A Myth-Understanding

Caleb was elated upon waking the morning after his chat with Katrina at Starbucks. While shaving, he fondly reflected on their visit. After brushing his teeth, he contemplated his Friday; the last weekend before the second eight weeks of the fall semester started. He was grateful for being scheduled to teach only day classes this time. Instead of dwelling on Monday, he focused on spending the day pursuing his own interests, which included working out at the indoor gym on the top floor of his apartment building. It was another perk that, in addition to the parking garage, helped rationalize the increased rent that he paid for his otherwise small apartment.

As he worked out on the elliptical and upper body equipment, his thoughts shamefully wandered to Katrina. Despite the guilt over thinking about her instead of Melanie, his thoughts took on a journey of their own. He realized that his subconscious was trying to tell him something, but he stubbornly insisted that Melanie was the individual who was supposed to be the center of his attention. Following his workout and a shower, Caleb dressed and called Melanie, just to see how the Florida trip was going.

"Hey, Mel," he pleasantly offered.

"Oh, hi, Caleb," she tentatively replied.

"Did I call at a bad time?"

"Oh, no," she offered matter-of-factly. "Greg and I were just talking about stuff as we followed behind Candace's car."

"What happened to the original plan of carpooling in the minivan?"

"Well, the van was idling funny, so Candace loaded four people into her car, and Greg offered to drive the two of us behind them," Melanie explained. "Wasn't that nice of him?"

Oh yeah, Greg's a real hero, Caleb thought with annoyance. "Yeah, real nice," he muttered darkly.

The connection's signal strength seemed to falter, and Melanie said, "Listen, I think we're losing the cell tower signal out here, so I'll call you tonight from the hotel."

"Sure," he replied. "Be careful, okay?"

"You got it," she absently replied before the line went dead.

Call it paranoia, but I've got a bad feeling about this trip, Caleb irritably considered.

* * *

Katrina lounged before an elaborate oak computer hutch in an oversized basement serving as bedroom, entertainment room, and study at her estate. Daytime was often a boring period for her as she awaited dusk. She had already checked her various foreign and domestic investment accounts and shifted some funds to her bank account in Atlanta. She was passing the time Web surfing, following up on some emails with fellow vampire acquaintances around the world, and longing for sunset.

Her mind was preoccupied with contacting Alton and reviewing the information he had provided to her regarding the lost contact with two vampire associates in Europe. It appeared that Garett from Paris had disappeared entirely, and Alton had found no trace of where he might have disappeared to. Equally curious was the question of why Garett had gone underground so hastily. There was also the odd matter of Octavia from Trondheim, who was normally rather social for a vampire, but who had stopped interacting with her peers as abruptly as Garett.

Vampires didn't require a lot of sleep, so Katrina had a lot of time to mull over both situations, which were beginning to appear connected. Unfortunately, there were still too many unanswered questions, and she hoped Alton's continued investigations would prove more fruitful.

Despite her attempts, her normally unshakeable concentration was distracted with thoughts of Caleb. Katrina had enjoyed their brief visit the prior evening, and longed to spend more time with him. Needless to say, he definitely held her interest. The only problem was that his social life was complicated by Melanie, which meant that Katrina's own interests in him were also handicapped by the woman.

Oh, how I dislike Melanie, Katrina mulled with a clenched jaw. She realized that she needed a viable, innocent reason to try to interact with Caleb again. Something that won't put me on Melanie's radar too much.

Maybe I should just kill Melanie, she brooded.

Katrina felt that she was supposed to feel a pang of guilt for thinking so shallowly about humans. But for some reason, guilt failed her at that moment. Instead, there was a prospective sense of feral satisfaction.

She banished the idea from her thoughts entirely, though not because it might cause Caleb some degree of sadness, but because she needed to keep the body count to a minimum in order to avoid raising suspicion among the authorities and starting unnecessary manhunts. As a matter of practice, thanks to the blood bank, she usually lived in an area for rather long periods with virtually no need to kill anybody. Already, she'd dispatched one human in the short time since arriving in Atlanta. But that was to protect Caleb. Katrina resolved with complete clarity that no body count concerns would deter her from protecting him. It seemed that her concerns for him were still as strong as when he was a child.

"Angel Caleb," she sighed out loud with a contented smirk as she considered the formerly innocent little boy who'd grown into such an attractive, intriguing young man. He's unlike the other men in my past, she mused, but in a good way. So kind, endearing, and sincere. Yet, there's a definite vulnerability in him, a weakness, perhaps. He's damaged from his past. Strength lurks dormant inside him, but he doesn't seem to realize it yet. I can help him harness that over time, I think.

She froze in place, wondering why he meant so much to her when so few humans had during her time as a vampire. Because he's special to me, she determined. Such a connection springing from a solitary day surrounding a singular event nearly twenty years ago might seem unlikely to most. Yet it had been pivotal to her continued existence. If not for him, she would likely be dead. I'll be grateful to him forever for his simple, guileless effort; an act of selfless assistance.

But could someone rationally expect to base a relationship on such a flimsy premise? She scoffed, breaking the silence around her. Many in her past had presumed to claim more from her and under much less pretense. And they all died for their selfish efforts. But not Caleb. He's altogether different, she confirmed with a smile.

Whimsy struck her, and she picked up her cell phone from the tabletop.

* * *

After time spent doing laundry that afternoon, Caleb was once again at the office that evening, preparing some minor changes to his lesson plans, when his cell phone rang. He'd expected it to be Melanie, but noted that it was Katrina.

"Hello?" he asked with a distinctly pleased tone.

"Hi, Caleb, It's Katrina," she greeted him cheerfully.

As if I wouldn't recognize her beautiful voice in the middle of a hurricane, he considered, stifling a chuckle as he realized his unintended pun. "Hi, Katrina," he replied with a smile. "What's up?"

"Just a quick history-related question," she began mysteriously. "If I wanted to read up on Andrew Jackson, what authors would you recommend?"

He smiled, pleased that she was calling to ask him for advice. "Well," he began as he playfully swiveled around in his desk chair, "the bio by H.W. Brands is a gold standard, but I actually enjoyed the Jon Meacham bio even more."

"Excellent, thanks for the suggestion," she replied.

His eyes glanced at the small bookshelf in his office, and he spied the very book he had just mentioned. "In fact," he began hopefully, "I happen to have the Meacham book right here in my office. I'd happily loan it to you."

"I have some errands to run, so I maybe I'll drop by and pick it up," she ventured. "That is, unless you were leaving soon."

"Oh, it's no problem," he confirmed a bit more energetically than he'd intended.

He had no way of knowing that she was pausing to grin on the other end. "Great, I'll be there in...shall we say, half-hour?" she asked.

"Perfect," he confirmed with a smile before snapping his cell phone shut.

Approximately fifteen minutes after Katrina's call, Caleb's cell phone rang as he thumbed through Meacham's biography of Jackson. As he reached for his phone, he hoped it wasn't Katrina calling to say something came up. Instead, it was Melanie. She must've reached the hotel okay. "Hey, Mel," he answered contentedly. "How's Florida?"

There was a pause at the other end before Melanie spoke. "Hi, Caleb. Wow, you sound pretty happy-go-lucky. Where's the party?"

Even Melanie's sardonic wit didn't impair his good mood at the prospect of seeing Katrina again. "No party, just here at the office finishing things for Monday," he said, but with a more subdued tone than before.

"Now that's the Caleb I know," she said. "We made it to the hotel this afternoon and just got back from dinner. I'm changing clothes, and we're gonna head out for some club-hopping."

"Sounds good," he politely offered. "Having fun?"

"Actually, yeah," she replied with a surprised tone. "It's been better than I expected. And Greg's really been good company, too."

"So, do you miss me?" Caleb smoothly asked.

There was another pause. "Well, do you miss me?" she countered somewhat evenly.

"I think I asked you first," he fenced. Boy, as if that wasn't a junior high response, he chided himself.

"Well, sure," she offered a little weakly in his opinion. "But sometimes it's good for two people to do their own thing, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I agree," he diplomatically agreed. He heard a male voice in the background and frowned. "Who's that?" he pointedly asked.

