I near the fork where our paths should cross and sure enough, my time prediction was just perfect. I saw her walking and she was alone, just as I predicted. I keep my focus straight ahead, so it does not look as though I am paying attention to her. With my heightened senses I can hear her footsteps getting closer and begin to smell what is left of her perfume from when she applied it this morning. Our steps are almost synchronized at this point, and this is when the sun dips below the horizon. I take off my hat and she takes this as a sign to engage. She makes a comment about how nice the weather is for this time of year, and I give her a standard response of agreement. She continues the conversation further, asking what part of the hospital I work in and how long I have been working there. I tell her I recently moved here as an explanation as to how she has not seen me on her walk home before.
I make sure to continue the conversation as we near my house, so she feels comfortable and safe when I invite her to join me for dinner. She accepts my offer and tells me she is very happy since she had not yet prepared anything at her own home and was not looking forward to it when she did arrive home.
When we get inside, I direct her to the kitchen where I take the lasagna that I had made this past weekend in preparation for today and put it in the oven. It had been one of my favorite dishes before I became hungry only for blood. We then go to the dining area while we wait for it to bake. We continue our conversation and I notice how smooth her skin is, how soft her hair looks, I want to reach out and run my hands through it, I want... the timer goes off. The food is ready. We both get up and I grab the plates while she removes it from the oven. I cut two pieces, one for her and a small piece that I will cut up on my plate to convince her I am eating with her too. Her plate slowly clears, and I must decide the best way to go about this. It is almost 10 at this point and I am starting to get antsy. I enjoy the time I have spent with this young woman. I enjoy her company and do not want to kill her. I can already sense how good she will taste compared to the sickly old people I have been feeding off for the past month. We put our dishes in the sink, and I asked her if she would like to head home now or if she would like to reside here for tonight. It is a Friday night, so I know she does not need to go to work tomorrow. She hesitates but only for a moment, and then she says that it would be okay for her to stay since it is not a far walk for her to make the next day.
I lend her a nightgown and show her the bathroom that connects to the primary room. She is brushing her teeth when I make my first move. I lean into the small of her neck and leave a soft kiss there. She gives a small sigh in response. I take this as a sign to continue. She turns around and I pull her to the connecting bedroom. I lay her down on the bed that is only used for nights like these. I keep my coffin under this bed, so it seems most normal for me when I do have to crawl in. The second she hits the bed; her head rolls back into the pillow, and I take this chance to attack. I sink my teeth into her soft neck. The rush is immaculate. When I take the people at the hospital, I usually take the blood from their wrist since it is less intimate and painful for the recipient, but it takes much longer since the wrist is further from the heart. This was worth the wait; I can feel our heart beats sync as she gasps for air. I continue drinking. I can feel her fresh blood pumping through every part of my body as we become closer and closer to being one. Her heart slows as the lack of blood begins to settle in. I always start to feel guilty when it gets to this point. What makes me so different and a valid recipient of all these innocent lives, why must I be cursed with such a thing. I realize her heart is no longer beating but I am still latched onto her neck. I hear my grandfather clock strike twelve and then everything goes black.
