[ Taste of Blood ]
Story By Miyoko Sayomono

[ Chapter 1: Secrets ]

No. Not again. Why? Why must it be now? These were the thoughts of Sakura Leigh, a teenager of the age of seventeen with dark brown hair, brilliant blue eyes, and a long, pale, and thin scar under her right eye. But behind the eyes lie a secret that she had kept hidden for a long year. A secret that was dangerous to not only her friends, but everyone. For now, she would have to ignore this. She was with her friends, her only friends.

With her, under the shade of a tree, were her two best friends she could have in the world. A seventeen-year-olds’ blonde hair wavered in the passing breeze; amber eyes watched Sakura above him. Joey Estes smiled, he was happy that his girlfriend was with him at that moment. Her long fingers were gently scratching his chin. Like a joyful puppy, he gazed lazily up into her eyes, and then saw that something was wrong; or was it just a fluke? He sighed and enjoyed the continuous scratching, unaware the secret that was being kept from him.

“Will you two stop it? You know how much I hate you two while your doing that crap,” came the voice of Sakura’s other friend, Alex Fairs. The teenager was also seventeen; she had sandy brown hair, green emerald eyes, and scars all over her face. She too had a secret to keep, and only Sakura and Joey knew about it. Alex was one of the few who knew about Sakura’s secret as well. The girl was stretched out on the soft green grass, watching the clouds above them.

The long days of summer were slowly turning into the short days of fall. It didn’t feel like it though to the three teenagers in Greenwell’s Park. Early September was creeping its way slowly to the town. But at that moment, they were all enjoying late summer. Sakura sighed and stopped scratching her boyfriends chin; a strange darkness filled her eyes. “Joey,” she asked quietly. “Will you come take a walk with me? I, um, need to give you something. A gift you might say.”

He stared at her for a minute and then nodded. “Of course,” he said with a grin.

Alex bolted up to a sitting position, “What?” The girl looked over at the other girl, and then to the boy. “No, Joey, you, uh, shouldn’t go,” knowing what Sakura was trying or meaning to do, either way she couldn’t let it happen. If it did…she just couldn’t let it happen. “Joey, don’t go. It’s like me asking you if you want to go on a stroll during the full moon!”

Estes shook his head and laughed, “I wouldn’t ever ask to go with you on a stroll in the light of a full moon! What do you think I am? Some kind of an idiot?” he asked Fairs.

“Yes,” Alex said as she stood up to face Joey. “Don’t be an idiot, wait, let me rephrase that. Don’t be a dog! I forbid you to follow her!”

It was too late; Joey had already walked off trailing Sakura. Not knowing what was going on. Alex pressed a hand to her face. “That loyal mutt,” she muttered. She shook her head in disbelief; she followed them quietly and far away from them, but not too far.

Joey caught up with Sakura, but when he was about to ask her where she was taking him, she ran off at a fast sprint. He followed, left and right; through alleyways, into busy streets, and then finally the chase ended at a dark alleyway. He stopped at the edge where the light stopped and the shadows started. “Sakura?” he called quietly and calmly. He was silent; waiting for a response, wondering what she was doing that was taking so long. “Sakura,” he said again.

“Over here Joey.” It was Sakura’s voice but it sounded different. It sounded like she was possessed or something. But the male shrugged and waited for the girl to come out, but she didn’t. What was taking so long? He was about to walk in, when he paused. What if she was preparing his “gift”? A lot of “what ifs” suddenly filled mind.

“Joey, I’m over here. Come on in…if you dare…just kidding. Come on!” Her calls for him made him move from the sunlight into the darkness. He squinted as he stopped halfway in the alley, trying to find his friend. Joey shivered as a sudden chill overcame him; it chilled him to the bone. He looked around again; no Sakura. “Sakura?” he called wondering what was going on, trying to get his eyes to adjust.

