Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-24833538-20160303191714

Serena clamped her arms around her stomach and began to cry. Hunger pangs shot through her small frame, shaking her to her core. The midday sunbeams reached just short of her hands. She didn’t dare touch the light. She had no clue if it would harm her or not, but she didn’t chance it. The smell of urine and garbage permeated the alley way she called home.

A man dressed in a black suit and tie walked toward her, oblivious of her presence. “S-sir?” she asked between grimaces as the man walked past her.

The man stopped and turned. Looking down he saw Serena; a little girl of 8, her body looked frail, as if a sudden gust of wind would knock her down. The sight of her shocked him; to think that a girl her age could be so far gone. She looked deathly and in her current state she could not be defined as cute. However he still felt the urge to call her adorable possibly due to the fact that she was young.

He rummaged around in his front pants pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill from his wallet. He crouched down to her level. “I don’t have any food on me but, here,” he said, brandishing the bill.

Serena, with one arm still wrapped around her stomach, reached for the bill. Her hand then shot past it and clamped his hand. “Sorry,” she whispered. She used her other hand to push back his sleeve and sank two sharp canines into his wrist. She could feel the blood on her lips, on her tongue, down her throat, the metallic taste that she yearned for, that she despised; that defined her every being.

She had expected to have her food jerked back as the man ran away in a panic; instead she found the man smiling at her. Her eyes peered out over the edge of the man’s arm, two black beads in the shadows. The man nodded at her as if to indicate that she should keep drinking. While she drank the man spoke, “I didn’t know you were one of us. Normally I’d’ve smelled it, but this city has muddled by senses. Let me help you, young one. What’s your name?”

Serena stopped drinking and slowly looked up. “Serena,” she said.

“Serena,” the man repeated. “My name is Lucile. Come, there is much for you to learn.” He then proceeded to pull a small white rectangle from his pocket. He tore at its corner and pulled out a wet wipe and cleaned her face. She thought about pulling away but she was still too weak, too afraid.

Lucile picked her up around the waist and held her close to his chest. She didn’t object. “Lay your head down.”

Serena’s hunger was temporarily sated but she was still very weak. As they neared the light, Serena flinched. Warm light bathed here and she opened her eyes in surprise. Lucile looked at her and saw her reaction. “Oh, you must not know. Vampires have never been hurt by sunlight. It’s just a myth that’s been created through the ages. Our ancestors would hunt at night and avoided the day. That’s all.”

Lucile felt Serena’s arms tighten around him and he said no more. He walked through the streets of New York towards his home. He planned to nurture Serena to full health, and then he would teach her all she needs to know.  