ALL RIGHTS TO THE CHARACTERS (EXCEPT MOLLY) AND SETTING BELONGS TO Rachel Caine and HER MORGANVILLE VAMPIRE SERIES!!!
Enjoy.
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What the hell am I doing here? I don't belong here... I don't care if it hurts... I want to have control... I want a perfect body, I want a perfect soul. I want you to notice, when I'm not around, so fucking special, I wish I was special, but I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo.
I was humming along to the song when a deep voice said, "What can I get you?" I didn't flinch, I simply looked up from my book. There, next to me was a tall man in hippy-like attire with slightly graying hair that was pulled into a ponytail at the back of his neck.
I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" I wasn't stupid. I knew how the town worked. Vampires amuck giving 'Protection' to humans terrified of them and of their own shadows in exchange for blood 'donations' which were really taxes. He wasn't wearing any type of bracelet showing Protection so either he was a free-be rogue or he was vamped. His eyes were a cool color and he was pale. Vamp, no matter what he gave off I could tell. He was smiling humanly and almost kindly even. "Actually, you can do me and yourself a favor and go lay out in the sun with a nice silver stake in your heart."
His little facade dropped and we was all seriousness. Heehee I love making them sweat. He took the seat in front of me and I closed my book, pushing it to the side. He stared me down. I guess trying to break me. A small part of me wanted to squirm, but I knew better.
The stare down went on for some time, neither of us giving in. That is until he finally said, "Who are you?"
"A person." I uncrossed my Gothic tights and skirt and leaned forward and crossed my arms on the table. Gotta love being a freak. I was goth yep, still am. Aside from the flaming long red hair you'd think me a whore of Satan from a glance. On a second thought, the red hair probably 'fueled' it. Ha ha, that was punny.
"Don't test me. Obviously you know you score around here. So you should know not to try games with me."
"Don't make me laugh." He was growing annoyed, only making my fun grow with it.
"Your not from here."
"Obviously. You find that out all by yourself?"
"Little girl-"
"Hold up- obviously neither of us is little."
"Your playing with fire. I courteously suggest you watch your yourself."
"It's not like I ever bought into your innocent hippy act." Ohhhh was he getting mad. Or at least more annoyed.
"Who are you and what do you know."
"I told you."
Blank.
"I'm a person who knows the score around here."
"Obviously not if your going to test my patience."
"I'm not going to test your patience."
He cocked an eyebrow.
"I'm already testing it." He growled an irritated noise. I took pity, sadly. "Molly."
"Molly?"
"Yeah. That's what I said." Again with the cocking of the eyebrow. "What?"
"Just who told you the score around here?"
"Me."
"I highly doubt that."
"Well it's true."
"Prove it."
"How?"
"Tell me what you know."
I chuckled. "You can't know all my secrets. If you did, this wouldn't be as much fun and we wouldn't have this game." I grabbed my book and my bag. I stuffed the book in carelessly and draped the bag black bag over my head onto my shoulder. As I began walking out, in light speed, he grabbed my wrist, relativly painfully and stopped me. I whirled, grabbing his own. "No bracelet." He commented.
"Nope, not needed. Let go."
"You think you can stop me, child."
"You can't hurt me."
"Oh?"
"No." I said calmly and certainly. "This is Common Grounds. Exactly that, even grounds where no human can hurt a vamp or vice versa. Other wise both sides get fucked and Amelie has a bitch fit." He looked momentarily caught off guard. Point Molly.
He released me and we had another momentarily staredown before I broke it and left into the twilight lit evening. I was not a full block before the vampire was beside me. Then spun me around and bared fangs for a flash, "Who are you?"
"I told you Molly."
"How do you know Amelie?"
"She's founder of Morganville, duh."
"How do you know about us."
"I'm not stupid like those pathetic college kids. Oh, and tell your little charge or whatever, Monica to back the fuck up or get fucked up."
Anger flash. "Look-"
"No. You look. Let me go or I'll stake your sorry, cranky ass." His grip on my shoulders tightened to fairly painful. I didn't wince. You don't show pain, the result is death, duh.
"How.Do.You.Know.Of.Us?"
"Ways.Now.Let. Go."
"Not until you tell me." His grip tightened even more. Ouch. Still, no reaction from me. He grew more annoyed. Good.
"I told you I'm not stupid."
