...

Elise pulled her hair up into a messy bun, high atop her head. Her eyes were less darker than usual, the mascara and eyeliner not as thick as it was some days. There was no reason to look her best, at least, not tonight. She wasn't quite hungry, and so, decided she would not hunt, but she would go out. Well, not clubbing, anyway. There wasn't a single decent place anymore. Everything was over-run by drugs.

She slowly walked, slender form covered by a snug black sweater, and equally snug black leggings. Her shoes, not exactly shoes. She was barefoot. Why? In her hand she held two shoes. Ballet shoes. Elise intended to dance this evening.

But, as she walked along, going over the steps in her mind, she noticed a young boy. No, not a boy. This was one of her own kind, a vampire, such as herself.

Non, non! Vous êtes des vampiress! she thought, snickering to herself.

As she neared the vampire, she noticed smoke rising from his mouth.

"Don't you know those are poisonous, even for the undead?" she said, approaching him from behind.

Elise looked down at the boy. Well, that's what he looked like, anyway. He was obviously older than his apparent age. But still, he looked awfully ridiculous with a cigarette and then...weed, was it?

Laughing to herself, she walked in front of the bench and proceeded to sit down.

"Well, originally, I had intended to dance," she held up her ballet shoes, worn from the countless times she had used them. Obviously, she had had to buy them over and over again, as her shoes dilapadated along with the time. It was nearly impossible to preserve shoes for a century, at least with Elise. She continued, "but I suppose talking wouldn't hurt me. It's been a while since I've talked to someone other than a mortal. I never realized how many humans actually lived in New York. Ah well. It makes my life easier, eh?"

She looked down at her ballet shoes, pink in color, but hard tell. Mixed with the night and, of course, the amount of grime and dirt, they looked a rather sickening grey. Not that it mattered to Elise. As long as she could still use them.

"Kicking it? As in doing yourself in? Well, I've thought about that for some time now. This whole eternal life thing...It's just so...monotonous. People say history repeats itself. Well, it's very true. Every couple of decades, every century, I see the same thing. And it's grown quite dull."

She looked at the joint he had rolled. Elise had tried her best to avoid drugs, alcohol, anything of the sort. Even though it wouldn't do anything to her, it just seemed kind of pointless. But, you only live once. Though, that seemed a rather ironic phrase to account for a vampire.

Elise arched an eyebrow.

"Six hundred years? Well, you've got me beat. I've just grown extremely tired. This life has gotten monotonous. Going out every night, killing people. It's just...well, I can't describe it."

She put a finger to her lips, as if in thought. She had managed to avoid drugs for quite some time. It wouldn't hurt to try a little bit. Besides, if she was going to die, why not "live" a little?

"I suppose so. I'll try it. I've never had one before. Is it just like a regular cigarette?"

She grabbed the joint, and twirled it with her fingers, playing with it. She was almost teasing herself.