Captured

Chapter 3

This can't happen.

I touched the red mark for a moment, just to make sure I wasn't having a mental breakdown. It was real.

What does this mean? Am I a vampire now? Do I just cancel the date in fear I might suddenly have the urge to chomp on my neighbor's neck?

I checked my teeth for fangs, I slid my tongue over the canines waiting for them to appear. 

They didn't.

I thought of the last meal I had, spinach Alfredo. My mouth watered, delicious.

I'm insane. That's it, I've lost it. I didn't want to think about it. At least not now, and being at home I had to admit was frightening. I hesitantly applied foundation over the scar.

I grabbed my purse from where it hung in my closet door and entered the living room, feeling embarrassed he had to wait this long.

I felt Mark's gaze automatically lock in my direction, piercing my soul. He looked hypnotized for a second or two, until he finally spoke, "You're beautiful." he said as we stood outside the hallway.

I didn't know what to say, so I said nothing and we walked to his car in silence. I liked Mark, I really did, but I just wanted to eat my dinner in peace, maybe make some small talk. I was scared of losing someone that I cared about to that monster. I knew he wouldn't think twice about killing someone who was close to me.

"What do you do," questioned Mark. I was busy  admiring his car, a Jaguar. I wondered the same for Mark. He must have a well paying job. But he would someone like him live in this part of the city? It isn't bad but I doubt a man of his caliber would be voluntarily living here.

"I graduated last year. I work at the newspaper." His eyebrows did that cute wiggly thing.

"So, you're a journalist then?" I nodded. "Yeah, and what do you do to be driving a jaguar and live in this mediocre apartment?" I thought I would have shut him up, but he sensed what I was doing. He laughed, and it was beautiful. As a matter of fact, I was laughing along with him.

Why does he have to be so charming?

The restaurant wasn't that far from the apartment, maybe it took 15 minutes, but that was all it took to be entranced in this man's presence. I think I might like this more than I thought.

It was fancy. That and they had really good shrimp. We talked for a while, and I got to really know the guy I've considered a stranger over the last two years. He was a cop, and he told me of his travels basically everywhere one could think of. It was of course
interesting, but I couldn't pay attention.

I felt like something - someone was watching me and I had no doubts about it being the murderer. I glanced around to spot him when Mark wasn't looking, and no surprise that I had found him when he was the only person sporting a pair of sunglasses in the restaurant.

He was only one table next to us, so I was waiting for the eventual bloodshed that was soon to come.

I wondered who would he kill next?  "Hey, what are you staring at?" Mark inquired, leading me out of my morbid thoughts. I laughed and shook my head. "Nothing, just thinking about tomorrow. I have work."

But when I looked again, he was nowhere to be found. It was almost like he had just vanished.

"Do you want me to take you home?" Why does he care so much about me? We barely know each other! "No, I'm fine," I said quietly.

"Good, because there is one thing I want to show you." He smirked mischievously, and I felt like I could trust him with anything.

                                    -----

We were at the roof of the restaurant gazing at the view of the city and its glimmering skyline.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" he asked, his hand holding mine. "Yeah, it's a gorgeous view." I replied, as I let go of his hand. I walked further, feeling the night sky once again surround me in its embrace.

The music from the restaurant blared louder, filling the air with a slight buzzing. The singer's voice was soft and blended in with the sounds of the night as she spoke of frustration. She wouldn't let anyone love her until they broke down her walls, stripped her down to how she really was.

We unconsciously started to dance together, feeling us get closer and closer until there was barely anything between us. He put his hand to my face, softly caressing it. It wandered to my curly strands of hair, stretching the elastic coils. Then suddenly, his lips were on mine.

I realized what I was doing and broke away. It wasn't that I didn't like it, I just didn't feel it was the right time. I was afraid that something bad would happen to Mark if I let this get any further. It was for his own good.

His hand was on my neck as he observed it closely. No, this can't happen, I thought to myself as he wiped the foundation covering the bite mark. "What is this, Alex?" He looked like as confused as I did, which made me suspicious.

"Uh-er-um a-a bug bite." I felt suddenly proud for making that excuse.

"A bug bite? Can you be more specific?" He stared at me, concerned.

"I don't remember to be honest, I think it was a mosquito?" His face softened and gave a look of suspicion.

"Just be careful," he said and brushed the subject aside, yet I knew something was wrong. He looked worried and it was obviously something more than a bug bite. Why would he be?

I'm just exaggerating, no big deal. He just cared about me a lot. Enough to scold me for getting a mosquito bite.

I'm doing it again. "Hey, do you want to go home? It's getting late." Mark was already preparing himself to leave the roof when he said this, checking to make sure that any valuables (me) were here.

I wish he hadn't said that, I was suddenly reminded of all the work that I had to do that I couldn't because I woke up so late.

"Yeah, let's go." We headed off to the stairs, but I could still feel a presence behind us as we were on our way home.

                                          ---
A woman, about twenty-five, stood at the alley, her stilettos caked in blood from the body next to her. She grinned and plunged her heel into the body, a poor man who had the bad luck of running into her that night. It wasn't a effective way of cleaning her shoes but it was a amazing feeling to behold.

Her shoe still grinding the muscle and skin tissue of the body, she dialed a number on her phone.

"I've found her, what do you want me to do with her?"

"I don't want you to kill her just yet, he has a fondness for that girl, she must be more special to us than we thought." He chuckled quietly, but she knew better not to join in.

A moan arose from the dead man's mouth.

She knelt down and cracked his neck, as she replied, "No problem, goodbye." She hung up and threw the phone in a waste basket nearby. She walked, leaving shoe prints of blood. Only one thing was on her mind.

I'm coming for you, Alexandra Blake.

                                   -----

This was a really short chapter. I tried to make it longer but I thought that it would make sense for it to be short and sweet.

Please don't be shy to give me some feedback! I'm trying everyday to improve in my writing so comment and tell me what you think.