Blood Scent

[SachiGrl]

Blood Scent

Ignorance is Bliss

A new perfume is being tested on select humans.


The human guinea pigs volunteered for a nice sum of money.


Little do they know that the effects of this perfume will drive them mad.


How long will it take them to realize that what they see is real?


Can they get rid of the scent lingering on their skin?


Will they report their findings?


Will they survive?

 

[KidnappedKiss]

Aria sat in what she could only call a conference room. With the oval shaped table and the numerous chairs lining the outside of it....This was obviously a room where people came to discuss the important matters. The types that made advancements in technology or promised civilians easier means of surviving the day to day struggles known to her as life.

She sighed passively as she tapped her fingers against the table, leaning back in the swirly chair as she stared out the glass wall that served as a window and overshadowed numerous smaller buildings within the city. Bakeries and homely places where people tried to make a living in competition with the large corporations surrounding them.

She'd gladly stepped forward to test out a new perfume at the promise a substantial amount of money would be paid to those that volunteered. Well, not really substantial....but it was enough for her to pay her bills this upcoming month. That was substantial to her these days.

The day she'd signed up the people in charge of administering the perfume testing had assigned her a date to come to this very building to undergo the process. So, here she was, sitting in patience as she waited for the inevitable to come.

She reached into her pocket to retrieve her phone, hoping to text her friend so they could meet up after this was all over, but just as she went to pull her phone out she was greeted by the door to the room opening and several men stepping in. Adorning clothes of white and black, they seemed to be the epitome of professionalism in her cloudy judgement. She decided she had to make a good image for them in order to avoid any suspicions that she was only here because she needed the money they were paying.

Out of nowhere, a vile emerged from one of the men. The liquid within the container wasn't visible, but she naturally assumed that couldn't mean anything. After all, maybe they were simply being overly cautious over what they allowed the volunteers to know.

The men began talking, but she couldn't really comprehend anything they were saying. Though she could clearly hear them.

In fact, all she knew was that she was going through the motions. She'd allowed them to administer the perfume with ease and without protest. She didn't see why she should. It was just a perfume. What could go wrong? These things were relatively safe nowadays.

Her experience with shopping at perfume stores had taught her to always trust fragrances. Simply being able to test out this new scent before numerous others would be a gift, not a tragedy.

Therefore, she sat like a proper doll and allowed them to take their tests before they'd let her go. She was patient. Then, afterwards, she would go out with a friend to celebrate a day's work well done.​

 

[SachiGrl]

Nicholas was sleeping soundly in bed without a care in the world. It was his day off from work, so he was entitled to sleep late. The sun was bright and birds were whistling outside, but thanks to his thick curtains, he tricked his body into sleeping longer than necessary in his cold dark room. Lucy, on the other hand, was fed up with waiting for Nicholas to wake and decided to slobber his face. "Hmmm... Aria..." he seemed to be liking Lucy's wet kisses, but was still in his sleep-like trance. The blonde Labrador jumped on his bed and started to dig at his covers. This frightened Nicholas enough to wake him, "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" He sat up face to face with Lucy. She gave a nice welcoming peck on his cheek. He petted her drowsily and decided it was about time to get out of bed anyway. It was three in the afternoon.


He let out an obnoxious yawn as he nonchalantly walked into his bathroom. He gave himself a long look. He had a warm rosy color on his fair skin from being all warm and cozy in his bed. He was only wearing his AlienCraft boxer briefs like the true nerd he was. He looked at his dull brown eyes and his very human complexion. One day, he was going to tell Aria the truth about himself... maybe. Humans like Aria don't know demons and vampires exist. He himself was a demon. He had pitch black skin with bright yellow eyes. His skin even had a bulging tribal design throughout it. Though his silhouette and facial features were about the same, his teeth was sharper than a doctor's scalpel and his tail was simply an odd sight. He imagined it was an intimidating sight. Maybe too intimidating to tell Aria just yet. He gave his teeth a quick brush and his face a quick splash of water.


Suddenly, he heard his phone blowing up. It was set on silent, but it was vibrating like a scared chihuahua. He gave a loud laugh once he saw what was causing all the commotion. His gamer friends apparently just woke up too and their messaging him to play. He messaged them back on his game chat application that he'll be on shortly. Without a second thought, he hopped onto his large, comfy, black, office chair and turned on his computer. His faithful friend Lucy was laying on his feet lazily, keeping it warm with her blonde hair. She looked at him with her big brown eyes and wagged her tail happily every time he spoke. He had his headphones on with a little microphone attached to it. He spoke casually to the other online players, "Let's rush the Zoonanders in 10 minutes." A series of tapping noises on the keyboard followed by faint responses from his headphones were heard, "Ah, Lazer, you think you'll have enough units by 10? If not, you can protect our bases... just in case" Tap, tap, tap his fingers went to work as he sent his units to gather, some to build more structures, and others waiting for battle. His eyes went wide as he spotted an enemy on his creep, "Protigans! Protigans! They're cannon rushing!" His tapping on the keyboard increased greatly. "To the left! To the left! I'll send my Roarmanders," Lucy's tail was going off like a helicopter because of Nicholas' excitement.

