Say Your Prayers, You're Really Gonna Need Them.

★ ★ ★ - Indicates point of view change.

★★★

Slamming the door behind me I set off in a sprint, my feet pounding hard and quick on the pavement.

I didn’t know what was happening, how one person could rip down the boundaries you’d taken years upon years to put up.

I had never been so susceptible to a woman; there had to been something more there.

I don’t think I had been around Ruse before when she was... menstruating, I would have noticed and this could have all been avoided.

As I carried on running, I came to a clearing on the edge of Yarders woods.

Sneaking down into a hedge, I closed my eyes and waited, listening intently to the sounds of the forest and what they culminated as the moments passed.

I don’t know how long I sat there, eyes closed and in the innermost depths of my mind without interruption, but it must have been close to few hours because when I opened them again, it was darker, the sky set to dusk.

I stood, quietly and carefully, letting myself become deep within my hunting mindset as I began walking along the forest, searching for something.

As I came up to a tree I became instantly aware of the rich warm smell of blood culminating through its owners flesh.

I shuddered, before walking carefully, slowly towards the smell which turned out to belong to a reticent dog walker.

Leaning my head back onto a tree I took a few cleansing breaths, before stepping out onto the path and making next to no noise, even on the dry foliage began to stalk the middle aged woman ahead of me.

Of course the little dog sensed my presence before I had even come into light, but once in view it began to bark, trying to scare me away, trying to admonition its owner.

But it didn’t matter, I had my teeth in her skin before she’d even had a chance to turn around and heed the warning of her small canine companion.

I didn’t want to kill this woman; even if I did... her little dog was making far too much racket to make anything that I was doing inconspicuous.

So after taking as much blood as possible without true harm, I laid her down onto the crispy leaves next to her little dog, who had now gone quiet with fright.

I watched as the mutt lay down, staring at the woman’s form with eyes full of anguish.
Frowning, I turned on my heel before strolling away with my head tucked into the collar of my jacket.

I couldn't afford to feel sad, the woman was lucky she was still even alive, would still wake up to tell the tale.

Pushing these thoughts to the back of my brain, I carried on walking until I came to a bar and after getting myself a drink and allocating a seat; I sat back and watched, staring at the regulars who dwelled over their pints, hoping to find an answer to life’s questions at the bottom of their glasses.

Just like I am.

Sighing, I knocked back my drink; letting the fresh bubbles burn my throat as it travelled down.
I pushed the glass away, before casting a glace around the pub again.

My attention was immediately caught by two volatile resounding young men, who couldn't have been older than twenty.

It was hard not to meet their eyes, especially when they were fixed on me, filled with unjustified anger and lairy ineptitude.

Fine, they want to play. I’ll take them on.

Looking back over, I fixed them with a look of my own, holding their gazes with the same angry arrogance that was directed to me.

They took the bait hook line and sinker and were in front of me when I stood, almost instantly.

“Got a problem?” The tallest of the men asked, his breath overbearingly brimmed with alcohol.

I moved my face backwards a little, from sheer disgust which I made obvious in my facial
expression.

“Problem?” I repeated, almost fathomlessly.

“Yeah.” The man sneered.

“Maybe I do,” I replied, stepping forward. “I take it you mean a problem other than your wretched breath?” I smirked, before throwing an apologetic glance towards the bar woman and sidestepping both men to leave the pub.

I knew they would follow, these men were stupid, wanted nothing more than a fight.

And now, they had one... which if they lived through I’d doubt they’d forget.

Directly as I walked out the door, into the chilly October air they were on my heels.

I carried on towards a darker part of the road, thick with bushes and grass and under the shadows, I waited.

The men were in front of me quickly and once again asking me the same question.

As I leant forward, I felt my teeth extend, almost at the same rate as my resentment for the human race grew.

“I’ve got more problems than you could ever comprehend... but you won't be one of them.” I whispered.

Just before the cars and the noise from the outside world drowned out their screams.

