The young girl stood in the alleyway, cowering before the vampire, whose blood red eyes gleamed with thirst. “Wh-Who are you?” She stammered quietly, unable to raise her voice above a frightened whisper.

The vampire cocked her head to one side, her long black hair dangling over her face. The girl tried to turn and run, but found that her limbs would no longer obey her. “Why can`t I move?” she asked, terrified.

The vampire strode towards her.

“Because I don`t want you to,” she said and her voice sounded like a nightingale mixed with a death knell.

The girl swallowed. “Am I going to die?” she whispered.

The vampire looked at her, as if trying to decide what to tell her. “Yes.”

The girl began to cry hot salty tears that ran down her cheeks like shining waterfalls. The vampire raised her index finger to her mouth.

“Shhh.” she soothed. “Do not be afraid. If you have lived a good life, you will go to a good place, if that is what you believe.”

The girl trembled, but was silent.

“What is your name?” asked the vampire.

“Bethany Grace,” replied the girl.

“Well, Bethany, my name is Melaena. I hope you die peacefully,” said the vampire softly. She ran her fingers through Bethany`s long red hair and brushed it away from her neck, revealing the throbbing artery that lay just below the skin.

“I`m scared.”

“Don`t be.”

“Will it hurt?”

“Only if you want it to.”

The vampire leaned over the girl and lowered her mouth, so her pearly white fangs lightly brushed the girls exposed throat. Then she bit down hard. She moaned softly as Bethany`s hot blood flowed into her mouth. Bethany screamed in pain as her blood was drawn against her will, but eventually she quieted to a soft whimper, and eventually even that stopped. The vampire turned to shadow and left the girls corpse lying on the cold hard ground. Silence filled the night air, revealing nothing of what had just occurred.