 

[KidnappedKiss]

After administering the perfume, they kept her for what felt like forever. They didn't even really apprear to be doing anything. They just did a couple mock tests to ensure she was still breathing. After all, she thought, what did it matter if it had any negative impacts on her? She had signed up to be a test subject, willingly. Heck, she was actually happy to be paid for the bother of having to be at this building so early in the day. She wasn't going to complain nor was she going to ask too many questions. Perfume was perfume. That was all there was to it. She simply figured they kept her for a bit to ensure the perfume didn't have any horrid smell after so much exposure to the outside world or something. That would be the only concern these days. If the sweet smell didn't last, people wouldn't buy. But testing perfume wasn't dangerous. They'd figured out how it was made. It was a science. Science was exact. So she had little to worry about.

Once they finally did release her from their grasp, they handed her an envelope that was sealed quite neatly. On the front her name was written in big, cursive letters. Obviously, it seemed, someone had put a lot of effort in making the handwriting look professional and sophisticated.

She stepped outside without any thought, pausing only momentarily to stare into a glass window at her reflection. She adjusted her hat and grinned proudly, satisifed she'd garnered a handful of cash for the day. Quite a big handful at that. She could pay her bills and still have a bit to blow on her own personal desires. She would gladly call in sick for one of her part time jobs tomorrow and lounge about the house all day playing with Outlaw or indulging in wild shopping spree. Maybe she'd finally buy that camera she'd been eyeing these past few months.

With the money safely tucked away in her shoulder bag, she pulled out her phone and sent a message to a close friend of hers. A friend by the name of Nicholas.

The message read as follows:

"I've just finished my work for the day. Contact me when you're free to hang out. I've got time and money to waste."

Though the message could be taken in many different ways, the words were endearing. She didn't waste time or money with just anyone. They had to be special. Significant to her isolated world. She may have been friendly, but she tried not to keep a big group of friends. It was too much to keep up with in her eyes.

Upon getting the message sent she put her phone away and headed into a nearby coffee shop, ordering a warm beverage for her stroll. The day was bright and sunny, illuminating the world with its intensity. Yet a small, gentle breeze rolled in occasionally. Summer was slowly drawing to a close. Fall would be upon them soon.

Drawing in a deep breath of the coffee shop, she sighed in relief. The hard part of today was over. Now, she would relax.​

 

[SachiGrl]

Nicholas has been playing AlienCraft for hours without stopping for a break. His phone vibrated a few times, but he was too into his game to realize it. Suddenly, the natural urge to use the bathroom came in and he was forced to un-glue his eyes from his computer screen. He typed quickly into the chat log, 'BRB,' and grabbed his phone with him to the bathroom. It was naturally for him to grab his phone everywhere he went, and like the loyal dog Lucy was, she trotted behind Nicholas and waited patiently by the bathroom door. As he was sitting on the toilet, doing his business, he saw that Aria texted. He immediately texted her back, 'You? Money?' He joked at first then replied, 'Yeah, I'm free.' Now that he was focused on himself, he realized he hasn't eaten anything. His stomach gurgled noisily. He was thinking of the places to go. Should he go BIG and ask Aria on a date or just pick a casual place, so he can remain in the friend zone. He contemplated while sitting on the toilet. he stared at his phone for several minutes, indecisive as to what to respond with. If he didn't respond himself, she might simply offer a place she wanted to go to. Nicholas decided to leave their fate in her hands.


After using the bathroom and washing his hands and so on, he messaged his friends in the chat room that he had a date. His friends teased him saying he had a date with his hand named Manola and other similar jokes. He responded with a, 'LOL' and logged off from AlienCraft. He and Aria have been 'going out' for some time, but as friends. They met in a side gig a few years ago. They were both in a similar financial predicament that warranted them to take odd jobs. Nicholas loved guinea pig jobs because as a demon, he didn't have to worry about the side effects. He remembered after meeting her in the lobby that he 'went to the bathroom,' but he actually went to manipulate the scientists and researchers into giving her the placebo. He knew she was special from the get-go.She was very easygoing and quirky. This made him want to get to know her more and that fact that she likes playing games was a plus. He somehow ended up on the friend-zone. Actually, he's always in the friend-zone since he was a teen demon.


Demons, like himself, were raised in 'Hell' or what humans called hell. Their description of it is completely inaccurate, but very creative. He loved movies and how they depicted hell. His favorite was Little Nicky. That movie was the closest resemblance to his home, 'Hell.' There was no fire, no, but it was underground and they had living quarters and torture chambers very similar to the human lands. 'Hell' also had a portal for demons to transfer to the human lands. They even provided individual identities for each demon and they all were 'immigrants' from East Antarctica. Sadly, no demon, or none that he knows of, truly look human. They all had some strange feature, such as different colored skin, eyes, additional appendages, and ect. There were people described as Black on the human lands, but none of them were as black as Nicholas.


