Tall, Dark and Dead (Rewritten)

Bloody Jack

CHAPTER ONE

A l e k

🎶 Mozart, Lacrimosa

Ten past nine. It's getting late, and when darkness spreads along with the whole city, I can feel my body getting stronger. It's not that I am weak during the day, but for an animated corpse like me, I prefer nighttime. Silent and solemn. Peace dressed in pitch black, ready for its big reveal, cloaking those with bad intentions overnight.

I'm not an ordinary night owl, for I have the strength of hundreds of able-bodied men. Speed, faster than a raging bullet. Sharp fangs that cut deep through the skin of a delicious, ordinary human being. Ah, don't forget my extraordinary senses. Yes, everything is heightened.

There's a lot more than what is mentioned, but of course, the most important above all of these is the hunger for blood. The main course. The pièce de résistance may be served in a goblet or taken directly from a human's neck. I'm not picky. I can go both ways.

I am so much like a human, practically because I used to be one, only a lot more powerful than before. I like this version of me. My heart is still buried in my chest, although I can never hear it pound anymore. But yours, I can hear. Oh, that sweet melody. I just love it.

No, I don't have wings or fly, but I can pretty much leap from buildings to buildings, trees to trees, etcetera. I can jump from a towering structure without dying and still feel the pain as any other man, but my healing process is a lot faster than the ordinary. If I cut myself, it will only take seconds for the wound to close. If I break a bone, it will grow back, and I won't even flinch if I place it back myself. Cool, I know.

I am not a superhero, and never will be. Not again. I learned my lesson about helping others - things didn't turn out as they should be. People used me and my abilities for their own sake. They used me to gain power and they used me as a sacrifice. Too bad for them, I didn't die. Not totally. The spirits in hell couldn't contain my power, so they kicked me out. What a meanie.

In a world full of lies, I do have someone whom I can trust. She's an old friend. I met her back in the seventies. Oh, the good ol' days, it was just like yesterday. Her name is Madison. Across the years, she'll always be my young best friend. She's in her early forties now, and she's grown gracefully. Beautiful, nevertheless.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Tigilan mo nga 'yan."

"Girl, you look too young for your age. It makes me think that you are a vampire, too."

"That's a good one," Madison commented. "Ako? Bampira?" My best friend clicked her tongue, tapping me on the shoulder. "You and me forever? No, thanks. Besides, drinking blood doesn't suit me."

"D'you want me to turn you?" I've been meaning to ask this for a long time. Even though I knew she would decline, I still gave it a go. "I can do it if you want."

"No!"

"Hey, chill. Don't shout," Saway ko sa kanya. "I'm practically standing next to you. And hello, sensitive ears."

"Every gift has its pros and cons, eh?"

"The world needs balance. Life would be less meaningful if-" Nagsasalita ako, masaya pa yung tono, nang mapansin kong nakatulala si Maddie. "Maddie, you told me not to stare and now you're doing it. Did you even hear what I-"