The Nights of Blood

The dark shadows reflected off the large buildings. Laughter echoed down the street. Addie Baker and Julie Holder were leaning against each other, legs weak from laughter and cheeks hurting from smiling. They had just been to Addie"s sisters and Julie"s brothers wedding anniversary and they spent the whole time embarrassing them. Even now - with just the two of them - they carried on with childhood stories and staggered down the street. "Oooh, th-there was that time André tried to climb a tree and broke his right arm and his nose!!" Julie squealed with excitement at sharing her brothers worst moments. "A-and that time Sophie got her first phone and flushed it down the toilet!" Addie joined her, still amazingly able to stand on her own two feet. She glanced at her friend to see her about to collapse and sighed. Julie always did drink too much at special events, so she made sure she drank a LOT less than her. "Come on, l-let"s get home." Still using the other as a balancing post, they stumbled their way around the corner, neither noticing the black silhouettes following them. Ten minutes later they made their way back to their house and Addie leaned Julie against a post outside their door. She reached in her pocket and got her keys out, but when she turned around to check on Julie they dropped to the floor. Instead of her semi-drunk friend sitting on the floor a man was standing there - watching her with a sly smile and dark eyes. A gasp escaped her and she pushed herself against the door. With a quick look around, she found she couldn"t see Julie in any of the shadows. "Where is she? What have you done to her? I swear if you hurt her, I"ll-" She was cut of by the mysterious stranger, "You"ll what? Hurt ME?! Huh, you do have some fight in you. Unfortunately - well, unfortunately for you - that doesn"t matter. I"m SO much more stronger than you." His voice was like nothing she heard before. So soft and inviting, but also cold and threatening. Her body shook slightly when he moved closer to her until they were a foot apart. He took in a deep breath and reached out, tucking her hair behind her ear, leaning in so his nose was against her throat and breathed deeply again. When he leaned back his eyes were darker than when she first saw them. "Joe, what are you waiting for? She"s awake and she"s yours. Feed!" He spoke as if speaking to her , but his eyes travelled to a black alley. After a few seconds a scream filled the air. "Ahhhh!! Stop!! Please, stop!! Addie, help me, please!! Please stop!!! Ahhh!!!" Addie"s eyes widened when she heard her best friend beg for her help and she was trapped against their front door, arms pinned down by a complete stranger. She started to struggle against him more violently, screaming and scratching him anywhere she could reach. "What is he doing her?!?! Let her go!! Don"t touch her!!" She was disgusted when he just grabbed her arms and pinned them down again, his eyes showing he was amused by this. Gasping for air Addie could feel a panic attack coming on and her eyes found her purse with her inhaler in. The stranger looked where her eyes were focused and picked her bag up, reaching inside and pulling out her inhaler. He handed it over to her and she used the few moments to try and calm down, but when another stranger came over to them dragging Julie by her throat - which, for some reason, was covered in blood - the panic started again. The stranger that was with her turned to face them, stroking Julies face for a second, before turning to the new stranger. "Finished already? I haven"t even started! She was too busy worrying over her little friend. How is she?" The new stranger smirked. "In transition." He spoke proudly, as if hurting her best friend, bleeding her unconscious was a game and won first place. "She"ll wake up in the morning with a blood bag in her pocket and a new ring on a finger. I"ll get Harry to text her and explain a few things to her. I"ll take her to her bed." He smirked at the bed part and picked Julie up and jumped to the open window on the third floor, making Addie scream and jump back. "H-h-how d-did he d-do t-that? How d-did he jump u-up there? I-it"s not p-possible!" She managed to get out. The stranger just smirked at her and moved closer to her until he had pinned against the door again. "I realise I haven"t introduced myself or my friend yet. Well, that was Joe and I"m Maximus. Our friend Harry stayed at home. Your friends well being - if she wakes up or not - matters a lot to us. You, however, we don"t care about, but your friend is probably going to need you tomorrow, although don"t get close." He leant in next to her ear and whispered, "She"ll probably kill you." Addie, still shaking like mad, looked him in the eye and questioned, "Why do want her? What has she ever done to deserve this? She lost her her parents when she was just a kid. She doesn"t deserve this!!" She whimpered out. Max smelt her throat again and pressed his lips against it. "You may not know it, but your friend is powerful and stronger than you"ll ever know. She has an incredible ability. And me and my team are going to win her over. She will be with us and she will make us strong again." When he finished his tongue slipped out and licked her neck, "Mmm, you DO taste good. Joe is having a bit of fun with your friend while she"s still human. I guess it"s my turn to have some fun tonight, yeah?" His face had morphed from a perfect stranger to a vicious cannibal and without second thoughts his teeth sunk into her neck, drawing blood. He greedily drank from her until her legs started to wobble, then he pulled away and let her fall to the floor. About to leave her there, he sniffed the air and smelt the blood escaping her and glanced out the corner of his eyes. An bare arm lay out as if she wanted him to carry on... And he did. He grabbed her arm and bit all over it, sucking and marking. When he had finally had enough, he lifted her up and jumped through the same window Joe had gone through, landing in a bedroom with only Julie and Joe. Alike Addie, Julie"s arm was covered in bite marks, no space bare. The two shared a fanged grin and Max dropped Addie on her bed. His fingers - still covered with Addie"s blood - smeared the red substance all over Julies face. "When she wakes the smell will be there and she"ll crave it. With the blood bag so close to her she"ll drink it and her powers will grow. She"ll be strong and with us." They both jumped out the window and disappeared into the night.