1 Who am I?

That smell... it's so sweet - it smells like it's as sweet as cake. Where is it coming from?

In effort to figure out where the smell is coming from, I follow it. It takes me awhile to find the exact source, but when I finally do I am met with the sight of what looks like some kind of a ghoul. Who is eating off of a human's body..? There is an immediate thought in my head that tells me that it's wrong, how I feel. It's not right, and I shouldn't listen to it. However, there is also the smallest voice that keeps speaking up. A voice that sounds so incredibly persuasive.

'But the blood smells so good…'

I am stuck in place, as these thoughts wage their war inside my head. The sounds of conflicting opinions are so loud, that I don't notice the - possibly very important - fact that I have been seen... by the ghoul I had just been staring at.

"Hey, girl!" he starts, looking at me as if it is the most normal thing in the world to be knelt down beside what was once a living, breathing, being - and eating random bits and pieces of it like it's some kind of a feast.

"Are you a ghoul too?" Haunting, dark red and black eyes lock onto me as I just stand here in complete silence. I should probably have said something by now, but I couldn't. I can't. I can't speak.

Aside from all of the other things distracting me and keeping me from saying a word, I can feel a deep gnawing in the pit of my stomach. I'm so hungry…

I am still torn between my previous observations, questions, and strange thoughts, when this happens. It's such a big problem for me, that I have also not noticed the fact that my own eyes are apparently changing color - unlike his, however, mine have apparently taken to turning an eerie teal and black color.

"Wow," his voice breaks in again, causing me to shake my head and blink several times. "Your eyes aren't like the rest of the ghouls around here!" Now, I am paying attention. The rest of the what? Oh, right..he seems to think that I'm a ghoul as well..

"Judging by the color of your eyes," he adds as he stands up, wiping his hands on his clothes. "You've got to be one of those..vampire ghouls. I think?" While he is apparently taking the moment to think about his assessment of me, I just stare at him in what I am sure has to be the most bewildered way possible. It isn't until now, when he has suggested that I am probably more than just a ghoul - when I never said I was one to begin with - that I finally am able to find my own voice again.

"One of the what, now?" I ask, the words feeling dry as they squeeze their way out of my throat.

"Oh, you know, a vampire ghoul." Completely ignoring my obvious confusion, he shrugs as he answers me in a flippant 'you should already know what I'm talking about' type manner. "They can eat human food, but don't really need to." He says, shoving his hands into his pockets. "They just need human blood to survive!" He keeps talking; I'm not sure if he is trying to inform me, or disturb me - it's weird. While he continues on about vampire ghouls, a small answer escapes me, but I'm not sure that he even heard it.

"Is that what I am? I don't really.. know." a sigh falls from my lips. "I don't think so.. I don't think that's what I am. But, then again..I don't even know who I am." as I was talking to myself, my self-unnoticed eye change seems to go away - he's not mentioning anymore, anyway, so I assume it has.

While I am not believing a word of what this man has been saying, I humor him and listen to him ramble on about ghouls and vampire ghouls. It all seems weird to me, so I say nothing and I let him talk - he wasn't listening to a thing I said anyway, so I figure there is not much point in continuing to speak. I am looking off to the side, thinking about finally saying something to him - even though he'd gone back to eating his 'meal' and it was bothering me (to be honest, I was scared when I found him earlier. That is why I was not too keen on watching him eat now. ) when I hear what I think is the sound of a sword sliding into someone, out of that someone, and a body hitting the ground. I'm not sure, but I think I can also hear the sounds of someone choking on their own blood…

"Are you okay there, girl?" A voice belonging to one of the two protectors that had walked up and apparently killed the ghoul, comes as a hand sets itself on my shoulder and shocks me into reality; it forces me to look in the direction that I'd been trying to avoid. "You're shaking," his voice comes again; I manage a trembling nod, but that's it until I have taken a few breaths.

"I'm just scared," I begin, my eyes hesitant to meet those of the tall and imposing figure in front of me. "That was just.. that was the most terrifying thing I have ever seen." I blurt out afterwards; seeking for something more to tell them in case they also think I'm a ghoul. It's also true, though...that was terrifying. He was eating a human, and spoke to me like it was normal!

"Mm.." he nods solemnly, seeming to accept my answers. "Well, you're okay, now. What's your name?" He asks, raising an eyebrow at me.

No less nervous, I repeat what he said, and cough.

"My name? I...I can't remember it. I don't remember anything, really.." Although this feels like a little too much information to be giving out to a stranger right away, it is at least the truth.

As if to feel the weight of my words for himself, test out their meaning, he also repeats the statement that I just made: that I don't remember anything.

"You don't remember anything?"

I shake my head, trying to show him that I'm telling the truth.

"No, I'm sorry..I don't."

He pauses for a moment, thinking about what I had said. Finally, he exhaled and spoke again. "It's fine. Do you have a safe place to sleep tonight?"

Unsure why he would ask me, I slowly shake my head. "No, I don't think so." He seems like he wants to say more to me, but his partner smacks him for it. "You don't even know this girl!" the other protests, lifting his arms up. I get the feeling that this might be a common occurrence, as I watch them continue to argue with one another. Up until the statement about me and monsters is made.

