A Taste for Blood

I will never forget the first time I tasted blood. My teeth pierced the soft flesh of his neck, immediately the artery spilled pools of the tangy iron filled liquid into my mouth. His frantic heart continuing to pump the delicious liquid into my mouth faster than I could swallow it down. I wanted to savor the warm, velvety feel of it rolling over my tongue. It was an ecstasy far beyond alcohol, sex, drugs, or any combination in between I had ever experienced. No five course meal that ever tantalized my taste buds could compete with it’s rich, complex flavor. Only it felt so wrong. I decided then that I liked that feeling.

Earlier that evening I walked to the restaurant with my hands in my little jacket while the crisp fall air nipped at my rosy nose. I had a blind date with this wholesome but boring man at a little Italian place not far from my home. We met through a dating app my friends had forced me to create, and decided to finally connect in the real world.

“It’s more than time! You should get back out there, you never know who you might meet!” They said.

No truer words, I thought. I had indeed not known who I was to meet just prior to this unlucky man currently held in my arms, his blood dripping onto the floor and pooling at my knees now. The previous blind date had been my last alive.

“Hello Love. Don’t you look ravishing tonight.” His dark eyes glittering as he took in my little black dress and pointed stilettos.

He was intriguing, the perfect blend of exotic and sophisticated. Ever the picture of tall, dark, and handsome. Indeed he was several inches over six foot with skin like liquid gold. Ultimately it was his charisma that had me hooked; like I couldn’t say no to him, no matter what he asked of me.

“ A mojito, please.” I said to the waiter and sat down on the low bench next to him.

After several more mojitos, I found myself unsteady on my heels and walking the parking lot to his rooftop condo. In the mirrored elevator, I didn’t notice his reflection as we flirted, unable to keep our hands off one another.

The apartment was elegant but small, my heels clicked lightly on the marble floor as we entered. He gestured for me to sit on the plush velvet couch that looked out towards the balcony.

Still standing, he said, “I have an offer for you, love. One that you probably will not believe, but I believe in choice in a matter such as this. You have a spirit that to me, speaks a desire for freedom. Freedom of restraint, freedom of choice, freedom to live as you would live. I can give that to you, you need only say yes. But there is a cost.”

My buzz now thoroughly dissolved, I feared he was going to suggest I become his mistress, or worse he was attempting to recruit me for some nefarious purpose. I remained silent, sinking into the couch a little further.

“My offer is immortality, I only desire a partner to travel with. You seem like you would be good company, and perhaps we could enjoy other benefits as well. The chemistry is certainly there for it.”

“Immortality?” I said, my eyes wide with disbelief. “What, like you’re a vampire or something? My own personal Damon Salvatore.” I said with a little sarcasm. “Or are you more like The Vampire Lestat?”

My book collection included every novel in Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles series, the original Dracula, and The Southern Vampire Series. Besides having watched every movie and TV series I could find with the fanged fiends. So you could say I was well versed in their lore, at least in theory.

“You joke, but I am serious. Yes, I am a vampire. And yes, some of the popular stories have a kernel of truth in them. You may drink my blood and join me in immortality, but I leave that choice to you.” He said taking the seat next to me.

The dim light from the table lamp next to him casting his face in shadow as it illuminated his well tailored suit.

That made me think of the elevator. Did he have a reflection? There were so many mirrors, but I can’t remember whether or not I had seen it.

“This is absurd. How many women have you offered this to for your own perverse joke? Or is this just a trick, since we are so close to Halloween?”

In the blink of an eye his mouth was flush with my neck and I could feel the points of his teeth graze my skin.

His breath tickling the hairs on my neck, he said, “This is no trick darling. Do you believe me now?”

“I believe you.” My voice cracking as I said it.

He sat back down putting a respectful amount of space between us. “Now that we’ve answered that, do you have any other questions?”

For a long moment I just stared at him, wide eyed, while I processed what just happened.

“So, what do you say? Do you want to embrace your inner monster and walk the Earth as a real predator? Or would you like to go back to your mundane human existence?”

