The Curse

Chapter 13

     The city was not visible through the blowing snow outside. The windows were foggy and the moon flickered through the snow and cast its light onto the walls. Joseph kissed Gwen’s cheek as she slept. He was starving but did not want to face the elements tonight.

     The vampire fought the hunger pains as long as he could, but around three in the morning he forced himself to get out of bed. He dressed warmly; though the cold did not physically hurt him, it could be very uncomfortable. He quickly left the apartment and walked down his favourite alleys looking for a quick kill.

     The snow had stopped falling but the wind was brisk and icy. Sitting in a corner sheltered from the snow was a homeless woman. Joseph watched her from a distance for a minute, noting that she was deep in sleep. He remembered how hard it had been for him in the winters. The vampire crept up on her and grabbed her swiftly.

     The Black Phoenix sank his teeth into her cold flesh and drank from the wounds.

     “Ugh!” Joseph threw the woman away, wiping the blood from his mouth. The blood was stale and tasteless. Under further examination he realized that she was long dead. The woman had probably frozen to death a few hours ago in the storm. The vampire shuddered.

     There was a sound behind him. The vampire’s sharp senses heard the snow crush under a slayer’s boot. He whirled around. The slayer’s hand rested on his stake. “Stop there, vampire!”

     Fear flooded Joseph; this was not the best night to face a slayer. He just wanted to get out of the weather.  He took a step back but then his eyes glittered maliciously.

     The Black Phoenix smiled. It was a perfect night to face a slayer. His first slayer killed for the New Year. He cackled. He was not a coward and he would not run; he was the Black Phoenix. He was a ruthless killer. He lunged.

     Unfortunately for the vampire the slayer was prepared for the ill conceived attack. The slayer grabbed the Black Phoenix by the sleeves of his jacket and wrestled him to the ground. He forced the vampire’s arms down, ignoring the burning pain of his claws.

     The Black Phoenix bit and clawed at the slayer.

     The slayer knelt on the Black Phoenix’s chest. “You will die.” He said, grabbing for his stake. “And I will get big bucks for this. I know who you are.”

     Joseph’s heart shivered in surprise. How could he know?

    The Black Phoenix wasn’t in the mood for conversation. He hissed and leapt to his feet. He reached out and clawed at the slayer’s face. He found the slayer’s eyes and forced his thumb nails into the soft flesh. He slammed into the man and forced him to the ground. With a swift jerk he tore open the slayer’s throat. He drank the warm blood hungry, glad to rid the taste of the dead woman’s blood from his mouth.

     Joseph sat back and used some snow to wipe the blood from his hands. He sat staring at the body of the slayer, lost in thought. He had always figured that slayers were rewarded for their kills, but why had this slayer made such a deal over it? What did he mean when he said he knew everything? The vampire shook his head. There was no way that his identity was known, he was too careful.

     Joseph sighed and pulled himself off of the snowy pavement. He lit up a cigarette and started on his way back to Gwen’s apartment. He figured he would go back to his own home soon. He needed fresh clothes and to pay his rent. Gwen was used to him coming and going now, but he knew she was getting attached to him. But it didn’t feel like the same obsessed love that Joseph had experienced before. He was actually starting to believe that someone could accept him and that he could be loved like a real human being again.