Right. Also after the Equal Rights for the Undead and the Undead March's and the whole Vampire/Werewolf equality, people would consider you a bigot if you say vampires or werewolves are somehow cursed or 'evil'.
It's funny cause its hippyisem (I always loved that word) and its also true. I've always liked the idea that a vampireisem and lynthrocapy are just disability's, not curses. I don't know why, but it always tickles me to think of humans playing poker with werewolves and vampires, figures traditionally shown as figures who have to hide or humankind will destroy them as monsters.
Anyone else notice I'm over explaining something that is overly obvious.
Hunters
Moderator: Moderators
New characters! New situations! Cuddling! (Josh is working up to the big plunge with Sally, but face it; he's still a virgin at thirty). Some villans become more apparent, other stay in the shadows. And the World Of Darkness: Vampire handbook comes in handy as a spell checker for ONE of the words in this story. Witch one? You'll have to read and FIIIIND OUT!!
Steve reached over and flicked on the radio. Jerome growled at him, teeth flashing. It might have looked like a smile, if it was without the fangs and eerie growl. Steve stared down Jerome and turned the radio on anyway. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Cockroach's again├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôBeatles├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve corrected him automatically. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhatever├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't you know that guitar bands are so last decade. I mean they are completely out of style and done to death├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIf you listened more and talked less├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou'd hear how good these guys are├óÔé¼┬Ø.
They drove in silence for a time, the radio thrumming along nicely. It got to the chorus again and Jerome sighed, checking his watch. ├óÔé¼┼ôI have a clock right here├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve pointed out, stabbing his finger at the Eleven o' clock that was ticking on his dashboard. Then he yawned, realizing how late it was. Jerome rolled down the window and sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôThe moon is nice tonight├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôI think the worst part is over├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHuh?├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe moon's influence is waning├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said ├óÔé¼┼ôNow it feels normal├óÔé¼┬Ø. Steve looked out the window. The moon was actually waxing, getting closer to a full one.
├óÔé¼┼ôStill sings├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said softly. He checked a different watch on his arm. Steve glanced at the watch. The one he saw said ├óÔé¼┼ô-2:93├óÔé¼┬Ø. Be blinked and chanced a look at another. That one was just a loop of numbers, running on the innards of the watch. It started at ├óÔé¼┼ô3.14159265...├óÔé¼┬Ø and just went along and along until the numbers got too small to read. The hand was actually a small circle that slowly moved from one number to another. Steve jerked his eyes back to the road as another car barreled past them. ├óÔé¼┼ôYour on the wrong side of the road!├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve shouted back at the car. It ignored him, of course, and vanished around a bend in the road.
Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. Then there was a jerk and the stake was slid out of Timothy. He blinked, but it was a useless gesture, as a blindfold was still bound tightly over his head. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't try to break your bonds├óÔé¼┬Ø A voice said ├óÔé¼┼ôEach has a rather powerful rune attached to them. Doing so would be...beyond your ability's├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tim sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you want├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI really would like to finish furnishing my roommates room├óÔé¼┬Ø. The voice laughed ├óÔé¼┼ôoh├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou really don't understand who you're dealing with, do you?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The blind fold was ripped off. Tim blinked in the light, a dingy lamp that hung from the celling. Then he saw the man standing above him. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh bloody hell├óÔé¼┬Ø Tim said, staring the man. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats right├óÔé¼┬Ø The man said. ├óÔé¼┼ôCount├óÔé¼┬Ø Tim gulped. The Count put his foot on Tim's knee, leaning against him the way a man would lean against a desk. ├óÔé¼┼ôCount, is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø The Count said ├óÔé¼┼ôbut...I thought we were on first name basis, Lord Timothy Alfred Blackhorse├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Count's face split in a wide grin, both his fangs readily visible. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you want me for├óÔé¼┬Ø Timothy said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou've already forced me to live in this undead body for century's├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôTrue├óÔé¼┬Ø The Count said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I thought you had given up and let the sun take you when you disappeared to the America's. So when this grand United States so pointlessly won their illusionary freedom from the equally deluded British, who thought they had killed me long...long ago├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Count's eyes glowed slightly as he looked into Timothy's. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo, aside from a old get together├óÔé¼┬Ø Tim said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you want me for?├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Count took his foot of Timothy's knee and turned away, walking for the exit of the room ├óÔé¼┼ôDiablerie├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Timothy gasped ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, shaking his head ├óÔé¼┼ôNot even...you...would stoop to that├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The Count snapped his fingers, turning around ├óÔé¼┼ôTrue├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI despise Diablerists as much as any other Nosferatu, but they have a way with mortals. Some say it's the...benefits of such a odious act. They often have money, and in this modern world, money is power. And with power one can cast of the shackles that the humans have put on us!