★★★

After I cleaned myself and the house up, I decided that home would probably be my best bet.
Harlan still wasn't home, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe I didn’t want to be around when he did.

Gathering the last of my belongings, I pulled on my coat and trudged down the stairs, wincing all the way.

I opted to call a cab, not wanting to walk in the dark right now.

Sitting myself down on the sofa I waited, staring off into space until I felt my eyes grow incredibly heavy.

I couldn't seem to shake off the drowsy stupor and it wasn't long until they were truly shut and I was dead asleep.

-

“Come on.” Ellen said with a giggle.

I sighed, before following her slowly, trying not to trip over the sea of bodies that resided underneath our feet.

Frowning, I stared more at the floor, bodies? That wasn't right.

Looking up Ellen was stood impatiently, holding her hand out for me to take.

Shaking my head, I began to walk towards her, towards her outstretched hand.

“Why do you always dawdle?” she huffed as I reached her and she pulled me so I was now to her left.

When I opened my mouth to reply, there wasn't any sound.

Frowning again, I continued my attempts at speech, but to no avail.

“That’s the problem with you Ruse, you don’t listen enough.” Ellen continued, whilst I tried desperately to form something that sounded like speech.

“Always in your own little world.” A voice spoke, making me jump. Looking to my own left stood Harlan; he smirked down at me as we all continued to walk.

I pulled on Ellen’s shirt sleeve, to see if she could see Harlan too, as she hadn’t indicated that she had.

Sensing, what I was trying to do Harlan took my hand and pulled me close to him and we watched as Ellen continued in her stride, adamantly not looking back for me.

I couldn't shout to her, but as I watched her retreating form Harlan whispered in my ear.

“I don’t think we have to involve her do we?” he asked, as Ellen stepped into a hole in the body carpet, sending her downwards into the ground.

I frowned, as everything began to get dark, the once light room now becoming enveloped in shadows.

“You have choices you know, you can end up in the ground like your friend... or walk the earth, over the facade of ever growing bodies and live.” He replied.

Just like you? I thought almost resentfully.

Looking him in the eyes, I watched as a slow, sexy smile draped itself over his lips.

“Ruse I'm not alive,” He laughed, as the bodies began rotting and decomposing, curling into themselves in a fraught bid to evaporate away, just as new bodies began filling their places.

“Nothing about me is alive, after a while your soul rots, just the way a body would,” He said,
putting less than a centimetre between us just to gesture towards the floor.

“And your blood takes away the pain of a missing soul.” he finished, putting his hand to my neck and then pulling away and brandishing a little pool of blood in the middle of his palm.

“Ruse?”

-

“Ruse?” the voice asked, causing my dream world to collapse and the real world steady into view.

When I looked up I was almost shocked to see him, even more so to still be at his house, meaning chances are high that I’d missed my cab.

He had sat down on the armchair and was watching me with intense interest, almost amusedly as I tried to shake my grogginess and focus.

“I’m sorry.” Harlan said, leaning forward in his chair. Looking over at him he looked almost breathtaking, his hair was slightly more disarrayed than normal and his skin looked almost radiant and as usual, his hazel eyes were deep and startling.

“It's okay.” I nodded, pulling myself upwards with the help of the armrest, trying not to pull on my sore hand, but I was too tired to object and argue.

“Are you alright?” Harlan asked with a slight frown, as I ran my hands through my hair.

“Yes fine, just tired,” I mused, not looking him in the eyes. “I should probably be getting home.” I stated, before attempting to stand.

Once up, my hand instinctively flew to my abdomen as a little stab made its self known, the pain causing me to suck in a little breath.

Harlan was watching this entire exchange from where he was sat, his face unreadable, which probably made me more worried than actually knowing what he was thinking.

“It's half eleven, you know?” he asked.

I checked my watch; he was right... which meant I must have been asleep for a good four hours or so.

“So it is...” I mumbled.

“Stay.” he uttered simply, forming more of a request than a choice.

I looked him in the eyes, “Is that really wise?” I asked, as another wave of twinges made me grimace.