"Oh, it's just Greg," she explained with hesitation.

"I thought you said you were changing clothes," he recalled with some annoyance.

"Well, I just finished," she defensively countered.

He heard another faint noise in the background. Was that the sound of a zipper being zipped, or unzipped?

"Listen, I better get going," she insisted with sudden urgency. "The others are waiting for us."

Waiting for us, he levelly repeated in his mind. "Sure," he conceded. "Have a good time, Mel."

"Bye then, Caleb," she offered a little too politely.

He was still contemplating the conversation with Melanie when Katrina arrived. She was dressed in a pair of dark denim jeans and an emerald blouse underneath a stylish black leather jacket. Her red hair cascaded casually around her head and down below her shoulders. She looks amazing.

She glanced down at him with a smile as she practically posed in the doorway. Her green eyes took in the faded blue jeans he wore, as well as the way in which his trendy, dark blue T-shirt fit snugly over his muscular chest. As her eyes met his, she noticed that his eyes appeared to be slightly strained, or perhaps agitated. Her smiled faded somewhat, and she adopted a concerned expression.

"Caleb, is everything okay?" she asked.

He considered her for a moment before realizing he was feeling happier once she arrived. There was no need to mention the conversation with Melanie. "Me? I'm great," he replied. "Thanks for asking. You?"

"Great," she answered with a friendly smile that didn't quite meet her eyes. He's being evasive, she mused as she noted the slight change in his pupils, the sound of his voice, and the almost negligible change to the muscle tension in his face. As vampires went, she was a very observant predator.

"I'm really glad you called earlier," he genuinely offered.

That's honest, she noted by reading his body language and voice inflections. She returned his smile in earnest.

He handed the paperback book to her and offered, "Please, keep it as long as you like."

She took it, making sure to flip through to the table of contents before casually scanning the description on the back cover. "Thanks," she offered before carefully probing, "You're up here late again, and on a Friday night no less. Shouldn't you be out entertaining...what's her name?"

"Melanie," he offered with a wry expression.

Ah, so that's what's bothering him, Katrina considered, feeling far happier about that than she thought she should have. "Sorry, bad topic?" she casually ventured.

He frowned. "I'm beginning to think so."

She arched an eyebrow at him, but her smile widened wickedly. His heart rate increased slightly as he noted her expression and misinterpreted it as potentially negative. He's nervous about that, she noted.

"You know, Caleb," she began innocently, "Nobody's perfect. Relationships aren't easy for any of us." A major understatement in my experience, and perhaps his, she thought. The latter postulation was based upon her own intuition more than anything substantive.

He wanly smiled and admitted, "Guilty as charged."

She supportively smiled at him and subsequently heard his stomach growl. An amusing thought crossed her mind, and she struggled to avoid grinning. "Well, I'm ready to render judgment," she smoothly announced with a sober expression.

His eyes playfully glinted up at her from where he sat.

"I sentence you to dinner with me tonight," she declared with a note of finality.

He grinned and held his wrists out to her in mock submission. "Haul me away," he quipped with the flash of a cute grin. "I'm yours."

Oh Caleb, you really shouldn't have said that, Katrina thought slyly as a sudden surge of desire ran through her body.

As they walked out to the parking lot, he felt embarrassed about the prospect of driving Katrina around in his older Honda. Fortunately for him, she offered to take them to the restaurant in her Audi. He again marveled at the impressive driving experience the sleek automobile offered, and that was just from the passenger seat. But while he was grateful for Katrina shuttling them around town, he insisted on paying for dinner.

They selected one of his favorite restaurants, the popular and swanky Cafe Circa downtown off of Edgewood Avenue and Boulevard. Caleb assured her that the food and service were fantastic every time he went there. It was bustling with people that evening, adding a lively energy to its atmosphere. Katrina scanned the room, noting one of the interior walls was lined by a lengthy, finished oak bar with wooden barstools. Behind the bar was a series of backlit shelves lined with every variety of alcohol known to mankind. The dining area held an array of varnished oak bistro tables surrounded by oak barstools, and the lighting was moody and rather romantic.

She smiled at Caleb as he arranged for seating. They sat across from one another initially, but after a moment of taking in the atmosphere, she moved to one of the stools next to him.

"Do you mind?" she asked with a playful sparkle to her eyes.

"I'm flattered," he replied with a proud grin.

They both ordered a beer on tap, and he requested chips and salsa. Caleb ordered Chicken Panini, while Katrina settled for a plain house salad made with the restaurant's signature pumpkin seeds and empanada strips. They chatted as the crowds bustled around them amidst the sound of trendy music.

"So, what do you think of this place?" Caleb asked with a grin.

Katrina looked around, absorbing the atmosphere. Her heightened senses registered the overload of human scents, voices, and emotions. She liked it immensely and felt the hunger for fresh blood rise in her, requiring additional effort to keep her senses in check.

"I love it," she replied with a warm smile. "It suits you."

He nodded appreciatively.

"Is this your hangout of sorts? A favorite spot to take all the prospective women in your life?" she playfully asked.

He chuckled. "Actually, it's one of my favorite spots, but Melanie hates it for some reason. She said it's just not her style or something."

"Well, it's a place I can really sink my teeth into," Katrina countered.

After laughing for a moment at her strange remark, he lost himself in her beautiful green eyes.

"Tell me more about your life, Caleb," she gently urged. "I want to know everything."

He was flattered by her interest and described his experiences growing up with his mother and how he seemed to do much better in school after they moved away from their old acreage home for the Columbus city limits. He and his mother created fresh memories in the new house and tried to leave many of the past, painful ones behind.

His grades improved in junior high and high school to the point where he received a scholarship to Georgia State. He was grateful for the wonderful college fund made available to him after Wanda won a raffle from her workplace. It helped pay for his tuition all the way through graduate school.

Katrina warmly smiled at him, fully pleased to hear her efforts to help him and Wanda had worked out so well. Though it wasn't as if she was trying to make amends, or strike some karma-balance for what she was. Being a vampire was a merely a fact that she had long since reconciled in her mind. She was proud to be who she was and harbored no illusions of what living meant for her. It meant blood for sustenance and clandestine living among the human population to protect her secret and longevity. She broke out of her reverie to realize that he had fallen silent and was intently watching her.

"I guess my life's been pretty boring for the most part," he conceded.

Her face fell as if she'd been scolded, though she had heard every word he had said to her. "Oh no, Caleb," she insisted. "I was just envisioning what you were telling me. It's inspiring how well your life has turned out given so many challenges." She reached out to touch his arm, and he smiled while placing his hand over hers.

"Thanks," he offered. "You're one of the few people who seem to care to listen to me drone on like this." Caleb sighed as the realization hit him that, aside from Melanie and a few of her friends, he still hadn't yet formed any close friendships in the Atlanta area. Many of his college friends had moved away to new locations or returned to their home towns where they grew up. And he was still so new in his position at the college that he was still getting to know everybody there. The majority of people in his life at the moment were friendly acquaintances.

"I'm not like other people that you know," Katrina earnestly clarified.

"No," he agreed after a moment's pause. "You're not. And I've never been happier."

She bent her free arm up on the table and propped her chin on her hand as she smiled at him. He swallowed once and moved his face closer to hers. It felt like an imaginary string was pulling him to her as he gazed into her penetrating stare. She slyly smiled like a predator that had snared its prey and was relishing the catch. As their lips almost touched, their meal abruptly arrived with the appearance of their server.

To Katrina's amusement, Caleb turned his head to look up at their waiter with a forced, false grin, offering, "Wow, that was amazing timing."

Once they began to eat, Katrina mostly picked at her salad as they talked about topics ranging from favorite historical periods, to favorite aspects of the Atlanta area, to how the Braves were already looking to next season for their race to the pennant. They enjoyed each other's company immensely and shared a rich chocolate dessert between them.

Caleb regretted that the time had passed so quickly. He was rather quiet on their return drive to campus, but felt very happy. He sensed strong chemistry with Katrina and realized for perhaps the first time just how poorly matched he and Melanie were.