├óÔé¼┬Ø The Count strode to Timothy, grabbing his shoulders ├óÔé¼┼ôImagine! With money I could buy blood for me to enjoy. I could import slaves from the East and feast on freash blood every night. With money I suppose I could even...get some Lupine Vitiate├óÔé¼┬Ø. He smiled at Timothy. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou've never given up that dream, Count├óÔé¼┬Ø Tim said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd that├óÔé¼┬Ø The Count said, turning away and walking out of the room ├óÔé¼┼ôIs why I will succeed├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhere! Where did you see this before!├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger asked, grabbing Josh. He gulped ├óÔé¼┼ôGinger├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI have some bad news├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger's eyes wavered ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôDanny├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's dead. Murdered├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger gasped, letting go of Josh. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe played cards last night├óÔé¼┬Ø she said softly. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe was murdered when he was staked to his poker table, and prevented from removing the stakes because each had a cross, each on the four sides. Just like this├óÔé¼┬Ø he held up the silver cudgel. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you think these are related?├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôMaybe...├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut both these M.O's are different. This is more like a mugging. Danny's murder was more like an execution├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis murderer was a human├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôI could tell that much├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know who murdered Danny, but I think it was more then one person, from the track's they made. Also we think it must have been humans as well, as we found trace's of human blood in Danny's coffin. We think he managed to hurt one before they subdued him├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôA cult├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt sounds like a cult. We sometimes get them. Pro-human cults who think vampires and werewolves are stains on human kind├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI remember├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut they've never actually...killed a vampire or werewolf before. Normally the vampire or werewolf rips them to shreds when they try, and we let them go on self defense charges├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt looks like we are looking at a very organized, very well equipped├óÔé¼┬Ø she glanced at the cudgel ├óÔé¼┼ôCult├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll look up the four crosses├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôcan you tell the police what we've found?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll report in with Martha, then go home├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôbe safe├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll bother the police station in the morning, just to give them more incentive├óÔé¼┬Ø.
He stalked off, pulling his trench coat tighter. Ginger sighed, looking at the witness. He was standing around like some lost sheep, unable to decide whether to go or stay. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said, looking at her watch ├óÔé¼┼ôLet me walk you to the hospital├óÔé¼┬Ø. The man looked at her, blinking. Then he nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo what's your name?├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôLawrence├óÔé¼┬Ø The man said, sighing ├óÔé¼┼ôWe were engaged├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSandra and I├óÔé¼┬Ø Lawrence said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know a Sandra├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's married to my brother Steve├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou have a brother?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lawrence asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI mean one thats...alive├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said, frowning slightly ├óÔé¼┼ôI was turned recently├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lawrence nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôMy mom was bitten in the Great Panic and became a zed. My dad shot her. Then he ate his own gun├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger had never heard someone call a zombie a zed. She supposed, from his slightly British accent, that he must be from Britain or some other place like it. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen were you two getting engaged?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lawrence said ├óÔé¼┼ôOh right...uhh...three weeks, I think├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôSandra could never choose on a date├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôHow is she?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHuh?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lawrence asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs she pretty? Is she sweet?├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger smiled at him. They were almost to the hospital, but she still needed some small talk to fill the gap. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Lawrence said ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't care how she looks. She's funny├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger looked at him knowingly. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Lawrence said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe also has this incredible smile├óÔé¼┬Ø. He, oddly enough, seemed most at east describing the different features of his soon to be wife. Then they arrived at the hospital and Ginger opened the door for him. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sure she'll pull through├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lawrence's face fell ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø he said.
