Strigoi

My face was soaked in blood, much Iike the ground where my kill now lay. I licked my lips and shuddered in delight at the sweet taste of the blood. It was a new taste. A taste I have never experienced before. What could it be? I looked down at the bloody carcass on the dirt ground and saw, to my utter surprise, a black horse.

"What in the hell?" I looked down at the body and the pool of warm crimson with something of a shocked expression. "What the hell is a horse doing out here?" I thought for a moment. "How the hell did I not realize I fed from a horse to begin with?" I shuddered again feeling the leftover blood on my teeth and mouth. I licked again and tasted the sweetness it gave me. "But it is so good."

I knelt down to the bleeding horse and took another bite into it, drinking down several more gulps of the sweet red blood. How had I never known it was this good? I don't even know of any strigoi who has ever lived off of horse blood. Of course I have never heard of a strigoi choosing to drain a horse to begin with. I wanted more. I need more. I stood and ran, looking for another to drain for that delicious essence.

I ran so fast, looking for another horse, wild or tame didn't matter to me. I just needed to taste another. To see if they all shared that flavor or if it differed between them. I thought about what happened as I searched. It was so weird. When I pounced, I could have sworn I heard a scream from it. But that doesn't make sense. Horses can't scream. I know that much. I must have just imagined it at the time. I have heard so many screams in my time. It has just become a habit I suppose.I stopped running, in the center of a clearing. I looked around with a deep anger.

"Damn it. Where the hell am I? I don't remember ever being here before." I sighed deeply and just ran in one direction. It was a moonless midnight tonight but my eyes made it seem like morning. It wouldn't be hard to find this place again if I need to. I climbed a hill in mere seconds, and when I did, I found myself face to face with a dense forest.

"Okay, I know this was never here before." I looked at the trees rather timidly. After a moment, I struck myself hard on the cheek, shocked at myself for my hesitance. I stepped into the forest and was engulfed in eerie silence. It was silent before but this. This was so much worse. It was so very silent. I felt worry grow inside me, which caused me to strike again, hating myself more for each moment i feared these damned trees. I walked quickly. I did not run. I walked at a fair pace. This place was so strange.

It wasn't long before I reached a parting in the trees. When I reached the area, however, I found it was only a bare spot in the forest. I was still deep inside, the end nowhere in sight. I looked back and saw nothing but dim black. Not even my eyes could break totally through the darkness. This truly did worry me. Worry I didn't need to strike for. This was a worry that any strigoi would feel.

I am a solitary being. Don't get me wrong. I hate being in a group. Especially with others of my kind. But even then, I feel as though I need another body here. I have no idea why I would want that, but the thought made me bite into my arm. A small trickle of my own blood leaked from the small wound. I stared at it for several seconds and watched it heal as quickly as it was inflicted. I dropped my arm and walked through this small section.

At the very end, just before I passed back into the trees, I heard a menacing growl, making me jump back. The moment I did so, a lion with a scorpions tail jumped from the brush and roared in intense anger at my presence. All I did was stare and smirk at the creature. While it is unique to my mind, this creature has clearly thought to attack me. Big mistake.

The lion pounced at me, claws outstretched, ready to tear me to pieces. I easily sidestepped the beast and with one swift motion, I snapped its hind right leg with my fist. It started to limp as it turned, mostly unfazed from my strike, as it used its strength to jump me again. This time I ducked underneath it, and lifted it high above my head. I grabbed the lion by its ruined leg, listening to it cry in pain, and slammed it to the ground head first. I got over the beast and wrapped my arms around its neck and squeezed as hard as I could, listening to the neck snap beside my ear. I then dug my fangs into it and drank greedily from the fresh kill. Its blood was bitter. Almost sour like a lemon maybe. It wasn't bad but I would rather find another of those horses.

Wait, right the horse. I had totally forgotten do to the obscenely short fight. Yes indeed, I was looking for another horse for my test. I stood from the lion and walked away with a new gleam in my eyes. I walked for what had to have been an hour. I wasn't in a rush at all anyway. After the hour passed, I found myself on the edge of a hill. At the bottom sat what looked like a small village. I stared down at it.

"A village way out here is bound to have a stable or two for horses surely." I proceeded down the hill to the town. It was silent. A much more regular silence this time though. everyone must be in bed, making my job that much easier. As I walked through the small town I saw it had everything as expected, ranging from an inn to the town hall. But I found no stables in the slightest. Well I was still hungry.

I quietly snuck into a random house. I searched the house silently, trying to find its occupant. I came to a door and when I opened it, there was the bed. I could see the bulge in the covers made by the sleeping person. I walked over and as I pulled back the covers oh so carefully, I shot back. Inside the bed rested a white horse, fast asleep. I was shocked I didn't even take a bite from it. I ran from the building and tore away from the town.

There was no way that was even remotely possible. Even for us its impossible. There was a horse in that bed. What the hell is happening? One way or another I am not going back tonight. Tomorrow I will find out.