The rain was pouring heavily and the people were rushing in all directions.

Not him.

He loved the rain, in his own way.
How no one gave him attention, how peaceful the city looked. It was heaven on earth. If that is possible. Not like he would grow old, die and find heaven. Immorality has its bad sides.

If you would see him, you would not be sure if the drops on his face are rain or tears. Such sadness covered his face, it would make anyone cry.

He reached the park and sat down on the bench. The rain was hitting his skin vigorously, and yet, he was still unfazed. It was the most peculiar thing in the world.

Peace is all he felt. And sadness is all he had.

As he sat, he closed his eyes. He was still so handsome.
But something got his attention.

A woman.

She was not rushing, she was not hysterical. She was walking slowly, not noticing the rain. She was all wet, all shaking. Her eyes were reddish. As if...

She passed by him but didn't turn around.

It was not the rain. It was the hot tears that lighted her face. Her eyes were so empty, her gaze not fixed on anything. She was existing on this rainy night, but nothing more. Walking a straight line like a soldier.

He wanted to stay out of it. But he stared so long at her that there was no turning back.

He touched her shoulder.

Nothing. She kept walking.

He tightened his grip and made her stop.

It was when her sobs got a sound and she cried her heart out.

"You are all wet, you will catch a cold," he said to her. "Let me take you to my place, to dry yourself."

"Let me be," she said through her tears, "I don't want anything, I don't want to live anymore... I don't..."
She started walking away, lost in the rain.

"You are quite upset. You don't mean that" he tried to stop her, placing his hand on her shoulder once more.

"I do, you don't have to understand this."

"But I do," he walked next to her, trying to keep her pace.

"You don't know how it's like not to want to exist anymore!"

"More than you know."

"You..." she stopped and looked at him, "get back to your business, leave me alone!" she screamed alas.

"You will come with me right away and say nothing else" is all he said.

*

"Marcus," he said with resentment in his voice, "what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you."

"You should go."

"For someone who is mad that they are vampires, you find hypnosis quite useful," Marcus smirked.

"She was freezing outside on the rain. I had to hypnotize her to come with me."

"As you hypnotized her to sit by the fire I see..."

"That is not your concern, please leave!" he screamed.

"After a century, you are still mad?"

"I don't have time for you and whatever you came here to do."

"Only to see you."

"Why?"

"We are family, are we not?"

"Not by my choice."

"That is how family works."

"I just want to be left alone."

"Felix..." said Marcus, with sadness in his eyes.

"I don't understand why you must come here and remind me of my nature."

"You still feed yourself with blood, hypnotize people as you go. Myself being around or not has nothing to do with your nature. You still know what you are either way."

"Yes, but having you around always reminds me of the time I was human. And why I'm not anymore."

"You must know that I did it for you."

"You did it for yourself."

"I saved your life so many times..."

"And I've been paying the price for a century."

"I see that you are keen on living a hateful life."

"I only hate you."

Marcus opened his mouth to say something, but instead, he was gone in a blink of an eye.

Felix turned around and saw the girl sitting in front of the fire.

"You might need to change your clothes."

"I want to get out and run away but I can't," she sobbed.

"Why, where would you go?" he asked.

"Away from you."

"But you don't even know me."

"I heard enough. You are a..."

"Vampire," he said, and she looked even more upset. "I just want to help you. After that, you are free to go."

"I want to go now."

"The rain hasn't stopped."

"I don't care, I don't want to be near you!"

"Well, you said you didn't want to live anymore. If I'm dangerous, maybe you should stay."

"I..."

"So it's settled."

"How do you do it?"

"I hypnotized you out in the rain, so you would come. I did the same so you would sit here to dry yourself."

"I understand what you did, I just want to know how you did it?"

"Our eyes are different as if we have one of those hypnotic watches. But it's faster and much more effective. It allows us to make human desire what we want them to. And desires are powerful."

"I see..." she looked down. "Why did you take me here?"

"To help you."

"But why?"

"You seemed like someone that needs it..."

"Why do you care?"

"I don't."

"But..." she looked him in the eyes, "you don't make a lot of sense."

"There," he pointed to a chair, "are fresh clothes for you. You will also find a towel. Dry yourself and change your clothes."

"And..."

"I'll be waiting in the kitchen for you. I'll prepare something for you to eat."

"Oh, okay!"

He left the room, and she got up to the chair. The towel was soft and beautiful. She liked how it felt on her skin. She dried herself and gently put on the dress. It was a red dress with white dots. She looked at the door, she could still hear the rain. She headed to the kitchen.

"There was also a sweater for you there. Aren't you cold like that?"

"A bit."

He rushed and was not in front of her anymore. She turned around and he was in front of her with a yellow sweater in his arms. She took it, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Felix Jones," he said, taking a bowl in his hands. "What about you?"

"I'm Judith..."
"Rivers," she added.

"Oh. From the...?"

"Rivers family is famous amongst vampires I see."

"Your family is full of hunters..." he poured soup in the bowl. "How did you allowed yourself to be captured by one?

"Am I captured?"

"No, but..."

"So I didn't allow myself."

"But you are in my house."

"A hunter in your lair. You should be scared."

"You must be trained very well."

"I'm not really. My mother despised our family legacy. My uncle tried to train me as much as he could, but she wouldn't allow him much."

"That's a waste" he moved the bowl in front of her, where she was standing. "Sit, eat the soup, it will warm you a bit more."

"Very well" she sat down. "I guess you like your meals warm."

"I will not eat you."

"You can be honest with me. You find a desperate girl, lure her in to help her, and then... Well, she is not alive anymore" she started eating.

"Well, your mother made a mistake."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"If you were trained, you would know that we would lure them until they are in our territory, after that, there is no need for theatrics."

"But..."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you. You must find yourself another way to die."

"Why wouldn't you help me? I can tell your whereabouts to my family. They will hunt you down."

"I don't mind."

"You want to die too..."

"The soup will be cold if you don't finish it soon," he cut her off.

"But..." she tried to speak to him, but the room was empty.