Hiii! I Love Your Fic ANFH, I Saw You Have Another Series For It Planned After Its Complete. Will That

The Gladiator’s Ring

C/W: Warrior (Predator)/F!Humans, Male Yautja/F!Humans, dubcon, sex club, monster sex, human fetish, exhibitionism, female gloryhole, sex marathon, size kink, hair kink, unprotected sex, public sex, casual sex, anal sex, vaginal sex, oral sex, self-indulgent debauchery, ass-to-pussy, face-sitting, multiple partners, predator/prey WC: 9528

It was well-known that Yautja had needs after a successful hunt. A veteran with a fondness for pyode amedha required many willing participants to sate his.

*This is a work of fiction that features unsafe sexual practices besides the involvement of a 7'+ alien. Depiction isn't endorsement*

An excerpt below the cut

He'd have to be mindful not to break skin with his talons, but that was part of the allure of oomans. Their inherent fragility was an addiction once he had learned how to handle their bodies. Their thin hides bruised and tore easily, their bones could snap if he got carried away. But once they lay undone beneath him in disbelief, the moment they realized they were enjoying the experience and bared their tender flesh to a ruthless alien for more…

The submission in their eyes when they understood he wasn't going to kill nor maim them, he only wanted to pauk them. Oomani-di were a delicacy. He was more than willing to play ‘gently’ at their level if it meant he got to partake in ooman sex.

The ooman reeked of anxiety, but she took a measured step towards him, followed by another. His pupils dilated from her proximity. He trilled in encouragement when she was within arm's reach, eagerly anticipating what this novel playmate would do next. He was acutely aware of her. The scent of her heat and apprehension wrapped around his head, a haze he would rejoice losing himself in. Her courage and appearance were extremely appealing to his tastes and it was getting difficult to keep his paws to himself.

Shaky fingertips brushed his hide with the most tentative of touches and she held her breath. His eyes fell to slits as he focused on the feathery sensation on his scales. Another reason he adored oomans –so gentle and curious, yet eager to please once he attained that delicious submission. He would like to take this one to mate if she was willing.

~

~

It wasn't even breathing heavily after that level of exertion.

The woman fixated on the sinewy contours of its musculature. It –no, he– how could this creature be anything but a ‘he?’ Her eyes dropped to the swollen evidence of his raw masculinity between thighs carved in stone, swallowing at the bumpy surface on the ridiculous endowment. He was all sleek power and so very male. There was that preternatural grace to his movements, the way the mesmerizing patterns to that rough bluish skin rippled, skin she recalled was not wholly unpleasant to touch. She witnessed the extended demonstration of what he could do with that wicked maw – how delicately his terrifying mandibles could handle the women as he did unspeakable things to them with that tongue. He was the picture of virility as he humped his latest woman while standing and cradling her.

She stared in rapture. The beast quirked a mandible, a frank invitation to sample the monster that clearly intrigued her. It was an apt reminder that this was an intelligent creature far more advanced than the humans who surrounded him. She drew a sharp intake of breath. Heat blazed as she waded into the incandescent gold pools in his eyes –the predatory cunning of that gaze was undeniable. He knew he was captivating. And his hulking presence demanded he be watched. 

~

#vampirweekly 6\7 alucard (hellsing)

get you a man who despite his literal decades of practice repressing and hiding his emotions to survive physically cannot hide how smitten he is with you

Oh but come on, Alucard's dead. What is he going to do? Get me pregnant or give me an STD? Wait, was the issue the part where he's dead? 🤣

I let my pussy make my decisions, call that clitical thinking

A Night for Hunting Ch.9- Courtship

T/W: Alucard(Ultimate) x F!Reader, fluff alert!, romance, heights, “kidnapping.” Lonely, mild vampire. Alucard is a shithead and you can’t even be mad.  Words: 4120 On AO3

Thank you for over 250 kudos! Not to mention all the comments and (mostly private 🤣) bookmarks and subscriptions! And the likes and reblogs too! The reception this story gets continues to astound and humble me. An incomplete fic getting all this attention! Who would have thought?! This chapter is one of the ones I wanted to write for several months. It took so long to post because I saw a scary movie trailer (“The Exorcist”) and then I was too spooked to sit in the living room alone to write at night for over a week.  I hope you guys enjoy it! As of this chapter, this story is now my longest piece of writing.

