Foggy Nights

Twas a chill, foggy night as the girl walked, waitress uniform fluttering in the night air as she walked nearly automatically towards her bus stop. Ignorant of the danger she truly found herself in as she typed away at her phone, barely paying any attention to her surroundings. The area wasn’t particularly dangerous, and the girl already had her phone at the ready incase danger were to suddenly spring up. The fog was somewhat unsettling, but not so bad one couldn’t navigate through it, and street much like the coffee shop she’d left behind seemed bereft of people at this hour. From her own perspective, the waitress appeared to be completely alone, were she to look away from the phone that seemed to captivate her as she texted her boyfriend, complaining about her work and the late shift.

Little did she know a predator stalked the same street blacked out street, Angelica watched from the shadows as the woman continued, blissfully unaware of what awaited her in the future. The petite girl appeared deceptively harmless, as she walked along, slowly closing the distance between herself and her prey. The pale girl’s dress was the typical gothic wear she’d found herself enjoying, the gothic dress she wore would have been memorable even if not for the girl’s already noteworthy appearance. Her skin was beyond pale, and with dark red eyes that she’d been told were particularly striking. It hardly mattered, as there were few around, so it was hardly plausible she’d be recognized, even if she were to have been somebody recognizable to anyone. She very rarely could go to school, and while her name may have been recognized had she given it, her family was seclusive enough that she wouldn’t be recognized.

Angelica wanted it, needed it. She’d already felt the new strength fading, the life her normally sickly body had found herself given fading back to the weakness of before as the strength she’d gained from the life she’d taken previously failed. She didn’t want to go back to that, couldn’t. No no, that wasn’t proper at all, she’d do what she needed, and thank her victim properly afterwards if nothing else. After all, she could hardly dismiss their generosity.

Byron made his way down the foggy, empty street.  His current job had held him up late tonight, but the extra money was well worth it to him.  It was colder than he thought it'd be when he left school for work.  In fact, it has been relatively hot during the day, so the fact that it was so chilly was a surprise.  Either way, it was not like that would bother him one way or another.  His rather unique power made him not have to worry about the temperature to basically any degree.  He could wear a tank top in the middle of a blizzard and not get frostbite.  He could feel his powers growing slowly but surely.  If things kept going like this, he could move up to being an official hero as soon as he graduated.  If he moved up quick enough, he may even be able to start sending financial aid to his family back home.  

The street ahead was heavily obscured due to the darkness and fog, but Byron had walked this way many times before.  He knew his way back like the back of his hand.  He was probably ten minutes from home at this point.  This part of the city was relatively safe, so he didn't have much to worry about, but even if there was trouble, Byron figured he could handle most cases.  Not that he had a cellphone to call the police if he found trouble.  Byron recalled the path ahead.  He should be coming up to a bus stop soon.

Angelica’s approach was made stealthily enough, watching and waiting for just the opportunity to arise after all she needed to do things properly. It would hardly be proper for someone of her station to do things by half measures She approached slowly with the type of quiet grace a noble of her standing should present to those around them of course, eyes locking on her target’s neck. It would be the quickest way, the Petrescu heir decided, as she slowly closed the distance between them, she noted that the fog was enough that somebody could easily stumble, and her target was unfortunate enough not to look where she was going. Certainly, the pale girl thought with a smirk, it’d be a shame if she were to trip and hurt herself somehow. A night like this could only mean God had to be on her side as well.

A slight push at the right time was all it had taken for Angelica to trip the girl up, with her being taken offguard both by the sudden hand on her back as well as her balance being tripped up, the girl fell to the ground quickly, phone clattering onto the pavement as well. Angelica knew it was the perfect chance as her victim was left vulnerable. “Oh my, I’m so sorry I didn’t see you there.” The vampire feigned innocently, making to reach for the girl’s phone and leaning down. The girl was too focused on trying to stand back up. “Watch where you’re-“ The words were cut off as quickly as they started, as Angelica’s fangs extended in the same instance she made her move, pouncing and biting down into the girl’s throat.

The waitress moved her hands to try to push the slight girl away but fangs had already buried into her throat, and the scream began only to be cutoff. Whether anybody would hear it would be a different story but Angelica made sure to put as much pressure as she could onto the girl’s throat. Knowing she would have few other chances at this. There was nobody to hear her, and it was time for Angelica to feed. The slightly metallic taste of blood on her tongue was incredible, and Angelica would quickly find herself enraptured in it. To the point she’d undoubtedly not notice much else around her as her face took on a blissful expression, happily indulging herself as the terrified girl felt her life slowly bleeding away.

Among the sounds of the chill night Byron heard a clatter up ahead, but he paid it no mind.  It could have been anything.  Maybe a cat, or a stray piece of trash, or it could be that someone just dropped their phone.  Regardless, it was nothing to be alarmed over.  He continued on, and just before the bus stop faded into view from the fog, Byron heard a silenced yelp.  That was something slightly more cause for alarm.  His heartbeat picked up slightly, anxious at what could be ahead.  He picked up his pace a bit when two figures emerged from the fog, sitting on the ground.  One of them had their lips locked onto the neck of the other.  Byron's mind immediately ran off the rails.  

W-wha-, what are they doing?  In a place like this?  That's something you'd do more privately right?  But their doing such a thing out in the open like this!  Well, I suppose it is late, and almost no one is around.  I should just quietly shirt around th-  The sound of a liquid hitting the ground caught his attention.  His eyes scanned the two once more, more observantly this time.  That's when he discovered a dark line flowing from the point of connection between the two.  Byron froze.  It took a few seconds before he could fully realize what was going on.  He finally kicked himself out of his stupor and shouted.  "Hey!  What do you think you're doing!  Get off of her!"  He charged at the two of them and reached tor each of their shoulders.  He would attempt to pull them apart and, if successful, move in between the two facing the attacker.

