"On swift tail flaming
From storm and south
He comes, pale vampire,
Mouth to my mouth."
-James Joyce, "Ulysses"
* * * * *
The full moon sat suspended in mid-air, still and quiet, beaming brightly through Delicious City's darkness. The moonlight was exquisite, but I found it to be disturbing the dark miasma of the shadows, crawling uncertainly across the city, toying with the edges of my vision.
Turning away, I knew it was time to get ready.
I walked back through the kitchen, down the hall and to the shower, undressing along the way and tossing my things into the bedroom through the open door. I stepped in and onto the cold tile, ran the water as hot as I could stand it, let it run over me, flood my hair, my eyes, my mouth. My left hand was gripping the towel bar the entire time--I was weak, I could have fallen at any moment.
But I don't have to tell you that.
I turn off the water after a few more minutes . . .smoothed my hair back and twisted some of the water out, let the hair hang heavily over my shoulder. I dried myself off quickly and slipped into the attire I had purposely chosen for tonight . . . a claret-colored silk dress that hugged my high breasts and draped long and flowing around my full hips, grazing my ankles. The dress accented by a single strand of garnet beads around my neck, long garnet earrings dangling almost to my shoulders, and a thin band with a blood-red stone on the ring-finger of my left hand. After dressing, I hurried back, afraid that it would already be time.
It wasn't. The moon was still there, though farther away now, higher. I breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, light flooded in through the window, setting every corner of the room, every color on fire, catching me by surprise.
You knew that would surprise me, didn't you?
The anticipation definitely had me in its grip, squeezing and twisting my insides, tugging on them until they stretched into my throat, forming a knot. A tremendous and hypnotic sound swam around and around me, like a flock of birds taking flight, soothing. I listened intently as it changed, came closer.