Possession

11

Still needs a little bit of work, but here's my very rough chapter 11!

Chapter 11

Instead of helping me, people avoid me like the plague. I wander the city, barefoot and bloody for hours. I take refuge in a church, hunching down in a rear pew as a light stream of people flow in and out for confession.

As the last people leave, the priest comes from the confessional. He makes his way down the aisle, putting bibles and hymnals back into the holsters on the backs of the pews. Eventually he gets to my row, and places a hand on my shoulder. Without a word, he offers me a hand, and takes me into a back room. The priest offers me a sandwich and water, and gives me a pair of sweatpants, a tee shirt and a pair of well-worn sneakers a size too large. Despite the language barrier, I manage to convey my gratitude. He cleans and bandages my neck, and cleans the cuts on my hands and knees. The gouges on my neck probably need stitches, but at this point, I don’t care. When he takes notice of the marks on my wrists, he crosses himself, and gestures towards the door in a shooing motion. I thank him again, and go on my way.

Dusk is approaching rapidly and I’m lost, tired, and penniless. Once it’s dark, I’m certain there will be vampires out searching for me. The sound of an English speaking voice catches my attention, and I hurry across the street to a small group of tourists.

“Excuse me, can you please help me?” All six of them turn to face me. “I was, I don’t know, I guess I was kidnapped and somehow ended up here. I don’t speak German, and I’m terribly lost. Can you help me?”

A wad of crumpled bills hits me in the face.

“I’m sure you’re in real trouble. Why don’t you go buy a coffee, and sleep off whatever it is that you’re on.” Says one man indignantly.

“Please, I’m not on drugs, and I don’t want your money, I’m just looking for a way to get home.” I gather the money up and hold it out to him.

“Oh yeah? Where’s home?”

“The United States.”

“Ha, good luck with that. Keep the money, I don’t want it back.”

With that, they hurry away and I’m left, alone, clutching a few euros in my hands. Eventually I come across a café, and use the money for a croissant and a much-needed coffee. Now I just need to come up with a game plan. Maybe there’s a homeless shelter around here I can stay at. But then again, they might think to look there for me.

I change my attention to the television above the barista’s head. It’s a newsflash. My face appears on the screen, that same photo Ferdinand had taken. Bold black letters form a headline across the top of the screen. This is not good. I hurry out of the café and into the cool night as casually as I can manage. I hear shouting behind me, so I take off running.

Exhausted and out of breath, I finally come to a stop, and drop down onto a bench. Where can I go from here?

“River.”

I jump at the sound of my name coming from behind me. A tall, gaunt vampire emerges from the shadows in a rather dramatic fashion.

“No. You have the wrong person.”

“Then why did you respond to your name?” His eyebrow lifts, doubting me.

“I didn’t, you just startled me.”

He looks amused for a moment. I’ve never been a very good liar.

“Ah, well, perhaps I am mistaken.” He muses, but approaches me. His steel eyes glint. “Your scent, however, betrays you. Not that I could have fallen for your lie a moment ago.”