CHAPTER 3
Scarlet, that's what the other girl had called her. I liked it. It was different, fiery like her.
I hung back so that the two girls wouldn't realise I was following them. The other one was rambling on whilst Scarlet walked quietly beside her, clearly not listening. The other one didn't seem to care or notice though. She didn't seem as sharp as Scarlet.
A stereo boomed from a room I passed, and a quick glance told me there were several people crammed inside drinking and dancing. My throat burned in temptation. This damned girl had stopped me from eating properly for two days now. My want to stay undiscovered made me a suppress a growl. She was becoming troublesome, yet I was compelled to follow her, learn more about her, and most surprising of all, let her live.
I didn't really understand this compulsion. Humans were just prey. They occasionally made a good play thing if I was particularly attracted to them but I was strictly a blondes man, and this girls hair was a deep brown, almost mahogany colour. Her blood certainly tasted sweet when I had drank from her the previous night, but it wasn't intoxicating enough to provoke this reaction.
The two girls paused while Scarlet found the keys to her building and I hung back in the shadows of the neighbouring block. She opened the door and between them they began to haul her kit bag up the stairs.
A minute or so later a light flicked on in a room on the second floor and I briefly saw her appear at the window before she drew the curtains.
I felt oddly disappointed at my line of sight being disconnected, and again puzzled over why. Hot as she had looked in the red dress last night, her lack of blonde hair ruled out sexual attraction. Her blood was good, but not stalker-inducing. What was it?
My mind flashed back to the look on her face when she told me she was not afraid. Stupid girl. Yet, I may have found the source of the intrigue. In my 161 years on this earth I had yet to encounter any human that had had that reaction to me. They were all the same. They begged, pleaded, prayed. None had that resolute defiance in their eyes that I had seen in hers. None had refused to give me the satisfaction of their screams.
I turned this information over in my head before coming to the conclusion that I wanted to know more about this girl. I wanted to know what made her so strong, so unique. I'll put it down to scientific curiosity.
I looked up at her window once more before turning away. Scarlet, I will see you soon.
