Sloppy.

I had gotten sloppy and I knew it.

Lisa had warned me that there was a hunter on the loose and I couldn’t keep my shit together for even a week. There was just something about fresh blood, about the hunt that kept me engaged in this terrible game.

I dabbed at my mouth with a napkin, staining the whiteness with the crimson of my lips. The crimson of yet another young gentleman with a trust fund to liquidate and a very poor judge of character.

“Would it be cliché if I thanked you for the meal?” I asked.

I glanced towards him and of course he didn’t reply.

He had perished moments ago, a gaping wound in his neck allowing his blood to drizzle free.

“You are a very stupid girl,” I whispered to myself.

Thankfully, as I surveyed the man’s apartment there was no sign of a relationship tarnished, of a marriage destroyed. This time I had selected a bachelor and a fine one at that.

I picked up my wine glass, enjoying the last little morsels of red that clung to the bottom. Red meat and shiraz were such a divine combo even if the alcohol had no effect upon me.

When the glass was finished, I had the courtesy to return it to his sink, with the few other dirty dishes that lingered behind. I wondered absently what the police would think when they eventually scrubbed them for fingerprints.

Were my prints even still on the record?

If they were, then what must they have thought about a killer who was supposedly born in the 19^th century? Clearly not much since I’ve heard no news outlets talking about the idea.

I grabbed my coat and pulled it on, slipping out of the apartment. It was a short walk down the stairs and into the cool night air.

My phone buzzed and I glanced at it, a text from one of my colleagues from the club.

“When you’re done with that dude, you should totally come by the Ivory Castle, we’re getting drinks.”

I froze.

They had seen me leave with the gentleman?

Sloppy indeed, Beatrice, sloppy indeed.

I texted back a reply, promising to stop by shortly. I then examined myself, confirming that no red clung to my body or complexion. Another perk of the modern world was the use of selfie cameras for mirrors. They were so much better than the silver ones that were once used.

“You’re a fool,” I whispered to my reflection, snorting in disdain. “A fucking idiot even.”

I felt something in my spine. A chill that made me instinctively look over my shoulder. There was a figure in the distance, another girl looking down at her cell phone.

I didn’t give her much attention.

“You’re starting to see shit,” I grumbled to myself.

I then grabbed my phone once more, flipping over to a second list of contacts, those who knew me as Beatrice and not Trish.

I selected Lisa and started to type away.

“Can you get me in contact with your blood guy?”

Before I could even get the phone back into my purse, it buzzed again. This time it was a notification from another one of the girls at the strip club.

“How do you feel about girls?”

I smirked and typed away.

Trish: “I mean if you feel like experimenting.”

Ash: “LOL! There was this girl at the club who seemed pretty interested in you, is all. Looked like a lost puppy.”

Trish: “Was she cute?”

Ash: “Kind of. I think she was Korean or something.”

Trish: “Well I hope she comes back tomorrow. Been ages since I’ve last been with a girl.”

Ash: “Well I mean if that offer to experiment still stands…”

I snorted and slipped my phone back into my purse.

Something tugged at me though, stopping me from heading further away from my kill.

I sighed.

Something didn’t seem right. Maybe it was just Ash’s text getting to me but I swore that girl standing outside was Asian.

“You’re being silly,” I told myself.

But my sense of preservation refused to budge, keeping me locked firmly in place.

I shook my head and turned around.

There was no harm in checking.

---

She had looked at me and met my eye, though clearly hadn’t suspected a thing. There was an air about her, an anxious energy which I knew very well. It was the mask that a guilty person wore in the wake of doing something wrong.

Maybe it was a little lingering humanity which still tugged at their souls. A tendril of remorse and guilt at what they had done. Or maybe it was an instinctual fear, knowing that their wrongs could make their entire life come undone.

I approached the apartment building she had just left and produced a small kit. Lockpicking was a tool of my trade and I got to work promptly. Thankfully, the landlord appeared to have no strong affinity for safety and I pressed inside without trouble.

As I entered, I tried to recall which apartment had its light on.

Second floor for sure…

I headed up the stairs and turned down the hall on the second landing.

“Five down?” I whispered to myself, hoping that my memory remained faithful to me.

I held a cloth in my hand and used it to try the door handle. It was unlocked and I carefully pushed inside of the abode.

A putrid smell immediately slammed into me, one which was coppery and bore the perfume of death. I wrinkled my nose but showed no other hint of reluctance. I had been around death before and was not about to flinch away from it now.

There was a figure seated in the living room, facing away from me. Their hand slipped away from the armrest of their chair and dangled limply in the air. A trickle of red ran along their forearm and dripped upon the floor, adding to a puddle on the floor.

“Jesus,” I whispered.

Still, I needed to see it, actually see the wound.

With great care, I approached, wary of every step. I didn’t want to leave any more evidence behind than I absolutely had to. The police may have been incompetent, when it came to the supernatural, but I had no doubt that I could be in serious trouble if I left enough evidence behind.

