The Cliché of a Thousand Years
One
It was around nine o’clock at night. The stars were out, but barely seen due to the city lights. The moon was nowhere to be found and thus provided no light. An eighteen-year-old girl stepped out of a small store, locking up for the night. It was a music store. Although it was small, it was widely known throughout the city for its quality instruments and lessons. The girl breathed out a puff of white air in the cold night before starting her walk home.
She was thin, but not too thin. She had light brown hair that went to her collarbones. Her eyes were also a dark shade of green. She was not very tall; in fact, she was constantly mistaken as younger than she actually was. That could also be blamed on her face. She had a very innocent look to her. She was wearing a black sweater, blue jeans, and a pair of black vans.
As she turned down the alleyway that she always takes to get home, a man stepped out of the shadows of a tall building across the street from the music store. He watched her disappear into the alley. He had dark brown hair that was cut just below his ears, silver eyes with black outlining them, and a pale complexion. He watched the girl with no amusement. He wore a black, fur coat that went down to his knees and brown pants with black dress shoes. He blinked and was gone.
She walked through the alley with no fear. This was the way she always went, so why would she be afraid? She was not a fool, though. She was very aware of her surroundings. She listened for anything that might be a sign of danger. She walked quickly, but not too quickly to seem alarmed. She held her head high. There were only a few more blocks left before she reached her flat.
He followed her. He hadn’t fed that night and was getting irritated, but he knew that he had to have patience. Sure, he could easily just run out and kill her, but he enjoyed watching his victims squirm until they were lifeless. He stepped slowly through the looming shadows of the alley. He could hear, smell, and see everything around him. He heard the rats in the walls of the buildings. He could smell the dirt on the floor of the alley. He could see her shoulders rise and fall to the rhythm of her breathing.
She could feel another being in the alley with her. She could sense someone watching her, following her. She stayed calm, however. If she dashed for the exit, she might alarm her pursuer into a frenzied rage. If she stopped, she would just die quicker. This alley was the perfect place for a murder. She thought of every convict that lived in the city: a serial killer on First Street, a rapist on Dashwood, an arsonist on Clemence. Those streets were on the other side of the city. And they would be unable to hold out for so long. The urge to kill would drive them mad if they didn’t do it as soon as they got her alone.
She quickened her pace, hoping she could get out of the alley and into open space before whoever was following could get the chance to strike. Her heart rate sped up and he noticed this. He was confused for a moment; he did not make any sounds while following her. He moved in a way that would not grab her attention. So why was she freaking out? He began to follow her faster. She wasn’t thinking as clearly as she should have, making her miss her turn and head straight into a dead end. She cursed herself and turned around slowly.
He took the opportunity to step out of the shadows once he realized that she was trapped. He watched as she slowly turned around and smiled wickedly at the look of shock in her eyes. Although, her reaction was different than what he expected. Usually, they scream or cry or try and escape, but this one, this one seemed relieved.
She thought to herself many things, but one of the main points in all her jumbled thoughts was that she was now face-to-face with a vampire, and thank God it wasn’t a rapist or serial killer.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. You’d think that for someone who’s been taking the same way home every night, you’d remember to turn before getting to the dead end.” He taunted her. He wanted to make her afraid of him. Usually, something like that isn’t so hard. “Before I kill you, would you answer a question for me?” He chuckled to himself. “Why is it that I have you cornered, and yet you don’t cry for help? Why aren’t you begging me for your life? Why aren’t you crying desperately?”
She thought for a moment, noting how ironic it is that he’s going to kill her, but asks her to answer his questions. “Isn’t it obvious?” She asked with a certain tone to her voice that made him more alert. “I’m not afraid of you.” He looked taken aback by this statement.
“I’m going to kill you. To your kind, I’m a monster. I’m going to bleed you dry and leave your corpse here to rot while I continue on with the same feeding pattern as I have for years.” She looked unfazed. He remained calm. He didn’t want her to think as if the words she said and her actions gave her the upper hand in the slightest way.
“I know.” She looked into his eyes when she spoke with him. They were only a few feet away from each other. Her facial expression changed into one of curiosity. She suddenly stepped back and away from him with confusion.
“What is it?” He asked before he could stop himself. He mentally cursed himself for letting his curiosity get the better of him.
“I’ve seen my share of vampires, trust me I have, but none of them have eyes quite like yours.” After she said this, he heard footsteps coming. The scent of a handful of members from his coven wafted through the air. They had come to find him. He looked at the girl that stood in front of him. He backhanded her, smacking her against the wall. She fainted and he threw his coat over her so she would not be seen. He turned to face part of his coven as they came around the corner.
