DYLAN
The sun was rising over the east side of the lake, though most of its rays were blocked out by the thick fog that had settled over Laudinboro and her surroundings in the past hours. The lake water was clear and blue, blending almost seamlessly into the fog. The surface was undisturbed, crystalline, like a mirror. A shadow sat on a bench on the west side of the lake, trying to clear her mind after yet another emotionally wrenching night.

She was tempted to move to the edge of the water, but she withstood the urge. She had made the same mistake several times before. She hated herself for existing, and even moreso for making the desicions she did because she didn't want to exist. After nights like these, her reflection was one she couldn't stand to look at.

Instead, she pulled up the sleeves of her sweater, looking at the wounds that interrupted her smooth skin. Two on her left, one on her right. The fingers of her right hand moved to her neck, tracing another, identical wound. She closed her eyes, letting herself relive the moments of that fourth bite. She loved the feelings that came with the loss of blood: the dizziness, the disorientation, and finally the numbness. That was all she really wanted. The numbness that came with being caught up in the magic of the lights and music of Club Skunk. She had been so close tonight.

But why did death never accept her? What purpose did she have to fulfill in life? She felt so confused. She wanted it to be over, but it felt like she was stuck in this life, unable to continue. She felt a sudden onset of sorrow for the vampires she let feed off her; they might never move on. They might forever be stuck on earth.

At first, Dylan restrained from turning to find the source of the faint voice that had been muttering something inaudible. The sun was beginning to rise, so she doubted it was an immortal predator looking for a quick drink. More likely, it was a human, perhaps even someone she went to school with. If that were the case, she would be ridiculed as soon as the person saw her. She had been a source of sour jokes and ill-tempered remarks ever since she had dropped out (though her parents still didn't know). Surprisingly, there was a good number of people from the high school that knew about her nightly escapades. Most of them scorned her for associating with that "crowd," but every now and then, she would see a familiar face among the dancers at the club. Goddamn hypocrites.

When she heard the same voice cry for help, Dylan finally turned her head and squinted through the fog. She could tell that the blurry figure was a child, but from that distance, she couldn't decipher whether it was a girl or a boy. Even so, she stood, knowing she was not in danger; never before had she crossed a child vampire. She had assumed there was some kind of morality preventing it.

She walked toward the child, and as she got closer, she saw that it was a young girl, coated in a layer of dust and dirt, her curls tangled, and her elegant blue dress tattered and torn. Despite her poor state, Dylan still felt hideous next to her, in her black sweatshirt and jeans. She knew that this young girl could clean up to be beautiful, which was more than Dylan could say of herself.

"Hey," Dylan said, "What's wrong?" She tried to make her voice comforting, but it probably didn't work. She never really got on with children. Most were afraid of her.

As Dylan got even closer, she was able to decipher that the young girl, was, in fact, a vampire. She felt an onset of both fear and pity; fear because even a child vampire would be able to torture her slowly, and pity because she was frozen that way forever. She stopped in her tracks, waiting to see if the immortal girl had any plans to attack.

Dylan watched the poor thing come closer to her, her strides obviously not taken in aggressive hunger, but rather, a sort of fear and necessity. Dylan turned to look at the sun when the girl hissed. It was a bad situation; the heat of the sun was beginning to peirce the fog, and within the hour, the fog will have dispersed. She could tell the vampire child was weak, and she would not last long in the sun.

Dylan quickly tried to think of the places where vampires might be. The Java Bean Cafe, where the Lafayettes usually were, was nearly always crowded, but it wasn't exactly closed off from the sun. Even the amount of sunlight the windows would let in might be able to harm the girl. Club Skunk, the hangout of Ashen and Delmos, was dark, but humans were there during the day. She would hardly go unnoticed. She didn't even dare consider the Black Horse Bar. Neither of them would last long there, among the Kramos.

The only other place Dylan could think of was the Underground of Club Skunk. In the nighttime, it was a place of sexual play and terrible deeds, but in the daytime, when most vampires were long gone, asleep in their own place of darkness, what was the worst that could happen? They could easily sneak into the Underground from the back of the building, and thus go unnoticed.

"Okay," she replied, "I know a dark place, but there won't be any others there until tonight. But it will be safe there. And I'm not fast like you are, so we'll have to take my car. Is that alright?"

Dylan gave the child a small smile and began to walk in the direction of the lot, the sun at their back. She could only hope that the fog would last until they could be safely in the confines of the shadows.

Dylan felt a warmth creep through her soul when the girl wrapped her arms aound her. Never before had anyone shown her such gratitude. It was a strange thought, for Dylan hadn't ever considered not helping the child. It seemed like a thanks for something she had felt obligated to do in the first place. She watched the girl take refuge in her shadow, and for the first time in a long time, Dylan felt she had a purpose, if only one so small and unimportant.

The dark blue sedan, alone in the parking lot, shone in the weak rays of the sun, reminding Dylan of the impending threat that was still hovering so closely. She quickly made her way to the drivers side door, opening it and sliding in. By the time she closed the door, the girl was already in, as well. The sun was visible through the windshield, and as she noticed, Dylan swore and turned to search the backseat for something that could help. Finding the dark-colored blanket she used on the nights when she left the club early and slept in her car, she tossed it to the girl. Then, she shifted the car into reverse and pulled away...

[After you post, I'll continue it in the Underground.]