Halloween. The time of year creepy crawlers come out to touch the mortal, the living, the innocent, and the damned. The time where everyone has a waiting nightmare, and even the trees are strewn with leaves red as blood. Halloween, the time some worship the dead, reveling in their memory, touching the past for a brief moment until finally, with the dawn, the dead fade away back into obscurity, disappear, dissipate.
Yea, that's what some say, anyhow. I, on the other hand, think differently. I know very well and sure that the dead don't dissipate and disappear, because, well, I'm among their numbers. True, for some of us the dawn can be a, well, daunting prospect, but we're pretty much back once night falls again. Shade, Shade Montgomery, that's me, don't ask me what my birth name is because honestly I don't remember.
I guess one could say I'm not really dead, not a ghost or a zombie or what not. My heart beats, but I crave the taste of warm blood, the light of day poses a frighteningly harsh prospect to my pale skin and I desire the feeling of warm bodies against mine, be it man or woman,. Aaah, warmth, something I may only acquire by the grace of a living thing, I value it more then gold. Anyhow, back to Halloween. Like I said, maybe I am not completely dead, but what do you call some one who has lived for seven centuries? I have a hard time calling myself alive, however others of my kind have no such compunction.
Halloween is a time of year I can fully dress up in all my frightening glory, and walk the streets of any city at night without fear of some Holy Roller trying to steak me or some such, but its also a time of year most mortals, er, humans excuse me, yearn to feel the cool soothing touch of the dead. Let me tell you about my most recent Halloween, the year 2001, ah, it was a good Halloween indeed.
Murderer, Monster, those are names I'm used to hearing in the cinemas when talking about my 'race'. Interview with the Vampire was an absolute disgrace, however I did like Queen of the Damned, that Townsend fellow is quite pretty. Sorry, got off track again, let me set a few things straight before I go into my story. First, I am not a murderer, I don't like inflicting pain, and I do not sleep in a coffin, absolutely tasteless and melodramatic if you ask me, that whole coffin thing. My stomach isn't even large enough to drain one of you humans to the point of death, I just take myself a nibble and I let you wander off home without even the memory of my so called 'attack'. Now that those things are set straight, I'll go ahead and tell you my story.
I'd dressed up, I loved doing this every Halloween. I had a nice pair of skin tight black leather pants and one of those alluring fishnet shirts that showed the paleness of my chest off in striking contrast to the dark clothing. I had on a simple pair of boots I'd picked up somewhere, black of course, and a lovely black leather duster type coat. My shoulder length chestnut curls hung loose, and I decided not to add dramatic make up to my startling green eyes that night, they are dramatic enough without help. To be honest with you my attire wasn't much different then normal nights, but then again, normal nights you humans don't really get to see me much.
I wanted to find a nice lovely young innocent to spend the night with, frolicking and making love and well, eating, of course, so I took to the streets. I passed by bars, so many bloody bars it was rather disconcerting, in this day and age you know I'm not likely to find myself an innocent in a bar. Heh. So I passed the bars on by and wandered about town, it was early still, not later then seven PM, the kiddies were still out begging candy off of poor old folks trying to spend a nice evening home. I soon realized that the whole 'innocent' thing was going to be harder then I'd first anticipated, and I felt a frown creasing the pale features of my face, what I sight I must have been, death itself frowning. Hah!
So I continued to wander, all about town in this way and in that, turning large circles until I finally settled someplace near the library. It was late, the library had just closed and I figured maybe I'd find my innocent there. I waited, out in the shadows as the young little girls and boys exited the large building, not many of them really, but enough to catch my attention. After the last had exited, a sigh passed my lips and I frowned again, nope, not here, I thought to myself, turning away just as the sound of the door opening one last time caught my exquisite hearing.
I inhaled deeply of the autumn air, catching the young women's scent, Innocent. Yes, I can smell such things, its best not to go into all my talents or we'd likely be here for days, just suffice it to say I can smell these things. I turned my head and there she was, young woman, 18 or 19 maybe. She had on a pair of unflattering glasses covering her lovely sea-green eyes, her long light brown tresses were held back by some sort of rubber band, letting the ends just barely caress hips that were covered in a pair of too-big blue jeans. She had on a large jacket over her absolutely ordinary t-shirt and a pair of simply-white tennis shoes. As I looked at this 'diamond in the rough' my heart leaped against my chest, and I knew she was the one I wanted this night.
She began to walk by me, her eyes locked on the ground, watching every single step her little white tennis shoes took towards the last car in the parking lot, I figured it must have been hers. Stepping out before her I smiled, flashing fang, it was Halloween, I'm allowed such things on Halloween!
"Mmm..." I murmured, that smile tugging my lips into something that depicted obvious interest. She immediately jumped, looking up at me with those incredible eyes wide and startled. "What a lovely young woman, I am truly blessed to have been graced with such a sight this evening." I watched as my words sunk in, however, instead of embarrassment or shyness I would have expected, I saw a sudden anger flare in her.
"Ha. Ha. Ha." She said in a sarcastic voice, then began walking faster towards her car, leaving my mouth hanging open, more compliments dangling unspoken from my tongue. I quickly snapped my mouth shut, turning to follow her towards the little Honda CRX that must have been her car, catching up to her without a second thought.
"I beg of you, Lady, tell me how I have offended you this evening." I said in my most gracious of voices, surprised that one such as her would turn down beauty and danger such as me. I'm a vain thing at times.
She stopped, then slowly turned her eyes on me once more, "I do not appreciate you..." she waved a hand in my direction, a gesture of frustration, "Teasing me!" she finally finished, then turned to stalk towards the car, mumbling under her breath words that I am sure were not meant for my hearing, however I was able to catch them anyhow, I believe they were something akin to, 'God damnit, does he think I'm unaware of what I look like, no one would find me lovely, HAH. Let him tease me, I'll go home to my old Halloween movies and a nice hot shower and he can just shove it!'
"Oh, you are wrong, Pet." I said, quite loud enough for her to hear me, "You are beyond lovely, and I do not jest with you. You simply are not 'dressed to kill' as the phrase goes, but clothes aren't really all that important." I grinned roguishly, despite the fact her face was turned away from me while she tried to unlock her door.
