Another night of restraint Ch. 5

I have lost my mind.  I have completely lost my mind!  I need to feed, soon.  That girl was lucky.  I was not sure until now.  I must have much more self-control than I previously thought.  Had she believed what I was telling her and known how truly hungry I am, she never would have stopped to talk.  That adrenaline would have been delicious.  It would have been nice, not being hungry for at least a week.  Hopefully she is home by now.  I should have followed her.  Oh well, I will no doubt see her, or should I say hear her, again soon.
With the night dwindling towards dawn, I decided to go to the library at a later date.  Well, I call it a library but it is more of a crypt.  Vampires keep extensive records of the past so there must be something there; something that could explain the so very loud thoughts of the girl.  Then again, I could go to the source; the reason for her hasty departure from the church and doctor office.  Could they hear her as clearly as I could?  I decided asking Alec and Darius would do no good.  I should probably report them for exposing their fangs without making a kill.  Then again…she deserved to know the truth of where she’s living.  She should have stayed in Connecticut.  Why did she have to move here?  Why South Carolina?  Oh sure, southern hospitality is thick but then again, so are the damned.
I dropped my keys in the tray and headed towards the fridge.  Surely there was something available to quench the increasing burn in my throat.  I sniffed, lowered my head and braced myself.  All of it had gone bad.  I could not believe he left this crap in here!  Blood is good for about two days and then all the life dies out of it, Eric knows this!  By the smell of it, it’s been in here for a week.  I wrinkled my nose, stopped breathing and removed the rancid liquid from the fridge.  After pouring it down the sink, I followed by dumping half the dishwashing liquid to alleviate the smell.  Then, sounds from the street pushed me even farther into my misery.  Eric was coming up.  He was about two blocks away and…*sniffing*…ugh, very full.

“Hey, Aldyn, where ya been man?”  This won’t be good.  Me home, a burning fire running rampant in my throat, and a happy go lucky roommate sloshing his way over to gloat no doubt on his latest catch.

“Dude, you missed out!  Picture it:  dark alley, blonde hair flowing, pale blue eyes glistening with tears…”

“Ok, stop.  I don’t care.  I’ve told you this but apparently you need to be reminded.  I.  Do not.  Care.” 

“Did you eat a drunk?”

“Ah, come on Eric!  You know I don’t feed on people.”

“Ok, rabid dog then?”  That was it.  I could not restrain myself any longer.  The next thing I knew fists were flying, fangs were bared, and claws were out.  Eric was an easy throw down.  I’ve fought him before and have never lost.  Then again, being older has advantages, so does being full.  The burn in my throat flared again as I smelled his breath.  I do not have the energy for this:  I decided to end it quickly.  Two cracks across the skull and one in the groin.

“Why do you bother?  You know you’re no match for me.” 

“Oh...unhh, son of a…” groaned Eric.  He knew better so I felt no pity for him.  This, unfortunately, did not solve my hunger pangs.  I might even take a rabid dog right now if it would kill the smell still coming from the sink.  Humans had it easy.  Hot dog stands on every corner.  Pay a buck, you eat.  My meals, well let us just say for me to eat healthily, it would cost more than a buck.  The local hospital charges $20 a bag and that is for the tainted blood.  Human diseases do not do me any harm but they do not do well for the taste buds either.  As secretive as vampires are, we certainly lead public lives.  We own countless hospitals and most of the blood banks.  But truth be told, it is always wiser to live anonymously and right in front of those you hide from than to live anonymously and far from a decent source of food.

“Hey, Eric, do you have any good AB blood left over?  The fridge was rancid and I saw that girl again tonight.  Her scent, I can’t get it out of my head.  I have been craving AB all night.”  Still crouched on the floor, he weakly pointed towards the wall with a picture of his mom on it.  He was a newly turned, only 50 or 60 years old by this point but still 21 at heart.  He was understandably attached to his family since most of them were still alive.  He also never left this house empty.  If the blood in the fridge was bad, he had it stashed somewhere else.  He must have been high or something when he was turned because he always had the munchies.  That kind of Hunger usually dissipated after the first year or so but not him.  He was near insatiable. 
 
