Fragments of broken images flashed before her eyes.

 

The strong hands of a man on the wheel of the car. The face of a woman turning to smile at her.

 

Car horns echoing as the world around her became a blur.

 

Slightly opening her eyes to see a pale face staring down at her before being engulfed by darkness again.

 

Waking up to the bright lights of the hospital.

 

Wreaths decorating marble graves that shined under the hot summer sun.

 

Pain, sorrow, anger.

 

Revenge!

 

   Jessica jerked awake. She was lying on her stomach covered in sweat, her breath coming out fast and moist from the sleep. She used her hand to support herself as she slowly got up.

 

   The night was cold and the drumming noise muffled by the windows informed her that it was still raining.

 

   She got out of her bedroom, walking past the pile of filthy, wet clothes next to her bed. She ignored the muddy footprints dirtying the floor of the narrow corridor. Nobody was going to complain because there was nobody else in the small apartment. No family, no friends, no roommate.

 

   She made her way to the kitchen and opened the half-empty fridge. The heavy stink of rotting food hit her. She scrunched her nose in disgust.

 

   "Hungry?" a cold voice was heard behind her.

 

   Jessica closed the fridge eliminating the only source of light in the room. "Just looking for something to calm my nerves," she answered indifferently. She half-glimpsed a movement from the corner of her eye. She could feel the presence of the other woman in the room.

 

   "Are you here for your lunch?" Jessica asked getting a few strands of soft brown hair out of her face.

 

   "Do you have it?" The voice was heard closer to her.

 

   Jessica turned to face the other woman. She couldn't make out her face in the darkness but she didn't have to. She had spent the last sixteen years of her life memorising every little detail, every invisible freckle in the deathly pale skin.

 

   The taller woman moved towards her, almost glided along with her long dress ruffling around her legs.

 

   She didn't have to voice her thoughts; Jessica knew very well what she wanted. "It's in the bathroom," she said and the woman nodded in approvement. Then she was lost in the shadows again.

 

   Jessica quickly went to the bathroom, only to find the other leaning above a bloody mess in the bathtub.

 

   "You could have stored it more properly," the woman hissed.

 

   "I don't like having hearts lying around my apartment."

 

   "Jessica," the woman warned.

 

   "Yuri," Jessica mocked her.

 

   She could feel Yuri tensing in front of her. Jessica provoked her every chance she had but Yuri rarely responded anymore. She wondered if tonight was going to be an exception.

 

   Yuri extended her hand and grabbed one of the hearts in the bathtub. The smell of death mixed with the salty, slightly metallic scent of blood turned Jessica's stomach in a knot but Yuri didn't seem disgusted.

 

   Even though Jessica couldn't see her in the darkness she knew her black eyes were glinting with desire and the sight of the fresh flesh had made water.

 

   Yuri bit into the heart and a few drops of blood stained her porcelain face. She bit and nibbled covering her jaw and her hands with the little blood left in the organ. When she was finished she the corner of and turned to face Jessica without bothering to clean the crimson liquid.

 

   "A young one, where did you find him," she asked, curiosity laced in her words.

 

   "Which one did you eat?"

 

   Yuri's tongue poked out of again to the blood, stretching to an unbelievable length, reaching her cheek. Jessica had seen her doing that many times but she could never get over how much like a serpent she looked like.

 

   She wasn't scared though. She was never scared.

 

   "The elf," Yuri said. "A Svartalfar right?"

 

   "Found him hidden in the sewers. He is the serial killer the police have been searching for a while now. There is also a werewolf in there and a couple of his victims," Jessica answered. "I killed them before they were changed."

 

   Yuri smiled - or at least the edge of her lips curved in a smile which didn't reach her ebony eyes.

 

   "You are getting better at this. How much did you get for their bodies?"

 

   "Enough. There are many merchants willing to pay a fortune for the hair of elves," Jessica said leaning against the wall behind her.

 

   For a couple of minutes the only sound in the room was Jessica's breathing and Yuri's biting noises as she was eating the next macabre delicacy.

 

   Jessica gazed around the room lazily waiting for her to finish. When she saw her reaching for the next heart she shot forward and grabbed her wrist.

 

   "Let go," Yuri hissed bearing her teeth.

 

   "You owe me something."

 

   "You are not ready."

 

   "I killed a Svartalfar, a dark elf. I am ready."

 

   Yuri pulled her hand away from Jessica. Her black eyes searched Jessica's face in the darkness.

 

   "He is a lot stronger than you. You are only going to get yourself killed," she said trying to sound sympathetic but Jessica already knew that she didn't have any feelings.

