This week’s homework was to think of a gift you would buy the tutor and what it would be wrapped in. Take the tutor out of the equation and place the gift, unwrapped, next to dead body of a young adult. Now, write a short story about it. Here’s mine…
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The underside of the bridge was cast in shadow. In the deepest, darkest corner a woman was crouched into the join where the bridge met the road. She was almost hugging the bridge itself, hoping it would give her some comfort. Her eyes, however, were transfixed in one direction, in the direction of the young man who was lying cold and wet at the side of the road. The heavy rain poured down upon him and it washed the remnants of blood away that had been dripping out of the recent wound in his neck. The package he had been carrying was soaking and the brown paper wrapper was disintegrating with the heavy pounding of water.
She remembered how he had told her about it. He had bought a gift for his fiancé and he’d spent his entire week’s pay on it. He was going to give it to her the next afternoon and she was going to love him for it.
“It’s a leather bound notebook for her,” he gushed. “She loves to write poetry and I thought she could keep all her musings in here.”
He was so pleased with himself that Ettie almost felt jealous. How she wished someone so beautiful would buy her a gift he had thought so long and hard about. But that wouldn’t happen, not now. Not now that she had done the one thing she had been trying to fight off for so long.
She was still staring at his lifeless body watching him turn more and more pale, so much so that the skin began to turn translucent. She must have been there for several hours. Their short meeting had filled her with so many emotions and she remembered each one as she watched his life drain out.
It had been turning dark and she had stumbled on the bottom of her skirt as she crossed the street. The lace had become loose and she had told herself so many times to fix it but there never seemed time. Just as she felt she would fall a beautiful young gentleman, not much older that 18, stepped forward and reached for her hand. His grasp was so strong that it steadied her instantly.
“Thank you Sir,”she blushed. “You are very kind.”
“Glad to be of service miss. It would never do for a lady like yourself to fall in these streets.”
Ettie looked at the gentleman that had rescued her. She took in every sight and every smell in a split second. He was exquisite with his dark hair and dandy suit. He was so elegant and she wondered if she had ever seen such a beautiful looking man.
He bent down to pick up the package he had dropped during his rescue. He took great care to check it all over, brushing the dirt from the side that had hit the ground.
“Oh, I do hope it’s not damaged,” Ettie said apologetically. “Is it something quite precious?”
He then launched into a flurry of chatter about the package, his fiancé and how he loved her so, smiling the entire time. As the slight tremor of jealousy rumbled, the feeling hit her right in the pit of her stomach. She had fought this feeling so many times, she could do it one more time. But it was too late.
Suddenly she grabbed him, her strength greater than any man she had ever met. She pinned him against the wall of narrow street and let the rush of desire take over. Her perfect white teeth sank deep into the pumping vein within his neck. She drank hard, letting the thirst take over her body. She had wanted this for so many years, she had fought it off but at that moment she let the thought wonder through her mind, why?
The smooth red liquid ran hot down her throat and she could feel it engulfing her entire body. The feeling of life grew inside her and she felt more alive than she ever had. This was why they did it, those monsters that had attacked her three years ago. They knew what the blood would do to them. Oh, why had she fought it for so long?
And then she heard it, his heart growing weak and faint. He was dying right there in her arms. She drew back her teeth and cradled his head in her hand as she lowered him to the ground. What had she done? He was so pale and lifeless. She dropped his body on the hard floor and stared in absolute horror of the scene she had created. He was gone, the beautiful young gentleman she had wanted with every atom of her being. How could she have let this curse take her over? How could she do this? She felt sick to her stomach at what she had done.
Suddenly she realised that it had turned dark. She quickly looked all around her to see if anyone had seen what had just happened. Thankfully the street was quiet and deserted; there were no witnesses to this chilling scene. She needed to leave; she needed to get away to somewhere safe but she felt she couldn’t leave him. She took refuge underneath the bridge, being careful to stick to the shadows. She could stay here even when it got light, the darkness would protect her. She would stay until someone found him. He needed a decent burial; he needed some dignity in his death.
Just as dawn was encroaching on the city a young boy on bicycle headed up the quiet street, his wheels clattering on the cobbled path. Instantly he saw the young man and dropped his bicycle as he crept closer. Ettie watched as he bravely poked the body to see if there was any life left. He stepped back in fright of what was before him and turned to run. He yelled the whole way to end of the street and eventually Ettie heard the whistle from the approaching policeman. It was time to leave.
