IMMORTAL DESIRES

**Unknown POV** The night in Venice was alive, though the city seemed asleep. Lamplight flickered against wet cobblestones, reflecting in the canals like fractured silver. Isabella drew her scarf tighter around her neck, feeling the chill seep through her coat. The air smelled of damp stone, old wood… and something metallic—faint, sharp, wrong but ignoring it she continued walking home. Adjusting the strap of her bag, she quickened her pace. Maybe she should have stayed longer at the café. Or called Marco for a ride.But she hated making him drive across the city every night. The shortcut through the narrow alleys and small bridges was familiar. Safe. Or at least she tried to convince herself it was.Suddenly her phone buzzed in her hand glancing down a smile graced her weary face as she saw the name of her fiancé on the screen. Marco. A smile softened her face as she answered and pressed the phone to her ear.“Hey, babe.” she said cheerfully,“Hey, love,” Marco said warmly. “How’s my favorite girl tonight?” “I’m fine,” she said, brushing a strand of brown hair from her face. “Just leaving the café. Taking walking home bythe streets by the old chapel” she said stopping as a stray cat ran past her before she continued walking. “The shortcut?” he teased, though the concern in his voice was obvious.“I know, I know,” she laughed softly. “I’m careful. It’s really quiet and beautiful out tonight.”She glanced down the narrow alley ahead. The shadows seemed deeper than usual, stretching unnaturally along the walls. She swallowed and pushed the thought away. “You sure?” Marco asked. “You know I worry about that street. Venice is beautiful, but nowhere’s really safe. Especially with all those wild animal attacks happening at night.” “I’m fine. I promise,” she said. “And you’re cooking tonight, right?”“Of course. Pasta with that mushroom cream sauce you love. Candles, music… maybe we can finally start planning the band.” Isabella smiled and glanced at her left hand.Her engagement ring caught the dim lamplight, the small diamond glinting like ice.Warmth settled in her chest Marco’s voice always did that. “Also,” he added, laughing a bit, “I might have to bribe your brother into being our best man.” he said chuckling,“Bribe?” she giggled. “He’ll never agree.” “Trust me,” Marco said. “Money works better than threats.”His laughter filled the quiet alley like a fragile shield. Isabella stepped forward. The narrow street curved beside the canal, the water black and perfectly still. Too still.She frowned and picked up her pace.Just as she passed the chapel she could see her neighborhood not to far away in the distance. But that's when she felt it.A shift in the air. Something electric… wrong… crawling along her skin.She stopped looking around nervously she could have sworn she felt eyes on her. “Love? You still there?” Marco asked. Seeing nothing she relaxed a bit “Yeah,” she said quickly. “Just thinking about the pasta.” At the end of the alley, the shadows moved.Her breath caught.Figures emerged slowly from the darkness. At first she told herself they were people walking home.But their movements weren’t human.Too jerky,Too uncoordinated. “Marco I think something's wrong…” she whispered taking a cautious step back.“What is it?” His voice sharpened instantly. “Where are you?” Their eyes glimmered red in the lamplight.Theyrr thin, grey forms emaciated forms hunched unnaturally as they crept forward, their limbs bending in ways that made her stomach twist. She stepped backward.Her boot slipped on the wet stone.“I… I don’t know,” she stammered. “They’re—” she said stepping back her heart hammering like a trapped bird within her chest “Isabella!” Marco’s voice rose in panic. “Talk to me!” he shouts but before she could answer himA blur of motion exploded from the darkness. Something slammed into her.She screamed as claws tore through her jacket, ripping skin beneath. “ISABELLA!” Marco shouted. The phone fell against the cobblestones, but the call stayed connected.And Marco heard everything. Her terrified screams.The sound of fabric tearing.Soon followed by ungodly Wet ripping sounds. he could hear her pained voice screaming for help soon drowned out by that horrible snarling.As he rushed to his door to grab his coat and gun." Isabella baby hang on I'm on the way! what's going on!?" but he couldn't hear her only silence on her end. But soon he heard it not her voice reassuring him that she was alright it was something worse.The sound of Feeding. A sickening, animal sound—wet, desperate, violent.Marco froze. “Isabella?!”,On the other end of the line he heard her choking sobs. “Marco… I…”Her voice was weak gurgling soon followed by another of her sharp screams that ripped through the alley.As what ever had her dragged her across the stone. Marco heard her struggling, the scrape of her body against the ground, the horrible tearing sounds growing louder.“Isabella, stay with me!” he begged desperately. “Please! Talk to me!” “Marco…” she whispered faintly.The sound of feeding grew louder. Wet. Savage. Relentless. Her voice trembled through the phone one last time.“I love—” Her words dissolved into a choking gasp.Then came one final, agonizing scream "Isabella! Isabella please babe answer me can you hear me!?" he sobbed into his phone that was pressed against his ear as he desperately tried to hear her voice, Listening for even a glimmer of hope that the woman he loved was still alive. But that's when he heard it a sound that made his hairs stand on end and his face to turn ghastly white.A blood curdling shriek on the other end of the line. A sound so inhuman Marco dropped to his knees.Then silence.Marco pressed the phone tighter against his ear, shaking. “Isabella?” he whispered. Nothing answered. Only the distant echo of water moving in the canal.And the faint sound of something slithering back into the darkness.