- You are late Jasper.

Jasper stared at the small human in front of him. She was gazing at him with a small smile.

- I'm sorry Ma'am... Who are you?

She laughed but suddenly sobered up and shook her head in confusion as if she couldn't remember her name. But her face lit up again:

- I'm the one who will save you. I think...

He didn't know what to say but politely nodded. She took his stone cold hands in hers:

- You have to follow me... I have to lead you to someone. But I'm not sure who they are and where exactly they are. But I know that they will save you.

There was something in her demeanor that stirred Jasper's soul. He could glimpse a gleam of hope in her enchanting smile.

- Come with me.

He hesitated. They were seated in a crowded diner but even in the midst of all these people he could smell her. He could taste her blood on his lips. He forced himself to speak again, willing to ignore his thirst:

- Ma'am, your story does seem a bit confusing. How do you know all this? And... Besides... Why would I have to be saved?

She sighed and took a sip of her drink:

- I had a dream... I think that we have to go up West. It's someplace where it always rains. Will you follow me?

Why did he nod?
He was sick of the life he was leading... But did that mean that he would follow an enticing human to an unknown destination? She was far too tempting. Her blood...

- Do you know what I am miss?

She shook her head and giggled.

- You know, I don't even know my own name. Does it matter? I think we have to hurry up and go... there wherever it is.

Jasper couldn't take his eyes off her face:

- And How pray tell can we go up West? I don't have any car or money...

She leaned towards him and he had to stop breathing her smell:

- I actually don't even have any money to pay for my drink.

Jasper ran a hand in his unruly blond hair. Why was he trying to find a solution? This girl was completely crazy. They could run... Or he could run and carry her the whole way. But he'll have to tell her what he was. And she would be running the second he finished explaining. And he realized that he didn't want her to run away.

She was still looking at him and then she whispered:

- We could steal a nice car.

He laughed. He felt lightheaded and mirthful, something that had not happened in years.

- The man sitting on the other side of the bar offered me a drink. Maybe I could talk him into taking me somewhere else.. and then you could...

Jasper shook his head. She was indeed crazy and he didn't care because she was making him laugh.

- You know, I have a good feeling about that Jasper. Loosen up!

What the hell? Ever since he had become a vampire his life had been dark and full of screams. Maybe this little pixie was indeed the one who will save him.

- Lead the way...

She gave him a smile full of mischief and dashed off to the young man sitting all alone.
After a few minutes, Jasper went outside to wait for them.
The poor human was mesmerized by that demented lady and was following her blindly. Jasper was following them. But being so near to these two humans he could feel his throat constrict and burn. He was thirsty. The street was empty and both humans were so fragile next to the ruthless predator behind them.
And he sure didn't feel merciful tonight.
They had stopped next to a car and the girl turned her head to see if he was following them. He could see the trust she was putting on him and his thirst wavered. The smell of blood was overpowering. The last conscious thought Jasper had was to stay away from the girl as he leaped on the young man.
He could hear the girl's frantic heart beating as he was draining the man. She was scared, he could feel her fear seeping into him. And his own shame was raging in his dead heart. He could feel this anonymous man's lust and sudden fear.
But he couldn't stop.

- Jasper!

He had his fill of blood. He wiped his mouth and stood up again. A surge of self hatred went through his body. He had killed another human being once more.
She was staring at him but suddenly her eyes became glassy.

- Ma'am? Miss?

He shook her and she grabbed his arm. Her eyes became normal again and she took a deep breath.

- I don't know what happened.

Jasper could hear far away the footstep of a lone man. He quickly bent and took the keys of the man's car. The girl wasn't speaking, she was following him.
They both got in the car and he drove away.

- You said West?

She muttered:

- Near the Needle... The space needle!

Then she frowned:

- I don't know what I am talking about... Do you?

He didn't reply. He still couldn't understand why she wasn't reacting to what happened on the street. He had killed a man... Drained him from all his blood. And she was still calm.

- You still haven't told me your name...

She sighed:

- I'm sorry, I can't help you... I don't remember.

He took his gaze off the road to look at her. She was a mystery.

- Are you afraid? Do... Do you understand what I am?

She was serious and stern:

- I think... I think that I know why I found you.

Her heart was beating faster once more and he felt her shivering. She was trying to take deep breaths. Her fear was overwhelming him.
Jasper knew that he had to keep her talking lest she gave in to this fear:

- Why?

- Because you have to stop to kill human beings. You just cannot go on doing this.

He felt her fear become anger as it seeped into him. But he took a deep breath a projected a peaceful stillness in him and around her.

- I have no choice. I'm a vampire. If I want to go on I have to drink human blood. Or else. Maybe you're right. I should stop... existing.

- No! There's another way!

She was frantic now. Her emotions were busting into Jasper making him nervous. But once again he tried to calm her.

- How?

She was frowning and trying to remember:

- When you were.... killing... this man I saw us in a forest. We were bent over a mountain lion. I remember the blood... And far away I could see a strange building. You said that it was the space needle. I never had such a clear vision.

Another emotion was filling slowly the car but Jasper did nothing to suppress it: hope.
There was no me or you, she or him... There was only us.

- I don't know what the space needle is. But we will find it.

She nodded. She was looking suddenly very tired. But she was eyeing him suspiciously.

Fear.

- If I fall asleep, will you kill me?

A part of him, the once again thirsty vampire, was sneering and hoping that this girl would fall asleep and then he would take her by surprise. Or he could just jump at her now. But something else, something that had been dormant in him for a very long time rose: he would die of thirst rather than hurting her:

- You can sleep. I promise you that you will wake up unharmed. I swear.

He could feel her trust and he felt small.
She was blindly trusting him.
What did he do? Why did he jump on that man in front of her? How scared she must have been.
So many questions were filling his mind. But as he drove swiftly he could finally feel peaceful.

It was after dawn that she woke up. She stirred and the perfume of her skin hit Jasper. He clenched his jaw and stopped breathing. After all, now he didn't have to pretend to be normal.
The night had been so long yet so still and peaceful. He felt like he was also waking up after a restful night of sleep.

He felt her gaze on his face:

- You kept your promise. I knew you would keep it though.

And she giggled again. He loved her giggle already. She wasn't scared anymore and he was relieved. He never wanted to feel her fear again, never. Her presence was so soothing as sun slowly rising in the sky. She tried to stretch and yawned again.
If only he could ignore her enticing sent... Everything would be alright.