“Thanks,” I muttered and walked over to the picture.  I took a deep breath and smelled the air.  A sweet pine scent mixed with asbestos.  These old buildings were sturdy but not really safe for humans.  Asbestos wasn’t the most intelligent thing to use for insulation.  I sniffed again and caught the scent of what I was looking for, a scent that could never be fully explained to a human.  It was different for each of us.  A person’s personality was always left in the blood and just like humans; we are drawn to certain personality types.  This person was apparently very out-doorsy because it smelt of fresh summer breeze and cool summer nights.  It wasn’t coming from a live person so it wasn’t very strong, but it still had that alluring pull.
I removed the picture and found a safe behind the wall.  “And the combination is?”  I could feel that familiar predatory tug in my stomach building and the flames in my veins growing hotter.   
“Un…twy-or…tev…” he muttered from the floor.  His face was down, one hand covering his face, the other still cradling his other tender injury. 
“Um…one?” I guessed.
“Twny-or…”
“Twenty-one?”
“Twny-por…”
“Oh, twenty-four…ok, last number?”
         “Twev…”
“Seven?”
“Twelve, you jack-ass!”  He was up suddenly and stomping over to the safe.  “One, twenty-four, twelve, there, ya happy?”  He turned and trudged over towards the sofa to lay down face first into the pillows.
“Thank you.”  I grinned as the safe popped open. 
“Wah-ver…” he mumbled from the couch.  I reached in, pulled the cold bag out and took another whiff before opening it and pouring it into a coffee mug:  hmmm, what a sweet, sweet relief.  Of course, it wasn’t a vein, but definitely clean and fairly fresh.  I knew my eyes were darkening because heat signatures started to become more obvious.  The long canine teeth extended and I rubbed my tongue over the sharp fangs.  Even though I didn’t need them for this particular meal, they made their presence known just as they always do.  The yellowish color of the blood in my hand told me that it was 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, at most.  Not quite warm enough for me so I tossed the bag into the microwave. 
“Hurry up.”  I groaned under my breath.  The thirst, the fire, it needs to go.  Before the timer went off I ripped the door off the hinges and yanked the bag out of the machine.  Slicing through the plastic easily with my teeth, I drank feeling the warm sensation dimming the burn in my throat and veins.  I could feel the summer breeze again and almost hear the sound of leaves rustling in the wind.  I squeezed the bag trying to absorb every drop.  “That’s not enough.”  I thought out loud.  I’m going to need to feed again soon but the sun is almost up.  My eyes lightened and the red, orange, yellow, and blue hues of color faded to the normal colors of the room.  The fangs retracted and only a light twinge of heat lingered in my throat.

Knowing I was stuck for the rest of the daylight hours, I walked to the living room and opened the curtains.  The lack of breathing sounds from my comrade told me he was gone for the day.  No sound in the world could wake this kid.  I wish I could still sleep like that.  Whoever came up with the phrase, ‘Loud enough to wake the dead’, was a reasonable person.  That is, they must have known a few vampires in their time.  The upstairs neighbors have awoken me before from my daily hibernation and I am, for all intents and purposes, dead during the day. 
Daylight was drawing ever closer.  I could feel it only about a half hour or so away.  Young ones couldn’t make it that far.  I guess that is why Eric was already out.  Me?  I could actually stay up long enough to see the first couple of bright rays before the sleep took me.  I like sunrises, new beginnings and all of that.  It is sad how times have changed though.  The sky was too filled with pollution most of the time that the full strength of the sunrise has been diminished.  I guess that was good news for me.  Just because I like something does not mean it can’t pose a serious health risk.  I peeked one last time out the window before I closed the blinds, and headed to bed.  I picked up my journal and wrote a brief entry just as I do every night. 

