Seven Dates

Chapter Ten

I step out of the car dressed in a pair of fishnet stockings, daringly low cut black dress that Ari has insisted I wear, and a pair of knee high combat boots. My face is coated with fake blood and scars, and fake fangs are glued to my teeth. I feel like I must look outlandishly silly in vampire attire. Still, when I look around at a massive field filled with other people who look just as ridiculous as I do, I feel a little bit better about myself.

"Mm, hello, vixen of the night," I hear a deep voice say behind me.

I turn around and see a tall, slim, pallid man in tight all black clothing. He has a red laced cape that wraps around his body and he appears to be wearing red contact lenses. His hair is bleached pure white, spiked in the back, and he has long bangs in the front. He certainly looks the part of a vampire. I look down at myself, feeling a little underdressed.

"Sorry, it's my first time at something like th-" I start to apologize but he presses his finger to my blood red lips. He shakes his head at me and raises his eyebrows.

"You look fantastic. Come, we are gathering. The humans are about to go for their midnight walk," he tells me, wrapping his slender fingers around mine and leading me across the grass. I can't deny he's a good actor already.

I notice that he's right about the humans gathering. A large group of people dressed like vampires are gathering behind the trees at the edge of the clearing. I wonder if they are also acting as part of the LARP group.

"What's your name, oh great powerful ruler of the darkness?" I awkwardly ask. He grins, showing me his huge incisors. We tuck ourselves both behind a large tree trunk and peer out at the empty grass ahead.

"Lord Damien," he chuckles, "and you, pale beauty?" One of the other vampires nearby bumps into me as they try to find their way into the trees. They hiss at me. Startled, I try to hiss back but it comes out more like a squeak.

"Countess Ashlynn," I meekly introduce myself. Suddenly I hear more hissing from the other vampires and a couple of fingers point through the trees. I realize the group of humans are walking across the clearing, completely unaware that they're being watched. That they're being hunted.