Josh heard the door bell. He jerked away after the fact and wasn't sure if he had heard the doorbell or if that had been a dream. Then he realized that he had fallen asleep over his notes on cults and Christianity off shoots. Then he heard the door bell again. He stood up, stretched and walked over to the door. He opened the door. Then he gaped. Sally stood there, but not the Sally he was used to. This was a Sally, wearing a knock out, slinky dress with spaghetti straps. Even her ponytails were dussyed up, to look like a waterfall frozen halfway down her back. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said, smiling wolfishly, ├óÔé¼┼ôWant to go out for dinner?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDinner!├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut it's...five o clock?├óÔé¼┬Ø he looked at the sky and saw the red glint. ├óÔé¼┼ôI slept through breakfast and lunch├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I suppose I do need dinner├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said, stepping into the house ├óÔé¼┼ôI've brought a suit for you, in case you don't have you're own├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôI have my own suit├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause my suit is actually my brother, seeing as how it's for someone one or so feet shorter then you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's a good thing then├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWait here for a second├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally grabbed his arm ├óÔé¼┼ôOr you could let me...help you change├óÔé¼┬Ø she smiled. Josh would have loved to do that. He had come to the slow, painful realization that Sally was incredibly attractive. Maybe it was the dress, the hair do and his recent wakening, and the fact that he had slept through two meals, but she was at that moment the most dazzlingly beautiful woman that he had seen in his three decades.
├óÔé¼┼ôI...I'm sorry Sally├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said, almost unable to breath ├óÔé¼┼ôRemember our promise├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally crossed her eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose if you're eternal soul is that important to you├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt is├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôAlso think of how much better it will be on our honeymoon├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally did consider that as he changed. When Josh walked out Sally whistled appreciatively ├óÔé¼┼ôThat is a nice suit├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's the uniform I wore when I became a Hunter├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWouldn't that be a Priest robe?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm actually only a priest on a technicality. I need to be a Man of the Cloth to help ward off vampires├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt doesn't seem to work on Werewolves├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said as she snuggled close to him ├óÔé¼┼ôNow lets walk. We have at least two hours, because I made my reservations last week├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh remembered the bludgeoned, half dead werewolf, and her traumatized partner.
├óÔé¼┼ôLets get a cab├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said, smiling. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe moon is dawning soon. It's so nice to walk in the moon light├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh, still smiling, shook his head ├óÔé¼┼ôI think a cab would be...safer├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said, grabbing his arm ├óÔé¼┼ôIf you're worried, I'll just rip their eyes out├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRip them out?├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said, raising an eyebrow at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôPolitely├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally muttered. Her tail twitched under the dress. ├óÔé¼┼ôDid you know├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôI think I should wear a dress more often├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh asked ├óÔé¼┼ôGinger always hated dresses├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said, her tail twitching back and forth, quite visibly, under the dress ├óÔé¼┼ôI can move my tail in this...quite nicely├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said, keeping his eyes peeled and shying away from dark allays ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy do you hve to shove you're tail down one of your pant legs? Why don't you just cut a hole in the back?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy don't you cut a hole in the front of your pants and NOT cover it with a zipper├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôI mean, displaying oneself in public is just...rude├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôBeing comfortable is rude?├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you breath with that tie?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally asked. Almost on cue Josh loosened his tie slightly. Then they both started to laugh.
