The inside of the house was clean. Well, cleaner than I would have expected it to be, with tall arched ceilings and chandeliers hanging from the highest points. One seemed to be missing from the middle, but there was no sign of it on the floor. In fact, it looked like the floor had been swept, and cleaned. Much of the marble floor was broken and cracked with small plants trying to grow, but still it looked clean.
The floor was open and flowed to a large staircase that swept open to the second floor, making a balcony that must have once been beautiful, but now with missing pieces and the rest burned black, it seems to have lost its charm. On the right size was what looked to be-
I bring my sword up, ready for a fight as I catch a glimpse of a man on the second floor, casually walking to the stairs. His hair is jet black, just barely reaching his shoulders in soft curls. His eyes glowed in the darkness of the house with boarded up windows, the only light coming through the boards from the sun that was just beginning to set, but they were a white-silver color. He wore jeans and a red t-shirt.
As it makes its way around a broken board on the stairs, it lifts his arms as if in surrender. My eyes narrow as my body goes rigid, zoomed in on my prey. I have no time for hesitation. Hesitation could get me killed. No room for mistakes.
I wait, patience has always been my friend before. Charging in is how people get killed, and there was no way I was going to underestimate it. That would be a huge mistake after all the warnings I had received that day. I may have hated that they underestimated me, but I would not allow it to get to my head. That could easily be my undoing.
The vampire casually walks to me, his hands still in the air, and I watch him carefully as he makes his way over the burned dance floor. His eyes glowed with a brilliant silver as they watched me with the same intensity I was watching him.
He stops only inches away from the reach of my sword. Leaping forward the extra eight or so inches would take too long, it could give him the upper hand. I begin circling him, but as I do, he moves with me, not only turning, but also backing up. A smile cracks on his lips, "Careful little thing, arentcha?"
My eyes twitch, but I don't allow myself to flinch. Isaiah was right, it was smart. It could form a whole sentence that actually meant something. It was a first for me, and it was unnerving, but I wouldn't let it know how much that scared me. Afterall, if that part was true, how much else was true?
We circle for a little while longer, watching for an opening. The first one to attack would most likely be the one who would die this time. It knew what it was doing. It knew I had expertise in fighting, and was being just as careful as I was. I had to think of something that would give me the upperhand. As it was, we seemed to be in a stand still.
As we turn, watching each other, my eyes scan the room. The place did seem to be picked up from the fire. There was no furniture or anything that really stuck out. It was as we circled again that I noticed the shard of wood sticking out from the wall. It wasn't large, but It was big enough to break it's skin if it were to back up into it. I maneuver myself to the side, continuing our little dance and just as expected, it moves with me, not allowing me to get around it where I might gain the upper hand.
Just as everything lines up, I lunge for the blood sucker. Just as expected it jumps back, dodging my attack but lodging the broken wood into its back. A cry of pain and surprise escapes its mouth and I jump forward a second time swinging the bone sword right for its neck. With lightning fast reflexes it gets its arms up, blocking a large amount of the attack with its forearms. Dark red blood sprays from the new wounds, getting all over my clothes and arms, but I press the attack, swinging again. This time it ducks out from under my attack and lunges forward for me. I leap back and to the side, avoiding the attack. It was hurt and weakend. I swing again and something unexpected happens, it snatches my sword with its bare hands, and stops my attack dead, spraying more blood on my face.
My stomach drops, as surprise and horror lurch through my body. I leave the sword and jump back again, pulling out a knife and throwing it. It dodges that attack, jumping to the side and the knife gets embedded into the wall behind it.
It drops the sword, blood dripping from it's hands. Somehow it didn't lose any fingers when it blocked my attack. It licks its dark blood, and turns an angry glare to me, "What did I do to deserve this?" it shouts, showing me its hands. My blade had cut through straight to the bone. Had it been human or had I swung just a little bit harder, it might have lost a few fingers. It looked like what I would expect a hand coming out of a blender to look like. Only the blood was darker and thicker.
