Nocturnal Creatures: Prologue
the final night of Maddie O'Brien

When she opens her eyes, the world is painted in shades of crimson and her thoughts are stained scarlet.

Her gums sting, her throat aches -- her mouth is so dry that her tongue feels like sandpaper, sticking tight to the roof of her mouth.

She can't remember how she got here, she can't remember where 'here' is... she can't even remember who 'she' is -- though she knows instinctively that's the word that best applies to her.

The air is thick with the sickening stench of sweat, vomic, blood and rot. She gags on it, her stomach rolling and roiling in her belly. She feels empty inside, the scent of blood waking a gnawing hunger that quickly fills that emptiness -- a despersate need that claws at the back of her aching throat.

But... The blood she smells is wrong: sour, dead and rotten.

No, that wouldn't soothe this pain, it wouldn't quiet the ache in her empty belly. The blood needs to be fresh and flowing -- it needs to be alive.

From somewhere beyond this place of darkness, some place that feels impossibly distant, she can hear the rhythmic th-thump of a beating heart. It grows faster and faster as the seconds pass. The sound of fresh, flowing blood. The sound of life. It calls to her like a siren's ong, becokining her to rie and follow it to her eventual doom... Though, somehow, she is certain that what awaits her on that distant, rocky shore isn't doom -- it's salvation.

The scarlet in her thoughts deepens.

She bolts upright, every muscle in her body gone rigid, her entire body tightens, ready to spring. Every fiber of her being is focused on that sound as the ache in her gums becomes a keen, sharp pain.

Her canines lengthen, turning into long, sharp fangs that dig into her lower lip, her nails lengthening into clawss that tear into the sheets balled up in her fists.

Restlessness overtakes her. Her body feels like it's vibrating.

She must find that sound. She must find that sound, she must get out of this room. That need, that hunger claws its way up her throat and settles into her mind. This restlessness that fills her is preparation for the hunt -- for the chase and the eventual kill.

Whatever she had been in that distant before-time, she is that thing no longer. She is a predator and somewhere, wherever the divine music of that beating heart may be found, is her prey.

Her feet hit the carpet, blood-soaked fibers squishing between her bare toes. She pays no mind to the discomforting feeling -- her mind is focused on the hunt. Like a rocket, she's off, her body slamming into the door. It flies open.

The sound fills her ears, she can feel it in her bones, she can feel it reverberating in the silent place inside of her where her own heartbeat should have been. It fills her body utterly and she becomes one with the sound.

Her feet barely touch the floor as she runs, the world turning into a rosy-red blur as ssshe flies down the empty hallway towards her prey. With every step, the sound grows louder until it feels like the vibrations are going to shake her to pieces.

Oh.

Oh God.

She slams into what feels like a wall of smell -- the most fantastic thing she has ever smelled in her life -- it makes her moan aloud and turns the hunger within her into a screaming, howling, ravenous beast. She's never smelled anything like this: warm and thick and strangely spicy. It makes hers body grow hot and makes her throat burn.

It's more than simply the phyisical sensation of an empty belly -- it consumes her entire being, subsuming what little sense of self she still has until she is nothing but that desperate need.

The prey is there -- a woman, laying bound and gagged on the floor. Practically gift-wrapped for her.

She doesn't hesitate, falling upon her victim and pulling them into her arms. She sinks her claws into the tender flesh of the prey's shoulders, sinking her fangs insto its tender throat.

She doesn't shear the gagged woman moan as she bites down, the sound lost in her own cry of exultation.

Fuck.

Nothing could possibly be this amazing.

The blood pours into her mouth, painting the back of her throat with hot arterial spray. The feeling of joy that fills her is unbelievable, zinging through her veins like electricity through an overloaded circut. She swallows mouthful after greedy mouthful, thinking of nothing but easing the burning hunger in her belly and the horrible emptiness in her breast.

Her claws score jagged gashes into the prey's flesh as she drinks, moaning with every drop that passes her lips.

The sound begins to fade, the flow of blood gradually slowing.. And as the beat slows, the hunger within her begins to fade as well.

A sense of deep sadness fill sher as the blood ceases to rush into her waiting mouth. She doesn't want this moment to fade -- she doesn't want the blood to stop. Not ever. She wants to spend an eternity drowning in this feeling of bliss.

