The light was dim and the dusty smell of old paper filled her nostrils.  Cindy turned the "Olcott-Koski treatise on Vampirism and Lycanthropy" upright and started to put it back on the shelf but then looked at it again, and shaking her head, put it on the bottom of the cart.  She shivered and smiled.  "Someone must have walked across my grave," she giggled.  Going about her chores, she quickly forgot the thin book on the bottom shelf of her book cart.

Eliza hugged Cindy to her and reveled in the feel of their warm breasts pressing together.  They gently kissed, just barely tasting each other.  She nuzzled Cindy's soft neck and as she felt her warm blood flow into her mouth she smiled. The sharp pain in her neck let her know that Cindy was drinking of her, too.  She ran her hands down Cindy's long smooth back and felt the delicious swell of her buttocks.  The blood was hot and spicy and the soft sounds of moist licking and sucking was thrilling and exciting beyond belief.  She released her fangs and threw her head back and the pain was delicious as Cindy took advantage of the exposed expanse of flesh.  Spreading her legs and pulling Cindy tight to her, Eliza moaned in ecstacy. 

Cindy jerked to wakefulness.  She pushed her self upright and saw the clock was showing a little past seven p.m.  She could leave now.  She looked around and was relieved that no one had seen her drift off.  That would not have been a good career move!  She turned her head to the right and left.  Rubbing the side of her neck, she tried to work the strange twinge from it.  She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and was shocked to see a small smear of blood!  "Oh, no, my nose must be bleeding!"  She opened her purse and took out a compact.  Examining her reflection, she crinkled her brow in surprise.  There was a slight smear of blood on the corner of her mouth but her nose showed no sign of bleeding.  Dabbing the corner of her mouth with a tissue, she smiled at herself in the mirror.  Standing, she put on a light jacket and prepared to leave.  Before she got too far, she remembered the book on bottom shelf of the book cart and scurried back to get it.  Rubbing her neck and wondering why her mouth tasted so dry and salty, she enjoyed the brisk air and walk back to her apartment.

Eliza arched her back and whimpered as the final orgasmic spasms shook her body.  She had thrown the sheet off of her and her dark hair was sweat soaked and disheveled.  She blinked in confusion and shakily sat up.  Her bed was empty, except of her, and for a moment, she felt deep longing.  She sighed and stood up.  The dim light of the room made it clear that her night was beginning.  "Another night, another pint of blood," she quipped to herself.  The dream she'd been having was almost gone.  All that remained was the delightful tingle between her legs and a bed that looked like a wrestling match had been held there.  She leaned forward and looked closely.  Yes, there as a few drops of blood on her pillow.  She turned the pillow over and quickly made the bed.  "I'll change it tomorrow," she muttered.

The plum brandy was almost as dark as the corner of the bar she was in, but not as dark as her mood.  The band was on break and all that could be heard was the low hum bar room conversation.  She took a sip of brandy and angrily wiped a tear from her cheek.  "If I had a period any more, I'd think I have PMS.  What I've got is a messed up life.  If I'm going to live for centuries like this, maybe it isn't as great as I thought."  She stuck her index finger into the brandy and licked the blood red liquid.  Yes, there was a hint of fang.

A body sat down in the booth, opposite from her.  She looked up and a neatly dressed man smiled at her.  "May I?" he asked politely.

Eliza hesitated but shook her head negatively.  "I don't think so."  She smiled to try to sound less hostile.  "Really, I don't think I'd be good company.  I'm just going to sit here and get so drunk I don't care if I cry all the way home."

"If I promise not to hit on you and to listen to your problems, can I stay?"

Tossing the remainder of her of her drink, she signaled for a refill. Staring into her empty glass she said in a low monotone, "Ok, you want to hear my problems.  I'm a vampire who likes women as well as men and I think I want to fuck my best friend and make her a vampire too so we drink of each other in an orgasmic frenzy.  If I'm not killing someone to drink their blood, I'm getting all screwed up in my head wanting the impossible.  I had to kill a very good friend because he'd been attacked by werewolves and was going to turn, and the dead vampire he loved used my body to fuck him to death.  You don't know what sex is until you've felt your partner die of ecstacy and follow their spirit to where the living can't even imagine."

