A Grave Problem

27. Sidewalk Stalking

It was evening out and the sky was just beginning to turn dark. The icy air ripped right through Mia's jacket, and she was glad that things like cold no longer bothered her. She sat on the marble ledge bordering an office building. Her headphones were in, the sound turned off as usual. Instead, she was watching the cars, taking note of the pedestrians strolling unaware down the sidewalk.

The streets were fairly busy, and she hoped they'd calm down soon. She'd already been waiting about fifteen minutes for it to get dark, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could stay before someone noticed her. She kept glancing at her watch, pretending she was waiting for someone.

Now that she knew there were werewolves around, Mia'd been very careful to make sure she knew when the full moon was. She knew it wasn't due for over a week, but she couldn't help worrying. She hadn't been out alone since that night she saw Zev and Luke. So far, she'd always been able to convince Anna to come with her. But tonight, Anna couldn't make it. She said she was busy – but doing what, Mia didn't know. She'd been afraid to ask; she hoped it wasn't something with Luke, but she knew better.

Since Anna wouldn't be coming, Mia decided to go by herself. She was a big girl, and she'd been doing this kind of thing on her own for years. She told herself that everything was perfectly fine and concentrated on the people walking past her, trying to block out any thoughts of what else could be out there tonight.

Mia sat there, watching. At the far end of the block, she saw people coming out of a bar that sounded like it had an Irish band playing, but she didn't go after them. Instead, she waited until she saw a girl with close-cropped hair and a neon green backpack. She thought the girl went to her school – a freshman, probably.

The girl walked blissfully down the street, headphones on loudly enough that Mia could almost sing along with whatever she was listening to. She hummed along to her music, unaware of the people around her. Mia didn't even bother to be quiet; with her music playing so loud, this girl would never notice her anyway.

Mia stalked the girl for over three blocks, waiting for the right time to strike. The girl never saw her. Instead, she turned down a side street and Mia knew this was her chance. As they walked down the street, Mia quickly closed the gap between them. She thought about stopping the girl, moving her into a more convenient position. She knew it'd be easier, but decided against it. As oblivious as she was, the girl was predictable. And besides, if Mia disturbed her, there was a very real chance she'd be annoyed. And when they weren't happy, people were so much harder to deal with. They were much less likely to stick around, and their guard tended to be up so much more. And if she got annoyed enough, nothing Mia could do would make her forget the attack.

Mia decided instead to wait until her prey was next to the oak tree in front of a darkened, possibly abandoned house. In one swift motion, she grabbed the girl by the shoulder and swung her around the tree, out of sight of anyone who might be looking out their windows.

"Hey, what the–" the girl started.

She stared at Mia in shock for a moment and Mia knew that the girl was expecting someone much bigger, older. She stared at Mia's face, trying to figure out what she could want. Mia used her confusion to her advantage. The girl looked into Mia's eyes, trying to come up with an explanation for why she was there. And of course, looking into Mia's eyes was just about the worst decision she could have made. Mia watched as the girl's eyes glazed over and she started to wobble just a little bit. A small giggle escaped Mia's lips, excitement and nerves twisting up inside of her. She tried to clear her mind; this was the crucial part, and she didn't want to have unnecessary distractions ruining it. The anticipation made her somewhat giddy. She waited as long as she could, until she was sure the girl wouldn't remember her. Then, smiling, she leaned into the girl, tilting her head up slightly as she did. She bit into her neck, the sweet metallic taste of someone else's blood filling Mia's senses.

When she was finished, Mia carefully laid the girl behind the tree, positioning her so she was practically invisible from the street. She was going to be unconscious for a little while still, and Mia didn't want anybody walking by to hurt the girl. Then, as quickly as she could, Mia left, heading back towards the bus that would take her home.