1. Macabre Marmalade (COMPLETED; EDITING)

XVII (7.2)

I can't think of this now or I will freeze, he thought resolutely turning to the pot with the potion he made. Concentrate on things that will give you the edge when these intruders decide to stop stalking you and go for a kill.

After a few long breaths to calm his nerves he went on to grab a box of plastic stretch foil. I think the best thing to do is to make packets filled with this potion, he decided. Cutting the foil and putting the knife on the stove to heat up. I'll make small balloons like those detergent packets idiots tried to eat, back on ... 'Mother globe', he thought as the term he heard from Mick came to him.

After twenty minutes he had five packets of combat potion in plastic foil package sealed with a hot knife, looking like small water balloons. The rest of the potion he poured in the plastic bottle and left in the fridge.

Should I go to this date now, knowing that someone is stalking me? Were those vampires or someone else? But who else would break into my home to snoop around? Questions kept multiplying in his head until he took another deep breath.

"No, I will not allow anyone to control my actions. I am going to go meet this girl and have a great time," he said to himself.

He washed up a bit, checked his dagger and pistol on the belt to make sure they were holstered properly and walked to his room snatching his new coat on the way. Once he was at his room he donned the coat quickly as his life depended on it. He felt more powerful and safer by just having it on. Glasses were next after small deliberation.

Are you really going to wear sunglasses during the night like some kind of stereotypical douche? He asked the mirror reflection. I wonder ... thought snapped in his mind. After a few seconds of searching functions, he found it. Black sunglasses lenses lost their color appearing as regular transparent glass. There, now I will not look like some idiot who wears shades at night. But I will look like some dandy who has fancy golden frame glasses. I can live with that though.

Todor then grabbed three extra clips from the living room table putting them in the inside pocket of the coat. Next, he made stop at the kitchen where he took his new plastic potion packets adding them to the breast pocket. Just in case. Hopefully, I made them sturdy enough not to burst on their own.

Memory from the alley came to his mind uncalled. Old man with a cane and young looking girl with a hoodie next to a few other vampires whose faces he didn't remember. Fists and booted feet slamming into him, delivering blow after blow, his feeble attempts at protecting his head. He ground his teeth at the unbidden memory. One of those is dead, killed by strange barbarians. It came to him with satisfaction, guilt slowly creeping in at the thought.

"Sorry, dad. I am not as good a person as you were. I will not let anyone bully me anymore," he whispered before grabbing the railgun as well before he walked to the garage.

There his vintage Renault Four waited. Pale blue paint he renewed just a few months back made the car look a bit newer but Todor knew the vehicle was old even when he was born. His mother was a huge fan of the model for some reason and kept this one in great condition. Well, old boy, you are only French car that works in this new world. He thought as he opened the door of the car and putting railgun at the front passenger seat. After a short deliberation, he replaced the weapon putting it under the sit. It would be too much of a temptation to leave it visible there for any passing carjacker, he concluded. Even if the car was not worth much, he didn't want to risk it. I am risking enough by just existing it seemed, he thought his lips curling into mocking smile.