Destined to be a hit among vampire fans, this book runs the gamut of new characters, new kinds of vampires, a werewolf, and a host of mortals.  Murder, mystery, and mayhem keeps this story alive as it twists and turns through the streets of St Louis, MO, culminating to a huge ending at the infamous Arch. If you enjoy vampire fiction, you'll love this book. Available in paperback or hardcopy ebook on CD.

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SAMPLE CHAPTERS

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Silently, the first icy fingers of the crisp Fall wind began to wrap themselves around his body, a chilling reminder of the lateness of the hour and the coming dawn.

          Strong hunger pangs invaded him as he pulled his cloak tighter around his body, trying desperately to appear as human as possible under the many lights as he wandered the streets of this great city.

          What a city it had turned out to be!  The architecture here astounded him, such misplaced beauty amidst this jungle of steel and glass and never ending flow of traffic.  This is truly the gateway to the midwest!  How many long years did he wander through life, never seeing, or even dreaming of the many wonders of this century?

          Since his arrival here last night he had seen many remarkable things and the closeness of the river comforted him somewhat.  The smells and sounds of the riverfront reminded him much of home, and also provided a quick escape should the need arise.

          But now, he knew he must think not on such things, for even as these thoughts float inadvertently to the surface so does the need for sustenance.  He was not able to feed on his arrival for the hour had been much too late and his need for shelter had been much more immediate.  But now, having secured shelter for his stay in this great metropolis he must feed before the bloodlust began to take control and he killed indiscriminately.

         With this thought firmly imbedded in his head he turned eagerly to this night's task and picking up his pace, he headed back to the infamous Arch.  He was well aware that the area surrounding the landmark was filled with fresh young people who would soon be vacating the many nightclubs directly as each one in turn closed it's doors for the night.

          Anticipation getting the better part of judgment, he suddenly felt his body, as though of it's own accord, leap into the air, and utilizing that great vampiric gift, head swiftly towards his destination.  Wind rushed past his ears forcing a smile in spite of his hunger.

          Unlike many vampires he felt secure in his ability of flight.  He actually reveled in the pure and total unfettered freedom of such a mode of transportation and utilized it frequently.  Even now as he neared the Arch he is somewhat disappointed at the swiftness of his arrival.

          However, right now he has more immediate concerns and as he circles looking for a safe spot to come down he sees what he has come for, just coming from one of the nightclubs as he suspected, and also as he suspected, extremely drunk and lonely.

          A beautiful young girl, perhaps even too young to be at this type of establishment and she appeared to be crying her herself out.

          Softly, so as not to arouse anyone keen of ear, he came down upon a roof that gave him a good vantage of his prey.  How sad she is!  Even from his perch upon the roof he could sense her feelings of rejection coming to the fore and , unable to deal with them, she has attempted to run from them.  And seeming to find this impossible as well, is now running to a suicide solution.  How tragic!  Quickly he scanned her mind attempting to see what instance or incident has caused this girl the kind of grief that would justify taking of her own life.  A picture formed instantly, her, the cause of her problems, and her misery.  He decided swiftly that one as lovely as she does not deserve to be treated in this manner by some drunken buffoon, who will in all probability regret his mistake in the morning.

          No matter.  He could at least save her from the fate of suicide, a horrible way to depart this plane.  As he watched her stumbling away a thick fog began to roll in off the water.  Beautiful to his old soul, it helped to lend an air of mystery to this waterfront scenario of loss and tragedy.  Almost unconsciously to him it seemed, the thick fog broke away from the walls of the building, like some giant wave, and rolled back revealing the young girl in her misery, and she had fallen.

          Never one to let the perfect opportunity pass and shielded now from prying eyes by the fog, he leaped lightly to the ground, and putting on his best gentlemanly smile, careful of course to hide his fangs, he headed towards her to give her the aid she so desperately required.  And perhaps something more.

          A little too eagerly perhaps he headed down the path in her direction trying consciously to keep the unnatural speed from his step.  Funny, he thought, as old as I am, I still have problems acting human, especially when I'm excited.

          He could now feel the tensing in his upper jaw that generally precedes a feeding letting his body know that soon, sustenance shall be had.  His senses began to blaze in anticipation.

          Suddenly his keen ears picked up the sound of two men heading in his direction presumably from the nightclub, and they appeared to be giggling like two schoolgirls together.  Stopping for a moment where he stood, he turned to scan these intrusions to his dinner.

          Squinting his eyes, as he had gotten into the habit of doing whenever he strained his senses, he honed in on these two drunken dullards.  Lightly, without thought, he sprang into the tree next to the path listening intently to their conversation.

          Ah, so these are the objects of the girl's misery!  And even now they plan to further her pain!  Getting closer now, he can see the details of their faces.  The first, a rather tall individual with light brown hair and smartly dressed seemed to be the instigator here.  He was obviously the one who first broke her heart and he has now talked his friend into joining him for a small rape party.

          The other man, short and stocky, was so full of drugs that he could have been talked into almost anything.  He was just along for a good time and having such little conscience, did not seem to care who he hurts to have that good time.

          He looked down at these two in disgust.  If he had anything to say about it, and he would, neither one of these two was going to get the chance to implement their little scheme.  He had instantly switched his choice of prey from her to them, and she will make it home safely tonight.

          Oh how he loved a challenge!  A little excitement always goes a long way before feeding.  And he thought perhaps, that making these two the object of tonight's hunt would also make him feel somewhat better about himself, in that instead of taking an innocent who has done nothing more than want to take her own life, he can now gorge on the twisted thoughts of two who obviously have done this before.  That actually makes him somewhat of a hero, for he can rid the world of two more sick individuals who are far worse creatures than such as he, and they can trouble no one again.

