SOMETHING ROAMS THE NIGHT...

FIFTY

It had been a year since the incident, a year since that day at the asylum.

"Hey, babe," Ezra surprised me with a hug.

"Hey," I smiled at him. 

"You okay?" he noticed my curt reply. "Please don't tell me you're still mad at me for sending you to an asylum."

"I'm fine, and I'm not mad," I said. "I'm just...you know, happy."

"Good," he smiled, taking my hand. "Come on, let's go have some ice cream or something."

"I'll pass," I told him. "I just want to be alone today, Ezra."

"Oh," there was a hint of disappointment in his voice. "Sure."

We walked hand in hand from the library all the way to my house. "I'm sorry, baby," I said when I was at the doorstep. "I promise I'll make this up to you."

"I deserve this," Ezra forced a slight smile. "After what I did to you, I'm the one who has to be apologizing all my life."

"It's okay, it's the past. See you tomorrow, okay?"

"I'll call you, or text you..." Ezra said, gesturing with his hand. I watched as he sauntered out of sight.

Closing the door, a wide grin spread across my lips. I skipped towards my bedroom, took a peek at myself in the mirror. 

Haley was a beautiful girl, with her high cheekbones, her bright sky-blue eyes, her stunning smile... 

No wonder that dumb Kane had fallen head over heels in love with her-she was the whole package. I would have had too, if she wasn't that stupid.

I sighed gleefully as I sat down, folding my arms in front of me. It was weird, having to be a girl, having to have a boyfriend. I wasn't Haley, for God's sake. But it was okay, I could always find myself a new host.

Being alive made me happy. As long as I lived, there was no way this town could remain peaceful. I wouldn't let it. After all, my hobby was to torture, to kill innocent people. 

I laughed when I remembered that night. It had been tragic-not for me, but for Haley.

She never woke up that day. She had had too much of the medication in her system, too much that it had killed her. And with her soul gone, I took over her body like a parasite taking control over its host. It was as easy as shifting forms between Damon the human, and Damon the reaper. 

I picked up a pen, scrawled her name onto a piece of paper.

Haley Pearer.

Something was off in her name-it was as if she was meant to be my host. I pursed my lips as I scribbled over her last name, and rearranged the letters. 

There. Much better.

Reaper, the word stood out in blood-red ink.

Coincidence?

I think not.