by CELENE CAREY
She looked and looked but to no avail, and after a while, she gave up and went into the kitchen. She opened up her fridge and retrieved a cool water bottle, which she emptied in a glass, and tossed the empty bottle into the sink. As she brought the glass to the her lips, she heard a car pull up on some curb nearby, and the sound kept getting nearer till it stopped right near her front door. She brought the glass back down, and stood still, waiting to see if somebody had arrived at her place, or whether it was just the neighbors. Surely enough, the doorbell rang soon and she placed the glass back on the counter, to walk towards the lounge again.
She wasn’t expecting anyone to stop by, only her stepbrother – Zach, but he wasn’t supposed to be here for another week and she had been planning on leaving the house, in case any of her work friends decided to stop by on their way home, and tell her what awaits her at work tomorrow. She wanted to deal with it as it came at her, and it wouldn’t be any use to worry herself about Miranda’s mindless chatter all through the night. She knew she was going to make her life even more miserable, starting from tomorrow, so she was going to let it start from tomorrow, and have a night out before the commencement of her humiliation. It was clear that she wouldn’t be able to do so for many weeks to come, as Miranda’s wrath had previously depicted when she had brought the Mocha instead of a Cappuccino she ordered since she wanted her to try it. She found out that day, that Miranda Lockwood cares more about her cappuccino than anyone working under her. She still cringed at how she had spilled the coffee on the ground in front of everyone, and then called her “useless”.
Nevertheless walked towards the door after she had descended from her room, expecting it to be some darn kids again, but she turned the door knob and pulled the handle to see a young man standing at her front door. He was dressed down in light blue jeans and a white T-shirt and he had a bright smile spread across his face. She looked at him from the feet and brought her gaze up to his face, with a questioning expression.
“Hello there, I just moved here in the neighborhood two weeks ago, and uh, I was looking for some numbers? I needed some help with the plumbing?”
She was taken aback by his sudden list of questions that followed the brief introduction, and responded at first only with a simple “Uh? Oh, yeah!” She turned back to pick up her phonebook from the small stand, which was placed beside the entrance. She started to fumble through the pages and look for the page that she had listed all the plumper’s numbers on, and he spoke up again.
“I’m Matt by the way, I moved in right across the street,” he said, pointing towards a brown house across the street, a little to the left.
“I’m Angelina, uh, well, and I’ve been living here for a while, actually,” she said nervously, still trying to find the magic page “Ah! There it is!” she uttered, offering him a look at her phonebook. She suddenly realized how rude she was being, and said “I’m so sorry, why don’t you come in and I’ll get a piece of paper you could take with you,” she said motioning towards the living room sofas inside her home.
“Are you sure I am not bothering you?” he asked politely, and noticed how she was trying to nervously fix her hair, and her blouse.
“No, not at all, it’s just that, I hope you don’t mind the mess. I’ve been quite busy today, haven’t had the time to clean,” she said apologetically as she thought about how she had slept in, and he responded almost instantly “Are you kidding? The place looks great! I love your furniture; did you follow some design in a magazine?” he asked, looking around the whole place “It’s actually quite quaint,” he said right afterwards, diffusing the importance of his own question, to Angelina’s relief. She didn’t know how long he had planned it, and she didn’t understand how well he knew her already. For her, he was just a friendly neighborhood guy, who just moved in and was looking to make some friends. For him, she was the hunt, and he had been preparing to be the predator for a very long time.
Angelina smiled at him politely at his remark, and signaled towards the living room sofa. He walked up into the room, as Angelina went into the kitchen to get her handy pen and notepad from the counter.
She called out to him, “What would you like to drink? Can I get you some lemonade?”
“Uh, sure,” he replied, with the expression on his face suddenly turning sombre and grim. He had her scent now, and everything in her house smelt the same. He felt his muscles and nerves tense up, and tried to control the impulse. Sweat started to drip from his forehead, as he channelled all his energy into keeping his composure. He had to stay in control, if he was to get what he had come for, and the brief setback of a mere scent couldn’t stop him anymore. So he let it pass, and made himself comfortable inside the detailed living room. He noticed the window he had shattered only this morning, and smirked a little.
Matt couldn’t quite place it yet, but he had been this way for as far back in time as he could remember. He craved blood and flesh alike, and changed form like nothing else anybody had ever seen. He turned to books after making his first kill when he was only eight, but neither history nor science could give him any answers for his condition. He battled between leading a normal life, and letting the beast take over him, but he couldn’t do it all alone anymore. He needed a mate, anybody who could understand his hunger for what it truly was, and help him sustain his power. He knew he had a way out, but he just hadn’t stumbled upon it yet. He wanted to control this electrifying force that started to run through his body, every time his senses detected the scent of a young and lonely woman. It was something distinct and unlike any other fragrance in the world. Nothing could compare to the scent of a woman, who cries herself to sleep often and her heart has been scattered in pieces. It’s not a feminine scent, but neither is it masculine, or crude. It’s a little intense at first, like blood, and if he could relate it to something, it would be the scent of passion. There was a certain heat about it, and it was the kind of warmth only Matt could sense, but it was a saddening heat that echoed of a longing of desire.