          Quickly he glanced back at the young girl who had apparently seen her tormentor coming towards her.  Standing to her feet upon shaky legs, she was busy trying to straighten her disheveled clothing and fix her tangled hair, to no avail.  Odd that she would still want to be with him even though he had shunned her as he did.  What a complicated thing, the human mind, and so confusing!

          Still hidden under the cover of the tree's shadow he made his way rapidly to the ground hurrying closer to her side.  He did not want his presence known just yet as he was actually having a little bit of fun, anticipating the kill, and hunting it, like his kind was meant to do.  He had lived so long in modern times by blood donors alone he had almost forgotten the rush of the hunt, and the inevitable kill.

          Eagerly now he watched as the two would be rapists closed the distance between her and them.  They were calling out to her now, comforting her with false hope, telling her that he was sorry for his cruel words.

          From his vantage point he could see the puffs of warm breath as they exhale their lies to her, only adding it seemed to the great bank of fog that even now was rolling in once again.

          The moment had arrived!  As they closed the gap and she came willingly into his arms, they took her down to the ground, one with his hand covering her mouth to muffle her screams, while the other was forcing her to the grass.

           He was ashamed to admit it but the sheer brutality of the act brought his blood to a boil, and his hunger was becoming more prominent with each passing second.  He could not wait much longer, but was fascinated at the horrific act being played out before him.

          And it was said that vampires were monsters!  I beg to differ, he thought.  We only hunt for food and even then rarely do we kill, most of the time taking barely enough to survive until the time comes when the blood lust rises so high, as to no longer contain it.  But this, this is monstrous, for not in my worst of times would I have attempted to force a lady to have sexual intercourse as these two losers do in front of me now.

          Clearing his thoughts and unable to contain himself any longer, and, taking full advantage of his speed, he appeared as if by magic next to the short stubby man who was trying desperately to hold the girl's flailing limbs down.

          The look on his face was priceless, to see a strange man standing there next to him seemingly from thin air, and, his shock apparent, the poor doomed man in his fear struggled to his feet and began to run.  Wonderful!

          Noticing that the other man had taken heed of his fleeing companion and was attempting to rise, he slapped him across the face hard enough to knock him unconscious.  Excitedly he turned and focused on the running man.  A quick burst of preternatural speed and he was upon him.  Muffling his cries with a hand as cold as stone and every bit as hard, he seized him by the hair, and bending his head backwards to expose the neck, swiftly bent and ripped the entire side of his throat out.  Sweet dark blood spurted from the hideous wound running swiftly down the man's shoulders and into his shirt. 

          Drinking deeply from the open fount he reveled in the pure energy that filled his mouth, his body spasming as the first drops hit his throat.  Eagerly he took as much of the magic elixir as he could before the heart stopped, and not wanting to spoil his next meal, he did not partake of the death itself, saving that instead for the crooked individual who had instigated this little plot.

          Licking the last few drops of blood from his lips he picked up the foul body of the would be rapist and heaved it through the air towards the water, listening intently as it made a satisfying splash in the murky river below.  He knew that anyone finding the body would believe that dogs had attacked him, or some other such nonsense.

          Grinning to himself, he turned back to his waiting dessert, licking his lips with anticipation.  Kneeling beside the girl, he drug her from underneath the fallen drunk, really noticing her for the first time, noticing the sweet curve of her breasts, and the incredible pouty, full lips, set in a beautiful face.  This girl can surely do better than this for she stirred the fires in a centuries old vampire and he made the decision right there to help her better herself.  But first he had to finish his meal.

          No romance here.  This man while handsome, was a foul piece of humanity and he was taking full advantage and a particular liking to bleeding this fellow.

          Roughly he rolled the body over, and choosing this time to bleed from the wrist, he took his ever-present blood ring and sliced a neat cut in the veins.  As he did, the shock of that pain brought the unconscious sop around.  He grinned with pleasure as the bleary eyes tried to focus on the instrument of his pain and widened perceptibly at the sight of the man attached to his wrist, who was looking directly into his eyes, laughing, continuing to siphon his life's blood.

          He saw the horrified expression on the man's face and as he attempted to pull his arm free, the glutted vampire jerked hard upon the arm, tearing it from the socket, and as it came free he smacked the dullard playfully up side the head with it.  Just to take matters a little further he crawled up and attached himself to the huge flow that was now coming from shoulder, drinking deeply.

          Oh, how it penetrated his cells so completely, causing him to suddenly take this evil man, his soul, to the depths of hell that he deserved.  Viciously he ripped the neck open and placing his lips there, drew the last pulse from his body, and as the heart stopped, the death hit him like a ton of bricks, forcing him to roll over on his back while the ripple of power worked it's way through his body.

          Lying there upon his back looking at the night sky, he suddenly thought he heard, or rather felt, someone else in the dark.  Dismissing this, he knew that he would have sensed someone else long ago and it must be the death coursing through his veins, making him hallucinate.

          But no, there it was again, stronger this time.  He could feel it.  A presence, very strong and not human.  Looking around for the source of this sensation, he realized that he was in an extremely vulnerable position.  Desperately trying to sit up he sought to catch a glimmer of the sensation again.

          Slowly, his strength returning, he got to his feet scanning the area around him for some sign of the source of this mysterious feeling.  Nothing.  Nothing but mist, rolling once more like a giant wave, come to wash away this night's blood sports.

          Irritated at himself, he picked the body of the man up from the ground and with a huge show of strength, meant entirely for someone who might be watching, threw it towards the river.

          Bending to the girl he proceeded to go through her pockets and purse searching for a clue to her identity, so that he might further enjoy her company another night.  He needed a friend here.  Ah, there it was, her license.  Brittany Jean, 342 Essex, Kirkwood.  Excellent he thought, Kirkwood was a suburb more or less, and she will be close enough for him to contact her again.

