The Vampire's Prey

chapter 15

(Flashback)

I lived in a small and yet luxurious cottage on a small hill surrounded by gardens of black roses in the middle of the woods. Most of the decor was black, blood red, navy and dark purple. All metallic things in the household were mostly of silver or gold. There wasn't too much, nothing more than needed in the cottage. Even though it was small and yet it was spacious. I lived alone and had no interest of keeping anything more than necessary in the house.
The only place a bit too filled up was my magic lab in the basement. It was full of books and potions and all other things. There was a caldron in the middle where I always experimented for passing time.
During rare days when the weather was pleasing with no sign of the sun and neither was it too cold, I would walk out to the garden full of the beautiful black roses and do some gardening. I would water my plants and cut out the best of the fully bloomed black roses. I'd collect them in a basket and bring them to my room and I would set them on my bedside windowsill. I decorated them with the perfection of a florist. I would also feed the crows on my day out and of course I'd go hunting for food with my bow and arrow.
And it was on days like these, he would come out of the darkness and follow me around from a certain distance, always stalking me like my own shadow. Silently watching without intruding in my routine. With intentions unknown and those I least cared about. All I knew it that I hated it. I hated people and company of all kinds. Nothing would annoy a social phobic person like me more than a stalker ruining my private time.
I remembered returning from my hunt once. Several goose had fallen for my trap of poisoned water that I set up and now I was brining them home, carrying the dead birds in a big basket. I was nearly home when I became aware of the irritable presence following me once again. He matched his footsteps perfectly with mine in a way that it only felt like I was hearing nothing but an echo of my own footsteps. Then I stopped and so did he. I angrily turned around and glared into the shadow of the tree where he stood still and silent. His dull brown clothing helped him camouflage with the tree making me squint a bit to be sure of his presence. Then my eyes adjusted to the twilight darkness of the woods and I saw him, casually leaning against the tree watching me with amusement. I glared at him, straight into his glowing crimson orbs, with hate, disgust and annoyance...Aden...
"You dare test a witch's patience and mess with her temper," I asked him a stern, angry and heavy tone. He only shrugged coolly in response.
"I guess I'm not really afraid," he replied.
"Do you not have better thing to do?" My voice was always cold and full of pride. Surely I didn't like to waste my precious time to talk to a filthy stalker annoying vampire. If I had a choice I'd not even think of him but he's been following me a lot lately.
"I do have a lot to do but nothing is really better than spending my time like this," he said in a flirty way, stepping closer and dreamily slow blinking at me. I only felt disgusted by it and turned and stomped away. "You really can't run forever," he said in his husky tone becoming scarier slightly as I continued to walk away trying to ignore him, "I promise you...one day...

...I will make you mine."

The last part was a scary whisper that seemed to echo in my memory forever. And surely this was something he said to me since then more and more often whenever he got a chance. He was madly in love with me. Always following me, always trying to start a conversation, always hoping to get closer

...close enough to take me
...and make me his.

Though his love was genuine and pure but a vampire could not do much to express it. Especially when his feelings were extremely one sided. There was nothing he could do to convince me. I wouldn't even give him a chance and as years dragged by...one would only expect his patience to run out. In the end he was left with no choice but to use force.
I remembered when he broke into my house for the very first time. I heard noises coming from the kitchen and I fearlessly went to see. I opened the door to the living room and made my way to the kitchen when suddenly from behind the door he came out, grabbed both my shoulders with all his strength and pinned me to a wall. I glared at him, not at all afraid of whatever he threatened to do when he stared at me hungrily and licked his own lips in a flirty manner. His eyes glistened with mischievousness and his smirk was almost attractive.
"How dare you break into my house," I spat at him through gritted teeth. I was shaking, not because of fear or nervousness but due to pure flaring rage.
"Shh," he whispered in a contrastingly calm voice, "theres a limit of how much heartbreak a vampire can endure before he turns into a merciless predator of his beloved."
All his words sounded like nonsense to me. "You have no idea who you are messing with," I retort with a heavy emphasis on each word.
"Really," he said leaning close, his eyes locked on my neck, "I think I've stalked you long enough to know."
"Oh yeah," I smirked and placed one of my hands on his cheek. His expression instantly changed at my touch and it made him look up softly and innocently in my eyes. I let my thumb pet his cheek gently while he stood there gullibly trying to understand the situation. "I could say the same about you," I whispered in a soft seductive voice, "I've been stalked by you long enough to know you too." He was truly madly in love with me and I was truly evil to take advantage of that. He was so innocent that he was completely oblivious of how I was playing with him. It was almost intoxicating thing to think of how easily I can use him. The power I could have over him.
That was the first time the idea came to me but for now I'll just push him away a little more so that he'd return with even more desperation next time. Just when he had let his guard down as his red eyes drowned into my green ones, I whispered a chant and with a snap of my fingers he fainted.
I kicked at his unconscious body lying at me feet sound asleep and said in my evil most voice, "do come back again next time, I'll be waiting for you for once this time."