The Scent Of Roses

Chapter Two- Selmont, Massachusetts: 2011

America

Selmont, Massachusetts, 2011

           

Strobe lights flashed across the crowded room. Bodies swayed against each other, no one caring who they were dancing with. The odor of sweat and alcohol went up my nostrils. I grimaced at the strong scent. Thank God I had learned how to control my heightened senses soon after I awoke on the dissection table four hundred and thirty years ago.

I sat at a table in the corner of the local club. I had a perfect view of the pulsing crowd of people. Music played loudly, but only the bass could be heard over the drunken laughter and voices. Well at least only the humans could hear the bass. I heard the lyrics to a popular rock song.

I saw a tall blonde man his way towards the bar. I stood up swiftly from the cushioned chair. I walked slowly to where the blond man leaned against the bar counter. When I stopped in front of the counter I leaned closely towards the young man. I examined the curly haired blond. He couldn’t be older then eighteen, so he definitely got in here under a fake identity. Green eyes looked at me lazily before quickly lighting up. Green eyes, I thought, it is always the green eyes that I’m drawn towards.

He took a shot before leaning closer to me. The smell of alcohol hit me like a brick wall. I blocked out the smell and smiled.

“Follow me,” I whispered in his ear as I grabbed his shirtsleeve. I led him through the crowd, back to the booth I had been sitting at. I slid into the booth easily and tugged him towards me.

I leaned into him, “ What’s your name?” I asked. I usually didn’t like knowing my victims names, but this time I felt like I needed to know.

“ Xander,” he slurred. His breathe rushing, once again, into my face. I brush my lips against his cheekbone. I trailed my lips down his neck, but he took my face in his hands. He brought his mouth to mine and kissed me sloppily.

I gave in for a minute, but then pulled away from him. I laughed gently when he tried to move closer.

The thirst was so close to overpowering me. I felt my gums being ripped open by my fangs.

Do it, my mind demanded, now! I leaned away from the young man’s throat. For the first time in four hundred and thirty years I couldn’t drink from a stranger. He was a mortal, yet I couldn’t bring myself to feed from him.

I looked into his green eyes still over glazed with drunkenness and pressed a kiss to his lips. They felt like velvet, soft against mine. I pushed past him and shoved through the crowd of drunken dancers.

I stepped into the cold night air. Another thing about being a vampire is you’re always warm, so I didn’t feel the chill against my pale arms.

I was only dressed in black skinny jeans and a dark blue v-neck shirt. I started walking down the dark city street. I could hear the homeless scavenging in the alley.

In Selmont, Massachusetts there is a small population of only nine hundred. So it’s a good thing I can control my appetite to only drinks and not draining the mortals.

Even though I can still control some of my appetite, I’ve never been able to give up a free meal. I didn’t know what over came me. It would have been so easy to just sink my fangs into the boy named, Xander, yet I hadn’t been able to command myself to.

I stopped and slammed my fist into the brick wall. Concrete broke away around my fist. Why had I not been able to do it?

Suddenly I heard footsteps; they were coming towards me. I could smell the odor of the man coming at me from behind. He smelled like urine and the other dirty smells of the alley.

Instead of turning around to face the guy, I stayed where I was. I rested my arm and forehead against the red brick wall.

When the man was only a foot away from me he reached an arm out to grip mine. I whirled around and pried his hand off of my arm with my right hand.

“You really shouldn’t have done that,” I growled at the dirt-covered man. He looked like he may have been around forty.

The guy looked me in the eyes. I could sense the fear he felt by how his heart started beating faster. I felt his blood rush through his veins. I licked my lips and lowered my mouth to his neck. I didn’t waste anytime in sinking my fangs into the skin. The crusade colored liquid flowed into my mouth. It tasted sweet, not how blood would taste if I were a mortal.

I waited until my thirst was quenched, which didn’t take long. I pulled away and looked into his eyes. You will not remember this.

I pushed him away and he fell back against the wall; his back slid down until he was sitting against the wall, unconscious.

I walked home, the street lights a guide until I reached my house. It was a Victorian styled white house, completed with a balcony on the top floor.

I took my keys from my black leather purse and walked inside. I went straight upstairs to my bedroom and fell asleep on the blue satin sheets.