A candlelit dinner turns out wrong

With so many things having happened and so many questions in your mind, you believed that a simple, quiet dinner with Fran would help. You called George and told him that you had decided not to come. He understood and stated that you could come over whenever you wanted. You appreciated that and went back to the hotel with Fran.

Some time later, the two of you were sitting at a table on the balcony, savoring the red wine and chicken ordered from the restaurant, and enjoying the view of the mountains. The warm evening breeze gently brushed across your cheeks, carrying the faint scent of wild flowers from the distant hillside.

You looked across the table, beyond the flickering glow of the candles, and saw the happy smile on Fran's face. You had been thinking too much during the lunch earlier this day, but now you could really slow down and enjoy her company.

You raised your glass lightly, clinking it against hers, and the tiny clink echoed soft and clear in the still night. You found yourself smiling too, realizing that this might be what you truly needed - just to be with the person you cared the most.

Fran lifted her wine to take a small sip. "Is there something on my face?" She noticed that your gaze had been fixed on her and giggled.

"No, nothing. It's just..." You shook your head slowly and swirled the red wine in your glass gently, "You know, after what we've been through, I almost forgot how to enjoy a quiet moment like this."

"I understand..." Fran put down the glass and rested her chin on one hand, "I fear the night, too, not knowing when a vampire would emerge from the shadows and tear my throat out for a drink. And now you said you might have encountered a frenzied werewolf? That doesn't help at all."

She reached across the table and held your hand. "But it doesn't mean that we have to live in fear, to suffer alone. I'm always with you."

The warmth from her loosened what was left of the remaining tension in your chest. After that night in the Vatican, after that passionate moment you shared with each other, you and Fran had grown closer than ever.

The loss you experienced came back to haunt you from time to time. Even after all this time you saw the bloody, painful face of Melissa in your nightmares still. "How could you do this to me?" She yelled at you, with a wooden stake through her heart as she turned to dust.

You woke up quietly with tears in your eyes sometimes. And Fran was always there, with you.

"I know. I don't know what I'd do without you." You held her hand gently.

"And you'll never know. Because whatever comes, we will face it together."

You quietly nodded.

You turned to look at the distant mountains, and lifted your glass again for another sip. The rich, smooth wine spread warmth through your body, matching the warmth of her hand in yours. Fran followed your gaze and looked upward. Instead of being absorbed by the darkness of the night like you, she stared at the stars in the sky.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

You followed her line of sight and lifted your head. Far away from the noisy city and the thick smog that blurred everything, the stars above this remote town glowed with a soft, bright light that you had rarely seen in years. A light that was capable of shining through the mist of darkness shrouding your mind.

"Yeah, it is... Thank you, Fran."

The night was still young. You and Fran talked about what had happened these days, planned your tour around this town after the case was fully resolved, and finished the rest of your meal. She was so optimistic about you being okay that you really wished to believe her.

Fran's fingers brushed over the back of your hand as she spoke, with her soft voice wrapping around you like the warm evening air. She told you about the little bakery she had noticed near the clothing store this morning, how she wanted to try their honey scones for breakfast tomorrow, and how she would like to walk along the river holding your hand.

"That sounds perfect." You nodded and said. You wished for a day like that when you could finally find peace, spend time with Fran without fearing the monsters lurking in the shadows.

A soft wind stirred the edge of her hair, blowing a strand across her cheek, and you reached out to tuck it back behind her ear. Your finger brushed her warm skin, and she leaned into your touch gently.

The candle flickered between you, casting dancing shadows across her face, and she squeezed your hand again.

"So... any idea on tonight?" She smiled as she looked into your eyes.

"I haven't thought about that yet..."

"Well, there's still time for you." She stood up slowly and walked inside the room, "I'm going to take a hot shower first."

"Sure."

As you sat in the chair and looked at Fran's silhouette, a strange urge began to grow in your stomach. The unusual heat almost burned you from the inside. You tried to call for help, but all you could make were low growls. What's going on? Your mind raced but you couldn't find an answer before it was overwhelmed by an insatiable hunger for flesh.

The shower was turned on in the bathroom, and the sound of water splashing on the floor was buzzing in your head.

You didn't like that. You wanted to go there to make it stop.

Then there was a girl humming an annoying tune in there.

You didn't like that. You wanted to go there to make her scream. Scream with ecstasy for you ravaging her body, scream with lust for you penetrating her pussy, scream with horror for you tasting her flesh...