I don't know what happened.

I am running blind down the alleyway, my clothes splattered with blood, and from what I don't know.

It happened so quickly.

I was being accosted by a mugger, he was threatening me with a wicked-looking knife and telling me to give him all my money, when a movement out of the corner of my eye, just a blur, flashed by us swirling the papers that littered the ground and something warm and wet splashed the front of my jacket and across my face. As I looked back up at the mugger, he had a very surprised look in his eyes, his lips formed a silent 'O', as his hands fell to his sides, his knife clattered to the cement and his head slowly tipped backwards revealing the line across his neck, as his head continued tipping back and falling from his shoulders in a slow motion.

My God! The blood spurted like a fountain from the stump of his neck as the body slowly toppled to the ground exposing a shadowy slender figure that was directly hidden by the body at first. The shadowy figure glanced up, glowing green eyes from the depths of Hell locked with mine and a scream ripped from my chest. The next thing I know I am pumping my legs for all they are worth, glancing behind me, expecting to see the Hounds of Hell hot on my heels. Nothing seems to be behind me, and I have been running hard and fast for a good 20 minutes. Whatever it was I seem to have lost it or it had no interest in me.

I stumble to a halt and lean my forehead against the cool cement wall; matted auburn hair sticks to my sweaty face.

My breath coming in ragged gasps as I try and bring my racing thoughts into something coherent.

What the hell just happened!

As if reading my mind of what I just thought, a disembodied voice says, 'I had to feed and it is so much more pleasurable to do so when the prey think THEY are the ones who are in charge and superior.'

A deep, rumbling laugh softly echoed along the alleyway.

A soft whispered breath grazes my neck and I twirl around in sudden fright....nothing is there.

What the hell have I gotten myself into I think to myself. This is not good. Damn, damn, damn...

Suddenly, a figure emerges from the shadows, moving at inhuman speeds, and grabs me. I fight for a moment, but the figure is inhumanly strong, and I am exhausted. I twist in the inhuman grip, and come face to face with the shadow-figure. Glowing green eyes and long canine teeth sparkle in the moonlight, and a scream bursts from my lips. I feel a hand on my head, pulling my hair, pulling my head back; I feel the bite on my neck, a sharp, searing pain...

The pain is so intense as if my very blood was aflame. I have never felt anything like this. My sight has abandoned me as the lamps dim to blackness, and I feel my life drain from me and into Him.

I do not know who this man is, but I know one thing for sure: He was not human. I could sense a feral, animalistic nature in him as my life slowly ebbed away.

Then, just as I felt the last shreds of life fled my body, I felt Him pull away, slice his arm and press it firmly to my mouth. Dark fluid rolled over my tongue and dripped down the back of my throat. I knew only one thing at that moment: I must drink to live.

I swallowed the dark blood that welled from the cut, then fell back screaming, my back arching and fingertips scratching bloody lines in the ground. This pain was completely different from anything I had ever felt before, excruciating beyond mortal bounds as if my heart itself was about to burst from my chest. My sight had returned to some extent, and I saw Him leave, walking at a hurried pace away from the scene of my torment.

I lay there, trying to hold back from screaming as my body spasmed. Trying to control the pain, but failing miserably.

Then, all of a sudden, the pain stopped as if it never happened.

I stood up, and tried to understand what had just happened. I felt very odd, not hot or cold, no aching muscles, no pain from the bite... Actually, to tell you the truth, I felt good. For the first time I could remember, I actually felt really good. But there was something knawing at the back of my mind; something like when your hungry, and it was just before lunch or dinner. No. This was more than hunger, it was starvation, like I had not eaten in days. I had to eat something, but I didn't know what, but a strong craving fills me and the hunger is undeniable.

I do not know what has happened to me, but this night has changed me.....

Karik