally registering on my already overloaded mind, I fell asleep. ******************* Slowly, I became self-aware again. Slowly, I began to wake. As I opened my eyes, I found myself in a warm, dimly lit room. "Strange," I said to myself. I didn't think I was in the same room as I was earlier. This room seems so much more welcoming. It felt like I was in a dark basement earlier... "Earlier? What happened?" I started to panic as shadowy memories of massive amounts of pain came rushing back to me. Then I realized I was naked and clean; no more sickening stench. "It's about time you woke up," floated a soft, sweet voice, but from where? "You looked so peaceful sleeping there; I couldn't bring myself to wake you, especially after what you had to go through." "Where are you?" I tried shouting, but my voice was barely a hoarse whisper. "Who are you?" My eyes were frantically scanning the room, taking in everything, trying to find my captor. Because that's what she was, right? All I found though was a plush elegantly styled room, the dark green rugs contrasting well with the stained wood panels of the wall. In afterthought, I am surprised how much of the room I took in and appraised. It was like my senses were working overtime and overloaded. The bed in which I sat up was overstuffed, with at least ten pillows, covered in vanilla silk sheets and velvet down blankets. There were heavily cushioned high-back chairs placed through out the room - and there she was... blending in perfectly with the room and the chair that held her surprisingly small frame. How did I miss her? With long black, curly locks, vibrant green-blue eyes, and a cherubic mouth placed pleasantly on a roundish face, she really was hard to miss. Her form, small but not petite, was almost swallowed up by the cushioned chair she leaned forward from. "Who are you?" I asked again, "Where am I?" For a second she just gazed at me, a glint in her eyes and a smirk on her face. Then - "Katherine. Just call me Katherine." Her voice was soft and measured but so strong, it was strange. "And you are in my apartment, in fact, you are in my room. I took your clothes, threw them away, bathed you, and let you sleep in my bed while you recovered. "Do you feel well, now?" She continued, my mind racing at what she said. "Don't be scared, I promise you are alright. Really, you should be feeling better and better as the seconds pass by." "What happened to me? How did I get here... did you really do all this yourself?" My mind was running so fast it was practically tripping over one thought after another. "What happened to me?!" What she said next made me laugh out of disbelief. "You are dead. I killed you." She whispered with that smirk on her face... almost mirthful. "What? Dead? You kissed me, not killed me..." I started to argue but stopped as everything came back to me- the ball, my drunken chase of her, the cold embrace, and then yes, that wonderful burning sensation, then darkness. Was I really dead? "What you were feeling earlier," she continued, ignoring my denials, "were the final pangs of death. Your life struggling to hold on as it leaves your body. It is never pleasant." What was going on? Nothing made any sense to me; I was in a beautiful woman's bed, the same woman who claimed to kill me, but I was still alive. I didn't feel dead at all. She was right, I was feeling better almost a hundredfold compared to earlier. Was that how death feels? She must have sensed my confusion, because at that moment, she moved to the bedside (how graceful she looked) and took my hand, her skin so cold to the touch. "Athan, I took your life," she simply stated with a squeeze of my hand. How did she know my name? "I took your blood and gave you mine. You probably don't even remember that part, your mind had already shut down by then." She waited for me, allowing me to slowly put together and analyze all of what she said, in her smooth, soft, matter-of-fact manner. "So let me get this straight," I stammered out, "are you a vampire?" "If you want you could call me that, you could call us that," Katherine started, her controlled, floating voice almost leaving me mesmerized again. "Whatever you think we are though, I can assure you that you have died. That, and I will admit to taking your life. Unfortunately, I don't really understand myself, why I did it." "You don't know why you killed me?" "Oh, no... no. I was going to kill you either way; I was hunting, you might say. I don't know why I changed you – turning you into the being you are now. It wasn't supposed to happen." Again, she paused, as if sensing that my mind was still reeling from surviving the absurdity of the situation. How could she speak about all that in such a nonchalant manor? All I could do was stare at her, my eyes wide under a furrowed brow. I probably looked surprised. I couldn't accept it! From the gorgeous room I awoke in, hell, the huge plush bed I still sat naked upon to the beauty poised next to me telling me I was a vampire, I honestly didn't know whether to laugh or scream for help, for mercy. I certainly didn't believe her. "I know what you're thinking, Athan, and its understandable- " "No, you don't know what I am thinking! Unless you really can read minds, suck blood and all that, I think you are fucking crazy!" I began to get angry; what kind of sick game was this? "This is what I think happened, okay? I went to a stupid ball because a friend felt bad for me, got drunk by the punch bowl, saw a beautiful woman, followed her upstairs, and apparently after an amazing kiss, went home with her. The worst thing is, I don't remember the best part!" For a second, Katherine just looked at me. Her eyes at first piercing and thoughtful, glowing from the dim light of the room, suddenly softened. And she laughed at me! "I am sorry, Athan, but you are wrong." God! Her voice got to me. "Well, yes, you were drunk, and you did follow me up the stairs – thank you for calling me beautiful by the way – but we didn't actually kiss. I bit you, and am not surprised you remember it as a kiss. In a way it was, but the kiss of death is not something you get all the time." Life of a Deadman "Alright, so you tell me what happened then, enlighten me." I was beginning to doubt myself. "After I bit you, I drank, bringing you to the brink of life and death. But I stopped. I happened to open my eyes and look at you, and I couldn't do it. I was different all of a sudden, less impersonal. I felt horrible, guilty." Here she took a breath, obviously reliving the moment in her head; Katherine's eyes were focused, and her lips were tight and thin, pursed shut. Glancing at me, brushing the hair away from her face, she took another breath. "I didn't know what to do; I couldn't kill you, but I knew that you would never be able to recover. If I were to have left you, then you really would be dead now. For good. So I gave you my blood. We kissed after I bit into my tongue and lips, letting my mouth fill with it, with my blood. "You took to me like an animal, biting and sucking at my tongue and lips as if your body knew its existence really did depend on it. Finally you collapsed." She smiled at me, laughing a bit – "I can't lie, it was one of the better experiences of my life." I couldn't help it, I smiled back at her. I was