APH: Metallic Eyes

Walking back home from a friend's house, you were content with the cool darkness and the mysteries it held. On this particular night, you were only concerned with getting home to your warm bed and maybe having a snack. Nothing could harm you, not in this mundane place and time.

As you turned a corner, you wondered if there was any juice at home or if you'd have to drop by the convenience store—

A dangerous glint shone to your side and you squeaked in fear. When nothing leaped out at you to steal your lifeblood or maul you to bits, you took a deep breath and continued on to your house.

It was just a simple sparkle of some sort in the never-ending night pulsating around you. There couldn't have been anything sinister lurking in the darkened, sleepy city. Not here in this ordinary suburban—

That same glint flashed from down an alley and your breath hitched. You were hoping that you were paranoid and seeing things and not being stalked by a psycho killer. Mustering up whatever courage you had, you decided to fast-walk the last stretch of sidewalk to your house.

When you took your first step away from the alley, a shadow seemed to come to life and rush at you. It pushed you into the street, pinning your wrists above your head and pressing its weight down against your body. Before you could scream, it covered your mouth with its hand.

"Hello," it purred into your ear, "keep still now, love, I'm not going to hurt you yet." Its tongue traced your jaw line and then down to your jugular. "If you don't struggle I promise it won't sting too much."

You shrieked against its palm and writhed in its hold.

Sighing, it tied something around your mouth to muffle your screams. "If you're not going to listen to me then you've forced me to do this the hard way." Then it picked you up like a baby and cradled you against its chest.

It dashed back into the alleyway, running at an inhuman speed to wherever its destination was. Seconds faded to minutes and your sense of time blurred as it cut through the night. The scenery blurred so you couldn't tell where you were going or figure out your way back home. Suddenly, the frigid air that was rushing past you faded to almost cozy warmth and you found yourself in a living room.

The beast that kidnapped you set you back down on your feet and you stared in shock at it. He had electric green eyes and wheat-colored hair, a black jacket and blue jeans, a fierce disposition and a smile with elongated canines.

"Arthur Kirkland," he said in an English accent and bowed his head slightly, "vampire. Tell me your name if you like, I don't care."

"N-Name," you stuttered as you stared at his fangs. "A-are you g-going to kill me?"

Arthur gave you a look of false worry. "Are you worried, love? Are you worried that the big bad vampire is going to drain you until you're paler than the moon?" He shoved you against a wall roughly and growled. "Well, tonight you're lucky. I'm not interested in killing you anymore."

"Why not?" You whimpered as he brushed some of your hair away from your neck.

"You look positively adorable when you're scared, is all, love," he murmured as he pressed his lips to a vein. "I'll take what I need and let you go . . . maybe make you my familiar."

You gasped when his teeth grazed against your skin. "Make me your familiar?"

"A blood source, love, maybe a servant or friend or . . . toy."

Those fangs of his sank into your flesh and you shrieked in pain. Before your vision faded to nothing, you caught a glimpse of Arthur's eyes flashing from emerald green to metallic gray and back as he drank from you.

---

When you finally managed to open your eyes, you found yourself pressed into a small space and being held against a deathly-cold body. You squirmed uncomfortably, only to rouse the person holding you in a loose hug.

A groan sounded and you could feel someone nuzzling their nose against your cheek. "Name, it's ten in the bloody morning . . . I need to sleep."

Upon realizing that it was Arthur Kirkland the vampire, you began to struggle vehemently. "Let me—!"

Arthur clucked his tongue. "Oh hush now, you're just being difficult." You felt his hand run through your hair almost soothingly. "I've taken a liking to you and let you live, what more could you ask for?"

"Just let me go!"

"I suck just a little of your blood and this is how you react?" Arthur sighed as he continued to stroke your hair. "It's not like you need all of it; I only took enough to get me through the week."

Tears started to flood your eyes. "What are you going to do with me?"

"Are you . . . ?" Arthur exhaled slowly to calm himself down. "I can't believe that you're actually crying."

You began to sniffle and sob.

"Love, don't cry," he murmured, slightly annoyed. "I'm not going to kill you or anything; you're just my permanent blood source now. That just means that every now and then I'll take a little blood from you, not enough to kill you, and in return I give you some of mine to keep you young forever without changing you. It's a pretty fair trade off, don't you think?"

"What about my friends and family?" you questioned. "They're going to wonder why I'm not growing old . . ."

He was silent for a moment as he mulled it over. "Go and take care of any unfinished business, say your goodbyes, and return here when you're done."

"Arthur—?

"We're going to fake your death, love, so make this last day count."

A harsh sob shook your body. "I can't do it, I didn't even ask for this . . . !"

". . . You didn't want to die."

"You could have just let me go—!"

"You would have died anyways."

"What are you—?

The vampire touched just where he had bitten you the night before, the jolt of pain it caused made you cringe. "Vampires have a sort of venom. Once we bite someone, the venom leaves our fangs and courses through your blood. It shuts everything down slowly, and the only cure is our life-prolonging blood. If you drink enough of it at one time, it'll neutralize the venom. If you drink it periodically without the venom, it'll keep you at the same age for however long you drink it."

"But if I drink your blood, can't you just let me go?"

" . . . No."

"Why?" you asked frantically. "Why can't you let me go?"

"I've taken a liking to you, as annoying as you are," he explained curtly, "and I intend to keep you. So feel lucky; your new lover is a vampire. I'm sure that many teenage girls are extremely jealous of your position."

"But—"

"No buts." Arthur leaned into you and brushed his lips lightly against yours, giving you your first of many vampire kisses. "You're mine now, love, so learn to enjoy it."

Your eyes slowly closed as you yielded to his caresses and kisses. Pulse racing beneath his frigid hands, his mouth sought the side of your neck and finally, as slowly as he could manage so he wouldn't scare you, his fangs sank into your skin for the second time.