Chapter 1

The air had been crisp and bitter for a few nights that October and thus I walked more briskly to my flat in downtown London. The streets were virtually deserted at that time of night except for the few vagabonds and riff-raff who inhabited them. I knew-or should say-I thought I knew they were harmless so I was never incredibly cautious when traveling home, a mistake that would be of great cost to me. Something in the form of a man had been tracking me for several blocks. To this day, I often wonder why he chose to follow me that night. Perhaps he could sense the sorrow I was feeling as a result of the recent death of my brother, Philippe, and it had aroused his inhuman nature.
Yet when the man approached me for the first time, I would have never characterized him as inhuman. He certainly was darker than most because he wore an ebony cloak measuring from head to toe and his hair was long and black like a horses mane. He also stayed far enough away that I could not clearly see his face. However, I did not expect him to be the sort to disturb the peacefulness of a fall night the way he had in the coming moments.
"Can you help me with something?" asked the man, whose voice should have alerted me to his cruel intentions. However, I had been troubling over my brother on the walk home and I was not as aware as should have been to the hollowness of his tone.
"With what?" I replied in a somber manner.
"I need something that I think only you can help me with," he explained. Of course with that statement I was skeptical of whether I should just keep walking or not. Unfortunately, it would not have mattered either way because he was just toying with me, the way a cat paws at his prey before it kills it.
"Well if you tell me what it is then I will be certain if I can help you or not," I claimed quite firmly. "And who are you?"
The dark figure approached me enough to where I could see his eyes and the strange curl of his lips. His pale skin contrasted with the blackness of his attire and his eyes looked like those of a wolf. Upon seeing his shocking appearance, I doubled back a few steps. But he came closer to me again so this time I remained fixed realizing that he would surely keep the distance between us the same.
"The problem is I cannot really explain to you how you can help me. I need to show you before you will understand. Come with me and you will know who I am."
"I do not think I am going to leave with you, especially at this time of night. Are you sure you cannot tell me the what you need me for?" I said. And with the last inclination of my voice he grabbed my coat and pulled me up to him and off the ground. I remember how cold his hands were because I could feel them through the layers of clothes. By now, I was becoming increasingly scared and it did not help that a reddish tint had replaced the whites of his eyes. "You are coming with me!" he snarled through his ashen teeth. "All I need you for is blood and I am going to leave your pathetic, desiccated body in this alley!" The words reverberated in my brain and I struggled to break free. Though fighting his powerful grip proved to be very futile. As we fought each other, he removed one hand from my body and clasped my hair with it. After which he pulled my head down to expose the side of my neck. I thrashed very violently, yet I could not escape him still. Suddenly there was a burning pain on my bare neck and I yelped like a wounded rabbit. It felt as though molten lava streamed through my veins and out again through the gash on my neck. When he finally released me, I fell to the ground, in a malaise from what had just been done to me.
"You tasted much better than the last urchin I seized here. The sorrow in your soul made your blood sweet. Thank you." His words passing in and out of my tired ears. "Unfortunately, I do not lie and you will rot here." By this time, the sounds around me faded to a dull white noise.
"What...did you me," I mumbled with the tiny bit of strength I could muster before my head got too dizzy and everything darkened.