supposed to be angry though, right? "So let me guess, from there you snuck me out of the party and brought me here to this place? Wherever 'here' is." I was staring again, this time looking to see if there was any truth registering on her face. I did not like what I saw; it did not mean anything good for me. "Not at first, I brought you to an old warehouse not so far from the ballroom we met at. The exchange weakened me too, and so I couldn't bring you anywhere specific. I just took you to the nearest place we could both find shelter. That's when your body gave in to my blood and died..." Katherine let the sentence trail off, watching me. My reaction was delayed, but at her mention of that moment, my mind flashed with memories and visages of pain, sweat and of a horrible stench. That really was – "My death? That's really what that was? I was rolling around on the dirty floor of some warehouse? Dying?" I began to feel sick, a knot tightening in my chest, its heavy weight dropping into my stomach. My mind was reeling, and I knew I needed air. I had to get out of there! A worried looking Katherine started to say something, but before I had the chance to hear it I was gone. I didn't realize how incredibly easy it was for me to run to the balcony window, jump off and land running for miles until later. Katharina Aislinn Foley It was a full week before I found myself wandering back to her, to Katherine. By that point, I had come to realize that I was truly and surely dead, though not in the normal sense of the term. There wasn't anything that really made me believe it; I just sort of felt it, deep down inside me. Because, when you get right down to it, the only clues that gave my physical state away was my constantly cold skin, along with its blue ivory pallor. The night I ran from her I headed straight for my meager apartment, a stand-alone one bedroom exactly like the others on my block. Everything in it seemed so much more squalid and ran-down than before. Looking down at myself, I realized I was still naked. Making my way to my closet, I found some shabby clothes and got quickly dressed. From there I spent two days picking through my things, personal artifacts that had no value to me anymore. For some reason, I felt like nothing there mattered. So I set fire to my apartment and everything in it, save for a small bag and a change of clothes. As I stood across the street, listening to the sirens floating through the air, I watched my old life burn away. It was all gone, and she took it from me. I began wandering the city, breaking into the local grocery stores and cafes, trying to satiate a growing hunger rising up from within me. For those first horrible days, my mind was vacant and gray, zombie-like. I had fallen into an even greater state of apathy than when I was still alive, still human. But then again, who wouldn't? Finally, by my fifth day roaming Chicago, I began to wake up. It was as if my mind suddenly turned over and began to work again. I had questions, and a lot of them. Where would I go? What would I do? How does a, for lack of a better word, vampire survive? And the obvious, why was I always so hungry? I had a million thoughts and feelings slowly tumbling around my mind, but the strongest was the need for companionship; I had never felt so lonely. I needed knowledge and I no longer wanted to be alone. I had to go back to Katherine. It took me a day to make my way back to her place; I didn't even know what the outside of her house looked like. All I had was a general direction and the memories of what her bedroom looked like, which was extremely rich and extravagant. In the end, I felt I was near her more than actually knowing where she was. I followed my vague feelings and fleeting sense of direction until I came upon an up-scale apartment building at least 40 stories tall. When I turned the corner and came upon it, I knew I was that I was at the right place. "She must live on the top floor," I said to myself, remembering the luxurious style her bedroom was furnished. Rooms like that aren't usually ground level affairs. ******************* By the time the elevator doors opened to a short hallway ending in a single door, I knew this was it. There was no doubt in my mind. I stepped out of the elevator and into the dimly lit, hallway. Looking around, I noticed there were multiple paintings hung upon the wall. Combined with the low light atmosphere, I felt as if I stepped into a small museum. Arriving at the doorway, I stopped. I realized I didn't have a clue what I was doing. Would I even be welcome? For minutes I stood there with my hand grasping the doorknob, wondering if I should just turn around and give up, when the heavy looking wooden door opened. Looking up, my gaze was met with a shorter woman clothed in something resembling the remnants of a dress, barely covering her full figure. And she was covered in blood. It was Katherine. "I didn't... Should I have knocked? I didn't know you were busy. I'll go." Before I even finished the sentence I was already retreating down the hallway and into the elevator. What was I thinking? And more importantly, what the hell was she doing? Still somewhat in a state of mild shock, I exited the elevator at the ground floor and drifted into the lobby. My mind was a whirl as I was still trying to sort out what I saw and figure out what to do next when I bumped into and toppled over some poor woman. "Shit, I am so sorry, I wasn't paying any atten-" I was mumbling an apology when the woman stood up smoothly and took my hand. "Come with me Athan, we need to talk." It was her, again. How did she get down here so fast? I spent only a minute or two waiting in the elevator as it made its decent, and yet she still beat me down here. On top of that, she cleaned up a lot and managed to throw on a long wool pea coat. What the hell? My confusion must have been strong enough for her to sense because she abruptly stopped and whirled around, still holding onto my hand with a grip that threatened to break a finger or two. "Look, you surprised me," She began with a rush, "I was... busy and didn't know you were coming until you were right outside my doorway. My mind was on other things. How about we go to the little diner down the block so we can talk?" "Wait, how the hell did you get down here so fast? That doesn't make any sense! I rode in the elevator for crying out loud, but here you are waiting for me at the bottom. And what were you really doing? You were covered in blood!" I needed to relax; I was beginning to make a scene. "Shh! I'll explain somewhere else, not here!" She was speaking in hushed, urgent tones, so I listened. I could see the worry in her eyes as well as the pleading expression covering her face. When she turned around again, I let her lead me out of the lobby and out into the cool night air. In the short walk down the street to the diner, I took the time to look her over again. She held herself in a regal manner, proud, but obviously not wanting to attract attention. She did anyway, from the multiple men passing us on the sidewalk. I can't lie; I was practically burning holes into her body with my stare. ******************* Taking the seat across from me in the booth farthest from the doorway of the diner, I instantly began to speak, grilling