But she can't. No matter how hard she pulls at the wound with her mouth, no matter how desperately she wills it to continue, no blood flows forth.

She releases her prey, letting the rapidly cooling body slide off her lap.

She shakes her head and ass the hunger recedes, the scarlet veil falls from her eyes, allowing her to regain some sense of self...

Maddie O'Brien takes a deep breath, pushing greasy strands of sweat-soaked blonde hair back from her face, trying to remember how she got to this place...wherever 'this place' is...

She wracks her mind, looking for whatever shreds of memory might help her find her way to the present moment.

The last clear impression is pain.

Oh God, it was the worst pain she had ever felt in her life. Waves of agony that tore through her body with ever beat of her heart. It was like her vein were filled with broken glass, the hsards ripping her apart, shredding her insides as they flowed from her mouth, coughing and puking up blood. It had dragged on for an eternity before blessed darkness had finally taken her.

That doesn't help her remember how she got here, though. Fuck.

Maddie presses her hand to her forehead, trying desperately to recall something else -- anything else.

She glances around, hoping that her surroundings might offer some sort of clue. It look sno different than any other living room she'd seen, though. A couch, a coffee table... There's a big screen TV in the entertainment center, though, and the carpet beneath her knees is pluh and thick. The couch is shiny black patent leather, the coffee table is a dark stained wood with a glass center.

Whoever owns this living room has money. Still, it's not much to go on.

A large window above the couch gives a glimpse into the outside world, thick black velvet curtains drawn back to reveal stars sparkling in the navy-blue nighttime sky... A few sky-scrapers rise into view and Maddie can make out the familiar skyline of her hometown, Santa Marta.

Well, at least she's still in town. That's good. If she can get out of this building, she can find her way home from pretty much anywhere in the city.

Finally, as she continues to look around the room, her eyes fall on something that sends a shiver of pure horror through her body. Maddie gasps, horror descending on her just a seconds ago she had descended on her prey. A woman's body lays on the ground, not even a foot away from her.

Ashen, pale, bound, apparently beaten and quickly growing cold.

Maddie's handss fly up to her mouth and she scrambles backwards, desperate to get away from what she's seeing. As if getting further away from the corpse could change who it was or remove its presence.

A horrible feeling, a virulent mix of digust and guilt fills Maddie's body. Her throat grows tight and a strange, acidic copper tastes rises in the back of her throat like bile.

No.

This can't possibly be happening. This can't possibly be real. There's no way.

The identity of the woman, the identity of her 'prey' hits Maddie like a ton of bricks, dawning on her with horrific clarity.

"Oh God, no..." Maddie whispers. "Not Max..."

Her roommate. Her best friend, the girl who had lived next door to her through her entire life. The one person she loved and trusted more than anyone else lay still at her feet. Dead.

Dead by her hands.

Even with the strange scarlet film that covers the memories, she can remember taking Max into her arms and putting her lips to her throat.

She can still taste the blood in her mouth.

Maddie shakes her head.

No.

No, this issn't real! This is a dream! A nightmare! It must be! There's no way this could have happened --

"Oh, looks like you're finally awake, sweetheart."

The voice is familiar, deep and husky, sensual and impossibly smooth in a way that makes her feel vaguely dirty. It flows over Maddie, leaving her feeling like she's besen dunked into a vat of cold oil.

"I was beginning to worry you wouldn't make it..."

A young man stands over her, she's sure he hadn't been there a second ago and that the room had been empty but... She hadn't heard him come in, either.

His face is beautiful -- sharp, angular features framed by long dark hair that brushes his shoulders ands falls into his eyes. Defined cheekbones, slightly aquiline nose and full lips curled into a smirk that would make her go week in the knees if this were any other night. His skin is unnaturally pale and perfect, save for just barely visible veins that appear like shadows just beneath the surface on his cheeks and forehead..

But it isn't his unnaturally pale skin that catches Maddie's attention. No, it's his eyes.

Set in deep shadows and fringed by thick, dark lashes, his eyes glimmer like molten gold, glowing faintly with his catlike pupil sfixed on her. The look in those eyes sends a sudden shudder down her spine, some mix of fear and... Arousal?