 

   Demons never have feelings.

 

   "I have trained for years. I have hunted every type of monster there is," she protested. "I've killed a vampire before. I killed a whole clan of vampires on my own."

 

   Yuri let out a hoarse coughing noise that resembled a laugh. "You think those weak fledglings you fought are on the same level as him?" She leaned closer so that Jessica could look into her eyes.

 

   Not matter how many years they had known each other Jessica preferred to avoid eye-contact. Because looking into the eyes of a demon - not to mention a high-level one - could drive the weak crazy. In them she could see all the cruelty of the world, every disease and every death; millenniums of pain and sorrow carved in the depths of her eyes that resembled a night sky empty of stars.

 

   "He is one of the oldest surviving vampires. Your tiny brain can't even begin to comprehend his power," Yuri whispered locking eyes with Jessica.

 

   "As old as you?" Jessica breathed out, suddenly feeling the after-effects of spending half a night fighting creatures wash over her.

 

   "No one is as old as us," Yuri answered and Jessica barely registered in her mind that us meant demons.

 

   She felt her head becoming heavier. Darkness began to edge around her vision. Yuri's face disappeared in the shadows.

 

 

 

   Jessica opened her eyes again early in the morning feeling slightly dizzy. She was sprawled on her bed facing the ceiling.

 

   Damn you for messing with my mind again, she thought bringing a hand over her eyes trying to rub the sleep away.

 

   Last night seemed like a distant dream. Sometimes her whole life seemed like a distant dream. Even she had trouble believing that she was a huntress, tracking down and killing all kinds of monsters for a living, not to mention that she used their hearts to feed a high-class demon who had promised to lead her to her arch enemy; it was especially difficult when she had just woken up from a peaceful sleep.

 

   A sudden thought occurred to her. She shot up and ran to the bathroom.

 

   Nothing.

 

   Not even a hint of blood could be seen. At least she makes sure to clean up.

 

   Jessica released a long sigh and returned to her bedroom. She fell on her bed facing the wall next to the door.

 

   It was covered with various maps, marked with small red dots and crosses. Pictures of dead bodies were pinned here and there along with articles from newspapers and a couple of hand-written notes. Some of the pictures showed bodies drained of their blood, their skin pale like the snow, while a couple of others had their heads completely torn from the torso.

 

   Right in the middle of all of that mess was a blurry picture of her enemy. She couldn't make out his features but she knew that if she ever saw him she would recognise him. And then she would kill him; slow and painfully.

 

   Revenge!

 

   Her hand reached for the nightstand next to her bed. She opened the drawer and got a small knife out. She threw it with all her strength and watched as it hit the photo right in the middle and stayed stuck to the wall.

 

   Soon.

 

   A thunder was heard from outside.

 

   She released a long sigh. She was tired of all the rain. Even if it worked to her advantage when hunting, it was surely making her feel more depressed than usual.

 

   Her eyes traveled along the marks on the maps. She had looked at it a thousand times already, but it was like that day a switch turned in her mind. She got up and moved closer to the map. Her fingers traced the route marked on the map while in her mind she followed the storm's movement.

 

   "He's creating it," she breathed out, surprised.

 

   She had never expected that the clue that would lead her to him was right under her nose all this time. She had never thought that she would be the one to find it. All her life, tracking him down was something she would have to rely on Yuri for.

 

   Not anymore.

 

   After the initial shock Jessica quickly gathered her thoughts.

 

   Yuri had fed just yesterday, chances were she wouldn't appear again for a couple of weeks but she was probably keeping an eye on Jessica. If she was to make a move it would have to be tonight.

 

   Her only chance.

 

   She raised her head until her eyes fell on the weapon hanging above the maps.

 

   She would finally use it; the katana she'd be keeping for so long. After all the best way to kill a vampire is to behead it.

 

   She had to get ready as quickly as possible. She used a chair to reach the katana and checked it to make sure its blade was sharp. She placed it carefully on her bed and then rushed to her wardrobe.

 

   She started digging through the clothes until she finally found a small book. She opened it without delay and reached the part about vampires.

 

 

Vampires - also known as Strigoi and Vrykolakas

Vampires are nocturnal creatures. They generally have highly developed senses, especially eyesight, to the point of being able to see in a moonless night.

The older a vampire is the stronger it gets.

Most of the elders were eliminated in the great massacre of the 18th century but there are a few remaining and they are considered extremely dangerous. It is advised elders are hunted only by experienced teams and only after careful planning.