Katrina was flush with emotions as she drove the two of them back to the college. She remembered how close they'd been to a first kiss at the restaurant and was startled by how much she had craved it. She felt a palpable attraction to him, both physical and emotional, and his personality seemed both genuine and endearing. She also relished the diversity in conversational topics and how well-informed he was. It surprised her how strongly, and how quickly, her feelings for him were growing in more directions than she could have anticipated.

As she pulled up next to his car in the campus parking lot, she put the Audi in park but left the engine running. She looked over to him and effortlessly smiled.

"Thanks again, Katrina," he offered as he released his seatbelt. "I really had a great time tonight."

"Me too," she softly replied.

He seemed confused as to what to do and chose to open the passenger door. He wanted to reach across the seat and kiss her, and yet his mind screamed that he was technically still dating Melanie. And while he felt a sense of betrayal over seeing Katrina behind Melanie's back, he was still happy he'd done so. Not that he approved of that sort of thing, it was a first for him, but rather being with Katrina just felt right. He despised the situation he was facing, but knew the only clear way to any form of redemption was being honest with both Melanie and Katrina.

She watched him silently, seeing the conflict wash across his features, and waited patiently. She realized somehow she had helped propel them both down this path, but she left free will in Caleb's corner. That is, if trying to deny the temptations directed by one of nature's most powerful, deadly predators was free will at all. No, she realized, human free will is altogether something just as powerful as I am regarding affairs of the heart. The word "affairs" stuck in her mind.

"Have I created complications for you, Caleb?" she asked with a hint of sympathy.

He looked across the seat at her hesitantly and conceded with a sigh, "I think I've done that all by myself."

She smiled briefly and reassured him, "I'm not going anywhere."

Caleb frowned slightly, realizing his next question might ruin everything, and asked, "What is it about me that compels you to say that? Because I don't know that I would if it were I in your place."

Katrina regarded him for a moment, and she heard his heartbeat increase rapidly. He's terrified that honesty is going to doom him, she mused, along with what I'll say. But she had a small surprise of sorts in store for him in her response. "Well, you're just going to have to un-complicate things a little and find out," she offered with a smirk.

At first he seemed stunned, and then surprise gave way to hopefulness. He dared to smile. "I'll call you," he promised.

"Good enough," she responded resolutely. "Good night, Caleb."

"Good night, Katrina," he replied with a hint of appreciation.

He watched her drive halfway across the parking lot before stopping the little black sports car, the taillights shining brightly as the brake was applied. He frowned at her delay and unlocked his car door.

Get into your car, Caleb, Katrina thought as she watched him in the rear view mirror. Parking lots aren't very safe for you, it would seem, she added with a twinkle in her eyes.

As Caleb closed his car door he saw her pull away into the night. Was she waiting on me, or did she change her mind about me? he wondered. Then another, somewhat odd notion made its way to the forefront of his mind. Watching over me, maybe? The idea filled him with a strong sense of satisfaction. Once his father had left, Caleb's mother changed into a very protective figure in his life, and somehow Katrina's behavior reminded him of those same feelings of safety. Certainly, it wasn't as if Caleb viewed Katrina as some sort of maternal figure. Far from it, in fact. Merely that the perceived sense of protectiveness Katrina showed to him felt similar.

He chuckled at the outlandishness of the idea and began his journey home. I'm imagining the whole thing, he resolved.

As he drove home, a sense of dread and foreboding began to grow, and his mind went immediately to what he would say to Melanie about his conflicted feelings. He was never one for confrontation, but firsthand experience already taught him Melanie was.

The weekend turned into a last-minute dash to update his lecture notes along with changes that had occurred to him during the previous semester. Melanie didn't call at all on Saturday, and he dreaded the upcoming conversation that he needed to have with her. It was obviously better that he waited until she returned from Jacksonville so they could speak in person.

Great, then Melanie can have the added benefit of yelling and cursing at me in person, he considered darkly. It should be very cathartic for her.

Caleb had learned that Melanie never lacked animation when it came to her temper. Fortunately, he was the peaceful type who only argued back verbally. On one occasion, Melanie actually threw something at him in the middle of an argument, but he managed to dodge a paperweight effectively. The experiences of dodging errant pitches in baseball came in handy at such times. Caleb's mother had preached to him since he was a child that violence was no solution to interpersonal conflict. Additionally, he still had bad childhood memories of when his father was physically abusive with him and his mother, and those experiences added to his personal abhorrence of physical violence.

Saturday evening, he tried calling to check on Melanie, but his calls went to voicemail on all three occasions. Finally, he fell asleep on his apartment couch watching movies on cable and skimming through the pages of the latest biography on Harry Truman. He fell asleep sometime after 1 am, completely unaware of a lone figure peering in at him through the sheer curtains of his living room from the fire escape.

* * *

Katrina couldn't help herself on Saturday night. She was restless, and her mind kept wandering through a series of thoughts, all of which ended up on Caleb. She soon found herself observing him from his fire escape in the darkness. Fully realizing she was obsessing over him, the truth was undeniable: She enjoyed his company and couldn't wait to see him again.

Actually, the truth is I'm smitten with him, and I hate the thought of being apart from him for very long, she silently conceded.

There was so much more Katrina wanted to ask him about his life, his dreams, his favorite things, and a host of other topics ranging from the magnificent to the benign.

Vampires were like that. They obsessed when they were focused on something intently. Perhaps it was due to the predator or hunter instinct geared towards tenacity when seeking prey. Either way, it merely added to the focus she had for Caleb.

But there was an added element to her interest in him. Ever since the episode with the mugger in the college parking lot, she was concerned for his safety. Caleb was not in a particularly hazardous job or environment, and obviously he was less vulnerable in adulthood than as a child, but she still felt very protective of him. It was an aspect of herself she could freely offer to him, and it made her feel useful in his life.

After watching him at length through the curtains, Katrina determined it was probably time for her to depart, as she wanted to ensure her presence went unnoticed. She'd have to resign herself to other diversions until she could see Caleb again. She realized he needed time to resolve his conflicting feelings for both her and Melanie, who frankly didn't deserve his attentions in Katrina's opinion. Katrina conceded that her own efforts at attracting him weren't helping his dilemma. Still, she was feeling both confident and patient regarding what she considered an inevitability.

We vampires are focused and tend to shape our own realities.

* * *

When Caleb awoke on the couch Sunday morning, it was to the sound of his cell phone ringing. He sleepily reached over to retrieve it from the end table as the sunlight created a halo of light through his sheer curtains. It was Melanie, and she apologized for not having returned his calls on Saturday night, but they'd been out on the town until after midnight, and she hadn't wanted to wake him. She said she would drop by to see him at his apartment that evening after they got back to Atlanta. He noted that her voice had been pleasant, but distant.

He spent the remainder of the day cleaning house and using his home computer to organize the notes and PowerPoint presentations he had brought home from his office on a portable drive. He tuned the TV in the living room to one of the all-hours alternative rock music channels. The day passed quickly, as weekends and holidays always seemed to, and evening arrived before he knew it.

Sometime around 8 pm, as dusk changed to night, Caleb's doorbell buzzed. He went to the door, peeked through the peephole, and welcomed Melanie in. She held a firmly resigned expression on her face to accompany her otherwise pleasant smile. She wore jeans and a Jacksonville Jaguars sweatshirt, which must have been one of her weekend acquisitions. She absently clutched a small stack of music CDs.

"Hi, Mel," he greeted her with a hug and a platonic kiss. "Welcome back." So far, so good, he thought with encouragement. "How was the trip? When did you guys get back?"

"Oh, we all had a great time," Melanie replied congenially as she perched on the edge of one of his kitchen stools. "We just got back a couple of hours ago."

He glanced at the clock on his kitchen stove while moving towards the refrigerator for a cola. He was surprised she hadn't called sooner. He noted the CDs in her hand and asked, "Buy some new CDs?"

"No, these are yours," she answered with a glance down to them. "I'm just returning them."