That isn't right. How the hell can she be thinking about that right now?

"Who..." Maddie tries to speak but she can't. Her voice is caught in her aching throat. Tears start to fill her vision. Tears that stain her world with red.

"Don't you remember?" The man asks, tilting his head to the side.

His smirk becomes a malicious smile that reveals long, sharp fangs.

What the fuck?

The man sinks to his knees, hooking his thumb beneath her chin, forcing Maddie to look him in the eyes.

"Well," he continue "We'll get the rest of that ssorted out later. Get up, the rest of your new family is eagerly awaiting your arrival."

Maddie feels his voice sink into her head, filling her body, curling around her mucles and burrowing into her very bone. Her body aches to follow his command... She tries to resist -- to stay on her knees...

Pain explodes in her skull, following the path of her veins like liquid fire, driving all thoughts of resistance from her mind and she rises to her feet without another thought.

The man leads her out of the room, holding her wrist so tightly she can almost feel the bones rubbing against one another. They step through the door and into a darkened hallway.

Maddie glancess around briefly. Doors like the walls leading off into the distance, each one bearing a golden number. An apartment complex?

How could she have spent all that time screaming in agony like that with no one coming to help her? Or even calling the police? Santa Marta may be a hell-hole but... surely, someone must have heard her? Someone must have cared enough to try?

As they walk, pain rises in Maddie's chest, threatening to overtake her just as the hunger had. Maddie hadn't ever felt anything this strongly in her life -- she feels the grief and guilt in every fiber of her being. It's as if she doesn't simply feel the pain but like she's made of it. She had lost her best friend.

No...

She had killed her best friend. The taste of her still lingering on Maddie's tongue.

"It needed to be done, you know." The man says, apparently responding to Maddie's grief-stricken thoughts. "It's a pain we all need to go through."

"What?" Maddie chokes out. Her throat closes as she loses the battle with her tears. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

The overwhelming sadness blends with anger -- with outrage, even. It sweeps through her, torching everything in its path.

"I had to kill my best friend?! Why?! What the fuck kind of psycho plan needs that? What the fuck does it even accomplish!?"

Maddie doesn't know this man -- she hasn't even the slightest clue what his intentions were. Maybe what he meant to accomplish was hurting her as much as possible. But if it was... Why?

What had she ever done that someone would want to do something like this to her? To Max?

"You have to let go of the life you're leaving behind." He replies, not even looking at her. His eyes are fixed on the elevator door at the end of the hall. It's like he doesn't even really hear her. "You have to kill that human part of you -- sever ties to what's behind so you can fully embrace what you're becoming. It's all.. It's all a part of the process, darling."

His words seem distant. Introspective, almost. Is he explaining this to her? Or is he trying to convince himself of the batshit insane things that he's saying?

"Process? What fucking process!?" Maddie shouts, wrenching her arm free of his grip. She takes a step back, standing with her fists clenched and her fangs bared. "What the fuck are you talking about!?"

He turns only partway, looking at her over his shoulder. "Come on, I know you're smart enough to figure this out. Surely, you've realized what you are, right?"

"Fuck off!" Maddie snarls.

She's human. She's just a normal human -- there's nothing else she could be. Nothing else exists that looks like her or thinks like her. She's a human being.

The man sighs heavily, now turning fully to face her. "It's the process of becoming a vampire, sweetheart. You're definitely not a human any more."

Maddie takes a step back, an almost hysterical laugh bubbles up from her lips. That's insane. There's no such thing as vampires. There's no such thing as monsters... But she knows that's not right. Somewhere deep inside, Maddie knows that's not right. She has fangs and claws. She drank the blood directly from Max's throat..

And yet..

Despite the rising panic in her chest, despite the tightness there, Maddie can't hear her heart beating. Despite the rising terror, her breath doesn't come any faster.

Sure, she's breathing. Sure, she can feel the blood moving through her veins but..

Maddie feels cold. She feels cold in a way she's never felt in her life -- like someone took all the warmth and life out of her body and replaced it with ice and emptiness. The chill fills every fiber of her being.

She shakes her head.

No. No, she won't believe it. She can't believe it.

Someone is screaming.