“This place is incredible.” Everywhere you inspected continued to inspire awe. From the paintings on the walls, to the details on the ceilings, or the shininess of the floors, the restaurant was lavish in the most tasteful of ways from every angle.

You finally accepted Alucard’s invitation to the Shangri-la. Fortunately, you never took him up on his prior offer to feed you properly every night. You were like a duck sitting in a nest of swans. You could dress like the rest of the patrons and act gracefully enough, but this sort of grandeur would never suit you.

A portion of the restaurant was sectioned off for your private use with Alucard, which brought about another problem. While you were thankfully shielded from the prying and admiring eyes of other guests towards your companion, you were also stuck in a public setting where you were forced to interact with him. 

You were on a date with a freaking vampire. This just wasn’t how you envisioned life would turn out.

Most of the meal consisted of him watching you eat while he sipped wine from an engraved crystal glass set on a stem of gold. Such extravagance. You weren’t one to complain though. The food was divine, the complex flavours melted into your tongue and you nearly moaned as you swallowed. 

“I see you are enjoying your meal,” he observed. The light reflected off the orange lenses of his sunglasses at such an angle that you couldn’t see his eyes through the glare. But his grin was ever-present.

Honestly, it didn’t even seem like the vampire was attempting to impress you with the fancy scenery. He was completely at ease and disinterested in the setting, like he was born into grandeur such as this. Opulence was simply a natural backdrop he was used to being surrounded by.

"Soo…vampires can turn opposite sex virgins into baby vampires, but if they bite a non-virgin, they become zombies instead?"

"That is correct."

"Who decided on this? Why does being a virgin change anything?" Maybe he was a pervert who was insecure about his sexual prowess.

The said ‘pervert’ chortled and set down the wine before his glasses followed, mirth glittering in those liquid pools. They were the colours of the autumn leaves that filled the lush treeline with spectacular shows of foliage a month ago. "You will never cease to amuse me little one. I assure you, I didn't create this rule, but it is the one we must abide by."

Damn vampire getting in your head again. The lack of mental privacy was aggravating, especially when you recalled the night he glimpsed your moment of insanity, when the briefest thought of intimacy with him flitted across your mind. 

"This rule is stupid," you told him defiantly.

The grin stretched wider, the tips of two sharpened canines poking through. “I am inclined to agree.”

You had the feeling he was reading your mind again and while you didn’t want to verbalize how much it bothered you, knowing it would predispose him to doing it more frequently, you couldn’t keep your mouth shut.

“Stay out of my head! You’re being rude!” You stabbed a morsel of meat with a fork.

He merely chuckled at your reaction. “I can attempt to refrain from doing so, but humans are so fascinating.”

“You were human! Have you forgotten what that was like? Anyways, you are planning on turning me into a zombie?!” If that was the goal, with his superpowers, he could have done so already, with or without your consent. But that didn’t make sense because he saved you from a crowd of ghouls!

An elegant brow lifted. 

So you elaborated. “You keep trying to convince me to sleep with you and you just drank my blood! You want to bite me!”

Alucard howled with laughter and pinned you with a pointed look. “You truly are fascinating, little human.”

You bristled with indignance at the way he found humour in everything you said and did, irritation making your skin turn hot. What was the point in coming here tonight if all your date did was mock you? Ever since you met this creature, it was one supernatural encounter after the other. It was all made worse by how he was privy to your myriad of thoughts. Slamming a vexed glare back to him, you found the vampire with his face propped up on a fist, staring at you with a soft expression. A tiny smile tilted the corner of his lips.

He was teasing you. And you fell for it. You felt like a foolish schoolgirl as your ire deflated, but goodness, how can anyone look so gorgeous? It was too unfair. Your fork slipped from your grasp and fell to the floor with a metallic clatter, not that you wanted to stick cutlery in his face anymore.

One moment he antagonized you and the next he gazed at you like that. You swallowed your displeasure and sat up straight, eager to recover some face.

"Then how about you? Do you have a sire?"