“No one died and no one was hurt; at least, not because of me.  92,702” 

Sudden breath revived me from my sleep.  Not that I needed to breathe, but it felt right to do it.  Quickly, I got dressed, checked to see that Eric was still here, and headed out.  The sun was still above the horizon but only for a few more seconds.  I loved that I was an early riser.  Sunrises are beautiful, but to me, a sunset is what heaven must be like.  In those final twilight hours where day drains away and night seeps in, I am at my most peaceful. 
The events of the night before still had me thinking, so I wasn’t able to enjoy this moment like I usually do.  Why could I hear that girl?  There was not a drop of vampire blood or any scent coming from her.  To my knowledge there was no record of a legitimate human that could extend their thoughts to another being.  This was just one of the major frustrations of being in our world.  We can hear each other but no one else.  A little blood here, sliced veins there, hunt, hunt, and hunt.  That is the typical vampire mind, monotonous to its core. 
Still, as terrified as she was, that girl showed more bravery and more desire for life than anything I’ve ever seen, even though she thought I was a raving lunatic.  No human I’ve ever come across showed fear, anger, and determination in such quick succession.  She was right about one thing though, I am one of those annoying romantics and yes, I do plan on finding out where she lives.  If for no other reason than to make sure my scent keeps the others away.  Based on the registry, I’m the second oldest in this town and the only one that bares any seniority on me would over look this girl without a second thought. 
The lack of sound except for my own movements told me Eric was still not up.  I took a deep breath, smelled the air around me.  It wouldn’t be long before he would stir and if history has taught me anything, I should leave now.  Eric was not the friendliest morning, er…evening person.  When he wakes up there are two things on his mind, should breakfast be alive, or out of the fridge?  Considering I emptied the last of his AB stash after he passed out, he’ll have to hunt his breakfast.  Speaking of hunting, I needed to feed again soon.  Eric’s stash was more of an appetizer than a meal and the burning in my throat told me I needed more.  Avoiding human contact right now would be wise.  For safety’s sake, I’ll go out the window.  Hopefully there aren’t any cats down there; I don’t know that I’d be able to stop myself.  Another deep breath standing outside told me I was in the clear for cats but in the distance, I picked up the faint smell of a large herd of deer.  That would be my destination. 
I jumped from our 12 story window and landed silently on the street below.  Shadows were high against the buildings with the last rays of sunlight disappearing from sight.  I kept my sunglasses on to hide my eyes.  By now they had to be black and heat signatures were showing up everywhere.  I could feel my canines extending as they do when hunger begins to take over.  The rapid heartbeats of mice and other rodents nearby started rumbling in my ears.  I darted through the streets grateful for the many shadows the sun provided and made my way to the outskirts of town.  It wasn’t a big city but it was big enough that the street lights extended past Main Street and could at times make quick travel difficult.  Luckily, being a college town, it was the beginning of spring break and the majority of the residents were gone. 
I continued out to the main highway and found my side road path I used for hunting.  I knew no humans were near at this point because I could no longer smell any trace of them.  Plus, most humans thought this particular area was haunted.  The remains of an old stone Victorian style house stood about 500 yards off the main highway and it was commonly believed ghosts frequented the area.  People have heard screams and seen shadows darting across the walls.  If only they knew.  This was a common feeding ground for the younger vampires.  The screams were real enough and the shadows, well, they were made by a completely different kind of monster.
“Barbaric” I muttered.  I walked past the house, smelled the fresh blood from the night before and finally gave in to the hunger clawing at my insides.  I knelt down, closed my dark shadowed eyes, and listened.  There was a snake hiding just beyond the bush to my right and a nest of squirrels right above me.  They’re rapid hearts told me they knew I was down below.  I smelled the air and let my senses take over.  Darting forward, I followed the scent of deer that was growing stronger with every step I took.  Opening my eyes, I knew the sun was gone.  My vision was still clear as day though and I could see flashes of red several yards ahead of me.  Other flashes, distracting white flashes of light from cars passing behind only made hunting more difficult.  They were too bright.  When the lights disappeared around the corner, what would be blacks and grays to humans were light shades of blue and purples to me.   
