• the moonlight filtered through the drawn curtains, shining through whatever holes and gabs it could find. the room was lit from within, the bright screen of the laptop making shadows appear across the walls. stretching, alex yawned and looked at the time. 4.30am... he would have to get up soon. start another day at school, go on with his boring life. he scratched the back of his head, ran his fingers through his spikey hair and moved he computer from the edge of his bed onto the floor. the house was silent. at this hour of the morning, it wasnt suprising that he couldnt hear any creaking floorboards or shuffling feet. the only noise was the wind and light rain on the window pane.
    he lay on his bed, straing at the ceiling, waiting to fall asleep. a cloud moved across the moon and the room went dark. he froze. suddenly he sat up. he thought he had heard a childs laughter in those breif moments of darkness. "hello?" he asked in a loud whisper. when he didnt recieve a answer he lay back down.
    "Alex"
    this time he stood up. he looked in every corner of his room and even turned on the lamp. but he was alone in the room. he slowly sat down on the corner of his bed. he rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand. maybe he was just tired. he lay down again, closed his eyes...and waited for it. the voice? or the sleep? he didnt really know. he began to feel himself drift from consciousness, but just as he entered his dreams he was shaken awake by a little girl. he wasnt sure if he was dreaming aboiut being woken, or if he had actually been woken up.
    "um...hi?" he asked suspiciously. what the hell was going on?
    "hi...my names cindy. do you want to play?"
    he looked at the small girl. she was pale and seemed to be glowing from within. was she a ghost child? or some figment of his own sleep deprived imagination?
    "uh...sure, Cindy. what do you want to play?"
    "i wanna play...TAG!"
    "tag? wouldnt you feel better playing...dollies?"
    "eww!" she cried. "dollies are gross. i WANNA PLAY TAG NOW" she ran up to Alex and tagged him. he tiny pale hand touched his elbow, and his skin turned white, like it had been froze. yet alex didnt seem to notice at all. he stood up slowly, in an attempt to avoid craking the floorborads, and stalked after this small child. she was hiding in his closet, and as he grabbed the handle to open it, she leaped out and pushed him to the floor. she leaned her head close to his.
    "your too slow" she sang in his ear. before he could say anything, she brushed her lips against his neck. alex felt his blood turn cold. what was this girl?
    he tried to sit up, but she forced his arms down.
    "it seems i have caught you good now, Alex. what should i do now?"
    "um..."
    "i could let you up. i bet you wanna get off the floor."
    "yeah, that would be nice" he tried to sit up again, but was stopped by something else. the little girls eyes had changed, they were no longer full of life and laughter, but darkness and hunger. while gazing into her eyes, he began to feel drowzy. in his stupor he fail to notice he lower her head to his neck.
    her bare fangs scraped a long graze along his collarbone before sinking into the flesh of his neck. he felt her body tingle as she began drinking, feeding off his essence. his mind grew clouded and hie eyelids stared to feel heavy. she still hadnt finished with him after a few minutes. he felt her reluctntly pull from his body, blood dripping from her mouth, and he passed out as she smiled at him.

    it was well into the beginnings of dawn when he woke up again. he felt light headed and unsure of where he was. feeling around, he discovered that he was in his bed. he sat up and looked around. had it all actually happened? or was it all just a dream? he got up shakily and walked to the space of floor where he had though he would be lying. nothing. no blood. not anything. his hand went to his neck, but there was no sign of a bite of any kind. he turned back to his bed and sat down. it had all been a dream? but it felt so damn real.
    he lay down and went back to sleep.
    the one thing he had failed to notice was the small, pale ribbon hanging off the edge of his closet.
    a hair ribbon, for a little girl.