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Sophitia giggled at his touch. Cold. "You know," she said softly. "I did tell you I liked you a whole lot." She pulled her lips together, trying not to laugh. "You never told me how you really felt about me." This, she knew, wasn't true. But, she wanted to hear it anyway.

Sophitia pouted, punching him lightly in the arm, knowing she would feel it more than he did. "That is not true in the least!" She looked away as well, keeping her pout. "You really do remind me of that Edward. You may be able to read minds, but it seems mine escapes you." She giggled. "I'm the one risking my life here, so you can bet I like YOU a lot more."

Sophitia sat upright, hurt by his sudden coldness. Tears filled her eyes. Had she done something wrong? She spoke to herself. "I really do like him more..." She plopped down on the bed and covered herself.

Brodix paced on top of the building. He wasn't tired, but he felt strained. His hunger was beginning to bubble up. It was faint, but it gnawed at Brodix's mind. He never liked to let his hunger get the best of him....

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About 50 years ago...

Two older gentlemen were walking through the woods talking to one another. They seemed enthralled in their conversation. So much so that they nearly tripped on the body lying on the ground before they realized it was there. "What the?!" One said as he nearly tripped. "Is it dead?" the other replied. "No... it's a vampire." The first remarked. The second man reared back in alarm, "We must kill it. It's an abomination." Raising his hand, the first man stood between him and the vampire, "No, we can't pass judgement like that ourselves. He may not deserve such a death. I mean, here he is out in the middle of nowhere unconcious. It looks as though he's been beaten beyond what would kill a normal man." -- "Broderick, your crazy. I know your son was.... different, but you can't harbor every vampire you meet. One day, it'll be the death of you." The second man turned, disgusted, and left his friend alone to tend to the vampire. Lifting it up on his shoulders, Broderick carried it back to a small shack out in the woods where he lived. The vampire began to moan along the trip, and Broderick knew it must be getting hungry. He had spent many a year working on vampire physiology and had devised a serum of sorts. He wanted to give that to the vampire to appease his appetite. Once inside, he layed the vampire on a cot and began to look for the serum.

His eyes snapping open, the vampire was crazy with hunger. His mind gone, lost to the hunger, he was not himself. With inhuman speed, he lept from the bed, the smell of blood ever-so close, and grabbed the nearest thing he could. Before whatever it was even had the opportunity to cry out, the vampire ripped its neck open with its bare hands and began to drink the sweet liquid that spewed forth from the wound.

Only afterwards did the vampires conciousness return to him. He looked around, having no idea where he was.... Come to think of it, he had no idea who he was. He was covered in blood.... Human blood.... The corpse lying at his feet was brutally massacred. Looking around horrified, he noticed many charts along all of the walls detailing vampire anatomy and physiology, as well as diary entries detailing about how this man's son was stricken with vampirism and how he tried to find a cure until his son commited suicide by lopping off his own head. All entries were signed "Broderick Vanguard." Only then did the revelation come to the boy, that he was also a vampire and that's why he was covered in blood. In a frenzy he must've killed the man who was trying to help him. In the man's hand was a vial that read "serum" and there were many more on the table in front of him as well as a flash emblazoned with a "BV" on it. Grabbing as many as he could, he filled the flask with it and brought it along with him as he left. Finding a river nearby, he washed away the blood from his face and hands.

After walking for hours, the vampire saw a town ahead in the distance. Small, quaint looking little place. A carriage came up from behind him and stopped just ahead. A person popped out of the carriage, "Hello there. Do you need a ride?" He was obliged to accept the ride even though he had no idea where he was going. "My name is Robert Thornwald. What's your's, my good man?" -- "My name...." He stammered for a moment. Then his mind went to the old man he killed and flask he carried in his pocket. "My name is Broderick Vanguard." -- "Well then Brodix, my boy, I think we'll be on our way."

Snapping awake, Brodix must've dozed off on the roof. His hunger seems to have subsided... for now, but he knew it would return. Walking towards the stairway, he nearly tripped as three dead pigeons lay on the ground, their blood drained. He must've lost himself again. Clearing his mind of any absent thoughts, he re-entered the building and headed back to Vandle's room before finding someplace more comfy than the roof to stretch out to rest.