Blood. It runs through you. It provides much needed oxygen to your vital organs. It helps fight infections, keeps your body warm and working. And seeing it gush from a stab can be one of the most addicting things you'll ever see.
I made my first kill at 19. I was curious. I had to know what happened when you took a life. I chose a vagrant. A homeless man downtown. I wore gloves and took along my pocket knife. It's a small three-inch blade, the kind you can buy at most gas stations these days. It gave a satisfying click when opened, as I stalked toward the drunk, sleeping man. He was slumped in a back alley, surrounded by spare clothes, bottles and boxes. He mumbled and he snored and he stank. His odor stung at my nostrils the closer I walked.
I put my left hand over his mouth as I slid the blade into his chest. I felt the edge scrape across a rib, slightly vibrating the knife. His eyes flew open, but I think he was too drunk to completely understand what was happening. I pulled the weapon out of his chest. The moonlight sparkled across blood and steel. That was the moment I knew I would need more. I sliced across the man's neck, one quick motion, and watched as crimson poured out of him onto the asphalt.
His body grew limp, the blood stopped flowing. I took another longing look at what I'd done, turned and walked away. I was tired and wired. I wanted sleep, praying to dream about those wonderful rubies.
Taking his life was almost an afterthought, putting the poor thing out of his misery. I didn't care about his life. It wasn't about the killing anymore. Only the blood. That jeweled liquid, hot and alive and wet. After that, I was hooked.
I've killed seven more people since then. Each one bloodier than the last. No one connected to me, several of them even out of town. I want to keep going as long as I can. I keep my victims as sedated as possible, though. I'm not in it for the pain. I only want the blood. Sedation is more humane, I think.
The need is growing, though. I want more. I want to see more. There are six billion people in the world. That's a lot of blood and I have work to do.

Copyright 2007 Sean D. Astle
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