Thirst

My thirst for blood was the only thing that was constant. 

Time changed. 

People changed. 

Places changed. 

But the horrible burning in my throat never seemed to waver. Never seemed to be quenched. At some points...it was but an inch, slightly bothersome, but otherwise ignored. This was not one of those times. 

The fire that raged on inside my throat drove me mad. Did I bother ignoring it? Did my mortality bother me? I was not human, I would never be human. I didn’t want to be human. 

So why did I feel bad harming them? Surely it was just the same as eating a chicken or a cow...predator and prey, correct? 

My teeth clenched together with an audible snap. The sound was deafening, like stone on stone. Of course no one was around to hear it. 

A quiet suburban town...so small, yet it had the power to render me helpless. I stared at it from the hill I was standing on. Darkness wrapped around my form like a cape disguising me among the underbrush. I felt just like a fox that might hide here in pursuit of a rabbit, but instead, I was pursuing humans. 

Or was I? 

Surely if I was looking for a feast I would have gone to a populated city...one that wouldn’t notice the absence of a few humans. This town would notice all. Why was I here? Was I purposely making this harder on myself? Maybe I was. Maybe all the lives I have taken finally caught up to me. 

I dismissed the thought. It was ridiculous. I didn’t care, it was me or them.I couldn’t get vitamin D from the sun. I shivered at the thought of standing in its murderous beams. I could practically feel my skin sizzling. 

What I couldn’t get from the sun, I got from blood. Therefore, it was only just for me to get the nutrition I needed, correct? Just like humans eating chickens, but instead, I ate humans.

Or sucked them dry.

I noticed my mistake half a second too late. The memory of draining someone caused my thirst to flare up in a sudden burst of pain. I crumbled to the ground and locked every single one of my muscles in place, not allowing myself to move at all. I didn’t trust where I would go. A single moan of pain escaped my lips.

I hadn’t fed in a week. The longest time I had ever gone without eating. I was absolutely ravenous. I couldn’t trust my movement, I couldn’t trust my thoughts. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could stay sane. 

I had seen few of my kind throughout the years and only met one who went crazy from thirst. 

I killed her. 

I don’t regret it. She was too dangerous, too driven by her predatory instincts. 

I remembered that moment very clearly, the light fading from her eyes. Did I miss her? No, Loneliness is not a problem for us. Unlike humans, we don’t generally appreciate the company of others. In that sense we were like predators, a lone fox, a lone...vampire. 

I internally cringed at the word. Ridiculous, that was what I was. I was subconsciously avoiding the term. 

Vampire, vampire, vampire.

Murderer, murderer, murderer. 

I wasn’t a murderer. 

I unlocked my muscles and lurched forward as if I could run from my own thoughts. I probably could-I was very fast. I kept my speed to a minimum, I didn’t like how close the neighborhood was getting.

 Within seconds, I was just outside of the small town. My nostrils flared, desperate to absorb the scents I knew to be there.

I didn’t allow any air into my system. Breathing was nothing but a habit, a way to seem more human. Air wasn’t necessary, there was no blood in my veins to carry it anywhere, no reason...

“Stop thinking about blood, geez man, everyone knows that makes it worse, your practically drooling,” 

My instincts kicked in, I spun on my heels and slammed the source of the voice into a tree, my hand closing on its neck. I was surprised at the strength I still contained even after not fueling it for so long. 

I glared at my prisoner. Another...vampire. 

He smiled at me, his pale blue eyes shining in the moonlight, “Aggressive much,” 

My teeth bared on their own accord, my hand tightening on his neck, “Who are you?” 

“Oliver,” He responded, eyeing my hand on his neck, “That’s getting irritating, can you move it?’

I dropped it reluctantly knowing he wouldn’t be able to beat me in a fight if it came to it, even when I was weaker for lack of nutrition. Turning and looking back at the town, I debated my options. 

“You never told me your name?” He prompted. 

“Keket,” I replied, not looking back.

“Debating mortality?” Oliver shuffled towards me. 

“What?” 

“Well...you’re clearly thirsty,” He nodded towards my embarrassingly weak form, “And your not massacring that town by yourself, that would be a dumb move,” 

“So what?” I snarled, agitated. 

“Sooo what are you doing?” 

“Massacring this town,” Saying it in a determined fashion changed nothing. 

“Ok, I’ll help you,” 

I was shocked for a second time. I wheeled around to look at Oliver. Our kind were naturally beautiful by human standards, he seemed exceptionally so, his cheeks were full with a slight pinkish hue and caramel freckles. His hair was dark red and drooped over his forehead where his almost neon blue eyes sliced through them. 

He looked so young, so innocent. Was he capable of...murder? 

It wasn’t murder, I convinced myself, it’s merely doing what it takes to survive. 

I needed to get over this, “Fine,” 

Oliver cocked his head to the side, a smile breaking out across his face, “Let’s do it,” 

After looking at him closer I could finally see it. His expression had a dark undertone, a hidden intention even. He wasn’t smiling, he was displaying his fangs. 

“After you?” He prompted. 

As if on cue, my throat screamed at me, begging me to step forward. I nodded. I knew exactly what I needed to do, it was as simple as…

Taking a breath. 

So. Much. Blood. I could hear it’s wet sound as it pounded through human bodies. I could smell it’s sweet metal-like scent coating the whole town, so warm...so inviting. Each individual pulse, every human, gallons of it…my throat tightened imagining how it would feel...the relief, the crimson liquid sloshing around in my stomach, the screams of utter horror when they watch me take their lives...

I lost all sense of self, any question of mortality was irrelevant, unimportant.

Another moan escaped me, but not of pain..oh no.   

“There we go,” Olive cooed, “Let go,”

I was already long gone. 

In a town this size, we either had to kill all of them, or none of them. 

I lunged forward in a hasty imitation of my normal hunting crouch, I heard the silent footsteps of Oliver behind me. I let my senses guide me, let my thoughts drift off until it was only me and my instincts. I cast a sideways glance behind me. And Oliver.

It was night, the town was quite literally asleep. 

Little did they know, they would never wake up.