Spiderweb

Chapter 3 - My Vampire

It was difficult getting the vampire to my apartment. Wait, no, that's an understatement. It was more like a laborious chore. He staggered all the way from the bus stop, so I acted as a crutch at his side to keep him from falling over. Living in a multi-story walk-up, I silently prayed for an elevator as we slowly made our way to the third floor. Being out of breath by the time I reach my door is not normal for me.

Darkness engulfed us when we first entered my living room. I switched on the light and called out to my roommate. She was a vampire expert, so she could help me figure out a game plan for this vampire.

"Hey, Summer! Are you home?"

No answer.

Damn it!

Oh yeah, I forgot. She was with Killian. Jealousy clouded my thoughts as I imagined her laid up in some expensive condo on the Upper East Side with her rich vampire boyfriend.

My vampire's knees buckled and I quickly helped him regain his balance. I almost toppled over with him under his weight and I struggled to keep him upright. This was ridiculous. If he wanted to sleep, then I was going to let him.

"Come on," I said impatiently as I dragged him to my bedroom; not the sofa which would've been the more logical choice since it was only a few feet away.

I don't know where my head was. It must've been affected by the extreme cold and the fact that I had witnessed a real vampire dying in a dark alley and let him drink my blood.

When we reached my room, I guided him to my full-size bed. To my surprise, he laid down without my help and balled up into the fetal position, wrapping his arms around his knees. Empathy filled my heart again as I stared at him, looking scared and vulnerable. After his traumatic injury, I understand if he needed time to process his thoughts and feelings. I was about to cover his body with my comforter when I remembered he still wore a bloody shirt.

Standing next to the bed, I whispered to him, "Will you let me remove your shirt? It's stained with blood."

Brown eyes peered sleepily up at me, and he gave me a small nod. I leaned over him and that's when I noticed tears on the back of his jacket. Two large holes like something ripped through the material. His bare skin was visible through the holes, so I knew his shirt was torn as well. The damage was very peculiar and I couldn't believe I didn't notice it before.

He sat up slightly to allow me to remove his shredded clothing, and then he quickly laid back down, curling himself up. As I stared at the garments in my hands, I knew they couldn't be salvaged. I planned to take a trip to the store tomorrow after school and get him a new shirt and a warmer coat.

I left the bedroom and entered the kitchen to throw his clothes in the trash. When I returned, he laid with his back to me and I noticed an oddity on his skin. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was an outline of something. I reached out like I was going to trace the pattern with my fingers, but realized it would be inappropriate without his consent.

Instead, my eyes followed the path of this strange marking. The skin was raised slightly as the lines curved and traveled downward until they disappeared into the back of his pants. It didn't look like a tattoo. It resembled a scar because it looked carved into his skin, but underneath it. I didn't dare touch him, as much as I wanted to. I was afraid of what might happen if I did.

In this city, you can never be too careful with other people. This guy was not your average person. He was so much more, a mythical being of folklore come to life. And I had no idea what he was capable of.

I walked back into my living room to retrieve my phone. Once I returned to the bedroom, I checked the vampire and confirmed his eyes were closed. His deep, even breaths told me he was likely asleep. Carefully and slowly, I went through all his pant pockets, looking for a wallet or any identification. My hands came out empty; he had absolutely nothing. With my phone in hand, I turned off the flash and all sound effects. Then I snapped a few pics of the vampire, including the markings on his back, just in case he woke up and decided to hurt me. Tanya would know he was the last person I was with.