her for answers. "Alright. What the fuck is going on? I just spent the last week mindlessly wandering the city streets with no purpose or idea what I was anymore. I burnt my entire apartment down, and I don't even know why? What the fuck did you do to me? And another thing, why were you covered in blood... and why am I always so damn hungry?" I was going to keep going, but I was too flustered to even say another word. I just waited for her to say something, anything, in response. The moment Katherine's lips began to part and form a word, we were interrupted. Rather rudely, I thought. "Good evening!" Came a sickly sweet voice from above us, "What can I get you two tonight? Anything to drink? How about our house coffee? It's just the thing for a cool night like this." I looked up and found the voice came from a lithe blonde woman, with dim brown eyes. Her nametag said she was "April." April seemed to be slightly older and the expression that played out across her lined face showed she was rather annoyed we came in. She was a good actress though. "No thanks," floated Katherine's steady voice from over the table. "We won't be here long; we just need to talk for a bit." That didn't seem to please our waitress April much at all. Though she did put on another grossly exaggerated smile for our benefit and stalked off, leaving Katherine and me to speak in peace. "Okay, before we even start, let me tell you I am really sorry for what has happened to you. I wish there was something else I could have done, but I could not have let you die like that." "I am beginning to think it would have been a better idea to just let me bleed to death," I dryly retorted. "But really, what happened up in your room? What had you so busy and covered in blood?" I felt slightly more at ease than I did earlier, partly from the tension released when our waitress interrupted us. Katherine took a short breath, and sighing, began to speak. "First? My full name is Katharina Aislinn Foley. But I go by Katherine. And I am a vampire approximately two hundred years old, not counting my human life." A Brief History Considering Katharina, or Katherine, looked to be only in her mid twenties that would make her almost 230 years old! There is no way, I thought, no way at all. I must have an expressive face, because she continued her story before I had a chance to voice my doubts. "I was born in the United States before they were even really united." Katherine, or Katharina, breathed these words carefully, as if having difficulties recalling all the details. Was she really that old? She looked stunning, though... "My father was one of the first Irish immigrants arriving in Philadelphia around 1760. The moment he stepped off the ship, he fell in love at first sight with a petite English woman, very clearly from wealthy descent. "At least that's the story I was told." She paused, a look of intense sorrow quickly flooding her face. Just as suddenly, the strong show of emotion disappeared. What did that mean? "Well, to get right down to it, my mother and father eloped. I was born a short time later in what would come to be known as the state of South Carolina. My life was good. Because of my mother's wealthy lineage and my grandmother's kind heart, I grew up comfortably. Eventually my mother's parents past away and she received a large portion of the inheritance, elevating my quality of living quite a bit. "It was around this time that my father's family came down to live with us. We had the room and money, while they didn't. My uncle and his two sons became my best friends, always willing to go explore the backwoods with me. Eventually we had to start going to school. My mother put it off for two years after my cousins began going to the town's public schoolhouse. I guess she was worried about me; she never was of very strong character. "I was sent to several private institutions and began living a sheltered life; due in part to my family's new found social status. By my late teens, I had begun to rebel, sneaking out at night, frequenting various saloons and the occasional brothel. "After several weeks of my late night adventures, I had found a saloon known's as Rosemary's, which ran a high-class brothel on the sly." Hearing this, I perked up, obviously more than a little curious where this was heading. She took notice, as I caught a quick and impish smile on her face. A brothel, huh? So she was once a woman of the night, Interesting. "Yes, you are right, if what I can see on your face is an accurate show of your thoughts; I became a part-time, high-dollar whore, a rather popular one at that." She said this with a blush, either due to embarrassment on her behalf or fond memories from her long gone past. "However, it went sour very quickly. A strange man began making nightly visits, requesting me every time. His... needs became progressively aggressive, until I finally had enough and fled from him one night when he asked to cut me while I, eh, while I serviced him. I ran scared out to the back balcony and down the stairs, still half dressed. Can you guess who I ran into at the bottom of those steps, Athan?" It took me a moment to figure out she was talking to me; I had been so engrossed in the story at that point, visualizing everything Katherine said, that I didn't even know what she had asked of me. "What was that? I am sorry... I missed that last part." "Can you guess who I ran into at the bottom of those steps, Athan, when I was running away?" I still had to think, but then it dawned on me why she would ask such a pointed and specific question; she had done the same thing to me. The man she was running from was a vampire. "Him..." I whispered, the full force of what that meant clear in my voice. "You ran into him, just like I did to you. He was a vampire, wasn't he?" "Yes, Athan, a vampire." Her face suddenly took on a pained expression. Was that regret I saw? "He bit me that night. I tried fighting, but it was futile. He easily over powered me, and almost killed me. In fact, he was going to leave me for dead, but it was my beauty that saved me. 'Such a pity for something so pretty to die,' he whispered in my ear. 'A beauty like you should live forever.'" At that moment, she grabbed my hand, suddenly warm. I could feel the emotion practically coursing its way through her. If she felt so strongly about this, why was she telling me? Then again, why had she done anything she did? "I'll remember those words for the rest of my existence, however much longer that is. Anyway, I went through the same things you did; I wandered around the state aimlessly for almost a month before my killer found me. He took me in and showed me how to hunt. I began to love it, love the thrill of the kill, the blood lust. "Looking back, I guess my anger over what he did to me spilled out into my new life. I was a goddess of death in my own right. I would seduce men and women alike, bringing them to bed with me, bringing them to their final place of rest." I was enraptured with her story, her voice having that same hold upon me, but I still didn't get it. Why was she telling me? What did that have to do with me? "So... Wait," I began, "what does your story have to do with me? I mean, I get that you know what I went through, but what does that actually have