Karen stared, dumbfounded for several moments when the man... or thing... or... whatever he was... spoke to her. She found herself utterly confused. That wasn't possible. The sun didn't burn like that. He wasn't human... but that was also impossible. There was no such thing as fairy tales and monsters. So how was this happening? She simply gaped, then blinked heavily as she met his gaze. There was something about those eyes... was it the way they caught the light? They were so.... beautiful. She blinked again and looked closer, unable to tear her gaze away. He'd asked her a question. It was rude not to answer. She tried to remember what he'd asked. "I... huh?"<br/><br/>"So now that you know my secret what are you gonna do about it?" David repeated for her.<br/>She blinked again, then told herself to stop doing that. It wasn't helping. Nodding, she cleared her throat and yanked her gaze from his, looking around them, "I... well who would I tell? For that matter /what/ would I tell? I have no idea what's going on here. I must be dreaming, or... crazy. This is impossible. I mean... this stuff doesn't happen in-.." she clamped a hand over her mouth to stop the flow of words, then stammered meekly, "Sorry. I ramble when I'm nervous."<br/><br/>"It is fine, better then fainting or trying to burn me with a cross." David laughed at his slight joke. "Well I am a vampire if you haven't figured it out."<br/><br/>She stammered an awkward giggle, "Thats impossible. Vampires do not exist."<br/><br/>David grabbed her arm and pulled her close revealing his fangs to her. "Would you like further prof?" David said this in a teasing manor.<br/><br/>She gasped, startled, and tensed reflexively. Eyes going wide, she stared in disbelief. "I'm crazy. That has to be it. I'm... I've lost my marbles."<br/><br/>David sighed at her stubborn resolve and pulled her close against her as he leaned down and bit in to her neck sucking the blood out of her veins and drinking enough to proof his point. He let her go and looked into her eyes "Still think you are crazy?"<br/>His motion startled her and she struggled, trying desperately to pull away. When she felt a piercing tear in her skin, she let loose a scream and pushed hard, then her struggle died out as the sensation changed. When he finally pulled away, her eyes were glazed and confused. "I... how is... how can..." she lifted a hand to lay her palm over his cheek.<br/><br/>"The world is full of things you humans choose to ignore. Do you believe me now or should I drink from you again?" David smiled as she laid her hand on his cheek<br/><br/>She stroked her thumb over his cold skin, then gently touched the tip of her thumb to his lips, still wet with blood, "This sort of stuff... doesn't happen to girls like me..." she chuckled faintly.<br/>David chuckled "It doesn't happen to anyone Karen. There are very few vampires and we tend to keep to ourselves. Now are you sure you don't want me to drink more of your blood?" David licked the rest of her blood of his lips.<br/>She chuckled, shaking her head a bit, though she didn't pull away, "I've read enough books to know that is a bad idea..." then something dawned on her, "Wait... isn't a vampire bite infectious?"<br/>David fell back to the ground laughing until he finally settled down. "No no no. Karen that is only in the movies. For you to change into a vampire I would have to suck your blood to the point of near death and then feed you my own blood."<br/>She pulled a face, unable to help the reaction, at the thought of drinking blood, "I think I'll stick to solid food, thanks."<br/><br/>David sat back and watched her ramble to herself hysterically. He finally grabbed her and pulled her down to him and looked into her eyes. "This is all real"<br/><br/>Like a skipping record that had been suddenly bumped off track, she shut up as he grabbed her, and thumped down onto the dirt rather ungracefully. "Then... umm... then what d-do you want... from me?" she was positive he wanted something. It was the only thing that made sense.<br/><br/>"I just want my secret kept if that is all right with you." David smiled charmingly.<br/><br/>"Who would I tell? Who would even believe me? They'd think I was crazy."<br/><br/>David let her go "Good that is all I want to enjoy my life... and maybe a little warm blooded women every now and then." David leaned forward again and bit into her neck once more savoring the sweet irony taste of her blood as it flooded into his mouth.<br/>This time, she felt no fear as he did this, reacting only with a slight gasp. Her hands went around him, reflexively leaning closer.<br/><br/>David drank enough that he was full and not too much so it would effect her too much before he pulled out his fangs and slowly licked up the rest of the blood from her wounds.<br/><br/>As he continued, the sensation stopped hurting, and became more and more pleasant. She leaned in to him, drawing closer, lazily wrapping her arms around him, eyes half closed. When he pulled away, she was nearly limp in his arms, dazed by the experience.<br/><br/>David let go of her and leaned against the tree looking a her. "Thanks you have no idea how good it is to have human blood. I have been living off of animal blood for awhile now."<br/><br/>When he released her, she swayed where she sat, and would have fallen if she hadn't reached out to brace herself against the ground. She felt heavy, slow, as though her head had been stuffed with cotton. It was wonderful. She smiled and leaned back until she flopped back into the dirt, gazing up at the cloudless sky, the sun peaking through the trees. Her voice was slurred when she finally spoke, "I thought... that vvvvampires were... dead... during the day..."