"Stop pulling my hair."

"Or what..?" Dawson taunted, "Areyou going to tell on me?"

"I will eat you."

"You're fat enough-you probablywould."

Audrey took one look at Dawson and bitdown on his arm, eliciting a painful scream from the fellow elf,"Ahhhh, you heifer!"

Audrey pulled away, blood streamingfrom her lips as she stumbled backwards and fell to the ground.

Her friend, Meryl, came to the rescuejust in time to see Briggs smirking at what had transpired.

"Come on, Audrey! We're going to getinto trouble," Meryl said.

The two young girls-none of themolder than ten or so-rushed off with Audrey looking back to seeBriggs still watching her.

"He hates me, too."

"They all hate us, Audrey," Merylhuffed, "They're high elves and we're not."

"I might eat them..." Audreyrasped, "I'm just big boned!"

Meryl sighed and grabbed her friend'shand, "Let's go. We're going to the forest."

"Why?"

"It's safer and they like us there."

"This is ridiculous. We belongwhere,-"

"Shhh...someone's coming.."

Audrey sighed. She knew who it was.

"What do you want?"

"Come with me, termite.."

"I will not," Audrey crossed herarms over her stomach as Briggs inched closer, "I won't.."

Meryl gasped. No one spoke to the Riccifamily like that.

Audrey stood her ground, eliciting nota sound or an expression from Briggs-no, his face remained stoicand so did he.

"Run along, Meryl."

Meryl frowned, but she knew better thanto say anything.

"Come with me or I'll let the boyshave had it."

Audrey shivered.

Ricci's didn't waver on theirthreats-and they were never idle.

"I..."

Meryl was pulled away by her own fears,leaving her friend behind.

"What a great gal," Briggssnickered, "Let's go runt."

He grabbed Audrey by the wrists andbefore long they were running through the woods together-passed theold houses and farms and barns, the old stores and mills-some ofthe cemeteries that hadn't been kept up.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Somewhere safe for the time being."

"This is stupid," Audrey said as they hid behind a large oak tree, "We don't like each other so whywould you help me?"

"I'm not.." Briggs smirked, "I'm helping me.."

His fangs protruded and he tilted Audrey's head before gnashing into her soft skin, causing her to cry out.

"Briggs..."

Her body went limp as Briggs continued to suckle, knowing that the Banbary nectar was the sweetest-even if Audrey was a middle elf. Even in their world, elves had the mimicked abilities similar to their vampiric neighbors.

Briggs held her close to him before settling her against a tree, leaning beside her to prop her up with his body.

"You taste so good," he whispered,"Too bad our statuses make us unable to be together or I'd spend the rest of my days tasting you."

No one could know Brigg's feelings for Audrey because he didn't understand them himself.

"I must go," he said, "But Meryl will find you and I will be long gone."

Within moments, he took one last looka t the young girl and sped off into the night, away from the town he'd called home for 15 years.

Audrey roused and felt her neck, the caking blood sticking to her fingers.

Meryl found her friend and tended to her neck.

"That prick marked you!"

"He..I.." Audrey sighed, "I don't know why he did it."

Within days, the Ricci family had vanished from the village-not a trace of them left.

Audrey felt sick for a few days after the bite but regained herself afterwards.

Dawson and the other bullies never attacked her again and she didn't ask why.

The mysterious life the elves lived in Tolstoy's Way never ceased to amaze her-until one day she sensed Briggs Ricci once again.