Anagha Baheti

The rabbit’s nostrils twitched, making me pull on the muscles in my thighs harder. I was upwind so he wouldn’t smell me, but the slightest hint of movement would have him running at full speed. I stayed still as a shadow. His head remained in the air for a little while more. His nostrils twitched, and his ears swayed like crops in the wind, but then he returned to grazing. I took another silent step towards him. Though I was almost out of the bushes, he didn’t notice me.

Then, I pounced.

The rabbit’s ears caught me before his eyes did. Finally realising the danger he was in, he jumped out of my way, but it was too late. My teeth dug into his neck, filling my mouth with thick, warm blood and replenishing my strength. It had been months since my last hunt. My thirst possessed me, and when I finally removed my mouth, not a single drop of blood spilt out of the bite. With my hunger under control, I ran home, leaving the carcass for whatever lucky animal came across.

Autumn littered the roads with leaves, making all the houses look identical, but I knew my way home. I hadn’t ventured too far. The community park crawled with rabbits, looking for a place to spend the winters. Just this night, I had hunted three. Their blood would sustain me through the winter.

As I turned the last corner, I saw little Jenny outside. Her pigtails whipped through the air as she ran circles in the yard, calling out my name. She sounded worried. Her tears tore my heart from my chest, but the love in her voice made me happy. A bark escaped my throat before I could think.

“Bruno!” She yelled as her hands flung out of the fence towards me. Her voice had no anger, just relief, which made my tail wag so hard it hurt.

I had been with Jenny’s family for barely a week, but both Jenny and her father, my master, had shown me incredible kindness. The mistress had yet to warm up to the idea of me but had compromised for the sake of her daughter. They tried to give me the best they could. It only made me wish they had gotten any other dog.

To a vampire like me, the expensive dog food neither tasted good nor could it replace my need for blood. Four days ago, the master had let me lick the blood off the counters and eat the marrow off discarded bones, but it was not enough. I wish I could talk so I could tell him what I really was.

“Bruno! Come here, boy!”

I leapt towards Jenny.

And then something hit me so hard it knocked the wind out of my lungs. My vision swam. Jenny’s scream was so loud it hurt my ears. I tried to get up, but my paws felt like they weren’t a part of me. The air was thick with blood. My blood. And the blood of the rabbits.

I heard a gate open and footsteps coming towards me. I felt myself being lifted from the ground.

“Will Bruno be okay, daddy?” Jenny was sobbing.

Master didn’t answer. I could feel his own body shaking against mine.

“Daddy needs to take Bruno to the doctor, Jenny. Why don’t you go and fetch his file?”

Her little shoes slammed against the driveway as she ran into the house.

“Will he survive?”

“Unlikely. He has lost a lot of blood. Jenny…”

I let the darkness consume me.

They say in the moment of your death, your life flashes before your eyes. At least, that’s what I thought was about to happen. I was somewhere in the middle of life and death. Not quite asleep but not awake either. I was aware of my pain but not privy to it. And then the memories came flooding.

Memories of the lush green meadow were so real. I could taste the dew on the grass and smell the dandelions. The sky was a pretty shade of pink, and I felt the chill in the air on my nose.

“Alexander!”

That voice… I knew that voice…

“Alexander! Where are you, little one? It is late. We must return home at once.”

I shot in the direction of the voice. My legs seemed sturdier than I remembered. Marie stood under the willow tree in a flowy pink dress. Her hair hung in a low ponytail behind her back. A warm smile lit up her face when she saw me. My throat choked up. She looked so young… not a day over twelve. I had almost forgotten how beautiful she was. I reached her and put my front paws on her dress. She frowned, but her fingers lowered into my hair and scratched behind my ear. I stuck my tongue out and licked her hands. Roses and cream. I could never forget that taste. She smiled, sat down, and pulled me in her arms.

“Oh, Alexander! Why must you be so anxious all the time? I would never leave you behind.”

That was a lie, but I would not let it dampen my excitement. I licked her face, and she burst into a melodic laughter. The people around us gave her dirty looks, but I growled at them, and they returned to their business.

“Come, now. We must leave at once.”