“Sir, Mistress Willow would like to speak with you. She is waiting back at the nest.” Jared, his newest creation, had said. He nodded and glanced back at the girl one more time before slipping away with them.
She was thin, but not too thin. She had light brown hair that went to her collarbones. Her eyes were also a dark shade of green. She was not very tall; in fact, she was constantly mistaken as younger than she actually was. That could also be blamed on her face. She had a very innocent look to her. She was wearing a black sweater, blue jeans, and a pair of black vans.
As she turned down the alleyway that she always takes to get home, a man stepped out of the shadows of a tall building across the street from the music store. He watched her disappear into the alley. He had dark brown hair that was cut just below his ears, silver eyes with black outlining them, and a pale complexion. He watched the girl with no amusement. He wore a black, fur coat that went down to his knees and brown pants with black dress shoes. He blinked and was gone.
She walked through the alley with no fear. This was the way she always went, so why would she be afraid? She was not a fool, though. She was very aware of her surroundings. She listened for anything that might be a sign of danger. She walked quickly, but not too quickly to seem alarmed. She held her head high. There were only a few more blocks left before she reached her flat.
He followed her. He hadn’t fed that night and was getting irritated, but he knew that he had to have patience. Sure, he could easily just run out and kill her, but he enjoyed watching his victims squirm until they were lifeless. He stepped slowly through the looming shadows of the alley. He could hear, smell, and see everything around him. He heard the rats in the walls of the buildings. He could smell the dirt on the floor of the alley. He could see her shoulders rise and fall to the rhythm of her breathing.
She could feel another being in the alley with her. She could sense someone watching her, following her. She stayed calm, however. If she dashed for the exit, she might alarm her pursuer into a frenzied rage. If she stopped, she would just die quicker. This alley was the perfect place for a murder. She thought of every convict that lived in the city: a serial killer on First Street, a rapist on Dashwood, an arsonist on Clemence. Those streets were on the other side of the city. And they would be unable to hold out for so long. The urge to kill would drive them mad if they didn’t do it as soon as they got her alone.
She quickened her pace, hoping she could get out of the alley and into open space before whoever was following could get the chance to strike. Her heart rate sped up and he noticed this. He was confused for a moment; he did not make any sounds while following her. He moved in a way that would not grab her attention. So why was she freaking out? He began to follow her faster. She wasn’t thinking as clearly as she should have, making her miss her turn and head straight into a dead end. She cursed herself and turned around slowly.
He took the opportunity to step out of the shadows once he realized that she was trapped. He watched as she slowly turned around and smiled wickedly at the look of shock in her eyes. Although, her reaction was different than what he expected. Usually, they scream or cry or try and escape, but this one, this one seemed relieved.
She thought to herself many things, but one of the main points in all her jumbled thoughts was that she was now face-to-face with a vampire, and thank God it wasn’t a rapist or serial killer.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. You’d think that for someone who’s been taking the same way home every night, you’d remember to turn before getting to the dead end.” He taunted her. He wanted to make her afraid of him. Usually, something like that isn’t so hard. “Before I kill you, would you answer a question for me?” He chuckled to himself. “Why is it that I have you cornered, and yet you don’t cry for help? Why aren’t you begging me for your life? Why aren’t you crying desperately?”
She thought for a moment, noting how ironic it is that he’s going to kill her, but asks her to answer his questions. “Isn’t it obvious?” She asked with a certain tone to her voice that made him more alert. “I’m not afraid of you.” He looked taken aback by this statement.
“I’m going to kill you. To your kind, I’m a monster. I’m going to bleed you dry and leave your corpse here to rot while I continue on with the same feeding pattern as I have for years.” She looked unfazed. He remained calm. He didn’t want her to think as if the words she said and her actions gave her the upper hand in the slightest way.
“I know.” She looked into his eyes when she spoke with him. They were only a few feet away from each other. Her facial expression changed into one of curiosity. She suddenly stepped back and away from him with confusion.
“What is it?” He asked before he could stop himself. He mentally cursed himself for letting his curiosity get the better of him.
“I’ve seen my share of vampires, trust me I have, but none of them have eyes quite like yours.” After she said this, he heard footsteps coming. The scent of a handful of members from his coven wafted through the air. They had come to find him. He looked at the girl that stood in front of him. He backhanded her, smacking her against the wall. She fainted and he threw his coat over her so she would not be seen. He turned to face part of his coven as they came around the corner.
“Sir, Mistress Willow would like to speak with you. She is waiting back at the nest.” Jared, his newest creation, had said. He nodded and glanced back at the girl one more time before slipping away with them.