Greetings all, this is my first post. I love writing, so thought I'd try my hand at some Vampire fiction and see what you all think. I will be updating this story every few weeks, so keep checking back. I love knowing what people think about my writing, so please comment and tell me what you liked/disliked about it.
I know that at times this may sound like the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, but that is often unavoidable with this topic.
So please, read and enjoy!

Raff.

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A dark storm cloud rolled over the sun, giving Raphael some much needed relief. His silver, anti-flash sunglasses didn't block out as much of the suns light as he wanted them to, but they were the best he could afford.
Raphael had smelt the rain coming during the last period of the day at school, but it hadn't shown up until just then. A few small drops splattered his face, and an ivory smile crept from under his ruby lips.
After a moment's pause to let the shadow inside him stir, Raphael continued home.

A teenage girl leaned against a brick fence, facing the house enclosed within and her back to the road. A flower held in her hand was slowly having its petals taken off, one by one.
There was a sharp crack from behind her, and she whirled around and left the flower and its recently liberated petals to fall to the ground. She saw no one, so took a few anxious steps towards the edge of the curb, craning her neck left and right to see if she could catch any glimpse of what, or who, had made the sound. With a sigh, she turned around again and screamed as Raphael lunged towards her jugular, savouring the salty taste of her skin.

The girl opened her eyes slowly, and was greeted with nothing but whiteness. She raised her hand to her face and found she was covered by a white linen sheet. Carefully, she peeled it off herself, revealing her half nude body underneath. She tried to sit up but pain lanced through her body.
Flashbacks of before came spiralling through the fog that shrouded her memory, and her hand shot to her throat to feel two small bumps. They still stung a little at her touch. She smiled wearily and moved her head to the side.
Sleeping next to her was her boyfriend, Raphael. The sharp pain in her body fell back in to a dull throb, so she garnered the strength to roll over and face him.
He looked so angelic when he was sleeping. His tanned skin, framed by hair the colour, and feel, of liquid silver, and muscled chest rising softly with his breathing. He snorted in his sleep, and the girl giggled before she could stop herself. Raphael's eyes shot open and he smiled, revealing his pearly white teeth and a deep red tongue. He stroked his lovers face, a smile of content on both their lips.
Raphael kissed her cheek and whispered to her "Don't you have homework to do?"
"Don't you?" She retorted.
Raphael rolled over and picked a book up off the floor, shaking the girl's bra off it before bringing it to his face. He read the front cover. "'Shanae Pines, 12 F physics.' Good subject?"
Shanae shrugged. "It's alright. You'd like it. Lots of thinking."
Raphael nodded slowly, and flipped through the book.
He loved her hand writing. It was soft, elegant and sleek, belying the strength and force of her vocabulary and the unique way she had of wording things.
Unlike his own. It was short, sharp, rough and to the point. Funny how different they are. Funny how you could tell so much from just a school book.

Night fell quickly, Raphael and Shanae slept away the few short hours from afternoon to evening. As soon as the street lights came on, Raphael rose and prepared a dinner for Shanae and himself.
Raphael's house wasn't exactly large, but because of the bare minimum that he owned it seemed overly spacious. All he owned was the large double bed, a couch and TV and four chairs and a table. The small fridge, oven and microwave were all on loan from friends and relatives, and plastic cutlery along with some basic op shop china was what he used to eat off.
With a sigh at his meagre possessions, Raphael set to work on making two peanut butter and jam sandwiches.

The two sat on Raphael's bed, munching silently on their sandwiches. The food tasted bland to Raphael, but it was Shanae's favourite so he ate it anyway.
Once they had finished, Shanae rested her head in Raphael's lap, closing her eyes as he played with her hair. She loved nights like this. Nights when she wasn't working and he didn't have to go out and hunt.
Shanae glanced at her watch and exhaled wearily. "It's getting late, I'd better go."
Raphael looked out the window and nodded solemnly. "Want me to walk you home?"
"Yes please."
Raphael bent down and kissed her. She giggled and spat comically. "Yucky, blood breathe!"
He laughed and kissed her again. Reluctantly they both left the bed.

