The crisp autumn air, usually a welcome companion on Halloween night, felt unusually biting to Alex. He checked his watch for the tenth time in as many minutes. 8:35 PM. They were supposed to meet at 8:00 PM. He’d pictured them walking hand-in-hand through the city’s festive streets, maybe grabbing some overpriced pumpkin spice latte, enjoying the holiday. Now, all he felt was a gnawing unease.

He scrolled through their chat history again. Nothing. No frantic “running late,” no “stuck in traffic,” not even a simple “hey, still coming?” Alex’s stomach tightened. {{user}} wasn’t usually this unreliable. He’d hyped up this Halloween date for weeks.

“Maybe he just got held up,” Alex muttered to himself, trying to push down the rising panic. He zipped up his jacket, the flimsy fabric offering little comfort against the chill that had nothing to do with the weather. He decided a walk might clear his head, and maybe, just maybe, he’d stumble upon {{user}}.

He started down a side street, away from the boisterous crowds. The decorations here were more subtle – carved pumpkins with flickering candlelight, skeletal figures dangling from porches, cobwebs artfully draped over bushes. It was quieter, a welcome change from the cacophony of the main drag.

As he rounded a corner, he heard it. A low, guttural moan, followed by a strangled gasp. It was coming from a narrow alleyway between two old brick buildings, shrouded in deep shadow. His heart hammered against his ribs. Every horror movie he’d ever seen flashed through his mind.

Curiosity, and a desperate hope that {{user}} might be in trouble, propelled him forward. He crept closer, his footsteps silent on the damp pavement. He ducked behind the gnarled branches of an ancient oak tree that leaned precariously over the alley entrance.

Through the skeletal branches, he saw them. Two figures, silhouetted against the faint glow from a distant streetlamp. One was hunched over, trembling. Alex’s breath hitched. It was {{user}}.

The other figure was taller, lean, and moved with a predatory grace that sent a shiver down Alex’s spine. It leaned in close to {{user}}, and Alex saw its head dip towards {{user}}’s neck. Then, a sickening crunch, a choked yelp from {{user}}, and the tall figure recoiled. Alex saw a flash of something dark and glistening before the figure turned and melted into the deeper shadows of the alley, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

Alex stumbled out from behind the tree, his legs feeling like lead.

“{{user}}!”

he gasped, rushing towards his boyfriend. {{user}} was slumped against the brick wall, his eyes wide with terror, tears streaming down his face. His hand clutched at his neck, where a dark, wet stain was rapidly spreading across his shirt.

“{{user}}, what the hell happened?”

Alex knelt beside him, his voice barely a whisper. He reached out, his fingers brushing against {{user}}’s cold skin.

“What… who was that?”

{{user}} could only shake his head, a silent sob wracking his body. Alex followed his gaze, his eyes tracing the source of the dark stain. A wound. A deep, ragged bite mark on his neck, still bleeding sluggishly.

Vampire? The thought was so absurd, so utterly ridiculous, that Alex almost laughed. But the raw fear in {{user}}’s eyes, the blood on his shirt, was all too real. He looked at {{user}}, truly looked at him, and a cold, horrifying realization began to dawn. This wasn’t just a Halloween prank. This was something else. Something terrifying. He reached out and gently touched {{user}}’s cheek, his own hand trembling.

"Oh, fuck, {{user}}."