As the vampire emerged from the shadows, its eyes fixed on Emily with an unspeakable hunger. Joe tried to push her behind him, but it was too late.
The vampire was upon them, its fangs bared and gleaming in the moonlight. Emily tried to scream, but her voice was frozen in her throat.
And then, in an instant, it was over. The vampire's fangs sank into Emily's neck, and she felt a wave of searing pain wash over her.
Joe fought to pull the vampire away, but it was too strong. It held him off with one hand, its eyes blazing with an otherworldly power.
As Emily felt her life slipping away, she saw the vampire's face inches from her own. Its eyes were black as coal, and they seemed to bore into her very soul.
And then, everything went black.
When Emily came to, she was lying on the ground, her head throbbing with pain. Joe was kneeling beside her, his face etched with worry.
"Emily, can you hear me?" he whispered.
Emily tried to speak, but her voice was barely a whisper. "What...what happened?" she stammered.
Joe's expression was grim. "The vampire bit you," he said. "I'm so sorry, Emily. I couldn't stop it."
As Emily's mind reeled with the implications, she felt a strange sensation coursing through her veins. It was as if her body was changing, transforming into something new and monstrous.
And then, she knew. She was one of them now. A vampire.