Raphael opened the cast iron door of his house, one of the many necessary modifications he made to it when his parents willed him the house.
Stuck right in the Melbourne CBD, the house was well guarded by anonymity, along with a few inches of reinforced steel, iron, some basic charms and wards along with your basic DNA locks.
Raphael liked his privacy, hence the minimum he could spend on furniture.

Melbourne was a good place for a walk. Trouble is, when you need to make sure someone gets ten blocks home safely it can be a bit stressful.
Raphael pushed away all the memories he would have needed for tonight and focused on what was around him, only half listening to Shanae. He was taping it all anyway so could listen over it later in case he missed something important. But he couldn't help but notice how quiet she was tonight. Something flickered in the shadows, foolishly ignored by Raphael as he was drawn to thoughts of what could be troubling his girlfriend. They continued walking on in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

-bites nails-

oohh, I wanna know what happens next!
I love the way you described the flower at the beginning.
it was a really interesting way to start. the whole story and the way you launched straight in at the action was really gripping.

the only bit i'm confused about it why Shanae screamed when Raphael jumped at her at the beginning, if she's his girlfriend..

can't wait 'till you post the next part. ^____^

Aww come on.... *pouts* We want more!

You are a very good writer.

Yeah I agree with harriettt..... Why did Shanae scream when Raphael jumped at her in the begining, if she's his girlfriend? IMO, It seems kinda like you skipped a part there or something....

Anywho.... I like it.


Oh yeah.. What you said about the whole Twilight thing...so true.

Thanks for the words of encouragement guys, and I'm glad you liked the first chapter!
My thoughts behind Shanae screaming were that if you were unexpectedly lunged at by anyone, your first instinct would be to scream. I know mine would be!
But anyway, on with the show and chapter two!

Raff

************************************************** *************

It wasn't long before they were past the immediate safety of Raphael's apartment and were deep in to the rough side of Melbourne, still a good five minutes' walk away from Shanae's house.
There was an odd scent in the air; it made Raphael's hair stand on end. Part of it was a fellow Vampire, which was normal in this neighborhood. There was also metal, and something else. Charcoal, sulfur and… Oh f***

Shanae was shoved violently out of the way before the gun fired. Raphael braced himself suddenly and took the bullet in his shoulder. Shrugging off the pain he charged at the assailant with supernatural speed and slammed him against the dilapidated wall. There was a wet noise as the attackers brain knocked around in his skull, which if he were a human would have knocked him out. Unfortunately, the Vampire curse in his blood was already helping him to recover and he retaliated with a smooth roundhouse kick to Raphael's face. Raphael tasted the blood in his mouth and relished it. Morphing in to full Vampire mode, he lunged once again at his attacker, completely smooshing his head against the wall this time. The Vampire slid down the wall and hit the ground with a heavy thump, blood seeping slowly from his head wound.
Shanae ran up to Raphael and immediatly started yelling at him for getting shot, how dangerous it all was. Raphael raised his eyebrow slightly. "Do you have any idea how close you just came to having your face ripped off?"
Shanae opened and closed her mouth silently a few times, before dusting herself off. "At least give me a look at the wound."
Raphael turned his body slightly, showing the hole in his jacket where the bullet pierced. "What wound?" The hole that the bullet made in his skin had already healed over. Shanae inspected him briefly, then shoved him away and walked off at a brisk pace, not pausing to glance behind.
Raphael sighed and followed a short way behind her.

They continued to walk in silence for a few minutes before Shanae spoke. "You know I hate it when you do that."
"I don't want to see you get hurt."
"And you think I want to see you get hurt? Every time something like that happens I-" she paused as she choked back the tears that started to spring from her. "I keep thinking that I'll lose you."
Raphael suddenly stood before her, his normally imposing stature seeming to radiate innocence. "Losing me is the one thing you will never have to worry about. I'm hard to get rid of."
"That's not the fucking point!" Shanae suddenly found herself yelling. "It's the fact that you got shot and would have died! It's the fact that you don't seem to care!"
Raphael stood speechless. They'd had this conversation before, but it always seemed trivial to him. "I didn't think-"
"No, you didn't think. You never do. You just waltz in, do what takes your fancy and to hell with what anyone else thinks and leave, convinced of your own immortality. Stop and think about how much it hurts me each time you're wounded."
"Shanae…"
"Just back the fuck off, okay? I'll make my own way home and call you in the morning." Shanae took a few steps forward and turned back to find Raphael gone. She shivered in the sudden cold and kept walking home.