to do with me? And you still have told me about earlier, with all the blood." I looked at her, watching the expressions on her face change, finally settling on one of slight impatience. With a tight smile, she continued her story, as if I hadn't said a thing at all. "This new life of mine continued on in such a manner for just over twenty years; I was living from victim to victim. I had no other purpose. That all changed very quickly in one night. By then, I had left my killer and mentor to travel on my own. I never held any fond feelings for him, just the knowledge that he was helping me. I made my way back to my old home, where I grew up. "I got to Charleston on a Sunday, and found it disturbingly quiet. Even the church was closed up. I spent the whole day wandering around town, glimpsing here and there a figure behind a quickly drawn window curtain. "That night I was going to head over to my old house, to check on my family. I thought it a good idea to hunt first. I was in luck, because at that very instant, I heard a little girl's laughter ring out through the humid summer's evening air. Then I saw her; a little blonde girl was playing right outside the back door of a tidy dwelling. "I spent no time in whisking her up and rushing her to the tree line, where I left her body. I could hear her poor mother crying out for help only moments later. Due to the ensuing uproar, I thought it would be wise for me to hide out for the night. I would check on my family the next day. "And so I took to the loft of a nearby barn, and slept very comfortably at that." Again she paused; I could see her sift through the memories, her expressive face betraying the pain she felt. "I woke up late the next morning. As soon as the darkness cleared from my mind, I began hearing incensed shouts and cries of outrage. Then the stench hit me; something was burning! Feeling a knot in my stomach grow and tighten, I raced to my house a short distance away, but still isolated from the main city. By the time I got there, the screams and burning odor was almost too much to bear. "What I saw was horrible. The whole place was consumed by an inferno! A mob was amassed in the front lawn, upon a knoll. I ran towards them, the shock still making my mind do back-flips. Maybe it was the wrong house, I thought. What I gleaned from the crowd told me otherwise. "Apparently, rumors had been traveling up and down the coast concerning my actions over the years. A sort of infamy overtook my family name. I hadn't been careful. Someone had seen me and recognized my face, covered in blood. I didn't always take them, my victims, to bed. Sometimes I killed them where they stood. I had been discovered." With a shudder, Katherine's eyes squeezed shut. When she opened her eyes again, she looked tired; the normally brilliant color drained somewhat. "The town had been collectively harassing my family over the years, to the point where my family members couldn't even leave the front door or stand by an open window without getting a rock thrown at them. My last victim had been a little girl, only thirteen, whom I killed quickly upon entering town the day prior. How was I supposed to know she was the sheriff's only daughter? What was she doing out so late anyway? "Well, the townspeople put two and two together and assumed I had come back to town to be with my family. That night they decided to take care of it once and for all. As soon as I garnered all I could by flitting around the edges of the crowd, keeping my face hidden..." Katherine paused, taking a breath. While she was talking, her grip had been slowly increasing until I could feel my knuckles crack and pop. She seemed to notice and quickly pulled her hand away, balling it into the other in her lap. "Well, as soon as I heard everything I needed to hear I turned and ran into the hell fire surrounding my house. The heat was so intense; I could feel my hair singing and my skin blistering. I didn't care; it was my fault my whole family was being persecuted, murdered! I had to do something! I came upon what was left of the kitchen and found my uncle, passed out on the floor, covered in burns. Life of a Deadman "I quickly scooped him up and bowled out the back door, laying him down in the cool grass. I could tell he wasn't going to make it. I didn't have any time to spare, so I ran back inside looking for more of my doomed family. I could find nothing but fire, ash and the charred remains of my family. My old uncle was all I had left, and even he was about to leave me. "That's when I decided what to do. I slashed my wrist open with a piece of glass from the door I broke open, and began pouring the blood all over his face. By the time he started to actively drink I was already too weak to continue; I was practically dry." A tear began its slow decent, tinged in pink, leaving a shining trail down her cheek. I wanted to wipe it away, but didn't dare move. I wanted to take her hand, but again, I didn't dare move. So I waited. "I stopped and pulled my wrist away from his face, squeezing down to staunch whatever blood was left. Looking down at my poor, poor uncle, I almost screamed. My blood had done nothing more than to make him painfully aware of what was happening, what had happened to the family and him. I saw him writhing on the grass, covered in blisters where there was skin. Where there wasn't..." Katharine trailed off again, a pregnant pause filling the air between us. I felt like I should have been doing something, anything, to relieve her of the pain she was so obviously feeling. I was a statue though, transfixed to the seat, listening intently, unmoving. "Where there wasn't blistered skin, there was just bone, blackened and sticky with burnt blood. He began screaming, no, wailing, so loudly it made me cringe. I couldn't handle it. I was just about to flee, when he abruptly went silent and his hand reached upwards and grabbed my shoulder. I could feel the burning slime on my skin; the stench was sickening. "All he did was say my name, 'Katharina,' before his arm dropped to the ground and his whole body just seemed to sag. I could practically see the life melt away from him, leaving a charred, bloody shell in front of me. By this time, Katherine was openly crying, her tears slowly streaming down her face, leaving light pink stains on her ivory skin. This time I did reach up and stroke her cheek, wiping away the tears. I let my hand linger before dropping it onto the table between us. She seemed to collect herself and continued. "I did the only thing I knew how to do. I ran. I didn't stop for almost two days. By the time I just gave in to my sadness and collapsed, I had no idea where I was. The only thoughts running through my mind were of my family, of my uncle. I tried to save him, but I succeeded only extending his suffering. It was my fault my whole family got murdered, and my uncle knew it! He even said my name before he died. I knew that if he had lived, become like me, he would have hated me forever. But that didn't make it right, I still let him die, let my whole family burn. "I gave up. I literally had dug myself a shallow grave in my misery and finally threw myself into it. At that exact moment, the moonlit sky darkened and let loose a torrential downpour, washing away any trace of my