Something changed in his expression. His eyes dulled and the smile fell a fraction, as if he really didn't like thinking about this aspect of his past. Recalling how comfortable he was with the brutal slaughter of the undead, you realized he must have an extended history with violence and bloodshed. Alucard was dangerous, and you didn’t mean what he was capable of doing to you. It seemed there were secrets in this world larger than the existence of vampires and ghouls. Concern about what you were getting yourself into if you spent more time with this vampire crossed your mind. 

But as you studied his face carefully and his mild gaze slid back to yours, suddenly you felt guilty for asking about things he wasn’t ready to share.

“Um, you don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to.”

"To be or not to be, that was the question," he finally murmured cryptically.

Huh? Shakespeare?

Was Alucard referring to his decision to turn, to become a vampire? But you doubted someone so sophisticated would miss the deeper meaning behind those words and misquote Hamlet. 

…Did he too wish for death? Ironic for someone who already died once. His choice of words bothered you, but you weren’t in the headspace to ponder this point further at this time. The orangey-yellow in those mesmerizing pits swirled slowly as he studied you. The silence stretched long during this intimate moment, when you felt closer to him than he probably ever allowed anyone. You didn’t want to let it simply slip away.

“Do…do you ever miss being human? Or seeing the sun?” You ventured cautiously, not wanting to push him away when he was letting you view this other side of him, so different from his usual cockiness and menace.

“Silly child, you do not comprehend the preciousness of your humanity, nor the curse of so-called immortality.”

Your mouth opened to protest, but no, he was right, you never stopped to ponder your humanity. It was such an intrinsic part of you that was taken for granted.

“Alucard, how old are you?”

His expression once again filled with amusement despite his gaze remaining warm. “I have seen over five centuries come and go.”

Okay that was really old. Much older than you assumed. Your eyes dropped from his piercing stare as you thought back to all those times this ancient creature chased you around and attempted to woo you. Was it strange for something so old to court someone your age? Then again, were there many other ancient vampires for him to choose from? Human standards probably didn’t apply any longer.

“I haven’t lived through the ages like you, and I don’t know where I was trying to go with this conversation, but maybe I was just trying to say that I miss the day. It’s…sometimes difficult to always work at night, especially now that it’s winter. The nights are long –it’s dark when I leave home and dark when I return. And then my body is so confused once the shifts are over and too soon, it’s time to switch back to a daytime schedule.”

Alucard leaned back and crossed his legs, his chin tilting up as he regarded you. “The garish light of day will never compare to the beauty of the black night. Her generous velvet wakes the imagination and makes the senses come alive.”

“The blanket of night hides creatures such as yourself,” you stated flatly.

In his eyes, a mysterious light shone. His attention was entirely devoted to you. This vampire was genuinely interested in your words. You squirmed in your seat under the intensity of that sparkling gaze, totally unprepared for the weight of his scrutiny and you wondered what he saw in you. Unlike him, you weren’t made to live in darkness.

“When the sun rises above the horizon and beats back the darkness, or when its dying rays fade away for the night, it paints the most dazzling gradient of colours across the sky. Even at high noon, the world comes into sharp contrast through a sea of cerulean. Daylight is warm, bright, comforting.” 

“...”

You sighed in exasperation. “Do you truly not miss the beauty of daytime at all?”

"No. I despise the sun. It is a mercy that each day must die." 

You laughed sheepishly. "Ahaha. I guess debating this point is moot. You're a vampire after all."

--------------------

The rest of dinner flew by smoothly. Alucard could wield his words like a dagger, yet there was artistry in the way he spoke, an old world pattern to his speech that at times sounded like riddles holding profound meaning beyond your understanding. His intellect was captivating. You were surprised by how pleasant the conversation was when he wasn’t intentionally seeking to get a rise out of you.

He wasn’t so bad at all.

Besides the server who occasionally came to check in on the two of you, you were alone. Before you knew it, you reached out to brush away the stray strands of hair hiding an eye that gleamed like the fiery sun he so hated. Your hand twitched when you caught what you were doing, yet you don't pull away. Neither did he. After a moment, your hand dropped to cradle his cheek.

The vampire’s eyes widened fractionally before dropping to half-open. He sighed and leaned into your touch. His skin was cool, but it wasn’t unpleasant to touch. You traced circles on that strong jaw that captivated you the first time you got a good look at him in your kitchen.

