she lures you into the shadows

with her parchment skin and her disquieting laugh;

and the dark, eternal promise that glitters

in her bottomless black eyes.

you are maddened by the scent of her,

an uneasy potpourri

of blown roses and sweet incense, summer rain and slow decay.

helplessly, you shiver alternately with loathing and desire,

as slowly she draws you in.

with no choice but to surrender, you offer your pale throat;

your eyes closing as her lips touch your skin.

a moment of clarity before her teeth sink in;

then all is lost in an exquisite wave of pain and ecstasy.

drained, you slide to the ground, the light within fading;

your blood already drying to an ancient shade of maroon upon her swollen lips.