existence. My shallow grave happened to be in what is now known as the Congaree Swamp, a national park in central South Carolina. It was there I stayed and rot for the next century and a half, until I woke up two years ago." I felt overwhelmed; somewhat stunned regarding the story I was just told. Katherine conveyed the story with such emotion that it had to be real. But how? And why did she wake up? Why is she here? "That is almost too much for me to handle right now," I spoke up, "but, I am sorry... I still don't really get what that has to do with me. And how did you wake up? How did you live through that?" I hastily went quiet, as I realized I was assaulting her with another barrage of questions. She smiled though, in spite of everything. "Aren't you hungry? Lets eat first, then we can talk some more." I was about to protest, saying that I wasn't really hungry, but the sly, almost excited look on Katherine's face made me think better of it. "Okay..." I said slowly, "What's for dinner?" The Kill Almost as if on queue, our waitress April made her way to the booth in which we sat. She made a disdainful face seeing Katherine's reddened eyes and shot an even more venomous glance in my direction before plastering on an obviously fake and painful smile for our benefit. "Did you guys change your minds yet? We are going to be closing up soon, so if you want something you might want to order now." April just smiled. I had a bad feeling about what might come next. "Actually, yes." Katherine's voice took on a quite, almost seductive tone. I would have done anything, had she asked it of me in that tone. April seemed to feel the same way. "What can I do for you then?" Our waitress' eyes were heavily lidded, and she seemed genuinely happy to help us. What was going on? "I'll take an orange juice," I said, trying to keep everything on track, for my sake. Katherine had other ideas. "April, wouldn't you rather come out with us? It would be really sweet of you to accompany us tonight..." Katherine let her words slide off her tongue, placing full emphasis on the fact that we would like April to come with us. Our waitress looked confused for a moment, as if unsure what to say, or what exactly was going on. She appeared to have figured it out, though, as she quietly agreed. "Just let me go clock out and take off this apron..." April whispered. She looked dreamy, like she just woke up from a rather explicit dream. "What is going on, Katherine?! I really just want orange juice!" My words were hushed, but even I could hear the uneasiness that permeated them. I was almost scared. Were we going to kill her? "Just relax, Athan. You will like it, I promise." Katherine then slid out from the booth, and taking my hand, guided me to the door and out into the dark cold night. We were waiting only a minute, but it felt like an eternity. My mind was so jumbled with emotions, I didn't know if I was excited, scared or nervous. I thought I was going to be sick. When I heard the diner's door shut again, I turned to find April standing at the entrance wrapped in a heavy overcoat staring at us. Waiting. "Hello, April. Why don't you come here and walk with us?" Katherine seemed relaxed, despite the absurdity I felt the situation exuded. April just blithely walked towards us, her eyes not leaving Katherine. Grabbing a hold of April's hand, Katherine escorted her around to the back of the diner, leaving me to stand there a frozen statue of indecision. I knew that if I followed, I would be committing myself to the life I had been forced into. I would be taking part in the murder of our poor, although pitiful, waitress. Could I do that? On the other hand, I knew that if I walked away, I would invariably return to mindlessly wandering the city, scavenging for survival. Remembering the horrible grey void my life had been the past week, I made up my mind. By the time I reached them, just barely out of sight, hidden in the shadows of the surrounding buildings up against the wall of the diner, Katherine had already removed April's overcoat and was holding her in what seemed like a romantic embrace. Apparently, Katherine heard my approach because she looked up towards me and smiled. I sighed. There wasn't blood on her face; the dark deed hadn't been performed yet. "Athan, why don't you come here? She really is quite a nice person, if you let her get to know you." Her words dripped with shameless pleasure. "April? Why don't you go over and give Athan a hug?" As if in a trance, April pulled away from Katherine and made her way towards me, slightly unsteady. I could have stopped her, but I didn't. As soon as she was close enough, I felt myself pull her into my embrace. A strong aroma enveloped all my senses, and looking, I saw two jagged crescents in April's neck. There was no blood though. Apparently, this didn't have to be messy. My sense of reason was overwhelmed as I pulled her neck to my mouth, breathing in deeply her arousing scent. And then my world exploded. My eyelids shot open as soon as I felt the first drop trickle down my throat. It was a liquid fire that set my insides aflame! As the flow increased from a dribble to a torrent, I could feel some of the burning fluid escape my lips and drip down my cheek and chin. I didn't care, I was enthralled. I was in love all over again. But I wasn't in love with the dying woman; I was in love with the blood surging through my being. I could feel the white hot burn all the way to my toes, warming my dead body. I felt alive. Before I knew it, she went limp. It was over, her body already cooling in my arms. But still I drew from her neck, trying to get every last drop out of her. Finally, I dropped the body, watching the now empty husk crumple in a heap at my feet. Katherine's soft touch broke my stare burning holes into the misshapen figure collapsed on the cold ground before me. "How was it? I promised you would like it, didn't I? ******************* My body was electric with feeling, my mind haywire with emotions. I could only make one thing out of the whole mess; I had to have more. I was still in a state of shock when Katherine took me by the hand, leading us back to her apartment. It wasn't until we stepped out of the elevator that I regained some sort of control over my senses. And I liked what I saw. Katherine was walking ahead of me, going to unlock the door to her apartment at the end of the hallway. Coming up behind her, I could smell the same scent that April exuded, only so much stronger. She was practically calling out to me, asking me to have a taste, and she didn't even know it! She found out rather quickly though. As soon as the door was opened and we were inside, I lightly touched her shoulder causing her to turn around, at the same time slamming the door behind me. "Athan? What is it?" She probably would have said more, but I didn't give her the chance to even take her next breath. My mouth roughly closed over hers as I pulled her to me. She was the one locked in my embrace then, not the other way around. Her earthly scent was almost overpowering, but it only spurred me on. I broke the forceful kiss, tasting some of her blood on my tongue, before burying my face in the crook of her neck. "Athan! Wha- what are you... doing?" Katherine breathed, barely able to control her