Luna

Five

I wanted to kill him.  I wanted to kill the man who killed Tamika.  I didn't care that he was stronger than me and no doubt more experienced.  The man I'd seen in the bar; the vampire who had tried to coerce me had killed her.  I was sure of it.

I cursed myself for letting her become my friend, cursed myself for fighting in the bathroom, cursed myself that I wasn't strong enough.

I'd sat upon the rooftop of the apartment building, alone with my thoughts and secretly wishing it was true that the sun would turn me to dust, but it wasn't.  I didn't even get sunburn.

After I threw up near the dumpster, I had moved away and listened as hard as I could.  I don't remember what my hearing was like before I was turned, but I was pretty sure humans couldn't hear as well as I could.

I focused on the voice of the detective who seemed to be charge of the scene and the feeling of dread deepened.  "Tamika Pierce, 25.  Looks like something tore out her throat."

I don't remember exactly what I did after that, but the rush of adrenaline obviously gave me a boost of energy and before I knew it I had scaled the fire escape and was sitting on the roof of the building, trying hard to get myself under control.

Sometimes I wake up somewhere and have no idea how I got there.  Not in the bed of a stranger; that I could handle.  This was different.  I'd wake up in an alley, in a storage room, somewhere that made no sense and yet felt like a dream I hadn't dreamt.

I'd gagged and shook and paced and eventually just sat staring at the city below.

I watched the sunset on a day I hadn't even seen coming and wondered if I had caused it.  I shook my head, of course I'd caused it.  

I jumped when someone touched my shoulder and whirled to face none other than London Carmichael.

He was dressed neatly in businesswear and looked like any other worker who'd just gotten off the train and was heading for a drink before going home to the mundane.  He was taller than I remembered and, despite myself, I couldn't help noticing he was better looking than I'd remembered too.

His dark eyes watched me closely, his equally dark hair blowing in the cold breeze that I only just noticed.

His face was grim and I wondered how he'd found me; why he'd found me.

Then it dawned on me, he'd killed Tamika, not the man in the bar.  He'd ripped her throat out and now he was coming for me.

I jumped back, snarling as I felt my inner beast strain against the constraints of my logical mind.  I should have fought it, should have remembered my humanity, but I didn't.

With my last ounce of humanity I realised something; I'd woken up in my apartment.  How had he known where I lived?  Had he been following me?  Was he the one who had turned me?

I swallowed hard and tried to ignore the fangs that had descended when I'd turned to him.  I didn't like them, would never be used to them, but they served a purpose sometimes.

I snarled again and dived at him. I didn't care that he was stronger or faster, I was going to get my revenge.  He had killed my friend and ruined my life.

I was surprised when he ducked out of the way and held his hands up to ward me off, "Luna please."  He said calmly, "I just want to talk to you.  To know you're okay."

I paused momentarily but the mention of my name drew a snarl deeper than I could have imagined possible from the pit of my stomach and I was certain he had been stalking me.

I dived at him again and it took him longer to get away.

We continued this dance for a while; me trying to attack him, him getting out of my way.