James Miller, a name once whispered with grudging respect in the underbelly of the city, was a husk of his former self. Ex-Special Forces, ex-Street Crime, the man who navigated shadows now found himself drowning in them. A private eye gig, a labyri...
He ached. A gnawing hunger, a primal need, pulsed through him, leaving no space - absolutely no quarter - for doubt. The insatiable thirst, the desperate urge to drink, to consume, blurred the edges of his thoughts. The unquenchable thirst to drink... feed... had started to make it difficult to focus, struggling to think about anything other than the crimson life force just below the skin of everyone that he thought about. He had contemplated calling his partner at the investigation firm, but he knew that Adrian, being the good friend that he was, would hasten over to offer his assistance and James did not think that he would be able to restrain himself. Not this time.
The last echoes of Sarah's footsteps were a faded memory and an oppressive silence had settled over the office. An hour? Two? Time blurred, warped by the monstrous hunger gnawing at him. The memory of his struggle was vivid in his mind, a sickening reminder of how close he'd come. A single, primal urge had threatened to shatter any remaining humanity left in him. He'd seen the hunger mirrored in Sarah's terrified eyes, a crimson reflection of the monster he was desperately trying to contain. One wrong move, one taste, and he wouldn't have stopped. He wouldn't have been able to. The thought of what could have been, the chilling knowledge that she could have quickly become a lifeless form, drained and empty, haunted him. Not just the guilt, but the chilling certainty that he wouldn't be able to stop there. One taste wouldn't be enough.
The guilt gnawed at him almost as fiercely as the hunger. Sarah's terrified face wouldn't leave his mind. He needed to get away, to find somewhere... somewhere safe. But safe for whom? A bitter laugh escaped his lips. There was no such thing as safe anymore, not for him, not for anyone around him. He was a monster, a creature from the darkness... HE was the one from whom people would need an escape.
Suddenly, a flicker of an idea sparked in the recesses of his tortured mind. Griffin College. His sweet, oblivious granddaughter, Lily, was a freshman there. He knew the campus layout like the back of his hand, having attended countless family weekends, orientation days, and even the occasional play put on by the drama club (which he'd secretly enjoyed more than he cared to admit). It wasn't ideal, preying on students, but at least Lily wouldn't be on campus as she had gone home for the holidays.
He winced, a part of him recoiling at the thought of harming anyone so young, so full of life. Yet, the monstrous hunger roared back, drowning out the flicker of humanity. He could do it, in a way that would not kill...couldn't he? Just take a taste, maybe a little from multiple... people... victims? The thought sickened him, but he could not deny the truth of the situation... he would need to feed... soon... or he would not be able to control himself and that would result in much deadlier results, of that he was positive.
With a heavy heart and a body that felt like it belonged to someone else, James rose. He moved with a practiced efficiency, donning dark clothing, making it less likely that he would be spotted this evening as he tried to quell the inner beast... the hunt was under way.
He knew the risks. Security at the college had gotten stricter after a string of petty thefts the previous year. But he also knew the back alleys, the shortcuts, the forgotten corners where shadows pooled deepest. Tonight, Griffin College wouldn't be a haven for young minds seeking knowledge, but a hunting ground for a monster desperately clinging to the last vestiges of his humanity.
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