I stopped, knelt one more time, listening for the tell-tale sign of deer walking in the woods.  A twig snapped 50 yards to my right but the smell was wrong.  That was not a deer.  A slight smell of decay mixed with the sweet smell of human blood.  Another vampire was in the woods and he just fed. Why then, was this creature out in the woods apparently hunting deer with me?  Most vampires stuck to a strictly human diet, I was more interested in preserving human life at all costs, including that of my meal ticket.  This new hunter was younger than me, but not by much.  If I could smell the decay on him properly, I’d say he had at least 100 years or more.  I turned in his direction and saw the light blue and green colors that indicated his inner body temperature.  Red streaked through his body where the fresh human blood flowed from his kill. 
I tried to ignore it as best I could, I continued in the direction of where the deer were settling for the evening.  So did the other.  He moved quickly so I lost sight of him.  I smelled the air once more to get an idea of exactly where the other vampire was but the burning pain in my throat gripped me now building to my tongue.  I needed blood and I needed it now.  I could not concern myself with the hunting activities of others at the moment.  There were plenty of deer so if he wanted one, for the stranger’s smell was very masculine, he was welcome to one. 
I reached the point where the deer were in my line of sight and slowly crept forward.  My scent would send them off if I stepped downwind.  For now, the wind blew my scent away from them so my presence was still unnoticed.  With one quick sprint and a pounce, I grabbed a large buck.  My vice grip around his antlers made dragging him to the ground simple and once my prey lost its balance and fell, I sank my teeth deep into the neck. 
The wild taste of freedom and wind rushed into my mouth.  I could taste the warm summer breeze as it bounced on my tongue and the feeling of cool spring water slid down my throat easing the burn that seized me moments before.  I drank, drawing the blood and savoring every drop.  Bright summer days consumed me but I did not burn.  This deer was old and had seen many summers and winters.  It was almost a shame this would be its last night on earth.  As always, I had to force myself to let the deer go before his heart stopped.  It was always hard to let go of the light and memories of sunshine.  The blood was never as sweet and enticing as a human’s, but the freedom I felt from the deer was worth it.
Having satisfied my nutritional needs I began searching for the other vampire roaming these woods.  Now that I was full my senses were easily focused and less distracted by hunger.  He couldn’t be far.  I turned and headed back towards the Stone House in hopes he would follow me there.  When I reached the rusted doorway I paused to listen for the faint sound of following footsteps.  There were none.  Stepping back outside, I smelled the air for the elusive stranger.  Nothing.  He had left the area.  Oh well, better for us both. 

Forgetting the stranger I decided to move towards the cotton mill from the night before.  I had to get the scent of that girl again.  It would be the most fresh there and hopefully I could follow it to her home.  I had to know she was alright.  I had to know that no harm befell her after our parting.  Running back towards the city, feeling the heat of the asphalt rise from the road, I wondered again what made this child so special.  A child after all, was all she could be.  Not more than her late teens.  Not that I was much older when I was given this new life, but still.  She seemed so fragile on the outside.  Clearly she was like a monolith of steel on the inside.  I chuckled again at her indecisive ferocity the night before.  Warring ideas in her head trying to determine what was and wasn't real, they’re fascinating, the minds of humans. 

As I made the final turn onto the street where the old cotton mill stood, I stopped.  My senses locked up.  I held completely still and clamped my jaws tight.  All thoughts of the girl evaporated from my mind.  He was here; the one that followed me in the woods.  I couldn't tell before, he must have been too far away.  This being was not as young as I had imagined.  Worse yet, he overshadowed even the oldest of the ones I knew.  I was no match for this one and panic began to seep into my mind as footsteps softly moved towards me.