?

She whispered to him, ''Yes, I think they are.'' Seb decided this would be easiest. ''Then we'll do that. Make sure you take a housekey with you!'' She dressed for the cold night, with a warm coat, hat and gloves, and looked at Sebastian, surprised that he had only his thin silk blouse, and down the stairs, they crept.

Once the large wooden door was shut quietly, Sonya noticed it was cold outside, but it possessed not a biting nature. She followed Seb, and said nothing until they were two blocks from home. He had all the wiry alertness of one of those hunting dogs, sniffing for the prey. ''I think I sense something in this direction!''

And off they went. The moon was unusually bright this evening, so it was not hard to see the details of everything around them. It was a strange moon, really. Sonya heard a rustle in the leaves, and commented, ''Is that a squirr- '', when Seb went bolt after it, returning in less than a minute with the now inert squirrel. He bowed as he presented it to her, ''Dinner is served!''

Sonya turned it around, looking for the least furry spot. ''It's covered in FUR! Won't I get fur in my teeth?'' Seb looked at her oddly, ''Just bite! The blood will come!'' She turned it around a few more times, and decided its belly was the least impeded, and chomped down. The warm liquid tasted so good. ''Don't suck too quickly!'' Seb warned. ''I know. I will get the burps!''

But, alas, her suction produced no results far too soon. ''I think he's empty now. I'm still hungry! Let's find another!'' And Seb cocked his head, this way and that, sniffing. ''Not so many wild beasts these days. There used to be a lot more. Civilization has kind of crowded 'em all out.''

She felt herself a small creature, in awe of the night. She'd not been out this late at night before. Seb led them running down another side street, quickly. She was surprised to not be out of breath. A barking in the distance, an incessant barking disturbed her. Soon, they were in a clearing, at a large park. A wild dog roamed loose, and she discovered that would be their next course.

Seb always struck the beast's head just hard enough to render it unconscious, but still alive. She marvelled at his precision, and wondered if she could learn such a thing. He brought the beast to an area away from the street lamps, in the shadows, so any one up at this hour could not see them. She sat down with the prey, on the chilly ground, picked a spot and dove in. ''Poor beast! I wonder how he had not a home! His blood tastes like he's gone hungry, it's lean somehow.'' But she just drank steadily.

It, too, was drained far too soon. And she was still hungry. This was going to be more difficult than she'd imagined. ''I'm still hungry!'' She informed Sebastian. He again sniffed the air. ''Do ya mind 'evildoer'?'' He asked gently. ''That would be the TWO-LEGGED model, correct?'' She surmissed correctly. ''I'm STARVING! I'm not picky. Lead me on!''

Seb sensed some bums at the other end of the park. They ran with fast feet to that side, and sure enough, a couple were huddled at a bench. They were drunk and witless, hoping to be able to sleep despite the cold. Seb rendered both of them unconscious with one blow reaching across both. He dragged one to the shadows. Sonya looked down at the filthy man and winced. He stunk, too. She cringed, as she spat on his dirty neck skin, cleaning a small area before settling in.

''Ugh, his blood tastes alcoholic!'' But she kept on drinking until the smelly vessel was empty. All this time, Seb stood beside her, guarding her carefully. She looked up at him, quite dismayed, ''I'm still hungry!'' And Seb dragged the other man to her. She again used spit to clean the neck. This man's blood tasted alcoholic, but it also had another curious twinge to it. ''Maybe he's used drugs. No matter, I'm hungry!''

Two drained bodies at her feet, she stood up, quite distressed by this point. ''WHY am I STILL HUNGRY!'' Before Seb could answer, she'd figured it out. ''I've spent FOUR months, neither human nor vampire! I ate very little human food during that time, as it did not satisfy. But I was always hungry! No wonder I was always so cross!''

She looked at Sebastian sternly, ''Keep on hunting, tall one!'' And she smacked him on his rear end. Sebastian was growing exhausted. ''Two four-legged, and two two-legged, and still the bitch isn't satisfied!'' Then he chided himself for his choice of noun. He knew her extreme hunger was his fault.

At the park's parking lot towards another border, he sensed a drug deal going down. He ran so quickly, Sonya could not keep up. But he had to, or the two men would be gone. He assaulted both with a two handed swing, much harder than he had the already incapitated drunks. But he found himself with a battle on his hands. They weren't going down so easy. And there was two of them. By the time Sonya got to the scene, one was down, but the other was still up and fighting.

She watched horrified as the tall, thin man eluded the stocky man's blows. Finally Seb landed a deft blow, and the stocky man was down, as well. He dragged him first to the shadows. The other man was weaker and more easy to control, should he resume consciousness. Sonya kneeled down before the muscular man, and whispered, ''Farewell, drug pusher!'' Then she sunk her teeth into his beefy neck, not entirely puzzled it took a harder bite to produce blood. He held a more generous supply than the others had, however, but he was drained far too soon, as well.

Seb was ready for her, having already dragged drug dealer number two towards her. She sniffed and could smell the packets of white substance on him. His blood tasted particularily odd, and she figured he had been a user, as well as a dealer. She was glad the additive was not affecting her, other than the blood's pecular taste. The four drained bodies required clean-up, which was extensive.

She was glad to be able to help Sebastian with that. She was also pleased to be one thousand dollars richer, as well. The beefy man had REAL MONEY on him! It was five o'clock by this time, she noticed, looking at her nice, new watch under the moon light. She hated to admit it, no, she didn't even want to say it. But she did anyway. ''I'm still hungry, but I know four two-legged and two two-legged is AN AWFUL lot of carnage for one night! We can head back home now! Mom wakes up at six o'clock regularily. Can we make it home before then?''

A rather relieved Sebastian agreed that if they ran quickly, they could. They ran quickly.

Neither of them relaxed until they were back in her bedroom. She carefully put the money into a hidden spot in her wallet, set it in a drawer, and after undressing, crawled into bed. She was too weary to notice Sebastian beside her. She was too weary for wondering, as well, and sleep took her hard. A grateful Sebastian fell quickly asleep, as well.

She didn't know how long they'd had to sleep. A piercing, shrill voice woke her up much too soon. A ghastly brilliance blazed through her window. ''It's two o'clock! You've missed your first class! AND you have a strange man in bed with you!'' Her mother screeched as she stood over the bed. Sonya covered her eyes with her forearm. ''Yes, mother, a very strange man! Now will you please let me sleep! I'm exhausted!''

Her mother, who looked like an older version of herself, would not leave. ''You have to give me some answers! Who is that man with you?'' Sonya pulled the covers over her head, to further protect against the outrageous sunlight streaming in. ''I don't know myself! Please let me sleep!'' She wasn't sure what made her give up, but her mother quietly padded towards the door, and gently shut it.

Before doing so, she added one last comment, ''You can tell me later. I'll let you and that odd man sleep for now.'' Sonya and Seb both spoke in unison, ''Thank you!'' And they returned to sleep.

Four hours later, they woke up, and the searing brilliance had eased somewhat. Seb whispered that he would be taking her to his friends farm. ''You DO like country life, don't you?'' Sonya replied, ''I don't know, I've never been.'' Seb spoke the magic words, ''They have food, LOTS of it.'' Sonya was agreeable, ''Food, and LOTS of it sounds good to me.'' They made travel arrangements, and would be going by Greyhound bus. She packed a couple of suitcases with her most favorite things. The next phase of her life was about to begin.

Go to Chapter 7, After The Truth
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