Shanae silently closed the door to the house she shared with her father and two brothers. It was nearing two in the morning and she didn't want to wake them up, especially since they knew who she'd been with. Both of her family members had decided long ago that Raphael was a good for nothing layabout. Even when he had beaten her father at his own game and allowed him to make a fool out of him, it still wasn't enough. Not that anyone ever would be good enough for their girl.
She tip toed quietly up the stairs, careful to not put her feet in the middle where it creaked the most, and opened the door to her room.
Shanae's room was like another world compared to the rest of the house. Her room was strewn with clothes, jewelry, bags and other miscellaneous items while everything outside of the room was clean, manicured, polished and rich.
Shanae flicked off her shoes, adding more junk to the pile in her room, and flopped on to her bed without undressing. She was feeling horrible about how she spoke to Raphael, and it was made worse by the weakness she felt all throughout her body.
Being fed off by a Vampire was the most erotic feeling she'd ever experienced, but it left her drained. And the ten block walk hadn't done much for that either. It took only a few seconds for her to drift off in to a deep sleep.


Despite what Shanae had said, Raphael followed her home anyway, keeping an eye on her from the rooftops. He knew better than most about the type of people that come out in these parts once the sun sets. It was in these streets many years ago that he was turned, and where his Sire had left him to fend for himself. He had no knowledge of what to do, no knowledge of how to catch his prey, nothing. He smiled silently to himself as he remembered seeing a bottle of tomato juice and thinking that he found a Vampire friendly vending machine. Those were rough times for him. Raphael glanced down to the streets for the umpteenth time to check that Shanae was still breathing, and heaved a sigh of relief to see her walk in to her house.
What was said between them earlier had pierced him deep. Nothing had worried him since he had been turned and now he was worried about this one mortal girl. God damn it! She just didn't get it, didn't get that the only way that she's ever going to lose him is if he gets himself decapitated.
More trouble than they're worth, these women… Forget about it, she'll be fine by tomorrow.
What was really bugging him was who attacked them earlier.

Raphael climbed down from off of the roof and picked his way back to where he had left the body.
Raphael quickly riffled through the Vampire's pockets and retrieved a wallet, a pocket knife and a letter. He flicked open the knife and examined it. Good quality, fine make. He closed it and shoved it into his own pocket, before checking through the guy's wallet. Some cash, a drivers license and some photos. His name was Donovan Priestly; his photo's were friends, family and all the regular junk. Donovan was just a blood junkie trying to find another hit who happened to pick the wrong target. Just like him in those few years after he was turned. The cravings that he had for blood, drinking and eating anything and everything in sight to try and rid himself of the hunger, denying himself the liquid in hopes that it would go away. It didn't.

At the thought of blood, Raphael's stomach gurgled. He was hungry after dealing with the kid. He never liked to drink much from Shanae on principle, so now he really needed a drink. There was a place he knew of a couple of blocks away that stocked arcane and unusual items.
But the blood bank was closer.

The receptionist looked up from painting her nails, curious to know as why anyone but her would be in here at this time of the night. A handsome young man with unique features and silver hair strode confidently over to her. She stuttered slightly, taken aback by the air about him. "Can... can I help you?"
"My name's Jason Bloore, I'm here to pick up a delivery for Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital."
The receptionist didn't even hesitate to look at the delivery sheets, nor ponder why they would want to make the delivery now. She would do anything for this man... "Of course Mr. Bloore, right this way."
The receptionist lead Raphael down the halls of the blood bank, and he followed obediently.
She soon reached a door which she unlocked and opened. "Just in here Mr. Bloore. How much did you need?"
Raphael looked up and down the shelves of the giant freezer, seeing all the blood and feeling the shadow inside him rear its ugly head in excitement. "Twenty pints tonight, thank you." The shadow growled unhappily and sunk back down.
The receptionist filled a container with the blood packages and handed it to Raphael. "Anytime you need more, you know where I am."
He smiled seductively, allowing his teeth to elongate slightly. "Most generous of you."

