Winter again. The skies filled only with fluffy, grey clouds that released more of the small white powder that covered the ground. Unlike the bright colours of spring or the warm tones of fall, the winter atmosphere provided a more calming beauty that was greatly unappreciated.

Evan Daniels looked out from the window of the pale yellow school bus he was all too familiar with. An excessively crowded vehicle, filled with boisterous voices that only seemed louder despite the supposed 'noise-cancelling headphones' he'd been wearing. 

Worthless junk was what it was. Gazing on as multiple dull houses whizzed past, a few early Christmas decorations being the only sign of joy in this bleak neighbourhood. And that was fine. It was familiar. No surprises, no mistakes, nothing out of place.

The excited students seemed to get louder as he prayed for silence, whatever 'God' existed ignoring said pleas. This was one thing he wouldn't miss. With this winter break, he would finally have more time to relax in the comfort of his home, curled up under a blanket in the living room with a good book. Yes, that sounded delightful. He couldn't wait.

"Hey, Daniels. Any plans for the holidays?" A somewhat familiar voice asked, but he made no move to acknowledge them, not even glancing in their direction. Maybe if he pretended they didn't exist, they'd disappear.

"As if that loser has anything to do. I don't think I've ever seen him outside of school."

"Is he some kind of shut-in?" No, he wasn't a shut-in...well, perhaps. He just preferred the indoors. He knew what was inside at all times. Nothing could sneak upon him in his own home. Outside, anything could happen. What if he was hit by a bus? Or mugged? Or sold in the slave trade. The possibilities were endless so he stayed inside.

Despite ignoring them, he still heard all of their comments and, though he didn't express it, they did indeed hurt quite a bit. He'd always been called a loner or a loser due to never interacting with others. Blame the television shows for convincing him that all high schoolers were conniving, backstabbing jerks who would only use you and then dump you in a heartbeat. So he kept to himself and lived with the repercussions of his actions.

Oh, it's his stop. He got off, giving the driver, who didn't acknowledge him, a slight nod of thanks. Looking around, he spotted a woman who seemed to be selling snacks of some sort. Nothing unusual. 

Many people loitered around the bus stop for various reasons whether it be selling goods to raise for charity or the one or two bums asking for a bit of cash to do who knows what with.

It was only around 5, but the weather had the day seeming much darker which prompted him to get home faster. The streetlights were already flickering to life one by one, providing little but still useful lighting. 

There was only one route to his home so that was the one he journeyed along.

On the way, he took notice of a few shops that were either closing or just opening for the day, the bustling activities of workers and the cars or pedestrians that passed him by were the only notable things around him.

Oh, dear. His anxiety spiked as he stepped closer to a particularly unnerving area that rested before his final destination. A dimly lit, if lit at all, alleyway, garbage bins strewn about, and a floor filled with grime and whatever unknown substances. The unpleasant stench of whatever rubbish people had discarded here filled his nostrils in an attempt to make his eyes water.

Alarm bells were ringing in his head, his gut telling him to cross the street now, anything to avoid walking past the open walkway. He couldn't though. There was no crossroad here, and he had full confidence that not a single car would stop to let him cross. Oh, how he wished he could drive. No, a risk he wasn't willing to take. Too many accidents happen, and he didn't want to be a part of another one.

Taking a deep breath, one which he regretted once the putrid odour hit once more, he braved his way towards the other side of the alley. 

Maybe he should have trusted that feeling after all since, within seconds, he was yanked into the very same alleyway, a large, calloused hand wrapped around his frame, trapping his arms to his side, the other covering his mouth so no sounds escaped. All he could do was thrash about, panic at its absolute height.

"I'm letting you go. Scream, I shoot. Run, I shoot. Try anything I find even the slightest bit suspicious, well, you get the idea kid." He took a second to calm from his wriggling, hastily nodding to his captor. Now, Evan isn't the religious type, but that in no way stopped him from praying to whatever God existed for his safety. 

Yes, the very same one that ignored him earlier. Maybe they'll listen this time. 

The palm covering his mouth was removed, and his body was released, though a firm grip was kept on his wrist to prevent his escape, a gun to the side of his head being the newly added factor.

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"How old are you? And don't bullshit me or else yer brain's gonna be plastered all over these alley walls."

"S-seventeen."

"Pretty young. Means you're still in high school ain'tcha? You'll do nicely for the Big Boss. He's been looking for more of you on the younger side. Not to mention, such a pretty face like yours has got to be of some use to him aye?" He couldn't see his captor's face due to their position and the lack of light, but with the suggestive tone in his voice, it didn't take a genius to understand what he was insinuating.

The man he called 'Big Boss' was most likely the leader or a higher-up of one of the many human trafficking rings in the city. This specific group's targets were more than likely young males, such as himself, who bore more feminine features. Curse his mother, though he loved her, for passing down her gorgeously delicate genes to him.

