1-1 => Tiula and Project Alice

"Show me," said Maria, her eyes lighting up, excited. James touched her arm again, and she winced. "Better make it quick," she said, "because we need to hunt... soon. If you could show us how not to spill human blood, perhaps I could give you something in return."

"Very well then... don't say I did'nt warn you though, my ability is unlike any other I've heard of."

I disappeared...

Maria breathed in sharply, her breath whistling. "Very useful," she commented. "I wish I could make such good use of mine."

James growled and lurched into a protective crouch in front of Maria. "Stay away from her," he snarled.

"Don't worry James, I'm still here. My ability just tricks your mind into thinking that I'm not. So yes... it is quite useful."
I reappeared just as fast as I had vanished.
"Follow me... I'll lead you to a safe place to hunt."

I didn't know the area that well, I only had to make sure that there are no humans within range of our scenses.

Maria nodded, laughing at James' protectiveness, and followed Chelsea. Once or twice they caught a flavour of human, to which they instinctively turned, but the thirst was bearable and the wind blew the scents from them soon enough. Maria tried to imagine the taste of animal blood - they smelled horrible, most of them, but would they taste horrible too? The sweetness of victory over her demonic self might overcome it...

She felt a touch at her wrist and James' thoughts entered hers.

I can't hunt animals, he said. We deserve better. Come with me, Maria, from this strange golden-eyed. She makes me nervous, like she will attack you. Let's find our own territory, all alone. Protect it - make it ours. Just you and me.

His thoughts made Maria wistful, but she shook her head slightly. James, I've been looking for an alternative to murder for a while. We were human once, remember? Please. Try this for me.

She looked up at him with soft, pleading eyes, and he laughed. You are too dangerous, he thought tenderly, before racing after Chelsea.

I noticed they had stopped... I did the same , both waiting for them and testing the air.

The air was pure... no human scent intruding it.

"This spots good!"
and they were soon back with me.

Maria flew behind James, coming to a graceful halt just behind Chelsea when she stopped. She scented the air - no human scent, but over the sweet scent of vampire she smelt animal. Despite the thirst, they smelt unappealing, but she took another breath and focused on the sound of heartbeats and the soft, wet scent of hot blood.

She leaned into a hunting crouch and took another breath. Lion, she thought, and then corrected herselt. No, lynx.

James took a breath of air. The lynx smelt horrible; he would leave that one for Maria. He turned his nose elsewhere, and suddenly scented, a long way away, the scent he desired. Human.

Maria wasn't as sensitive as he - she was older, with more experience. She probably couldn't smell it. But he could. Baring his teeth, he shifted silently away from them

I didn't need to hunt at the moment... my eyes were an so bright I probably didn't need to for awhile.

I mainly observed them, Maria... I didn't notice James slip away.

Maria let her thirst overwash her so that the scent of the animal was more appealing to her. Like an eagle, she shot from the glade, jumping over the lynx and fixing her teeth at its neck and drinking from its main vein, soothing the raging thirst. It tasted appaling, but her conscience was ringing joys at the knowledge that she never again had to kill.

She rose when the lynx was dry, and only the trickle of dark red blood that ran from her lips remained to show her vampiric abilities. She smiled, showing white teeth covered with a red-pink sheen. "Thank you," she said earnestly.

**

James had managed to slip away unnoticed. He hated leaving Maria, and hated deceiving her even more. But the thirst was getting worse, and he knew that he couldn't live on animal blood.

He headed into the darkest alleys of town, and breathed in. Ouch - that was a mistake. His neck burned with fire; so many people! But he only needed one, and no witnesses.

He followed a boy into the slums, thinking only of the hot spot on his neck where the blood flowed the fastest.

"You'll get used to the taste... you've had a taste of both sides, something I will never do."

It was at that moment that I noticed that something wasn't right.

Maria smiled. "Don't taste human blood," she advised. "You'll feel bad and you'll only realise what you're missing."

Suddenly, she realised that the casual touch at her wrist was gone. "Where's James?" she asked, suddenly alert despiter her recent feeding.

I began to look around... scanning the forest.

"I don't know, you know his scent better than I do... if you can pick it up I'll follow you."

This isn't going to end well... but for who I didn't know.

Maria nodded and breathed in. The scent of animal blood on her neck was even less appealing than it had been before she had hunted, and she frowned.

"He's gone north-west," she said, and glanced at Chelsea. "Is there anything... of interest there?"

"A small town I think..."
I didn't finish.

Maria's face turned to a picture of horror, but not surprise. She tried to compose herself - only an hour ago, she would not have thought twice about it. She touched Chelsea's arm, thinking her thoughts as she couldn't speak them, and then ran flat out, following his unique scent.

**

James had herded the boy towards the edge of town, but he wasn't scared. Not yet.

James wasn't a monster; he didn't delight in torture - he simply thought that killing was an inevitable part of being a vampire. He thought nothing of it, but he tried not to be sadistic.

He jumped, landing in front of the boy, who backed away, gathering breath to scream. Quickly, James clamped a hand over his mouth and snapped his neck so that he wouldn't suffer. Then he took to draining the body of blood.

* I'll let you lead for this... will I have to use my ability?

We approached the small town in no time at all... slipping through alleys... not to be seen.

*probably*

Maria followed his scent. It lay thick and fast - why couldn't humans smell it? She stared down the alley, and watched as the shocked, tanned face of James rose from a boy. Already dead - at least he hadn't suffered.

Maria said nothing, she only looked. As James lowered his eyes in shame, she heard the soft pat of footsteps come down the alley.

* Are the footsteps supposed to be me?

*no but they can be if you want

*Do what you were going to do... I would hate to ruin any good ideas you had... unless you want it to be me.

Maria grabbed James' arm, and pulled him into the shadows, but the body of the boy was still visible, as was Chelsea, standing as still as a statue as only vampires could. The owner of the footsteps rounded the corner, and gasped.

Shoot! The body was still in full view, and they could do nothing about it now; it had been noticed. Keeping her eyes on James lest he should spring, she searched the shadows with her hands, searching for Chelsea so their minds could link.

I was behind Maria now.
"That was a close one."

*I'm still invisible.

Maria felt for Chelsea's hand and thought her speech, but James' voice came in on them.

I'm so sorry! I couldn't help it; I am too weak. I didn't want to hurt you, Maria. Please,

Maria interrupted his apologies. We have to leave. It won't be long until he comes searching these shadows, and the fewer questions are asked, the better. Chelsea, where can we go?

I touched Maria's shoulder. "Gimme a second."
I vanished within the shadows and went out into the alley... completly invisible.
I whispered to the others.
"There's no one there now... we can go the other way, the alley continues on the other side of that fence."

I returned to the shadows... touching Maria's shoulder again.
"I'm so sorry... I should have kept a closer eye on him..."
My thoughts trailed off at that point... thinking about the boy that lay on the ground...

James' eyes flashed, and he began to growl, but Maria silenced him. I don't need watching!

It's my fault, Chelsea, thought Maria. Don't worry. I'm sorry about this, we've been too conspicuous. Now, let's get out of here. Away from the scent of humans.

James frowned. I'm sorry. I meant no harm, but I am not as strong as you. I'm ok to be near humans now that I have fed. We can leave.