Gone.

All She Feels

Taylor sinks her fangs into the pulsating vein on the unsuspecting animal's neck. It lets out a whimper at the sensation as Taylor moans at the taste of the fresh blood. Her species of vampire only drank animal blood and she couldn't stand the taste of human blood. There were others, though. Other species that did feast on humans. Those types looked down on vampires like Taylor. But she couldn't help it and she was glad of that.

Once the lifeless animal goes limp and drops to the floor she stands up whilst she licks her lips. She takes out the small mirror from her back pocket and examines herself before fluffing her hair and reapplying her trademark ruby red lipstick. The others always made fun of her for doing that but it was a habit and she always wanted to look nice for Karlie.

She checks her watch and finds she has ten minutes left before she has to go back and meet everybody. The girl was feeling full and so decides to take a slow wander back to the rendezvous point at the clearing. She wonders how everyone else is getting on.

The phone in her back-pocket rings on her way back and she is briefly surprised given that she was sure she had left it in the cabin. It was Ed.

"Hey, Ed," she chirps and the sound echoes ever so slightly as it bounces off the oak of the trees.

"Taylor, what happened? Where've you been? We were supposed to record but you never showed," he says, confused.

Taylor screws up her face and massages her forehead, a pang of guilt courses through her and it's enough to make her stop walking for a few seconds. "Ed. I'm so, so sorry. I completely forgot! Oh, god I feel so guilty. It's just that... uh... something unavoidable came up and I had to leave the city again."

"I thought you were at Karlie's parent's house."

"Yeah, I was. We were. But like I said, we had to leave again and I don't know when we'll be back. I completely forgot. I should've called you," she stutters, her nerves getting the best of her.

Ed senses the hesitation in her voice. "Are you alone?"

"Yes, Ed," she says confidently, knowing exactly what her best friend was thinking.

"Are you in trouble? Is that why you had to leave? When will you be back?"

Taylor sighs, the clearing was just beginning to come into view so she stops again, not wanting this conversation to be overheard by anyone. "You could say that, but I can't tell you. I wish I could, Ed, but you wouldn't even dream of understanding. Look, I don't know when I'll be back but I promise you'll be the first one I call when I am."

There is a short pause on the line as Ed thinks about his response. He wants to question it further but he knows that Taylor would tell him if he needed to know and she would tell him when she's ready. "Okay. I love you, Tay. Just... Just please keep safe for me. Can you promise me that?"

"I love you too and I promise I'll try my best. Keep those song ideas ticking over though, okay?"

"Okay," they both hang up and Taylor jogs the last couple of metres to the clearing where Selena and Cara were already waiting. She wanted to tell Ed everything, she really did. But she didn't want to lose him.

"Any luck, ladies?" the songwriter asks as she greets them.

"Oh yeah, couple rabbits for me and a big deer for her," Selena answers. "Did you see Karlie on your way back?"

"Uh, no," the sinking feeling in Taylor's stomach returns again.

"Oh. Well I'm sure she just lost track of time or she's just finishing up now," Cara nods in order to assure her friend.