Chapter One-1
403 Words
Chapter One
Theron Ambrose pulled his sleek, black Ferrari to the side of the curb when he found her. Night’s shadows were deep, the only light coming from the golden glow of the street lamp. She was weeping on the front stoop of an old brick apartment building in this city of North Hollywood, California.
He switched off the purring engine, rubbing his hands briskly in both eagerness and anticipation. This was one of those huddled-masses he was always so pleased to encounter. They never gave him any trouble. Were always willing to go along peacefully. He was their salvation. Their light at the end of a dark tunnel of grief. He had the power, and he used it to his advantage.
Some would say he was evil. Others, a saint. But he was neither one nor the other. He was merely a man. A unique man with a unique hunger. A hunger that needed to be satisfied nightly.
With long, silent strides, wearing darkness as his cloak, he went to her. Theron stared down at flaxen hair and a slight figure clothed in aged jeans and a crimson blouse. No more than twenty, he guessed this one to be. At such a young age what demons could possibly haunt her? What emotional trauma had her so miserable? A lost lover? The death of a cherished one?
He knew it didn’t matter. Not to him. Whatever her sorrows, he would ease them all. He would give her the strength to carry on. In return, she would give him something far more precious. A small sacrifice that would allow him to rise with the next moon and start the hunt all over again.
Long, fine fingers reached out to caress a tear-wet cheek. “Don’t cry, little one. I’m here to help you.” His voice projected comfort, the promise of refuge.
Startled to find that she wasn’t alone, the girl’s head jerked up. She opened her mouth to say something, but Theron placed a soft palm over her lips. “Words aren’t necessary,” he whispered. “Come.” He took her by the hand. The woman rose to her feet. “I'll take away your pain.” He passed a hand over her face. Her eyes closed briefly. When they opened again they were glassy and distant.
Together they walked to his waiting car in the warm spring air. When they were both settled in he started the engine, pulled away from the curb, and drove down the lonely street. Ultimate destination: his hilltop lair.
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- Writer