"Want a Coke?" he asked absently as he reached inside the refrigerator.

"No thanks," she replied. "So Caleb, there's a little topic that we...that is, that I wanted to bring up."

His eyes darted up from his can of cola to Melanie's face with momentary suspicion as he heard the word "we" slip out.

* * *

Katrina anxiously waited for the Georgian sunset to give way to nighttime. She hadn't visited with Caleb since Friday and was going a little stir crazy. She absently wondered if he had met with Melanie yet. More than anything, she wanted to just sit and visit with him more. She realized she should probably just wait for him to call, but for some reason her patience was wearing thin.

She yearned for an excuse to drop by to see him. However, first she would carefully observe him from the fire escape before committing to the visit, just in case he seemed busy. Or the blonde might be there, she considered darkly. Then inspiration struck in the form of Darjeeling tea.

Katrina changed into a pair of gray Capris, a turquoise long-sleeved cotton shirt, and a pair of flats and stopped by Starbucks. She made her way to Caleb's apartment as darkness was in full bloom and climbed carefully up the fire escape with the tea secured safely in a Starbucks sack. But she soon frowned as she viewed Melanie sitting at the kitchen counter talking to him. Her acute hearing took over as she slid into the shadows near the window.

* * *

"Is everything okay?" Caleb asked Melanie with a hint of suspicion.

"Oh sure," she hedged.

He took the high road and waited patiently for her to continue.

"So, there's something we probably need to talk about," she continued. "I had a really nice trip spending the weekend with Greg, and it got me thinking. How would you feel about us seeing other people for a while?"

He let her question sink in and realized that she and Greg must have made a connection over the weekend. "So," he ventured carefully. "You and Greg had a good time this weekend?"

"Well, we kinda hit it off and had a fun weekend," she replied somewhat sheepishly.

Instead of disappointment, he felt a welcome release of tension. It was as if the sense of dread he had been feeling had lifted from him and departed. He suddenly didn't feel so bad about conveying similar feelings to her and adopted a hopeful expression.

Melanie frowned.

"Actually, Mel, I've been thinking recently about us as well," he began agreeably. "I just feel like things haven't gelled with us the past couple of months. So maybe your suggestion would be good for both of us."

"Just what do you mean by that, Caleb Taylor?" she demanded irritably as she flipped her hair away from her face with a flick of her left hand. "Have you already been seeing someone else?"

That caught him off guard to say the least. Hadn't she just tried to convey her own feelings for Greg a moment ago? "Well, the past couple of days I've kind of been getting to know someone," he conceded.

"You mean that Carlita woman from class?" she demanded. "I thought you said she was just a student of yours?"

"You mean Katrina?"

"Whatever!" she chortled.

"She's not my student anymore, actually," he hastily explained. "In fact, she stopped taking classes altogether."

"So, you're leaving me for some college tramp?!"

"You're kidding, right?" he replied dumbly. Didn't she just tell me that she and Greg made a connection over the weekend?

"You cheating bastard!" Melanie yelled as she reached down to the CDs in her hand and began throwing them like Chinese throwing stars.

One zinged past his right ear to break against the wall behind him, but the second caught him squarely in the middle of the forehead. "Ow!" he shouted in pain as he bent forward and away from her while shielding his face with his hands.

* * *

Katrina heard the argument between Caleb and Melanie and tensed as she viewed their exchange. That woman is crazy, she silently fumed.

She watched with fury as the CD case hit Caleb in the forehead and nearly charged in through the living room window. Instead, she turned to leap over the railing and off the fire escape balcony to the street level below with a cat-like pounce and landing. Her feet no sooner hit the pavement than she was speeding around the deserted corner of the building to the side entrance, bag of tea still in hand.

Katrina wasn't merely angry, she was enraged.

* * *

Four remaining CD cases landed against or around Caleb until the barrage stopped from lack of ammunition. For the most part, he managed to avoid further damage, but the cut on his head began bleeding profusely. He recalled from some first aid training that even minor scalp cuts would bleed more than other places on the body. It stung like hell, too.

"Melanie!" he shouted as he maneuvered around to the living room to stand with the couch between the two of them. "Damn it, just chill out!"

The abrupt sound of the doorbell startled them both.

* * *

Katrina exited the stairwell door on the third floor of Caleb's apartment building. She immediately sensed the presence of a person at the end of the hallway standing next to the elevator and briefly glanced at a man dressed in jeans and a Jacksonville Jaguars T-shirt. He was young and muscular and watched her with interest but otherwise seemed non-threatening. A few seconds later Katrina stood outside Caleb's apartment door with slightly glowing green eyes and pressed on the doorbell firmly.

Three seconds more and this door is coming off its hinges, she vowed in a rage. Then she heard the sound of a deadbolt unlocking.

* * *

Caleb opened the front door to his apartment while holding his bleeding forehead with his left hand. His eyes widened as Katrina stood in the doorway looking less than happy. Was that a glint in her eyes he saw?

"Katrina?" he asked vaguely while squinting against the pain in his forehead.

"Are you okay? What happened?" she demanded with concern as she bodily pressed her way into the apartment, putting herself between Melanie and Caleb.

Katrina's eyes immediately swept the room to fall upon Melanie in a piercing manner. Melanie's eyes widened momentarily with surprise at their intensity, but returned to an outraged expression. Katrina's expression remained steely, at best.

"Who are you?" Katrina demanded with authority as she drew out each word. She loved the appalled expression on Melanie's face in response.

"Well, just who the hell are you?" Melanie demanded back.

Caleb had enough of his wits about him at that moment to remain silent.

"I'm the person who's very angry her friend's forehead is bleeding," Katrina replied with a lethal edge to her voice as she carefully selected her words.

"Melanie, this is Katrina," Caleb offered weakly as he removed his left palm from his forehead and glanced at it to gauge the severity of bleeding. "Katrina, this is Melanie, my ex-girlfriend."

Melanie's eyes darted to him at that last qualification, and Katrina's expression changed to one of grim satisfaction. In fact, she scowled slightly at Melanie.

"You can have him," Melanie fumed as she moved to slip past Katrina. "Jerk!"

Katrina nearly reached out to choke Melanie as she passed by, but restrained herself for Caleb's benefit, not to mention the desire to stay off the Atlanta police department's most wanted list.

A man's voice was quickly heard in the hallway outside, followed by Melanie demanding, "Just never mind. Let's get the hell out of here, Greg."

Caleb's eyes shot up and to the hallway outside his apartment with a mix of surprise and incredulity. Katrina's eyes darted to Caleb's for a split second before her hand swiftly darted out to slam the front door shut behind Melanie. His heart jumped at the swift, loud sound of the door slamming so abruptly. Katrina's eyes looked to Caleb with concern, having sensed the growing darkness in his mood.

"She brought Greg," he fumed.

"Just nevermind that. Let's get you cleaned up," she interrupted gently as she steered him to the bathroom.

He found Katrina's sudden attention to him unusually forceful, but somehow welcome. He partially grasped the idea of her seeming very protective towards him, but his mind was also still racing from the emotional exchange with Melanie.

The scent of Caleb's blood acted fully upon Katrina's sense of smell, and she felt her mouth water slightly in anticipation. She repressed the strong desire to kiss - no, lick his head wound, and instead grabbed a washcloth hanging on the towel rack in his bathroom. The blood was starting to run again from the small gash in his forehead, and her jaw tightened with the resolve not to do anything foolish that would either disturb or terrify him.

"Really, I can take care of this," he insisted. "Don't trouble yourself."

She regarded him with an arched eyebrow for a moment that seemed to register in his mind as a mild challenge. He got the idea that she was asserting herself with him, although not in a particularly threatening way. Instead, it made him feel safe. He swallowed hard as he gazed into her beautiful green eyes and decided he was perfectly content to let her look after him for the moment.

"Or I could just be very grateful you're here," he conceded softly as he released the washcloth to her grasp.

Katrina smiled. She rinsed the washcloth in cold water and asked, "Antiseptic?"