Nicholas changed into his usual nerd attire. He wore a fitted shirt with Samuel Jackson saying with his infamous eye patch, 'Hail Hydra one more time, I dare you!' A crossover shirt referencing the movies Pulp Fiction and The Avengers. He waiting by the door while Lucy waited by his said, waiting for Aria's response via text message.


The Monsters Surrounding Aria

Aria caught a few stares from passing pedestrians, but some did not relinquish their stare, but instead followed her. Specifically, vampires were on her trail. Little did Aria know, this area was infested with them. They are easy to mistaken as humans with Aria's eyes, but thanks to the perfume her skin absorbed and her nostrils inhaled, she can see past their human disguises.


One of the men who followed her practically choked upon seeing her. Her scent had him salivating like never before. He was extremely tall, 6'4'', pale like ghost, and had beady red eyes. He went by the name of Benedict. He ran his fingers through his hair and nonchalantly approached little Aria. "Hey there, gorgeous," his human disguise usually won the heart of all the maidens he pursued. He was hoping he would continue his lucky streak. He gave her his most devilishly handsome grin without realizing she could see his fangs as plain as day.


Twin vampire sisters, with auburn hair, pale skin, and the usual red beady eyes vampires had underneath their disguise, were also pursuing Aria discreetly. Their names were Clarissa and Jessica. They were chatting among themselves. Scheming their next move to acquire her. They both growled when man approached her. The twin sisters clung onto each other painstakingly as a strange hunger pulsated throughout their body. They had to have her. They must have her. Clarissa and Jessica looked at each other knowingly.


"Watch out!" Jessica said to Aria, "He's a player. Don't listen to him." Clarissa crossed her arms across her chest and hissed at the tall, intimidating man. She could smell that he was a vampire as well. Both of the twins placed their arms around Aria as the man stared dumbfoundedly at them. Jessica laughed, exposing her long fearsome fangs, "We showed him!" The twins thought they won Aria by socially defeated Benedict, but that wasn't going to stop him. He stepped back into the shadows within an alleyway and continued to follow Aria and now the twin vampires.

 

[KidnappedKiss]

Initially, Aria was caught off guard by the abnormal features that the man and the twins both adorned. The pale skin (which wasn't as unnatural in her mind), the scarlet eyes, and the sharp, pointed teeth that almost seemed to gleam when they smiled were the strange features she noticed. She was quickly enthralled by the idea that perhaps this district (that she wasn't all that familiar with anyways), was currently hosting some sort of Halloween-ish type party. At the very least it was a costume party! Those could be held anytime of the year! And, if the one hosting it was popular enough, you'd be gifted with the arrival of many guests.


"Thanks for the save back there, girls." She said, nonchalantly, though her gaze was thoroughly fixated on the features the twin's shared. How they seemed so abnormal to her humanoid mind. How it was so easy to imagine those eyes reflecting the slick, scarlet substance she'd often seen the numerous times she'd accidentally injured herself. They appeared, perhaps, animalistic in nature. Like a predator on the prowl or a monster hiding beneath the frame of your bed.


Yet, she reassured herself, perhaps they'd just gotten some highly detailed colored contacts for the party they were surely going to. Nobody walked through the crowds looking like that. It wasn't what society saw as normal. What was human to all of them and their feeble understanding.


"Once we get out of this specific district, I should be safe to go. I'm meeting up with a friend, actually. Do you two have plans? A party, perhaps? If not, you could join my friend and I? It would be an honor to get to know the two girls that saved me." And she spoke with all the sincerity in the world. Yet, she wasn't all that concerned with the girl's heroic efforts. She vivdly recalled the innumerable times she'd casually dismissed a flirtatious fellow who wanted to think she'd give them the time of day. She wasn't impressed by simple luxuries. She wanted glamor and weird and wild. She wanted to spend her time with someone that she could relate to on even her craziest levels. She wanted someone to help her grow as a person, as well as someone she could help grow too.


But people were fake these days. Artifical. Not always in the sense that they wore too much make up or dressed too much in extravagant clothes....She just felt like so many things had been lost. Forgotten. Somethings no longer had worth. They were, essentially, meaningless. They were wishy washy in telling about themselves. Like, if she liked music, they did too. But if she suddenly found she no longer did, they no longer did either. She wanted someone real to occupy her time. Someone who would share themselves with her. Even the dark things that would keep her up at night in thought and enchantment.


Without another thought, she pulled her phone out, having known that it had gone off sometime before. Seeing the text message, she casually responded with,'You're very funny. Have faith in my ability to score cash. Meet me at the usual place.'


The usual place changed quite frequently, actually. When they'd go somewhere new and it appealed to her, she would convince Nicholas that it should become their place from then on. Therefore, it would turn into the usual spot they'd go hang out. Their go-to for hanging out. It was special to her. So special that if she went out with someone (especially if she scored a date), she would naturally take them somewhere else.


