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Scene #61
The logs hissed and crackled in the deep fire pit nestled in
the near darkness of the forest. Only the faintest glimmer of the
moon could be seen as Darius hunkered down by the fire, desperate
to find a small patch of warmth in the damp chill of the forest.
Tall and brooding, with soulless eyes and inky black hair, Darius
was the epitome of dark and dangerous male. Darius, a brilliant
research scientist by day, was hiding a terrible secret. Darius was
a member of the undead, a vampire, whose instincts led him on a
nightly quest to hunt for humans, as their warm blood enticed
him. Determined to find a cure for his quest for blood,
Darius became a scientist and toiled endlessly to formulate a
suitable substitute for human blood. Though his research led to the
discovery of an artificially engineered blood that was crucial to
save human lives and provided him with necessary sustenance, Darius
cannot rid himself of the constant urge to hunt. Footsteps
pounding in the distance became louder as Darius realized that
someone was nearing his campsite. Eager to remain invisible, Darius
quickly extinguished the fire and crouched down behind a sturdy
pine tree. Marissa Ellerman stopped to catch her breath in
the small copse of the forest, knowing that she could not run the
remainder of her six-mile run without a well deserved rest. But she
was intrigued by the warmth of the fire, a fire which seemed to
have been extinguished very recently. But the lure of her
scent and promise of warm human blood was too great for Darius to
resist, and he emerged from his hiding place to stand so close to
Marissa that she sensed his presence there. All instincts told her
to run, but she seemed mesmerized in place, fearing the worst from
the unknown force she felt behind her, yet compelled by the thrill
she felt at his presence. “Please do not leave,” he
whispered to her. “I promise that I won't hurt you.” Gently, he
placed his hand on Marissa's shoulder and put a strand of her hair
behind her ear. “Who are you?” she asked him. “What do you
want with me?” Slowly, Darius placed his other hand firmly
on Marissa's shoulder and turned her to face him. He could not
describe the force which pulled him towards her. It was more than
his need to hunt. It was a force felt in every pore of his being,
one such as he has never felt before. And Darius was a man
who has never lacked for female companionship. But he has always
believed that sex fulfilled a momentary need. Never had he felt
such a compelling bond as the one he felt for Marissa.
Marissa was likewise spellbound, unable to look away as the
moonlight revealed Darius' chiseled features and his eyes, eyes
devoid of emotion yet mesmerizing all the same. Softly,
like the whisper of the forest breeze, Darius placed his finger
under Marissa's chin and raised her face to meet his. “So
beautiful,” he murmured. As he lowered his lips to hers,
Marissa met him halfway, and the connection they felt when he
deepened the kiss ignited a spark that neither Marissa nor Darius
had ever felt before. Yet Darius no longer felt the need to hunt,
an urge that had been an ever present force his entire life. He
only felt longing for Marissa, a longing so deep and powerful that
he knew that he must end the kiss now or he would not be able to
stop until they became as one. He reluctantly ended the kiss and
gently eased Marissa away from him. “Who are you, and why
did you kiss me?” Marissa stammered. “I can't believe I even let
you. I really am not in the habit of kissing strange men I meet in
the forest,” Marissa stated indignantly. “I was just sitting
near the fire and meditating when you came upon me,” Darius
replied. “Your beauty in the moonlight completely overwhelmed me. I
am not even sure why I kissed you. But I promise that you will come
to no harm.” Darius reached for Marissa's outstretched
hand, but his touch was so cold that he startled her. She quickly
extracted her hand from his. Who was this man whose looks could
melt her very soul but whose touch was colder than death itself?
Darius and Marissa stood still, silent regarding one another,
without so much as a breeze murmuring through the trees until a
wolf's lone howling interrupted their thoughts. “I must be
going..gotta finish my run,” Marissa stated reluctantly. “I come
through here almost every night at this time. Maybe I will see you
again.” “Perhaps,” replied Darius. But he knew that he must
see Marissa again. She was the only woman, the only being whose
mere touch erased his constant hunger to hunt, a vampire's hunger
that could only be cured by his one true soul mate. Now that he had
found her, Darius was determined to never let her go.
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