The next day was pretty much like the one before it. She sat in the kitchen, trying not to think of her hungry while she heard her stomach growl in protest.

"There must be something to eat somewhere! And how can he leave me like this here, with no explanations as to what's going on! I have no idea where I am, how far away from the next town we are, and bored out of my mind!"

She slumped in her chair unable to think of anything anymore. Somehow time managed to stop altogether and the day seemed as though it would never end.

"Oh Vincent, hurry up." She cried to the lonely house.

She must have dozed off in her chair some time later because she awoke to the sound of someone coming in the house. Immediately she was frightened and clenched the chair next to her.

"Hello?" she called out to the darkness.

Footsteps followed. No answer.

"Hello? Who's there?" she asked breaking under the pressure, her fear was cracking through.

Slowly the person made his way to the kitchen. Tifa sighed in relief.

"Oh Vincent, it's you. You scared me out of my mind."

"You have to come with me, no time to spare."

"I demand an explanation! Tell me what the hell is going on here!" Tifa never swore like this before. She was suddenly embarrassed of her impulsive behavior.

Vincent shot out his arm and grabbed her wrist with full forth taking her completely by surprise. He leaned in very close to her face, breathing down her neck practically.

"Stay here if you want, but if you want to live you have to come with me." And he let go of her arm leaving a red mark there. She stared at him, the pure terror shining out from her eyes.

He grabbed a few things on his way out, not even bothering to see if Tifa was following him out.

"What am I going to do?" she thought. She decided to go with him, what else can she do?

They made haste from the house over the now cooled dry, cracked desert ground. All the while he kept a steady pace and didn’t slow down when Tifa wheezed for breath. He seemed to be annoyed with her performance and moved slightly quicker when she showed signs of wanting to stop. It was nearly impossible, Tifa thought, to see at this time at night. But nevertheless, it seemed as though he saw perfectly though the darkness ahead. He knew exactly where they were going, all this one big mystery to Tifa.

They reached their destination some time near sunrise as the sun began to show its head over the hilltops. Again, Tifa knew not where they were. Another cottage, much like the one they abandoned before, lay in front of them now catching the first rays of sunlight.

"Get in, quickly."

She ran past him in a huff at the fact that she, a grown woman, was taking orders from this rude, abrasive man. Not even in a gentlemanly manner did he treat her. He followed her and slammed the door shut behind him, admitting no light into the house.

"Vincent, I demand an explanation right this instant."

He sighed heavily, first showing his signs of weakness. He was tired after all, just maybe he could be some human nature in him.

"I will leave all questions till after I get my rest. Then you may ask me anything you wish, although you will not want to hear some of the answers. Get some sleep and treasure this last night of innocence, for it is your very last believe me." And he was gone again, this time going into another room shutting the door.

Tifa broke down and sobbed heavy cries.

"What is going on here? I just want to be with Cloud. I want Cloud right now! He could take me away from all of this and give me happy life, only if he wanted too."

Vincent moved his head away from the door and took his head into his hands. He didn't want this to happen. He never wanted to hurt someone like Tifa. She was one of the nicest persons he had ever known, and now, she had become this thing, like him. It was too late when he got to her and he had to finish the job. He couldn't leave her to die like that and let everyone see her dead as anything, heartbroken in a tall field of grass. Suicide would have been the answers to the questions of her death that would be asked, and everyone but him would believe it. After Cloud would tell everyone what had happened, her fleeing from him on the port, there would be no further investigations. Tifa Lockhart, protector of the planet, had committed suicide.

He knelt down next to the bed almost as though he was about to pray. Instead he pulled out a heavy coffin from underneath and opened it effortlessly. He crawled in and laid down flat until he felt comfortable, then pulled the casket door up over it and fell into a deep, guilt ridden sleep.

Tifa moved to the room opposite Vincent's and stared at his closed door. She felt as though he was talking to her by some unheard of force.

"My dark angel.." she whispered into the night and immediately disregarded the thought of it. "What am I saying? He rescued me. But from what?" she walked into the room and laid down on the welcoming feather bed. And she too fell into a deep, long awaited sleep.

The next morning, Tifa was surprised to see Vincent already sitting up at the kitchen table waiting for her arrival.

"Well, as I promised you may now ask your questions."

Tifa sat down next to him and stared into his eyes. Something about them was unnatural, unpure. Evil.

"Why did you take me from the field?"

"To save you, from them."

"From who."

Vincent avoided her hard stare. He had to tell her, but lingered on the thought of her having to live the life of a ..

"Vampire. Vampires were preying on you that night. They had already sank their wretched fangs into your neck before I could save you."

Tifa looked utterly sick to her stomach. Whatever color was left in her face was no longer there. The room was spinning. She slowly glided her hands up her neck feeling for the two dark holes where they took away her mortal life. They were there all right. And she closed her eyes releasing the tears pent up in there for the longest while.

Vincent watched her milky hands move so tenderly up to her neck, like a dance. Her beauty was like an aura to her that just added to his already butterfly like feeling when he was near her. He felt that if he had a heartbeat, it would always be beating rapidly in her presence.

"Tell me what you feel."

Tifa searched for the words that could sum up her feelings, but nothing was found. Nothing could explain the violation she felt at this time that she knew her life could and never again would be normal.

She cut him off, "You, you are one of them? You are a...vampire? But those stories, everything is just a myth. It can't be true!"

"But it is, Tifa. It has always been this way, since the beginning of time. We have been here just as long as humans, but our dark nature could never be understood as to whom started it. Who was the one that created us is still a question that will remain unknown."

Tifa swallowed hard hoping the ball in her throat would go away so she could breath normal again. Holding back the sobs didn't help much either.

"That would explain this hunger. Not for food, but for something else. This hunger that is killing me inside."

He nodded. That very hunger helped him to become the cold man he was. He wished now more than ever that he had emotions to explain about. The only thing he felt was remorse and hate to the people that had done this to her. A good person such as she..

"When can I return to the others? To let them know at least I am alright?"

"You can’t. You cannot admit to anyone what you are or who you are. You must live in the night, just as I do. And if you do go out in day time, for whatever reasons, you must clothe yourself heavily so you don’t burn in the sunlight."

"People will wonder where I am! People will worry!"

"People will forget, and that is that." He said raising his voice.

Tifa felt as though he had had enough of her childish behavior, but she didn’t care. She stood up in an angry race and picked up the chair throwing it across the room. She threw everything that could be thrown in that house, breaking as much as she could. Vincent hadn't lifted a finger to stop her at any point, it was best that she get it out of her system. He was much worse than she.

Tifa had fallen over a piece of furniture broken on the floor and lay there helpless on the floor crying mercilessly to the heavens. Vincent turned away to let her have her moment. He didn’t pity her, nor did he feel disgust, but he reasoned with her, even sided with her. He felt her pain, and wanted to take that away from her more than anything.

He slightly turned to her so the outline of his face showed. She glanced at him through he heaves for breath and tried to clear the blur from her eyes. She waited for him to speak, say something. He looked to the ground and pinched his eyes shut.

"Come with me now, and I will help you fill that hunger."

She paused a moment and took her time standing up again. Brushing off whatever debris was on her and moved towards him. He looked at her and wondered how she did it, how she regained her poise and still tried ever so hard to please everyone around her.

"Ok." She said simply and plainly, avoiding his eyes at all costs, though she wanted to see him. Look at him as she never did before.

"Good. Let's go." He said going for the door.

They left the house in their quest of finding food.

on to chapter four
return to "a beginners wish" index