Ophelia

Chapter 2

The snow flurried down through the windy air as I tread into the woods surrounding the university. In between classes, Elliot and I would go into a small clearing to either hang out or practice our talents. None of the other students ever wandered in, everyone was too afraid to, especially after the mauling. Elliot decided not to come with me today so I was on my own.

Once I got to the clearing, the first thing I did was stop the snow from falling in the small area. Grass and small flowers sprouted out of the earth under my feet as my personal ray of sun peered out of the grey snow clouds. In my little bubble of sun, the world wasn't dark and cold. It was warm and beautiful. A sparrow swooped down in confusion, landing on the blanketed white ground and tilted it's head in wonder at the patch of spring. It hopped forward, a little bit at a time before its tiny talons made contact with the blades of green. Smiling down at it, I slowly reached forward, brushing along its feathers with my fingers. Everything was peaceful and serene as the bird chirped and fluffed out its feathers.

Suddenly, a twig snapped in the surrounding woods and the bird flapped away in the speed of light. I stiffened, the energy coming from behind the trees dark and ill. I stood up and dusted off my pants before staring out and asking, "Who's out there?" It wasn't an animal. No, their energy is different. It was something inhuman, detached entirely.

A rugged man all but slithered out from behind the trees. Crouching on all fours like a rabid animal, baring fangs of a vampire but with strange black markings reaching up his neck. His eyes sunken in and dilated, irises a glowing blood red. He snarled and spit like a dog with rabies. "Who are you?" I called out once more. He crept towards me, eyeing me up as if I was his next meal. "One last time, who are you? What... are you?"

In reply, he screeched and hissed. He couldn't even form a correct reply, only noises. His long talon looking claws dug into the dirt as he got closer. With a final step, his entire body rocked back before lunging forward at me. With a wave of my hand, his body flew away from me and was impaled by a tree branch. But it didn't kill him. He barked in pain and laughter as he dangled in the air. What is he? I wondered. With a snap of my fingers, his neck was broken and he was lowered down to the ground.

I studied him one last time. His skin unhealthy and pale, almost transparent enough to see veins, arteries and muscles. The markings on his neck traveled down to his chest but ended there. Simply touching his hand, I could read into his past. He was once a vampire, following a clan. But anything about his markings was absent. Cut out of memory almost.

As walked away from him, a single thought burst his body into flames, destroying the chance of having a human run into it. Perhaps he was the one behind the mauling. He seemed rabid enough. But it really made me wonder how he ended like he did and how he got into the town unnoticed.