the bite she received from the vampire.

winces every so often because the bite is very painful.

fights back the tears, sometimes the pain is very intense. "I really hope Alfred comes to see me soon."

decides to check up on her. Knocks lightly on the door. "Natalia? Are you home~?"

puts down her bowl of borscht, stands up and opens the door. "Ivan, come in!" Winces as she opens the door for him.

sees the wince and smells the vampire on her as soon as she opes the door. "Natalia! Are you okay?" asks worriedly as he steps in the door.

"Ivan!" hugs him tight. "A vampire tried to bite me!" lets the tears come. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to cry, but it hurts so bad!"

hugs her tightly as well, rocking her back and forth. "Natalia... It's okay to cry, it's okay. Don't worry, I won't let the bad children_

get to you again..."

"He attacked me as I came out of the library. I had the holy water I got from my priest with me. Why does it sting so much?"

frowns. "The vampire may have injected you with vemon. They have a kind that really makes you hurt..." strokes her hait comfortingly.

"That's what I was afraid of. I have a book where I read that. When Alfred bit me it didn't hurt ..." clings to him and cries.

picks her up bridal style and carries her to the couch, sitting down and holding her in his lap. "That vampire must have really been an evil

child, causing Natalia pain like this..."

points at the old, leather-bound book on the table. "The book says new vampires are very inexperienced and may just grab their victim. I_

think he was a new vampire."

nods. "Maybe. What did this bad child look like?"

sniffles, "He had brown curly hair ... and it's hard to tell with their eyes. He seemed average in height ... he reminds me of a man I_

helped in the park a few days ago, but he ran away."

, brow furrowed. "I don't think I know him..."

shudders at the pain. "How long does this last?" I should read the book to find out."

shrugs. "I think it depends on how much vemon he injected. How long did he bite you for?"

"Not long enough to take any blood. I hit him with my bag, and then I threw the holy water at him. He seemed surprised I fought back."

smiles at her. "Natalia is very brave. He probably didn't get much venom in you, if he couldn't even take blood."

"Still hurts," looks at the book. "I'm learning a lot from that book. I just hope it's accurate."

looks at it. It seems rather old. "Books about vampire usually have at least some sort of truth, especially the old ones."

"It's a rare book, and very old." leans over and picks it up off the table. "I got it because it had a chapter on venom."

sniffs at it. The book smells like human, but there's a bit of vampire there as well, so it's probably more reliable than most. "Seems like_

a good book to have." Nods approvingly.

watches him sniff at it "You can look at it too, if you want."

shakes his head. "I wouldn't understand it. I can't read that well at all."

"Okay," puts the book down "What I've read of it so far surprises me."

blinks curiously. "Like what?"

"Uhm ... well, about the venom. They can use it to cause great pain, or great pleasure. I didn't quite understand how they control it."

shrugs. "I don't know either. I just know they use it to make their prey more biddable."

"Really ... so they don't care if they're being bitten." thinks about that. "I also read some vampires don't kill their prey, and some do"

nods. "Humans can make more blood, da? If I eat a deer, it has to die because it can't make more meat after I've eaten it. But since humans_

can make more blood, vampires can come to the same human over and over which is easier. I, however, have to find a new deer."

"So then some vampires will have humans they feed off of, and keep them alive." Thinks about Alfred, the only vampire who has bitten her.

nods. "It very convinient for them, I think. I feel sorry for those human children. They are always so weak and tired and hurting..."

"Then why do they do it? They like being bitten? When Alfred bit me I felt so weak I called in sick to work. I couldn't live that way."

taps at the book. "It's the venom this book talks about, mostly. Their venom can make a person want sex and the vampires give it to them."

blushes. "Sex? Is that in the book? I haven't read that far yet. Vampires can have sex?"

nods. "Da. Why wouldn't they? The book might not say sex, especially if it's old, but when it talks about venom giving great pleasure, it_

means it makes people want sex.

"

"Ah," cheeks still feel hot. "Do vampires have relationships with humans?"

sees where she's going with this. "I don't think it's a good idea. But it happens."

"No, probably not a good idea, but what if the human finds themselves thinking about it all the time? I wonder if the book mentions that?"

shrugs. "You'd have to read more. But I would tell that human to let her feelings fade away so she doesn't get hurt, da?"

looks at the book, "That sounds like good advice. hopefully they will manage to do that, somehow."

pets her hair. "I really hope she can. She deserves to find a good human who can take care of her and love her till they die."

"It's funny, the only nice people I've met are a demon and two vampires. Maybe it's not my destiny to meet a nice human and settle down?"

continues stroking her hair. "Maybe. But destiny, if it's real, is very weird. I've seen humans do things they never thought possible."

"Humans can be very brave, when they have to be."

nods. "They have to be, to live in a world of vampires and demons."

looks at him. "But vampires were humans once. Were they brave or cowards?"

almost says cowards automatically, then thinks of Yong Soo. "I... most don't have a choice, I think."

"Yong Soo said he was curious."

nods. a bit. "Yong Soo is... very different, for a vampire."

"I admit I'm curious, but not enough to want to become one. Vampires don't go to heaven."

blinks. "You are religious?"

nods. takes out the little gold Eastern Orthodox cross from under her collar. "Yes I am."

seen the cross before, but thought it was just to ward of vampires. "Ah, that makes sense. What does your religion say about me?"

"About Demons?" looks down, "That they come from hell and their job is to torment humans and lead them into sin."

laughs. "You don't need to feel bad. Churches only say that because before, demons were treated like gods because of their powers. The_

churches had to say something to stop people from worshipping the demons instead of their God."

"Are you saying the church lied?" Horrified

on it. "Da... and nyet. It is more like they over simplified. Some demons just wanted to hurt humans, so they applied that label to all of_

us."

"So some demons are okay, but all vampires are eventually evil?" wonders if the book will explain this.

nods. 'That has been my experience, da."

like she wants to cry now. "I can't imagine Alfred being bad, or Yong Soo, he's so sweet."

hugs her. "I do not know Alfred, but I think Yong Soo will continue being a good child for a very long time, until long after you are gone._

So you can always think of him as good."

"That's good then, I won't see him be bad. I couldn't stand seeing him be evil. It's already sad enough he won't go to heaven."

smiles at her. "I think if any god were to make an exception to a "no vampires in heaven' rule, it would be for that child."

"Even when the priest says his soul is damned for what he did? I would hope a god is merciful."

shrugs. "He was just lonely. And he doesn't kill anyone, da?

"