𝙏𝙃𝘼𝙏 𝙉𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏 [𝑫𝑬𝑨𝑵 𝑾𝑰𝑵𝑪𝑯𝑬𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑭𝑨𝑵 𝑭𝑰𝑪]

𝟏

It was chilly out that night, the wind brisk but not the kind that makes it difficult to breathe. It was February, not quite Valentine's day but close enough to make one wonder if they will have any plans or maybe a night in. Alone with a glass of wine and a movie with some major distraction smiling with a set of beautiful pearly whites that make you sigh.

"Table six is getting pretty loud, wanting their drinks" said Marcy, a coworker. "Oh right" I said" sorry I was lost for moment". Wayward Son by Kansas was playing loudly on the juke box. I realized I had a table waiting on me for their beverages. I work in a bar, pub, drinking establishment or whatever you want to call it, all consists of the same things. People pouring in usually around eight or nine, after work I'm guessing and It's always the same groups of people. Loud, rude drinkers who do not know the meaning of the word, tip. Although I've known most of these people my whole life, I don't have any real friends. Keeping to myself doesn't exactly draw a crowd either but one thing that can be counted on though, nothing ever happens in my town and I don't think it ever will.

I scoop up the drinks, four to be exact. Two fruity scented things in tall glasses and two regular beers and upon arriving at the table my assumptions are correct. Two couples. As I set the drinks down and take the money from the dark haired guy I begin to fish out his change from my apron pocket and to my surprise he says "keep the change", a ten dollar tip has made my night.

 It is almost time for my shift to end, I worked the evening shift and that means at close up I am off work. I don't own a car and I don't like public transportation so if I am not being dragged into Marcy's car I walk home. My apartment is only a two block journey home and I really don't mind it but Marcy says "its really not safe for you to be walking alone at three am, there are perverts or murderers at that hour" so I indulge her most nights, she means well. Marcy is slightly older about fifty I would say, I thought it rude to ask so I didn't but she was very nice and has worked at the bar for almost fifteen years.

 Her hair was dyed blonde the roots were always coming out but it sort of suited her. She's got a tough side I could tell and it usually comes out if we have to throw out unruly customer's, she's the go to person if someone needs an ass kicking. 

That night I wanted to walk, working in that type of environment is why I enjoy the quiet of my late night walks I craved the silence that the night brought so after I cashed in and disposed of half of the empty bottles I quickly slipped out the back door and began my trek into the quiet black of the night.

There were cracking noises coming from the snow beneath my feet, I like the sound. The night is cold with light fluffy snowflakes touching my face. I am busy looking through the snow, it's like looking through a three dimensional image when you focus on it, mesmerizing.

Suddenly I am brought back to reality when I hear hushed voices as I pass an alleyway, I stop and stare into a poorly lit space. Straining my eyes to focus, I am looking for the sounds I heard but I see nothing. Then I hear what sounds like a muffled voice then shuffling feet, next comes what sounds like a whimper. Someone is in trouble and I couldn't get my feet to stop they were already taking me into the alley. I was afraid but I had to go, something was pulling me forward and I was powerless to stop it. 

As I came to a corner I stopped, so I could carefully peer around it and what I saw startled me and I froze. There was a man and a woman, he was holding her against the wall, more like pinning her down. His hand was over her mouth as she was squirming to get away but he was just too strong. Her eyes were rolling back into her head and her body was getting limp, am I really seeing this? I thought.

 It looked like he was chewing on her throat. In the darkness I could see the blood glistening. I let out a stuttered breath. He turned toward me and stared, the black of his eyes were as clear as if it were daytime. All I could do was stand there and stare when every inch of my body urged me to run, but my brain refused to cooperate with my limbs.

 The woman's lifeless body slid out from beneath his grasp, right to the cold, snow covered ground in this alleyway that would become my final resting place. I knew I was going to meet the same grisly end that she had but I still wasn't able to move a muscle. "Run you idiot" was all I could hear in my mind it was my inner self trying to save my life, but it was like the same force that was pulling me into the alley was keeping me there motionless.

He came at me pretty quick must have only taken two or three steps and he was in front of me reaching out, with this creepy smile across his face he put his icy cold hand around my throat. "You shouldn't be sneaking up on people" he said as he stroked my face. His teeth were misshapen like canine teeth, long and sharp. His hands were like blocks of ice, dead hands I remember thinking. I tried to fight, to get away and I remember thinking "why in the hell are you trying to get away now, it's a little too late". It happened so fast suddenly he was knocked on the ground and there was someone else there, someone had come to my rescue. As I fell to the ground coughing and out of breath I looked over and seen "Him".

My rescuer was now standing over the monster as he lay on the ground, holding what looked like a big knife in his right hand. The man took a solid swing, beheading my would be murderer. The man turned toward me and asked if I was hurt or if I had been bitten. "Bitten" I said "what the hell is going on" I demanded. He came to help me up while checking my throat. I was pulled up gently and came face to face with the most intense green eyes I had ever seen. His face was beautiful, almost statue like and his voice was deep and soothing. I felt safe.

 "I'm sorry but whatever you're thinking is probably right, that was a vampire and I have to know if you've been bitten" he said, I told him I wasn't, he just choked me.

 "Can you walk?" he asked, I lied and said "yes" but as I tried, I stumbled. He caught me and in those big strong hands I felt totally safe, I wasn't even shaken up about the fact that I just witnessed someone being beheaded. "Come this way I'll give you a ride home, where do you live?" he asked. "Not far" was all I was able to say as I pointed down the street.

 We walked around the corner shoulder to shoulder and came upon a black older model car, it was almost as beautiful as he was. He opened the door and helped me inside, went around to the other side and got in, started the engine and turned to me. "I'm Dean".

The ride back to my place was a quiet one, it was just a few minutes but the road seemed to stretch on. The streetlights were like lines on either side of my face, my peripheral vision was playing tricks on me as I leaned back against the soft leather of his seat. It cushioned me and felt soft as well as firm against my body, it was just what I needed, something to lean on. To my right I thought I saw shadows behind every street post we passed, they all had someone or something waiting to pounce out on some unsuspecting person who was unlucky enough to be walking that night. I was filled with so many questions but I couldn't get any of them out. Dean, his name radiated in my mind. It was like I've seen him before something about him was so familiar yet so strange at the same time and the more I thought about it, the more the image came flooding back in my mind like a tidal wave crashing into my memories. The scary guy in the alley with fangs instead of teeth, I almost died and all I had to look back on tonight was a lousy ten dollar tip. I think it was that moment when I decided to live and it was that car ride that led me to where I am today and I do not regret one second of it. As we neared my place I told him to pull over, he got out and came around to help me out of the car and once again my legs betrayed me.