          The hair on his neck once again standing on end, a silent warning of that elusive presence, he picked her up and carried her to the club from which she came.  Swiftly he laid her body upon the steps, and smashing the window in front to get some attention, took to the air, alighting softly on the roof next door.  He wanted to see what it was that had been stimulating his senses.

          Ignoring the melee below as security noticed the blood stains on the girl's dress, he tried to think back to all of the events of the evening trying to recall exactly at which point he first felt the presence and what events took place as he did, when it suddenly dawned on him that he had heard no splash as the second body was tossed into the water.

          Curiously, he took to the air once again and crossed over the spot where he threw the body into the river, searching for some sign of it.  Nothing.  Utilizing his gift of enhanced vision he scanned the area by the water.  That is when he noticed a huge paw print, wet with water, as though it came out of the river, and looking closer he noticed the rain of blood drops that indicated this was indeed the spot where the body had been thrown.  From the looks of it, something had evidently caught it in mid air and made off with it.  Oh well, he thought tiredly, fewer questions for the authorities to ask.  Probably better.

          He could feel the coming dawn so he once again took to the air, and as he flew over the scene below, just for a second, he sensed the now familiar tingle of whatever it was that was hiding out there in the dark.  Quickly he scanned the area once more hoping for at least a peek, and as he did so, he chanced to notice a swift shadow as it disappeared over a hilltop, and it looked like it was carrying an arm.

          But perhaps even stranger than that, this creature walked upright, how could it have paws?  And it was obviously not human, for it moved at a speed close to his own, forcing him to abandon any hopes of pursuit, as the sky was already beginning to lighten in the east and his eyelids were beginning to feel heavy.

          Perhaps tomorrow............

          Like a wraith streaking across the sky he flew towards his rented room.  Coming down upon the roof he dropped to the windowsill and snaked inside, hastily drawing the blinds, barring any chance of light penetrating and as he undressed for sleep, he thought back to his first night in St Louis.

          What a strange city!  And beautiful, despite all of it's unique criminal element.  The architecture here was wondrous and the many milestones in American history could keep one busy for an entire day, just viewing them.  And the river, right through town, coursing with it's own unique brand of life.  He loved the water, especially the docks, where he would sit and listen for hours to the crusty old stories of the sailors who worked daily on the barges and fishing boats along the river.  What a mischievous lot they were!  And probably the most ironic thing about them was the fact that they were no different than sailors he used to sit and listen to centuries before, along the banks of many different rivers across the world.  The stories, while updated with modern descriptions, were much the same as those he had heard along the Nile, or the Euphrates, or even those told in the great ancient city of Venice.

          These men were always so full of adventure and life, they were more of an amusement to him than anything, and helped to pass the time whenever he got lonely.  It was, if nothing else, his safety blanket, and God forbid anything happen to his one and only everlasting comfort.

          He always chose his new destinations with that thought in mind.  His only requirement was that a river or other large body of water had to be close.  The sea suited him just as well as long as it had a productive harbor, one with fishing or industrial shipping industries.  He always viewed the shipping industry as an effective means of escape, for rarely, if ever, did they get searched as the lands around them did in times of crisis.

          Sleepily he fingered the plump pillow provided for him, idly wondering if the young girl, Brittany Jean, had made it home safely.  So pretty she had been!  He realized suddenly that he was feeling some strange sort of attachment to her that he could not explain.  Perhaps Fate had brought them together for some unknown reason that he dared not try to figure out.

          But still, he couldn't help but wonder, why her, in a city the size of this one, why such a torn young woman as she had been would be encroaching upon his thoughts even now as he lay glutted from the night's feeding, preparing for his rest.  There had been thousands of pretty young girls before her, nameless faces from his past that dared not peek from his memory.  But not one in all the years of his existence had he felt drawn to as he did to this one.

          He thought to himself silently how he would make it a point to track her down when he awoke and do a little research on her.

          No longer able to fight off the inevitable sleep, his eyelids began to droop and closing out all sound for the time being he drifted off into the slumber of the dead.

************************************************************************

          Yawning widely and stretching his sore limbs as far as they could go, Josh Richards groggily began to come around.  Opening one eye he squinted at the sun that was beginning to peek through the closed blinds of his second floor apartment.  Desperately, he pulled the huge pillow over his head in a weak attempt to deny the new day.

          Why am I so tired, he thought?  He was getting sick of always feeling tired and fatigued and made a mental note to schedule a visit to the doctor's office.  Maybe I'm getting sick or something, he pondered silently.

          Silently accepting his fate, he drug the pillow from his face and threw it across the tiny room.  Unable to move yet, he remembered the crazy dream he had last night.  Another crazy dream!  Along with the fatigue came these dreams that were so far from reality, they made his head spin, and throb painfully.

          Slowly rubbing his temples he tried to remember all of the details of last night's dream.  Something about a nightclub and a lot of fog and a man that appeared to be able to fly!!  He could almost see the man's face but the dark mist that had enveloped him effectively blocked his memory of the man.  And the headache he was experiencing now didn't help either.

          Laughing at himself for having such a vivid imagination he tried to sit up, but his sore muscles would only allow him to get a part of the way up, far enough up for him to see what looked like blood stains on his sheets.

          What the hell, he thought?  More awake now, he sat upright and was horrified to discover bloodstains over every inch of his bed and crusted blood upon his skin.

          Sickened, he rolled out of the bed onto the floor, backpedaling all the way to the wall.  He looked anxiously about the room, expecting to see an intruder of some sort.  The room was empty.

          Fearing the worst, he rolled onto his stomach and peered beneath his bed.  Nothing.

          The building was starting to wake up and a bang on the wall from the apartment next door startled him into thought.  Jumping to his feet and keeping as far away from the mess on his bed as he could, he sidled towards the bedroom door.