It's the worst thing Maddie has ever heard in her life -- wet, ragged screams of agony, despair and horror. A sound that makes her thraot ache in sympathy as she backs away from the golden-eyed man, still shaking her head.

Her entire body trembles as her knees go weak and she sinks to the floor, a horrible realization washing over her.

They're her screams.

Scarlet tears stream down her cheeks.

This isn't real. This can't possibly be real.

Maddie isn't stupid -- she knew what it meant when she drank down Max's life like it was a cool drink on a hot day. Some part of her had understood.

Hell, she had known the instant she'd opened her eyes that some fundamental part of her existence had changed -- that she wasn't human any more.

But the full horror of the change hadn't reached her yet. Not until now.

Not until she realized that her body is every bit as cold and dead as her best friend's corpse -- left lying on the living room floor of that posh apartment.

The man rolls his eyes, sighing again.

"Do you really need to be so dramatic?" In an instant, he's standing in front of her again, moving faster than even her newly keen eyes can see.

He drags her to her feet, gripping her wrist so hard that this time, the bones crunch.

No, no, no. This isn't real! This isn't real! It's just a horrible nightmare -- vampires don't exit. A dead body can't get up and move, it can't talk, it can't think and it definitely can't scream. Those kinds of things don't happen!

She's going to wake up any second now -- safe in her bed -- and everything will be fine.

Never mind that she's never felt pain in her dreams before now. Never mind that her dreams have never been this clear before.

Maddie's screams dissolve into sobs.

"Oh for fuck's sake..." The voice of a woman rises up behind her -- sharp, biting and acidic. It would be a beautiful voice if the tone weren't so cruel and the circumstances not so horrific.

Maddie doesn't turn to face the newcomer. She covers her face with her hands.

At least in the darkness she can't see the red film of her tears.

"She seem to have had her breakdown a little bit ahead of schedule." The man says with an awkward laugh, his voice suddenly strained.

"I can see that." The woman replies. "Well, get her up. Camille won't like to be kept waiting. There's still one tie left to sever, after all."

"I'm aware." The man tightens his grip on Maddie's wrist. "Maddie, darling..."

The man's voice seems almost tender now -- with some trace of genuine sympathy. Maddie tries to block it out.

"Stop crying, sweetheart."

"No..." Maddie whispers, desperately trying to keep his voice from sinking into her and taking hold as it had before. "Please..."

Why can't they just let her cry? They must be doing this to hurt her -- so why won't they just let her hurt? Why must they silence her tears? No matter how hard she tries, Maddie can't stop his command from taking hold -- a strange, distant calm washes over her and she stops crying abruptly.

"Ah, there we go." The man says, gently bringing Maddie to her feet, wiping away her tears with the pad of his thumbs. "Come on, you only need to make it through a little bit more..."

More? God, what more could they possibly be planning to put her through? She shakes her head.

"Why are you doing this?" Maddie whispers, looking at the man with wide eyes. "I don't understand..."

He sighs again, frowning. Maddie sees that look of sympathy in his eyes again -- it doesn't make sense. How can he feel sympathy for her when he's the one putting her through this?

"Please, I promise..." Maddie continues, reaching out to grab his shirt. The silk is cool under her fingers, smooth and almost slick. She digs her claws into it."I won't tell anyone what happened, I won't breathe a word of it. Just...please, stop."

"Stop stalling, Adam." The woman snaps and Maddie stumbles forward, falling into the man -- Adam.

She has his name now... It feels so familiar to her. That name with that face...She knows it from somewhere.

"What the hell do you want me to do Amelia?" Adam asks, Maddie can hear the sneer in his voice as much as she can see it on his face. "Knock her out? Carry her kicking and screaming?"

"Yes, if that's what it takes to stop your sentimental dawdling!"

Maddie feels him flinch.

"Fine."

Adam's hands close around Maddie's waist and he lifts her up, throwing her unceremonioulsy over his shoulder. She gasps but that's the only sound she seems capable of making at the moment. She can't even bring herself to struggle. She wishes desperately that she could cry.

"Go back to sleep, Maddie."

Again, that strange, layered melodic tone. Again, his voice sinks into her head and she can't resist his command, darkness presses in on her eyelids and everything fades to black...