Japanese Vampire Love Story

Chapter 1

Disaster comes suddenly, as it does to everyone. This is one of those stories. It was a night of chilling rain. A car idly balanced over train tracks, with a windshield cracked like a spiderweb. Bathed in the lights of passing cars, I awoke silently sprawled on drenched concrete. My vision blurred, I could see my fingers, lying in a puddle, and softly considered that I would soon be dead.

I remembered begin hit by a car, and someone calling an ambulance, but I could care less. Strangely, I didn't think that I wanted to continue living. Raindrops continued to strike like cold arrows, my heart and body never seemed to awaken. My thoughts and vision seem to rot and melt away, as the darkness beckoned softly. Without any grief, I guess I began to accept the end of my incomplete life.

"What a waste"

Someone is standing above my head. As I opened my eyes again, I could see someone's shoes next to my bloodied arm.

"Such beautiful blood, it's a shame it's being washed away."

As I turned over and gazed upwards, I could see silver hair in the raindrops.

"Yes, you've got good blood. Your face isn't half bad either. If I were to allow you to die now - it would be wasteful, so, do you want to live?"

I didn't know if this was a dream or reality. Someone was near my face, with a crescent smile. Maybe, in the blur, I answered him.

"All right. I'll help. You're about to join my family. May your next life be an exquisite nightmare."

***

"Akane Yuzuki, hey."

----All right, it's time to open your eyes. My beautiful sleeping princess.... Don't ever forget; etch my existence into your soul, until that time we meet again. Until then, I say this with the utmost respect and love. Until that time, then.

". . . huh? When did I fall asleep?"

I lifted my face of the table and squinted at the setting sun beaming through my window. It seems that I drifted into sleep. A burning smell flowed from the kitchen and I suddenly snapped to.

"Oh no! I was baking cookies!"

I ran to the kitchen and yanked open the oven. I stood confounded before a tray of burnt cookies. As a college student, I've been living alone for two years. I've finally gotten decent at cooking, and cleaning and laundry are manageable, but even though I've been making cookies from a child, I've never done well at it.

If only I stayed awake, this batch would have gone well.

"Ug...Why did I fall asleep anyway?"

I stared again at the burnt cookies. I may have made a mistake again, but at least I didn't burn a lot.

"Well...I guess I should eat some."

As my parents send me a small allowance, I have to spend money wisely. I quit my part-time job because college got tough. Also my grandmother fell sick, and my studies prevented me from seeing her. I can't do anything right, I thought, as I forced myself to eat a burned cookie. Tomorrow is Sunday.Usually it's a happy day off for me, but this time, an unforeseen evil awaited.

***

I got out my groceries for dinner and two magazines I bought at the convenience store. One of them was a fashion magazine. On the cover was my favorite model, Shion; he had a handsomeness that warmed me. When I was in middle school, I had a poster of him in my room. Friends would come over, and we'd look at him, but now I collect his pictures alone. As I opened the other magazine, to look for a job, I brushed the cookies in the trash.