“Probably not wise, but I need to be around you,” He replied, “We need to talk.”

I must have pulled a face of utter horror, because in the next instant he had leant forward again and grabbed my hand.

“No... No I understand.” I muttered.

“I don’t think you do.” He smirked.

“Oh?” I quirked, slightly relieved at his lighter tone of voice and the dramatic effect it held in the entire room.

“Oh.” He nodded, meaning I sat back down.

“So what’s up?” I asked, looking down at my feet.

“I want to know what you dream about.” He replied simply, before standing and leaving the room.

As I watched his back as he walked, I felt my stomach drop, not knowing how comfortable I’d be discussing the dreams I had.

But never the less I stood, and followed him out to where he was, in the kitchen.
Pulling out a chair I sat down, watching him make coffee.

“You can’t have any.” He muttered.

“Uh...why?” I frowned, with a slight edge to my voice.

“I need you sleepy.” He smirked.

“Right, because that doesn’t make you sound like a freak.” I mumbled sarcastically.

“You’ll understand later I promise.” He smiled, before placing a mug of warm milk in front of me.

I couldn't help but let out a small giggle, “I think it will take more than that for me to be tired, I mean I’ve just woke up... and I'm not six years old.” I grinned sardonically before taking a small sip.

Harlan just rolled his eyes before sitting across the table from me.

“So?”

“So?” I repeated, twirling my finger in the milk.

“Your dreams.”

“What would you like to know about them?”

“Anything you can tell me.” He shrugged.

“And why is this important?” I frowned, looking up at him briefly.

“Stop answering everything with a question please Ruse, this isn’t a game.” He sighed exasperatedly.

“Do I look like I'm smiling?” I quipped heatedly, causing him to shoot me a furious look.

“I don’t want to think about them... they scare me.” I whispered, chewing the inside of my lip.

“But it’s important.”

I sighed, flinging my head back slightly before fixing him with an annoyed stare, but his was far more intimidating than mine and so I felt myself cave pretty quickly.

“Fine... they’re usually about you.” I sighed again.

Harlan didn’t speak, only nodded as if that was a queue for me to carry on speaking.

“I never used to dream, or at least never remembered them, then suddenly I did, but only after I went to the hospital... only after I got sick. One thing you should know is, that they aren’t dreams, they’re nightmares,” I exhaled loudly, running my hand through my hair again before speaking.

“The first one I remember was you... except I didn’t know who you were, just thought you might have been something fake, something my imagination made up... then when I first saw you... for real, I was pretty shocked but just deducted it down to maybe seeing you around before and subconsciously taking in your face and just using you as a figure, although I couldn't place your face properly... probably because you were wearing a mask,” I smiled sheepishly, feeling like a little girl who had done something bad.

“But then I kept dreaming about you... most of the time anyway, all the dreams have the same pattern... same ending... just different situations and sometimes people.”

“And what’s the pattern?” he asked, with a thoughtful frown.

“There’s always destruction... death and I’m usually on the receiving end.” I replied.

“Who causes your death?”

“Nine times out of the ten... You do Harlan.” I frowned.

He closed his eyes for a second, leaning forward in chair and putting his elbows on the table.

“Thought so.” He murmured.

“Why did you want to know?” I asked.

He didn’t answer for a few seconds, just continued to stare at the table’s woodwork.

“I dreamt about you again last night... dreamt that I killed you, or that I was going to... wanted to.
I’ve been speaking to friends of mine and they don’t dream, just like I never used to.
Vampires can’t dream... you need a soul to dream and I don’t have that... not anymore.”

“How do you know?” I asked, causing him to smirk.

“Because the soul is the epitome of humanity, I’m not a human Ruse... I’m evil in its purest form.”

“If that’s the case, then surely murders... Human murderers that is, don’t have a soul either?”

“You know it doesn’t work like that, I'm the walking dead... my soul died when my human body did.”

“So why are you dreaming then?” I replied sarcastically.

“That’s what I'm planning to find out.”