HER NIGHTFALL DESIRE

is sometimes just the

it's the genesis of

ng to be in her late twenties stood among the tall grasses of an empty field. Summer James smiled as her green eyes looked with anticipation beyond the lin

the birds chirping around her and a rooster crowing in the distance. As someone who typically planned things out with meticulous precision, Su

o nicely, s

to depression or morose fixations, but she was at what could be described as a vampire's mid-life crisis. Having led a rich life, she'd enjoyed wealth, means, and

ed viciously...for them. It wasn't that she was necessarily tired of living; she simply no longer saw the point in it. She'd been shocked

nd were merely helpful in sympathizing with her situation. There were two vampires in particular who sought to intercede di

loved the mornings and the hopeful sense of optimism that morning brought to each day. For hundreds of years, she'd only caught fleeting glimpses of the burgeoning dawn be

above the tree line. It was terrifying in its majesty, and the innate urge to avoid it

kly it became painful. Her exposed skin blistered, and seconds later the core of her body erupted with fire. Summer tightly shut her eyes agains

a peculiar thing happened to the resol

lding the pain inside so she wouldn't scream. Although her lungs were burning with agony, she yearned to release

azing sunlight using the nearest opportunity for

se located on the small acreage across which she was running. She barely registered the side doorway before she was speeding through it in a

r skin still sizzled as the burns covering her body felt catastrophic. Pain coursed throug

death by morning sunshine. After facing her imminent demise firsthand, she considered it had been a really stupid notion. Naturally, I left my blood supply at home,

. By the sounds of the small, awkward footsteps, it was a small human, likely a

to tie his shoe, Summer noted his faded blue jeans and a T-shirt

could probably see her. She needed blood badly, but one of the few resolutions she had made since bec

r slam," he said

eep the burning pain coursing through her body in check. Great, a kid saw me, she thou

ed?" the child dema

at him. She must have looked, and smelled, li

clearly as possible through the p

really," the

ry old vampire some years ago that catered to a unique clientele. The idea was that a domestic supply of blood might improve the chances of vampires seeking to blend into society without having to

asked as levelly as possible. "Joshua,"

hile trying to control the

y tone that only an innocent

a child with a pleasant, gentle disposition. Summer tried to clea

," he prou

eight-year- old. "Joshua, I'm an angel, and I need for yo

wned. "Cal

only marginally. Her body must be trying to heal itsel

and not tell anybody?" she asked

t, but quickly discarded the idea of draining his

ur mom," she urged. "Is

e answered with all the

a moment and replied do

d pain shot through her body and bit he

I call?" J

nd paper, Joshu

out of the garage, slamming t

time frantically determining if the sunshine outside threatened the interior of the garage. There was a small pane glass window opposite from he

followed by the sound of little footsteps. Seconds lat

cil and pape

you a phone number to call, and then you just give the person that ans

ecited his address w

ormation and promised to go make the call without telling his parents. All the while, it took all her willpower not to reach out and grab the child for th

mmer lay beneath the car gritting her teeth and endur

n," Joshua said. "Angel B

ring me the box when it arrives, Josh

to eat breakfast

re your parents home now?" "My mo

y snapped. The bo

ou to get the box from the angel in the truck before your mom

nd replied, "Okay." Then a woman's

before getting up and r

ruce," Summer muttered

he engine idled, and she vaguely heard a man's voice, followed by Joshua's. Her hearing was normally many times be

ying a small plastic insulated cooler. He sat it dow

es came into view while he peeked beneath the ta

ua," she whispered. "I am?

ed as she began crawling towards the edge of the car.

before leaving the garage, shu

tainer was filled with small plastic bags of human blood. She grabbed two, pulling them underneath the car. She snapped the cap off the first one and squeez

ing to scare her new angel, Joshua. While lying beneath the car on the cool, gr

Joshua returned to check on her, at which time she was feeling much better. Fortunately, her pale skin had already healed, with the exception of some remaining

ard the sound of an altercation and a person being slapped, followed by a woman's cries, as well as Joshua's voice screaming for his dad to stop hitt

side of the car as he had the previous times, he sat in the corner next to some old tires, rubbing his eye

?" Summer qui

see that one side of his face was noticeably infl

odded his h

your mom very often?" she asked gentl

d offered between sn

t her eyes. There's too much of this

e abruptly opened, and she

e?" demanded a gruff male voice. "Didn'

saucers, and his mouth was agape as he stared up at the man

ed the leather belt off from his jeans and viciously snapped it at Joshua. The belt i

hroat, and in a flash she was out from under

man demanded while stagger

while taking in the medium height and build of a mi

our worst nightmare!" She punched the man i

mediately turned to Joshua, who was sitting on the floor in shock. She picked him up and hugged him to her body

e spun around and caught his wrist. She effortlessly stri

the man spat with a

his neck with a single, loud crack. She let his lifeless

ing up at her with wide eyes from the doorway. She determined that he must have b

at the young boy. She immediately cocked her head to listen, expecting the boy's mother to inv

t you now. Come here, Joshu

embrace. She hugged him to her and patted him on the back. After a mome

g him to the ground and squatting next to him. He

c to make it feel better.

e quietly nodded while ho

t there for just a couple of moments. The small taste of his blood was unlike any she had consumed in recent memory and was extremely po

shua," she gently instructed him. "It

liva had healing properties, which were helpful for

o stray back towards the direction of th

gly. "Now, I need for you to

s. She had only tried mild hypnosis with dogs before, and sh

voice. "Look into my eyes. Forget the bad thing

he oblivious young boy was in his backyard playing with his toys as n

a dark open field. That day, Summer James fo

n the favor. She carefully disposed of the body of Joshua's abusive father, although the title of "father" to describe t

But first, she wanted to use her resources to aid Joshua and his mother to

information rather easily when she needed it. She discovered that the Smiths were a struggling middle-class family suffering from exceptionally high financial

was married to Joshua's father, Ted, a few months before the child's birth. He was an automobile mechanic by trade and bro

the more humans she involved herself with, the more questions were asked about her over time. Keeping a low profile with humanity was a necessary part of a vampire's continued

wing Ted's abrupt disappearance before making an uncustomary, after-hours visit to the gentleman serving as the compa

a family in need. Ever the corporate manager, he concede

eet on benefits, such as medical coverage, retirement, daycare, and vacation options. Summer prided herself on making sure that her employees were well compensated. She never forgot that the company's staff wa

a to step out of her comfort zone once the abuser had left the house. Summer made unannounced, unnoticed visits

letcher, Summer was very pleased to discover that Wanda had a real talent for independence when given the opportunity. In just a couple of years, Wanda worked

urse, Wanda Smith was one of those winners. The night of the award dinner, which Summer uncharacteristically attended, was the sole time that Summer recalled havin

eeded to be forged. She sold her company to Bob Fletch

o her natural red hair color, and her name c

be, and would settle down somewhere later. The

ting her old identity completely fall away, she periodically checked in on the status of the Smith family via

e fellow vampires around the world who she had neglecte

nal year of graduate school pursuing his master's degree at Georgia State University in Atlanta, but had taken time away to settle his mother's estate. Then he r

Joshua and the loss he must be enduring. It was then, from her basement apartment in France, that she resolved