The receptionist glanced up from doing her nails and checked the clock. It was two thirty in the morning. Where had the last half hour gone to? She must be tired, and the pain in her neck was beginning to bother her again.

-gasp- eeeee!


&aaah, I totally love the ending. it's really clever how you mention something, a tiny detail earlier on in the story, then it all comes together, like it did when the receptionist mentioned how 'the pain in her neck bothered her'.

and I can only just see the link to Twilight.. I wouldn't have really connected them if you hadn't have mentioned it at the beginning.

ooh, and another thing, I like how you flicker between the two characters. [: and I see what you mean about screaming when someone lunges out at you.

Thanks! Yeah, that makes sense.

*eyes go wide & jaw drops*

I love it!
O_o I love how you drag us in & then leave us waiting for more.... which is what I'm currently doing..

This was actually done a while ago for Valentines day and is what started the entire idea of Momento Mori. I thought I'd chuck it in cos it's also on the myspace version of the story, so I hope you enjoy it. It's a liiiiittle out of character at times, but it shouldn't be too unbelievable.

Raff

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Shanae sat in her bed room, singing along to 'My Heart' by Paramore. There were only a few hours left of Valentines day, and she wasn't going to fall asleep in case – There was a loud crash on her roof, followed by, "GOD DAMN IT!!! FRICK WHY IS THERE SO MUCH FRICKING WATER ON THE FRICKING ROOF FRICK FRICKITY FRICK FRICK!!!!!!!" - that happened. Raphael must have slipped in a puddle again. For a Vampire, he had bad co-ordination. She smiled to herself and shoveled away some of the junk in her room to make a pathway from the window to her bed. Raphael never used the door. Why he did this was beyond her, considering how hard it was to reach her window.
Raphael swung down from the roof and hung upside-down in front of Shanae's window; a small bunch of white roses clasped in his teeth. "Fa eye aydee"
"Raphael you're mumbling."
Raphael took the roses out of his mouth held them in his hand. "For my lady."
"That's better. Are you going to come in or just hang around all night?"
Raphael rolled his eyes at the bad joke and climbed in through the window. He dropped to one knee, let loose some more "FRICK's!" as he stabbed his leg on... God only knows whatever that was... and offered the flowers to Shanae.
Unfortunately she was in no position to take them as she was giggling maniacally at the foot of her bed. Raphael grinned and left the flowers on her night stand and rushed over to her and began to tickle her without remorse.
This continued for five minutes until Shanae accidentally kneed Raphael in the family jewels, beginning a new round of "FRICK!" and more giggles from herself.

The two of them collapsed on her bed, loving the company they were in. Shanae looked sideways at her digital alarm clock. "It's nearly 12. What have you got planned?"
"Well..." Raphael said as he struggled to sit up. "Do you remember our first date?"
"Oh god, how could I forget?"
"I want to redo that. Except better."
Shanae paused, unsure of what was about to happen. Their first date had been a disaster.
It was a year ago, a day before Raphael's birthday. They had been at a masquerade ball, dancing in each other's arms to If Everyone Cared by Nickelback, when some uninvited guests showed up. Namely, a group of young Vampires.
Insults were thrown, necks were bitten, and in the end Raphael's then-secret as a Vampire was revealed.
She finally asked. "What do you have planned?"
"Close your eyes."
She obeyed, and felt a strip of cloth wrap around her eyes.
"No peeking." Raphael pulled her close, and then set off at Vampire speed for their destination.