Alucard was crooning and purring, nuzzling his face into your palm. The back of your fingers on your other hand rubbed up his throat to stroke his chin. 

Distantly, the server returned with something you asked for. You couldn’t remember what it was, but they left promptly when Alucard’s gaze fell on them. His hand gripped yours to keep it on himself when you tried to pull back.

"More. Touch me," he demanded. 

So you played with his hair, twirling the lustrous tresses between your fingers and massaging his scalp. You boldly traced a finger down one of his fangs, grazing the sharp tip with the lightest touch. He stayed very still for you with his lips slightly parted and lidded eyes glowing fiercely. 

It occurred to you that he was very much like a cat. He liked to nuzzle his face on you, purred like an engine, and was constantly sniffing around. He loved body heat and being pet, and had slit eyes that often blinked slowly at you. 

Would he let you? You lifted a finger at him, making the rumbling vampire follow it curiously with his head tilted. You gingerly pressed the pad to his nose before pulling away. His eyes opened up before a content grin spread over his face, and he brought his face closer to bump the tip of his nose against your fingertip again.

--------------------

It was getting late, but Alucard insisted on having you stay up with him, stating there was somewhere he wanted to show you. Imagine your shock when he immediately scooped you into his arms before you could rescind your begrudging agreement and began leaping impossible distances from building to building. The wind cut through your jacket and chilled you down to the bone. It was not meant for the weather of these late winter nights. 

Your hair billowed into your face and filled your mouth. You barely heard yourself shriek through the howling wind as you clung to the vampire’s shoulders while he took you soaring through London from up high. You peered down at the sea of lights at your feet and gulped nervously. The ground was so far away! 

This wasn’t the kind of commute I had in mind! You desperately thought to him.

His smirk was devious when he gazed down. You are safe with me. He told you with a squeeze to your legs for reassurance.

With no other warning, you were suddenly thrown into the air and you screamed bloody murder at the loss of your anchor as you started to free fall –the wind whistled into your ears and slipped past your splayed fingers. The loose ends of your clothing flapped uselessly as you plummeted back to the earth…only for your flailing body to be quickly bundled into Alucard’s red duster to protect you from the winter chill. 

He was grinning like a maniac as you landed back in his arms with a squawk. You stared back in betrayal with huge frightened eyes and resisted the urge to smack him, but only because you didn’t want to risk him dropping you again for fun. 

Still he ran, jumped, and landed on various structures, sometimes sideways or even upside down. The rapid changes in direction was disorienting and made the cutting wind slap against you, so you clenched your eyes. The laws of gravity did not apply to him. With your arms trapped within the heavy jacket, neither were you able to grab onto him for safety as the two of you hung from another overpass while Alucard traversed its underside. You were forced to trust the vampire not to let go of you. 

Somehow, you barely felt each landing before he jumped again. The longer you lay in his embrace, the more apparent it became that the ride was surprisingly smooth. 

Land. Jump.

You must now be nearing the outskirts of the city. How did he know where you were going? 

You felt the derisive snort in your head. Humans today, so lost and helpless without your electronic devices. He stopped on the rooftop of a house.

"Look there, little one," his fingers weaved a pattern in the air and you followed their trail without seeing the constellation. "Do you see that? That is Ursa Minor, which may be hard for your mortal eyes to visualize with the city lights, but that bright star at the end is Polaris. It has many names dating from antiquity. You might also know it as the North Star or Guiding Star."

He looked at you expectantly like he wanted to tell you more, but sighed and hopped off and continue his jumps when you stared at him blankly, unable to pinpoint exactly which specks in the sky he was pointing at.

Gradually, you abandoned the light pollution of the city and the sky became inky black. There was no longer any light at your feet, only the darkest abyss that was entirely opaque. Your racing heart and gasping breaths eventually eased during Alucard’s leisurely journey through the city. Together, you sailed through the sky, ascending and falling in an endless loop. It was intimidating, but the vampire’s grip was strong. You huddled into his chest, at last feeling secure cradled like treasure in his arms. 

You were blind to what was below, but up above, the vast, glittering expanse of sky stretched to infinity. Billions of twinkling stars smiled down. You considered the planets that surrounded them, as well as the moons that orbited those. You thought of the galaxies out there, yet knew what was visible was only a tiny window into the universe that existed. It was all so close when Alucard leapt into the air again, and you reached out to grasp it. 

