• You're awake, but just barely. You feel your consciousness slipping away. There's a nudge in your heart. You become tense and roll over, hoping the biting feeling goes away. The breeze rushes in, and you see that your window is wide open.

    As you move to close it, you notice your clock. 2:46. You really should be asleep by now...

    You listen to your heart beating unevenly for a while. Too many horror movies? You touch your face self-consciously, covering it with your forearm.

    And then it hits you. Quite suddenly, almost frighteningly. There's someone else in the room.

    You jolt up, and whip your head around frantically. Nothing. Silence. You shift uneasily and back up against the headboard of your full-size bed. The sheets are draped over you in an irrational attempt to muffle your fear.

    Shadows look eerier than normal to you, the light streams in weakly and causes light dashes of white among the thick blackness. Still... nothing.

    Your face is pale, now. Pale as the moon, and nearly as full.

    You burrow under your blanket, trembling. The feeling of being watched... it refuses to leave.

    Your blanket is yanked away.

    Someone, something. A person stands beside you.

    You are frozen in place, your breath coming out in short bursts. You only see the shadow of the intruder, for your back is to them.

    Slowly, you sit up and face them.

    It's dark, and you can't quite make out their features. The person is a man, you're almost sure. Though it could be female...

    You c**k your head as you consider.

    The person grabs your neck and thrusts you against the wall.

    You're trapped, and in pain. The person's grip is strong, your neck is sore.

    They don't speak, but you see them lifting a polished knife with a handle of bone and ebony.

    You finally manage to stutter... "Stop..."

    The person doesn't reply. The knife is dangerously close to you, now.

    "Why?" you stammer. You don't have the strength to talk in complete sentences.

    The person touches the point of the knife to your chest.

    You feel the sharp take as it gently pierces your shirt and then skin. The person is doing it slowly, almost considerately.

    They only dig in for a little bit, then they slide the knife out again.

    The pain is searing, you see your own blood staining the knife ruby red.

    Blackness creeps around your surroundings, you feel yourself slipping away. You will it to hold on, but your strength is nearly gone now, and the pain is unbearable.
    You see the knife flashing by, quickly, and then your attackers cold gaze: green-eyed, and intense.

    The glint of the knife catches your eye.

    The person lets go of you.

    You slump to the ground pathetically.

    "Why... why do you come? Is it to murder me?" you plead, surprised you can even open your mouth.

    Your chest is throbbing now... you feel faint.

    "Murder, indeed." The person is male, as far as you can tell.

    "Why? Why leave me here, only in pain? Why not kill me now?"

    "A strange question for someone who nearly avoided being heartlessly slaughtered."

    You shut up, sensing a thick tension in the air.

    The man turns, his back to you.

    "Tell me why you have come."

    "You have something I want."

    "I see."

    "No. No, you don't."

    You look down. The pain is sliding away, but the blood drenching your chest is copious.

    The man sighs. "I don't know why I even bothered sparing you."

    "It's because you're human. You know that murdering someone is wrong, and you can't bring yourself do kill me."

    "Humanity disgusts me, why would I fall prey to one of their emotional faults?"

    "There's a saying, you know," with each word, you gain courage and strength, "'The one thing in life is not to be afraid to be human'."

    "I'm not afraid."

    "Alright."

    "I'm really not. I swear."

    "I said, 'Alright'."

    "But you don't believe me."

    "To be honest, I don't. Look at you, even if you deny your human status, you know it in your heart. You refrained from killing me. Isn't it obvious you have a heart?"

    "I'm not human enough."

    "I dare you to kill me now. Prove that you are not human."

    The man whirls around. You begin to shout as you see his hand grasping the knife.
    Before the sound leaves your failing lungs, the knife catches you at the throat.

    You feel exploding, ripping pain for a split second...



    And then all is lost.