He pointed to the split mirror in front of him that was also a dual-sided medicine cabinet. She removed a still-sealed bottle of first aid antiseptic and held the washcloth to his head wound. It was superficial, but would likely leave a nasty bruise, unless...

"Press this over the cut for a moment," she instructed him as he held the washcloth over his forehead, partially blocking his vision.

She darted into his kitchen, retrieved a couple of paper towels, and gathered saliva in her mouth. She walked back to the bathroom, opened the antiseptic, and held the bottle up near the paper towel as she quickly applied her saliva instead. Taking the washcloth from him, she held the moistened area of the paper towel to his wound.

He noticed immediately that the small gash in his head began to feel numb, and was quite happy with the effect. She smiled happily at him as he regarded her with appreciation. Something jogged in his memory for just a split second. It was as if he had felt the sensation sometime in the past, but he couldn't recall when or where exactly.

"It wasn't as bad as it looked initially," she offered as she quickly removed the paper towel, leaving only the appearance of a nearly sealed line of scar.

"Yeah, I guess not," he muttered as the numbing sensation continued.

"It shouldn't even bruise too badly," she ventured as she put the lid back on the antiseptic. "And there shouldn't be any permanent scarring, either."

"Wow, that's some powerful stuff," he commented as he glanced down at the bottle before she replaced it in his medicine cabinet.

"Yep, good thing you had some handy," she replied with a satisfied smile.

"Hey, how did you know where I live?" Caleb asked as the subject suddenly occurred to him. He was surprised to see Katrina at his apartment door that evening, though not at all disappointed. Yet he didn't recall exchanging addresses with her.

Katrina returned her best casual expression and replied, "You'd be amazed what you can find on the Internet today. And besides, I wanted to surprise you with some Darjeeling tea that you liked from the other night."

He followed the direction of her pointed finger to see the Starbucks bag sitting on his end table and smiled appreciatively in return. She was suddenly very happy for the distraction the tea provided. Since he didn't pay property taxes against the apartment, it had been harder than she had expected to track down his home address when she' ha first settled in Atlanta.

"That's very kind. Thank you," he replied sincerely.

She was feeling very pleased with herself at that moment.

But the subject of Melanie quickly returned to the forefront of Caleb's thoughts. "I guess I should explain the little event that was going on when you arrived," he ventured anxiously as he gestured for Katrina to take a seat and then sat next to her on the couch.

"Was she the complication you spoke of the other night?" she asked.

"Yeah, and it's not what it looked like," he supplied earnestly. "I never raised a hand at her. We were just arguing, and -"

"It never once entered my mind," she interrupted him with sincerity. "I could tell when I arrived that you were calmer than she was, and she was quite animated after my arrival, whereas you seemed to be seeking to diffuse the emotion in the room."

Caleb nearly gaped at her frank and rather accurate assessment of the situation. "That's pretty much it," he muttered absently. "She thought I was cheating on her."

"And were you?" Katrina asked plainly, despite recalling the presence of Greg in the hallway. She was curious how he would respond. Melanie had obviously already decided that Caleb was no longer of interest to her, and her own assessment of Melanie was already rather negative after all she had overheard, observed, and discerned. All the better for me, Katrina thought.

"Yes, it could be viewed that way from a certain perspective. At least in my opinion," he replied, suddenly critical of himself.

"Oh, really?" she asked. It was important to know that Caleb could take responsibility for his own actions with a degree of honesty. Score one for Caleb, she noted.

"Well, I did go out with you while I was technically still supposed to be exclusively dating her," he mused. "But it's felt so wrong between Melanie and me these past few weeks. I don't know. I'm still feeling a little confused about everything right now."

"So, would you say you have devotion issues?" she pressed with a mild injection of teasing.

He considered her question and searched deep within himself for a moment. Nobody had ever asked him questions like this before. He swallowed as he gazed into her eyes. "I really don't think I have devotion issues with the right partner," he assessed as openly as possible.

She smiled slightly and considered him. Yes, I suspect he's correct, she determined.

"I wouldn't blame you if you thought poorly of me," he added self-consciously. "Or even if you got up right now and walked right out the door."

"Would you like for me to go?" she asked softly as her green eyes bored into his. She read the answer from the reaction in his pale blue eyes before he uttered a response.

"No, not at all," he insisted gently with a vulnerable expression. He wanted more than anything for her to stay. He realized things had happened so quickly that evening with Melanie, but he'd already been thinking about Katrina very soberly the past few days. He was fully aware how special her introduction into his life already felt to him.

She smiled back at him, adopted a more quizzical expression, and asked, "You seem innocent enough, but why do I get the impression that you get into trouble a lot?"

He briefly recollected the campus parking lot incident, as well as that evening's event with Melanie. "Just my luck, I guess," he quipped with a grin. "I'm just walking, talking trouble, I suppose."

Her smile turned predatory as she countered slyly, "Well, I think I know just how to take care of troublemakers."

Maybe it was the way she looked at him, or perhaps it was the sound of her voice at that moment, but no matter the reason, Caleb felt an immediate urge to kiss her. And unlike the night at the restaurant, he leaned his body towards her without hesitation until his face was nearly touching hers. She didn't move an inch as his mouth neared hers. He ever-so-gently brushed his lips once against hers. There was warmth as their lips touched, and his eyes softened as his face hovered before her.

Katrina listened to Caleb's accelerated heartbeat and felt his warm breath against her lips. She was feeling extremely satisfied with how he had conducted himself. Now she understood his intentions even better than he probably did, and it pleased her.

Her right hand went immediately and gently to the back of his neck, where she cupped the base of his head, and her lips pressed with firm, deliberate pressure against his. She drew deeply against his breath for a single passionate moment, and he responded with a shudder that went through his body as he returned her kiss in kind.

She drew back from him, gazed into his eyes, and whispered, "I don't have devotion problems either, with the right person."

A surge of adrenaline shot through his body, and his heart raced. At that moment, he wanted so much to be the right person in her life. It was stronger than most anything he'd felt before. But he was suddenly lost in a sea of uncertainty as to what he should do next. "And now?" he asked quietly and with a sincere desire for guidance from her.

Katrina smiled, having read the question in his eyes as he asked it. "Now?" she replied as she pulled away from him slightly. "Now we call it a night, and I let you get some rest. Tomorrow will be busy for you, as I'm sure the first day of the semester usually is."

His eyebrows rose with some surprise at her response. He certainly hadn't expected that. "And?" he queried with a grin.

She playfully smiled back at him, but replied with a sober tone, "And we take it one day at a time."

He was amazed by the seemingly uncanny sense of experience emanating from her. She appeared to be no older than he, but she spoke so sagely and with such confident reassurance. She was an anomaly to him in so many ways. And yet he trusted her implicitly.

"Count me in, coach," he agreed as he sat up and reached to examine the bag of tea still perched on the table.

He was prepared at that moment to do the right thing, no matter what that was. He felt convinced that there was something very special about Katrina, mysterious and enchanting. And he meant both to discover and experience all of it.

For approximately two weeks, they exchanged emails and text messages during weekdays, while conversing over the phone any evenings they didn't see each other. There were dinner dates, a movie, and taking in an evening at one of the local art museums. No matter the activity, they both thoroughly enjoyed each other's company.

However, even as Caleb openly shared his own background, he found Katrina's to be continually vague. She rarely provided straightforward answers to questions about her youth, her family history, or even what kept her so busy during the daytime that she was never available for lunches or entire days together.

Caleb didn't really feel that Katrina was deliberately trying to mislead him, but rather that she felt uncomfortable confiding in him with details. That prospect bothered him quite a bit.

What he didn't realize was that Katrina was all too aware of his concerns. She expertly gauged his body language and voice inclinations, as well as the context of his statements. Furthermore, she realized the time was very near when she would either have to reveal herself and her true nature to him or risk losing all they had worked towards.

Of course, she realized from the beginning of her journey with him that the day would come when she would have to make a delicate and serious decision on how to proceed with him. If she left him now, he would perhaps never be the wiser and might live his life out within the traditional parameters of human existence. However, if she pursued him further, he would face an important decision of his own, one with potentially grave consequences for both of them.

