It's dark. It's always dark here. The sun seems to bypass this place as if afraid of the rain that never stops falling. People hurry about, hunched over, raincoats pulled tightly about them, their destination all consuming, aware that this place is wrong. No-one acknowledges the few other people that are on the streets, no-one stops to chat. There's no telling who, or what, will be curious of those who linger.
    This man is no different. His hands are stuffed into his coat pockets and a hood obscures his face. He walks quickly, his eyes down. He's heard stories about this place and has no interest in finding out if they are true. He is unaware of the eyes that follow his path from deep in the shadows, unaware of the cruel plans that fate has in store for him. He walks on.

    Shit, I'm late. She's gonna kill me. Anthony cast his eyes back to the ground in front of him after briefly glancing up at the clock, set high on the wall of the train station, on the other side of the road. Quickly crossing the road, avoiding one of the infrequent cars, he made his way into the station, pulling his hood back as he walked.
    His boots squeaked on the floor, the sound echoing round the ticket hall, but Anthony was oblivious of the fact that there was no-one there to hear it, oblivious to the otherwise unnatural silence that lay over everything like a shroud. He walked straight past the barriers that always seemed to be open nowadays, heading for the platform.
    "I'll meet you on the platform," she'd said. "I'm not waiting in that entrance hall, it's spooky." She had then looked straight at him with those piercing blue eyes and added, "Don't be late."
    Oh, am I in trouble, he thought as he jogged up the steps to the platform. Haven't seen her for two weeks and I turn up late to meet her, she'll have a field day. He reached the top and looked around at the empty platform, the only movement an empty crisp packet caught in a gust of wind. He moved towards the waiting room, reasoning that Kate would probably be in there, out of the wind and the rain.
    As he walked down the platform, he suddenly became aware of the complete lack of people, the silence. There's usually someone waiting for a train, even at this time of night, he thought.
    A faint sound made him turn back towards the stairs. A man in a long dark coat had just come up the stairs and was standing at the top, unmoving, watching him.
    Anthony felt a chill go down his spine. The man looked normal, but there was something about him. Something that made some primeval sixth sense start making itself known, and suddenly Anthony was afraid. Very afraid.
    Just act normally, he thought to himself. Don't look at him, you're imagining things. He turned again, back towards the waiting room, looking for her face at the window, wanting to find her and get out of the station as quickly as possible. Where the hell is she?
    He was almost at the waiting room door when something made him turn again. The man from the stairs was less than a foot from his face, looking as if he hadn't moved a muscle.
    Anthony stumbled back against the waiting room door. "How did you...?" he gasped, grabbing the door handle to stop himself from falling to the floor. His heart was tripping at near light speed and he could feel the familiar surge of adrenalin hit his system, causing his entire frame to start shaking. The man just stood there, looking at him.
    Shit, shit, shit! Psycho, he thought, his eyes already looking for an escape route. He'd had a couple of years of martial arts training a few years back and he'd always been stronger and faster than his friends, but real confrontations had always scared the shit out of him. If in doubt, run like hell, his dad had always told him, and it hadn't failed yet.
He feinted to the left, then took off to his right, aiming for the stairs. He hadn't made more than two steps before a hand grabbed him by the shoulder and tossed him back against the door hard enough to wind him. He looked up at the man fearfully, wondering at the strength needed to throw him about so easily. The man didn't even look as if he'd moved, let alone broken a sweat, and a small evil smile played across his lips, broken only by two long, sharp canines.
    Anthony lay on the floor, wheezing, his mind now totally blank. He started to cry, huge sobs that racked his whole body, overcome by total fear for his life. He rolled over, and that's when he saw her, through the glass door to the waiting room.
    She was lying on the floor, facing the door, her legs at unnatural angles beneath her. A small pool of blood spread out from the long ragged tear in her neck, matting her long blond hair to her head. Her lovely blue eyes stared straight at him, pleading, the pain evident.
    "Anthony." Her voice was weak, struggling.
    Anthony stared at her, his sobs subsiding, and a cold voice whispered in his ear. "She called for you. You're late."
    "Bastard." His voice was a hoarse whisper. "Why?"
    "Why not? It was . . . is . . . fun." The man stepped over Anthony and entered the waiting room, crossing to where Kate lay on the floor.
    Anthony tried to move, tried to will himself to help his love, but his body still wouldn't obey him. He could only watch in horror as the man, the creature, crouched down and gently lifted Kate's head off the floor. A small cry escaped her lips.
    The creature cradled Kate's head in it's lap, softly stroking her hair, in a bizarre parody of the way they had spent their last night together.  "She kept insisting you would come for her. She didn't doubt it for a second. Her trust in you was absolute." It bent it's head swiftly, extending it's tongue to lap at the blood on the side of her face. "She loves you so much, I just had to meet you." It smiled that same cruel smile again. "So I could see your face as you watch her die."
    With that, the creature extended a long, manicured fingernail and drove it through the soft flesh of her throat, the blood instantly welling up and cascading to the floor. Kate gasped at the increased pain, her eyes still locked to Anthony's. He tried to scream but his throat was numb, his mind was numb.
    The creature abruptly stood up, sending Kate tumbling to the floor with a resounding thud. Her eyes never left his.
    Walking to the back of the room, the creature leaned casually against the wall, lighting a cigarette, and watching as the last few moments of Kate's life were played out in front of him.
    Anthony managed to pull himself along the floor, reaching Kate. Touching her neck, her face. Trying to stop the blood. The tears coursed down his face.
    Her eyes found his, pleading. Those eyes that he had fallen in love with. Those eyes that had held his, brimming with tears, as she said "I do." Those eyes that had seen deeper into his soul than he had ever thought possible. Her hand found his and squeezed, hard.
    "I love you," she whispered.
    "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I love you. Don't leave me." Even as he said it he knew it was too late. Her hand went limp, her eyes losing the spark that was Kate. She was gone.
    Anthony sagged to the floor, empty. His eyes produced more tears, but they were an automatic response of his body, a reaction to the trauma. Inside he just felt cold, too far gone for grief. His eyes focused on nothing.
    The sound of clapping startled him, he'd forgotten he wasn't alone.
    "Bravo, bravo." The creature pushed himself away from the wall, cigarette hanging from his mouth, clapping furiously. "Such entertainment."
    He swivelled his eyes to watch the creature, leaning over him.
    "Well done, my boy."
    Anthony's voice croaked, seeming to come from another place. "Kill me. Kill me now."
    "Oh, no, no, no. Life is much more rewarding. You get to relive this night over and over again, and wonder what might have happened if you had been on time." The creature stood, brushed off his coat and turned towards the door. "Farewell, my boy. Farewell." He was halfway through the door when he faintly heard Anthony call out.
    "I'll be seeing you."
    The creature laughed and continued out the door, the sound of his laughter seeming to hang in the air as his footsteps faded into the distance.