Take One: Story One
Bloody Moon
She strode along the path, her sneakers thudding like a heartbeat upon the ground as she took powerful steps, going as fast as possible without running.
The trees on either side of the thin dirt path seemed to loom over her, as though lying in wait. The full moon overhead cast ominous shadows, and she shivered, clutching her jacket closer to her as an owl hooted to her right, breaking the silence.
She stumbled on something, cursing her forgetfulness. She had meant to bring a torch, but it had been left at home, sitting on the kitchen counter, and not in her pocket like she had thought when she snuck out.
'I shouldn't have gone to the party,' she thought to herself, 'I should have just stayed home and gone to sleep instead of wandering around the woods at midnight, alone.'
A sharp crack from behind her made her whirl around, her eyes wide in fright and her heart pounding in her chest, like the drums of ancient tribesmen. Her breath came in short, sharp gasps, before evening out as she forced herself to calm down.
She turned on her heel to face the way she had been headed, and promptly bounced back off a strong chest. She took a step back and made her eyes travel from the black clad chest merely inches from her nose, up to the face of the man she had run into.
Her breath hitched in her throat as she gazed at his inhuman beauty. His skin was pale, almost white, and he seemed to shimmer in the light of the full moon. His midnight black hair framed his face elegantly, seemingly drawing in the sparse light coming from the moon.
He looked like an angel standing there, as though he had descended from the Heavens themselves to stand before her.
All except for his eyes.
As red as blood, they seemed to stare into her soul with a terrifying malevolence. They were the eyes of a demon, and it petrified her.
He smirked at her and took a step forward, so he was no more than an inch away, his very presence filling her senses. His eyes never left hers, paralyzing her.
"What's a pretty young thing like you doing out here?" His voice was smooth and melodic, hypnotizing her. "It's dangerous to wander around these woods at midnight. Especially alone. You never know, there might be something...out there."
She tried to work her mouth and form words, but all that came out was a muffled squeak as he leant down so his breath hit her left ear softly, sending cold shivers running up her spine.
She entertained the though that perhaps he was just some sicko who only wanted her body, and opened her mouth to scream for help.
"Shh..." he murmured in her ear, though she could hear the smirk in his voice. "It's okay. This won't hurt..."
He wrapped an arm around her waist, pinning her arms to her sides and holding her close to his body. His other hand came up to hold the base of her skull, moving her hair away from the side of her neck.
"For long."
He closed his eyes and sunk his fangs into the base of her neck and started to drain her of blood. She whimpered from the feeling, feebly trying to push him away as her strength was slowly sapped. Eventually she stopped moving altogether, and sagged limply in his arms.
He opened his eyes slowly, and gently removed his teeth from her neck. He carefully laid her out on the ground as though she was being laid in a coffin. He moved her arms so that her hands lay overlapping on her stomach, and placed a single white rose that he pulled from his coat pocket on he chest.
"Thank you for the meal. We will meet again soon."
He turned on his heel and disappeared into the woods just as the watch on her wrist beeped one o'clock.
