Nightmarish Encounters

Regrettably, I was utterly disoriented. I had no clue about my whereabouts, and amidst the eerie ambiance of that night, I even questioned the present time. The stars could have been helpful if I knew how to interpret them, but since I couldn't distinguish Ursa Major from a C Minor, I embarked on a haphazard course. There were only four primary directions to choose from. I had no idea that I was about to make a terrible mistake.

I successfully maneuvered my way out of the forest of decaying factories and reached one of the less affluent neighborhoods. There were forsaken vehicles devoid of tires, or even wheel rims, and every window in the towering apartment buildings was shattered. The roads were riddled with potholes, with short stretches of fractured concrete. Walls that hadn't been adorned with graffiti—hold on, there were no walls untouched by graffiti. Shop entrances were partially open, as thieves had already looted anything of worth. Perched on the stoops of several apartment buildings were the thieves themselves, casting lecherous glances at me. I nervously reciprocated with a feeble smile and hastened my pace. In the distance, I could hear the wailing sirens and the sound of gunfire. While the sirens gradually faded away, the gunshots drew nearer. The entire place made my rundown street seem like Malibu-Fort Knox.

Some of the porch jesters concluded that I appeared somewhat disoriented, which I indeed was, and wished to extend their assistance, which I vehemently declined. It was an exceptionally unsavory bunch, adorned with tattoos, buzzed haircuts, and tattered, bloodstained garments, who followed me as I descended from the steps of their dilapidated apartment building. Anxious, I cast a quick glance over my shoulder, and they erupted in hollers and howls. Their lewd comments wouldn't flatter me; only a thorough cleansing would do that.

I hastened my pace along the squalid street, where the desolation seemed never-ending. The men accelerated, and my survival instincts kicked in. They urged me to run. I darted down the street, and they gave chase, demanding that I halt. They whispered vile promises of assault if I stopped, and threats of rape-murder if I continued to evade them. None of those options sounded appealing, but they were much swifter than I. I thought I could lose them in the labyrinth of narrow passages nestled between the apartment buildings, so I dashed into the first one I encountered. It happens to be a terrible mistake. I sprinted a dozen yards down the alley before realizing a towering brick wall blocked my path. It was a dead end, and the men behind me intended to make it a literal manifestation.

I skidded to a halt at the alley's end, swiftly pivoting to find the silhouettes of the gang members looming in the entrance. Their metal knuckles gleamed under the feeble starlight, and their chuckles sent shivers down my spine. One among them, the leader, stepped forward. He was an especially formidable specimen of his kind, with yellowed, chipped teeth, a battle-scarred bald head, and attire that screamed, "Flee, ladies!"

He leered at me with a lascivious grin. "You seem a tad disoriented, little lamb," he commented. His cohorts snickered and jostled one another to secure a place behind their leader. He had first dibs on me. "Would you like us to assist you?"

"N-no, I'm fine. Just taking a nocturnal stroll," I stammered.

"The night might be pretty dangerous," he said. He took a few strides toward me, towering over my small, trembling figure. "Why don't you allow us to lend a hand? We don't ask for much."

I answered, "I don't have any cash on me, so I assume I'll have to find my own way. I attempted to slip past him, but he seized my shoulder and forcefully pulled me back, pressing me against his repugnant, sizable chest. His hands ensnared me, trapping me against him.

Leaning in, his breath reeking like a public restroom floor, he jeered, "Not so fast, missy. Let's have some amusement first, and then we might consider letting you go. Maybe." He reached up and crudely touched my breasts with one of his hands.

I wriggled and tugged, but I couldn't liberate myself. "No! Please, don't!" I pleaded desperately.

"The night poses too much peril for you," a suave voice interjected. Both the men and I turned our gaze toward the alley's entrance, only to find... Well, actually, we couldn't see anyone there.

Seizing the opportunity presented by the man's momentary distraction, I managed to wriggle out of his grasp and swiftly moved away. Unfortunately, my evasive maneuver led me closer to the brick wall. I warned them, "You'd better heed the strange voice's advice, or else it will, hmm, bore you to death.

The leader blinked, his perplexed expression transforming into a wicked grin. He burst into a thunderous, boisterous laughter, with his minions tentatively joining in. The man sneered and scanned the shadows. "Whoever you are, show yourself and confront us! Or are you too cowardly to tangle with my gang?" he challenged.

"Not too fearful," the voice responded. I let out a scream as a figure materialized from the darkness of the building right beside me. The fright nearly propelled me to scale the brick wall behind me, but I refrained when I realized it was Victor standing by my side. "Too indifferent," he added.