own voice. She didn't seem to know what was going on, or what to do about it, so she did nothing to stop it. And then, I had it again, coursing through my body, except this was different. It was more intense, almost painful, but still so very delicious. I kept at it, until I felt her pull away of her own volition. There was a fire in her eyes that should have scared me. Then I felt it, that glorious pulling sensation as her teeth sank into my own neck. She figured out what was going on. And I didn't bother stopping her. All I did was lower my mouth to her neck again, tearing at her, drawing out the liquid fire I so craved. And so it continued, for almost half an hour, the blood trade going back and forth. It was incredibly intense and almost erotic. I dare say I liked it better than sex. By the time we had exhausted each other, Katherine and I had to help one another up from the floor. It took some time, but my mind slowly cleared up, feeling as if recovering from a short lived fugue. Not a word was said as we unsteadily made our way to her bedroom. The lights were off, and we didn't bother turning them on. Before I knew it, we were collapsed onto her bed and the dark curtains of deep sleep closed our eyes. Awakening When I finally came too, it was early morning and still dark outside; the only light in her room was the soft glow of the rising sun filtering in from between her heavy curtains. As the suppressive sleep cleared from my eyes and head, I noticed that I was again naked and swaddled in the luxurious linens of her enormous bed. When did that happen? I paid it no further thought, because at that moment it occurred to me that I was all alone in the bed, the feeling only enhanced by the bed's empty expanses. "Katherine? What's going on?" I called out, my voice reverberating richly off the walls. I didn't think anyone was there, at all. "Where are you?" So, this is how it ends up again, I thought, alone and clueless. I figured I might as well get dressed and take a look around the place. It took me some time, but I eventually found a large stained-oak wardrobe buried in the back of her even bigger walk-in closet that held what seemed many different styles of men's clothing. Were those taken from her victims? After settling on a set of clothing that actually fit and suited my tastes I made my way out from her long closet and into the dark shadows of her room. I turned, glancing movement to my right, and almost jumped when I saw myself, reflected in a long standing mirror tucked away into the corner of the room, right next to the closet entrance. What really startled me was my skin; I no longer held the bluish pallor of death. Instead, my skin seemed to almost glow, warm with life. Is this what happens when we feed? So that's how she looked so human that night, so beautiful? I was so intrigued by the discovery that I didn't hear the door of the room open, or hear the soft padding of feet crossing the carpeted floor. I almost swung when I felt a gentle hand touch my arm. "You're awake, Athan." "Where did you go? Every time I wake up in your bed, it seems I am naked and alone." A smile began to creep across Katherine's face as I continued. "I hope you don't treat all of your guests the same way. Oh, I borrowed some clothes if you don't mind; I couldn't find mine." "Well, for one, most of my guests never wake up, and they usually don't even leave in one piece." She paused, giving my new clothes a quick appraisal. "You don't mind wearing somebody else's old clothes, then? "So, these are from your victims. Why keep them?" "It is just something I do. Kind of like a prize, except not. I have all the women's clothing in another closet. I guess there really is no reason for it. Maybe I knew you were going to need them someday?" "Right," I laughed, "Because you knew that things would be like this. Where were you, though?" I watched as she turned from me and began to take off her long coat, tossing it haphazardly across the back of one of the several chairs in her room. "I was looking for something," she answered vaguely. That she didn't want me to know what she was looking for was obvious enough from her dismissive reply. Seating myself on the edge of her bed, I began to think. What all had happened? How was I able to act so normal about everything? My demeanor slowly cooled as the events of the past couple of days finally started to sink in. I was a murderer, an unnatural beast. I just killed a woman, drinking her dry, and then proceeded to continue the bloody game with Katherine. What was she looking for anyway? Then it hit me; she was probably looking for a place to get rid of the body, considering that we just unceremoniously left April's misshapen form crumpled in the alleyway. And she still never told me what was going on when I first came back to her, although I had a good idea. But why was she so damn bloody? We still had a lot to talk about. "Katherine..." I said, my voice much quieter than I intended. "Katherine, I don't think I can do this." "Athan? Don't start like that." She looked at me, a strange expression playing across her face. "First, I still don't really know what I am. Second, you still haven't told me what was going on up here before I came up, and why you were so bloody. And finally, I can't just kill people. I am still human you know, just different!" I was speaking in a cool, collected manner, but my voice was still shaking. I felt like I was about to lose it. Katherine seemed to notice, and before I had time to react, she was next to me holding my head against her chest. She was so hard to predict! One moment, she was cold and methodical, while in the next instant she was a tender, loving woman. I had a feeling I didn't want to see her angry. "Athan, look, this new life I have forced you into isn't a pretty one. But it's livable; in fact, once you get used to it, you'll find that being like us is not so bad after all. And killing? Well, you wouldn't mind killing a deer for the meat would you? Athan, we are not human. Not by a long shot. "You are not just plagued with some malady that makes you thirst for and thrive on human blood. You, Athan dear, honestly have been taken over by something else entirely. Human you are not." Pulling away from her embrace, I sat staring at her, intently and unsuccessfully trying to read her face. "Then what am I? Vampires don't exist. I shouldn't be alive right now, but I feel more alive than ever!" "I know of somebody who will be able to give you perspective regarding your new life. First however, I am going to have to look for him, if he even still lives. Before that even, you are right, you still have some questions I need to answer for you." With that, Katharine let go of my hands and folded them smoothly upon her lap. She was waiting for me to start bombarding her with questions again. I had so many thoughts and questions running crazy through my head, but when it came time to put words to them, I could only bring to mind a couple. "Alright," I began, "what were you doing in your room that caused you to become so bloody that night I found you? I mean, I have an idea, but I know now that it doesn't have to be a messy or violent experience." "Well, Athan, you are right; it doesn't have to be either messy or violent. Let me put it