Katrina came to a swift decision regarding Caleb. She needed to reveal her true nature to him if there were any hope their relationship could continue to grow. Will he accept who I am? Will he still desire me, or will he be repulsed?

It was a beautiful mid-November Friday evening at the sprawling and secluded private neighborhood where Katrina lived. The exclusive Pine Valley edition was located just west of Atlanta within the suburb of Mableton in Cobb County, Georgia. Caleb met her at her home for the first time since they met, though she didn't actually invite him to enter the interior of the beautiful estate itself. He parked his car in her driveway in front of her four-car garage, where she met him and proceeded to guide him to the park-like area skirting her five-acre property. She explained that all of the surrounding properties were at least five acres in size and sported their own individual gate access to the sprawling park area.

They accessed the area via a black wrought iron gate leading from her property, which was itself surrounded by tall wrought iron fencing interspersed with tall red brick support columns. Caleb was thoroughly impressed as he walked next to her along the beautiful and romantic pathway. They strolled along the park's small sidewalk that wound its way through carefully manicured trees. The sidewalk was furnished with short black metal lampposts and wrought iron park benches positioned sporadically along its length. It was a scenic oasis for the residents of the Pine Valley edition.

The moon appeared as a small glowing orb high in the sky casting a dim pallor over the outdoors. A vast host of stars filled the clear dark sky like a sea of tiny white pinpricks. The varieties of trees of the surrounding forest were awash with the colors of fall, except for the tall pine trees, which still remained green. Caleb considered it the perfect setting for a romantic walk with Katrina.

"What are you thinking?" she asked while peering sidelong at him.

"Honestly, I was just thinking how grand all this is," he replied sheepishly. He thought it must cost the residents a fortune to have it developed and maintained in such fine order.

She read between the lines of his statement by gauging his shy facial expression. "It's a shared expense between my property and the other estates in the area," she explained. "The area extends forty yards or so on either side of the path. Then it reverts to native forest and undergrowth, as well as the original rough topology of the land. Still, it's peaceful and more secluded than most parks in the area."

She added that the topography was very hilly and some areas were still dangerous until the contractors skirted them with proper fencing or barriers. She remarked that many of the perimeter areas were particularly hazardous at night despite the lampposts sprinkled through the park.

"Still, it's safer than most college parking lots," he quipped with a grin.

She laughed lightly. "For you, that's true."

They walked in silence a little further as she anticipated how to proceed with the serious topic on her mind. Even at that late moment she wrestled with the question of whether to tell him the truth about herself and her true nature.

He zipped his slightly worn leather jacket halfway up to keep out the chill of a gentle breeze and noted with a quick glance that her black leather jacket was wide open. "Aren't you cold?" he asked.

"Me?" she replied with surprise. "No, not at all. I like the cool evening breeze."

"Warm natured?" he asked with upraised brows.

She smiled pleasantly back at him as they walked. "Something like that." Then she amended, "More like cold-tolerant, really."

He found it to be an unusual quality in a woman. Most of the women he had known or dated would have complained they were chilled to the bone after walking outside for just a few minutes on such a late fall evening. But he already realized that Katrina was no ordinary woman. That appealed to him in so many ways, actually. For years, he pursued dating in a traditional manner, but always somehow managed to select the wrong type of person in his endeavors. Meeting Katrina was the first time that a woman took the initiative to pursue him, and it was an appealing quality for him.

Both of them remained relatively quiet for a time as they each pondered their own thoughts and feelings, albeit on entire different lines of thought.

"Would you like to sit down?" she finally broke the silence in a resolute voice, having made her decision on how to proceed.

"Sure," he replied suspiciously as he broke from his own silent reverie. He noticed the more serious tone in her voice, which momentarily concerned him.

She guided him to the next park bench, where they both perched tentatively on the edge of the seat so they faced each other. She reached out to take his right hand between both of her own, appreciating how his hand felt soft and warm. He had the hands of an artist, a gentle soul. It made her smile warmly at him. However, Katrina noted some concern in his eyes. Or was it suspicion? Are his childhood memories beginning to return? She pushed the thought from her mind as she considered the topic at hand.

"Caleb, I think honesty is so important between two people, and there's something I want to tell you," she began with a resolute expression, her green eyes catching his pale blue ones intently.

"Yes?" he asked after locking eyes with her gaze.

Her hands felt soft around his, but they had grasped his hand tighter after her last statement. Is she bored with me? he wondered. Or worse, maybe she doesn't feel the same connection to me that I'm feeling for her.

"I've had a number of relationships in my time," she began awkwardly. In my time, she thought ironically. If he only knew. But then, perhaps in a few minutes he will.

Oh no, Caleb thought, maybe she senses something in me that reminded her of a previously failed relationship. His hand flinched between hers.

She quickly detected his flinch and asked with concern, "Is something the matter?"

"Me? Not at all," he replied a little too quickly.

She narrowed her eyes at him slightly before reverting to a more relaxed expression. "Relationships are hard for me. It's hard for people to accept me as I am," she continued carefully.

"Okay," he nodded. Oh great, he thought, she's going to tell me she's a lesbian.

"You see, I'm not like most people you know," Katrina continued.

He raised his eyebrows.

She immediately realized that things weren't proceeding like she'd hoped. She was stalling, and it was apparent he was becoming confused. The palm of his hand had already started to perspire a little between hers.

"For example, I'm not a day person at all," she stated matter-of-factly. "In fact, I can't be in sunlight. You might say my sunrise begins at sunset."

His eyes widened slightly. Okay, he thought, she has a disease that keeps people from being in sunshine? "Oh, I saw something about that on a Discovery Channel program about a year ago," he offered encouragingly. "It's not as uncommon as you might think, really." It might help explain why we're were never able to get together during the daytime, he thought with some relief.

Katrina arched one eyebrow and shook her head. "No, you don't understand," she tried to correct him. "Those people have a disease. I don't have a disease. It just hurts me to be around strong ultraviolet radiation."

"Um, okay," he replied with a single nod and a deepening frown. UV radiation sensitivity, he contemplated wildly.

"It's the result of a genetic mutation," she explained. "Like a medical treatment gone wrong?" he inquired with an expression of disbelief.

"No, it wasn't a medical treatment. It's..." she tried to continue.

"Government experiment?" he interrupted.

She frowned at him and corrected, "This has nothing to do with the government." Thank goodness, she thought to herself as an afterthought. Her kind definitely tried to keep governments from being involved, which would probably be disastrous, at best.

Her clarification seemed to stump him for a moment, but she could tell that his thoughts were already racing. She had no way of knowing that he doubted her sanity at that moment.

"Okay," he conceded politely. "Anything else?"

"I don't like to eat most normal human foods," Katrina added carefully.

Caleb winced. What the hell? he wondered wildly. Normal human foods? It was turning into a conversation from hell for him. Well, she does normally order salads when we go to restaurants, he recalled. "So, you're a vegetarian?" he asked hopefully as he started to pull his hand from between hers.

Uh-oh, Katrina thought as she allowed him to withdraw his hand. She hadn't realized that she had been holding her breath, and she exhaled a heavy sigh. "I'm what society would best describe as a vampire," she said finally.

Caleb actually laughed out loud once, then seemed suddenly ashamed, and quickly clasped one hand quickly over his mouth. And I thought Melanie was half-crazed, he mused darkly.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized. "You just sounded so..."

"Serious?" she offered helpfully.

"Um, no," he corrected without actually using the word "crazy."

"I'm quite serious," she insisted evenly.

"It's just that vampires aren't real, Katrina," he added with a growing sardonic grin. "I mean, I love vampire horror films as much as the next guy."

His tone sounded somewhat condescending, and she resented his speaking to her like some superstitious child. "Oh, but we are real, Caleb," Katrina retorted heatedly as her eyes glowed green in the dim light of the lamp.

Caleb jolted slightly in surprise and demanded, "How did you just do that?"

Something dark stirred in his memory for just a split second, and it sent a chill up his spine. Then it was gone, like some fleeting flash from the past.