          Flattening himself against the wall as he had seen done so many times on television, he reached over and hurriedly threw the door open.  Peeking around the corner he surveyed his tiny apartment looking for anything out of place, expecting someone to jump out of the shadows and attack him at any moment.  Nothing.

          Listening intently, his composure somewhat regained, he made his way cautiously into the living room and stepping close to the closet door swung it wide, once again finding nothing.  He went to the front door, only to find it unbroken and locked from the inside just as he had left it the night before.  Scratching his head in puzzlement, he looked to each of the two tiny windows.  Nothing unusual there either.  He began to inspect himself for cuts, anything to explain the large amount of blood covering him and his bed.  Not even a scratch.

          Silently, and feeling suddenly as though he must be the victim of a practical joke, he went back into the bedroom.  Staring in morbid curiosity at the mess on his bedding he reached down and gingerly pulled back the covers.  Touching them with his fingers, he pulled them back wet.  Fresh blood.

          Suddenly, he was startled by the telephone ringing.  Suspiciously he stared at it waiting for the answering machine to pick it up.  Ring! Ring!  The familiar monotone of the machine finally answered, prompting the caller to leave a message.

          "Hey buddy, are you there?  Are you coming to work today or what?"  Oh no he thought, looking at the clock.  8:30.  How could he have slept so long?  "Anyway," the voice continued, "I'll be there in about twenty minutes, see ya then."  Frantically he grabbed for the phone but his ride to work had already hung up.

          Feverishly he sprang into action, pulling the sheets and blankets from the bed.  Rushing into the laundry room he tossed the whole bundle unceremoniously into the washer.  Running back, he stopped briefly for an old towel and a can of Lysol and headed back into the bedroom to scrub up what wasn't on the bedding.

          Quickly wiping it all up, he sprayed the can around the room a couple of times hoping to rid the air of the blood smell, which, up till now, he hadn't noticed.

          Satisfied that there was no evidence left of the night's mystery and nothing to tie him to anything incriminating, he rushed to the shower, jumping in before the water even had a chance to warm up, and hurriedly scrubbed the dried blood from his body. 

         Toweling himself off as he went, he ran into the bedroom and pulled a clean set of clothes from his drawers.  Quickly now he pulled on the clothing, put on a pot of coffee and was trying desperately to pull on his shoes when the doorbell rang.

          Anxiously he looked around, double-checking himself, worried that in his haste to hide everything, something might have gotten by him.

          "Come in," he yelled and then smiled as the familiar face of his friend and confidant appeared in the opening door.

          "Hey buddy, I thought you were going to sleep all day!" Andy grinned.

          "I wish I could have.  I've been so tired lately, worn out," he said, searching his friends face for some sign that maybe a practical joke had been played on him and that he had something to do with it.  However, his face registered no mystery, and Josh resigned to other thoughts.

          "Well, nothing a good hard day on the job won't cure, I'm sure.  In a little while you won't even remember how tired you are.  Matter of fact, you probably won't even remember who you are!"

          "Very funny!  Don't tell me, inventory again today?"

          "You got it, now hurry up, we're gonna be late again, and you know Mr. Thomas bitches when you're late," Andy said.

          "Mr. Thomas bitches about everything," Josh said grumpily.  "I don't think the man could exist if he didn't have something to bitch about."

          Grinning widely, Andy, who was helping himself to some of Josh's coffee, said, "Yeah, and you're his favorite target too!"

          "I know, I know. Now let's get out of here."

          Grabbing his keys he pushed his friend out into the hall, relieved at being undiscovered, and once more glancing around the apartment, pulled the door shut and locked it tight.

          Cruising down the highway now he watched as the scenery flashed past him.  Bits and pieces of his dream kept nagging at the back of his mind, ethereal images etched into his brain.

          "What's the matter with you this morning man?" Andy asked concerned.

          "What do you mean?" Josh asked, wondering if he was yet to find an answer in a practical joke.

          "You haven't said anything since we left your place.  Are you all right?"

          "I'm fine thanks.  I just haven't been getting too much sleep lately.  Or at least it seems that way.  I'm always tired the next day, and lately, I've been sore.  I think I'm coming down with something," Josh replied, not willing yet to share his dreams with his best friend.  He didn't want him to think he was crazy or something, or worse, think he was evil.  Andy was a good person but he was way off the deep end with his religious beliefs.  Everything Josh did was evil or wrong in Andy's eyes, and he didn't want to encourage those thoughts by mentioning his dreams of blood and gore.  He could be wrong, but at least it sure seemed as if Andy was constantly judging him, and looking down at him for some reason or another, and Josh didn't want to hurt their friendship any more than it already had been.

          "Maybe you should go see a doctor."

          "I will, as soon as I get the money.  Right now I'm so broke, I can't even afford to think of the doctor.  I'm just gonna try and relax until we get there."

          "Okay, whatever you say.  I'll wake you when we get there."

          Josh looked over and smiled at his friend.  He had always thought that Andy was more human than he tried to let on, and he sure understood Josh's need for silence.  "Thanks man."

          Once again he leaned his head over against the passenger side glass, and while his mind dealt with the turmoil he was feeling, his eyes wandered sightlessly, past the many cars, the bridge, the cop on the side of the road, the endless line of construction cones, the Arch, the.........

          Suddenly attentive, he stared intently at the Arch, noticing the myriad of people there, the long lawns of fresh cut grass, the many paths that cut like a maze through them.  And it dawned on him, that this was in his dream last night.  So clear and vivid too.  And strangest of all, as long as he had lived in St Louis, he had never been to the Arch.  So why, and more importantly, how did he have such an accurate description of the place, and why was it in his dream?

          Frightened now, he tried to close his eyes and block out the images of the Arch, but as he did, a vision of the river invaded his mind, and a body falling from the sky, mangled and bloody, coming towards him.