She never looked up and tears were running down her cheeks, forming a small puddle on the table.  Close examination would reveal just a hint of fang showing.  "Jesus H. Christ!" the man muttered and vanished as if the devil was after him.

"Here you go, Darling.  It'll be on your tab."  Another glass of plum brandy was put in front of her. 

Eliza muttered a "Thank you," and took a sip.  She dipped her finger in drink and licked her finger clean again, this time feeling her sharp fangs.  It was dark in the bar and her corner was even darker than most.  No one noticed.  She turned her hand and looked at her pale palm and slender forearm.  A brief moment of rage took her and she slashed her right forearm with her fangs.  She grimaced at the pain and stared in wonder at the open wound.  Her blood flowed freely and she trembled from the pain of what she'd done.  She could see the white bones and red meat.  She touched the open wound with a shaking finger.  "What have I done?  What have I done to myself?" As she watched, the bleeding stopped and the pain diminished.  The process accelerated until all that remained was a fiery red welt on her forearm. 

She put her head down on her arms and felt tears come, unbidden. 

She felt a hand on her shoulder but she didn't care.  She felt herself being pushed into the booth and a warm body was next to her. A comforting arm was around her, and for a moment, she relaxed and leaned against the person next to her. 

She stopped crying and sat up and wiped her eyes.  She looked to her left and Cindy smiled at her.  She reached into her purse, took a tissue and dabbed Eliza's face.  "At least you weren't wearing makeup," Cindy said. 

Eliza had to smile.  "The ever practical Cindy," she thought.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Cindy asked.

"No," she said in a small voice.

"Ok."  Cindy put her arm around her and hugged her.  "No need to talk."  The band started playing a slow mellow tune.  Cindy picked up the brandy glass and finished what was there.  She signaled for two more.  She turned the glass in her hand.  "You know, you've corrupted me with this stuff.  I used to drink Scotch now I'm addicted to this."

Eliza made a face.  "Yuck, tastes like bad medicine."

"It used to be pretty good medicine for me but now I can't stand it."  She hugged Eliza again.  "You have a way of coming into people's lives and changing them, don't you?"

Eliza started to speak but Cindy cut her short.  "Sorry!  We said we weren't going to talk."  She pushed the glass that had just been delivered to her.  "Drink.  Don't talk." 

They sat together, sipping the brandy and listening to the band.  Eliza sniffed and put her head on Cindy's shoulder.  Cindy was taller than she, so it was a good fit.  She took comfort from the arm around her shoulders.  She could close her eyes and almost imagine she had a normal life of getting up in the morning, going to work, coming home to a loving partner.  All the things most people had.  She sniffed, wondering where she went wrong. 

Cindy seemed to sense that she was brooding again and she hugged her again.  Cindy took a deep breath.  "Eliza," she said, her voice hesitant.

"Umm?"

"That night."  She paused and then continued.  "That night, you ...." 

Eliza rolled her head back and looked at her face.  She could see as well as sense her confusion.  "That night, you said you trusted me.  You still can."  Eliza smiled.  "I guess I trust you too."

Cindy gave her the sweetest smile.  Eliza thought she'd melt!  "I was really messed up.  I didn't tell you, but I'd taken two of the pain pills."  She giggled.  "The brandy on top of them sent me into la-la land.  Oh, I was feeling no pain."  Cindy took a long pull on her brandy.  "I remember you saying you could help me if I trusted you."  Cindy visibly blushed in the dim light.  "We were naked and you got on top of me."  Her breath was coming faster and she grinned.  "You were doing things to me.  It hurt a little but then the pain would stop.  I felt so good with pills and brandy and, and....  Eliza, I don't know how to describe it, but then, next morning, we got up and it was almost like nothing had happened." 

Eliza smiled at her.  "I couldn't let you hurt!  I just couldn't."

