December 17th 2009, Haven

I lay in the darkness.

My mind races along a multitude of thoughts interweaving and entwined amongst themselves. I have been awake now for about five minutes. Every night its the same I awaken 5 minutes before the timer's trigger. I adjusted the timers to five minutes prior and lo I awake five minutes before them. Now I just have come to accept that its part of my routine. Although routine is truly a double edged blade, it offers comfort and reassurance but makes you predictable and vulnerable.

Counting down inside my head I relax and focus my mind. 5...4...3.. and there I can feel it... 2.. like I have taken a side step into the shadows... 1. Silently I lean and roll out of the cot and to the side the darkness washing around me, pausing to lift the weighty magnum from its velvet pillow.

Slowly the lights begin to come on dimly at first and then gradually increasing with each passing moment. Sufficiently slow to avoid the flashing blindness one often is subjected to living this lifestyle. From my crouched position and knowing the reassurance I am not visible I take in the room. My slow gaze ensuring everything is in the place I left it and nothing has moved.

Content I straighten slowly and let myself become visible again. The quiet rasp of my talons across the scales of my scalp echoing quietly in the room. Working my way over to the desk I pause and flip on the coffee maker. As I sit and power up the machines the quite drip drip starts up behind me like a slow heart beat.

I fire off the email download I run the diagnostics checking the seal on both outer doors and the air/gas levels in the ante-chamber. All normal, good no unexpected explosions happening there then. The heavy rich aroma of the dark French roast wafts through the chamber. Inhaling subconsciously the vapors tease my sense of smell, the residue of my mortal existance.

Rolling the chair away from the computer I flip the power switch killing the brew, empty the grinds and put a fresh set in place for the next day. I move towards the door grabbing my coat and hat, sliding the pistol grip shotgun into the lining and the stake mirroring it on the other side. The experience in the Mill's last night had unsettled me or rather drove home the realities of my new home. That an the suspicion of Fursa being ... well once a boy scout always a boy scout and I was most definitely prepared now. Carefully disarming the security measures I headed out into the night, pausing to rearm them as I left.

Still unused to having called on the blood I was ravenous. The urge to feed was not going to be curtailed this night without some major nourishment that was for sure.

Time has taught me that when this happens deal with the now as fighting it only worsens the craving's, this causes mistakes. Mistakes, the word hangs momentarily suspended in my mind and my fingers trace the long gash down the left side of my ribs.

The hollow voice in my head murmur's a phrase which snaps me out of my trance and have me on my way.

I used to hate the hunting. The tracking of the prey. The suckling of life as a means of sustaining ones self. But now, now I have started to enjoy it. The smell of fear of the harried prey.

Invisible I stalk down the alleyway the quiet sounds of my target rustling ahead of me. Then I strike.

The small furry form writhes slower and slower, weaker and weaker as I sup from my plate. Finished I wrap the creature in paper and stuff it in my pocket for later disposal. I turn to leave feeling better but still needing more. Having called the blood into use after so many years I revelled in the sensation and I knew I would need it again. Then I detected the faint echoing scratches of life from way back in the alleyway. Slipping invisible again I move quietly towards the sounds.

The mouth of the storm drain lays open to me I can hear the large nest of rats tracking something in the sewer. Curiosity besting my common sense I lower my self down in to the dark tunnels. I could hear rapid foot falls splashing down the tunnel away from me, the rats churning around my feet chasing after their own dinner.

Reaching down I grab two and feed as I move with the pack. Letting them pressure of there bodies against my ankles direct me onwards. Dropping the half used carcasses to their brother's I retrieve two more. Now I feel much better yet. Just one more. Besides I have to find what they are chasing.

As we rounded the corner I had missed the tell tale signs. The scurry of the rats hid the absent sounds of his footsteps, as well as the scrape of the large piece of wood he had picked up from the collection of storm wash that littered the tunnel. He had been swinging wildly as I rounded the corner, barely aiming for the rats. And it was the back swing that caught me under the chin. Flailing and losing my mask along with my balance I fell with a splash into the murky waste encrusted waters.

He had stopped and turned when he heard me hit the surface I guess. Despite my best efforts I still surged up out the water gasping for air, the surprise over riding the instincts I would normally have held in check.

The homeless man in his armor of used moth eaten discarded clothing and armed with his sword of wood had ceased his swinging. He gaped as my true monstrous form lurched up in the water, he eye's widening at the rivulets cascading over my scaled pale white skin. Then with a high-pitched scream he had taken off.

Cursing I pulled myself from the putrid torrent. Thinking rapidly I started shambling after him. Homeless he may be but if he talked to the right people with the situation here as it is right now I would have been up to my neck in shit, again.

Hearing him slip and fall ahead in the distance I paused in my pursuit. Grinning at my idea I had shedd my clothing and tucked the final bundle up between pipes overhead. Still grinning I eased myself quietly into the slowly moving water with a much more controlled entry this time around.

There were no masks only me, my true form extended and naked in the water. Gliding down like something from a B movie I tried to stretch my form elongating myself, my scales glistening just beneath the water. The top portion of my head extended just above the surface.

Panting he had laid there propped against the wall his wild eyes scanned backwards and forwards along the walkway. In his shaking hand he held a bic lighter. its dangerous aura danced in the darkness. Seeing the naked flame in the darkness I had almost pulled back. Stealing my self-control I swam quietly toward him.

Extending my teeth I braced against the edge of the tunnel below his spot. Taking the foul water into my mouth I held it there. Then I let loose.

Launching myself from the still waters I lunged and sprayed water at the flame. The last thing the man would have seen as his light was extinguished was a distented, scaly, mouth full of jaws coming straight for him. Grabbing his ankle I yanked him into the water. I knocked him unconscious and pulled his drenched form back up on to the walkway and then carried him all the way back, stopping only to retrieve my clothing bundle and arsenal.

When he came around I was wearing a different mask, he saw a scruffy young street girl leaning over him with a concerned look on her face. He was disorientated and scared. He had asked in a shaky voice what happened?, what was going on?, where was he?, where was the monster? I quietly explained in a nervous tone that he had suddenly came running out of the storm drain, dripping wet and in a blind panic. He was yelling something about a crocodile and then slipped and banged his head on the way down knocking himself out. He pushed himself away from me his face contorted in confusion.

Backing away I asked if he was ok. Between rapid glances between the tunnel and myself he seemed to indicate he was fine. Turning I walked away in the night definatly one of those night's you just want to keep to yourself.