          "Hey Josh, are you all right?"  He opened his eyes and looked into the concerned eyes of his friend, noticing as he did so that they were stopped.

          "You scared the hell out of me!  You were yelling something about bodies," Andy said.

          "I'm sorry dude.  I guess I was having a nightmare or something.  I've been having quite a few here lately."

          "Is there something I can do?" Andy asked.

          "Just bear with me, it'll pass, I'm sure," Josh said, unsure of his own statement.

          "Maybe you need to look a little harder at the Bible," Andy said.

          "Oh, how did I know you were going to say something like that?  Give it a rest man!"

          "Okay, okay, let's get to work then.  We actually made it in time today."

          Together they walked into the huge warehouse that had been their place of employment for the last three years.  As they clocked in, their boss, Mr. Thomas, made a great show of checking his watch and looking pointedly at them, but said nothing.

          As they separated, Andy gave one more worried look at his friend.  Josh was always the bubbly one, the one to liven up any situation, day or night.

          His energy level had always amazed everyone, and even though he made it into the ranks of the worn out once in a while, he never stayed there for more than a day.  He had been like this though for almost two weeks now, and it was starting to worry Andy.

          The day drug out horribly. It seemed like forever before the bell rang, signaling lunch.  Andy hastily gathered up his things and ran to join Josh at lunch.

          Rounding the corner at top speed, he ran headlong into Mr. Thomas.  Quickly getting to his feet, he extended his hand to their boss, and helping him to his feet apologized profusely.

          Holding his hands out to calm the young man, Mr. Thomas said, ''Hold on, hold on. It's all right. Are you okay?''

          ''I'm fine, and I'm sorry.''

          ''Good.  Now, I was coming over here to talk with you for a second.  Here sit down,'' he said, motioning to a work bench.

          "What's up," Andy asked curiously.

          ''Well, I'm just kind of curious if you know what's wrong with your buddy, Josh. For the past couple of weeks he just seems like he's not even here.  I like Josh, that's why I ride him so much, and I don't want to have to fire him, but if he doesn't get with the program, I'm going to have to let him go.  Can you talk to him for me?''

          Andy looked at Mr. Thomas, concerned, and asked, ''What happened?''

          ''Oh nothing major, except that every time I look over there, he's off in another world.  Daydreaming or something.''

          ''I'll talk to him,'' Andy promised.

          ''Okay, thanks, now you better grab something to eat.''

          As Andy headed for the company of his friend, he grew more concerned than ever.  That feeling only got stronger as he walked around the corner into the lunch area, and Josh was sitting there, eyes shut, snoring loudly.

          Shaking his pal awake, he pulled on his arm and said, ''C,mon man, let's get some fresh air.''

          Pulling him outside and making sure that no one else was around, he asked, ''What the hell is the matter with you? You're about to lose your job man!''

          Josh turned to look at him with wet eyes.

          ''I don't know Andy.  I have been having some really freaky dreams, and some even freakier stuff has been happening to me. I'm afraid to even tell you all the things that have been happening, because I don't want you to think I'm totally crazy.''

          ''How long have we been friends?  We've been friends long enough for you to know that you're my best friend.  You can tell me anything.  I'll tell you what, I'll come over after work and you can tell me okay?  I promise to listen and not think you're crazy.  I want to help you, before it's too late.  Okay?''

          ''Okay.  I'll see you later,'' Josh said and walked off leaving Andy sitting there by himself, worried about the one person he felt really close to.

          Man, thought Andy, this must be serious.

2

          Slowly the heat of the day began to fade away as the shadows lengthened, casting eerie shapes across the city.  The bumper-to-bumper traffic on the main arteries was beginning to thin as most of the rush hour patrons had finally managed to escape.    The hustle and bustle of another day was coming to an end, and with it, the city began to quiet.  Streetlights began to pop on all over town electronically detecting the loss of light.  The smell of exhaust fumes began to give way to the smells of food.  Happy voices resounded through the old neighborhoods as parents played with their children around the bar-b-que grills, and the beer , and other refreshments began to flow.  Things were getting back to normal for yet another night in the city.

          All across town young men and women were showering and getting ready for a night out.  The hot, end of summer lust was in the air and no one seemed immune, including the being beginning to stir slowly in the upstairs room rented the night before.

          Silently his eyes opened, and he listened intently to the sounds of the world around him.  He had enough power that if he concentrated hard enough, he could hear people’s thoughts as well.  He could plainly hear the man and woman arguing a couple of doors down, and the older couple in the room next to his, rekindling an old romance.  He could hear the drug dealer across the hall making telephone calls, plying his trade to any who would have it.

          Shutting out all of these sounds for the time being, he rose from his bed, and walked over to the window, pulling the curtains aside so that he could open it.  Gazing out from his perch on the second floor, he breathed deeply of the night air, happy to be a part of the night once again.  It and he belonged together, and had for centuries, sharing a deep bond of dark beauty.

          Smiling to himself, he turned gracefully, and sought out the map that he had conveniently bought upon his arrival.  Flipping to the guide of Kirkwood, he searched for Essex Street, Brittany Jean's street.  Quickly scanning the page and memorizing it, he neatly, he neatly folded the map and stuck it conveniently into his breast pocket.

          Tonight, he told himself, he would visit the charming, albeit lost, Brittany Jean, on the pretense of making sure that she was alright after her ordeal the night before.

          But first things first, he knew that he must feed first, or he might end up scaring her before he had the chance to even get to know her.  He knew what he looked like to mortal eyes when he had not fed.

          His white skin stood out like a beacon, especially in the summer time when everyone else was sporting a tan, or at least a burn.  He knew that his long blonde hair had an unearthly shimmer to it, and that his fingernails glowed as if they put off their own light. 

