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Do you know I'm just waiting for the day where I fuck up and she scoops in to save me? Like I'm a damsel in distress, the someone who souly relies on her. Just as I write this, I think I figured out why. She craves the dependence, the closeness, the need for someone to need her. Maybe that's why she refuses to be vulnerable. Well, there was that one night. I want her vulnerable, it makes me feel powerful, it helps shift out dynamic from prey and predator to something more evenly matched. I shouldn't keep filling you up with my issues with her, though. It makes me feel to centered around her. I hate her with all of my heart. Thanks for listening anyway.
—R Jan. 27
Were the words written in my diary tonight. Every night I wrote and every night I wrote about her. Who knows what would happen with us. The red string says "together forever!" but social queues tell me "one day you'll be her next meal."
I'll kick, fight, and scream to stop that.
I slid the diary into the drawer before locking it tight. The one good thing that came out of meeting her was that I could take midnight walks again. Vampires wouldn't come near me after she marked bit me. I was her prey now, meaning I had life left because she was the only one who would take it and I can handle her. The night sky was beautiful. Everybody else had their unspoken curfew which left little light from the city and many many stars visible. Despite the winter month, it was warm. The only trace of winter was patches of dirty frozen snow slowly melting away.
The moon shone bright, leaving her to do what she pleased. The moon very often painted her sky just like the sun did in her wake. She seldom got a spotlight, a real spotlight, but when she did she shone like the biggest star there ever could be.
I stepped out of my apartment, dawning a faux fur lined coat, a gift from her that she stole from some downtown shop. Excited for the night breeze to hit my face, my feet moved down the steps and out into the streets. The town I lived in was fairly small, probably 6000 people. It was enjoyable walking the empty streets, no care in the world. Nobody would yell about the dangers of vampires in the night to me.
I took a deep breath and spun on my heel all the way around to the same way I was going. Sliding my hands in my pockets, I began to hum Greensleeves. The night is so peaceful and if I tried hard enough, I could block out the distant crys of people who weren't home in time, like I was so many months ago, and the yowls of poor stray animals who couldn't find shelter. The guilt was something to ignore.
I stopped to sit alone in the cemetery looking up at the moon and her radiant sky. A little cliche to be alone in the cemetery, but it calms my conscience, like paying my respects to my poor Ritsu will clear my sins for a bit.
Suddenly, something changed in the night. It grew sharper and the shadows grew harsher. As hairs stood up on my neck, my body went tight. Someone else was here. I hoped to god it wasn't Luka. Actually, a stranger might be worse.
"A bit stupid to be out here all alone. Especially in the middle of the night." This wasn't a voice I recognized. This was new.
"I didn't expect anybody to actually bother me. Well, maybe one person, but not a stranger." My voice rang out into the abyss. "What do you want?"
"Why wouldn't anybody come bother you? You're very vulnerable out here. Don't you know what resides in the dark?" The voice came from all around it seemed. It was deep and orotund. They wore a smile, anybody could tell instantly from their voice.
I sighed, "Do what you're here to do then just leave me alone."
Nature rustled behind me, or what it in front of me? Maybe to my left? It was impossible to pinpoint.
"What do you assume I'm here to do? Like I said, it's stupid of you to be here all alone." His disturbing laugh echoed between the headstones. It sounded like Luka's but also not.
"Can't you smell that I've been bitten?" my voice wavered, confidence in my safety dropping.
He shouted a laugh. "Ha! Of course I can, Darling—"
Okay that was just downright creepy. Only Luka ever called me that—and I didn't even like it then—but he sounded exactly like she did.
"—It's absolutely disgusting! But if whoever started this won't end it, than I will. Ive seen you alive for a while, and smelled you even longer." He continued. A shiver ran through me and I made a face. Grossly disturbing.
Then he just kept talking. "You've intrigued me because of that. Your name is Ruko, right? Well, my name is Yuuma. I like to keep my eye on you, you know. Enough is enough, however. Months. Months! For months you've been marked as food for someone else and they just won't eat! I don't even know to whom your supper!"
That was when he step out of the umbrage. His face revealed itself and it shook me to my very core.
He looked exactly like her.
Well he was more masculine and way taller, but he was basically like her. His pink hair fell around light colored eyes and pale skin. He glided his way over to me, cornering me against Ritsu's headstone.
His uncannily skinny arms reached out to brush my hair from my face, precisely like she would've.
I knew my face betrayed me because he laughed. This laugh was different from anything Luka would have done and any laugh he'd laughed before, though. It was a grueling, cackling howl that sent chills to my very core.
My hands slowly started to drag me out from in front of him, hoping not to be noticed. It was all for naught. Giving up, my body rose to fight him off if i had to and got ready to run just in case. I wouldn't sit here frozen, hiccups rising up my throat. As quickly as I could, my limbs flailed about as much as possible before skin hit very cold skin. I had managed to hit him.
His hands hit my wrists immediately to hold them down. I could see a purple mark beginning to for on his cheek, and that made me feel very proud of myself. It didn't help in the end.
Luka wanted me vulnerable, well here I was, pinned down by her lookalike who happened to be just as big as me. She could swoop in to be the hero any time she fucking wanted. She wouldn't, though.
