A Vampire's Rotten Heart

First Blood

I felt it. Clawing at the back of my throat and sinking deep into my stomach. A harsh tugging. An animal's begging. I couldn't take it. I winced.

    I began to crawl my way through the rocks on the shore. Was I really succumbing to this? I banged my fist against the stone and sucked in a tear.

    I fished in the water, trying to catch something, anything, but the ocean was dry. The cold radiated up my arm. I was being torn up from the inside.

    I stood up. My legs were shaky, and I had to lean against a small cliff to stay up. The sound of church bells in the distance rung in my ears. It was Sunday? Already? Had I been asleep for that long?

    I fumbled my way passed the shore, feeling like I could stumble over my feet and crash at a moment's notice. The rocks turned to dirt and leaves, and the birds began to sing in spring's first days. They were taunting me.

    A few steps in, and I froze. A flock of ravens was standing right before me. I stayed still. I stayed quiet. I watched them hop and peck at the ground, seemingly unaware of my presence.

    I pounced with imprecision. The ravens scattered and landed just a few feet away like this was some sort of game. I drove my fist into the ground and hissed. I hissed. I immediately covered my mouth and yelled at the air.

    Over and over again, I tried to catch those stupid birds, and time and time again, they escaped like it was nothing. It was like they wanted to anger me. I felt like I couldn't let it go.

    The sun came to a peak, then began to set. I was empty-handed. Not a squirrel, nor a robin, nor one of those awful ravens. And I was only hungrier than before. Was I just doomed to starve?

    Well, there was one place I knew could secure a meal.

    ...No. I shouldn't. I—

    Pain started clawing up my throat. It was either this or starvation. I would just have to be more careful this time.

    I bent over and clutched my stomach, and I silently walked into town. It was pitch black dark out, with only a few gas lamps running. No one was out on the streets. Normally there would be someone— a homeless family forced to sleep outside, a thief scouting out targets, a woman of some unsavory profession... or just the local knocker-upper doing his job. But tonight was silent, save for the owls and bats.

    I felt the familiar stone roads on my feet, and I pushed foreword. The city looked different at night. It felt different.

    I came to a familiar street, to a familiar alleyway, to see a familiar dog sleeping on a pile of trash. I knew I'd spared one.

     I came closer, walking on my toes, trying my best not to make any sudden noise. The dog was covered in fleas, and it was losing chunks of fur. Not the type of animal you'd like to touch, but I was desperate.

    I rested one hand on the crusty skin of its neck, and the other on its chest. The rhythmic pounding of its heart rocked through me. It was soothing, in a way. I pulled its warm body closer to me and—

    It yelped with the strength of a thousand horns. I had torn my way into its throat, and I drank as fast as I could. The dog squirmed and screamed, and I just held tighter.

    Shit! Be quiet, damn you!

    I knew I had to pull away. I could hear sheets shifting and windows opening... But I couldn't. The warm blood pouring down my throat was wonderful.

    Just a little more. I kept thinking to myself. I just stayed there, still as a statue, holding this mangey cur to my chest, halfway petrified as to what would come next. I closed my eyes.

    I heard a gasp.

    "It was you?"

    I knew that voice. I didn't dare look up.

    "Garrett, I—," I could hear McAllister take a few steps back. I was running out of blood to drink.

"Does your mother know about this?"

"Don't. Tell her."

She started running to my mother's house. I dropped the drained corpse of the dog and chased her. My mother could never find out. She would never think of me as her son ever again. She should mourn me, not despise my very existence!

Our footsteps clacked against the stone road, bouncing off the buildings and resonating down the street. I got closer and closer. McAllister ran faster and faster. I touched her on the shoulder and grabbed her arm. I knocked her down and dragged her into an alleyway. She struggled the whole way.

I pinned her to the ground. I was huffing and baring my teeth. She was shaking.

"You take this to the grave."

She turned her head to the side and closed her eyes, bracing for the pain. I didn't wait. I plunged my fangs deep into her neck and ripped out her throat. She struggled and tried to scream, but she couldn't. I barely caught myself smiling.

"Fuck you."

I left her in the alleyway to die.

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