          So he must feed to counter these obvious give-aways, as the blood would put a ruddy color in his cheeks, and dull the sheen of his hair somewhat.  A small amount of sandpaper rubbed across his fingernails would take care of the glow there, at least for a little while.  Over time, he had learned what to do to disguise himself, and blend when he wanted to.  He should have been an actor.  Hell, he was an actor, back in the time of open-air plays in huge amphitheaters.  Oh those were the days, he thought.

          But enough reminiscing, he told himself, I am here, now, and I must feed.

          With that thought in mind, he did the human thing, and left the room by the door.  Walking past the night clerk, he flipped her a little wave and a smile, and stepped out onto the sidewalk into the night.

         This was his favorite time of night.  That time between calming down and waking up.  There was usually about four hours in there of what he liked to refer to as quiet time, or his time.  Before the nightclubs really got busy, before the traffic started to jam back up at all of the hottest night spots.

           Trying to appear as casual as possible, he strolled down the sidewalk, truly enjoying the smells of food, and spirits, the soft music, the laughter of children.

          He was old, but he had not forgotten the soft touch of love and warm embrace of a woman.  He had not forgotten the children's happy playing around the fires at night, or the taste of food.  He sometimes tasted food at restaurants, not just to look normal, but because he truly missed the enticing flavors of stimulating tastes.  Sometimes he truly wished that he could be just normal again, and at the same time knowing that was impossible.

          As he wandered his way towards his destination tonight, happily soaking in the humanness around him, he jumped backwards in time, to a place in the old west, right here in the Americas.

          He was new then in this country, having come over on a boat, secured in the old way in a coffin, destined for the New World.  He had lived for many weeks in the great hull of the ship, listening to the constant creaking and groaning of its timbers.

          Rats, as big as cats, had been his sole sustenance on the journey and they had been plentiful enough to keep him alive and in no desperate need of human blood.  He had only come up on deck once, at night, and he could still remember how beautiful the stars had looked that night.  He had been cooped up for so long below decks that he had not wanted to go back down.  He had stood for hours enjoying the spray and the wind, and the rise and fall of the great sea, that he had lost track of where he was and had almost been discovered.  Thank the Gods for the power of flight!

          Two crusty old seadogs had stumbled upon him, singing drunkenly, and dancing the night away, and he had to fly up into the cover of the old sail to avoid detection.

          He grinned to himself when he thought back to that moment and how to make matters worse, they had shut the hatch and sat on top of it for hours while he hovered in the air above them.  Finally, just as the sun was beginning to lighten the sky they had both passed out, giving him the opportunity to gently lift them from the hatch, and crawl back inside.

          "Yo man, better watch where the hell you're goin!" The crude voice interrupted his thoughts, and focusing on the present, he saw that he had inadvertently bumped into a huge black man who was apparently not having a good night.

          "I'm sorry, I didn't see you," he said to the man.

          "Yeah sucka, you gonna be sorry.  You think you can just smash into me, and sorry is gonna make everything all betta?  I don't think so, not on my street."

          "I assure you it will not happen again.  Excuse me," he returned, and attempted to step past the big man.

          Suddenly, a huge hand shot out, and grabbed the back of his shirt, "You ain’t goin nowhere man!"

          Quicker than the big man could even see, he spun out of his grasp and somehow managed to get behind him. The would be thug was surprised at this new turn of events and attempted to throw the smaller man from his back.  Using all of his strength he tried to bend forward, and was rewarded for his efforts by a cold hand grasping the back of his neck and with more power than he had even dreamed was possible, he was jerked backwards with enough force to seriously hurt a smaller man and another arm was thrown about his neck.

          As a crushing pressure was applied to his neck a cold voice whispered in his ear, "You should be nicer to people, you just never know who you're going to piss off by pulling a stunt like that.  Obviously, you didn't hear my apology, did you?"  And he was shook suddenly like a child, helpless in the grasp of this strange pale man.

          ''Now,'' the vampie whispered, ''I am going to let you go, and you are going to apologize to ME, or I am going to kill you.''

          Frightened, the huge man gasped for air as he was released, and as he got his breath back, took another look at his tormentor.

          ''I'm sorry man, I guess I didn't hear you,'' he gasped out.

          ''That's more like it. Now, if you will excuse me, I have business to attend to,'' he said, and deliberately turning his back on the thug, walked away, turning into a dark alley some distance down the road, knowing the eyes of the man were on his back the entire way.

          And the huge man, angry at having been beaten at his own game, and humiliated on top of that in public, saw his chance at redemption, and calling one of his homies over from across the street, quickly explained his plan, and as one they ran off in separate directions, one around the block to enter the alley from the other direction, and one in the direction the vampire had gone.

          Confident that the two of them were more than a match for him, they quickly entered the alley from each direction, pulling the weapons from beneath their shirts and from their pockets.

          The second man, eagerly looking forward to a kill, was practically running down the alley, checking every nook and cranny, searching the dumpsters along the way, kicking trash about, and even looking below parked cars in his eagerness to hurt someone.

          Grinning, the vampire looked at these two human fools from his perch high above them on a window ledge. Pitiful!

          Taking to the air, he quickly surveyed his surroundings, flying past both entrances to the alley, making sure their would be no witnesses to anything that might transpire within the dark confines of tonight’s killing grounds.

          Satisfied that they would be left alone, he returned to his perch above the two miscreants, noticing with interest how they searched everywhere but up, not realizing yet what kind of creature they were dealing with yet. Well that was soon to change!

           Dropping gently to the ground in between the two, he casually made his way towards the new man, swiftly closing the gap and as he neared him, he used his centuries old knowledge, stealing a bit from the chameleon and camouflaged himself up against the wall, looking for all the world like a part of the building. Feeling mischievous and wanting these two to know real fear before they died, he decided to play with them, one at a time.