Without warning, before his eyes could adjust, he felt something brush against his neck. The boy jumped backwards, fearing what was in front of him, but whatever had touched him touched him again. This time he was forcefully pulled back, hands were digging into his shoulders as he was pulled forward. His eyes then adjusted, and then before him he saw Sakura. “Saku-” he was cut off when he heard a popping noise of fangs entering his veins on his neck. He was stunned for a quick moment, and then he pushed her away. Joey placed a hand on his neck and felt the warmth of blood. She had bit him…him! What the heck was going on? “Sakura, listen to me,” he said, “What are you doing? It’s me! Joey!”

“I know who are,” echoed the dark voice that was not her. Sakura was different, in ways more than one. Her eyes had darkened, her teeth were sharpened and she wanted blood…his blood. She began to walk towards him, grinning. Her sharp teeth were now dripping with fresh blood of Joey Estes. A pale, white hand went to her jeans pocket and pulled out a short, but sharp, sliver knife.

Joey’s amber eyes went to the size of plates when he saw the blade. “Sakura, if you know it’s me then stop! This isn’t funny!” he said as Sakura advanced towards him. He began to back up, retreating away from the bloodthirsty girl. His back met the wall and then he stopped; he couldn’t move anymore. He could feel his hand trembling uncontrollably; he was afraid. He was afraid of her…and he had a good reason.

A yellow pair of eyes was watching them closely; hidden in the shadows. It watched as Sakura pinned Joey, her knife over his heart. They were quietly talking. Joey was pleading, and Sakura was getting ready to make him a part of the undead. Hidden in the shadows, the thing slowly crept towards them, being careful not to make a sound.

“Please, Sakura,” he pleaded. “Please don’t do this!”

An evil smile came over Sakura’s face, showing that no matter how much the male in front of her pleaded, she wouldn’t let him go. “You should be happy,” she whispered in his ear as she prepared to sink her fangs in flesh. “You should be happy that you’ll soon be like your girlfriend; a vampire.”

Before Joey was made part of the undead, he wondered what had happened to the woman he loved. He wondered what made her change into what she was before him. At the last second where the vampire’s canines touched his neck, a wolf about the size of a very large dog with white, razor-sharp teeth, and glaring golden eyes, attacked Sakura. The wolf sunk its teeth into the side of Sakura’s throat. A sliver liquid spurted everywhere, landing on the brick walls, staining Sakura’s shirt. The vampire and the werewolf fell sideways painfully to the ground.

The wolf looked at Joey; its teeth were still digging into Sakura’s neck. Joey knew who it was and he was grateful that she hade saved his neck. Alex Fairs was a werewolf but she was violent all the same. She stared at him with eyes that told him to run. He nodded and then he was about to run off when something grabbed his ankle with a gentle touch. Joey looked down and saw that the hand belong to Sakura, but when he was about to pull away he saw her face. He stopped moving and stared into her eyes. They looked kind and were filled with pure blue, but they were also filled with pain.

“Joey…”she said in a hoarse voice. “Joey…I’m so sorry. I…I didn’t know what…what I was doing.” A shiver went through Sakura’s body, her hand on Joey’s ankle trembled.

“Let her go,” Joey said to the wolf. The wolf gave him a look that asked him if he was sure. “Do it,” he said and the wolf released her neck. He knelt down next to her, his eyes were confused but what also lingered was friendliness and what he thought Sakura needed the most; warmth. The boy slightly lifted the girl to a sitting position and stared at her neck. The wolf sat down next to them and whimpered slightly, wondering if Sakura was okay.

Sakura’s gaze turned to Alex and smiled slightly, “Thank you for stopping me.” The wolf nodded, and then turned back into her human state.

“No problem. How’s your neck?” Alex asked worried that she might have done something fatal to her.

“I’m okay, but just shaken,” Sakura’s eyes moved to Joey who was still holding her. “I’m sorry. I should have stayed locked up in my room, I thought I could control myself, but it turns out I couldn’t.” Her gaze went to the ground followed with a sad sigh.

“It’s okay Sakura, you’re with friends now,” Alex said with a toothy grin.

[ to be continued...]