Prom

Stalking

A.N. Hey, thanks for sticking with the story! I'm working on the beginning right now, so there's a gap between the earlier chapters and here. But this chapter and the later ones will still make sense :)

Amy stalked through the dark and her throat ached. It was a sick, dark feeling that reached down to her chest and up to her teeth. Especially her teeth. Her new fangs felt like twin toothaches, like root canals. This was the worst it had been. She blinked and behind her eyelids flashed an ocean of blood.

Robert was just twenty or thirty feet ahead of her now, walking down the moonlit sidewalk through the shadows of the trees. He was wearing his letterman's jacket and even though he had showered and his blond hair was still damp, she could feel his heart was still beating fast. Amy felt goosebumps rising on her forearms in the cool autumn air and she tensed her fingers and quickened her pace.

She could hear Robert humming now. It was off key and some dumb rock song she hated. The kind of song he'd blare from the radio of his dad's brand-new chevy in the school parking lot with his stupid friends, shouting catcalls or insults to people who didn't deserve them. He would be a good first victim.

He walked into a rectangle of light and Amy looked over to its source. Across the street, through an open window, a family was having dinner. The father must have made a joke because his wife was smiling and their two boys, one just a litle kid and another her age -- Robert's age -- were looking at each other and laughing. Amy watched the older boy tousle his brother's hair  and for a moment her pace slowed. Could she really go through with this? Kill a human being, even one as obnoxious as Robert?

But then another wave of the pain hit her mouth, like nails being driven into her gums, and without even willing it her feet were moving again, and moving faster. Her hands tensed again and she felt a rage within her. This was all so unfair. And even if it wasn't Robert's fault, he was going to be a part of the solution.

Robert crossed the street and turned into the park. There were no streetlights there, no joggers or dog walkers or little kids playing on the swings. This was where she would do it. Robert walked into a stand of trees and Amy knew this was her chance. She felt the satisfying pressure of her Nikes against the pavement as she sprinted at him. Her shiny, black hair blew back in the wind and she grinned.

Her feet were pounding against the path now and throwing up mulch, but Robert was doing something on his phone and didn't notice until she was already on top of him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders, just like she had practiced. The pain in her throat intensified, became electric, almost pleasure, and in a dream she moved her mouth towards his neck.

Robert jerked his head to the side, moved his eyes back. In her trance Amy could barely recognize his expression of disdainful confusion.

"Get off, loser," said Robert, and seconds later she felt one of his meaty elbows driving deep into her stomach. She lost her grip and hit the ground hard on one of her arms. Her hand bent back and for a moment the pain of that eclipsed the pain in her teeth. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Didn't vampires have super strength? Amy tried to push herself up but her wrist buckled and she sat back down in the mulch. She could feel wood chips digging into her and her hands were burning where they'd been scraped. Robert laughed.

"I've seen desparate, but this is a new one," he said. Despite herself, Amy felt her cheeks getting hot. Just like a jock, to think that the whole world was in love with him. As if she would ever have anything in common with a jerk like Robert. She gritted her teeth and pushed herself to standing. It would be harder to overcome him now that he knew she was coming, but the thirst was stronger than ever now.

Robert stared at her. "What?" Amy let out a deep breath and opened her eyes as wide as they would go. She had to be calm now, and clear, like before a race. He was bigger, and stronger, but unlike her he didn't know his life depended on this moment. She would have one more chance, and one more chance only. Without noticing, a hissing growl escaped her throat, and she bared her teeth. For the first time, Robert began to look a little worried. Amy's body tensed.

Then, she relaxed, shrugged, and looked at the ground. "Sorry," she muttered. Slowly, she started to trudge past Robert. He stayed rooted to the ground, and out of her periphiral vision she could see him turning his torso to follow her as she passed. Then, she was past him, and she took a further step. And another. The thirst was unbearable. It was almost as if her fangs were drawn physically to his neck, as if her head would turn around of its own accord. The pain of the thirst was growing unbearable. Much more, Amy knew, and she would pass out. And so, at her next step, without so much as looking behind her, she turned and leapt again.

Robert was still looking right at her, and his superior smile changed into a look of fear and confusion in the split second after they made eye contact. She pushed as hard as she could, ducked under his arms, came up near his neck, and leaned in for the bite as quickly as she could this time. Her fangs were a centimeter away when he leaned back and his shoulder found her chest, pushing her stumbling, backwards, into the mulch again. This time she didn't put her wrist in the way, but the mulch bit into her back and the back of her head hit the ground. She could feel the dirt in her hair.

Robert backed up a few steps, looking at her. The attempt was done for the night, and she knew it. The only thing worse than the thirst and the pain was the embarassment. What if Robert told his friends? His teammates? She banged the back of her head against the ground in frustration and let out a frustrated grunt.

Robert laughed again, andAmy noticed he was still holding his cell phone in his hand, and it was pointed right at her.

"Say hi to YouTube," he said.