"Well, I can't let a scared, lonely girl who doesn't know who she is wander the streets and get killed by those monsters."

It seems to be enough to shut the other man up, as he doesn't continue to fight any longer. Seemingly pleased with himself, the first protector turns back to me again.

"So, how about it? Until you remember who you are, you can stay at my place!" he looks hopeful; the other man is giving me what seems very much like a stink eye. He's not happy about it, I can tell. So, in a moment of what to me feels personally like I am only doing it just to be spiteful, I force a small smile and answer the offer presented to me with "Sure, thank you so much! I appreciate it..You're a very nice guy."

The sweetness in my tone - no matter how forced it might be - brings a grin from him - and a huff of annoyance from his partner.

"Alright, then! It's settled. Follow me, and I'll show you where you're staying tonight. Just try to remember where it is, alright?" he said, looking to be trying to tease me as he turns and begins off back up the dirt path that we all have been standing on (or near) for the past few..hours?

"I'll try to," I nod, intending to at least make some sort of an attempt to do so. With my track record of not remembering anything else I am unsure if I can truly promise him that I will, but I will try. As he continued to walk off, I followed behind him (more on his side of the path than his partner's; his partner makes me feel off) and kept myself to myself. Still wondering, the whole time, what has been going on with me today and why I can't remember anything.

When we arrive at his house, he turns and is once more pulling me out of being lost in my own head, by handing me what looks like a key. In response to my confusion, he just smiles and pats my shoulder.

"Well, this is it. I have to get back to work, though, so be safe! I'll see you when I get home. Bye!" he starts to go off towards his job, then calls back to me (like the secondhand thought that it is) "Oh, yeah, and my name is Sam."

All I can do is roll my eyes and sigh as I turn to open the door. So as not to be rude, I stop for a moment to call back "Thanks for taking me in, Sam!"

I stand there long enough to watch him as he leaves. When I know for a fact that he is finally gone, I unlock the door the rest of the way and go inside. As I went in, I was met with what looked like a small, but nice home. It took me only moments to end up finding the kitchen; since I knew - or, well, kind of just remembered - that I was feeling hungry earlier, I took out a few things from what he had and made myself a snack. Given he had been so nice, I was sure that he wouldn't mind it. When I was done, I wandered around for a little while longer. Finally, I found what looked like a guest room and went inside it to have myself a nap.

Elsewhere, and unbeknownst to me, there was a discussion about me being had:

"Why are you letting that girl stay, Sam? You don't even know her! For all you know, she could be a ghoul."

"Tony, if she was a ghoul she would have killed us."

An annoyed sigh is given, as Tony finally concedes. " I guess that you have a point there, Sam. Just.. just be careful, alright?"

It was hours later, when I was woken up by what sounded like Sam calling to me from the kitchen.

"Hello?" was the first thing called to me, followed by what sounded like an amused 'Are you awake?' when he didn't find me.

Rubbing my eyes, I walked into the kitchen to see where exactly he was.

"Oh, you are! That's good. Are you hungry?" Sam says, as he is setting down a bag on the table. He seems a lot more awake than I am, but I am doing my best to be as alert as I can, as he continues to speak to me in his cheery and kind manner. "I brought home some steak for you!"

A small smile crosses my lips despite my sleepiness, as I yawn out "That sounds yummy."

Of course, he just grins at me either way.

"Good, I'll start making it now. Oh, I got some stuff for you before I got home. I hope you like how it looks." he says this as he picks up another bag and hands it to me, along with giving me directions to where the washroom is at. Nodding a bit, I yawn again and hug the bag close to me.

"Oh..okay, I'll go get cleaned up and try them on," I answer him in as good natured a way as I can, as I head off to go and wash the dirt and..whatever else this is..off of me. After I find the room that he is talking about, I set my bag down and go about preparing my water so that I can undress myself and get cleaned up. In the end, it took me about 45 minutes to clean myself off, even after I got out and dried myself off. Opening the bag up, I pulled out what looked like a pair of nice-looking sleep clothes. In an ironic twist, I am reminded by something else that had happened today: the clothes that Sam brought to me are teal and black. Just like my eyes were before - like that ghoul had said.

I am lost in thinking about the irony of this, when Sam yells up to me that dinner is ready. Finishing up, I head down to the kitchen meaning to get my food. When I get there, Sam is ushering me into another room, instead. It is to a dining room that I didn't know he had.

Once we are in the dining room and seated, Sam hands me a plate of delicious smelling meat. Something in me is very appreciative of it. Excitement overtakes me, as I state "It looks yummy, Sam!" with true enthusiasm. He chuckles lightly, and shakes his head at me with a smile.

"Thanks! But try it?" He motions to my food with his fork, as I pick my own up and cut the meat so I can take a bite of it. As I expected from the look and smell of it, it's wonderful.

"Mmm…" I chew my food up, before speaking. "Like I said before, this is so yummy, Sam."