• The cool blast of air that suddenly hit me should have been a comfort, should have dried a bit of the sweat that was now streaking across my face, but it wasn't. Pure adrenaline was the only thing carrying me on at this point, and if I tripped, now, I was done for.

    I would not have the energy to get back up.

    Maybe I wouldn't want to get back up.

    I'd thought about every book I'd ever read on situations like this, and believe me I'd read tons. How to act, how to think, even what to say- none of it, however, had prepared me for the smell, and not only the smell, but the liquid movement that seemed to separate what was supposed to be fiction from my long-held beliefs in reality. And of course, there was also the surprise. What was it they'd said in the book 'Sunshine'? Oh, that's right. You never hear them coming. Not when they're vampires.

    Vampires. At the speed I was running, I didn't think my heart could beat any faster, but it did at the final realization of what was chasing me. It was a cloudy night, and I'd gone into the woods looking for kindling since the snow had caused the power to go out and all I had was my fireplace at home. I don't put up well with cold when I'm trying to sleep. Only staying on the edge of the forest had seemed like a good and safe idea. Clearly it wasn't. I'd been ambushed when I caught sight of the darker-than-the-rest-of-the-dark blob heading towards me at an ever increasing speed. Of course, by then I realized just what was going to happen and that I wouldn't stand a chance, but I had to try. I couldn't live with myself- though it was unlikely I was going to live anyway- if I hadn't even tried.

    Finally, the inevitable happened. Running as I was, leaping over branch and dodging tree, I'd finally come across a log a bit out of my league. In an effort not to break my pace, I took a gallant leap over the massive trunk, only for my left foot to skim the bark which sent me face first into the snow and, invariably, into a pile of twigs. I heaved a sigh, and prayed I'd only been lightly scraped by my fall, and righting myself up quickly, I noticed small welts forming on my face where the twigs had scratched me. No blood. Thank god.

    I jumped to my feet and lurched forward, preparing to run again when every muscle in my body screamed in protest. I'd killed the adrenalin rush when I crashed, and now nothing was in the mood to cooperate. I stifled a yelp and leaned against a nearby tree in an attempt to steady myself, and I listened. I listened to the breeze, to every leaf that might still rustle in this cold winter, as if my life depended on it– because it did. Maybe I'd escaped. Maybe I managed to outrun him in the dark and through the trees. Maybe pigs flew and rabbits barked- no one's ever outrun a vampire. There was a slight rush of wind, and my answer was standing in front of me. Damn.

    "Nice effort," it said.

    I visibly cringed. The voice was unlike anything I'd ever heard before- nails on a chalkboard didn't do it justice because it didn't exactly screech. It was more like cheese grater on limestone. And why was he– it, I couldn't quite make out what it was– speaking to me? Maybe vampires like playing with their food, too. I didn't answer.

    "You ran all this way," it rasped. "Are you not going to plead for your life?"

    My lungs felt like they were seizing up- either from the cold or fright or the fear of encroaching death, I wasn't sure. I was beginning to put my bet on all three.

    "I –" I coughed suddenly. "Would it make a difference if I did?"

    It took a step closer, but the step was more like a glide and my skin positively crawled at the sight of it. I leaned in closer to the tree propping me up, gripping it with my hand as if it might somehow fend off the creature standing before me. That was when there was a break in the clouds, and moonlight spilled into the surrounding forest. It was a he after all- or had been a 'he' until 'he' became an undead 'it', but I supposed 'he' would still have to suffice.

    He was gruesome, and the light emanating from the moon didn't help his features any. His skin was the color of old newspapers– if he was human I'd say he was in the early stages of jaundice, but of course he wasn't human, was he? That was the problem. He wore virtually rags, and one of his boots actually had a hole in it. I guess vampires didn't feel the cold either. I was freezing. He had an impossibly lopsided grin on his face and his eyes were a remarkably clear hazel. I suppose you had to entrance your victims with at least one marginally good quality. I looked away. Don't ask me how, but I actually could feel his grin widen.

    "No, not really," he answered, in what could vaguely pass as a nonchalant tone.

    There was a pause. Neither of us moved. We were simply standing in the drifts now, and the clouds had rolled back in. It was beginning to snow.

    Suddenly I was angry. Furious, even. What was taking so long? If he was going to kill me, why drag it out? He was hungry, wasn't he? Why make me suffer anymore when he could just do it and we could both be done with it. I shuffled in place and frowned at the snow already on the ground.

    "If you wish," he said, as if in reply to my thoughts. My head shot up, and it no sooner did when he was standing directly in front of me. I gave a yelp and shot backwards reflexively but he caught me in his arms, impossibly powerful arms, and pulled me to him. I struggled and even screamed, but he didn't even give me room for that and merely tossed back his head and laughed the worst laugh I have ever heard issue from the voice box of any creature– human, animal, or otherwise. The laugh was enough to cause me to flinch towards him and my head was bowed as I shook with fear and an overkill of adrenaline. Overkill- probably not the best choice of words right now.

    "Alright, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it! I don't want to die, please...." I pleaded in a rather high-pitched broken voice. It was all I could muster, and when I opened my mouth and stretched the freezing skin on my face with my movements, I felt something wet on my cheek and prayed it wasn't blood from when I'd been scratched earlier after all. That's when I tasted the salt. When had I started crying?

    "Evangelista...." it almost purred. "Poor....poor Evangelista."

    "No!" I cried, and shook my head.

    "Don't fret, Evangelista. You won't have to die tonight."

    I gaped as I looked up, my gaze abruptly meeting his and suddenly I saw in his eyes his intentions. Whether this was an improvised choice on his part or not, I had no idea, but suddenly....suddenly death seemed preferable. Wasn't blood supposed to look beautiful on the snow anyway? At least death wouldn't be so...monstrous.

    I began to weep in earnest now, shaking my head again repeatedly as if doing so would wake me up from this horrific dream, but it was no use. I could hear myself saying 'no' over and over again. Passages, again, from old books about, 'the only sun you will ever see again' and 'a millennium of nights to see light as no mortal has ever seen it' sprang into my mind. Ahh, the unreal and naive imaginations of mortal authors. These things couldn't help me now. I'd just met the real thing, and the real thing was so, so ugly....

    He was cooing to me now, shushing my sobs as he used one finger to tilt my head up and to the side. I began to push, weakly, again against him, but it was like trying to move stone. His dark, damp hair was against my face now as he moved in even closer. I looked imploringly up at the sky, at the stars peeking through the bits of broken cloud, as the snow began to fall heavier now.

    "Oh...god," I said weakly as the tears continued to stream down my face. There was a brush against my throat, two individual pricks making themselves known against my numbed skin,

    and

    I was gone.