I wake up to a knock on the door, confused, I get up to answer it, sliding on the fuzzy bunny slippers my aunt got me for my birthday last year, and shuffle to the door. I look through the peephole to see who it is, but nobody is there. I turn the lock and open it, walking out on the porch to have a look around. Trees....trees...more trees. I sigh, then turn around and head back inside, shutting the door behind me.
A scuffle sounds from the hallway, the one that leads to the bedrooms...
Peeking around the corner did me no good, because there was nothing there to hide from.
I am suddenly thrown back across the living room, the air whipping around my body as I fall to the floor next to the couch. My eyes finally focus, but again there is nothing. This is so frustrating. I let it know.
"Who are you and what do you want with me?!" Rustling starts up once more, then stops.
I lean over onto my side, slowly, and peek down the hallway to see a dark figure looming at the end, crouching over something, its back to me. "It"...uh.. I mean.. "he", turns around slowly, the shadows on the ground below him, not actually being shadows, but blood. He smirks at me, some red fluid still dripping from his mouth.
"I think you have a rat problem milady."
I'm speechless. Why is this man in my house? Where did he come from? What is he doing? Even more importantly, why is he covered in blood?!
"What's wrong?" he asks, still with a bloody smirk on his face. He looks familiar from somewhere.
I feel my face heat up, irritation arising at his arrogance. "Nothing. Totally not some stranger breaking into my house, making a mess everywhere with what appears to be blood, attacks me, AND doesn't answer as to who he is and what he wants! Not to mention how he got in, and where he's from!"
He stares at me for a bit, a slight confused expression overshadows the smirk that I am pretty sure is permanent now. "What do you mean 'How did I get in', Casey? You said I could come over whenever."
My face pales. He knows my name? Then it hits me, and I remember back to a party a couple months ago. Hanging out with my friends, and strangers from school; dancing, drinking, random couples of two or more people hooking up in corners, or in upstairs bedroom, or even the attic of my current ex boyfriend, Tyler. Whom, about this time is drunk as a sailor, and cursing like one too, walks up behind me and wraps his arms around me.
' "Can we go to your place finally, Case, pleeeasssee?" ' I recall him saying.
' "No, Ty, my parents are home, remember? But anytime they are out of town, or when I move out, even, you're always invited over." ' I had smiled and kissed his cheek. Then we made out, much more than every other soul in that building.
I now look at the man with new recognition than before, and groan internally at my stupidity as I look at the man I let break my heart more than once.
"You still didn't tell me how you got in, Tyler. Or why you're covered in blood." I wait for his response. Watch as his jaw moves, debating his answer.
"You have a spare key," He starts. "and I followed you here. Saw it placed, watched you leave, grabbed it, went for lunch-" he gestures to the dead rat on the floor in the hall behind him.
"- I came back, and I was still hungry." He looks back at me, staring at me as if I'm a bite to eat.
I shake my head at him. "Tyler, we broke up. What makes you think I'd ever wanna hook up with you again?" He grinned bigger and threw his head back, laughing loudly. I watched him, angry and confused.
He stops, humor and hunger still on his face, and looks me in the eyes. "I think I should've said 'thirsty', that would've made more sense."
The color leaves my face as I realize what he meant, but there was no way that's what he was. The only justification for this possibility would be the dead, drained rat at the end of the hall.
Drained...
I back away a quick few steps to put as much distance between myself and Tyler, as if it would help my case against his speed. Just as I thought, he darts foreword, grabbing me by my neck, and tosses me onto the couch, climbing on top of me and pins me down. He leans down close to my face, sniffing my neck. I struggle, but to no avail, and I'm stuck on my back, pinned and about to have my soul sucked from the rest of me. I'm about to join my mom and brother.
A crash sounds from the kitchen, Tyler doesn't pause but for a second. He leans back closer to me, sniffs, then freezes; I can feel his body tense up. Right as he sits up, seemingly prepared for war, he's thrown off of me. I sit up quickly to maybe get to see who saved me, or... who's fighting Tyler so that THEY can eat me. I shudder, then get up quickly and run to the bathroom, locking the door behind me.
Smoke starts to fill up the room, alarmed I try to exit the door, more smoke billows in. I slam it shut, then spin around letting out a sigh relief at the sight of a window. Not bothering with locks or anything, I grab the heaviest thing I can find and lift, break the window open, and crawl through. I run out to look back at the house, engulfed in flames.
A hand grabs me and forces me to run. I spin around and see yet, another stranger. My foot goes up before I think twice. Without waiting to see if he grabs his jewels and doubles over, I make a break for the wood line, not stopping until I get a good bit in, then climb the nearest tree that makes it possible, and go as high as I can.