When Night Falls

Shattered - X-Ray Dog
It would be good if you would listen to this while reading this chapter. (: Thanks

-Ryan’s POV-

My eyes narrowed as I surveyed the store. I waited impatiently, my eyes flickering to my watch.

It was Sunday, 6p.m.

I hadn’t seen Christine since Friday. After I had ensured that she had reached home safely, I had left for my weekly hunting trip.

But now, I had been waiting for an hour, watching the store. She was supposed to be on shift...but she wasn’t there.

Something wasn’t right.
My overactive imagination began to torture me. Christine, sick and on her deathbed. Christine, lying cold, dead and alone somewhere. Christine, cornered and badly wounded… I shuddered involuntarily. I slapped myself mentally, chastising myself for worrying about her. She was strong, she was fine, I told myself. I tried to compose myself, to assure myself that she was probably held up, and that she would appear on the sidewalk and burst into the shop any minute, beautiful as always, smiling and apologetic.

I almost believed myself.

That confidence lasted until 7 p.m.

I frowned, finally giving in to my anxiousness as I entered the store. The cool air conditioned air did nothing against my skin. The shop was quite busy, filled with people. I ignored the shocked and appreciative gazes cast towards me by those of the opposite gender, and the jealous, noxious thoughts of the men in the shop, heading straight towards Michael, who was attending to a female customer with flaming red hair.

She started as I stood next to her.

“I beg your pardon, I apologise for interrupting.” I smiled. She looked stunned as she stepped back away from me. I smiled wryly at her, aware of the impact that I was making on her thoughts. “Could I borrow Michael for a second?”

She nodded, looking dazed and I flashed her a smile again. She coloured, flushing as she turned away. I sighed internally, disturbed at the impact of the alien beauty this curse had granted me. I couldn’t even talk to someone properly without intimidating them. Loneliness. This beauty had given nothing but loneliness to me. What I would give to be a normal man…

“I’m sorry for the interruption, Michael. I need to ask you something. Is Christine supposed to be on shift tonight?”

“Yup.” He nodded. He gestured to the shop, looking slightly annoyed that I had disturbed him in the midst of his attending to a customer. “If you’re looking for her, you’re not the only one. I tried to reach her on her cell, but I couldn’t get her. I would have gone to her place if I could, but I can’t.” He stared out of the shop wistfully, and then grimaced as he looked at the crowded store.

I hope she’s ok. She’s never done something like this before… I flinched at his thoughts. It felt as though the solid barrier that I had been building before I entered the store had crumbled. The anxiousness overwhelmed me, like water breaking through a dam.

“Thanks. I’ll check on her.” I hastily left the store, sliding quickly into my car and hitting the accelerator as I sped to her place.

-Christine’s POV-

The circus. Colourful, crowded, full of fun and laughter.

The last place I ever expected a hunt could take place.

I stared, fighting back the scowl on my face, watching the crowded circus grounds. Aunt Andrea was beside me, cheering at the clown who was performing. He was blindfolded, and he held a knife in his hands. A little girl, dressed up also as a clown, balanced an apple on her head as he tossed the knife straight into the apple. Huge tents had been set up. There was a Haunted House, and a Fortune telling tent. A clown tumbled past on his hands. I twitched slightly as a fire-breather suddenly breathed out fire, causing the crowd surrounding him to gasp and applaud.

I sighed inwardly, itching to go out to kill. I moved uneasily, my eyes shifting all over the grounds as I tried to spot the presence of any pale, deathly white creatures.

“Why are we watching this? We should be hunting!” I hissed to her.

“Relax, Christine. Enjoy the show.”

“I don’t understand why we are wasting our time watching a couple of stupid clowns juggle stuff.” I muttered under my breath.

“You need to blend in to avoid suspicion. Look carefully at the clown and his daughter,” she whispered.

I sighed, turning to look at them. The clown was now juggling knifes. I stared at them for a moment, sniffing the air… And then…

“YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.” I exhaled.

She chuckled.

“You need to be more attentive next time, Christine.”

“They always said I was good with knives,” He said softly.

“You need to be more attentive next time, Christine.”

“They always said I was good with knives,” He said softly.

“You need to be more attentive next time, Christine.”

And everything finally clicked into place.

An onslaught of memories…

We were fighting the two vampires, and they were pleading with us. Pleading that they were different, and that they didn’t want to hurt us.

I fell backwards as the little girl knocked me to my feet, pinning me down to the ground. I growled, snapping at her, ripping the flesh from her body and pushing her off me… She cried out loud, stumbling right into Aunt Andrea.

And then a final cry of agony as Aunt Andrea pounced, tearing her into pieces, and Raymond fled the scene...

“NATALIE WAS ALSO A CHILD BUT YOU KILLED HER ANYWAY!”

“YOU KILLED HER!! SHE WAS ONLY EIGHT!!!”

Suddenly, the pain seemed much more bearable, so much more justified.

For I deserved it.

-Ryan’s POV-

I stopped the car in front of her place. It was only when I was right here, did I realise that I had no reason or explanation on how I had known of her mysterious “disappearance” from the store. It was akin to confessing that I had been following her without her knowledge, like a crazy obsessed stalker. I had followed her merely to keep her safe and to protect her, but morally, it wasn’t right. I was disgusted with my own cowardice and hesitation, and that disgust was enough to make me head towards the door, ready to confess my crime if she were to question my intentions.

I stopped at the door, my senses instantly on the alert when I caught the scent of a vampire. Not just any vampire, but the very one who had turned Sarah! I had never managed to find him or hunt him now. And now, Christine… My blood boiled at the very thought of that thing near her.

I pushed the door open cautiously, crying out in shock when I noticed the palpable dried blood stains on the wall, almost more than a day old. I teleported quickly to her room, praying against hope that she had managed to escape. I combed the entire house in vain, stumbling from room to room. I ran out of the house, trying to locate the scent of the vampire, hoping that he had carried her on foot, but the trail broke almost immediately. I fell to my feet, letting out an anguished cry as I knew that there was no possible way to locate her…

Never had I believed in a God, but right now, I was praying to all the gods that I knew of every possible religion that Christine was still safe and sound. And, though I shied away from the thought that she might be dead, deep down, I prayed that she was still alive.

For if she were not, I would cease to exist.