The Beast

12 - Some time later

London 1990 - Clocksworth

"It was my father's watch," the woman said with a gentle smile on her face, "I have such fond memories of it."

"Don't worry miss, I'll have it working by the end of the week," I replied, turning the copper-colored watch over in my hands before lifting it to my ear. No ticking sounds could be heard from it, but something else caught my attention. The young woman's heartbeat. The soft but powerful sound turned my mouth into a desert and a familiar thirst began to build up in my body. My eyes wandered up to her neck and saw the pulsating vein under her skin. It had been months since I drank blood, but I wasn't going to let that distract me.

"You have an unusual accent, Mr. Clocksworth," she continued with a playful smile. She must have seen me looking at her neck and made assumptions, I thought.

"I am originally from Paris," I explained.

"Oh, Paris!" she exclaimed dreamily, "I hear it's very romantic there!"

"It can be, if you have someone to share your days with," I replied, immediately realizing my mistake.

The woman gave me a bright white smile and moved closer to the desk I was sitting behind. My small shop was elegantly decorated in dark colors and with clocks everywhere. I was proud of it and happy to have a job that I loved again. The woman moved her fingers along the edge of my desk, a playful smile still playing on her lips, "do you? Do you have someone to share your days with?"

I had no idea how to answer that question, I had been in love once and I had a husband somewhere. And although eighty years was nothing to a vampire, I was sure my absence would have affected them both. Once I had waited for them to come after me. I'd wanted them both to beg me to return and tell me how much they loved me - but I'd been a fool to think a prince would do such a thing. I even waited for a messenger, for Marie or Lumiere, but I didn't hear a word from anyone. I guessed they hated me for leaving them and finally I had decided to move on and start a new life.

"You can pick up the watch on Monday," I muttered, unaffected by the woman's surprised frown. Remembering my past had put me in a bad mood and I wanted the human to disappear before I decided to drain her of her precious blood.

"Good," she said, taking a step towards the door that led to the busy street outside the shop. "I'll come back then, Mr. Clocksworth." I nodded slightly, and she left me alone with my thoughts.

I opened the back of the clock with known movements and let my tools work their magic on the gears and screws. I could sit engrossed in my work for hours without a break. Not that my body needed it, but I knew the other shop owners would start to wonder if I stopped eating and sleeping, so I had created some kind of routine. I rented a small apartment above the shop, a one-room apartment with a bed and a small kitchen in the corner. That was all I needed - except for company. A friend or a lover would have been a bonus in my story. But there was none.

The memories of Anthony haunted me, and as if he was trying to force his presence into my mind, I had begun to notice a change in the vampires of London. They weren't killing humans anymore, they were stealing cash to buy bags of blood. Part of me wanted to look into it, but I had convinced myself that it was my old self, my old life and I should stay out of it. And I had, until today.

The little bell rang again as the door to the shop opened and closed behind the customer. I rubbed my forehead and lookedat the time. Five hours had passed since the young lady left and I was almost done with her watch.

"I'll be right there," I called out, still keeping my eyes down at the watch in my hands, but I already knew who it was. I would recognize his perfume anywhere.