"You're going to walk out of this alley with me, and you're gonna act like we're just a couple of good ole pals, got it? I'd hate to have to pop a bullet in that pretty little face of yours." The attacker then rubbed the gun barrel against Evan's face in what was supposed to be a caressing manner. 

Evan could only shake in fear, seeing no way out of his predicament that didn't end with him in a brand-new casket. Or an urn, maybe. He didn't want to find out.

With no further time to think, he was roughly shoved back out onto the dimly lit pavement, right in front of a young-looking pair who stared at him curiously. The attacker, who he now saw as a tall, possibly 6'3 male with matted chestnut-coloured hair, now walked behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"This is why you kids shouldn't be drinking so young. You've gone and ruined this lovely couple's date, haven't you? Come on, let's get you home. The football game ended hours ago." 

The hand on his shoulder felt as heavy as bricks, the suffocating grip on his arm stinging to the point where he was sure it would bruise. A warning to not try anything funny. The couple looked at each other, then at Evan who could only stare at them without blinking, eyes darting quickly to the side where his attacker stood in a silent plea for help.

The woman perked up, speaking to her male companion in a foreign language. The male glanced at her, before smiling at the two and bowing slightly. He then pulled out his phone, still with a relaxed smile, and began a phone call in the same foreign language. He chuckled, supposedly at something the person on the other line said, spoke to his companion hurriedly, then turned and walked a distance away to continue his call. The woman laughed, turning back to Evan and the strange man.

"We are not a couple sir, but we ARE siblings. You needn't worry about a date that doesn't exist." She then looked at Evan. "My you're quite the looker. Such a delicate face. What's your name sweetheart?" The two were so relaxed he doubted they'd picked up on his signal for assistance. His mind was screaming at him to just tell them what was happening, but he refused. He would never put two innocent lives in danger just to save his own. 

Who's to say he would get away then anyway? So he faked a smile for her.

"Evan Daniels, miss. I'm a senior at Everton High school."

"So young! I'm quite jealous of your features, dear. You look just as, if not more, feminine as me. Why I quite nearly mistook you for a girl when you came stumbling out of that alley. When your friend here came out, I was so sure he was a rapist, and you were in danger." Her words caused him to stiffen which was a bit too obvious as the hand on his shoulder gripped tighter, no doubt leaving a hand-shaped print.

"Well then, I best get this one home to his parents. I'm sure they're worried sick about him especially since I said I'd have him home by 6 after the volleyball match."

"Oh yes of course! Did that match happen before or after the football game you mentioned earlier?" From the corner of his eye, Evan could see the smile that was once plastered on his captor's face was wiped clean, now replaced with an annoyed look and scrunched eyebrows.

"Lookie here, toots. I suggest you step aside and let us pass before things here get out of hand. Wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you or our little friend here right?" The woman only looked at him blankly before turning and saying something to her brother who had finished his phone call. His answer came calmly but, to Evan's surprise, he very well understood him.

"We've got clearance. He's yours to deal with." What happened next was sure to be engraved into Evan's mind for years to come.

Like a lion pouncing on an unsuspecting gazelle, the woman tackled the attacker into the alleyway that stood behind them. It took a while for his eyes to adjust to the darkness but once they did, it was a sight to behold.

The once petite lady with well-kept blonde locks and sapphire blue eyes was now towering over his attacker with blood-red eyes and a matching colour liquid dripping from her lips. Her lips pulled back over her now razor-sharp canines in a disgusted snarl at the unmoving man below her,

"He tasted disgusting! I refuse to finish him. Why do we never find any tasty ones around her Mark?"

"It's to be expected of someone of his nature, Dizzy." The two then, seemingly having just remembered his presence, turned towards a terror-stricken Evan, body so motionless he would have been mistaken for a corpse.

"You good there kid?" 'Mark' as the woman or 'Dizzy' had called him earlier, stepped towards him, face riddled with concern. Evan's lips refused to part, his vocal cords freezing, denying any sound from escaping his body whatsoever.

"He's most likely gone into shock, Marcus. We'd better take him to his home. It's nearing 8 and his family is likely to be very worried for his well-being."

Evan could only watch in a daze as the two siblings found their way to his home, knocking lightly to gain his parents' attention before disappearing into the night. The door was opened, the worrying faces of his parents coming into view as they wasted no time reprimanding him for his late return. 

Sent up to his room, his body went along on autopilot as he prepared for some well-needed sleep. Maybe he was dreaming. He had to be...right? There is absolutely no way that vampires exist...wait were they even vampires?

Of course, he'd seen 'Dizzy's' eyes change from their bright blue to a terrifying crimson colour, canines extending into the stereotypical fangs. Usually, people would chalk this type of experience up as a trick of the mind, but this was something else entirely. His mind had never played such vivid 'tricks' before, so it could only be real. 

Thousands of questions plagued his mind, one by one going silent as he finally entered the realm of the unconscious.