"Don't startle me like that!" I scolded him, clutching my chest. My heart was pounding like the drums of a heavy metal band, engaged in a solo performance.

Thankfully, the leader was also taken aback by Victor's sudden appearance, stumbling back a few yards. "What the hell? Where did you come from?"

"In your nightmares," Victor retorted before lunging at the gang leader. Victor clutched onto the man's throat, and in one shrill scream, the leader transformed from a fearless, towering brute into a terrified little girl. His scream abruptly ceased when the vampire's bite overwhelmed him with lethargy. The men behind him erupted in a chorus of tenor voices as they hastily retreated. Victor flung the man backward, propelling the gang leader past me, crashing face-first into the brick wall. The vampire swiftly pursued the fleeing gang members, and I felt relieved when their panicked cries faded into the distance, no longer witnessing what Victor was inflicting upon them.

I had no desire to linger around and discover Victor's intentions for me either. I swiftly turned around and spotted my means of escape in the form of the would-be rapist. The man managed to raise himself onto his hands and knees, providing the perfect boost I needed. Charging at him, I leaped onto his sturdy back, using him as a springboard to grasp the top of the brick wall. The gang leader crumbled beneath the weight of my shoes, but I had a firm grip and hauled myself over. I descended on the other side and sprinted down the opposite end of the alley. I hadn't gone far when a moving shadow emerged from the static darkness and stood in my path.

"I'm not going back with you," I firmly refused.

Victor's voice adopted a monotone and indifferent tone. "That wasn't the reason I was after you, he answered.

I raised an eyebrow, narrowing my eyes. "Then why did you follow me? Feeling a bit peckish?" I was taunted.

"I value my existence, and my existence is tethered to yours. He reminded me, "If you die, I die too.

"So, by biting into their skin, all you were doing was protecting yourself? I quipped.

"Exactly. I was also thirsty. You drained most of my vitality," he admitted.

"You mean with that luminous aura thing?" I guessed, and he nodded. "What was that, anyway?"

"Your body reacted to danger and your wound by siphoning my life force to rejuvenate your own," he explained.

I scoffed. "I like to consider it a permanent borrowing."

"I couldn't care less," I retorted.

I furrowed my brow and crossed my arms. "Of course, but could you please move aside so that we can part ways?" I proposed.

"Without a guide, we will both meet our demise," he argued.

"Are you trying to say that I can't take care of myself ?" I inquired.

"Wouldn't dare," he replied impassively.

"Good, because otherwise I'd have to eliminate you, or annihilate you, or whatever it takes to turn you into something a vacuum cleaner can handle," I threatened.

"You'd only end up destroying yourself if you did that, he said."

I waved off his remark. "Minor details, now, are you going to be my guide, or do I have to resort to my damsel-in-distress act once again?" Before I could say a word, Victor grabbed me in his arms and sprinted out of the alley while bearing a harsh facial expression.

The wind whipped past us, and my hair lashed at my face. "I can walk!" I objected and attempted to remove the hair out of my eyes and mouth.

He answered, "Your ability to walk is really not in dispute; it is just the speed that is being scrutinized.

"My speed is perfectly adequate for a human!" I exclaimed.

"Your speed is pitiful considering what you have become," he retorted.

I rolled my eyes. "I'll strike you with a crucifix if you continue to feed me the same drivel that Bat was spewing."

"That's mere fiction," he retorted.

"A baseball bat drenched in garlic?" I suggested.

"That, my dear, is a fact."

"Then I'll beat you with a bat if you don't allow me to—"

"We've arrived." Victor abruptly halted and dropped me unceremoniously onto the unforgiving ground. I let out a yelp and glared up at him, rubbing my sore backside.

"Could you give us a heads-up before applying the brakes ? Something like a blinking light on your nose?" I requested.

"Observe your surroundings," he instructed.

I grumbled, but followed his command and surveyed the area. That's when I noticed we were standing in front of my apartment building. We had traversed a dozen miles in a single exchange of banter. "Impressive," I murmured in astonishment.

"You no longer need my help if you can take care of yourself, I'm convinced of that. Goodnight." He quickly vanished down the street, but not before one last gust of wind blew my hair into my eyes.

I brushed the stray strands aside and muttered, "That vampire is more than an annoyance." I stood up and hurried inside to seek refuge from the darkness and its foolish inhabitants. I successfully reached my apartment, only to realize that I had lost my key during the 'entertaining' events of the evening.