You were so small in this world. The existential humbling was profound, yet also exciting. The night sky promised adventure and filled you with vigour. The wind still stung your face, but you screamed in joy, at the freedom granted by the stars themselves as you drifted amongst them.

That exhilaration ground to a halt when you finally arrived at your destination with Alucard.

A private airport? 

--------------------

“What are we doing here, Alucard? Where are we going?” You faced him in alarm.

“Faroe Islands,” he instructed the pilot waiting by the aircraft as he sauntered up the ramp to a jet with you in arms. You started kicking your feet in protest.

“I-isn’t that Denmark? Y-you’re just going to spirit me away to another country in the middle of the night?!”

The vampire finally set you down on a plush seat while he settled in the one across from yours. You jumped up and attempted to unroll yourself from Alucard’s duster in a frenzy, only to get tangled in the lengthy garment pooled around your feet and nearly tumble over.

“I don’t have my passport!” Any reason to dissuade him from his crazy idea. This was madness!

“Don’t worry about it.” A wine bottle floated up to arm’s reach and uncorked itself. He tipped it into a long-stemmed glass and offered it to you. You didn’t take the drink.

“You are afraid, Sweet?” He cocked a brow at you with a challenge.

You sputtered and glared at him with disbelief. “What? You’re acting like you didn't suddenly drop this trip on me! You can’t just steal me away to a different country! And I’m going to freeze to death! Do you know how far north that place is?! When are we coming back tonight? Are we returning to London tonight? Is this even allowed?!”

The vampire paused to consider, “Integra may be displeased, but there will be no issue,” he chuckled to himself.

You continued to gawp at the ridiculousness of the situation before opening your mouth to argue again. This was definitely not how you envisioned any first date, even with this creature, would proceed.

“You are fretting over nothing, Dear.” He placed a finger to your lips gingerly and strapped you into the seat for takeoff, still mostly bundled like a burrito in his jacket.

Eventually, your indignance and dismay passed. It was just like Alucard to do whatever he wished and force whoever was part of his plan in line. ”We’re going to fly past all of Scotland, and not even visit Edinburgh Castle or Loch Ness. Or the Isle of Skye!” You pouted wistfully. 

The vampire sipped his wine, his legs crossed and posture casual, until you decided to join in. After all, he already had a bottle to himself earlier. Wriggling out of the encasing scarlet prison, you took hold of your glass with a stiff fist and gulped it down in one mouthful, much to the vampire’s amusement.

You continued to grumble about being dragged out to the middle of nowhere in the freezing cold and dead of winter. 

Two hours and several glasses of wine later, the jet was landing. You felt the pressure in your ears. Alucard stood and headed for the side of the jet where the storage was, revealing a bundle of winter attire. He returned to offer everything to you.

You walked out together onto a snowy field atop a cliff, overlooking…well, it was too dark to see anything. No doubt the sight would have been spectacular if this was during the day. Waves crashed down below from what you heard and the skies were clear.

“So? You brought us here. Now what?” Displeasure at being kept awake at this hour made you snippy. The feeling was accentuated by the frosty puffs with every breath you took. There was no way Alucard brought you to the middle of nowhere only because he could, right? Right?

”Patience. They are supposed to appear tonight.”

The jet rumbled in the silence. Staring in the direction of its beam of lights, you rubbed your eyes to refocus and made out vague shapes of something. Edging closer in that direction, you gasped at the dramatic mountainous landscapes in the distance. They were marvelous, even in the dimness. The jet lights died abruptly, leaving you in darkness, except it wasn’t black. The canvas that made up the heavens came into even starker contrast than in the suburban cityscape. Glimmering starlight splattered every visible inch in the sky.

This was also a desolate location. You were far from any other souls, in a world belonging to only you and him (minus the pilot). You hunkered down in your jacket and boots, glad to finally be in proper winter attire, then looked back at Alucard with a questioning stare after glancing up to admire the speckled expanse again.

The air was too crisp. The tip of your nose stung and was beginning to run. It was freezing. The wind was even worse than the subzero temperature. Burying your gloved fingers within the crook of your crossed arms, you sniffled, resisting the urge to wipe yourself on the back of the hand. 