Now I looked him in the eye, studying them, and with a hint of fire I said, “Make me like you.”

His dark eyes sparkled and he smiled. “As you wish.”

Slowly, intimately, he closed the gap between us. He brushed a lock of hair away from my face as he cupped my neck, bringing it gently to his mouth. Then I felt his teeth slide into the skin. A gasp escaped my lips, it was the perfect blend of pain and pleasure.

I woke up in my own bed the next morning having forgotten the night entirely. Almost. There was a small stain of blood on my collar which sparked a flash of the night before and then it was gone. Getting ready for work I cleaned the steam off the window so I could do my normal makeup. My face looked airbrushed it was so flawless. I guess today is a great day for my complexion. No makeup needed, I turned to my wardrobe. Slipping into a matching pencil skirt and blouse I finished my normal morning routine and headed into the office.

“A hot venti caramel macchiato please.” I said to the barista at the Starbucks at the corner next to my office. I took a sip of the coffee and immediately spit it out. The taste was all wrong and it didn’t agree with my body either, it seemed. Maybe it’s just bad milk or something. I’m running late enough as it is though, let’s just get to work.

Work continued uneventfully, though my stomach still wasn’t feeling up to eating much so I skipped my lunch entirely.

Opening my phone I had a message from a man I matched with on the dating app. “I am excited to meet you today. Where would you like to have dinner?” “There’s a delicious little Italian restaurant, it has the best arancini in town. Have you tried it?”

A few more exchanges were sent and the rest of the details ironed out so I went home to get ready. I couldn’t find my favorite little black dress, so I went with a bright red strappy one under a light jacket.

When I arrived, he was waiting outside for me with a single white rose.

“Nice to finally meet you.” He said with a shy smile.

“You as well.”

We entered the double doors and were escorted to a table next to a window with a small garden attached and looking over the street.

He ordered us a bottle of red wine, pouring us glasses as we got to know each other a little more. After my recommendation he asked for the arancini, and since my stomach still wasn’t feeling particularly hungry I opted for a bruschetta. But one bite of the food had me running for the ladies room.

I composed myself and rejoined him at the table, “I am so sorry, but I think we should rain check. My stomach is just not happy at the moment.”

His mouth did that little twitch people do when they aren’t happy about the turn of events but agree. “Let me at least walk you home.”

“That would be lovely. Thank you.”

Unfortunately for him, he would not make it home.

It was a short walk back to my place from the restaurant and it was starting to drizzle lightly as we arrived at my door.

“Would you like to come in? Wait out the rain a little with me?”

His cheeks turning pink as he answered, “I’d love to.”

We entered the house and hung our jackets on the stand next to the door. It was at this moment my stomach chose to find it’s hunger. Except now it was ravenous and I smelled something mouthwatering. My nose led me straight to his neck.

“Ummm, as much as I would love to, you know, take this further I really would like to get to know you.” He said backing up a step.

“But you smell so good.” I said, though not really knowing why I had. But the pull was undeniable and I was just. So. Hungry. My lips parted and in an instant they locked onto his neck, stopping just shy of puncturing it before my rational mind chimed in and I flew several feet away.

What am I doing? What is happening right now?

Then I remembered the night before. The man with the dark eyes and golden skin. The man who… offered me immortality. What should I do? He doesn’t deserve to die just because he’s at the wrong place at the wrong time. But I am so very hungry.

Catching my reflection, or lack thereof, in the mirror adjacent to the coat rack, the savage part of me came to the forefront and I took one step and then another towards the man who was now becoming uneasy. He caught the look in my eye, the smoldering fire of hunger, and took it for what it really was. It was over before he could fully turn around to run. I held his body in my arms hanging limp as the blood drained from him, and I luxuriated in the taste of it as it ran down my face and arms.

When I had finished, I left him laying on the floor and washed up. Knock, knock. Who could that be?” I checked the door bell camera and saw it was the man from last night, and let him in.

“You passed the test with flying colors. Would you like help with that?” He said gesturing to the body in the middle of the floor.

I nodded, and so became the monster no one expected me to become.