The Vampiress's Promise -
As I awoke, the vampiress was still perched on top of me, but the smug certainty had vanished from her face. First, irritation flickered across her features, then anger. But she regained her composure swiftly, unzipping her leather jumpsuit and pulling out a pair of dark sunglasses, slipping them on with a defiant flourish.
“Damn daylight!” she muttered. “You got lucky this time. I don’t know who’s messing with me or how many protectors you’ve got, but next time, you’re mine. See you around, little one.”
With that promise, she rose, lifted her head confidently toward the sky, and smiled before striding down the street, her heels echoing off the cobblestones. I sat up and watched her retreat, confusion mingling with relief. She didn’t burn up like the other vampire who had hunted me before. Only then did I notice the chill of the ground beneath me. The sky above was overcast—a cold, late-autumn morning. The surroundings looked familiar; I was back home in good old Germany, about a fifteen-minute walk from my apartment. I got to my feet and began to walk.