Katrina took a deep breath to relax and regained her composure as her eyes returned to their normal green hue. She didn't want to upset him further and risk continued misunderstanding. Have I just made a terrible mistake? she wondered.

"Caleb, it's what I've been trying to tell you," she continued gently.

Had the light from the nearby lamp merely caused an optical illusion? he wondered. And yet, why did the sudden change in her eyes seem somehow strangely familiar to me?

He suddenly felt edgy and irritated that the evening had taken such a negative turn. Mostly he was disappointed by it all. He' had hoped their connection was the beginning of something special. Now it just seemed that Katrina was just another of society's misguided souls suffering from some sort of mental illness. He sighed, and she looked into his eyes curiously.

"Caleb?" she asked tentatively and reached out to grasp his hand in hers again.

But he pulled back from her outreached hand with a jerk and rose to stand from where he sat next to her. "I'm very sorry, Katrina, but I think I better go," he said nervously.

She sat where she was but pleaded gently, "Caleb, please sit back down so we can discuss this."

He shook his head and turned to depart in the direction from which they came. "I'll call you, Katrina," he added almost as an afterthought, but it was an empty comment that he immediately knew he didn't mean.

He felt about as disappointed as he could recall in his adult life. Katrina was supposed to have been someone special to him. He'd been falling in love with her, after all. Now everything felt like it was melting away in a matter of minutes. The help she needed was far beyond his ability to cope with, and at that moment he felt he just needed to leave so he could sort out what just transpired between them.

"Caleb," she called as she watched him walk away, his pace quickening after he briefly glanced back over his shoulder at her. "No," she whispered angrily. "Not like this."

She was determined not to let him depart on such bad terms. At the same time, she silently berated herself for not having taken a better tack with him on the subject. It had been so many years since she'd confided her secret with someone she thought she could trust. She'd obviously lost her touch completely. In a split second, Katrina rose from the bench more quickly than any human could and raced ahead of him in a blur of motion.

Caleb was staring down at the sidewalk as he walked, but he thought he heard something swish by him in a dark blur to his right. He glanced up and saw Katrina standing in front of him with her arms folded across her chest. He frowned, glanced back to the empty park bench down the path, and looked back at her. His eyes narrowed slightly.

"How did -" he started to ask.

"Please, Caleb," she began.

He shook his head and turned to walk in the opposite direction. "Goodnight, Katrina," he said as he walked away. This time, he kept his face upwards but realized he was going in the wrong direction. He rolled his eyes upwards and muttered, "Crap."

Suddenly she appeared before him seemingly out of nowhere. "You're going the wrong direction, Caleb," she offered gently.

His eyes widened with complete surprise, and he jumped slightly as he realized that he hadn't even heard her footsteps before she appeared before him. He backed away from her quickly, and this time he kept his eyes on her as he withdrew.

Katrina seemed to stay where she was, and he turned to walk quickly away from her. Only this time his pulse was quickening and his nerves felt deeply unsettled. What the hell?

She heard his heart racing even from the distance between them and called after him, "Caleb, please stop."

He began running down the path and glanced over his shoulder to see if she were still there, but she was already gone. He quickly jerked his head forward and saw her waiting with her arms crossed in front of her again. Only this time, her eyes were burning with a bright green illumination.

Abruptly, something sharp triggered from deep in his memory. His eyes widened as he stared back into her eyes. An intense shock went through his body, hammering at his chest and burning in his stomach. He didn't understand where it came from or why, but he knew immediately what it was: sheer terror. His heart felt as if it was going to burst from his chest. Something visceral from his distant memories yelled, Run!

Katrina saw the nearly simultaneous transformation in his eyes and heard his heart suddenly erupt in thundering beats. Confusion ran through her as she tried to gauge what just happened to him.

Caleb spun to his right and sprinted perpendicular to the sidewalk path and into the nearby trees. Terror gripped him like a claw tearing simultaneously into his mind and heart. All that he knew was that he needed to escape. He picked up speed and dashed through the trees, thinking he could elude her somehow.

She watched him divert from the path in a blaze of sudden speed as her mind raced for an answer to what was happening to him. She hastily recalled something about the topography of the area that forced a sense of dread through her stomach and swiftly began to pursue him while shouting, "Caleb, stop! There's a ravine!"

Caleb was unknowingly heading towards the deep drop-off located beyond the trees just past the manicured portion of the park. It fell off for about forty feet from the ground with a number of large rocks interspersed among the low brush all the way to the bottom.

He thought he heard Katrina calling to him again, but he kept running and maintained an impressive speed as he sprinted across the grass and between the tree trunks. Suddenly, the grass was taller and small bushes appeared, but he kept sprinting blindly into the darkness. He was winded, but still making good time and glanced over his shoulder to see if she were pursuing him. Suddenly, there was emptiness under his right foot, and he felt himself tilting into open air.

Then his left leg was caught in what felt like a steel vice, and his body's momentum shifted back to the direction he had been running from. His body spun around in a counterclockwise direction before landing directly onto the ground. He flopped onto his stomach with a heavy thud that momentarily knocked the air from his lungs.

"Caleb!" Katrina exclaimed with relief at having caught him in time. She deftly rolled onto the ground beside him. "You're fast, I'll give you that," she muttered with a relieved sigh as she lay next to him.

He turned his head to stare at her in complete disbelief. Rolling onto his back, he began using his elbows as leverage behind him to elevate himself off the ground. While kicking his legs into the ground, he managed to back rapidly away from her in a crablike fashion.

Her relieved expression disappeared, turning into a heavy frown in the dim moonlight. "Caleb," she cautioned him gently. She didn't like the desperate look in his eyes, like a cornered animal. Doesn't he realize that I just helped him?

His hand absently touched a small fallen tree branch that felt solid in his hand. Though it was nearly twice the length he was used to, he leapt up and brandished it like a baseball bat. "Get away from me," he warned desperately.

Her features turned to stone as she took stock of the wild, panicked look in his pale blue eyes. It was the look of someone not completely in their right mind. "Caleb, please, just stop. I'm not going to hurt you," she insisted gently.

He seemed uncertain as to what to do next and started backing away from her while brandishing the limb as if ready to strike. His mind kept seeing those blazing green eyes from somewhere deeply imbedded in his memory as the terror in him pulsed like a warning clarion.

She moved forward slightly and cooed soothingly, "No harm, Caleb. Just calm down."

Katrina gradually advanced towards him, and he desperately swung the limb. It whooshed through the air towards her at a furious speed. Her left arm went up to counter his right-handed swing, and the branch broke effortlessly in half. His eyes were full with surprise at seeing that, and his hands vibrated from the shock of the branch's impact. Before he could move, she twisted her arm to grasp the remainder of the limb and pulled him to her with a single, swift jerk.

Her eyes were ablaze with a green glow as she stripped the branch from his hand and warned in a harsh voice, "I swear, slugger, if you try to hit me with another branch..."

Caleb's jaw dropped in amazement at her speed as he realized she was standing directly in front of him again. "Oh, God," he began, but was interrupted by her swinging him around and pinning his right arm behind him. She easily forced him to his knees before her.

"You're going to calm down now," she ordered as she let go of his arm and spun him around to push him backwards onto the ground. The truth was that she was scared, scared for him and for what suddenly happened to his mind to cause him to act that way.

Caleb immediately fell on his butt before her. Katrina was working very hard not to hurt him because she easily recalled the abuse that he had suffered at the hands of his father as a child. He had come so far as an adult, and she was striving not to rekindle violence in his life. She felt an abrupt pang of guilt over the earlier threat that she issued to him. Still, he hadn't been entirely peaceable towards the end, either.

He was shaking like a leaf in a storm and appeared to be going into shock right before her eyes. He sat silently, pulling his knees up to his chest while wrapping his arms around them. That worried her greatly.

Katrina stopped seeing the young man before her and instead recalled the frightened young boy from so many years ago in the small garage cowering at the malice of his abusive father. Suddenly, she realized with revulsion that she had unwittingly become the next abuser in his life. It touched something deep inside of her that she had last felt in the small, dreary garage so long ago. Mixed with the taint of disgust from that memory were the feelings of sympathy and caring for him which had touched her so viscerally when she had first met him as a child.

