We are the ghouls of London // PHAN

•CHAPTER FORTY-ONE•

The abandoned stairs which Dan was now climbing down to get to the open clearing at the bottom of the bridge were suppose to be out of bounds to the public. Only local services like the ambulances and police and fire stations  had keys to be able to unlock the multiple padlocks on the gate at the top of the bridge, allowing them to climb down the stairs. However, the metal gate was low so jumping over it was no issue for Dan and was soon climbing down the stairs, missing out every other one for speed.

The clearing was surrounded by a massive forest, packed with trees and shrubs of a wide variety. If Dan was any younger, he would definitely have loved to play hide and seek in this place. But right now, Dan was more focused on getting down the stairs safely without slipping on any of the moss.

He reached the bottom with a thud, the wet leaves gathered at the bottom of the staircase making his underfoot rather slippery as he walked. Dan looked around. This was suicide bridge, he was certain of it. There had to be someone here ready to eat... otherwise he had wasted his time and energy for one meal which didn't even exist...

Then he spotted a dark shape, lying motionless among the leaves at the bottom of the bridge. Their blood smelt almost fresh and attracted Dan over to their dead, cold body. He knelt in front them. It was a female girl in white jeans, now brown with all the mud and stains covering them, and a black fabric coat which was open. Her hair was blonde and rather short, just above her shoulders in a sort of bob-like style. There was a note poking out of the girls pocket but Dan chose to ignore it, since he guessed it was her suicide note for why she killed herself.

Dan may be a ghoul, but he wasn't just going to invade on some random girls private information, even if she was dead after all.

Using his index and middle finger, Dan felt for a pulse, just in case all of his thoughts of her being dead were incorrect... Nope. Definitely dead. No pulse.

A smug grin spread across Dan's face as he began to feast off of her body, starting with the arm nearest to him. In his head, he wanted to feel sorry for this girl for jumping off of the bridge and ending her life all of a sudden. What drove her to do so? But on the other hand, the blood in the body was still so fresh, suggesting the suicide occurred pretty recently, so he concentrated on getting every bit of this humans blood. That would replenish him with enough energy to last him at least a couple of weeks, or until Connor contacted him about going hunting again with him.

Dan was just finishing off the blood and eating some of the flesh when he heard cars - a lot of cars - coming to a halt almost all at once. Looking up towards the top of the bridge, Dan could see the red and blue flashing lights of what he recognised belonged to police cars. Whispering curse words under his breath, Dan began to dash back into the woods but stopped behind one of the first ones, curious to find out what these police officers were doing here.

It was dangerous, and risky... but he couldn't help himself to do so.

Weirdly, Dan could only hear one set of footsteps on the staircase descending down to where Dan was located. They had a torch pointing in front of them, meaning the figure of the person were in the shadows of the flash light, and making Dan unable to recognise this persons identity. Dan watched eagerly as this officer got near the body Dan had just been feasting on and crouched down besides it, their back facing towards Dan, examining the body carefully.

Dan watched whoever this person was place the torch in their mouth and look around the girl. They felt for her pulse which Dan found funny since she was now a half eaten carcass so what were even the chances of her being alive?... though Dan could question that exact theory after he survived Sam's attack on him. Dan then watched the person search the girls body next, looking at the blood on his hands, and then inspecting her face for an idea on her true identity.

It was once he found the suicide note that Dan felt him get himself tempted to pounce on this person. They was alive unlike the girl; he was too busy reading this note; Dan could kill him easily and everything would be fine. His blood was so fresh, Dan could smell it from where he was positioned. He wanted it. He craved for it. It was so accessible now this guy was absorbed into the note in his hands. So easy Dan could do this in his sleep.

His legs moved forward without his control. He was silent, not wanting to cause attention to himself. Was he really going to do this? Getting closer, he could see the guy was definitely a police officer. In his back pocket, this guy had a gun, a gun which could kill him as a ghoul with a single bullet. Plus, he had an entire back-up squad positioned on the top of the bridge.

This was such a huge risk to himself and his family in the longrun...

Was he really going to do this?

Yes. Yes he was.

Dan's arms were outstretched in front of him, ready to grab this guys shoulders and pierce into their skin. The stench of there blood so pure, so beautiful, it almost made Dan drawl as he continued to creep forward. He licked his lips as he got closer and soon enough Dan gripped the guy roughly by the shoulders, making them tense up.

The guy had no time to react; Dan was biting down harshly into his neck, the officer could only manage out a weak scream Dan continued his job until he felt the officer grow limp in his arms. He vaguely recognised the scream produced, but chose to ignore it. This was his meal. He had to finish it off before glancing at it...

Dan stopped and let go of the body. It fell on top of Dan's other dead victim and then, once again, smiled to himself. Two people in one night - this was some sort of new record. Remembering all of a sudden, he realised he had vaguely recognised the scream. How?

Now they were dead, Dan could inspect their body better without the risk of being shot in the face. He picked up the torch and shone it towards the guy's face...

And that was Dan began to freak out.

The man had black hair on his head which was now a utter mess. Despite being dead and drained of blood, the guys skin was pale, a utter contrast to his now blue hands which lay at a jointed angle next to him. He had a black shirt and trousers on with the word, in bold, POLICE sewn onto his shoulder...

Dropping the torch, Dan stumbled back. His heart rate increased; his breathing was becoming a lot more heavier; his ears were ringing as he stood up, eyes still glued onto the body.

No...

This was all wrong...

His feet began to move backwards in their own, away from the crime scene, as he heard more footsteps coming down the staircase to where Dan was now shaking. Dan's eyes were still wide, heart pounding through his chest so much Dan was sure it would soon be able to rip through his skin.

He began to run as fast as he could.

The gasps were loud from the officers and Dan could hear the sound of multiple radios being used to contact "the head boss". Many torches began flashing through the woods, looking for him, Dan having to hide to be able to escape the grasps of the officers desperate to catch him, the criminal.

But one phrase stuck in his head as Dan began to sprint away from the scenario. A phrase that even though it was simple, it was so complex at the same time and was the main thing that made Dan begin crying heavily as he ran, out of pure guilt and feeling of betrayal...

"How do we tell Phil about this?"