Midnight Sun

Chapter One

2014 Copyright © A. M. Forest

All Rights Reserved

~One Year Earlier~

She wobbled down the narrow, dark alley, her heavy and unbalanced footsteps echoing off of the grease-caked walls.

Her red dress strap slid off her shoulder along with her white fur scarf. A white magnolia flower stayed in place in the corner of her ear.

The woman knew the men were following her, they always did.

Her stiletto gave out and she fell to the ground clumsily, covering her face with her left hand as she giggled. Mentally, the woman rolled her eyes. It was hard to keep up the act when she knew she sounded like a drunken, retarded, red-headed bimbo. She could easily pass for one thanks to the tight-fitting, red spaghetti strap dress that came to her mid-thigh; ruffles hid the holsters of the knife and gun that were hidden on her inner thigh.

"Do you need some help, pretty lady?" A slimy voice cooed in front of her.

She peeked through her fingers and saw the three men from the club a block away. They blocked her exit. The one that spoke stepped forward so she could get a better look of his face. He was about 5'10", medium build, with plain features accompanied by dark hair and brown eyes. His friends had similar builds and less distinguishable features, easy faces to forget in a crowd; medium threat.

She watched as an evil grin crossed their faces while she moved her hand to her lap, giving them her best drunken smile. "Of courrse... I think I left my purrrse inside the cluuub..." she slurred intentionally, pretending to only see sincerity in his words as one of them reached out a hand for her to take. The woman took the hand with both of hers only to be pulled roughly into his arms.

There had been five murders near the Riverton HotSpot, the newest club in the backstreets of downtown New York. All five victims had lacerations to the neck and wrists after the bodies were drained of blood; all five women.

"It seems you won't need it since tonight might be your last night." The leader sneered. He moved in front of her, lifting her chin up. He was close enough for her to smell the blood on his breath. "It all depends on how well you please us." The guy holding her tightened his grip.

"This could have been so much more entertaining if you three weren't so predictable," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "You played right into my hands."

Dropping the façade, she threw her head back into the face of the one holding her. He was quick to release her, giving her room to shove the heel of her stiletto into the stomach of the leader, pushing herself out of both of their reach.

The leader fell to the ground in shock, holding the bloody wound with both hands. He looked up at her, anger changing his features. "Kill her!" He ordered as he slowly began to heal.

His goons turned to her as she pulled out the curved hunting knife from its holster. With each step they took towards her, their faces began to change. Their skin tone began to gray, eyes swallowed by black. Their white fangs appeared with slobbering drool dripping from their hungry mouths as they growled.

She smiled, "So I'm guessing you guys want to drag this out?"

Tilting her head, knife in attack position, she waited until they were close enough. Just before the closer one could get a hold on the woman, she lashed out, causing him to move in order to block it. She slashed his right arm before he tried to claw her with his left, which she maneuvered around and countered with a stab to the neck.

He fell to his knees, holding his gushing wound. The one that grabbed her earlier took his place in front of her and began aiming for her torso. She dodged as fast as she could, admitting that his irritatingly quick attacks were coming too close for comfort.