Because the usual place was Nicholas and hers. It didn't belong to anyone else. They hadn't earned it.


After, she tucked her phone away and glanced to the twins, offering them a wide grin as she walked. She hoped that she would get a response soon, though. She wasn't really sure what to say to these girls, because everytime she tried to open her mouth to speak she only thought of their unnatural looks. How inhuman they appeared. And, she'd decided, she didn't want to upset the two of them.


So, she walked in silence, thinking of the day and how it had drifted by so fast.

 

[SachiGrl]

Jessica and Clarissa smiled at each other, "Well, first..." Clarissa began to say, "we haven't introduced ourselves. I'm Clarissa and this is Jess." She stood in front of Aria as she introduced herself and her sister. Suddenly, the wind blew past Aria, giving both twins a deep inhale of her alluring scent. They both nearly choked with the vast amount of saliva that accumulated in their mouths. They both hunched over, growling, gurgling, growing more hungrier than ever. When they simultaneously lifted their heads to Aria, their eyes were much more brilliant than before, practically glowing. Clarissa looked around them. No one in this precise moment was looking. She didn't think twice to push Aria into a dark alleyway where she threw herself on top of her. Jessica growled and followed her hungrily. Jessica pinned her legs downs while Clarissa had her upper body. "I ca-can't wait..." Clarissa said as she nearly drooled over Aria. "Me neither..." Jessica hissed in agreement.


Meanwhile

Nicholas leaned his head against the door as he stood in an awkward position. Lucy whined in concern. "What? You never seen me waiting like this by the door before?" he always looked bored or absent minded when waiting for Aria's texts. She, also, always took so long to write back. He didn't like doing other things while waiting for her text because he might simply get carried away and potentially miss an opportunity. This happened last year. She wanted to invite him to dance with her, but she started the conversation with a 'hello.' He responded, but completely forgot about their conversation because he turned on the television and something interesting came up on the news. Ohhh... never again will he miss that kind of chance even though he did suck at dancing.


His text ringtone went off. He had changed the sound settings on his phone already. He swung his fists around and yelled, "Yes!" Lucy barked contently along side him. "We're going to LazerLand!" Though the food there was horrible and could be bought in a grocery store within the processed, frozen food section. He didn't care. Overpriced junk food or not, he was chilling with Aria and nothing beats spending time with her. He was, also, glad he didn't have to change. Nerdy attire was his best attire. He petted Lucy good bye and went off to his ten year old, red Pontiac. A bit of the paint was chipped, but he still loved his baby. He cranked his Pontiac up and drove to his designated location. Sadly, he needed to use his GPS to find it. According to his telephonical device, he was to arrive to his designation in approximately 20 minutes with current traffic. Technology rocks. Speaking of technology. This LaserLand place only recently has been claimed as the 'usual' place. Before, the 'usual' place was Odyssey Arcade. Thank gawd she never treated him like their 'usual' places, otherwise they wouldn't have been friends for the time they have been.

 

[KidnappedKiss]

Aria's eyes widened as she was shoved roughly into the darkened alleyway and practically lunged at by the two girls. She had heard her phone slide out of her pocket and skid across the damp surface of the dirty, dreary alleyway. She could feel her heartbeat quickening as she stared up at the glowing orbs. They appeared, almost, as if they were lighting up the dark world around her. The savage, animalistic qualities she'd seen before were no longer fabrications of an idealistic mind. No, they were a reality. These girls - were they really that? - were almost like creatuers out of a horror film she beige watched on the weekends. Horrific monsters that sought to sate their murderous tendencies.


She struggled against her captors. Is this the end? The moment where all would come to an end before her? Or was it all some sort of dream? A simple image she'd created within her bored mind? Her futile attempts at escape were meaningless. She hadn't enough strength to fight the force of the restraints that bought her to the ground. Now would be a nice time for that charming pale man to come swooping in to safe her. Realistically, she hoped Nicholas would arrive out of no where like some galiant knight in order to ward these girls off. However, she highly douted that Nicholas would suddenly come driving through this district of town and find her in trouble. It was a mere fantasy to believe this was actually happening. And, if it was really occuring then she knew that it was all a mere daydream to think someone would materialize to save her. She wasn't a dreamer. She knew better than to think that this was going to end in some happily ever after.


If it was happening at all. Perhaps something in the air had messed with her senses? Or this district was a ludicious one?


After all, no one gave her this much attention on a regular basis. Why was she suddenly so popular with such beautiful people?


She quicky brushed away these thoughts. She didn't have time to worry about these trivial matters. She had to escape. More importantly, she had to survive.


And, with these current situation, she was assuming her chances of survival were slim.

 

[SachiGrl]

Benedict was walking upon the roofs of the building neighboring the path of which Aria and the twins walked. He was wondering when the young twin vampires would make their move to strike their victim. Well, what they presumed as their victim. He still planned for her to be his catch of the day. With the scent she gave off, he couldn't imagine any other prey. Though this did baffle him, he wasn't the confrontational type of vampire other than flirting with human girls. He'd normally find another snack if one would steal his. He was truly a coward at heart. He, again, brushed his fingers through his dark brown hair, his signature quirk. This allure Aria gave off to him was almost like an alcoholic beverage. She gave him a courage he never knew he had. Perhaps, she should be more than a snack.


