Creature Of The Night

Walking through yet more of the dark alleyways he loved made him feel relaxed. His thirst, at least for now, was sated. He felt no guilt nor remorse yet neither did he feel a desire to end another life that night. As he ducked his head, making a sharp left into a more brightly lit street, a stray wind hit the bottom of his long leather jacket and made it flow around his ankles like a cloak in the wind. He pulled the hood that had previously been hidden within his jacket over his head to grant himself more cover from the rudely intruding streetlights and continued walking down Bow Street.
“Excuse me, sir.” The voice had come from a police officer headed his direction from a side road. He was young, not even 30, and the stab vest beneath his uniform made his slight form seem bulkier and more muscled than he was. The vampire was not surprised by his arrival as he had heard his footsteps and heartbeat and picked up his scent long before he came into view. “May I ask what you’re doing walking around this late at night?”
“I’s just come from Tru, mate. Been havin’ a wicked night at the clubs an’ that, bruv.” A perfectly executed act of drunkenness was the most likely way he’d not raise suspicion.
“So where are you going now?”
“Off ‘ome.” He may not have been clubbing but there’s no point lying about where he’s headed now.
“I see. Did you know about the recent murders in this area?” The officer did not expect he was looking into the eyes of the murderer, he asked simply thought he may get lucky with a witness.
“You mean the Coast Killer like from the papers?” Everyone knew about the murders in the area, acting otherwise would be stupid.
“Did you know they’ve been happening just a few minutes in the direction you’re coming from?” Of course he did.
“Yeah, by the clubs an’ that, right?”
“Yes. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that would you? See anything, or hear anything from someone who did? Anything like that?”
Here is where acting ignorant would be the obviously good idea “Yeah, mate. My mate Gary’s mate Steve ‘eard from his girlfriend’s mate that the killer takes the eyeballs out with a corkscrew. That true?”
The officer paused for a moment before deciding this was a waste of his time “Thank you for your time, sir. Have a safe walk home.”
“A’ite. Thanks, man.” Glad the irritation was gone he continued on his walk home. He checked the time on his mobile phone. 3:26am. The sun would rise in three hours.
After turning three more corners he approached the front door of the terraced house in which he lived. After unlocking the door he went into the dark hallway of the house and locked the door behind him.
The pitch dark hallway was painted black as a moonless night’s sky with not a single picture or display hanging on the walls. The wooden flooring was spotless although no human eyes could have noticed dirt against its dark colour and the ceiling’s light fixtures were empty. In all, the hallway was overwhelmingly dark.
Ignoring the immaculate and unused bathrooms of the same decoration he took a right into the study, yet another room of absolute darkness with black painted walls and matching carpet and ceiling. He approached a large cardboard box sitting in the middle of the room with a DHL logo plastered on it beside an address label claiming the package’s recipient to be named Nathan. Opening it revealed it to be filled with a variety of books. Drawing from the pile the first book he came across he went to sit with perfect posture at an antique desk at one end of the room and began reading the book, turning the page every few seconds.