I pull out a second knife, this one made of wood and throw that one too. It dodges to the side, but not quick enough. A small line of scarlet appears on its arm and a hiss escapes its lips.
I take this chance to get some distance, backing up. It was hurt and wasn't going to be healing from this any time soon. I throw another knife as it comes for me, but it dodges it again. I leap to the side, rolling on the floor and taking out my longest knife, strapped to my thy just in time to block its attack. But, it was strong, and still impossibly fast. I am quickly put on the offensive. It lands a solid hit to my shoulder, its whole hand getting shoved into the muscle of my shoulder. I scream in pain, but take this moment of weakness to stab my knife into its neck.
We both jump back, breathing hard. It yanks out the knife from it's neck and more blood splatters onto the ground. "I came to warn you people, but no one listens!" It shouts, placing a hand over the new wound, deep red blood seeping between his hands, "Mathijs was right, to damn with all of you!"
He rushes forward kicking up a leg. I manage to block the attack, but my arm breaks under the pressure of the attack. I sweep my leg to the side, knocking him down and I drop to my knee, stabbing the knife down. It rolls to the side, dodging the knife. It swings around, connecting a fist to my face. I'm knocked backward, but I don't fight the momentum. Instead I lean back, taking away a lot of the damage. I roll away, dizzy, but it's already coming at me, attacking again. I block the next attack but it follows, its attacks are too fast. I couldn't get to my feet, or find an opening to attack.
I am pushed back easily. It was stronger and faster than any vampire I had ever fought. It moves just right, flinching at the pain of the knife wound in its neck. I manage to get a hit in during its pause, punching it in the face, I hit it so hard it was possible I broke a finger. Although the hit did no real damage to it, it gives me the opening I need to roll to the side and get to my feet.
A low growl escapes its throat, as its eyes narrow with rage. It lunges for me, its speed like nothing I had ever seen. In a flurry of blows that I was in no way strong enough or fast enough to block or dodge I am thrown backwards and it jumps on top of me.
Blood drips from the wound on its neck and onto my face as it leans forward. I could still hear the growl coming from deep within its chest as it angles itself over my face. I could feel its breath on my neck as it leans forward. Fear stabs at my stomach, sending me waves of dizziness. I try to shove it off, but it was so much stronger than me.
Every part of my body goes cold as its tongue licks the skin on my neck. A whimper escapes me as I try to shrink away from it. But it follows, leaning in closer. I shove again, but still, nothing. It was like trying to shove away a solid wall. I had trained my whole life to be stronger than the monsters that I fight, I had never been so out classed. I had never felt so weak. I had even managed to get the upper hand during the beginning of the fight.
I feel its teeth scrape my skin, and try again to shove it away. "No!" I scream as fear jolts through my body, "No!" I try again to shove it off, but it was solid and unmovable. I shove my pelvis up, throwing it off balance, but it uses only one hand to catch itself from face planting on the floor.
I feel it's lips graze my skin, and a chill of terror runs down my back. "No!" I scream, terror taking hold of my body.
To my surprise it freezes then leans back, taking in a deep, steadying breath. "Noah." It whispers to itself, as if a reminder. It pulls itself away and stands. "Get out, and don't come back." It snarls.
Still holding the wound on its neck it walks away. Heading back towards the staircase. For a moment, I'm frozen, shocked. Adrenalin slamming through my body with every beat of my heart. Just as it makes it to the top of the stairs. I throw another knife, but my trembling hands make me miss. I shout, "Fuck you! Kill me! Kill me!"
It turns a glare down to me, "If I killed you Noah would be mad with me. Leave. Now."
"What, you think it's some sort of sick kindness, leaving me alive?" I use my good arm and heft myself up, already looking for another knife. "It's not! Kill me now!"
It stares at me for a moment, its silver eyes contemplating and cold. As if it was really thinking about killing me. I glare back at it and it finally says, "Get out." before turning and walking away just as I find another knife.
I throw it where it last stood, but there was nothing but air as it whizzes by where he was standing and with a soft thud, gets stuck in the wall.