A Touch of Scarlet

32

The chime of a cash register rings in the distance, no doubt hungrily awaiting money.
I glance around; a table to my right consists of an elderly couple simply eating their food in peaceful-quietness occasionally looking up to glance at each other thoughtfully. The look in their eyes shows ownership, not of each other's bodies but of each other's hearts.
The woman looks up at me but before I can look away she sends me a swift smile and a wink before going back to her food.
I face my gaze forward, catching the gaze of the young girl sitting at the table across from mine.

Her strawberry blonde hair twists messily around her heart-shaped face.
She watches me like a dear caught in head-lights, her large emerald eyes look up at me innocently. I can hear her heartbeat drumming against her chest, the blood running through her small veins hums as if summoning me.

I watch her for a minute before giving her a quick-stiff smile and standing from my seat to leave.

I make my way to the door leading out of the small restaurant but before I can push the door open I've caught a glimpse of a familiar set of sparkling blue eyes.
I freeze in place and glance down before looking back up at the table warily.
Sitting in the place that I thought to be Nick is an older man eating away at his fries.
I blink then hurry out of the restaurant and quickly walk to Carter's house, letting out a nervous pant.

That was the third time this week that I've mistaken a random human for Nick. The worrying thought that I'll see him again has been messing with my brain.
I clutch at my racing heart.

I wonder if it's like this for the others?

Minutes later I'm on Carter's porch and am swiftly slamming myself through the front door.
As soon as it shuts behind me I slide down, until I'm soundlessly slumped against it on the ground.

"We need to talk" a deep voice comes from above me,

My head snaps up unsurprised at the un-welcome guest's voice.

"Nick" I breathe, completely drained of emotion.

"Lydia" he purrs back boldly,

"What do you want?" I hiss, hoping that every drop of venom in my body will muster into that one sentence.

"Other than you?" He asks, his tone one of humorous-danger,

I press myself against the door, his eyes never leaving mine.

"You can't have me" I spit,

"That's too bad" he states sarcastically.

I stay silent, "cause if I can't have you then your idiotic friends can't either".

"They don't have me"

"Oh really?" He mocks,

"I'm my own person"

"Yes well except for the part where your not actually a person and in our society there aren't stand alone vampires, there is only the weak and the strong"

I stare at him blankly, not understanding what he's trying to say.

"Lydia your not your own person your just a weak un-bonded youngling",

Un-bonded? What the hell does he mean I'm un-bonded?

His expression settles into one of satisfaction, as though he was counting on me to be confused.

"They haven't told you about bonds?" Nick asks happily,

I stay silent but when he doesn't speak either, curiosity wins out.

"No"

"In our society their are three types of bonds; BloodSlave which is a one way bond between vampire and human. The vampire can always sense where the human is and depending on the vampire can feed whenever they wish as well as a few other things".