a Vampire Victim's Victory

Chapter 8

After what felt like the longest schoolday in my entire life, I started walking home. (I had just missed the bus and didn't feel like waiting another half hour til the next one). It was already getting dark and while on my way through the wirwar of streets, the lanterns started glowing. Luckily, school wasn't located too far from my house- about half an hour walk. However, I didn't exactly know my way around the village yet.

So at some point I guess I got a little lost.. I was at the outskirts of town now, the lights from the lanterns were fading and there weren't many lanterns left over here. I hadn't seen a soul wandering the streets during the 10 minutes I had doled around here. The wind became harsher, and started cutting through me and making shivers go up my spine. I started rubbing my hands together to stop them from freezing. I was totally and utterly lost now. I couldn't ask anyone for directions or find my way home. What should I do? I thought to myself.

Then at the end of the alleyway I had just started walking into, the lanterns started flickering. In the small beam of light that it provided I could see two shadows. It looked like two people. Two humans. I started walking towards them and waving my hand, desperately trying to get their attention. Desperately trying to get their help. You don't want to walk abandoned streets on your own at night, is the advice my mother had given and which I remembered oh so clearly now.

However once I got closer, the gladness seeped away immediately. I don't know what gave it away. Maybe it was the foul sent of a salty bitterness, or the way the shadows were crouched in each other, as if one was snuggling in the other's neck. Hell, maybe even the slurping sound I heard as I got closer. But what probably gave it away most was the awful screaming of the victim, like nails scraping over a chalkboard. The immensity of the scream was unbearable. The gurgling noise that sounded like someone was drowning made it even worse. There was no water, there was only blood. I sank to my knees. Covering my ears. I sat there while shivers went up my spine, although this time it wasn't from the cold. I sat there, unable to move. Just stayed there staring. Staring at the nothingness.

Nothingness. Where once had been an awful and traumatizing sight, was now just an empty street.

I slowly rose to my feet, using all my might to keep myself standing. I walked over to the place it had happened. I touched the wall for any proof. Nothing. I scraped at it, but there was nothing to suggest that anything had happened there. I breathed out a sigh of relief and let my head sink down against the cold wall, while closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, calming myself. I opened my eyes once I has calmed down.

My eyes looked at my feet and the ground at my feet. However, a red coloured substance took me by surprise, there at my feet lay what I can only describe as blood.

My head spun, the nausea came flying back, I tried to steady myself by grabbing the wall, but still felt dizzy. Then something cold landed on my shoulder. I looked at it. A hand.