Come Back To Me Riho!

*Its getting late. I should find Riho. Maybe tonight will be different.* He shook his head at his foolish thought and headed over to the park. Riho had murdered a young woman the other day. The woman had cursed and spat better than most men. She had fiery red hair and bright green eyes, yet she died like the rest of them. Riho only ate every two days, sometimes every three. Shido doubted he would find her, but he always looked, every night he looked.

Shido wondered around the park. It was cooler than most nights. He could see his breath before him. The small animals had retreated into their nests. It was very quite. The moon shone brightly overhead. There was no sign of anyone, the previous night’s murder had been cleaned up. He sat down on a park bench that was illuminated by the moon’s night.

“N.O.S is nearby.” He jumped at the sound of Riho’s voice behind him. She looked at him with bright brown eyes. “You didn’t know?” It was the first time she had spoken to him.

“No… I.. ah…” It was the first time she dare come within two feet of him. With one hand she bounded over the bench and sat down next to him.

“You should be more careful. I diverted them to the other side. They will chase shadows now.” Her hair smelled wonderful. Wherever she was sleeping had a shower and her favorite shampoo as well. “Did you tire of killing Shido?” His heart seem to want to pound its way out of his chest.

“Yes.”
“Is that why you turned from Cain?” *Why is she asking these questions after all this time? Yet I should answer them… if it will keep her here longer.*

“No… Yes… Its part of the reason.” She waited for him to continue. The night silence dragged over him. “Its hard to remember some of it. I left him because… because I feared him.”

“Why? Did he murder someone close to you?” His skin prickled at the dread of this conversation turning into Why he murdered the nightbreed who processed her parents bodies again. That conversation only lead to Riho fleeing.

“I… I don’t know. I can’t remember.” After a moment he added, “He murdered you though.”

“Did he? I am not dead. You saved me.”

“… I’m sorry Riho, for everything. I know its not enough. I know I turned you. I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry... its all I can give you right now.”

“I asked for eternity. You gave it to me.” He shook his head and her dairy passage floated back to him “But I want Mr.Shido to be ok. I want there to be someone for me to spend eternity with. I want that someone to be Mr. Shido more than anything in the world.”

“Riho, I’ve said some things that came out badly. I want you to know what I meant to say.” He sighed and braced himself for rejection. *This might be my only chance to tell her.* “You asked me what kind of relationship we had. I… I… answered it badly. Everything I said was true, but I…” He sighed again. * Why is this so hard to say? * Her hand rested on the bench next to him. He gently covered her small hand with his large one and was surprised when she didn’t pull away. He closed his eyes and tried again, “… I really hoped that you would think of us as dating.” He closed his hand around hers.

After silence pasted, he looked at her. Her brown hair gently moved with the breeze and the moonlight shown down like a halo upon her head. Her eyes stayed transfixed on the woods in front of them. “I… I… should have told you that.” Still she did not move and nervous ball twisted inside of him. “What kind of relationship do we have now, Riho?”

“Where are you staying?”

“W-What?” His cheeks blushed red with the thought of Riho’s naked body pressed against his in bed.

“You are not staying at your office. You are hiding from N.O.S. Where is it that you hide?”

“I’ve paid the rent at your apartment. I wanted you to have a place to go back to. When N.O.S came looking for me it was the only place I could think of.”
She stood pulling her hand from his. “You read my dairy.” It was stated matter of fact with no real emotion.

“Some but not much. Not anything really.”

“Some is enough. I am not that girl. You cannot win me back by playing into my childish fantasies.”

“I loved that girl.”

“Yes, as a friend, child, and comrade. You answered truthfully the first time.”

“What do I have to do?!” He grasped both of her hands and pulled her closer to him. “I have lost Yayoi. I have lost my office, my business. I have been pursed by N.O.S. All for you. I have even watched you feed.” He twisted the last sentence like a sour berry. “What can I do to prove to you how I feel?”

“Do you know why I feed every night? I feel stronger each time! I feel such power that I cannot hear them screaming! I cannot see my parents die over and over if I feed so often! It is the only way to rid myself of the memory! Of the loneliness! Each time I feel the power grow within me I feel the pain of drawing too much in. But it will be nothing compared to what I will do to you!”

“Then do it!” Tears swelled and he fought to keep them from spilling over. “Do it!” He brushed his lavender hair off of his shoulder and fell to his knees. He felt the sharp stab of Riho’s teeth against his exposed flesh. Vampire blood was slower to be drawn out of a wound. Her hands rested on his shoulders. The first few of his tears fell, he wrapped his arms around her waist. *Better you than Cain* Perhaps the feeling of time slipping away caused him to speak, he wasn’t sure, it was against his nature to say such things, “My greatest fear has been losing you. More than even being taken back by Cain. I always wanted to date you, always wanted to be your boyfriend, and I always wanted you to… to be my girlfriend. I never thought you felt that towards me. I never thought anyone could see me the way you did. I…” His body grew heavy and he began to fall backwards, Riho’s mouth never left his neck. He could hear her slow swallows. He ran his hand through her hair. “I’ve… never... had… a… girlfriend… before.” She pulled away her golden eyes fading to brown. Shido brushed her cheek.

“Release the girl!” Shido felt his eyes change color. He rose to his knees, protectively getting in front of Riho and stared into a bright light.

“Run.” Shido said quietly. “Run. They think you are an ordinary girl.” He heard her footsteps fade behind him. He knew he couldn’t out run N.O.S. this time. He growled and flashed his fangs at them. Intimidation was all he had left so he ran or more preciously stumbled towards them. Bullets tore through him and he hit the ground in a pool of his own blood.

******

No, its not over. Though I\'m not really sure where to go from here....