Wicked Rose

I was right. The night was burial. I was a good bartender, that was why Sami wanted me here, but I just wasn't a people person. This one guy though…he just kept coming.

"Hey…" he slurred, he smelt awful with unwashed hair and dirty clothes. His black beaty eyes burning into the tiny bit of cleavage that my vest showed. "Hey there p-p-retty lady." I rolled my eyes and kept wiping the bar. Sam would get rid of him if I asked but so far he was only annoying. "Hey…I'm talking to yooouuu…." I stopped and put my hand on my hip and stared him down.

"Look here, buddy, either you leave me the hell alone or I throw you out of this joint before you can blink." He shut up after that.

I got off work and Sami forced an early pay check on me. I walked out of the bar, tried and just wanting to go home but Ville wasn't in slight. I waited for a few moments until I heard something behind me. I turned around and it was just Sami locking up.

"I didn't mean to scare you Alice," he laughed, I shook my head.

"No, no it's fine. I'm just waiting for someone…" he looked surprised, than hurt, than sad. I wished that I could take away his feelings for me.

"Oh? A boyfriend?"

"Um…yeah." Best go with that to avoid questions.

"Good for you, I hope he's treating you like the queen you are." I bit my lip, Sami was such a sweetheart.

"He is, Sami." He looked up and down the street.

"I don't see any cars, are you sure he is coming? If you need I can give you a ride?"

"oh no, you know I live just down the street and we're walking. I'm sure he's just running late. You can go on home and I'll stay here in the street light. I'll be fine." He looked like he really didn't want to leave me alone but he did leave and I waved as he drove away in his truck. Sami was just the kind of guy that would drive a truck in the city.

I put my hands in my pockets and gazed up at the stars. I could see my breath. I wondered if Ville was okay, what if Alexi had gotten him somehow?

"Hello Alice, I bet you remember me now." Boomed a voice I knew from behind me.

Slowly I turned around and saw Alexi standing not but three feet in front of me. I started to shake and I told myself to run but as I was caught in his eyes, I felt powerless. Like when Ville bit me the first time. It must have been a vampire thing that Ville didn't tell me about. To my complete horror, I couldn't even scream. He laughed and took a step closer, my heart raced and I just kept thinking about how mad I was I couldn't even fight for my life.

"Don't be so scared, I'm not damaging your beautiful face or that perfect body of yours. I am going to make it so you can look that way forever." He wanted to make me a vampire? What the fuck? Where the fuck was Ville, that lying bastard.

Right on que, Ville appeared out of nowhere, kicking Alexi into the brick wall of the bar. He groaned and crumbled to the ground like a rag doll. Ville picked him up with one hand and pinned him to the wall, Alexi hissed in his face, fangs beard. I tired to move or talk, but I was still frozen still. I took deep breaths and clamed myself, I thought only about having control over myself again, seeing my mind push Alexi out.

It worked, I ended up screaming the delayed one from earlier and I ran down the street to my apartment. I dashed up the stairs, unlocked the door, slammed and locked it behind me and finally caught my breath. I hoped that Ville was killing him right now so I could stop worrying.

Hours went by and I fell asleep on the sofa reading poems by Emily Dickson. Ville awoke me by kissing my forehead. I jumped up.

"Where the fuck were you!?" He was taken back.

"I lost him," I groaned and hit my head on the back of the sofa.

"Oh great…but I meant where were you when I got off work?"

"I'm sorry, he tricked me. I was hungry and I saw a drunk passed out a few blocks away so I thought I'd slip down there and get a bite so I could give you another night to get use to being my donor. He must planted him because the blood was drugged and I blacked out. I know better now and I am ashamed I was fooled." My face softened. He really seemed upset.

"It's okay, everyone makes mistakes…He said that he wanted to make me a vampire, Ville."

"What?"

"That's what he told me, now will you tell me what the hell is the whole mind control thing about?" He sat next to me, leaning back and sighing.

"It's a way vampires can feed without alarming their victim. If a human fights, it hurts, if they relax, it's enjoyable. Some humans can over power and keep vampires from controlling them. I can teach you how to do this." I raised an eyebrow.

"I pushed him out of my head,"

"Really? That's impressive." Than everything was quiet and I wondered when he would ask to bite me.

"Why haven't you asked to feed from me yet?" Ville laughed.

"I was trying to give you space. I don't want you to be scared of me and I was hoping to feed from you without calming your mind. If you're already relaxed I can enjoy the taste of the blood without stressing over keeping you controlled."

"Why do you act like you care about me when we barely know each other?" He just smirked.

"Why indeed?"