Your eyelids started to droop. What time was it? It shouldn’t have been long since you arrived.

“There.”

Your eyes shot up and were blessed by the most miraculous vision. A translucent layer of green light undulated in the heavens. The ribbons of light swayed ever so slowly, a ghostly apparition haunting the land. Your eyes widened at the extraordinary show, a feeling of tranquility overcoming any prior exhaustion, and your lips fell open slightly in awe. Coherent thought ground to a halt.

How can anything in the world be so breathtaking? You took back every negative comment you made during the trip here. Everything Alucard put you through tonight was worth experiencing the Northern Lights.

"Isn't it remarkable?" The vampire also appeared to be at peace, a small smile gracing his lips. When did he come this close? His large palms went around your hips as he found his place at your back. He unexpectedly placed a kiss to your neck under the scarf and you jumped from the frigid caress.

His affectionate laughter subsided as you huffed. “Rest assured, I have no intention of biting you. You will not become a ghoul with me.” His whisper sent cold air tickling your ears. He withdrew from your side to let you enjoy the view.

Having trusted him the entire night already, the vampire behind you was no longer a cause for worry. The lightshow remained enchanting. You basked in the carefree, electric dance of the auroras above and felt your tension releasing. This was transcendent. 

Your eyes finally adapted to the faint lighting. In this darkness, the aurora borealis casted a sublime glow on Alucard. His features were pale, yet refined. You blinked. His silky midnight tresses reflected the light’s radiance in a circle, almost like he was crowned by a halo. He looked like an angel.

What were you thinking? You weren’t.

You took the half-step needed to close the distance between you and leaned towards him, your head barely reaching halfway up his chest. But you craned your head way up to drown in those ruby irises, for the first time seeing him in a new light. Getting up on your toes, you initiated the kiss softly, tentatively. It was exploratory and chaste when you brushed up against his chest with a feathery touch.

His lips were cool and smooth and tasted like fine wine. Your fingers found their way into his lapels to tug him in as his palms found your hips. He was just too tall and your neck hurt. Starting with a light peck, like you were seeking permission, you deepened the kiss when he didn’t protest. Again and again, you pressed gentle kisses to his mouth.

It was an eternity until you pulled apart. There was no need for additional words. You turned to take in the heavens on earth again. His arm draped around your shoulder to pull you nearer and you leaned in with your face resting on his chest. His chin dropped on top of your head.

For now, this was enough for both of you.

~To be Continued~

Next Chapter- What Makes a Meal?

I know we all compare Alucard to a cat (rightfully so, the resemblance is uncanny) but have yall ever had a dachshund? Those adorable little shits are so clingy to the point where they want to crawl into your skin (and even that probably wouldn’t combat their clinginess)

I've never owned a dachshund

However

That sounds exactly like Alucard so

Hellsing au where everything is the same except Baskerville is a dachshund

Tbh shipping Madara with any Senju is so disrespectful to his character and his grief after losing Izuna. Many people on Tumblr don't give a fuck about his feelings, and they create fanart and fanfics about Madara as though the founders knew only each other, nobody else. While in reality, they were surrounded by hundreds of people: their own men, merchants, diplomats, enemies, and so on. There's too much to handle for each of them to have the time to hold hands and kiss with the enemy

It feels as though people who only read shoujo try to direct a war movie

ALUCARD from HELLSING

what's bothering you?... a nightmare?...

More genderfluid Alucard

From his wiki page:

"In regards to Alucard's many forms, Hirano had stated that he no longer cares about him being a woman or a man; to which, Alucard eventually said a line relating to this in Volume 9 of Hellsing. Continuing, Hirano said that Alucard took so many lives; and therefore, those lives eventually altered Alucard's personal identity. The "Control Art Restriction System" comes into play to help suppress this. His initial personality is male, so he took that as his basic form."

A Night for Hunting Ch.6- The Living Dead

T/W: Alucard (Ultimate) x F!Reader, horror, gore, eventual romance Words: 1830 On AO3

The frenzied fluttering of wings was audible in the distance. You strained your neck to look, thinking perhaps a few crimson-eyed bats would be visible above the treeline, but it was much too dark for anything to be seen in the glittering navy expanse of sky. 

