The metallic scent of blood is heavy in the air; such a familiar smell. My mouth waters, the succulent scent of the thick, sweet, crimson liquid fills my nose. Such a treat... I try to refrain from these deeds, but the hunger... It's ravenous. It doesn't sleep. It doesn't stop. Always pushing forwards for more. Such a greedy feeling..

The boy lies in front of me, nothing more than a cold, pale body. The warmth has long since left his fragile body. It's amazing how fast a body can chill; I only killed him 15 minutes ago. Wait... I hate saying that word. "Killed." It sounds so- evil. Like I'm a ruthless murderer, killing for my own pleasure. No. I am only harvesting nourishment. So why does it leave such guilt in the pit of my heart and soul? I don't know, but I push such thoughts aside; now, it is time to replenish my health.

The boy looks to be only 17, in the prime of his youth. What once was tan skin now lays freezing and white in the drafts of wind blowing through the trees, but you can still see the outlines of his well defined chest underneath his thin shirt. I almost feel sorry for him... Such a waste. But not to me. I always get the most out of the young ones; I would feel mortified if I let anything go to waste. So I stoop down to his place on the ground and begin.

First I remove his shirt; no vampire likes fabric fibers mixed with their food. Gross. Looking at his naked torso, I feel something strange... I think it's what the humans call embarrassment. Why is this emotion evoked by a dead body? Maybe because we are both young men? I don't know; this shouldn't be a problem. I push past the odd thoughts and continue my work. I start at the meeting point of his two collar bones and run my sharp index nail down the very middle of his chest, which glows in the soft moonlight. Against his dark black hair, he looks even whiter. He'll look whiter in a minute or so.

Thin bands of blood begin to appear from the small cut I've made. I begin to lap them up neatly, like a dog lapping up water. I've learned that doing this brings the sweetest blood; this spot is closer to to the heart than any other part of the body, so you get the freshest of all the blood. This is just one of the many tips I've discovered myself after doing this so many countless nights of the year... I remain here, sipping up his essence and life, until he is completely drained of all the red liquid. I don't want to leave the body to waste, so I make to give him a respected farewell. I stand up and take the limp body in my arms. Although I'm only 23, being a vampire has its perks; lifting dead bodies is no sweat. Especially since we can't sweat...

I carry the body down to the river, laying it on the bank. I place a small kiss on his forehead, as is customary for the vampires. We thank the humans for their given life so that we may live another day. I then push him gently out into the flowing river, and he sinks down into the cold depths. His body willl never be disturbed, by man or creature. A body drained by a vampire disintegrates within the hour, taken with the sun. I wait there, for a minute, thinking, contemplating... Then I begin my walk back home.

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A/N: This is dedicated to my best friend, who asked for this. I hope you like the prologue; stay and we will see where this journey leads. I hope you like it!