Part 1: The Grind

Splinters by Kylie Benton tells the story of Leo, a centuries-old vampire who has found the perfect cover in the modern world: working endless overtime on the night shift at a manufacturing warehouse. His superhuman strength and stamina make him appear as a model employee, while the job allows him to avoid the deadly sun and thrive in the quiet, shadowy hours.

This fragile peace is threatened by his coworker, Dale, an observant man who has secretly deduced Leo's true nature. While maintaining a facade of friendship, Dale begins a subtle and menacing campaign against Leo. He starts leaving sharpened pieces of wood-easily mistaken for simple pallet scraps by others-in Leo's path, near his forklift, and by his locker.

The tension escalates as the placement of these "splinters" becomes more deliberate and dangerous, culminating in a trap set by Dale in the loading bay. Leo's vampiric senses allow him to foil the trap, leading to a quiet but terrifying confrontation. Instead of using violence, Leo reveals a fraction of his true power, intimidating Dale into submission and ending his secret hunt. The story concludes with a new, uneasy truce, transforming the warehouse from a sanctuary into a silent battlefield where the power dynamic has been forever changed.