It had been over two weeks since that doomed night when you confronted Alucard about his behaviour and there hadn’t been any interaction since. You told him then in no uncertain terms to leave you be. It was quite unlike that vampire to do as he was instructed, but you relished the newfound freedom and privacy. 

There was the slightest shuffle from behind. Instinctively, you turned to look, vowing never to let yourself be as helpless again as that time you tried to get home intoxicated. 

At the end of the street stood another person, probably another late-night commuter. Nothing overly unusual. Barely sparing the other person another glance, you kept walking. Your thoughts were introspective.

You felt badly about your harsh parting words to the creature, but shrugged off the guilt. It wasn't like they were entirely undeserved. Alucard did much to torment you. If he was human, you would have gone to the police long ago for a restraining order. The breathing space was a welcomed reprieve from the perpetual badgering over the last year. No, you were not at fault for what happened that night.

You frowned and turned around, your senses switching into high alert. What was with the lady’s gait? She was still there, as expected from hearing her steps behind you. They were loud and unruly, every step was exaggerated with effort like she was about to keel over. 

Haaaaa. Haaaaaaa. With every lurch she exhaled forcefully, the guttural crackling breaths grated against your ears. There was no subtlety to her motions at all. Was she drooling? A glob of spittle broke off from her mouth and dribbled to the ground. A visceral feeling of disgust rolled over you. 

Upon closer inspection, this person was off. She was unkempt and emaciated, her tottering steps as if she was moving to the beat of a metronome. Her skin was a sickly shade of grey. You knew she was staring at you, although you couldn’t make out all her features from this distance. The hairs on your arms stood on end and a shiver shot down your back. Taking a quick glance around, you noted you were, of course, alone with this woman. You didn’t like this. 

How strange it was to see someone like this in this nice neighbourhood. At first you assumed she was a drunkard, but she was more likely a homeless woman who was using drugs. Her circumstances were undoubtedly unfortunate, but not your business, and the way she stared at you was disconcerting. The breeze carried over the reek of fetid gangrene. Swallowing, you felt suddenly nauseous and your mouth ran dry, another tingle crawling over your skin and you spun around to keep a brisk pace.

You jaywalked past the traffic lights and entered the park, speeding even faster through the darkness. You nearly forgot how spooky this park was at night, just rows of rustling greenery on both sides, street lamps whose functionality were inconsistent at best, and the desolate lack of anyone else. Everywhere you looked, it seemed like the creeping shadows turned the ordinary into shapes of horror.  

A mere minute later, you glanced over your shoulder to check on the situation. Good, you lost her. You shivered. Just now, it felt almost reminiscent of your old days of being stalked by a blood-sucking demon. If only it was just Alucard.

You hastily cleared this park where Alucard last chased you through months ago, which was the quickest shortcut to bring you back to your building despite the eeriness and lack of light. At last, you were back on solid pavement when you heard the panting coming from the alleyway just ahead. You stopped, but there was only one other alternate path at this point, which would be a long detour back. 

Something was strange about this night. A dense, uncanny energy in the air seemed to coalesce around this area. The air was heavier, and your heart thumped rapidly as you fought to keep your breathing discrete. It could just be drunks screwing…You debated whether to walk past the alley or to take the long way around, but you really didn’t want to be outside anymore. You stopped again in a panic when your footsteps made a loud crunch on the rocky ground and cursed yourself. Somehow you knew you should stay quiet.

You must be the dumbest person in the world, but you took a step forward, and then another. With each step, it felt like you came closer to your destiny. That powerful eldritch energy wrapped around you and you peered inside the murkiness of the alley. You stopped breathing. Nothing else existed at that moment.

Crunch.

A massive figure hovered over another much more diminutive one, pinning them to the ground with spiky shadowed extremities ringed in a crimson outline, a long jacket flaring around them both. It was pitch black, but you saw that the person on the bottom had their limbs splayed about at impossible angles and the gleam of broken bones coming through torn flesh. 

It was only for fleeting moments, but they lasted forever. You stopped at that alleyway and kept looking on in morbid fascination, trying to make sense of the sight. The victim was gargling, no, drowning in their own blood, an inky puddle pooling under them. Your lips fell open in horror when the beast lapped at that puddle.

Crunch.  Bone snapped.