I watched his face get closer to mine with an unsettling smile on his face; sadistic even.
Squirming as best as I could, I manuvered my neck away from his drooling fangs, but not out of his grip.
Then I saw opportunity. Swiftly, My leg kicked up, aiming for the groin. Shin hit balls.
With grass stains left on my jeans, I ran. I ran as fast and as far as I could. He would never let me free, I could never escape; I had probably peeved him off extra bad, and he could smell me. Every vampire in the history of ever could smell me. Seconds turned into minutes of running. The sounds of stomping shoes could be heard behind me. I tried at every twist and turn to lose him.
My body swiveled into an ally to jump behind a dumpster, hoping the scent would cover up my own and hoping to death he hadn't seen me.
In the clattering making space for myself, I could here hissing cats, and for a while, silence. Suddenly there was a low growl, the kind you here when a cat is cornered, then a sickening crack! and more silence.
He was here, I thought while squinting my eyes closed, waiting for the moment to come.
Click clomp click clomp click— Stop.
The dumpster started to move away from me, started to be pushed away from me. I could land another hit, I bet. The idea was a fever dream at best, however.
My heart raced and my hands shook. They shook so badly, I was positive he could here my bones clinking together.
"Hello darling," said that sickening voice. This time, however it was higher pitched, female. Luka not Yuu–whatever
I let out a sigh. Then I quickly sucked it back in because it was Luka.
I wished I could kick her in the balls too.
She pulled me up before I could object, so I pulled my arm from her grip, leaving red lines from the scratch of her nails. Her face fell into disgruntlment.
"So," She said curtly. "Hiding behind a dumpster are we? Oh how far the mighty have fallen." Her eyes flicked up and down my figure.
"Shut up!" My words were at a hiss. I fell back into a crouch, dragging her down with me.
"Ruko, what is wrong with you? That is no way to treat a lady, and that is no way to talk to me!" Her words began to drop their fancy air in favor of vulgarity which caught me off guard, "How fucking dare you! What crawled up your ass and di—"
Her nose started to twitch and her eyes darted to the nearby street. Ripping her hand out of mine, she stood at her full height (five feet and four inches). Her silver heels clicked on the cobbles to the mouth of the alley.
Like a coward, my hands pulled the dumpster in front of me once again.
"Oh, Yuuma!" He had made no sound to indicate his presence. "What a pleasant surprise!" She sounded so genuine it scared me. What scared me more is that she knew him.
"Luka. Indeed it is," he too sounded genuine. There was a rustling of fabric.
"What brings you to this area? Don't you live cross-country? There's no way you came here for little old me!" She giggled.
"Sadly not. I've lived here ever since my mother was killed by some twit with a shot gun." snuffed Yuuma. "Oh, by the way, could you possibility point me in the direction of a human that must have run by here? They're real tall and smell of leftovers. I believe they have black pigtails with a streak of blue?"
"Really now?" Her tone changed to something sharper, more dangerous. "It seems we have a wrinkle then. See, I've been hunting them for quite some time now. They're my leftovers. You should know better, shouldn't you?"
"Oh. They've been leftovers for such a long time, I felt I've waited long enough."
The air of the night shifted aswell. Everything was now stiff and menacing.
"Yes," she continued, "Though they say never to play with your food, but I can't help but find I exhilarating. Did you know that the red string says they're my soulmate? It makes it significantly more fun."
"You can't possibly think that!" He shouted, appalled.
"Oh trust me, I can. And for your information, yes I have seen them. In fact, they're behind that dumpster right now, but don't tell them I said so."
My heart jumped into my throat. My fingers dug into the metal sides of said dumpster and my breath quickened. Why would she do that? Why would she say that? Was this this all just some game to her!?
My chest heaved and heaved to the point I didn't notice that the dumpster had been moved until I was held tightly in the arms of a vampire—I'm not sure which one. Somebody's fangs grazed my neck, and I started to squirm.
It did nothing. Whoever held me held me tight.
Everything was a blur of pink hair and fangs now. My vision glared and warped as my face became wet with tears. My ears rang so loud, I was surprised and eardrum didn't burst.
Through the ringing, voices could be faintly heard.
"May I please eat in peace?"
"You won't kill them. You can't trick me, Luka"
"Who knows what I will do. Please?"
He huffed out "Fine. The next time I see them, it's a free for all, though"
The faint sound of footsteps padded away and suddenly there came a sharp pain in my neck.
That night I became one of the screams of the people who were out to late, one of the screams thag people had learned to ignore.
The wet of blood dripped down my neck as Luka very happily licked it all up.
"Living off of strays is exhausting, you know. I really have needed a real meal," came her voice, followed my the laugh that made my bones cold.
"Y-you bit me. Again," came my own quiet croak.
"I know, darling. I'm also surprised It hasn't happened more often," she cooed.
In the end she got what she wanted, a vulnerable Yokune Ruko. She got her chance to be the big "hero" I knew damn well she wanted to be. Her nail scrape my chin like I was her cherished pet. Her hair tickled my face as she kissed me. She pulled away with a smile and I pulled away with a grimace.