He made another annoyed sound and released me. He looked smug. "If you know as much as you claim, then you know its not safe to be out in the dark."
"No shit, Sherlock."
"He was a fine fellow."
"He's fictional Dipshit."
"There are others who carried the name."
"And?"
"Your not protected, its dark. You seem smart. Figure it out." He leaned closer and his face was near the side of mine, near my neck, "Some vampire will come along and take you away to their liking. Drain you dry. Or if I had my way with you, slowly take and make you suffer. Watch you starve over time and beg for death as a mercy"
"You don't scare me, besides, it's against the law to hunt humans now. If your hungry, go to the blood bank like any other blood sucker."
"Then allow me to walk you home."
"How stupid do you think I am?"
"Your clearly still alive."
"Clearly. Any thing else Douche?"
"Excuse me, vermin?"
"Oh I do humbly apologize, do you prefer Mr. Sir Douche Bag, or Your Undead Highness, or Creepy Stalker Vampire Dude?"
I began walking away to the almost completly dark night towards 'home.'
"Where are you going?" He intercepted my path.
"Home. So go terrorize some other person."
He grabbed me by my upper right arm painfully and began dragging me away down the street. I tried to jerk away. Denied. Instinct to over. I threw myself into the air and when he faltered in step due to the unexpected move I spit directly into his bright eyes and he flinched back baring fangs. I jerked back, reached into the bag and dug for an easy, less harmful weapon. I succeed and plunged it into his chest. Not his heart. Just his chest, making a hell of a diversion to get him to let the hell go. He glares down at the wood poking out of his Tye dye shirt. He looks confused and amused. He looks up with that same look, "A toothpick?"
"Fuck yes. Now, good bye. Have a horrific night in which I do sincerely hope you get bludgeoned to death or at least stabbed with silver. Have fun."
Fang Flash.
He got in my way again. Now he just looked annoyed with the smallest glint of something I couldn't make out in his eyes.
"I said I'm going home."
"Good. I'll just have to escort you to make sure you don't hurt some other innocent bystander."
"No way in Hell are you innocent. Nor a bystander. You followed me and then attacked me."
"My word against yours. Mine will win."
"Why? Because your Council? Like that'll hold up once I threaten to blow this town's cover."
"Then you know you'll be executed before all Morganville."
"Unless, oh say, I don't know, maybe, possibly, I've already sent others out of here to alert the media, the president, and everyone in between.'
"Then they will be found and killed as well."
"Unless it's already to late."
His eyes narrowed and he turned back to walking, sorry, dragging me down the street. "Where are you taking me?"
"You said you were going home, and I told you I was escorting you."
"Okay, one, this is not escorting this is like kidnap, and two, your going the wrong way. 'Home' is the other way."
"Just where do you live exactly. If you say the Glass house I very well may kill you here and now." He said stopping and turning to me.
"Yeah, uh no. But I do live in a house similar."
"Similar?"
"Mhm. In a Founder's House."
Annoyed look. Annoyed sound. Pivot and drag.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"I'd say this was fun, but then I'd be a liar."
"I have a strong feeling that you already are."
We were on the porch of the nicely sized house. Suddenly there was a tap,tap...crash! from upstairs. Instinct. I shoved my key in and threw the door open and ran inside. Creepy Dude tried to follow but couldn't.
"Invite me in!"
"Ha. How stupid do you think I am?"
Annoyed sound. "Don't be stupid. There's someone inside."
"No shit. Really? Here I am thinking its just a rodent problem." The house shivered as he tried to ram in.
"Let me in Molly! This could be dangerous!"
"No. Shit!" I pulled a silver coated stake from my bag. "I've got it covered." Attempted ram. Growl. Fang Flash. "I don't even know who you are!" I hissed in return.
"Oliver! Now. Let. Me.IN." He looked determined and like he was not going to take no for an answer. I sighed and I knew I'd regret. The house shivered once more. A warning?
