Fear and Blood

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Thoughts of the past were driven back by the flare of a match that lit up the night, casing the darkness to retreat momentarily, as if afraid of the light. The wind blew, threatening to extinguish the tiny flame, and light rain fell, the winds ally in the battle against the only real light in the darkness.

But a steady hand held the match firmly, shielding the flame and bringing it up to the tip of the cigarette that hung from the figures lips. The man inhaled sharply as the fire caught, before throwing the match to the ground and stepping on it. Smothering the flame more effectively than the wind and rain ever could have.

The man breathed in the cigarette smoke as if it was the breath of life. Slowly he brought his hand up to his mouth, removed the cigarette and exhaled. The smoke was blown away quickly, leaving only the faint glow of the cigarette in the darkness.

The smokers long black cloak swirled around him, the wind tugging on the heavy fabric, making it dance eerily, strongly resembling a flickering shadow, or a tormented spirit. He slouched comfortably, leaning his weight on his left leg, left hand resting lightly in his coat pocket as he watched the rain fall from under the small shelter, the erratic wind causing small drops to land on his face and hair.

To him the unusually cold summer night was not so dark. His sharp eyes studied the deserted street, taking in the old-fashioned redbrick buildings popular in this part of the city. A few trees were scattered along the edge of the road, breaking up the heavy synthetic feel of the area. Street lights were placed evenly along the road, but many were broken. Occasionally one would flicker on, briefly allowing a shallow pool of light to penetrate the darkness beneath before it died again.

Shaking his head, the man dislodged the drops that had collected in his sleek hair, wetting the young woman who was standing just to the side of him. This caused the woman to move as far away from him as possible while still being covered by the tiny shelter. Her eyes were downcast and he could tell that she was trying not to look at him, afraid that if she did she would draw his attention away from the rain.

After a short time the smoker, who's eyes had been fixed on the building opposite, looked sideways, openly taking in the slight form of the young woman sharing the shelter. Her heart rate picked up and she shifted her feet nervously.

He smirked darkly as he brought the cigarette to his lips again and inhaled slowly. His smirk widened when he saw the young woman shiver in the cold. Running his eyes over her slender body, he estimated that she was about nineteen or twenty. Her blond hair glistened with raindrops as she huddled under the shelter protruding from the large stone building behind them. It was easy to see why she was cold as she was only wearing a knee length, thin strapped, white dress.

The smoker smiled sinisterly to himself, revealing sharp, gleaming white canines, and hoped he would have enough time to have some fun before his ride arrived. She looked so easily frightened and the opportunity seemed too good to pass up.

He placed his hand into the pocket of his cloak and pulled out a battered packet of cigarettes. Reaching around, he offered the packet to the young woman, who had moved behind him in a further effort to get away. "Smoke?" he said casually.

She looked up sharply, eyeing him fearfully with light brown orbs, before shaking her head. As she did so glistening droplets of water fell from her pale hair, sprinkling the man lightly. This seemed to increase her anxiety and he could just see her waiting for him to snap. He could almost smell her fear.

He inhaled again, then exhaled slowly, crating a bluish cloud of smoke which was quickly dispersed in the frigged wind. "Good," he said darkly, leaving the cigarette to hang from his lips. "Women shouldn't smoke, it looks cheap, tacky." He moved closer to her, shadows obscuring his face so that only the tiny glow of the cigarette was still visible.