Steve stopped the car. ├óÔé¼┼ôMan!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy are we stopping?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI've gotten next to no sleep these past two days├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd we have yet to hit the Rocky Mountains. I'm pulling over and we are going to spend the next day sleeping and relaxing. Then we are going to take this trip a bit more...easy├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jerome growled ├óÔé¼┼ôEvery day is a day closer to Judgment Day├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôJerome├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôIf you drive my car, do you promise not to crash?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said, ears perking up. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said, rolling into the back seat. Jerome grinned and moved over to the drivers chair. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets roll├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Steve grunted something.
Then he was slammed into the seat by the acceleration. The engine gunned and roared. Jerome whooped at the top of his lungs. Steve sat up with a lurch, suddenly unable to sleep. Jerome leaned on the horn, announcing his mad hurtle forward. Then Steve laid back down ├óÔé¼┼ôJust don't hit anything├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered. He blinked then he was asleep. He woke up face down on the floor of his cab. Jerome was leaning over him and sun light was streaming through the windows ├óÔé¼┼ôI've found us a motel├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said, smiling. Steve got up, and at that moment he couldn't give a flying fuck about any prophecy. Then he saw a smiling face outside of the window. He opened the door and looked at the petite woman that was waving so cheerily at him.
├óÔé¼┼ôHello├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said. ├óÔé¼┼ôHi├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman said. He noticed she had furred ears and he could see a bulge down her left pant leg, where she had jammed her tail down there. Steve looked around and saw that the car was parked in a small town. He started counting heads and getting a bearing on the townsfolk. Each of them looked friendly, smiling openly. Lots of young couples, the way he saw it. Then he noticed that each of them was a werewolf. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe haven't had a...human├óÔé¼┬Ø the woman said ├óÔé¼┼ôIn age's!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôJerome├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said, turning around to face his partner ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere are we?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're in Shady Sands├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman said ├óÔé¼┼ôA preserve for Werewolves├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôShit├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said, standing up. He wanged his head on the roof of his car, hard. He doubled over and shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôOw!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The woman grabbed him, kneeling next to him ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you all right?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôFind├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve lied ├óÔé¼┼ôJust I heard there's a motel round a bouts├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSure├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said, pointing. Steve lifted his head, still feeling his injury gingerly. He saw the motel, a rather nice looking place with a singe proclaiming ├óÔé¼┼ôThey Happy Cub├óÔé¼┬Ø in front of it. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Happy Cub has place's for everyone├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman said ├óÔé¼┼ôHuman, Vampire, Werewolf. We've even got a barbecue for stenches├óÔé¼┬Ø. Steve gulped ├óÔé¼┼ôI hope you don't have to use that often├óÔé¼┬Ø he said.
├óÔé¼┼ôTheres not normally enough left to throw in there├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman said, still smiling. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said, feeling entirely unreassured. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said ├óÔé¼┼ôCan we get a room?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSure├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman said ├óÔé¼┼ôI am Jessica├óÔé¼┬Ø she stuck out her hand. Steve took it. Then she dragged him close for a kiss. She broke the kiss ├óÔé¼┼ôWelcome to Shady Sands├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, smiling at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said, gasping for air ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm a married man├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jessica hissed ├óÔé¼┼ôOh god├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry. I'll tell the others to not tease you so├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's a mistake anyone could make├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said, still feeling like he had been punched in the gut by a very very good boxer.
Josh sat at the table, opposite from Sally and smiled. It had been a long time since he had had such a nice night. The dinner had been excellent. Sally had ordered a steak, and he had ordered a nice bit of spaghetti with garlic bread, his second favored food. Sally had eaten the steak, with her hands, in a few bites, tearing into the meat apart with her teeth. The other customers had stared at the table. Josh noticed that each and every one of them was a Human, and many were looking with disgust at him. Josh had shot the nearest one a very deadly look. The man in question had looked away, and as if breaking a spell, the others did as well.
