Blood and Steam



The full moon hung low over the mountain onsen as she sank into the pool. Steam curled around her pale shoulders, but the water was no longer water. Thick and dark, it clung to her skin in glistening trails.
She lifted her face toward the sky, lips parted. A thin rivulet of blood ran from the corner of her mouth, tracing the curve of her chin before falling into the crimson surface. Her eyes, the same impossible red as the pool, reflected the moonlight.
Somewhere beyond the wooden fence and the snow-dusted rocks, something had once breathed. It no longer did. She was in no hurry. The night was long, the onsen was warm, and the moon was patient.
She leaned back, letting the steam rise around her, and smiled just enough to show her fangs.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Video made on mage.space