• At Dawn

    The night was cold and moonless and a complete contrast to the dance floor of the nightclub, Tsuki. Wading through the heaving mass of bodies Iris searched for her friend. She wished she could return to the clear air of the street outside, but her work mate Elena had insisted she come with her to this new club. Apparently the name ‘Tsuki’ meant dawn and Elena planned to party until dawn. Iris sighed; this wasn’t really where she wanted to be, searching for her friend who had abandoned her in favour of some tight t-shirt wearing blond man. Several sets of hands tried to grab her as she made her way through the crowd, but Iris pushed them all away. She would find Elena, pull her away from her latest man and tell her that she was going home. She strained her eyes to scan the darker corners at the back of the nightclub. After catching sight of her friend, she began to make her way over, only to stop again.
    There was a dark haired man standing nearby watching the couple with a slight smile adorning his pale features. Iris narrowed her eyes, her temper rising. ‘What a pervert!’ She thought angrily, glaring daggers at him. As though sensing her gaze he turned his head. Colourless eyes met hers without hesitation, even though she still stood in the midst of the many intoxicated dancers. She frowned at him, clearly displaying her disapproval before pointedly looking away. Iris started towards her friend again, intending to warn her about pale eyed perverts. But before she had taken barely two steps an arm wound its way around her waist. Iris moved to brush the arm away, but he was strong. She was spun around to face the stranger. With a shock she recognised the peculiar man who had been watching her friend a second ago.
    ‘How did he get over here so fast?’ was the first thought that entered her head. Then anger swept over her, who did he think he was pulling her around like this? Looking up she found his light grey eyes gazing down at her from beneath dark strands of long hair. She opened her mouth to tell him to keep his hands to himself.
    At that second the stranger closed his eyes. When he opened them again Iris felt all the words die in her throat. His eyes seemed to glow with an eerie inner light that reminded her of the moon. Her limbs felt lethargic and her mind clouded. She felt like a puppet as she stared into the eyes of the one pulling the strings. Iris found she couldn’t pull away, or was it that she didn’t want to? She wasn’t sure, proper thought seemed impossible right now and in a way it was a relief to no longer bear responsibility for her actions. Iris’s arms were placed around his neck and her body pulled closer. They danced and she allowed it, mind still clouded by a pleasantly vacant fog. She felt she would like to remain like this forever, in the arms of a mysterious stranger.
    When he stepped away she swayed slightly at the loss. When he took her hand gently in his, she followed him obediently across the dance floor. Nobody touched them as they melted through the crowd. He led her outside, away from the sweaty and heated air of the nightclub, and down an alley. She watched the sway of his long black hair in its loose tie, mesmerised by the subtle light playing off the silken strands. Stopping at the dead end of the alley, he turned pulling her towards him again. Iris sank into his arms, feeling utterly content and as secure as if she had known him her entire life. In a way it felt as though her life so far had been leading up to this moment.
    He leant down, a hand smoothing her dark red hair away from her neck. The blanket of fog lifted from her mind as a sharp pain erupted in her neck. Fire ran through her veins and she screamed, writhing in agony. The vampire held her tightly even as her vision failed and she fell into darkness.

    *

    Elena handed the man a slip of paper with her number on it. She winked at him before turning and heading back to the dance floor swaying her hips. She felt guilty for abandoning Iris after dragging her to this club. But the night was young and she had plenty of time to make amends with her friend.
    Elena pushed her way through the crowds, only momentarily distracted by reaching hands. She turned left and right searching for her friend, slowly becoming more anxious. She was nowhere to be found. Surely Iris would not have left the club without her? They had agreed to inform the other if they were leaving. Maybe she had just gone outside for a moment to get some fresh air? Elena began to forge her way towards the exit.
    But when she finally reached the door a tall man appeared, blocking her path. She tried to step around him but he moved to block her again. A cold hand tilted Elena’s chin upwards and her gaze was caught by a pair of glowing silver eyes. A gentle numbness crept through her body and she felt the strength drain from her limbs. With his free hand the man wiped a smear of something red from his lips. Releasing her chin, he took hold of her hand, leading her into the night outside.
    It did not occur to Elena’s clouded mind to resist. She did not remember why she had been heading outside. She did not remember her friend, whose name had faded from her thoughts. She did not remember who she was and soon she would not remember anything.