Some of their powers include:

    Shape-shifting - the ability to change into a bat, a wolf, a rat or mist while still retaining their high intelligence

    Hypnotic mind control - the elders have the ability to control the will of humans or weaker vampires just by locking gazes with them, though strong victims will need more time to be mesmerised. A human mesmerised will become the vampire's servant and often won't have any memory of the time spent serving the creature of the night.

    Control of weather - the strongest among them have the power to summon storms and fog of substantial furor.

A common misconception about vampires is that they are weak to religious objects. Whoever relies on Holy Water or crosses will have a considerable disadvantage against vampires.

The only certified ways of killing a vampire are beheading them, exposing them to direct sunlight and piercing their heart with either wood or silver.

It is advised that after the vampire is killed, the head and the body are burned in different places and the ashes are scattered.

*Direct sunlight won't kill an elder, it will only cause it a small discomfort.

 

 

   There wasn't anything written that she hadn't read before but for her it was a sort of prayer; like if she read that as many times as she could, she would become stronger.

 

   She knew it was a foolish thought. But even she needed something to believe in.

 

   Her preparation for the night to come wasn't anything serious. She spent a great deal of time cleaning and sharpening her katana.

 

   The atmosphere in her dimly lit apartment was heavy. The only sounds were the raindrops hitting the windows and the grit stone against metal as her hand moved in smooth and precise motions on the blade.

 

   Only when the clock struck midnight did she start getting ready to leave.

 

   She wore a pair of well-fitted jeans and black boots along with a simple dark purple top and a leather jacket. She tied her hair back to keep them out of her face and secured the katana on her belt. She looked towards a wooden box on her nightstand inside which rested a gun. It wouldn't be effective against him but he wasn’t the only threat lurking out there.

 

   The rain was still falling heavy, providing her with a natural cover.

 

   If she was right he was going to be in the center of the storm.

 

 

   Her steps echoed through the night as she walked confidently on the stone path. Wet strands of hair were sticking to the back of her neck as her soaked clothes adhered to her skin. Water was dripping from her forehead to her eyes and but she made no move to wipe it away.

 

   Her eyes surveyed her surroundings. He was either really stupid or really confident. Only he would choose the park in front of the town hall to hide.

 

   She noticed fog forming around her. She had found him.

 

   She drew her katana from its seath and held it firmly in her hand. The fog became thicker and thicker until she could hardly see past her nose. The rest of her senses were still alert.

 

   She heard light footsteps behind her. She turned and attacked but her blade slashed through thin air. A raspy chuckle was heard to her heft and she turned to that direction staying in defense.

 

   She felt the air shift around her as he attacked her and she moved to the right to avoid him. She saw his shadow in front of her. She raised the sword above her head and struck with all her strength. He dodged it with ease and jumped a few steps back until he was out of her sight again.

 

   "So, the famous huntress, Jessica Jung, finally came after me," he said.

 

   Jessica returned to a defensive stance again and focused her eyes on the direction the voice was coming from.

 

   "Do you really think you can kill me?" he asked, amusement evident in his voice.

 

   "If you fight like a man and show yourself."

 

   She heard him chuckle again but the mist started disappearing. Soon she could see him standing a few meters in front of her.

 

   "Is that better?" he mused.

 

   Jessica's gaze locked with his. She was finally seeing the face that had been hunting her dreams for sixteen years.

 

   "I've heard a lot about you sweet Sica," he said taking a step forward.

 

   Jessica kept her guard up, ready for his next attack. "You wouldn't imagine the things I've heard about you, Jonghyun," she hissed.

 

   Jonghyun flashed his sardonic smile. "Rumor has it that you are working with a demon," he said. "That must be more interesting than any boring story you've heard about me."

 

   Jessica didn't wait to hear anything else. She shot forward swinging her sword. He avoided her once again. He moved so quickly that she almost didn't see him and stomped her in the left knee. The pain that zipped through her caused her to drop her sword as her hands instinctively grasped her hurt leg. He caught the sword with his left hand and grabbed her arm with his right. She tried to pull away but he was stronger. He held her against his chest and brought the katana to her neck.

 

   "Your blood smells delicious," he purred next to her ear. Jessica kicked him but it was like hitting a wall.

 

   He moved the sword until it was pressed against her cheek. He lowered his head biting softly her neck careful not to spill her blood yet. Jessica stayed still.

 

   He hummed softly and then she felt his tongue against her skin. She became slightly nauseous but kept her composure. Then he bit her again, only this time his teeth sank in her neck and he started drinking.

