Chapter 1


The sensation on the back of Lina's neck was not an unexpected one, but one that unnerved her nonetheless. It was the feeling the mouse has when walking into the kitchen and knowing it's not alone. It was the sensation of someone watching her intensely. Nearby, yet unseen.

She didn't like it, not at all. In the world one couldn't afford to dismiss a stalker. What if it was a psychopath? Or a loon? Or her kindergarten boyfriend?

It had started about a week ago, when she had felt that prickling at the back of her neck. She had turned and there had been nothing. And that was somehow even more disturbing. Every time she stepped out of her apartment she could feel the watcher, looking at her, following her close. And sometimes she awoke in the middle of the night, swearing she wasn't alone in her room, and yet when she turned on the lights all was as it had always been.

So Lina had had it, she was tired of it, she needed her privacy, and she needed to be rid of whomever it was that was continuously stepping on her shadow. She had thought to go to the police and demand help, but what could she say? Someone's stalking me. no I haven't seen him. no nothing has been stolen. what do you mean have I been sexually harassed????

Yes, she knew exactly where such an interview would lead, it would probably end with her walking out of the police station after having screamed at 3 or more police officers.

So she was going to take matters into her own hands, catch whoever was following her, kick the living hell out of whoever it was and then, depending on her mood, deliver him to the police or throw him in a river.

Yes she definitely was feeling better this evening.

How she was going to catch whomever it was, she didn't know yet, but she was confident an idea would pop into her mind. Maybe she'd rent a boat and sail out onto the sea; there she would clearly see him... a little too costly though... Or...

The sound of a car horn shook her out of her reverie. As in slow motion Lina turned and found herself standing in the middle of the street, a truck approaching her faster than she cared it to, and somehow her nerves just refused to help her get out of that predicament.

Then there was a flash of black and she found herself on the other side of the street being cradled in the arms of a good looking blond. The blond set her

down on her shaking feet, smiled at her and was lost in the crowd before she had the nerves to thank her impromptu savior.

Great Lina, just great, Lina said to herself. You were almost run down by a truck and are saved by prince charming and you let him get away without even getting his name! Let alone his phone number!

Upon realizing her legs felt more like butter than like flesh and blood, Lina decided she desperately and immediately needed a drink. She was on Garden street, only two blocks from one of her favorite pubs, The Bat.

Upon entering Lina felt a little lightheaded, but she attributed it to the shock and the blonde. Sitting herself at the bar she ordered a whiskey on the rocks, not that she cared for it much, but it did wonders for her ragged nerves.

Lina looked around and scouted her surroundings, looking for some company, she never did like drinking alone and she needed someone to distract her. She saw different kinds of people, some very young, some older. All going about their business. And yet there was an uneasy feeling to the place, as if apart from those she could see there was someone she couldn't but was aware of nonetheless. The Stalker? Yet something inside of her told her he wasn't, this was someone else.

A moment latter all of Lina's attention was focused on one guy, and one guy only. He was sitting at a table on the back. He was far way yet Lina saw him clearly through the crowd. Among all the people of the crowd he had something they hadn't, he was special. He was very pale European like, Lina didn't mind, not in the least.

She walked to him and sat in front of him. Then she was distracted a little, the presence of the stalker filled the room. But her mind drifted away from that, she focused on the European guy. She couldn't drag her attention away from him. Never mind the stalker, never mind that presence she had felt but not seen upon entering the room; for all she cared her world consisted only of the guy in front of her.

When she gazed at his eyes she shivered, she felt as if she were in a cemetery. Looking into his eyes she saw a thousand deaths. She saw that he had killed, killed many times. But he hadn't killed for money, or anger. He did it to sate his hunger, and sometimes not even for that, only for fun. And then Lina knew he was a Vampire.

How hadn't she recognized the deathly paleness of his skin before? One that didn't come from his race, but from never having been exposed to the sun? Or those deathly fangs closing on her neck. Or the other five Vampires sitting around her waiting for their turn to feast.

Lina realized the hopelessness of her situation. She might take out one or two of them; all of those self-defense classes weren't for nothing after all. But six? Six was four too many.

The presence of the Stalker became so overpowering that she dared to look up and when she did, she couldn't believe what he saw, the whole pub was filled with Vampires all looking intently, thank the powers above, not at her, but at a blonde man making his way in her direction, the Vampires edging away from him. It was as if a barrier was formed around him, they couldn't even get close.

The Vampire holding Lina also turned to see who was interrupting his dinner. His face became stunned, as if wondering why he was here.

The blond came closer; so close all the vampires except the one holding Lina went out of his way.

Lina recognized the man before her as the one who had saved her from the bus, at the same time as they identified him as the Stalker. Yet Lina's attention was elsewhere, there was a prickling sensation on the palm of her hand a feeling of energy moving all around her body and then, she didn't know how, a black blade was in her hand.


Chapter 2   |   Fanfiction