Raphael stopped moving after a few minutes. He set down Shanae and she moved her hands up to take off the blindfold. Raphael clasped her hands in his and pulled them back down. "Not yet." Shanae started to speak out at this, but was silenced by Raphael's lips on hers. He pulled away and led her down a flight of stairs, giving her as much detail as he could as to where to place her feet. She heard muffled music , and the creaking of the door. The music gradually got louder as they moved on, and her heart began beating faster within her chest. Raphael involuntarily squeezed tighter on her arm, the Vampire inside of him sensing her excitement.
"Ok." He finally said. "You can open your eyes now."
Shanae removed the blindfold, keeping her eyes slightly closed in anticipation of bright lights and a swarm of Vampires.
But there was nothing.
The room was filled with smoke and balloons, 'Truly, Madly, Deeply' was playing softly over the speakers and the smell of roses filled the air. Shanae almost fell over from the sensory overload. "Raphael I... How did you do all this?"
"I took a couple of days off. Couple of nights too."
Shanae giggled and replied with a smirk, "Shouldn't you have been off saving the world or something?"
Raphael pulled Shanae into a hug and began slowly swaying with her in time to the music. "Maybe the world doesn't need saving."
Shanae snuggled deeper into his chest, and breathed deep his scent. It was a mix of Lynx Click and a coppery smell, which she knew was blood. "I love you, Raphael. This was the best Valentines day ever."
Raphael kissed her head and hugged her tighter. "I love you too, Shanae."

Shane woke up the next morning, her entire body sore. She peered over to the side and saw Raphael naked underneath the covers, but very much awake. She smiled at him, and he returned it. She sat up on her elbows and looked at the bed beside them. "I guess we missed the bed again, huh?"
"No, I kicked you out of it."
She giggled and kissed him. A kiss that slowly became stronger, deeper, and more passionate. The kiss that two people share when they think that they'll spend their entire lives together.

************************************************** **************************

And now for the main attraction.

Raff.

************************************************** **************************

Raphael walked slowly down the street, not wanting to draw attention to himself and his cargo. Twenty pints of blood was not something easily explained to police.

He took a right in to a side-street, taking a well known shortcut and was soon remembering his prior encounter. The taste of the Receptionists blood was still fresh on his tongue and he relished her taste. She tasted sweet, without a hint of fear in her. Though her iron levels seemed low, there was nothing to be done about that he decided.

A soft clacking noise behind him shook Raphael from his thoughts, and caused him to glance around to receive a face full of light brown hair and a cheery smile. "HIIII!!!!" Screamed the smiling face.
"What... Lillith?" Raphael took a step back to get a good look at the girl before him. Though she looked no older than sixteen, Lillith was close to her late forties truly. Garbed in a white polka dot headband, grey shirt, tartan skirt and bright shiny yellow shoes, Lillith aimed to look as innocent as possible. Which often worked.
Then she punched Raphael. "Don't call me Lillith!"
"Ahh frick I'm sorry! Lil! Lil!"
"That's better." She replied with a pout.
Raphael sighed and massaged his temples. He just wanted to get home. "What are you doing out so late?"
"Pfft, dumb question much? I was hungry. You?"
"Taking my girl home, getting shot, have a snack. Usual jazz."
Lillith rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Hey, me and Zane are having a party next weekend. Show up?"
Raphael glanced discretely at his watch. It was nearly four in the morning, and he had to get the blood refrigerated. "Uhh... Yeah, sure. Where at?"
"The top of the Rialto stinky pants, V.I.V's and -"
"V.I.V's?"
Lillith slapped him again. "Very Important Vamps. And possibly the chance of a Hunt."
Raphael snapped to attention at this news. Hunts were rare nowadays, what with how easy it was to track down murderers.
A Hunt involved at least a dozen Vampires, and half the amount of Humans. One building was sealed off for an entire night, and the Vampires were basically pointed in the right direction after the Humans.
Raphael despised them.
"Umm... On second thought, no thanks. I-I'm supposed to be doing something with Shanae."
Lillith snorted. "Oh, her. When are you gonna get around to turning that girl?"
Raphael snarled softly. "I'm not turning her, she doesn't deserve it."
"She doesn't deserve to watch you stay the same while she grows older and older?"
Raphael opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again. Lillith gave him a smug smile and flicked a lock of hair out of her face. Raphael turned from her and continued home, throwing a goodbye over his shoulder.
Lillith stood on her own for a few moments, before turning her back on him and heading to her favorite hunting ground, a bar called 'The Blue Butterfly'.

Raphael entered his apartment and paused, sniffing the air. All he could smell was himself and Shanae. No intruders. He closed the door behind him and walked to the kitchen, kicking off his shoes as he went.
Raphael placed the box full of blood on the bench and opened his fridge. Inside was a half empty blood bag. He knew he shouldn't drink it, but he did anyway. His sweat would be a light pink for days now...
Lovingly, he placed the full bags of blood side by side in the fridge, and stacked them where necessary.

