Be Gentle.

I have updates from my appointment yesterday, but I’ll do a post about that later. I think I finally want to put this part of the story I used to work on out there for some feedback. I haven’t written on it in a good while. I think I’ve just been afraid. So, here it goes. There’s a little more to it than what I’m posting, but this gives you a taste. It’s a rough edit too, but let me know, honestly, should I even bother to continue? It’s untitled. 
He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. The way her hips moved ever so gracefully as she danced entranced him in a way that frightened him. Her scantily clad, light brown skin seemed even paler in the moonlight. It looked as though her sweat was making her belly glisten, but when he reached out to touch her she was cold. So, so cold. 

“What are you?” The man managed to gasp out. 

He watched her lean in toward him without making a sound. For a brief instant, he smelled her – her bittersweet fragrance, so sweet, like lilacs and vanilla, but with a touch of…what is that smell? He could only describe it one way….

“Death.” He whispered, as he took his last breath. 

___________________

“Did you see the paper this morning?” Lily asked Wilson, while flipping his egg whites. 

“No, why? Did someone else go missing?” Wilson fumbled around trying to get to the morning newspaper. 

“Yep. Mr. Grissom’s boy. He’s only twenty-two. Said he went missing about two nights ago while visiting friends in Kingwood.”

“But no bod has been found?” 

“Nope.” 

Lily sat Wilson’s breakfast down in front of him. Her husband was a health nut, and sometimes it drove her crazy. This morning’s breakfast – two slices of whole wheat toast (dry of course), two egg whites, and a fresh fruit plate. After serving his breakfast, she set to work on her own. It was a hassle but she didn’t want to give up her poached eggs, sausage, and toast lathered in butter. 

Wilson started reading the article aloud – even though he knew she had already read it. Lily stifled a sigh. 

“‘Abel Grissom, age twenty-two, has been reported missing as of Friday, June 3rd. Friends say they last saw Grissom at a bar in Morgantown, West Virginia. They say he went outside to smoke but never came back inside. ‘We went to check on him after about fifteen minutes, and he was gone. We just figured he met some chick and split, it’s been known to happen with him,’ one friend reported. Grissom’s family and friends ask that if anyone has any information that could help find Abel please call the hotline that has recently been set-up because of all the disappearances – 1-888-FINDME3. Abel’s disappearance is the eleventh missing persons case since May 1st.’ The eleventh one? That’s insane! Do you think they’re still alive?” Wilson finished with a sigh. 

“Doubtful. Eleven in a month, no traces of them, no sightings since they’ve disappeared. I don’t think they’re alive.”

“Geez Lily, you’re so cynical. They could be out there somewhere.” Wilson scoffed. “There’s always hope.”

“I doubt it.” Lily knew. As she sat there eating her breakfast, she knew. She also knew there would be more, and she knew it would go unsolved by the public. But what she didn’t know was who would be next, or when. 

_____________________

As light diminished and darkness grew, Serena started stirring from her forced slumber. She lifted the lid of her coffin and stretched. She realized it was cliché to have a coffin now, but she didn’t care. It suited her, it was comfortable to her, it was all she’d had for the last century – so she kept it. She also knew she didn’t have to wait until full dark, but where’s the fun in that?

She had just fed a few nights ago, but she could already feel the hunger growing inside of her. It was a feeling she loved. . . and hated. It made her a monster, but it felt so good. The hunger was a pain that overwhelmed her whole body, she could only describe it physically as a tingling sensation throughout her, but it was so much more than that. It was painful if she let it go for too long. Maybe she was a masochist but she loved letting the hunger grow, it made feeding that much more intense. 

When she sank her teeth into an artery, especially after not feeding for awhile, it was almost spiritual, and it was damn well orgasmic. The way the blood felt as it filled her mouth, it didn’t taste bitter and metallic like humans describe it. If a human would taste it as Serena did, they would say it tasted as good as the juiciest, most tender steak they’d ever had. 

Each person was different though. The boy had been wild. He had a gamey taste that made her feeding wild as well. When she had finally bit into his neck she couldn’t control herself. She filled up, she couldn’t stop – she didn’t want to stop. His life source made her feel vibrant, wild and ironically – alive. 

She had drained his body completely and buried him far down under the earth – just like the others. Serena was growing tired, however, of all the attention her food had been getting. If it kept up she would end up with too much unwanted attention. Not that she thought that humans would be able to grasp the concept of vampires as anything other than novelty, but she didn’t want to risk it. Next time she’d try to control herself, but for now, now she wanted entertainment. 

~ BH