"Oliver........Get your sorry ass in here." He flew in and the door clicked shut and he was already upstairs. I ran as fast as my clunky boots allowed up the stairs and riped the picture from the wall, pressing the button that lay there. The hidden door across slid open without a noise. I bolted up the stairs that were revealed, I was so fast that they hardly made creaking noises. Once in the hidden room I was met by a brawl. I could tell one was Oliver from the shirt, but I couldn't recognize the other. After a split second of debating options I grabbed a super old, iron fireplace poker and tip toed as best as I could toward the fighters. If I hit Oliver, he'd be unfazed probably. He seemed old so that was good, besides even if he did get hurt by it he'd be pissed about it later. I crept behind his opponent and swung the poker like a bat with every single ounce of everything I had. It the attacker squarely in the back and he/she crumbled to the ground and a wooden stake rolled out of his/her hands. It was cloaked in huge baggy black pants and a black hoodie. Real original there bud. Oliver looked surprised and I rolled my eyes. "What? Expected me to stand there helpless?" He rolled his own eyes and grabbed the attacker and pulled off the hood. It was some guy, who looked disgusting and homeless, he resembled an old retired biker. Oliver wore a disgusted face and looked to me. "You know him?"
"Oh yeah. That's my dad. Yeah, he's got issues since he got back from 'Nam." I rolled my eyes. "No Dipshit. I don't."
He looked like he'd snap my neck in a second. "He's one of Frank's old guys."
"Frank as in Frank Collins." It wasn't a question.
"You know him?"
"How many times must I say it? I'm not stupid."
We disposed of him, by throwing him out into the yard. Oliver turned to me, "How'd he get in here?"
"Yeah. I totally know the answer. Uh huh."
"Is it impossible to not make snide comments?"
"Is it impossible you to not be a creep?"
"Touche."
"I'll recheck the windows and doors but there is no possible way he got in through them. I double check the locks every morning before I leave."
"Wait, how long have you been here?"
"An amount of time."
Fang Flash. Very close to my face, he said, "I grow tired of your petty games, girl."
"I have a name and it's not girl."
"I don't care what your name is."
The house shivered. Literally. Oliver looked up and rolled his eyes. "I think we both know how he got in, Molly."
He called me by my name. Huh.
"Ho-Oh. Oh, shit." I bolted up the stairs, but he still got there first. I pushed the button and the hidden door slide open. We headed up the stairs. "Let me go first."
"Why because I'm a girl? Fuck that shit. Move."
"For your own safety, fool. Move."
"No. It's my house! I go first. Besides, we all just saw I'm perfectly capable of handling myself."
It sounded like he almost snorted, "Oh yes. You hit someone with a fire poker. How incredible brave. Any imbecile could do it which, you just proved."
Stare down.
Finally I caved, "Fine! But I go first next time."
"Perhaps if you live to see a next time."
I roll my eyes and followed him up into the black darkness. I had to blink a few times once we reached to top. My eyes adjusted and I crept to the door that led to even more stairs, less this time but still more fucking stairs. I stepped into the attic and flipped a switch. There were boxes and trunks and what not scattered about. Some of it was mine, I purposely covered three of my trunks in cobwebs and dust to look blended in.
So far so good.
"It's clear."
I was taken off guard by his suddenly close made statement, that instinct took over and I pulled the silver knife out my boot and whirled plunging it into his arm while pulling the other out for his heart. He saw where I was going and backhanded me to the ground. I still had the knife and flung it into his chest. I had the force but he'd taken a step to the left so it was more into his shoulder. Damn. I rolled to my feet and we began The Dance.
The Dance is a very complicated impulsive dance. Far more difficult than the Tango, Merengue, Waltz and everything else mixed together. The Kill or Be Killed Dance. It was the Preditor-Prey Dance. Myself being Prey. But I had to try my damndest to be Predator at all costs.
And so it began. We circled two full circles when he lunged. I couldn't fully dodge it and it took me down. Time to go dirty girl. I grabbed his hair and yanked as hard as I could backwords. Fang Flash. I raked my nails down his face leaving ugly scratches that didn't bleed. I shoved my heels and pushed up. I clammered to my feet but he got me first. His hand grabbed my throat and I bit as hard as I possible could manage onto his wrist. He snarled an ugly thing.
Reality snapped back as my hard, menacing gaze of a killer locked with his. "Oliver! Oliver! Oliver, it's me Molly! Snap back before we kill each other!"
"Please you human, you'd be long dead before you could really hurt me."
"Yeah, that's not what your face says! HA!"
He clearly wasn't amused. Something changed in his eyes. I knew that look. "Oliver, get downstairs. There's blood in the fridge. Warm it."
"You don't order me."
"I can, however, order you out; if that's the case."
Fang Flash. Damn, I really fucked him up. Still, I felt accomplished and proud inside.
Oh damn, imagine how I must look.