Without so much as further thought to anything else, Raphael climbed underneath his bed and pulled down the curtains that were hung around him, and fell asleep.
Two hours later, a tingling in the back of his skull woke him.. It was morning. Raphael groaned unhappily. He had Chemistry today...

That was awesome!
loveitloveitloveit.
I love the details you put in about the blood needing refrigerating XD
and the line '' ..throwing a goodbye over his shoulder.''

I cheated... I'm on your myspace. lol Still. I LOVE IT!!!!!!

The little details are important to me. And as you said before, they sometimes lead into bigger details.

Haha sneaky girl
Why haven't you commented on there then??? =P

This next part is actually a side story a friend started writing, and I incorporated it into the larger picture. This needs to be seen for the rest of the story to make any sense. Bet that you didn't see this one Shandee

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Shanae was struggling with her English homework, she needed to write a poem to present to the class by tomorrow, and cursed herself for being out so late with Raphael. After ingesting copious amounts of caffeine, she began to seriously conteomplate her toipc. An hour passed, and still all that Shanae could see was a blank page sitting on her desk.

Lillith sidled up to the bar and ordered an Illusion. She sat quietly, sipping her drink. Casually, a man took the seat next to her. He ordered no drink, and waited patiently for Lillith to consume hers. When she finished, she turned to face him. "Cerebus, and to what do I owe this pleasure?"
The mans face remained impassive, emotionless. "I saw you conversing with my brother earlier. What was that about?"
Lillith reached into the pocket of her shirt and withdrew a small tap recorder. She popped the tape and handed it to Cerebus. "I thought you could use some help in getting close to his missus."
Cerebus snarled, causing a girl who had been trying to lean in front of him to jump back fearfully. "What about her?"
Lillith traced a finger along the rim of her glass, disappointed that it didn't sing like crystal. "Just some audio that you may be able to use to your advantage."
Cerebus snatched the tape from her hand and left.

There was a tapping at Shanae's window. She turned eagerly, figuring that it was Raphael. It wasn't. In the place that Raphael should have been standing was a man she had never met before. Shanae's gut told her immediately to close the window and return to her homework. But for some reason, she did not.
"Hello, Shanae" said Cerebus.
"Who the fuck are you and how do you know my name?" Shanae meant to yell at the stranger, but her voice was caught in her throat and all that came out was a hoarse whisper.
"Who I am is not important. But what I know is. Have you ever wondered why Raphael told you his secret, yet refuses to turn you, even though you want to be a vampire with him?" Cerebus reached into his pocket and pulled out a small tape player.
"No, I've never wondered. He's told me exactly what it's like. And he doesn't want me to live like that."
"On the contrary, the way we live is rather beneficial, aside from our blood dependency. If you wish to know the true method behind his madness, I suggest you listen." Cerebus flicked the button and turned the volume up as loud as it would go. Raphael's voice filled the cool night air, replaying what he had said to Lillith earlier that night.

"On second thought, no thanks. I-I'm supposed to be doing something with Shanae."
"Oh, her. When are you gonna get around to turning that girl?"
"I'm not turning her, she doesn't deserve it."
"She doesn't deserve to watch you stay the same while she grows older and older?"
Click.
"That's why. You don't deserve it." sneered Cerebus.
"Don't you think I know how easily that could be faked?" Snapped Shanae.
"I know that, but something tells me that if I leave this here with you tonight, you won't be throwing it away." Cerebus said. He turned and disappeared into the night, leaving the small player on the windowsill.
Shanae ran over to the window in tears and yelled after him. "That's not true! He loves me! HE LOVES ME!"
Shanae picked up the tape and threw it across the room in rage. It began playing on loop.
"I'm not turning her, she doesn't deserve it."
"I'm not turning her, she doesn't deserve it."
"I'm not turning her, she doesn't deserve it."
"I'm not turning her, she doesn't deserve it."
"I'm not turning her, she doesn't deserve it."
Raphael's voice filled Shanae's head. And as tears streamed down her face, she began to write.