"Oh I remembered that it happened but I was more interested in forgetting and. . . and since I didn't hurt, it was easy to forget.  Eliza, it did happen and we can't have healed that quickly."    Cindy looked at her friend and wondered why she looked so miserable and why tears where running down her cheeks.  She just sat there, wide eyed, with tears running down her cheeks.  She wasn't sobbing, she hardly moved.  She just looked so. . .  Cindy couldn't finish the thought.  She leaned forward and hugged Eliza.  "You stop crying, now.  You can't cry.  "You're my hero, remember?"  Eliza muttered something into her shoulder but she couldn't understand.  She felt Eliza's arms go around her and they held each other for a few moments.  Curiosity finally got the better of her and she gently pushed Eliza back.  "What'd you say?

Eliza flicked a tear from her cheek and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.  "I said you can really pick'em.  Don't you want to reconsider?" 

Handing her a tissue, Cindy shook her head.  "Nah, you're just fine.  You're only human."  She wasn't sure why Eliza was giggling so, but she was glad her mood had improved.

Still giggling, Eliza shook her head no.  She didn’t say anything, just giggled and shook her head no. 

The sound of her giggling was beginning to get to Cindy.  She watched Eliza sitting there shaking her head, totally perplexed.  "Ok Eliza, want to tell me what’s so funny and what you are saying no to"? "Does this have anything to do with the strangeness I feel and all the questions I have running around in my head?" she asked.

Eliza looked at her friend and quickly sobered " If you have questions, Cindy, feel free to ask them.  If I can answer, I will. I wasn’t laughing at you Cindy, it was just something you said that struck me funny," Eliza said.

As the confused look faded from Cindy’s face, Eliza could see her trying to gather her questions together. Finally Cindy asked, "just was did I say that was so funny?" 

From the look on her face, Eliza knew she was going to have to go carefully, so as not to hurt Cindy’s feelings any more. "Truly, I wasn’t laughing at you Cindy. I’m sorry if it seemed that way.  It was mainly the comment of being human. Before I go into that though, do you have other questions?" Eliza asked her.

" Yes, Eliza, I have many questions I’d like answered, I feel foolish asking them since you’ve been such a great friend.  Things just seem so strange, its probably just my imagination though," Cindy told her.

Eliza answered with a small grin, "well ask away Cindy, as I said, if I can answer I will. I will be as honest as I can be, I just hope we stay friends after this".

Cindy looked at Eliza long and hard, as if wondering if she should go ahead with the questions she had. Then blurted out, "I know martial arts and I got stomped all over, how in the world could a little thing like you down that brute, why do you get younger looking the older you get, why are you so pale, there’s almost no color to you other than your black hair and red lips, why am I having these erotic dreams about you, why do you never go out during the daylight?"
Looking at Eliza, Cindy slowly brought her hand up and slowly covered her mouth. She gasped.

Eliza reached out her hand and placed it gently on Cindy’s.  She looked deep into Cindy’s eyes and quietly began answering Cindy’s questions. "You already know the answer to what I am, Cindy.  You are just fighting believing it.  To answer your main question first, the strength comes along with what I am. I will never age in looks, I still seem the same age as when I became what I am.  The pale skin is also part of what I am.  Although after I feed, I have a tinge of color, more like a flush.  As to not being out in the day, it is not the reason you think.  The sunlight will not kill me, although it does cause me awful pain.  My eyes are now extremely sensitive, as is my skin. If I must be out during the day, I wear dark glasses and cover my skin totally.  The reason I laughed at the comment of my being human, Cindy, is that I am not human any longer.  You know what I am.  Tell me.  Say it!" Eliza pleaded.  "I am so tired of having to hide it. So tired of being hunted, I only kill when someone attacks me.  It is not necessary for me to kill to survive," Eliza told her.  Reaching out a hand, she hoped Cindy would take it.