 

   He had expected her to start struggling and screaming in pain like the others but she remained unresponsive and cold like a statue. He was surprised and his grip relaxed for a second but it was exactly what Jessica was waiting for.

 

   She turned abruptly and hit him in the head with her elbow. He took a step back confused but didn't let go of the katana. Jessica used her right leg for support and lunged at him with all her strength. Her fist landed on his face and she felt his nose break. There was a white liquid running from his nose which Jessica identified as the poison vampires had running through their veins instead of blood.

 

   He released a small growl and threw the sword to some bushes to his left. He was not an experienced sword-fighter so it was to his advantage if they fought with their bare fists.

 

   They moved slowly in a circle. The adrenaline had numbed the pain in her left leg a little and she could move with ease.

 

   He tilted his head like a dog trying to hear something better and then looked at her smirking.

 

   "You are not afraid," he said. It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

 

   Jessica kept silent, her eyes never leaving his.

 

   "That's why you are working with that demon. You gave her your soul and she took away the feeling of fear," he said. "What else did she take?"

 

   "Pity for my opponent," Jessica spat.

 

   "You should be the one asking pity from me," he told her and moved with amazing speed, crossing the distance between them in the blink of an eye. He raised his fist but Jessica easily blocked it. She used her agility, gained though years of painful training, against his strength. She grabbed his hand and moved behind him before he could respond. She turned his arm in a painful way and threw her weight on him, bringing him to his knees.

 

   She retrieved the gun from her belt and shot him straight in the head. His body fell lifeless on the ground but she knew that it was only a matter of minutes before he got up again completely healed. She ran to the bushes he had thrown her sword in search of it, ignoring the throbbing pain in her left leg. Her grip closed around its handle just as she heard him groan behind her.

 

   Jessica was standing above him again before he had the chance to get up and pressed the blade on his neck. Jonghyun looked up at her with fury.

 

   "Go ahead, do it," he said in a low voice.

 

   "Not yet. Not before you know why I'm killing you."

 

   He tried to laugh but it came out as a hoarse growl. "Because you are a who takes out all her ual frustration by beating up others?" he took a guess, irony evident in his words.

 

   Jessica felt her blood boil. "It's your fault," she screamed losing her temper for the first time that night. She pressed the katana on his skin harder. "It's your fault for killing my parents."

 

   Jonghyun looked at her puzzled. "You saw me?"

 

   "Of course I saw you ," she said. "I was in the car with them."

 

   The look upon his face was pure confusion. "I don't attack people in cars," he informed her.

 

   Jessica was taken aback by his answer but only for a moment. She didn't trust anything he said. "You filthy liar can't even admit it right before your death?"

 

   Jonghyun frowned. "Car accidents are too much of a hassle for me to bother, especially since there is a very high chance of my victim being killed," he said calmly. "And I don't feed on corpses," he added making a disgusted face.

 

   Jessica contemplated his words; they made sense and it was true that vampires only fed from the living.

 

   Jonghyun noticed her hesitation. "Even if I did kill your parents, why did I let you live?"

 

   Jessica's hand was trembling and tears were forming in her eyes. It wasn't possible. Why did everything he said make sense? This was not supposed to happen.

 

   "That's what she said!" she yelled in tears and prepared to cut his head from his body.

 

   "She?" Jonghyun asked. "The demon told you all this bull?"

 

   Jessica froze. He looked pissed off and desperate but in his eyes she could see that he had already accepted his death. He wasn't trying to save his ; he was trying to clear his name.

 

   "I remember you! I remember you standing above me right after the crash," she cried out in one last attempt to keep her world from crumbling around her in pieces.

 

   "You are a ing huntress," Jonghyun said. "You know that demons can manipulate your mind and memories much easier than vampires."

 

   "How do I know you are not manipulating my mind right this instance?" she asked pointing the blade at his heart.

 

   Jonghyun smile cockily at her. "Please, if I wanted to manipulate your mind I would turn you into my slave, I wouldn't try to confuse you just to escape."

 

   As his words sank in, Jessica felt everything that had been keeping her going up until that moment disappear. Her memories and her desires felt like strings that were cut and were no longer there to keep her from going insane.

 

   She dropped to her knees, silent tears falling from her eyes. "Yuri," she whispered. As a great pain welled up in her, she cried out like a dying animal.

 

---

A.N.

Like I said in the foreword this is for  JannCakes Short Story Contest 

I've never written anything like this before so I am a little anxious.

This will be a two-shot. Final chapter will be up once I'm done writing it.