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I stood there in the rain, my hair plastered to my cheeks and my clothes clung to my body. I waited for them to come. I had sensed an hour ago that a group of humans were traveling this way in a small caravan of coaches, the perfect meal. They should be here soon. I thought as my eyes wandered across the dismal expanse. I saw a crow fly across the horizon and my mouth began to water. I was so hungry. The thought of chasing the crow down and devouring it teased my mind for a few moments, my hunger temporarily overpowering my self-control. No, my mind scolded me, a much more nourishing meal is coming soon. Wait. Just then, the sound of coach wheels and horse hooves reached my sensitive ears and I smiled. Just a little more time...
I looked into the minds of the people in the first coach. It was filled with three women and two men. Two of the women were certainly the daughters of the oldest looking woman because all three had almost identical appearances and body figures. Their hair was in curls and their necks and hips were delicate but fat, products of wealth. My mouth watered once more as I imagined sinking my fangs into their soft flesh, though I was repulsed by the ignorance and selfishness of their thoughts. The two men did nothing except amuse me because they were looking forlornly at each other as the women cackled once more with laughter, obviously regretting their proposal to the two young ladies.
My smile disappeared as my thoughts moved into the second coach. The only people in it were another woman, sister to the two daughters in the previous coach, and her governess. The former had dark hair which was pulled back into a simple bun, and her large dark eyes were a beautiful contrast to her pale skin. She was slightly smaller than her sisters, though it made her figure more appealing, but only a little for she looked weak and wan. Overall, she was very plain, but her eyes, oh, her eyes. Her eyes captured all the life that the rest of her body seemed to be lacking. There was such power, such fiery intellect in those eyes. I found it hard to turn my thoughts away from them.
She sighed as she looked from her governess and out the coach window once more. Her governess was quietly asleep, her head sunk on her chest. I entered the woman’s mind to see what I would discover there and, I must admit, I was almost swept away by her thoughts’ powerful current. I would have grown dizzy if it had not been for the poetry and pleasure of her thoughts that kept me upright. The reality transfixed me. She was writing a story, an unusual and commonly taboo pastime for women those days. She fascinated me, intrigued me. I had to know more about her. Forget my hunger, it could wait for this.
The two other coaches were filled to the brim with luggage, boring compared to the previous ones. As they grew closer to me, only about two hundred feet away, I focused my thoughts on the woman in the second coach once more. I directed her thoughts so she looked at me. I sensed the confusion and intrigue that swept her other thoughts away. Perfect. I looked forlornly up at the sky, the crow flying directly above my head now, and, sighing gently, the world went black.
*~*~*
Worry filled my thoughts as I saw the man fall to the ground. I hurriedly threw aside the many blankets I had wrapped about me and pounded on the roof of the coach. Surely George had seen the man pass out.
“George, George! Stop the carriage!” I yelled, waking Caroline. To my surprise, the carriage stopped immediately.
“Miss Jane, what are you doing?” Caroline asked slowly, looking blearily at me as I opened the door.
“I will return in a moment,” I replied before I got out of the carriage.
I hurried over to the man, who was lying still on the damp ground. I knelt on the ground next to him, trying to shield his face from the rain that had begun to pour from the clouds. My breath caught in my throat as I looked at his face. It was as pale as ivory and was a handsome contrast to his raven-colored hair. All of his features looked as perfect as if they had been sculpted, but his skin was as soft as that of an infant. His pale pink lips were opened a little, and my fingers tingled when I moved them so they would not let any of the rain in. His skin was like ice.
“Sir! Sir, can you hear me?” I asked as soon as I caught the breath to speak. He did not answer me. “Sir!” I cried, shaking him gently. His head rolled side to side, but he did not respond in any other way.
“Miss Jane, what are you doing?!” George yelled over the downpour as he jogged over to where I was. I tried to lift the man, but I did not have the strength.
“Please, George, you must help me. Help me carry this man to the coach. If he stays out in the rain much longer, he will die.”
George hesitated, looking at me with unsure eyes.
“I don’t think that would be...,” he began, but I cut him off.
“Please, George! You know I do not enjoy saying things like this to you, but that is an order. Get him in the coach!”
He did not hesitate this time. Picking the man up with a grunt, he obeyed my orders. I followed close behind, now wet and filled with guilt. I hated talking to servants like that, but if it got the job done I suppose I had to be firm. George gently laid the man where I had been setting.
“Thank You, George,” I said softly and looked at him apologetically, hoping he would see the guilt in my eyes. He must have because his hard face softened into a smile as he replied, bowing his head,
“No harm done, Miss Jane. Now, if I may be so bold, you need to get back in the coach so you don’t get worse.”
“Of course, George,” I replied, returning his smile as he helped me into the carriage and shut the door behind me.
The carriage started with a jolt that threw me forward onto the man as I was wrapping blankets around him in an attempt to warm his cold body. I blushed and hurriedly continued to cocoon him as I regained my balance. Caroline stared with unbelief and bewilderment as she watched me tend to him.
“M-Miss Jane, w-what were you thinking? You do not know who or what this man is! Besides, it is not proper for a young lady, more or less a baccalaureate, to take a man in like this!”
“I know,” I replied quietly as I continued to stare at his face, unable to look away.
“Then what do you think you are doing?” she asked and I could swear I saw her in the corner of my eye puffing up like an indignant hen, but I did not perceive anything other than his face as I replied,
“I do not know.”

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I hope you guys liked the first chapter! ^_^ Some of you have read the prologue and liked it, so I thought I'd go ahead and post the next chapter. I'm still edging towards the plot, so please bear with my story development. Please read and review, it would be most appreciated! ^_^ Until next time, much love for you all! *hug*

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