Alas, Benedict caught the twins viciously attack the human girl, shoving her into an alleyway where she was easily hidden by its darkness. He quickly jumped down from the forty feet tall building, landing with a loud thud behind the blood-thirsty twins sprawled all over Aria. He took hold of Jessica by the hair and slammed her against the stone building. Jessica shrieked in pain and fell to the floor limp. Clarissa jumped back hissed as she dragged Aria with her, deeper into the alleyway. "Back off!" she growled, "She's ours!" Jessie's open wounds began to seal and she looked up insanely at the sky laughing.


Benedict looked back Jessica with a risen brow. Clarissa took this moment to attack the defenseless male. She jumped at him, penetrating her nails deep into his flesh, then continued to claw at him. Pieces of himself spewing everywhere. Jessica took hold of his leg and bit it with all her might. Black gush oozed out of his legs and her mouth. He groaned annoyingly, but this wasn't the first time he's been in a fight. He fought his brothers unwillingly multiple times and they're far worst than these witches. He kicked Jess with his free leg and spun and ran himself and Clarissa against the wall. She yelped in pain as Jessica remained motionless on the bloody cement floor.


Meanwhile

Nicholas was snapping his fingers rhythmically and bobbled his head while listening to K-Pop music. He followed the directions of the robotic voice from the GPS application on his phone. 'Turn left then turn right at the fork,' he turned his wheel left then after a few beats he changed to the right lane and made a right at the fork obediently. He was barely focusing on the road, and his hand was using its natural instincts to drive. Two or three songs later, he was finally at Laser Land. It was a giant warehouse decorated with glow-in-the-dark spray paint. The place looked exceptionally cool in the dark.


He entered the warehouse and smelled all kinds of aromas: buttery popcorn, boiled hot dogs, preheated burgers and fries. Not to mention, the sweaty people fresh from playing a full hour of laser tag. The owner greeted him upon arrival. "Nicky, boy," he said with his deep Italian accented voice. "How long has it been, eh?" Nicholas greeted back, "Hey, Tony." He placed a finger over his chin thoughtfully, "About a month, I'd say." Tony looked around while holding his perfectly round stomach within the referee tee uniform, "Did I miss, li'l Ari?" Nicholas gave him a puzzled look, "You mean, you haven't seen her? She was suppose to meet up with me." Tony lifted a finger up in the air signifying, 'Hold on one moment.' He walked up to one of the female cashiers. He looked like he was asking her if she has seen Aria. Judging by the shake of her head, she wasn't in yet.


Nicholas pulled out his phone to text Aria, 'Where are you? I'm here.'

 

[KidnappedKiss]

Aria was pleasantly surprised when the handsome man from before suddenly materialized. Her relief at being saved from the ghastly girls was enough to ward away any concerns of how he'd gotten the idea to come searching alleyways to save the helpless. Heck, the alleys were dark enough that someone could likely be mutilated here without a second glance being cast into the darkness. It was one of those places that gave off a horror movie vibe. Yet, here he was, strangely immune to the girl's rabid attacks.


Though, she immediately found a black substance leaking from the wound on the man's leg. Was that...supposed to be his blood? She immediately felt her stomach turn, bewilderment crossing her expression. That coulnd't be blood, surely?


Though, the shock quickly faded. She hadn't the time to debate what it was seeping from his injuires, nor could she ponder what was actually going on between the three. After all, they didn't seem human. What else exised in this world besides humans? Well, flora and fauna of course....but there weren't aliens, monsters, mythical beings, or anything surrounded with lore. That was fantasy. Fiction. The unrealistic dreams of a teen wanting to make the world more interesting. This world didn't have anything but humans. Humans that recklessly sought to make things more interesting by creating such vivid, unimaginable stories.


So then, why did it all seem so real?


Why did what was currently happening feel like the events of some supernatural film? With creatures on the hunt for humans, beasts that lurked in the shadows in search of fulfilling their feral desires, and savages seeking delight in the misfortune of others?


Oftentimes, humans were considered the monsters of society. It was seemingly easy to interpret the evil acts performed by them as the worst that could happen in this day and age. But, with the things she saw now, she could argue somethings much worse hide away in the darkness.


Things like this.


If this was even real....What was real anymore? When would she wake up from her dream? When would it all....end?


She never thought she'd say that. After all, her dreams were usually better than her reality.


She scrambled to her feet, noticing a light amidst the abyss of black around her. Her phone. On her way to her feet she swept the device into her hand, only remembering it because of the flicker of light. A momentary flash of brillance and hope in this desolate place.


She glanced over her shoulder, noticing the two girls in their bloody, beaten heaps. That man had surely pumbled them. She didn't want to stay to see what would happen to her.


