Creature of a New Kind

First Bag of Blood

She hated to admit it, but Sookie did sleep better knowing that Jessica was in the house. She sat on the sofa in her flannel pyjamas and watched the television. Sookie smiled as she watched her, it seemed that she was living a pretty normal life.

She awoke in the morning and flung her curtains open. Although it was a mild autumn day, the sun still made her wince a little. So she rustled through her bathroom shelves, to find her old bottle of sunscreen.
"It has been a long while since I have seen you." She sighed, looking down at the bottle from when her Gran was still alive and forced her to put it on.
"You'll catch that nasty cancer!" She used to say and Sookie chuckled, wondering what she would say if she saw her now.

She dressed for the day in her little denim shorts and a white t shirt. She felt strangely nostalgic for the time before she met Bill, when all she had to worry about was being a telepath and whether or not she was going to find a date that didn't repulse her. Now, she was hiding the fact that she was a vampire faerie hybrid, and she wondered how things had gotten so complicated.

She packed a flask of blood with her, incase she struggled with the scents of a bar full of humans. Whilst she poured it, she felt both repulsed and hungry. It was the first time she had ever experienced the two emotions at the same time.

For a moment, as she was driving to work, she wished she had never met Bill. Then, she would have never met Eric, and maybe even Gran would have still been alive, and poor little Tina. But, there was no going back now. She thought that she might get a new cat, and that thought raised her spirits a little.

When she got to Merlotte's, it felt like she had been away an eternity. She parked in her usual spot and took a deep breath before walking into the bar. She definitely noticed that people smelt different, and now alongside repressing her mind reading, she had to repress her bloodlust. She wondered if she was ever going to catch a break.

Sam was shocked to see Sookie back so soon. Jason had told him that she was back, and proceeded to buy shots all night. He wanted to ask, but Sam was never one to pry.
"Sookie, you're back soon." He smiled, pulling her into an embrace. She smelt different, not wildly different, but just a little, enough for Sam to notice.

Sookie smiled and hugged Sam, trying not to scrunch her nose up at the scent of dog. She had never smelt that on Sam before, but now it was there, in full force.
"Oh yeah, I left Bill in New York. I am not a city girl." She told him and he chuckled and nodded.
"No, I don't imagine you doing well in the big city." She smiled a little and wished she could tell him how right he was.

They sat down in his office and Sam could tell that Sookie was on edge.
"Are you alright Sook? You seem stressed." He asked and Sookie wondered if she should tell him. But too many people already knew and she loved Sam, but he wasn't the best at keeping a secret.
"Oh, it's just Bill. We had a fight before I left New York. I don't think we're dating anymore." And as she told him, she realised that she was telling the truth. That added salt into the wound. Not only was she dealing with all the shit he dealt her, they weren't together anymore.
"Oh, I see. I'm sorry Sook." He placed a friendly hand on her knee and she smiled up at him.

After Sookie almost begging him, Sam agreed to let Sookie come back to work that evening.
"You know I feel useless if I'm not doing anything!" She told him and he nodded.
"If only everyone could be like you." He smiled and she wondered what kind of world that would be.

Sookie had to take a quick bathroom trip before she left the bar. She sipped on her blood and realised that she probably wasn't going to have enough for a whole shift. She couldn't take blood from the bar, maybe she could keep some extra flasks in her bag, she would have to sit down and work it out.