Matt had spent years in trying to connect this scent to a trait, or something specific that a young woman would be involved in. It’s an intensity that was sexual, and passionate, and it spoke of a hunger that has been smothered with routine and responsibility. It was chaotic, and at the same time, very beautiful for Matt.
He had been keeping an eye on Angelina since he arrived, and it wasn’t easy leaving behind the memories of his last home. He had killed the woman he loved in an impulse, and to this day, he hadn’t been able to be the same as he was. He couldn’t control the urge and his wrath unleashed on her, as his body grew thick hair that soon turned into fur, and his mouth became morphed into a monstrous shape, with huge edged teeth and red eyes that gleamed with anger. Matt couldn’t have ever predicted he could turn into something so vile, and so destructive. When he was a child, it would usually be a crow or an eagle, but now it was a cat or a wolf as Matt’s body took form of stealthy creatures, for a quick disguise or escape. But this one had turned around on him completely, and he wasn’t himself anymore. He had never turned into a wolf before, and as his body grew larger and he stood on all fours, he forgot all about who Matt was. All that remained of him was his animal instinct, and his prey in front of his eyes. It would be different with a cat, but a wolf was uncontrollable.
He had given into the urge, and in a flash, his whole life turned around, and from a happily engaged man, he became a wanted criminal. Fortunately for him, it had been a small district, and there was a very low chance of word spreading as far as this town. He had made his way through the woods, with nothing but a cloak wrapped around his body and just a few names that he was sure could help him survive. He had reached the big city and checked into a lodge at the outskirts as a homeless man looking for a night’s shelter. He had managed to steal a phone, and call his contacts to gain hold of his accounts and get some money transferred to start off new. The call was made, the contact performed as he was bid, and Matt had managed to transfer a few mil
lion dollars to his family account. He knew the records would never be able to trace this source and his family wealth had once again saved him from doom. His father had left behind mansions and valuable possessions all over the world. He was a rich man, and he enjoyed living lavishly, but after his death, all these little assets were being sold off one at a time. Each time Matt craved for the scent, his father’s assets dissolved, and even though it was a negligible loss, Matt knew he couldn’t live that way forever. He needed someone like Stacy, but he didn’t want her to change just like she did towards the end. She became unsatisfied and demanding, and she was always gruelling about something. The intensity had escalated over time and the arguments started to become more aggressive, and Matt found himself losing his grip on reality. He could never forget how she looked at him in the end and the fear in her eyes. She was crying like a child, begging for her life. While Matt’s mind, on the other hand, couldn’t even comprehend a single word that came out of her mouth. He had suddenly detached himself of all feelings that he held for this woman, and saw her as an object. He was predator, hunting down his prey. From the man who loved her still, he had turned into a beast who wanted to rip her apart. He couldn’t help feeling so distant; he was born this way, and eventually everybody is bound to leave when they find out who he truly is. Nobody can love him, and if his impulse broke him again, he would lose any hope of being with someone ever again.
The task of keeping a woman emotionally involved when in your mind you loath everything she does, till she starts to take her clothes off, was easy, but it was a skill Matt had managed to acquire quite after some struggle. When there were no triggers around, he felt it was easier to contain him, but when he was pushed beyond a point, he himself couldn’t predict that beast he would turn into. It had been a wolf this past several times, when he would wake up from a nightmare screaming, and the blood rushing through his veins at lightning speed drove all his senses numb. This numbness would then turn into a burning hunger inside him that would overcome his very nature, and his body would start to change.
Hair would start to sprout out from all over his skin, and his features would start to change until a he was rushing through the woods howling. The last thing he would remember would be the pain, when his body would start to morph and for a few minutes he wouldn’t be able to breathe. But once he was out, there was no stopping him. The deaths had been reported as missing persons, since he never left any traces to be more careful this time around. One night, he had to bury six human carcasses, which were mostly young women. He had acquired a taste for the female flesh by now, and Angelina’s pale looked very tempting from afar.
As she came into the living room area and placed down the tall glasses of lemonade, Matt noticed her distinct eyes, and felt even more attracted to her than before.
He hadn’t noticed it until now, but her eyes were deceivingly stunning. They were a distinct shade of pale blue that he had never seen before, and felt himself smiling at her as she looked at him while sitting down right across him on the sofa.
“Here’s the list of numbers, and this one, right here is the best one in terms of service,” she said, as she offered him a piece of paper he completely ignored.
“Your eyes are stunning,” he said in a manner that revealed his surprise “I didn’t hear a word you were saying, I am so sorry, but I’ve never seen such eyes, and I’ve seen many,” he said softly, and Angelina started to blush. She already felt jittery and nervous around the handsome young man, and now that he had started complimenting her, she was starting to feel a whole new spark.
“That’s so kind of you to say,” She said politely “thank you,”
“Oh no, it not kind at all to admire beauty when you see it, beauty doesn’t ask for attention, it demands it,” he said in a very attractive and eloquent tone “I consider it a sin to not admire beauty, and miss Angelina, your eyes are probably the most beautiful eyes I will ever get to see,” he uttered, and she started to sense the attraction between them.