          ''Pssst!'' he whispered from the shadows, seemingly at the man's elbow.

          Spinning quickly the sharp blade of the knife flashed through the air, proving that this man was serious and would kill anything if it came too close to him.

          ''Who's there?'' he said. ''Come out where I can see you.''

          Noticing what seemed to be a little bit of fear in his voice, the vampire closed his eyes and invaded his mind, seeing the deep rooted fear that was buried deep in the man's head. He was afraid of the dark!

          Grinning now at this unexpected bonus, the vampire utilized his gift of speed and from nowhere, collided hard with the thug’s body, disappearing once more.

          Confused, the thug picked himself up off the ground glancing wildly about, swinging his blade in all directions, the growing fear now apparent on his face.

         Smack! From the dark came another blow, this one aimed at his head, briefly knocking him off balance and adding to his panic.

          ''What the hell are you?'' he yelled.

          From down the alley came an answering yell, ''Yo, man, what'd you say? Did you find him?''

           ''Hurry up and get down here man! I dunno what I found, but.............'', his next words were cut short when a trash can from the dark appeared suddenly in his face knocking two of his teeth out.

          The vampire could here the sounds of the big man coming this way, could here his labored breathing, could here his heavy footfalls echoing from the walls, and with one last ghostly effect, viciously slapped the thug across the face knocking him easily to the ground, where as he hit the knife he was carrying clattered across the floor.

          As the man fell he wished that he hadn't listened to Reggie,  he knew that something horrible was happening here and wished from the bottom of his heart that it would end quickly. He hoped against hope that whatever had been batting him around and knocking him down wouldn't notice where he had fallen in the dark, and he concentrated on remaining as still as possible, hardly breathing, deciding his last chance was to play possum. He could hear Reggie getting closer because the big footfalls of the man echoed off the walls.

          Reading the man's thoughts, the vampire realized that this man was going nowhere and turned to meet his new foe. Swiftly he built up steam and tearing down the alleyway faster than a man could see, he slammed into the big man, literally tearing him from his shoes and knocking him backwards some thirty feet to fall in a heap against the wall.

          Hearing the advance of the big man stopped suddenly and the sickening sound of his body hitting the building, the thug on the ground seized the opportunity, his last opportunity to escape.

         Getting to his feet as quickly as he could he turned and ran as fast as his feet would carry him.  Fear leant him speed and he glanced wildly behind him as he ran, expecting at any moment to see some horrible creature show itself, chasing him.

          Almost relieved he turned and looked at the growing image of the end of the alleyway looming in front of him and using his last burst of energy, sprinted for it. Only thirty more feet and he would be out of this cursed alley way, back into the light. Turning once more to look behind him he thought he was going to make it.

          As he turned back to the front he felt something wet strike his cheek, and suddenly from the sky, Reggie’s body smashed into the ground in front of him, causing him to stumble and fall over the unexpected hazard, landing him right on top of the bloody mass that had at one time been his compadre.

          Screaming in fear and desperately attempting to extricate himself from the bloody corpse, he felt himself suddenly lifted, and he could do nothing but watch in horror as the ground below disappeared rapidly.  Cold air hit his body as he gained altitude, and the shock of knowing he was about to die began to numb his body and shut down his mind.  And still he was afraid to see what kind of creature had brought about his end.

          Just as suddenly as he had been snatched from the alleyway, he was dumped unceremoniously on the roof of a tall building.  He could now add a broken arm to the list of his growing number of injuries and the force of his landing brought him out of the shock he was starting to feel.

          Looking about himself he rolled over and rolled right on the feet of his persecutor.  Seemed normal enough.

          That illusion was shattered as he looked painfully up at the creature standing before him, and he saw a tall well built individual, the one that had the row with Reggie on the street, only now, his face was covered in blood and his lip was curled in an evil grimace, revealing now two fangs that glistened evilly in the light of the neon sign perched on this roof.

          Making the sign of the cross upon his chest, the thug prepared to meet his maker, for he now understood what it was they had been facing.  Even though it was hard to believe, standing right here in front of him was a creature of legend.  A vampire.

          Suddenly everything became very clear for him.  He could hear the breeze blowing by gently caressing their bodies and the faint sounds of traffic far below them.  He could see suddenly just how beautiful it was at night and the stars, how long had it been since he had even looked at the sky?

          The vampire took this moment to lock that image in his soul, and spoke chillingly, reading his thoughts, "Too bad it took you this long to figure all of that out.''

          "Before you kill me, can't you even tell me who you are?" he pleaded.

          Kneeling before his victim, the vampire extended his fangs, and gently cradling his head, exposing the neck, he said, "I am known by many names over the centuries, but I was called Vincent at birth, and tonight for you, I am simply called Death."

**********************************************************************

          Silently Josh stood in front of the mirror, ignoring the loud knocks on his door.  He knew that Andy was out there and did not feel comfortable enough right now to let him in to talk to him.  He also felt very afraid that what ever was happening to him might hurt his friend in some way, however unclear that was at the moment.

          Leaning forward for a better look in the mirror he noticed the multitude of hairs that were magically springing up all over his body.  Thick brown hair.  Scared, he started to turn away from the mirror and as he turned he caught a profile shot of himself from the corner of his eye.  Snapping his head back around so fast it hurt, he looked again at what he thought he saw.  Shifting to get in a better position, he looked in awe at the sight of his face, elongating slightly, pulling the skin taut, lips growing slightly to cover the growing pressure of something in his mouth.

          Opening his mouth, he saw the most startling thing of all.  Teeth.  Lots of them, and they were growing longer, sharper, by the second!

          What is happening to me, he thought?

          I have to get out of here.  It was then that he noticed the knocking had ceased.  Good, he's giving up.  Going to the door, he put his eye to the peephole, and horrified, he saw the reason the knocking had stopped so suddenly, was that his friend Andy, was being mugged, right there in the hallway of his own building!