"A........va.........NO I CAN’T BELIEVE IT, A VAMPIRE????" Cindy whsipered intensly..  No tell me this isn’t true, tell me you are just making this up to play a joke on me. Looking at Eliza, Cindy could see she was "dead" serious.  Thoroughly shaken, Cindy just looked at her friend.  She took the hand that Eliza was still holding out, wrapping both her hands around it.  She noticed the extreme chill to Eliza’s hand that she had noticed on other occasions.  This then, was the explanation.  Eliza was not alive but not dead either, because she was here. "But, I’ve seen you eat and drink, Eliza. How do you explain that? I didn’t think Vampires ate or drank other than blood," Cindy quietly asked her.

"What have you seen me eat and drink, Cindy?  Mostly when we are together, we drink the Plum Brandy, which is one of the few none blood drinks tolerated.  As to food, do you remember my order?  Eliza felt that Cindy was accepting fairly well what she’d been told. She hadn’t run off screaming.  She was still here.

"Your order? Let me see. Ah yes steak, so rare it was bloody, with a joke to just kill the cow and bring me the steak," Cindy quoted.  With a laugh, she said that she’d thought Eliza was just kidding when she said that because so many people said the same thing when they wanted a rare steak.  But you meant it truly, didn’t you?" Cindy asked.  Looking up, Cindy said, "no Eliza, I am not leaving you".  With a start, she realized Eliza had not said anything out loud.  She looked at her with a question.

"Yes that is what I was thinking Cindy.  For some reason, you are more in tune to me than anyone I have ever met.  You seem to be able to receive my thoughts.  I don’t know why that is anymore than you do, but it can be disconcerting.  I seem to be able to see yours too," Eliza told her.  To go on with my story, I have had to leave behind everything I knew and loved.  The hunters were closing in and two of my very best friends had become hunters.  They warned me that I was close to being found out and I left the city and came here.  They knew I was leaving but not where I went.  I now keep in touch with them by computer.  The have no idea where I am and I want to keep it that way.  If they don’t know they can’t be made to tell. I’ve lost so many friends and my best friend, lover, confidant, I had to kill. Burying her face in hers hands, Eliza cried. 

Cindy stammered, "kill your friend......ha how do you mean that?  You surely don’t mean you took his life?" she asked.

"That is another part of my story,"  Eliza told her.  "If you believe in vampires, Cindy, then you must take the next step and believe me when I tell you there are all manner of things that people think only are myths and stories told to scare children.  There are werewolves, were cats, and all manner of things that walk the night, that most people don’t see and probably will never see.  My friend was attacked by a werewolf and was turning into one himself.  I couldn’t let that happen.  Since I had made him a vow, never to turn him into a vampire either, I had to, I just had to kill him.  You will never know how much I still hurt from that. You will never know what it feels like to have someone you loved die in your arms and know that you killed him."  Looking wistfully at Cincy, Eliza said softly, "it was the only way, the only thing I could do to keep my promise to him". 

Cindy, looking into Eliza’s eyes, saw the pain and guilt she had there. Taking her hand again, she told Eliza, "yes, it was the only thing you could do."

Hearing Cindy’s words, Eliza closed her eyes and sobbed.  "I still miss him so.  He is happier where he is, but I miss him."  When she opened her eyes again, Cindy saw a lessening of the pain and guilt, as if Eliza had needed someone to tell her it was all right.

"I know you have more question’s Cindy, can they wait for another time," Eliza said..  "It feels so good to be able to tell someone else and not have them run screaming from me.  I will never hurt you Cindy. This I promise."  Pensively they sipped their drinks

The bar closed at two and they’d returned to Eliza’s apartment.  They’d walked silently, holding hands, both lost in thought.  They chatted and giggled a little, avoiding the earlier subject. They were comfortable with each other and it felt good being together.  Finally Cindy indicated that she had to go home.  Tomorrow was going to be a work day and she was 'fading' rapidly

With a hug, Cindy left and Eliza went to the bedroom to begin getting ready for bed.  The first signs of dawn were beginning to show.  She hoped Cindy wouldn't feel too badly at work today.  As she undressed, feeling good about Cindy, she thought about Mark.  She wondered where this would lead.