Angelica’s eyes closed in bliss as she felt the warm rush of blood flowing into her, the taste itself was like a drug, and in these moments little mattered to her outside of drinking in as much of the warm ambrosia that was human blood. Fresh blood. Her whole body felt warm, and energized from the action, life seeming to run from her unfortunate victim into the aristocratic girl like water filling a basin. The presence of the boy was hardly noticed at all at first under the spell of the blood, the girl herself having stopped resisting or trying to push her back already. Whether the girl had died, fallen unconscious, or simply submitted to fate was unclear, nor would it have made a difference for Angelica. All that mattered was that she could enjoy that sweet, sweet red liquid again. And nothing could stop her from doing just that. Or rather, that’s what she thought.

His shouting took her by surprise, and before she knew it she was yanked off of her prize. Red eyes narrowed as she looked at the boy who’d appeared from out of the fog as a cold, spiteful rage began to fill her. How dare he! He wasn’t worthy even to touch her, let alone interrupt her meal! Angelica stood, having been unprepared when she’d been pushed back she hardly had landed in the most graceful posture, dusting herself off as she moved to stand. Red eyes looking at the newcomer. “My apologies, nobody was supposed to see me like that.” She apologized, as though it had merely been her being caught simply breaking some minor rule of etiquette. “It’s rather rude to interrupt a lady’s meal though.” She stated, waiting for an opportunity. She wasn’t about to surrender herself to such a brute, didn’t he know she was his better? He should have simply left her to her meal! Now he’d just have to die as well. “Or maybe you wanted to join me?” She asked, moving her posture to be better able to pounce, or flee if he tried to attack.

Once Byron managed to separate the two and noticed the attacker was on the ground, he temporarily shifted his focus to the victim, holding her and attempting to jostle a response from her. "Hey, wake up!  Don't fall asleep!"  A pang of worry filled his voice.  He looked at the wound on her neck that was still dripping blood.  "Shit."  Who knew how much blood she had already lost.  Byron didn't have much else with him.  This was the best he could do.  Byron removed his shirt and held it up against the girls neck, attempting to stop as much of the bleeding as he could.  Well, there goes yet another shirt.  He returned his attention to the attacker as she began to stand.  "Your meal?  What the hell did you do to her?  What are you, some kind of vampire wannabe?"  Byron began pulling the girl away towards the nearby bench.  He needed to do something.  He needed to call the police.  Yet, he didn't have a phone.  What was he going to do?

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted it.  The phone that had clattered to the ground earlier.  It was likely the victims and she dropped it when she was attacked.  It was off to his left diagonally, but the distance between him and the phone was about the same as the attacker and the phone.  As soon as he would move for it, she might notice it.  Byron kept his eyes on the attacker, watchful for any sudden movements.  He leaned the girl up against the bench in such a way as to keep the slowly reddening shirt in place without him holding it.  He stepped in front of the bench, at first blocking the path between the attacker and the victim, and made one quick glace to confirm the position of the phone before he sprinted to the left, making a grab for the phone.

The man or boy rather was obviously concerned with her victim, giving Angelica plenty of time to recover, brushing herself off before considering her options. She could run, and it would likely be the best option but, she wasn’t sure she could count on the girl bleeding out, and it was definite that she’d gotten a look at the Petrescu girl’s face. The redhead knew that she just couldn’t risk such things, even if there were ways of getting rid of such…inconveniences. “Oh my, how rude of you.” She stated, seemingly ignoring the dying woman in favor of the living as she stared at the male. It was lucky he hadn’t taken out any sort of phone for some reason. “speaking to a lady like some common brute, and with such language.” She admonished, frowning at the obvious lack of class.

She didn’t really understand why he was acting like that, but his gaze did lead her to seeing the phone, realizing what the male was thinking seemingly at the same time he moved. Her only chance would be to kill him, or somehow remove the phone. There was another, obvious decision she could make, using the girl as leverage. She wasn’t under any illusion she could overpower him, but she could definitely overpower her in her current state. AS the fog likely had ensured her own features were less notable for him. She however, had gotten a long close look at the redhead, and as such Angelica knew what she had to do when the boy made a sprint for the phone. Using the moment to make a dash for the girl  and gripping her by the neck, holding her between the two of them to hide her features as best she could incase he thought to use the phone’s camera, all the while her well manicured nails pressed into the open wound slightly.

“Put the phone down.” Angelica stated authoritatively.

Byron's sprint took him right to the phone well before the attacker had a chance.  He began to lift it up, and turned his head to see the attacker once again holding the victim.  "Shit."  He had made the wrong move.  Or perhaps the attacker had just made the exact move she needed to.  She was once again in possession of a hostage.  Byron had been able to separate them the first time because he caught them by surprise, but there was no way he could close the distance in time to prevent her from doing anything to the girl.  The fake vampire made her demand.  Byron huffed in frustration.  Byron slowly crouched down to set the phone back on the ground, but he kept his back to the attacker, blocking full view of the phone as he double tapped the emergency call button.  

Byron stood up straight again and turned to face his enemy.  As he did, he used his foot to slide the phone farther away, and he slowly raised his hands.  "Alright.  No phone. Now let her go.  Don't hurt her anymore."  Byron tried to keep an even voice, but there was a hint of aggression.  It would be unlikely that she would give up her hostage so easily.  He would likely need a bit more convincing.  "If you need someone for your 'meal' or whatever sick kick you wanna call it, take me instead.  If you'll let her go, I won't fight back."  He hoped he could manage to convince her.  He needed to get the victim away as soon as possible.  If things got to rough, she could die.  It may already be too late to stop that.  But he had to do something.