Hurrying, she turned the other direction and ran. Ran as fast as she'd ran in years.


She wouldn't be stopping to thank this man for his kindness. After all, thanking the last bunch that had 'saved' her hadn't ended too well.


She wasn't going to take her chances. She had to find safety. Safety from this madness.


Of course, she wasn't really paying attention. She just knew she had to get away. Get far, far away before anything else could happen.


The alleyway was long, dark, and damp. It also led to a dead end. Perfect.


She nearly ran smack into the wall, stumbling back slightly as she realized there was no way for her to go. She frantically searched from side to side, perhaps looking for a fire escape to climb.


She then turned around, looking into the darkness. She couldn't really decipher where the man was, but she was fully prepared to fling her phone at him in a last ditch effort to escape.

 

[SachiGrl]

Clarissa hissed, "She's getting away!" Suddenly, she didn't care to fight anymore with Benedict. She wanted Aria. She wanted her blood, her life, everything. She pushed Benedict aside, throwing him off balance and to the floor. Clarissa ran. Panting, wheezing, bleeding, and limping each fast paced movement she made towards Aria. I can smell her... she thought painstakingly, almost crying at the thought. I can almost taste her...


Benedict quickly went after Clarissa, but was again bitten in his already wounded leg, "Ah, dammit!" This time it hurt him more than usual. He tried to shake Jessica off, but she was just as determined as her twin sister. He decided to leave her lingering on his leg and semi-run in Aria's and Clarissa's direction. He kept repeating to himself... I've never done this for anyone before. I've never wanted to fight like this before... I never wanted someone this much before... He was a bit overwhelmed by the courage that seemed to have arisen out of nowhere. Nonetheless, he moved forward, dragging Jessica as she continued to gnaw on him. "Ahhh!!" he screamed. He couldn't take the pain she was inflicting on him anymore. He had to kill her.


Clarissa alas caught up with Aria and half expected for her to throw her phone at her. She began to laugh, "Hahahaha, you're stuck!" Clarissa gurgled, black ooze drooled out the side of her mouth. She was barely breathing, but that's okay. Vampires didn't need to breathe that much anyway. She grabbed Aria's arms and pinned her against the wall. Her hot breath over her prey's neck, but out of nowhere, she felt a faint disconnection. It was as if she lost something most precious to her. Clarissa snapped back to her regular self and let go of Aria, "Who the hell are you?"


Clarissa held her head, a faint dizziness came over her. "Jessica?" she called out and walked away from Aria. Benedict heard Clarissa approaching. He used a bit of his parkour to jump side to side between the walls moving upwardly to avoid having to kill another vampire. Upon seeing her sister on the floor she ran to her in tears, "Jess! JESS!" She shook her sister as rivers flowed down her face. What happened? They were just going to the movies and now her sister's dead. The girl who never left her side. The girl who always teased her for wearing too much make-up. Her best friend gone. "Whhyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?" she screamed in the dark alleyway. She went limp on top of her sister and continued sobbing, choking a bit on her own blood and tears.


Benedict jumped down before the pale, blue-eyed beauty. He imagined he did not look handsome or appealing at all with the dark blood splatter all over him. He breathed in and found her intoxicating scent in his nostrils, fresh and immense. He bent forward, clutching at his stomach from the intensity her smell gave him. "Miss," he managed to say, he fell to the floor on one knee still clutching at his stomach. "Le-let me protect you," He seemed he was practically being submissive to her. He wanted her earn her blood. If she falls for him like his past wives, he could have her blood til the end of her life. This pleased his inner hunger and the pain ceased. He looked up at her with his red beady eyes and slicked his hair back with his bloody hands. I want you... his eyes reflected his thoughts.


Meanwhile

While Tony, the owner of Laser Land, attended to his other guests, Nicholas was eating a hot dog with fries all by himself at a table across from the concession stand. He looked bored out of his mind. He dully ate the fries one by one and after every so fries, he'd take a bite out of his hot dog with the most emotionless face. He had his phone face up waiting for Aria to respond, but nothing yet. He was purposefully facing the front door, hoping Aria would show up any second. Many seconds, minutes, and half an hour later, Nicholas felt there must be something wrong.


Within the warehouse, it was very loud. He couldn't make a phone call with the blasting techno, house music, beeping noises from the arcade games, and the children laughing obnoxiously loud. He stood up, threw out his trash and headed for the door. Tony made his way to him with a worried expressed, but Nick waved at him dismissively and pointed at his phone then at the front door. He was trying to say that 'he's going to talk on the phone outside.' Tony got the hint and waved, still wearing a worried expression. Nicholas wasn't exactly smiling either. He called Aria's number. Her phone began to ring and Nicholas was praying for her to pick up the phone.