          Enraged, he attempted to open the door to help his friend, and found that he could not.  His hands had become more claw like than hands, and desperate, fearing for his friend’s life, he hit the door in frustration.  It splintered!  Reveling in his new strength he smashed his way through the rest of the door and entered the hallway almost on top of the crime being committed to his friend.

          With the ferocity of a wild beast and strength of ten men, Josh grabbed the assailant by the throat, and lifting him bodily in the air, he smashed him into the wall, swinging him back and forth repeated the process many times, contacting both sides of the hallway before dropping his crippled body to the floor.  The would be assailant staggered dizzily to his feet, attempting to run, and Josh, in a fit of anger, reached out two monstrous arms and simply ripped his head from his shoulders, smashing it under his foot, that, amazingly enough, had changed into a paw like appendage of huge proportions.  Blood splattered everywhere and concerned for his friend, Josh turned around to help.

          Andy lay there with a dazed expression on his face which very quickly turned to horror when Josh turned to face him.  Doing his best to escape the creature that had exited from Josh's apartment, Andy backpedaled rapidly screaming at the top of his lungs for help.

          Josh stopped momentarily, confused by his friends behavior, and it slowly dawned on him why.

          Lifting his head and howling in frustration Josh turned and ran down the long hallway, ignoring the doors that were opening and slamming shut just as quickly as he passed.  Forgetting about the stairs he made for the quickest exit out of here, the large window at the end of the hall, and making contact, crashed through it, bursting out amidst a shower of glass and splintered wood and landing gracefully on his feet on the ground.  Not losing any motion, he made instantly for the shelter of the woods that lined the highway.  This was going to be a long and interesting night!

          Josh looked back from the shadow of the trees, heartbroken, one more time, wishing that his friend had not had to find out this way.  And then he turned towards the city, moving off at a rapid pace, going wherever his new body insisted on taking him.

          Such power!  Josh was starting to think that perhaps this wasn't such a bad thing.  Nearing a tall wooden fence he decided to experiment a little and leaped into the air, surprised, but pleased at how easily he was able to clear it.

          Coming down lightly on the other side, his new senses blazed, and he knew, by instinct perhaps, that there was a dog in this yard.  Lifting his head, he sniffed the night breeze, collecting the information he needed, it telling him that the owner of this yard was a large Great Dane and it was watching him curiously from the shadows by the house.  Looking in that direction he was once again surprised at how easily his eyes penetrated the darkness, and sure enough, standing on the back porch was the biggest dog Josh had ever seen, and he was no more intimidated by Josh than he was of it.  Smiling, revealing his now full toothy grin, Josh turned and leaped over the fence, heading at full speed towards the city, drawn by something he could not explain, but felt right.

          Racing along the I70 freeway now, Josh noticed that he was passing cars!  Cutting across the highway, he leaped effortlessly up onto an overpass, almost as though he had done this before and pulling himself over the rail, headed down this new road, almost empty of cars, smelling something that made his blood boil, he headed in that direction, stomach playing a tune in the night, insisting on payment for it's services.

          Quickly he headed for the shadows near a particularly large building and getting closer, he could hear the sounds of animals within, livestock.  Licking his lips Josh was disgusted to find that this was the scent that had so effectively boiled his blood.  Cautiously he snuck over the railing, ears finely tuned to the slightest abnormal sound, eyes adjusted to the dim light of the barn's nightlights.

          Standing just inside the deep shadows Josh surveyed the huge arena.  He had the distinct feeling that he had been here before and yet he knew that he had never stepped foot inside any kind of livestock barn, much less this one.  And yet the feeling of deja vous would not leave him and only became more pronounced when a particularly fat sow caught his eye.

          Before he even knew what he was doing he had leaped to the rafters and quickly scampered across them with the ease of a cat, until he was just above the hog pen, and the object of his desire stood snorting in the dirt below.

          Licking his lips in anticipation, still partially disgusted with himself, he dropped silently into the hog pen, right next to the fat sow, which screamed in surprise and fear at the sudden intrusion.

          What followed seemed like an eternity to Josh although it was only a couple of minutes at the most.  Mass confusion reigned in the hog pen.  Huge hogs screamed in fear, trying desperately to escape.  They climbed on top of each other in their panic, spilling food troughs, kicking up mud by the bucketful, eyes wide with fear.  Josh very easily caught the fat pig of his desire, and leaping upon her back, brought his huge paw like hands around, and ignoring her screams, snapped her neck like a twig.  Heaving her to his shoulder, he pushed through the swirling mass of pork, and leaped the short fence to the other side.  Rearranging his load, he jogged easily to his entrance, and hopping through the hole, headed back to the woods that lined the highway.

          Reaching the sanctuary of the deep shadows he tossed the still warm pig down on the ground and without knowing what he was doing, raised his head to the sky and howled mournfully, saliva dripping from his mouth eventually choking off the eerie sound, and looking down at his prize put all feelings of disgust aside and did what came naturally.  He fed eagerly on the fresh pig, relishing the warm blood that pushed out against his mouth as his sharp teeth punctured the thick skin, ripping huge chunks of meat from the body.

          Moments later it seemed, there was nothing left but a pile of steaming bones, and Josh, feeling unusually invigorated, took the bones and shoved them under the cover of some thick ground brush, pushing them up against a huge pile already there.

          Ah, he thought, how bright everything looks.  Lifting his head and smelling the wind, he reveled in the pure and unadulterated freedom he suddenly felt coursing through his body and his soul.

          Raising his head once more, he bayed loudly, issuing his challenge to the world and feeling powerful emotions of acceptance in his soul, set out on a course to the city, looking for adventure, and drawn by some unexplainable pull he lengthened his stride and swiftly raced through the night to his destiny.