Dead Girls Dance: Shane's Point of View (A Morganville Vampires Fanfic)

Chapter Three

“Hearing nuns' confessions is like being stoned to death with popcorn.”   

-Fulton J. Sheen

Chapter Three

I didn’t want to talk to the cops. It would complicate things. Plus, there were vamp cops. I didn’t trust cops, I sure as hell don’t trust vamp cops. They kept asking Claire and Eve questions. “Leave them alone,” I said suddenly. 

“It speaks!” the girl vamp said. She crouched in front of me. “A knight-errant, defending the helpless. Charming. Do you not trust us, little night? Are we not your friends?” This chick was weird and pissing me off. 

“That depends.” I looked up at her. “You take your orders from Oliver, or the Founder? Because if you touch us-any of us-you have to take it up with her. You know who I mean.” She frowned and her partner laughed. 

“Careful, Gretchen, he snaps. Just like a half-grown puppy. Boy, you don’t know what you’re saying. The Founder’s mark is on the house, yes, but I see no bands on your wrists. Don’t be stupid and make bold claims you can’t back up.”

“Bite me, Dracula,” I snapped at the man. The woman laughed. 

“A wolf pup. Oh, I like him, Hans. May I have him, since he’s a stray?” she asked Dracula. Okay. This was getting a little too erotic porno for me. 

“Ma’am?” An officer cleared his throat. “Sorry, but I can’t allow that. You want to file the paperwork, I’ll see what I can do, but-” 

The woman stood and grunted, “Paperwork. Fah. In the old days we would have run him down like a deer for insolence.”

“In the old days, Gretchen, we were starving,” Hans chastised her. “Remember? The winters in Bavaria? Let him howl.” He turned to Claire and Eve and smiled. “Sorry. Gretchen gets carried away. Now, you’re sure none of you knew these intruders? Morganville’s not that big a town. We’re all pretty close-knit, especially the human community.”

“Strangers,” Eve said. “I think they might have been strangers. Maybe just...passing through.”

“Passing through,” Hans repeated. “We don’t get a lot of casual visitors. Even biker gangs.” He studied all three of us more closely. His gaze settled on me. Of course. “Your name.”

“Shane. Shane Collins.”

“You left Morganville with your family a few years ago, yes? What brought you back?” I tensed even more and made sure I kept the emotion out of what I said next. 

“My friend Michael needed a roommate.” I realized too late that I had brought attention to Michael. 

“Michael Glass. Ah, yes, the mysterious Michael. Never around when anyone comes calling during the day, but always present at night. Tell me, is Michael a vampire?”