 

[KidnappedKiss]

Aria's phone began to vibrate in her hands, causing her heart to stop beating briefly. After all the scares of the day, her phone going off shouldn't have worried her too much, yet it still sent her into a tizzy. Once she went through a moment or two of playing hot potato with her phone, anxiously trying to catch it so she could answer the call, she finally thought she'd succeeded. Except, she hadn't. The phone slipped out of her grasp and tumbled to the damp ground of the alleyway. Once it had landed, she winced, surely knowing that the phone landing face up had only resulted in something broken. She knelt down and picked it up, noticing that the screen was shattered. She tried to press some buttons, perhaps hoping to turn it on, but the screen simply flickered to life before fading back to black. Her phone was dead, useless. She sighed, hoping that Nicholas didn't go into a panic attack. At least, that's who she assumed had contacted her. The only other people she could see checking up on her were her parents. And why would they do that on an evening like this?


She shook her head and stood up once more, tossing her phone into a nearby dumpster. It wasn't of importance anymore. It was best she didn't carry it around and risk cutting herself on all the glass pieces. She'd have to find a pay phone and call Nicholas to inform all the trecherous things that had happened. Well, that is, if he'd believe her. She came up with ridiculous tales all the time. Would she be just like the boy who cried wolf? Or would he know she was being serious? Surely, Nicholas would believe her? He was her bestest friend, after all. He was the only one she could consider retelling this story to. She knew it.


Taking a deep breath to keep calm, she finally adjusted her cerulean gaze on the dark haired male with blood splattered on him. "I suppose....that depends...." She spoke softly, pressing herself against the wall she'd momentarily been pinned to a moment ago. She looked at him, contemplating his trustworthiness. Unlike the twins, he had risked his life for her. He had injuries to prove it. And he wasn't being assertive to her. He was, actually, appearing like a pet would. Docile and passive. Ready to oblige to her wishes. "If that is your true intentions." She finally added, her voice much firmer, stronger than before. She wouldn't let her naivity land her in a similiar situation like the one from a moment beforehand. She wasn't going to become the victim of some foolishly charming creature. She would be less trusting of the unknown.


She stared at the man for a couple seconds longer. He shared the same beady, ferocious red eyes as the last two girls. The eyes of a predator. A fiend. They likely were the same species. If so, wasn't he also after what the other girls wanted? She was suddenly worried she was already bound to be prey once more.


She then brushed away those concerns. She couldn't look concerned. But, she did have to find Nicholas. That was her main priority.


"If you wish to act as my bodyguard of sorts, that is your decision. If, however, that is your intentions. For now, I must find a pay phone. I assume this district is filled with...." She didn't finish her sentence, but she looked at the the two girls. Listening, momentarily, to the sobbing of the sorrowful girl, she hoped he understood what she was trying to say. Though, she didn't even really know what she was getting at. She didn't really understand what all these creatures were.


Or, if they were real.


With that, she began to walk. She stopped before moving past him, looking closely. "Do you need medical attention? Or will you be okay?" She asked, suddenly feeling regretful she hadn't asked earlier. "I'm no doctor....but I could try to do something...." She inferred, not wanting to be suddenly rude.


Regardless of her feelings for the situation, she couldn't just leave him here even if he didn't want to come with her. He did save her life, really. She owned him something in return. Even if that something was just a small act of kindness.

 

[SachiGrl]

The phone rung and rung, but there was no answer. Nicholas let a frustrating sigh. This really wasn't like Aria. She was a very blunt person. She wouldn't ditch him like this nor would she purposefully ignore her phone. Something important must have came up and she's probably too busy to let him know. Nicholas wore a very sorrowful face. Displeased that he left his home excitedly for no apparent reason. He decided to text her one last time in hopes that she just might respond. 'Hey, what's going on?' he wrote as his gloomy expression was fixated on the phone. He clicked send and that was his last effort to communicate with Aria. He sat on the curb of the entrance before Laser Land. His knees were just before his chest, he had his arms crossed over his knees, and his forehead resting on his arms. He seemed like a homeless kid if it weren't for the clean clothes he was wearing.


After what seemed like hours, Nicholas gave up. He went into Laser Land to dismiss himself to Tony and to ask him to tell Aria, if he does happen to see her, that he's going to be home playing AlienCraft. Each of his feet felt like they weighed a ton. He dragged them to his car and practically threw himself into his Pontiac like he was having a child-like tantrum. He slowly turned on the ignition of his car, listened as his baby purred like a kitten, looked around for any signs of his best friend, and lingered in the parking area just in case she happened to stroll by. Okay. He killed enough time waiting for her. He stepped on the gas pedal and went home.


At least there is one women in the world with blonde hair who will always be by his side and never ditch him, and her name is Lucy. "Hey, girl!" He knelt down with open arms to his beloved Labrador. She gave him the most slobberiest kisses she could possibly give him, "Oh, Lucy, Lucy, Lucy..." He cooed. "Need to use the bathroom, girl?" she barked, spun, then sat anticipatingly. "Come on, let's go," he closed his door again and walked outside with his lovely dog, Lucy. She wagged her tail enthusiastically and ran in circles around Nick. He half-smiled. No matter how cute Lucy was, he still couldn't stop thinking about Aria.