like this: Some people like soft, loving, and romantic sex. They like to make love. Others, like myself, prefer relations of the more extreme variety." "So... What you are saying is you choose to let the kill become violent and messy?" The woman was becoming more and more of a mystery to me the more I got to know her, if that was even possible. With incredulity in my voice I let her know exactly that. "You don't make much sense to me, Katherine. Not much at all." "It's not that I let 'the kill,' as you so aptly put it, become so gruesome," she slowly spoke, "it is just that I like to let my victims think they could get away. A struggle is always more fun." I could almost see the amusement dancing in her eyes and smile as she watched me nervously flounder for something else to say. What was my next question? I couldn't seem to focus; I kept getting the disturbing thought that Katherine could turn into a ruthless predatorial cat of some sort at any second and eat me. "Weren't you going to ask me something about how I woke up again, after being buried in a swamp for so long?" Katherine offered, obviously wanting to move along in this conversation. "Oh, yes. That's right." How did she wake up? "Did you just open your eyes one day and decided that being surrounded by rotten swamp water and mud didn't suit you anymore? What made you rejoin the rest of the world?" Lying back on the bed she stared at the ceiling for some time before giving me an answer. It occurred to me that she might not have really given much thought to how and why she woke up and climbed out of her self-made grave. "I really don't know Athan. You see, as the years passed and I remained buried in the swamp, I would see images of the outside world in my head. It was like dreaming for a really long time." Katherine sat up again and looked at me. Throwing caution to the wind, I put my hand on hers, motioning for her to continue. Life of a Deadman "After so long, the dreams became clearer and clearer. I even began to hear the world change and age around me. Never was it anything specific, the most I had were vivid and random flashed of new machines, people, buildings, and even songs. I remember the bits and pieces of music especially well. Then without warning it just stopped. "The visual stream of life that had been running through me for so long disappeared. It would seem my dreaming had came to an end because I woke up. The only logical thing to do was to get up and reclaim my stake in the world. So here I am." With that, Katherine fell silent, appearing to be deep in thought. It made some sense to me, I guess. She physically and mentally shut down after seeing her whole family and home burnt to the ground because of her actions. However, Katherine couldn't remain buried and asleep for ever. As she became more and more aware of the changes of the aging world outside of her muddy grave, she slowly became more and more aware of herself. And then she woke up. At least, that's what makes sense to me. On top of that, she experienced some changes of her own regarding her personality. From her story, she used to be quite the apathetic and heartless killer. For some reason though, she couldn't just kill me like she planned. What gave her pause? My voice broke the silence like a falling rock on thin ice, causing Katherine to wince at my words. "Why couldn't you kill me? Why did you save me?" Starting to Like it "In the two years that followed my return to life, so to speak, I only took about five victims before I got to you." Katherine gave pause, indicating how significant that was to her. "With each one, I became more and more selective. I would watch and stalk him or her for months before working up the strength to follow through with the kill. They all led similar solitary lives, which was important to me. I didn't want to hurt anyone else more than needed. Each death made me feel guilty, made me wonder why I even bothered to dig myself out of the swamp in the first place." Katherine said all that in a rush, as if she said it any slower and it would be lost to her, as if she wouldn't know how to say it. Breathing shallowly, she continued; "And then I found you." What did that mean? Had she been watching me months before that stupid ball or whatever it was? How did that make me feel? I honestly don't remember caring to much; I was just rather surprised to find all that out. "So, how long did you watch me?" Katherine lowered her gaze, tilting her head towards her lap. Her words escaped barely a whisper; "Three months, nine days." "So what made you stop?" I probed, "What made you change your mind and save me?" "I just couldn't do it anymore. You looked so helpless. In that final moment, I saw my charred uncle staring back at me. I felt horrible. So I turned you, I changed you into one of me." As she finished speaking, her voice became so quiet I could scarce hear her. But wait. Something didn't match up. When I came back to her after my week of suffering I found her covered in blood, obviously from a rather brutal kill. I thought she couldn't do that anymore? "Katherine? There is something that doesn't make much sense with your story. When I came back looking for you, you opened your door a bloody mess. How could you go from feeling guilty about each death you caused to something as I saw that night?" She brought her head up, fierce eyes meeting my curious gaze. "Because I was furious! I felt cheated, I felt stupid for saving you. You just ran away from me! You made it seem like saving you hurt even worse than death would have. Athan, you even said so, asking why I didn't just let you die!" She was on her feet now, pacing the room, glaring at me. "So I took it out on the next poor soul who tried sweet talking me. I snatched him up and kept him here for three days trying to figure out what to do with him. I didn't have my senses about me. Finally I decided it was stupid for me to get so worked up over you, so I killed him. I practically tore him to pieces! "Oh, he tried fighting for his life and managed to tear my dress up a bit, but there was no chance. He had just gurgled his lasted breath when I felt you coming up the elevator. That's when life came crashing down on me, again!" Katherine had worked herself into a frenzy as I sat helpless on the edge of her bed, not knowing what to do. She kept cracking her knuckles in such a menacing way, causing me to flinch each time I heard her joints crack and pop. "'He came back for me!' I thought, deliriously happy that you were there. Then I realized that the place was a mess, that I was a mess. I couldn't let you away again, so I rushed to the door, thinking of something to say. It didn't matter though; you left before I even got a word out. By the time I changed clothes, you were already in the elevator. Do you know how much a 40 story drop hurts your ankles? I didn't have time to try the stairs so I leapt out the window like a fool. And... And... And, well, you know the rest." Finally, she stopped her assault through the room and froze, her shoulders sagging ever so slightly, her gaze fixed on the carpet splayed out beneath her feet. Slowly, she returned her hands to her sides, limp and lifeless. For the very first time since we met, Katherine truly looked dead. "Katherine, come here," I