He was finishing up his spaghetti, and Sally was staring across the table at him, chewing slowly on the plastic straw she had used to drink her root beer. She had left the mashed potatoes next to her steak untouched. Then Josh felt her foot, free from the high heel she had been wearing, probe his leg. ├óÔé¼┼ôSally├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said softly ├óÔé¼┼ôYou never get tired of that, do you?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOnly because it works├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôI see it every time I look at you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôWe can have just as good a relation with sex as without├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôBut├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôIsn't it wasteful? To spend all this time when we could just get to the good part in one go├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Josh sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôBut sex isn't the best part of the relationship├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Sally snorted ├óÔé¼┼ôThats cause you haven't tried it...yet├óÔé¼┬Ø. She smiled at him. It was a very predatory smile, but Josh found that it just made him yearn for her more. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôEven if sex is the best part of a relation ship, witch its not├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally looked ready to argue the point, but Josh just barreled on ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy get to the best part at the beginning? It's like...skipping to the end of a book, just to see how the bad guy gets iced├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally leaned back, her foot dropping away ├óÔé¼┼ôYou can always read the book, even after skipping to the end├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Josh smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôBut its not the same├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally pouted ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut what counts as sex and what counts as cuddling├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh sighed and placed his hand over his face. But he was smiling. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan we at least cuddle tonight?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh conceded ├óÔé¼┼ôCuddling. It's just cuddling├óÔé¼┬Ø he repeated that once or twice more on the walk home. But Sally had won a small victory. Josh opened the door for her. Then he walked in after and closed it behind it. Then he locked it. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo this is your house?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats right├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou've never been here before, have you?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe only played poker at Danny's place├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said. Then her face fell ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's a damn shame├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said, placing a hand on her shoulder. Sally nuzzled it with her nose, nipping at his fingers with her fore teeth. Josh removed the hand and Sally sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôThat means move the hand lower and more to the front├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not so sure about cuddling├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. Sally turned on him ├óÔé¼┼ôYou promised├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut with cloths on├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're haggling this like it was some flea market├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLove is a flea market├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said matter of factly. Sally pressed into him. He could feel her tail twitching under her dress. Josh groaned, eyes glancing at the celling and the crucifix's he had nailed there. ├óÔé¼┼ôCuddling├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered.
Ginger walked into the Blackhorse manor, sighing. Mathew, the nice man from two nights ago, had yet to be saddled with the graveyard shift again. On top of that she was worried about Steve. He had vanished, apparently to chase after some prophecy. She thought it was all tot. She looked around the lounge. There was a man sitting in a chair, facing away from her. ├óÔé¼┼ôTim?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNot precisely├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said, standing. Ginger looked him over.
He was tall, very so, and his face was drawn, almost gaunt. He wore a completely white suit, with a black jacket draped over it. His hair was long and black, looking vaguely girlish. But his face was completely masculine, ruining any effeminate effects caused by the hair. He bowed slightly, waving his hand ├óÔé¼┼ôI am called├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôVladamir, and I would like to Welcome you to the Vampire Community├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Steve reached over and flicked on the radio. Jerome growled at him, teeth flashing. It might have looked like a smile, if it was without the fangs and eerie growl. Steve stared down Jerome and turned the radio on anyway. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Cockroach's again├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôBeatles├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve corrected him automatically. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhatever├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't you know that guitar bands are so last decade. I mean they are completely out of style and done to death├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIf you listened more and talked less├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou'd hear how good these guys are├óÔé¼┬Ø.
They drove in silence for a time, the radio thrumming along nicely. It got to the chorus again and Jerome sighed, checking his watch. ├óÔé¼┼ôI have a clock right here├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve pointed out, stabbing his finger at the Eleven o' clock that was ticking on his dashboard. Then he yawned, realizing how late it was. Jerome rolled down the window and sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôThe moon is nice tonight├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôI think the worst part is over├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHuh?├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe moon's influence is waning├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said ├óÔé¼┼ôNow it feels normal├óÔé¼┬Ø. Steve looked out the window. The moon was actually waxing, getting closer to a full one.