Meanwhile

Benedict felt his wounds healing slowly as Aria spoke softly to him, responding to his question hesitantly. Once he felt his strength returning to him, he stood, but kept his eyes steady on hers. When she gave him the 'okay,' he grasped her delicate hands and said, "It is my only intention." He turned her hand face down and kissed it. "I am Benedict. Benedict Rose,"


He looked up at her only to find her concerned expression. She quickly adjusted it and tried to be more serious. He presumed she wanted to seem more calm and collected. He wouldn't blame her for being concerned or even scared. Heck. He was surprised she was willing to let him come by her side. Actually, scratch that. He's her hero. How could she not accept his offer. All is going according to plan.


He followed as the girl continued to speak then went silent, "Filled with...?" He wasn't quite sure what she was getting at. She couldn't possibly tell that the girls were vampires. "Uh, crazy girls like that? Yeah I know," he said as he guessed what she was going for. "Who would of known some random girls would openly attack you like that," he added, trying to seem genuinely clueless about their erratic behavior.


When Aria looked at him worriedly, he smiled. "I, uh, have a special skin condition that my cells, uh, mend faster than normal people," he grinned, trying to emphasize that he was alright. The mention of a human doctor made him grimace, "No, uh, I'm completely alright. I reassure you." He had a doctor for his own kind, thank you. He imagined he would look odd walking around with a bloody plaid shirt and jeans. He took off his bloodily torn plaid shirt and underneath he had a black tee. It had a few tears, but at least the blood stains weren't visible. He ripped his jeans, so they appeared to be jean shorts. "Better?" The gash in his leg was less apparent as it was before. His 'skin condition' cured him awfully fast.

 

[KidnappedKiss]

"Then I suppose your eyes are a condition, as well?" Aria said, less worried over the man's injuries at the mention of his 'condition'. She'd never heard of such a thing, but she decided that it would be best not to argue with a man that had just survived various attacks in a dark alleyway. If anything, she had more to lose than him. And, honestly, she was far more concerned about contacting Nicholas and getting everything settled. For now, she'd simply watch her back to ensure the man didn't play any tricks.


Though, it was evident she'd lost formality. The bluntness of the girl had resurfaced. She was no longer worried about sugarcoating her words with foreign sweetness. After all she'd gone through today, few people deserved her genuine kindness. Nearly being mauled by two rabid girls had never been on her list of concerns. But it sure was now.


"I'm glad you're feeling alright. It's reassuring, at the very least." She mumbled, before offering him the faintest of smiles. The way her lips twitched upward to form such a smile was almost ghostly. It could only be assumed this gesture wasn't a normal one. Or, perhaps, forced. She'd only smiled because it reassured her that the stiffling uncomfortable atmosphere of the situation would dissolve.


"Benedict. Well, Mister, it's nice to meet you. I'm Aria." She didn't go father with her last name. It wasn't relevant to him. "I only hope your words are honest ones." And then the subject was dropped. Or, at least, it not longer mattered to her. She'd recomposed herself in order to be a more mellow precense in the face of the various circumstances surrounding her. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to go to sleep tonight. She would be up, staring into the darkness, reflecting on the nightmarish events that had transpired.


And, whether or not Benedict meant his words was of little importance either. Honesty was highly valued by her, but if he ended up being a liar than she'd just as eaily wave him off as she did other mediocre individuals. In the end, she was going to find Nicholas and get his input regardless. His opinion mattered to her more than anyone elses. Because he always seemed to know what to do. She never questioned his judgement. In the end, he felt like an honest person. One she could wholeheartedly trust. With Benedict, she was taking a leap of faith.


"If your condition has healed you well enough, we'll be on our way. There was a phone booth not too far away from this alley." With that, she began to walk. She dug into her jacket pockts in search of change, knowing she'd inevitably require it for her phone call. She was about ready to ask if he needed to change, but when she glanced back she realized he'd already taken care of all that. After all that was taken care of, she finally exited the darkness of the alleyway to be greeted by the vibrant nightlife of the city. Various lights were displayed, brightening the world around them. She smiled slightly, relishing in the light. After having been pushed into the darkness for so long (what felt like forever), she happily welcomed the light.


She approached the telephone and began to dial numbers after dispensing some change. She pressed the buttons easily, having Nicholas' number memorized. She glanced over her shoulder to ensure that Benedict was around. "This should only take....well, I actually don't know how long. Just, please be patient." She gave him one more small smile before pressing the last number and listening as it rang. For a moment, she hoped he wouldn't answer. Not because she didn't want to talk to him, but because she was worried about talking openly with Benedict so close by. She thought, perhaps, for a moment that she could suggest that they should meet up to talk. Yes, maybe she'd do that.


She listened as it rang, contemplating that maybe he was so mad that he wouldn't answer at all. Or that he wouldn't acknowledge the call because it wasn't a familiar number. Nonetheless, she hoped he would click the answer button regardless. She needed to talk to him. After today, she felt her shoulders were suddenly quite heavier and her mind on the brink of madness.