said, unsure of what I was going to say next. "Sit down." She did as instructed and sat down on the floor in front of me, leaning back against the bed frame, her head still facing her lap. Before I could come up with something to say, she started talking, her voice yet again a whisper. "When I was watching you suffer through the pangs of death before I passed out myself, I felt terrible. Afterwards, when I regained consciousness, I gathered you up and took you home. I was able to bathe you and lay you in my bed before you too regained consciousness. "You are the first victim of mine that didn't die, the first victim of mine that I 'changed.' I felt good about it too. It was what I thought saving a life should feel like. But more importantly? I didn't feel alone anymore. That was probably why I did what I did. With each kill before you, Athan, I became closer and closer to my prey. That's why it hurt so much to finally end it. I don't know why things ended up like that, but I know watching my uncle die in my arms, a fault of my own, has something to do with it. Katherine turned her face towards me, looking up into my eyes. She smiled, "I have you now. I won't let what happened to me happen to you. I want to make things right. Don't leave me ever again." As she breathed those last words, she climbed up and onto the bed. Even though it was only late morning, she looked exhausted. I too stood and not knowing what else to do watched her fall asleep. Slowly I turned and made my way out of the room, quietly closing the door upon my exit. ******************* Sitting at one end of a large futon, I slowly mulled over everything which had transpired in these past hours. Apparently, I mean quite a bit to Katherine. Does she feel like taking me in will make up for what happened to her family? To her uncle especially? Or is she honestly that taken with me? I wasn't too sure how I felt about her. One moment she was fierce and brutally, logically, honest. The very next, she could be soft and emotional, like any other human female. She also seemed to be somewhat sardonic and bitter, which is understandable, given her upbringing. All in all, I liked her. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I couldn't be without her. Katherine and I were bound by more than just blood. I didn't know what I would do without her. She probably was the closest thing to a lover I had in my whole life, despite the sudden and strange circumstances. And thus my thoughts trailed on in such a vein for the next couple of hours as I sat unmoving, staring at the ends of my shoes. By the time the clock struck 4 o'clock, I had dozed off. I awoke to the sound of a grandfather clock echoing from somewhere in her flat. I think there was one the master bedroom, actually. Standing, I found myself weak with hunger. I still needed to eat regular food every now and then, apparently. I made my way to Katherine's room, and as quietly as I could, without waking her, I scrounged up some paper and a pen from the secretary desk she had in one corner of her room. Katherine, It's just now 4 o'clock in the afternoon. You had been sleeping all day, and even I managed to doze off for a short while. My stomach tells me I need to get some real food in me, so I'll be out looking for a good café or something. Don't worry, I will come back. Athan After rereading the note, I lightly placed it on the pillow next to her head. From there I took my leave, quickly making my way through her flat and towards the elevator. Where to go? ******************* "Ham, cheese, and mayonnaise. Hold the lettuce and tomatoes. Oh, and add jalapenos." I found a nice little hole-in-the-wall café/delicatessen a couple blocks away that was completely empty save for the cute but plump girl standing behind the counter. She looked terribly bored, and my order took her by surprise it seemed. "O-oh! Sorry, was that? Y-you... I uh, I didn't see you come in!" The poor girl began rushing about, attempting to tidy the place up, obviously excited to have a visitor. I don't know why, but the thought of eating a sandwich suddenly lost its appeal. "You know, I'm sorry..." I slowly started, "But I don't really know what I want. A ham and cheese sounded good, but now I am not so sure." She was still bustling about, and didn't even pick up on what I said. "Ham and cheese? Alright that's easy, anything you would like on it?" She was facing away from me, busy pulling out the bread, meats and cheeses. She really must not get very many customers. "No, excuse me, ma'am?" I said, loud enough to get her to stop her almost frantic search for the cheese. "I said I wasn't so sure. Actually, I don't think I want a sandwich after all." As I said this, a blush slowly began to creep up the deli girl's neck and spread across her round cheeks. I didn't know if it was from embarrassment or nervousness, but I definitely noticed. I found my dinner after all. "I really am sorry," I continued, "I came in here thinking I was hungry, but I wasn't really. Well, I am, but... But it's difficult to explain. I don't think your café offers what I am looking for. Ah, yes, and I forgot my manners. Hello, how are you?" "Umm, I... I am fine. Th-tha-thank you. I apologize, what were you looking for? We don't get very many, umm, guests. I don't get many customers, is what I mean. Were you going to be getting anything to eat, then? Maybe something to drink?" As she spoke, she appeared to gather her wits about her and calm down some, but that lovely blush was still there. She really wasn't unattractive, despite her round figure. Shoulder length chestnut hair, wide clear blue eyes, and a small mouth with pouting lips made for a rather innocent charm. Plus there was that lovely blush that filled her cheeks and colored her throat a light pink... absolutely delicious. "You know, maybe you can do something for me. What is you name, darling, I didn't catch it?" Moving closer, I placed my hands on the counter with my fingers wide apart and looked her straight in the eye. I really was hungry, after all. Poor, poor, girl. "I can?" She asked, somewhat confused, "What can I... uh, well, my name is Lindsey. What can I do for you?" Walking down the length of the counter, letting my hand drag across the smooth surface, I steadily kept my gaze focused on Lindsey. "Well, Lindsey, I am hungry really, but my tastes are somewhat exotic. Think you might have something in the back that's a little more my speed?" "I, um, I m-might," Lindsey stammered. She couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from mine, though she looked as if she wanted to turn and hide her face. "Alright then, Lindsey. Let's go and look, shall we?" I broke my gaze and gestured towards the backroom, through a half-closed door. "Would you mind leading the way, Lindsey?" Almost as if she couldn't help it, she took unsteady steps away from the counter and proceeded to remove her apron (A surprise indeed; I had not expected that) before nervously moving to the door and pushing it open. "Just back here," she whispered, "follow me." I really did feel kind of bad as I made my way towards her, following Lindsey through the open door, knowing what was about to happen to her. But after all I was hungry, and she did look so lovely, blushing like she did. Poor, poor girl.