"I will not keep you long, I know that you must seek shelter from the dawn. But, I must say this. You are warning me against these Elders, but I cannot help but think that because of this you have also endangered yourself. You killed your own kind, someone you knew. I could see that she recognized you; will they not realize who killed her and come after you?" Emmaline looked away, her eyes clouded with fear. "No, do not answer that. Just please, Ephraim, keep yourself safe also."
Forcing a smile, she entered the house and asked, "Tomorrow is Sunday and so the tavern wil not be open. Will you meet me in the park? I want to see you again." The girl began to close the door without waiting for him to answer - out of shyness or fear, he could not say - but lastly said, [i]"Go, Ephraim - do not let the sun catch you."
The door closed on him as he stood there, and Ephraim backed away from it. The sun had risen and the only thing protecting him from its unforgiving light was the dense layer of clouds that hung lazily in the sky. He ran quickly to the alley that hid Elizabeth's decapitated corpse and quickly flung it across his shoulders, grasping the head in his empty hands. In a few moments, he arrived at the River Thames and dumped the lifeless parts into the coarsing water.
The clouds had begun to part and small rays of sunlight struck the ground. Ephraim rushed to his home and swiftly closed the door behind him, moving toward the curtains and pulling them shut. Bringing his arm up to stare at curiously, the skin bubbled sickeningly. He watched as it healed in front of his eyes - a few minutes, at most - then sat on his bed, contemplating what had happened that night. It was too much to process, however, and he unbuttoned his shirt, draping it on the arm of a chair that stood by a mahogany desk in the corner of the room. Lying back on his bed, he fell asleep quickly. . .
~__*__~__*__~__*__~__*-The Next Night-*__~__*__~__*__~__*__~
Ephraim's eyes flew open and he bolted upright in his four-poster bed, breathing heavily, a wild look in his eyes.
Just a dream. . . It was only a nightmare. . .
How odd to think that even vampires - the very things that induced nightmares, themselves - could indeed have them also. . .
Ephraim arose from his bed and began to dress, pulling a jacket from the large armoire that sat near the curtain-covered window. He once again tucked his faded-grey pocket watch into the folds of his vest. Remembering Emmaline's request to meet with him, he fed before traveling to the park in order to meet her.
Better safe than sorry. . .
He stood beside a large oak, admiring the crystallized dew that clung to its emerald leaves. The stars shined brilliantly above and he glanced toward the pale moon, basking in its cold light and waiting for the girl to arrive.
[[Not much creativity today. . . Bad day:/ But I'll be better soon, hopefully ^.^ ]]