bite.

Epilogue

Paige POV

24 hours earlier

My head was throbbing and I couldn't figure out why.

I opened my eyes slowly and tried to sit up. My memories were hazy but I recalled being whacked in the head by some crazy teenage girl.

Great - I bet my purse had been nicked.

Stupid kids! I had only replaced the phone that was stolen last week.

I blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of the world around me. My vision was blurry and all I could see was cloudy light.

Where the hell was I?

This didn't feel like office block I cleaned in.

I rubbed my eyes and the world came slowly into focus.

I was in a room with three other people who were also lying down. I scrambled over to them, thinking that they had been mugging victims too, but stopped when I saw the pools of blood circling around them.

Holyshit - this had to be a serial killer. I knew serial killers, I listened to all the true crime podcasts and knew how they operated.

I didn't want to be murder victim, I needed to get the hell out of here.

I ran to the door and screamed when one of the dead bodies suddenly reached out and grabbed my leg.

A man, covered in blood, with a hole the size of a dinner plate in his abdomen.

"Do you want to save my life?" he asked.

I panicked and replied, "Oh my god, you're alive! I thought you were dead. Okay, stay here, I'm going to call an ambulance and look for a first aid kit."

"You're going to need a pretty big plaster for that," he said, glancing down at his gut.

"It will be okay. The paramedics will know what to do."

"There is no time, give me your hand."

"What?"

"Your hand!" he yelled.

I stuck out my hand and he grabbed it, bringing it to his mouth. I froze and watched in bewilderment as he sunk his teeth into my flesh.

I scream and try pulling my arm away from him, but he is unbelievably strong for a dying man.

He drinks greedily from my wrist and I start to feel lightheaded.

I drop to my knees, still fighting him.

Black spots dance in front of me and then nothingness.

Moments later, I'm awake, looking up at him from the cold concrete floor. He is standing over me, doing up the buttons on his black suit jacket to conceal the bloody shirt underneath.

"How are you standing?" I ask woozily.

"Shh, go to sleep," he replies.

"Hey, don't shush me... how are you standing?"

He leans down and asks, "Do I have any blood on my face?"

"No, but-"

Before I have the chance to finish my sentence he bends down and lifts me up into his arms. My head slumps against his shoulder and found myself struggling to stay awake.

Blackness falls over me and I wake again, this time in a car.

My wrist hurts and I feel woozy.

"Are you okay," he asks me, from the driver's seat.

"Yeah. Can you drop me off home?" I reply.

"We're going somewhere safe."

"I need to go home. I told my flat-mates that I would go out dancing tonight."

"You're not going dancing tonight," he pauses and asks, "What is your name?"

"Paige."

"Well, Paige, I'm Raphael and I'm going to keep you safe from now on."

"Why?"

"We have some bad people after us, Paige."

"What did you do?"

"What did I do? You think this is all my fault?" he said, sounding slightly amused.

I scowled at him.

"You look tired, Paige. Close your eyes and go to sleep," he smiled.

I was tired - too tired to argue.

"Okay, wake me up when you get to my house."

"I will," Raphael said, reaching out and brushing a piece of hair away from my eyes.

I nodded sleepily and closed my eyes.

I kind of liked this guy.

Maybe I should try getting his number.

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

FIN.