I sidestepped the blood and came before the gentleman.

As I thought, he had been the victim of a vampire. A gory wound made up what remained of his neck and crimson stained much of his body.

I flinched away, hating that I had confirmed my suspicion.

So, you’ve found your vampire, now what?

I worked my jaw.

She didn’t seem dangerous though I knew better than that. Any vampire was a threat capable of overpowering a dozen humans.

Thankfully, she didn’t seem to know me, nor would she be expecting me if I were to come after her at her place of work. There was an opportunity, a way to set up the element of surprise.

I bit my lip and turned away from the body. “I wonder if she’s into girls.”

“I very much am,” a voice greeted.

I stiffened, feeling my chest seize.

There wasn’t anything I wanted to do less than look at the source of that voice. But if I delayed the inevitable, the inevitable was bound to come after me.

I looked towards her, my eyes widening. She was as beautiful as she’d been on stage, absolutely radiant. There was no trace of the murder she’d just committed upon her, not so much as a speck of blood or gore.

She just seemed eerily normal.

“So, I suppose you’re the woman who killed Fredrich,” she told me.

I drew in a breath, trying to batter down some of the mounting fear inside of me. I was already at a disadvantage and panicking would do little to help me at this moment.

“Does it count as murder if he was already dead?” I asked.

She smirked. “It depends on how you view life. Does a being need to have a beating heart in order to be considered living? Fredrich had a job, hobbies, and interests.” She glanced towards me. “I suppose you have those as well.”

When I didn’t respond she merely shook her head.

“Do you know what Fredrich went through growing up?” she asked me.

“I didn’t think to look into it,” I admitted.

“I doubt you would’ve found much,” the woman teased. “He came over on an immigrant barge in the nineteenth century and had been around Europe since at least the sixteenth. Think of how many stories and legends he could tell.” She shrugged and let out a cruel note of laughter. “All of it’s just gone now, isn’t it?”

“He killed people!” I growled, trying to keep my voice level lest we disturb the neighbours.

The woman looked me in the eye. “He did no such thing. At least, not in decades. Did you know that most vampires don’t even hunt for prey anymore? Most of us just drink blood from bags, like little juice boxes.” She nodded towards the body. “Though as you can see, I am the rare exception.”

She was trying to fuck with me, trying to manipulate me, I knew it. That’s what vampires did, that was their hallmark.

“What are you going to do with me?” I asked.

She hummed. “To be honest, I don’t really know yet. I am still quite content with my meal but…” She flashed a toothy smile, ensuring that I saw her fangs. “But maybe I could kill you and keep you around for later.” She approached me and I tensed. “Or maybe I could play a cruel little joke upon you. I think that could be fun.”

As she took another step towards me, I lashed out, swiping at her face with the silver dagger I kept concealed.

She ducked back but the blade still cut into her cheek. As her flesh tore, she let out such a hideous noise.

I knew for a fact that the neighbours were going to hear it.

Instead of clutching at her wound, the vampire launched herself at me. She slammed me forcefully against the wall and forced the dagger from my hand. The impact ached, like being body slammed by a man three times my size.

She looked half crazed, enraged, snarling at me like some wild animal. A dark mass of torn flesh blemished her formerly beautiful complexion.

“You bitch,” the vampire hissed.

Enraging her without an exit strategy may not have been my brightest idea. Still, it wasn’t like giving up was really an option.

A cruel smile soon formed upon her lips. “I think I’ll follow through with fucking with you, darling.”

“W-what?” I whispered.

“I mean you took one of our brothers from us,” the vampire said, licking her lips slowly. “I feel it’s only fair that I bring a fresh vampire back into the mix.”

It turned out there was one thing worse than giving up. One thing so much worse than rolling over dead.

“No,” I pleaded.

The vampire smiled at me. She drew closer, aiming for my neck and taking her time with it. She really was a beast, a monster, a carnivore playing with her prey.

I attempted to fight back but she was so much stronger than me. It was like fighting back against steel beams, against a wall of concrete.

I attempted to kick at her with what limited range I still retained. My boot actually connected with the side of her leg. Though it was debatable if she felt the impact as she merely chuckled at me.

“Don’t worry, dear,” the vampire said, sultry notes filling her voice. “I’m only giving you the ability to see things from a fresh perspective. It might help you better understand what you’re up against.”

Before I could answer, she dipped forwards and sunk her fangs into my neck.

I winced, hissing as she broke flesh.

She didn’t tear out my throat, however. No, that would’ve been far too simple. Instead, she had but a little taste before drawing away.

I watched the redness of my blood upon her teeth as she smiled at me. I watched it drain down her lips and coat her tongue. I watched her lick her chops and I heard her make such a satisfied little noise as she finally affixed me with her gaze.

“Good night, dear,” she whispered to me.

And those were the final words I heard before unconsciousness overtook me.

---

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