Lustrous vermilion irises turned a feral gaze up at you. They were all you registered in the gloom once they became visible. Red eyes. Inhuman. You forgot to keep breathing. Staring back into the nightmarish gaze with terror-stricken eyes, you distantly heard the rhythmic slapping of footsteps to the beat of a metronome.  Your sense of self-preservation kicked in at last.

RUN! 

Your feet hit the ground in rapid succession to flee the scene, setting a pace faster than you’ve ever run before. You bolted with your heart in your throat, only to realize you missed the last turn to your apartment. Stumbling to a halt, you almost tripped over your feet and fell over, catching your stride at the last second to turn back. There was no paranormal being behind you, so you kept sprinting once you found your bearings and adjusted your route home.

BANG! BANG! BANG BANG BANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!

Looking up in panic, you wondered briefly what it could be now. There shouldn’t be fireworks tonight. The long weekend was last week! You didn’t want to believe that the commotion was gunshots. --------------------

Heaving from the lack of breath, you slammed the door shut and put on the lock and steel chain with trembling hands that missed the target several times, wishing there was more you could do to secure your home. Your lungs burnt as your legs finally gave out and you shuffled inside on your bottom. 

What was that? 

Still quaking to your very core, you turned on all the lights by the entrance and sat back down, hugging your knees closely as your eyes darted around the kitchen and living room for anything out of place. For any monsters that could be in hiding.

Idiot, idiot. You were such an idiot! What were you doing earlier, just standing there staring like a dumbass?! 

Several long minutes passed before you felt like you could move again, though no part of you was at ease. Crawling to your bedroom, you stayed close to the floor in an attempt to be as small as possible. You didn’t even want to shower or change right now, only wishing for the safety of your bedroom. You slithered into bed and pulled the sheets over your head, the mind already automatically replaying the ordeal of the last half hour. 

You recalled those glistening scarlet eyes fixated on you and the crunch of shattering bone.

Sleep eluded you. You were too spooked to have your back facing anything but down on the mattress. Your eyes jumped around blindly in the dark, yet your paranoia gave the imagination wings and it took off. Things of legend became reality and the products of your fear came alive. The darkness on the edges of your vision took on fanciful shapes, disappearing only at the moment you stared at them directly.

Something creaked in the house and you jolted. Logically, you knew sometimes homes made noises, but your mind was overrun with possibilities. You remembered the gurgling sounds of a person drowning and only now, did you notice your clammy hands. You were hot with anxiety, yet cold sweat soaked through the sheets. Bravely, you inched over slightly to lay on the next dry spot on the mattress.

Even when your eyes adjusted to the darkness, it felt like there were monsters lurking in every darker patch of the room, but you were too apprehensive to get out of bed and banish the shadows with light. You swallowed some sleeping pills and clenched your eyes, trying every method you knew of to lull yourself into sleep: counting numbers, mental relaxation, distracting yourself with happier thoughts.

It was all for naught. You flipped onto your side now that the next patch of bed was damp with sweat, still completely at the mercy of your fear. The clock read 0400. Dawn couldn’t come soon enough.

A cacophony of shrieks sounded outside, followed by the flapping of approaching wings. Adrenaline again pumped through your veins and your heart palpitated from the hormonal rush. Nothing happened. Daring to move once more, you felt silly and slunk over onto the next cooler spot. Your lids were heavy over burning eyes, but rest remained elusive.

Exhausted, your eyes fluttered open in abject frustration and immediately found two glowing spots high on the wall, several paces away from where you lay. You focused on them in confusion since nothing should cast a light like that in your room. The orbs were the colour of a dazzling sunset. They smoldered vibrantly, the shifting colours stunningly beautiful.

The tension eased out of your body and your eyelids drooped. You distantly heard the sound of soft purring filling the room as you found sleep at last. The comforting purrs rumbled through your consciousness, sending vibrations tumbling through your chest that soothed your soul. All your recent worries felt like simple folly. The fear that held you captive like a hungry beast relinquished its hold and suddenly, you were unable to remember why you were so frightened to begin with.

Cradled within the nest of your home, you floated through the skies. You slept soundly until the next afternoon in a sweet, dreamless slumber, lost in a feeling of safety that you have previously never known.

~To be Continued~

Next Chapter- Fear