Kiyomi hums silently to herself as she slips Tyler's leather jacket over her shoulders. She turns in Grayson's direction, her slender fingers wrapping around a metal handle.
"I'm going exploring. I'll be back eventually, after I find someone to help me figure out the layout to my new prison," she announces while opening the door and stepping into the doorway.
"Okay. Just be careful and call me if you need me!" He calls back as she makes her way down the porch steps. She twirls around and gives him a thumbs up, before heading down the street.

Kiyomi sighs, fishing out her iPod from her jacket inner pocket. She casually glances at the crowded neighborhood while quickly plugging up a pair of earbuds to the device and slipping them into her ears. She continues to make her way toward the town center, pop music overtaking her senses.
"I wonder if Tyler's here? Either way, I have to make the best of this place. Besides, what could go wrong," she silently wonders to herself as she hums along to the music and takes another turn. She hesitantly stops in her tracks, a shadow flickering in the corner of her eye. She raises an eyebrow in confusion and looks to her left. Her pupils lock onto an alleyway. Darkness engulfs the small area, hidden shapes pressed against the gray interior. She tilts her head in curiosity and leans slightly forward.
"That's odd," she mumbles to herself, staring at a pair of red eyes glowing in the pitch blackness.
Suddenly, a pale hand emerges from the shadows and snatches her wrist. She struggles against her attacker, panic pumping into her heart as she's pulled into the alleyway.

Kiyomi tries to scream, but a hand quickly covers her mouth. Pain floods over her entire being like a tidal wave as her back collides with a wall. She looks up, meeting the frame of her opponent.

The strange man is rather tall and an average build. His jet, black hair is covered in blood, his red eyes the color of fire. He's dressed in all black with a skull inked into his neck. He pins her wrists over her head, a murderous smirk pulling at the corner of his lips.
She growls in annoyance, twisting violently against his hold. She quickly sinks her teeth into his palm while kicking him roughly in the shin. He cries out in alarm as he pulls back his hand. She flashes him a crazy smile, blood dripping down her bottom lip.
"Don't touch me, sicko!" she shouts angrily and spits blood onto the pavement. He glanced at his palm, grimacing at the bloody teeth marks engraved into his flesh. He roughly grabs her elbow while blocking her only escape.

Kiyomi tries to free herself from his hold, but a burning sensation flows throughout her arm. She clenches her jaw against the pain as her pale skin fades to a dark purple shade. He leans forward, taking a hold of her chin and lifting up her head. He leans closer to her while positioning her body in an angle to the side.
"You smell so sweet," he whispers, burying his head into the crook of her neck. Fear leeches onto her brain and her heartbeat picks up pace.
"Are you on something, creep? What do you think you're doing?" She demands while yanking her chin away. He moves the collar of the jacket to the side, his fingers tracing the veins inside of her skin. She automatically bites into her lip as the pounding of her heart pulses inside her ears.
"Aww. You're so cute," the crazed vampire's smile twists into a Cheshire cat's grin, amusement flickering in his dead eyes.

Suddenly, a dark silhouette materializes at the entrance of the alleyway.
"Get lost," a loud yet harsh voice announces, making the vampire automatically release her. She sighs in relief while watching him disappear down the street. Kiyomi moves her bruised arm around, quickly fixing her jacket and stepping toward the figure. A young man stands near the sidewalk with an arm propped up by a wall nearby.
"Um....thank you for saving me. I swear that guy was on something or maybe he was mental," she says while glancing at the iPod laying on the concrete.
He's rather tall with pale skin. His blonde hair is spiked up in an attractive way, his red eyes the color of crimson. A white t-shirt with a leather jacket, ripped blue skinny jeans, and combat boots make up his outfit. Fingerless biker gloves are pulled over his hands, three chain earrings stabbed into his left earlobe glint in sunlight.

"No problem," he replies, bending down at the same height as her to pick up her iPod. She blushes lightly while quickly picking up her ear buds and wrapping them around her fingers.
"I'm sam. What's your name, sweetheart?" Her face immediately fades to a rosy shade, their hands colliding.
"Kiyomi. I just moved here, yesterday. It's so nice to run into someone friendly in this town," she responds, pulling her hand away and standing up right. Sam follows her lead, letting out his hand. She smiles uncomfortably as her pupils lock onto the library some blocks away.
"I'm going to check out the library. I'll see ya, later. Okay?" She tilts her head to the side and smiles like a child, before racing toward the building.

Kiyomi sighs in relief, quietly shutting the entrance door behind her. She cautiously stares at the glass pane as fear flows into her circulatory system. She hesitantly glances at an empty street while silently praying that Sam doesn't have the guts to follow her. She quickly twirls around and blindly makes her way to another section of the library.
Aisles of wooden bookshelves crowd the small area, a reading room is in the far right corner, and abstract art pieces make up the interior white walls. She stops in her tracks and looks to her left. Her eyes immediately lock onto a poster taped to the top edge of a bookshelf nearby. Happiness flickers in her pupils as she quickly reads the words "Horror-paranormal." She races up to the back row in the section, excitement replacing her fear. She reaches out and places her index finger on the spine of a book. She slowly starts scanning the covers, her nail scraping across the titles letter by letter.

She carefully picks up a book while stepping slightly back. She flips it to the back side, glancing at the description. She looks out of the corner of her eye as she spots a young boy sitting criss-cross in the floor.
His back is pressed against a shelf, his slender fingers wrapped tightly around the sides of an opened book. His eyes are glued to the pages, his puppies scanning everything word like a computer. He stops reading and marks his page by bending the corner of a page. He lifts up his chin while closing the book gently. He flashes her a shy smile as he pushes himself up right.
"Hi," he says, putting the object back on the shelf in front of him. Kiyomi grins in return, blowing her bangs out of her eyes.
"Hey, I'm new here. Just doing a little exploring," she states as her fingers wrap around the book's spine. His pale face flushes a light pink shade, his eyes avoiding hers.
"Um...I'm Aiden Meyers. I...well, I work here. I was just taking a break since no-one really comes here, anymore," his cheeks quickly turn rosy while he hesitantly lets out his hand.

Aiden is about two years younger than her with a tall yet lanky frame. His porcelain skin glows in the bright lighting, black smeared around his eye sockets from sleep deprivation. His blue hair is fluffy, his bangs covering up his left eye. A green hoodie with dog tags, gray ripped skinny jeans, and vans make up his outfit.
"Kiyomi Chambers," Kiyomi replies as she takes his hand.
"I could point out some great places if you would like," Aiden mumbles, letting go of her hand and glancing in the direction of the lobby area. She smiles brightly this time as she tilts her head to the side like a curious child.
"Yeah, that would be amazing. Maybe, you could show me where a decent cafe is?" She asks while following him toward the checkout register. He quickly grabs a pair of keys from his hoodie pocket, before taking the book from her hands and checking it out for her.
"There's a cafe down the street, just a block from here. I'll show you in a minute. I need to close up shop, right quick," he explains and lays the book on the desktop.
"Thanks-," she quickly cuts herself off as she comes face to face with thin air. She raises an eyebrow out of confusion, quickly scanning the area for any sign of him. Suddenly, the entrance door opens with a loud slam, making her jump and twirl around in the direction of the lobby. She blinks as her eyes adjust to an approaching silhouette, her lower back hitting the desk's edge.

© StarsofClarity