Untitled - Ch 1

Chapter One1

Blood Lust2

Angela approached the ominous dark house cautiously, turning and looking back in the direction where her car was. It had broken down just down the road. For a fleeting moment, she thought to run back. Something didn’t feel right. She put the thought from her mind and went to knock. As soon as her knuckles met the wood of the door, it fell ajar. She gasped slightly, pulling her hand back quickly. The inside of the house was dimly lit, and eerie; for some reason, she felt an inexorable desire to enter. A chill ran through her at the sight of the scantily, but elegantly, furnished room before her. 3

She took a small step into the house, looking around. The vaulted ceiling rose at least ten feet above her, and exposed a grand wrought iron spiral staircase that led up to a balcony, which was attached to the second floor. There was a small banister along the closest side of the second floor made to match the staircase, and on the opposite side was a maroon colored wall with three large, dark, wood doors.4

One of the doors opened as her eyes fell on it, and a quick blur flitted close to the banister, across the second floor. She wasn’t sure if this was a person, or some other entity, but it compelled her further. She watched it disappear into another room, and, without seeing the second blur close behind the first, walked up the spiral staircase, and to the room that she had seen the first blur disappear into. She stood in front of the door, contemplating, then called softly, “Hello?” Suddenly, there was a force upon here the likes of which she had never experienced before. She felt as though she were flying, and soon realized that she was in the void between the staircase and the banister of the second floor.5

She shrieked, feeling a presence that somehow caused her to float gracefully, uninjured, to the ground. She turned to see who her savior had been, and saw nothing but the blur she had see before. Now, she saw the second blur, which appeared to collide with the first. For a moment, she saw two people entwined together in a brawl, tumbling hither and thither, in a flight of limbs. She only barely caught a glimpse of a face. A pale, beautiful face, before both people turned to blurs again.6

Mesmerized by the blurs, wondering if she were dreaming, she heard a violent sounding clash of piano keys. She jumped, looking around. Perhaps there was another person here. Her eyes fell on a grand piano, where the blurs flitted around. One of them must have hit it. The blurs became comprehensible again, and the first blur, the beautiful, pale faced man, panted, glaring across the piano at a man with dark skin. Both were breathless, and the dark man was bleeding from his arm, and his throat. There were peculiar marks on his neck, two spots. Angela didn’t realize how perfectly the beautiful, pale faced man’s elongated canines would fit into those holes.7

“Why are you here?” the pale man inquired, his beautiful, clear voice tainted with anger. She didn’t know if the question was directed at her, or the other man. Before she had a chance to form an answer, the other man replied.8

“The human is here. We shan’t talk of this in her presence.”9

“Then we shan’t talk of it at all.” The beautiful man retorted quickly, “You will not kill her.”10

Angela looked at the two in astonishment. The dark skinned man wanted to kill her. Why this was so, she couldn’t comprehend. She’d only just arrived. She took a backwards step towards the door, to escape, and the dark skinned man lunged towards her, quickly stopped by the pale man, who, with catlike grace, leapt in front of her, punching the dark skinned man to the ground.11

“You will not kill her.” He repeated viciously. 12

The dark man gasped “It is merely the bloodlust of my people!” he pleaded, “I mean no harm!” 13

“Bloodlust?” Angela finally found words. Both men appeared shocked at her words, and the dark man’s submission seemed to subside for the moment. The pale man, who had been standing before her defensively, turned to his head so that he could see both her and the dark skinned man clearly.14

“Do you not know where you are, love?” 15

“Love?” she questioned, raising an eyebrow. These one-word questions were all that could come to her mind in her confused state.16

A quizzical expression came across the man’s beautiful face, and then a smile lightened his countenance. His cat-like green eyes crinkled ever so slightly at the corners as a melodic laugh escaped his pale lips.17

“I’m afraid there’s been a mistake.” He said, “Please forgive me.”18

The dark-skinned man appeared baffled. “This is not the girl?” he inquired. 19

“I’m afraid it is not, Marcus. Now if you would, please escort yourself out.”20

The dark skinned man bowed respectfully, then walked out of the house quickly.21

“Now, what is it that you need, Miss…?”22

“Angela.” She said softly. “My car broke down just down the street. Do you have a telephone I could use?”23

“Yes, I do Miss Angela. Follow me if you will.” He led her through a large, dark wooded door, similar to the ones on the second floor. From there, he walked through a large archway, gesturing for her to follow. Then, they walked through another door, similar to the first, and into a large, dark room, with floors of a hard, gray ceramic tile. He flipped a light switch, and a beautiful chandelier dimly lit the room. He then led her through yet another archway, into a room with lush black carpet. There was an old-fashioned mahogany desk, with a matching side table. On this side table, there was an old, black, rotary dial phone. 24