Die Young, Stay Pretty (Short Stack)

One - Are You Afraid Of The Dark?

I'd moved to New York for university with my best friend, Mel, after we'd graduated in Sydney, Australia. So how the hell had I ended up in the sleazy back alley of the pub we'd been in, without said best friend and roommate who'd convinced me to come with her, the night before my first day of college? It was nearly midnight now and a drunk Mel had left me alone in that Godforsaken bar at around nine to go off with some sleaze ball who smelt of marijuana. I was cold, alone and glad I hadn't let her talk me into drinking. I was a lightweight and being accidently pushed through the back door of a club and then locked outside would have been even worse if I was drunk.

I'd been wandering around for hours, unsure of which way led back to the road. I'd finally given up about half an hour ago and resigned myself to sitting in the doorway of a club to wait for dawn. I glanced up from the stupid black heels Mel had made me wear, to see a silhouetted figure against the alley. I sighed in relief and stood up. As the figure approached, I saw that it was a man, probably about my age. He had short, straight almost black hair that fell into green-grey eyes. He wore a black suit and white dress shirt, but without a tie. 'Excuse me, perhaps you could tell me where —?' I was cut off before I could finish my question.

The man had pushed me against the wall. My eyes widened as he shifted my hair away from neck. What was he going to do to me? 'Get off me!' I shouted, desperately hoping someone would hear. Part of me realised that if anyone was around, I wouldn't be in this situation right now. Panic began to set in when no hero came around the corner to save me. 'Help!' I screamed, louder and more frantic this time. Still, no one came. I let out a soft gasp as I felt his teeth sink into my neck. A bloodcurdling scream left my mouth. With all my strength, I somehow managed to push the lunatic off me. I let my fist fly and connect with his cheek. I took off down the alley without a backwards glance.

Somehow, I found my way back to my apartment. I dropped my clutch purse on my bed and checked the time on the microwave. It was three o'clock in the bloody morning! I sighed and headed into the bathroom. Pushing my hair back, I looked at the hickey on my neck. Blood was still trickling from the two small, precise puncture wounds. Gingerly, I pressed my fingers against the holes.

In the second that my fingertips made contact with the wound, an excruciating burning sensation filled my body. It was all I could do not to scream in pain. Instinctively, I moved my hand away from my neck. Black spots appeared before my eyes and the bathroom went blurry. I blinked, trying desperately to regain my vision. My thoughts began to slow down and my body started to feel heavy. The traffic outside sounded further away and I came to the vague conclusion that I was falling. My head hit the cold, white tiles with a thud and everything went black.

†††

'Hurry up.' A voice snapped. 'Be patient. I'm trying.' Another replied, lazily. 'Patient?' the first scoffed, tone agitated. 'You're the one that let her get away. Again. And I'm supposed to be patient? This could get us killed!' As the voice finished its outraged rant, I heard the front door swing open. 'Hey, it's not my fault she took three days to find.' The second defended itself.

I opened my eyes wide and sat up, coming to an awful realisation. I was cornered in the bathroom and lunatic had hunted me down. And he'd brought his mates. I came to a second conclusion, which made my stomach sink. Why was I in the bathroom, still? Why wasn't I in hospital? Where was Mel? Hadn't she been home in three days, or didn't she care? I looked around for something I could use as a weapon. But then again, how long would I last against three lunatics?

The door swung open, almost hitting me from my spot under the sink. 'Finish the job.' The first voice ordered, clearly still irritated. I realised that I was about to die. The lunatic walked in, peering around the room to find me. His eyes zeroed in on me in a matter of seconds. He crouched down in front of me as I shrunk further back into the pipes under the sink. 'I'm sorry.' The lunatic murmured as he shifted my hair as he had the other night. 'But this wouldn't have happened if you hadn't run away.' he added. Silently, I agreed. I would've been dead much quicker if I'd stayed in the alley.

He leant down to my neck, eyes half closed and mouth wide open. Suddenly, he jerked backwards. His eyes were wide and he kept them trained on my neck. His face was blank and cautious, but his eyes showed fear and uncertainty. 'Andy!' he called out, voice shaky and showing the emotions in his eyes. 'What?' the owner of the first voice yelled back, walking into the small and now rather crowded bathroom. He looked, and sounded, annoyed and exasperated. His blonde hair stuck up at odd angles and his blue eyes were clouded with annoyance. He had a silver stud below his currently downturned lips and his eyebrows were knitted together. The lunatic was quick with his careful reply, only now looking away from me.

'She's got no bite mark.'

AN:// Hey guys! Here's the second update I promised. This should be updated once a week from now on, if my teachers are nice. My plan is to update every Friday, since I don't usually do homework then. If everything goes to plan, I should be far more organised from now on. Please let me know what you think so far. I enjoy reading your thoughts! Constructive criticism is welcome. Thanks for reading,

- xo, Emily