Eventide-Prologue

PROLOGUE

         I stood in shock as darkness filled the air around me, my legs trembling in fear.  The full moon shone bright against a sea of black, and the stars hid behind the cloudy night.  The figure stood no more than fifteen feet in front of us.  It seemed frozen in its tracks.  It was tall, and wore a dirty trench coat.
         Hunter, my brother, who was standing next to me slowly took a step back.  After a moment, the figure crept forward.  Two more steps and again, our pursuer moved forward.
         Before it could take another step, Hunter and I turned and ran faster than we had ever run before.  Something was flowing in my body telling me it wasn't safe.  Something that had been explained to me many times before that I didn't want to believe.
         We were all alone.  Incredibly frightened.
         There was a fire in my stomach.  The pain stabbed me in the belly.  I doubled over, stumbling into a large, rusty dumpster I hadn’t had time to see was there, and fell to the cold, wet concrete.  The smell of urine, filth and rotting food that wafted around the metal containers made it hard for me to breathe.  Two over-sized rats darted from behind the large dumpsters towards me, their tails slapping me hard across the face as they passed, screeching loudly against my ear.  The sound of it, like nails scraping across a chalkboard, sent shivers down my spine.  I cringed.  Using my hands to steady myself, I quickly got back onto my feet and continued my dash for freedom.
         The shouts of our captor echoed behind us.  The voice was deep and aggressive.  A man’s voice.
         “You can't outrun me!”
         “There's no escape!”
         “I’m faster than you!”
         Cold air whipped across my skin.  My heart drummed in my ears.  I shrieked, “What do you want from us?” but the figure didn’t answer.  The growls got louder with each step we took as the it closed in on us.
         “Leave us alone!” I heard Hunter shout somewhere in the darkness near me, but neither of us stopped running.
         I tried to ignore the fear I felt inside, and wondered if my brother was doing the same.
         “You should know better than to walk the streets at night!”
         “Especially dark alleys!”
         At the end of the long, narrow passageway bordered on both sides by towering, windowless walls, cars were blazing by.  Maybe we could get away after all.  Just a few more steps and we would be safe.  I hoped.
         I quickened my pace, but couldn't run any faster.  I was too tired.  But I knew we couldn't stop, and just as Hunter and I were about to step into the brightness of the streetlamps, the stranger grabbed a fistful of Hunter’s jacket with one hand and a fistful of my hair with the other, and pulled us back violently.  We screeched in unison, “P-Please don't hurt us!”—but our attacker didn't let go.
         I swung my arms behind me and tried to move the man's hand away, but he lifted us effortlessly into the air and threw us violently against a cold, brick wall.  The force of the impact was strong.  I felt a sharp pain roll down my back, and by the sound of his groans, I could tell Hunter had experienced the same agony.
         Tears streamed down my face.  “Let us go.  I beg you.  We don't have anything you want.  Please please please, don't hurt us.”
         The man smiled nastily exposing two rows of perfectly white teeth.  As he inhaled and exhaled, I could smell a hint of menthol and spice on his breathe.  He had probably just smoked a cigarette not too long ago, and tried to cover it up with mouth wash or a breath mint.  It wasn't working.  “Oh but you do, my boy?” He moved his cold eyes slowly down my face until they had locked on the side of my neck.
         I looked him up and down repeatedly, almost as if I was just checking him out.  What could he possibly want with us?  The man had a dark expression on his face.  That face! What was wrong with his features?  I wondered.  He looked human, familiar, but different somehow—almost animal-like.  The way his piercing eyes were focused on us.  The irises were a deep scarlet.  Much darker than blood—soulless.  They narrowed slightly as the man sniffed the air around him, taking in the scent that flowed within his prey.  Us.
         Suddenly it occurred to me what this creature was.  They had haunted my nightmares ever since my brother had told me stories about their existence when I was a child.
         I asked once again, the words coming out in nothing more than a whisper.  “What do you want from us?
         The creature hovered over me.  His pale face drew close.  Ice-cold breath beat against my skin.  I felt chills all over like a bolt of electricity flowing through my entire body had struck me.  I shivered.
         “You know what I want, boy!” The man growled, and a pair of long, sharp fangs elongated as he opened his mouth.  “Your blood!”
         Hunter and I gasped.  Terrified.  My eyes widened.  I wanted to scream for help at the top of my lungs until I was out of breath.  But I knew deep inside help wouldn't come, and nobody would hear us even if we tried to scream.
         Before Hunter or I could say another word, it was too late.  The man smiled fiercely.  Fangs glistened in the moonlight and bit down.




On to Chapter 1--->"Eventide-Chapter 1"