├óÔé¼┼ôStill sings├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said softly. He checked a different watch on his arm. Steve glanced at the watch. The one he saw said ├óÔé¼┼ô-2:93├óÔé¼┬Ø. Be blinked and chanced a look at another. That one was just a loop of numbers, running on the innards of the watch. It started at ├óÔé¼┼ô3.14159265...├óÔé¼┬Ø and just went along and along until the numbers got too small to read. The hand was actually a small circle that slowly moved from one number to another. Steve jerked his eyes back to the road as another car barreled past them. ├óÔé¼┼ôYour on the wrong side of the road!├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve shouted back at the car. It ignored him, of course, and vanished around a bend in the road.
Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. Then there was a jerk and the stake was slid out of Timothy. He blinked, but it was a useless gesture, as a blindfold was still bound tightly over his head. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't try to break your bonds├óÔé¼┬Ø A voice said ├óÔé¼┼ôEach has a rather powerful rune attached to them. Doing so would be...beyond your ability's├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tim sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you want├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI really would like to finish furnishing my roommates room├óÔé¼┬Ø. The voice laughed ├óÔé¼┼ôoh├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou really don't understand who you're dealing with, do you?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The blind fold was ripped off. Tim blinked in the light, a dingy lamp that hung from the celling. Then he saw the man standing above him. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh bloody hell├óÔé¼┬Ø Tim said, staring the man. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats right├óÔé¼┬Ø The man said. ├óÔé¼┼ôCount├óÔé¼┬Ø Tim gulped. The Count put his foot on Tim's knee, leaning against him the way a man would lean against a desk. ├óÔé¼┼ôCount, is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø The Count said ├óÔé¼┼ôbut...I thought we were on first name basis, Lord Timothy Alfred Blackhorse├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Count's face split in a wide grin, both his fangs readily visible. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you want me for├óÔé¼┬Ø Timothy said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou've already forced me to live in this undead body for century's├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôTrue├óÔé¼┬Ø The Count said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I thought you had given up and let the sun take you when you disappeared to the America's. So when this grand United States so pointlessly won their illusionary freedom from the equally deluded British, who thought they had killed me long...long ago├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Count's eyes glowed slightly as he looked into Timothy's. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo, aside from a old get together├óÔé¼┬Ø Tim said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you want me for?├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Count took his foot of Timothy's knee and turned away, walking for the exit of the room ├óÔé¼┼ôDiablerie├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Timothy gasped ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, shaking his head ├óÔé¼┼ôNot even...you...would stoop to that├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The Count snapped his fingers, turning around ├óÔé¼┼ôTrue├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI despise Diablerists as much as any other Nosferatu, but they have a way with mortals. Some say it's the...benefits of such a odious act. They often have money, and in this modern world, money is power. And with power one can cast of the shackles that the humans have put on us!├óÔé¼┬Ø The Count strode to Timothy, grabbing his shoulders ├óÔé¼┼ôImagine! With money I could buy blood for me to enjoy. I could import slaves from the East and feast on freash blood every night. With money I suppose I could even...get some Lupine Vitiate├óÔé¼┬Ø. He smiled at Timothy. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou've never given up that dream, Count├óÔé¼┬Ø Tim said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd that├óÔé¼┬Ø The Count said, turning away and walking out of the room ├óÔé¼┼ôIs why I will succeed├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhere! Where did you see this before!├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger asked, grabbing Josh. He gulped ├óÔé¼┼ôGinger├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI have some bad news├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger's eyes wavered ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôDanny├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's dead. Murdered├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger gasped, letting go of Josh. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe played cards last night├óÔé¼┬Ø she said softly. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe was murdered when he was staked to his poker table, and prevented from removing the stakes because each had a cross, each on the four sides. Just like this├óÔé¼┬Ø he held up the silver cudgel. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you think these are related?├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôMaybe...├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut both these M.O's are different. This is more like a mugging. Danny's murder was more like an execution├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis murderer was a human├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôI could tell that much├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know who murdered Danny, but I think it was more then one person, from the track's they made. Also we think it must have been humans as well, as we found trace's of human blood in Danny's coffin. We think he managed to hurt one before they subdued him├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôA cult├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt sounds like a cult. We sometimes get them. Pro-human cults who think vampires and werewolves are stains on human kind├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI remember├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut they've never actually...killed a vampire or werewolf before. Normally the vampire or werewolf rips them to shreds when they try, and we let them go on self defense charges├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt looks like we are looking at a very organized, very well equipped├óÔé¼┬Ø she glanced at the cudgel ├óÔé¼┼ôCult├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll look up the four crosses├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôcan you tell the police what we've found?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll report in with Martha, then go home├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôbe safe├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll bother the police station in the morning, just to give them more incentive├óÔé¼┬Ø.