He was clearly attracted to her, and she loved the fact that he wasn’t like any ordinary man. He was dressed so casually, and still looked so graceful. He spoke with certain tact, and his collectiveness was very empowering. She felt attracted to him the moment she opened her door, but now, she was getting excited, rather than being nervous.
Nobody had spoken to her in that way for a while, and Matt, whoever he was and wherever he came from, was being charmingly upfront. She realized it was all very overwhelming, and that was not good. She knew the idea of a perfect looking guy with a good house to his name falling into her lap and then showering her with compliments and sweeping her off her feet was a traditional method of the elite. She had played the attraction game and gotten tired of it already, and the wisdom she had managed to accumulate from these games got imprinted on her mind like a code.
She knew how low men could stoop, just to get a good night’s fun, but she had long realized that these shenanigans are best left alone. She had no idea of his true intentions, and disregarded any precautions for her safety, which was fortunate for him. She was lost in her thoughts as Matt noticed her, and assessed her instantly. She was a fairly average minded girl in a fast paced world, so she had trained herself to perform. It was probably good for her career growth, but he saw clearly how this woman deemed herself much smarter than she actually was, and it was easy to use that for an advantage.
Matt started to make small talk about the neighborhood, as he kept noticing her eyes from time to time, and she kept blushing a little bit which revealed she was slowly falling into the trap.
Angelina had completely made a wrong assessment of the situation, and she hadn’t even the slightest notion of the fact that the man sitting in her living room was a murderer, criminal, and not completely human. She was walking further and further into a trap, and soon she would find herself in trouble.
“I can’t thank you enough for your hospitality Angelina, but I am afraid I’ve taken too much of your time,” said Matt after indulging in her mindless chatter for more than twenty minutes “I must be going,”
“It’s was a pleasure Matt, don’t be silly,” she replied politely, totally smitten after her invigorating conversation with this charismatic man.
“I’ll be disturbing you again pretty soon, I assume, It’s a tough neighborhood to get by,” he joked while smirking. Angelina laughed at how he was mocking the quaint and quite neighborhood with absolutely no signs of trouble, and responded with a playful remark “Oh boy, you haven’t seen much yet have you?”
Matt smiled at her mysteriously, and said nothing. She smiled back as he said “Goodnight Angelina, I’ll see you around,” and turned around to walk towards his house across the street. She shut the door, and leaned her back against it for a while, thinking about how good she felt just because of a ridiculously small encounter, and then peeked through the eyehole to take one last look at him.
He was still walking slowly towards his house when he turned to take a look towards her door again, and as if instinctively, she turned the door knob and parted the door. He stopped mid-way and then turned to face her and noticed a smile on her face, and even though he didn’t know what he had done to achieve it, but her had her now.
He started to walk towards her door slowly and with each step, he noticed how her cheeks blushed a deeper red every with every second that passed, and kept walking till he reached the porch again. She stood still, and stared into his eyes as he stepped onto the porch, and came closer. She parted the door a little more and he walked past her quietly, and when he was inside, she slowly slid the door shut.
When she turned to face him again, he was looking at her with a raw sex appeal that made her want him even more, and as if he had heard what was going on in her mind, he reached in and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her very close to himself. She let him embrace her, but couldn’t meet his stare, and he slowly moved in to touch her lips with his to send an electrifying sensation down her spine.
Angelina’s body started to ease as his hands caressed her waist while his lips savored hers. They were both wrapped in an embrace and Matt started to move his hands all over her body, she grabbed on to his hand and led him upstairs. She walked ahead of him as they reached the bottom of the staircase when Matt pulled her back by her wrist right before she took up the stairs, and picked her up, off the floor. She wrapped her hands around his shoulders with a gasp as she tried to gain her balance, and then looked into Matt’s eyes shyly as he smiled.
There was something very mysterious and naughty about his smile, and Angelina felt her heart skip a beat every time his eyes met hers as if a spark would just run though her body. She felt incredibly aroused and as they ascended the staircase and he took her towards the only room he saw with a light on.
He kissed hers softly right before entering, and lowered her feet to the ground, as she kept on kissing him and pulled him inside the room with his shirt. Her bed hadn’t still been made, but she didn’t care about those tedious little things right now, as Matt kissed her neck, and then started to go lower. Nobody heard the her brother’s car getting parked in the driveway or Zach coming in from the front door. Angelina had been too consumed by pleasure as Matt touched her breasts from under her shirt and bit her neck here and there very lightly. It had been long since Matt had felt so indulged in someone, and he was enjoying every bit of it right up till Angelina suddenly started to squirm away as her eyes went wide by whatever she saw in the doorway. Matt brought himself back to reality to notice the surprise on her face and then followed her gaze to the doorway, where a good-looking man stood staring at them
“Zach? What the hell!” she yelled, as the man looking at them started to giggle a bit.
“I’m sorry! I just wanted to surprise you,” he said smirking, as Matt looked at Angelina and asked “Who’s he?” sceptically.
“Urgh, he’s my stepbrother Zach,” she said as she stared sternly at the young man who had now entered the room.