Aimin for the Heart by fm wright Artwork by seshadri_sreenivasan at FanArtReview.com |
Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of violence.
My name is Artemis Aims. My family has been in the hunting business for undocumented generations. It seems the time has come for me to produce the next in line. We have to be careful though, whom we choose to copulate with, because they would become part of our little world.
Right now, however, my mate is on the back burner of my to do list. From my position on this rooftop I have the advantage as my eyes equal to that of my prey's. I keep to these unnoticed places and wait silently, knowing that those I seek will come as assuredly as the sun will rise in the morning. Weapon in hand I'm ready to fire at a moment's notice. I know it's risky to do so from my present location but it's the best chance for success. The lycans are useful to an extent. While they can lower the population of the blood drinkers, they, in them selves, are threats to humans. That is why hunters such as myself are the only real solution. One of the nightwalkers has clearly made this area its feeding ground. Through compulsion they are able to conceal their deeds. Those such as I are able to surmount this and other of their abilities. Knowing what places they like best my patience pays off. Instantly pulling the trigger of my crossbow I release the bolt. Satisfied that it had pierced the sucker's heart I make my way down. Once on the ground I take an indirect route towards my fallen adversary. I do so, for many people are out and about, and I must be careful not to draw attention to myself. Taking an indirect route I finally reach my destination. I must now move swiftly as the staking of the heart will not totally quell those of her kind. While secrecy is important, I must also move swiftly, as the staking of the heart will not quell those of her kind. Arriving at my destination I survey the area. No one in sight I reach into my crossover bag. I remove from it a number of items. I glance around again. The outcome is the same. First, I take out a silver handle and matching axe blade. Connecting the two pieces I swing the axe in a downward arc. This results in the separation of her head from her shoulders along with a blood spray. I give another quick look around. Still undiscovered I take the axe apart. I place it back into the bag. I exchange it for a scalpel. I have barely squatted down when I hear the sound of footsteps behind me. Straightening back up I turn around. "Oh, good evening officer." "What are you doing there?" he demands. I look him in the eye and concentrate very hard. I couldn't compel him but I could plant an image in his mind so that he wouldn't see the truth. "Just picking up some items I spilled." I was prepared for the look of surprise on his face. "I could have sworn I saw a body under the clothes." "Guess that's how they landed in the heap." "Reckon so. Need any help in gathering them back up?" "No, I got it." "Well, okay then. Have a nice night." "Same to you." With the coast clear I return to my task. I use the scalpel to remove the punctured heart. That done, I use the Atomic lighter I had gotten out earlier and set her garments ablaze. I wasn't concerned about the blaze because a vampire burns quicker than a human and turns completely to ash. This means there's basically no chance that anyone would have taken notice. Soon the flame has burned itself out. While returning the scalpel and lighter to the bag I pull out an artificial flower. This I place in the midst of the ashes. I do it not for the monster she had become, but for the human she had once been. Now on with my other pressing matter.What to wear and where to start? So here I find myself in of all places, a bar. Trouble is, I don't even drink, but there are just some matches you can't make on e-harmony. However, one has to do what one has to do, I suppose. At least this is a sports bar. I slip into a seat in front of a large mounted screen. A waitress comes over and I order a coke. I explain that if things don't work out I will have to drive myself home. As I sit here there are several who make their advances. These I wave off. Though I like the game, when no prospects are forthcoming I consider trying another establishment. Before I can do so a guy who looks like he could play for one of the teams himself comes over. He calls the waitress over and orders a refill on his drink. "You come for the company or the atmosphere?" Before I can answer I feel a tingling inside. I can't tell whether he's the cause or someone else nearby. I just know that someone in the room has a taste for blood. A shout goes up as the favored team scores. I take this opportunity to lay down enough to cover the drink and tip. Heading for the doorway I demean myself for being weaponless. As I am doing so, someone grabs for me from behind. I strike out with a backhanded swing. I hear profanity as a family heirloom seems to have made contact. A solid ring of silver certainly would have made an impression. I didn't like abandoning innocents with a monster among them, but a crowd was not the place to deal with this foe anyway. Better to let them believe the creatures I fight are all products of urban myth perpetuated in books and by Hollywood. I retrieve my crossover bag from my car. As I wait in the darkness no one else is forthcoming; especially the one I had apparently marked with my ring. Certainly he would not be so brazen as to feed in a throng of witnesses. I could only hope not; for I knew of none powerful enough to compel so many at one time. My only recourse is to hunker down and be ready. After all, my target had to come out sooner or later. When they do pour out of the bar my radar goes up. Sadly he is in the group. There was but one thing I could do at this point and that was to get them before they went their separate ways; if indeed, that was what they were going to do. Now armed, I insert myself into the group. "Didn't think I was going to see you again," Mr. Possibility admitted. "Yeah, sorry about that." We smile at each other then engage in idle chitchat as we walk along. The others drop off till only three of us remain and one of them is a the bloodsucker I was sworn to slay. Taking a risk I plunge a stake into his companion's heart. Did I make the right choice? In response his fangs come out, but to no avail. "What did you just do?" handsome responds. "Take a look. See these canines? Once he got you alone he was going to make a meal out of your blood." "What are you saying?" "In good old American English I'm telling you that vampires and other monsters are real and that I hunt them down." With that said I repeat my earlier procedures-keeping a watch out for prying eyes. As before the corpse is quickly turned to ash. "Let's get out of here," I encourage. "Okay, how about we go somewhere and I'll buy you whatever kind of drink you want and you can explain to me everything that just transpired." "Are you sure that is really what you want?" "Quite." "Well, I could go for a latte at Starbuck's." As we depart I leave behind a plastic lily. Even away from the area and the vampire's ashes the tingling feeling remains. Mother said it was the same when she met my father as it was whenever she got in range of a fanged one. How could that be? I ponder. The coffee shop is crowded but we manage to find a table in a corner for just the two of us. He watches me while I take a sip. "I never did get your name," he inquires. I tell him. After I do so he puts his cup to his lips. That's when I notice a curious scar on his wrist. I wonder is he the one meant for me or just another I have to take down?
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