"I'm not going to hurt you," she promised as she kept her hands close to her body and slowly squatted down onto her knees in front of him. Her eyes were only dimly glowing green by that time as she strove to calm herself.

Minutes passed where neither of them said anything as Katrina quietly continued observing him. The only noise was from the cool wind rustling through the trees, and she noted that he was still shaking uncontrollably.

"I may have handled tonight rather poorly," she whispered with resignation. How I wish I could start the whole evening over again. But there was something more to his earlier reaction, something deeply disturbing in his eyes that she noted.

He merely stared at her with a dumbfounded, wide-eyed expression. His mind and body felt completely numb, as though none of what was happening were real.

"I'm moving to your side, but I'm not going to harm you," she assured him soothingly.

His eyes were wide as he watched her scoot across the short distance between them to sit beside him. He was still shaking as she placed her left arm gently around his shoulders and pulled him to her. He gratefully felt the welcome warmth from her body begin to penetrate through his jacket.

They sat together in the cool silence for what felt like an eternity. After some time, he had stopped shaking and was merely still as he sat beside her. She sensed his heart rate had slowed a considerable amount, which was a welcome improvement.

"You're a vampire," Caleb said matter-of-factly.

Katrina was so happy when he finally spoke again. She hugged him to her and whispered, "Yes, Caleb. I'm a vampire."

However, she inwardly always hated the word "vampire" despite its reasonable use for her kind. It wasn't as if her kind had any other official title or name. Years ago, the term "night denizen" had been issued to her upon her turning to describe her condition. But Hollywood took such errant liberty in describing the being she was now. Stereotypes were difficult, even among eternal creatures.

Caleb breathed in deeply and exhaled. "I'm not dead," he said carefully, as if in sudden realization.

She frowned warily, somewhat relieved that he couldn't see her expression. "You're quite alive, Caleb," she replied carefully. "And you should try to stay that way."

"I'm sorry I hit you with a branch," he muttered sincerely but with an almost dull voice.

She chuckled lightly as the corners of her mouth upturned slightly. "Apology accepted. But no more branches, Caleb."

He shook his head slightly and promised, "No more branches."

The silence drew out between them again for a time. The sound of the wind through the trees was almost soothing to him. Finally, he asked in a quiet voice, "Can I please go home now?"

She considered his request and heard his heartbeat increase slightly. "Yes, but you have to promise me something," she stipulated quietly.

"O-okay," he agreed.

His voice sounded so quiet and small to her.

"You have to promise to keep my secret about being a vampire," Katrina began. "It's very important that you don't tell anyone. Do you understand?" Despite the evening's drama and tension, this was something she had to insist upon before she could let him depart.

Caleb was silent for only a moment. "I promise, I won't tell anyone."

His voice sounded sincere to her, and she was too concerned for his emotional state to press the matter further. It would have to do. "Okay then, let's get you home," she said softly.

She grasped both of his shoulders in her hands and helped stabilize him as they stood. He was silently amazed, as he had barely engaged his legs before he was standing upright. He swayed for only a moment, and her hands were still firmly grasping him to keep him steady.

"Okay?" she asked gently.

"Okay," he replied as they slowly walked back to the dimly-lit park path.

Within a short time they were standing before his car in the driveway in front of her multi-bay garage. She noted his hand was shaking as he withdrew his keys from his pocket, and they jiggled slightly as he handled them. She anticipated that he must still be in some mild degree of shock laced with fear, because his movements were jerky, and she could hear his elevated heart rate.

"You shouldn't try to drive, Caleb," she gently offered.

He used his other hand to steady the hand holding the car key and slipped it into the lock. He felt somewhat embarrassed by his body's reaction but was determined to keep moving. "I'm okay, thanks," he replied. "I'll be okay."

He was trying to reassure himself as much as reply to her. As he withdrew the key from the lock, he abruptly dropped the entire ring of keys. They landed in Katrina's hand before falling more than six inches, and he gasped in response as her pale hand suddenly appeared before him.

"I'm driving you home, Caleb," she insisted resolutely as she palmed the keys.

He merely nodded and opened the door for her. She smirked at his chivalrous gesture and slipped past him into the driver's seat. He closed the door and walked around to the passenger side. "A vampire's taking me home," he muttered incredulously before opening his door.

After he dropped into the passenger seat and shut the door, she smiled at him and answered, "Yes, one is."

He glanced over to her slowly with a surprised look in his eyes.

She turned to look at him and read his expression. "Good hearing," she said with a grin as she pointed her index finger to her head.

He nodded mechanically and tried to file the tidbit away for future reference. He started to look away but noted she continued to stare at him, and he frowned back at her.

"Seatbelt," she recommended.

Caleb nodded absently again and belted himself in place as she started his car.

They were both silent on the short journey across town to Caleb's apartment building. There was very little traffic to watch at that time of night, so he just stared blankly out the passenger window trying to collect his thoughts. I have to be crazy, he thought to himself. The whole thing is insane, right? He realized that he hadn't needed to promise to keep Katrina's secret. Nobody would believe him anyway.

Before long, they pulled into the parking garage beneath his apartment building. The part-time gate guard noted the decal on Caleb's windshield and waved them through the gate without a second glance. It was at that moment Caleb realized how easily a vampire could pass for a human. Vampires, he thought silently, who would have guessed they'd be real after all?

Minutes later, Katrina neatly parked the car in a well-lit spot near the elevator.

"You're home," she stated simply and was out of the car before Caleb even finished opening his door.

She stood next to him as he exited and handed him his keys. "Good night, Caleb," she stated with a reassuring smile.

"Good night," he responded with a vague nod as he shut his car door. He started to walk away, but she just stood there watching him intently.

He made it barely six feet before she cleared her throat audibly to get his attention. He slowly turned to gaze back at her and frowned slightly. "Huh?"

Katrina nodded in the direction of his car. "The remote. Lock the doors."

He nodded, and the sound of two beeps emitted from his car. She smiled at him warmly before turning to walk towards the stairwell leading to the street level.

"Wait," he called hesitantly. She turned back towards him with a curious expression, and he offered, "I can call you a cab. It's safer."

But she only grinned. "Oh, I'm safe enough. And it's a nice night for a walk."

"Oh," he muttered somewhat numbly as Katrina turned and disappeared through the door to the stairwell.

Caleb turned, pushed the elevator call button, and waited for the doors to open. He felt both mentally and physically exhausted, but was suddenly so happy to be home and alive. He still felt like the evening was an experience outside of reality. Perhaps he would wake up and it would all have been just a crazy, bad dream. However, if it were real, he had a lot to think about. But he was just too tired to think clearly. He hardly remembered the journey from the parking garage to his apartment as he closed his front door and engaged the deadbolt. He swayed slightly as he made his way through the dimly illuminated room over to his couch and collapsed in exhaustion.

* * *

Outside Caleb's apartment on the recently repainted fire escape, Katrina watched silently through the sheer curtains covering the windows to his living room. She felt relief when she finally saw him enter the apartment and lock the deadbolt on his front door. She observed him sway and nearly leapt up to the window to his aid. But she quickly stopped and thought, Oh yeah, crash through his living room window now. That should send him completely over the edge.

She sighed, not certain what the future would bring between them. She liked him - no, she was already convinced she loved him. To her, he was the adult embodiment of the young boy, her saving angel, who had fought against a stacked deck imposed by his past and managed to maintain his innocence. Time will tell, she mused hopefully.

Following a quick recollection of their evening, she still wished that she had handled things differently with him. She turned silently to retrace her steps to street level for the journey back to her home. It's a nice night for a walk, she conceded. Besides, vampires could move very fast when they wanted to, just as Caleb discovered.

"Nights like this are precisely why I've stayed single for so long," she muttered to herself as she made her way down a side alley.

She was very angry with herself for the night's events, and she berated herself for somehow causing his emotional reaction. Reaction, she reconsidered wildly, it was more like an explosion!