<br/><br/><br/>"Only the weak and the young ones. I am one of the most powerful and I am 994 years old last week."<br/><br/>"Thats a long time... you must get lonely. Your family is dead." she spoke openly, spitting out the first words that came to mind without thought, her voice sounding thick and slurred.<br/><br/>"Family has been dead for along time, and I guess it can get lonely but I don't mind you get used to it after awhile."<br/><br/>"Don't you have any friends?"<br/><br/>"Other vampires but like I said we usually keep to ourselves"<br/><br/>"So you don't really know anyone... or talk to anyone... ever."<br/><br/>"Nope"<br/><br/>"I don't think I could do it. I've only been in hiding for six months... and already I want to go back. It was almost better that way. Bruises are not as painful as being alone. i didn't expect it to be like this when I ran..."<br/><br/>"It may seem like it at first but trust me it is not too bad once you get used to it... Thought I guess 900 years is a long time to get used to it."<br/><br/>"Maybe you've just forgotten what its like."<br/><br/>"Could be" David smiled up at her. "Though this is nice."<br/><br/>"That must be it, then... you forgot what its like to have friends."<br/><br/>David laughed. "Well I don't know about that but it is nice to have some company."<br/><br/>"I'll just have to show you what you've been missing." she giggled, still lazily sprawled in the dirt, watching the sky.<br/><br/>"oh really now and how will you do that." David gave her a wink.<br/><br/>"Like this, of course...." she stated, her tone suggesting it should have been obvious<br/><br/>David smiled at her "Of course"<br/><br/>She chuckled and nodded, finally sitting up just a bit to prop herself on her elbows. "Why are you in the middle of the woods, anyway?"<br/><br/>"I lost the key to my motel room and figured this would be the safest place to sleep."<br/><br/>"Not very smart... seeing as you could have been seriously hurt..."<br/><br/>"Well I would have been fine if you hadn't had moved the branch there." David stuck his tongue out at her in a playful manner.<br/><br/>"I could do it again, to prove my point..." she winked, "You weren't safe here. What if I'd been someone else?"<br/><br/>He looked her dead in the eye everybit as serious as he looked. "Then I would have killed them."<br/><br/>She blinked, unable to deny the honesty in his words, "Just like that. You could kill a stranger..."<br/><br/>"I have killed 5234 people to this day."<br/><br/>"You kept count?"<br/><br/>"Killing someone is not something you forget. I remember every single person I have killed."<br/><br/>"Then it can't be as meaningless and easy to you as you make it seem."<br/><br/>"Never said it was easy. Doesn't mean I can't do it quickly, efficently, and without regrets. I have come to terms with death and<br/>his many forms long ago."<br/><br/>"You said you've been surviving on animal blood. Why do you do that if death does not bother you?"<br/><br/>"There is a big difference between killing for necessity and killing without need. I don't need to kill to feed."<br/><br/>She pondered this for a moment, then finally nodded her understanding. Sitting up, she glanced around, finally coming to her senses. She finally realized how rude she was being, "I'm sorry... you must think me terribly inconsiderate. You were sleeping. I should go." She still felt oddly dizzy, but she was well practiced at hiding such things, and rose to her feet without difficulty. Locating the pack she'd dropped, she went to it, and stooped to pick it up and strap it over her shoulders once more. The strap bit into the wounds at her neck and she hid a wince<br/>.<br/>"well if you want to wait around until the sun sets we can continue talking." David smiled as he laid back on the gorund. What an interesting turn of events.<br/><br/>She shook her head, "No, it would be rude to keep you from your rest. Please. Go back to sleep. I am sorry I disturbed you." Feeling awkward and strange, she glanced around trying to figure out what direction she'd come from.<br/><br/>"Honestly I doubt you will make it back to your car you look confused and like you are about to fall over. just come sit in the shade with me and I will sleep until the sun goes down and I can take you back to your car." David smiled at Karen one last time before he closed his eyes.<br/><br/>She watched him drift off, then nodded. After another glance around, she selected the direction she was almost positive she'd come from, and started off that way, looking for the landmarks she'd made note of earlier. She walked for what felt a very... very long time, but saw nothing familiar. Finally, breathing heavy, and terribly thirsty, she stopped to sit on a rock and eat her lunch, drink from her canteen, and get her bearings.<br/><br/><br/>David slipped back into sleep<br/><br/>After munching a bit on the sandwhich she'd brought, as well as a bag of chips, and downing half the canteen, she packed her belongings once more and resumed walking. She trudged for hours, completely losing all sense of direction. Dizzy, thirsty and out of water, she paused again and tried to catch her breath. The forest around her seemed to be spinning. She was nervous now, finally having realized how very lost she was, and feeling ill. The world suddenly pitched beneath her and she found herself falling forward. Her last thought before her face hit the rocky ground was that she had definitely been an idiot.