He stalked off, pulling his trench coat tighter. Ginger sighed, looking at the witness. He was standing around like some lost sheep, unable to decide whether to go or stay. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said, looking at her watch ├óÔé¼┼ôLet me walk you to the hospital├óÔé¼┬Ø. The man looked at her, blinking. Then he nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo what's your name?├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôLawrence├óÔé¼┬Ø The man said, sighing ├óÔé¼┼ôWe were engaged├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSandra and I├óÔé¼┬Ø Lawrence said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know a Sandra├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's married to my brother Steve├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou have a brother?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lawrence asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI mean one thats...alive├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said, frowning slightly ├óÔé¼┼ôI was turned recently├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lawrence nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôMy mom was bitten in the Great Panic and became a zed. My dad shot her. Then he ate his own gun├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger had never heard someone call a zombie a zed. She supposed, from his slightly British accent, that he must be from Britain or some other place like it. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen were you two getting engaged?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lawrence said ├óÔé¼┼ôOh right...uhh...three weeks, I think├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôSandra could never choose on a date├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôHow is she?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHuh?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lawrence asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs she pretty? Is she sweet?├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger smiled at him. They were almost to the hospital, but she still needed some small talk to fill the gap. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Lawrence said ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't care how she looks. She's funny├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger looked at him knowingly. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Lawrence said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe also has this incredible smile├óÔé¼┬Ø. He, oddly enough, seemed most at east describing the different features of his soon to be wife. Then they arrived at the hospital and Ginger opened the door for him. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sure she'll pull through├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lawrence's face fell ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø he said.
Josh heard the door bell. He jerked away after the fact and wasn't sure if he had heard the doorbell or if that had been a dream. Then he realized that he had fallen asleep over his notes on cults and Christianity off shoots. Then he heard the door bell again. He stood up, stretched and walked over to the door. He opened the door. Then he gaped. Sally stood there, but not the Sally he was used to. This was a Sally, wearing a knock out, slinky dress with spaghetti straps. Even her ponytails were dussyed up, to look like a waterfall frozen halfway down her back. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said, smiling wolfishly, ├óÔé¼┼ôWant to go out for dinner?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDinner!├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut it's...five o clock?├óÔé¼┬Ø he looked at the sky and saw the red glint. ├óÔé¼┼ôI slept through breakfast and lunch├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I suppose I do need dinner├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said, stepping into the house ├óÔé¼┼ôI've brought a suit for you, in case you don't have you're own├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôI have my own suit├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause my suit is actually my brother, seeing as how it's for someone one or so feet shorter then you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's a good thing then├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWait here for a second├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally grabbed his arm ├óÔé¼┼ôOr you could let me...help you change├óÔé¼┬Ø she smiled. Josh would have loved to do that. He had come to the slow, painful realization that Sally was incredibly attractive. Maybe it was the dress, the hair do and his recent wakening, and the fact that he had slept through two meals, but she was at that moment the most dazzlingly beautiful woman that he had seen in his three decades.
├óÔé¼┼ôI...I'm sorry Sally├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said, almost unable to breath ├óÔé¼┼ôRemember our promise├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally crossed her eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose if you're eternal soul is that important to you├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt is├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôAlso think of how much better it will be on our honeymoon├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally did consider that as he changed. When Josh walked out Sally whistled appreciatively ├óÔé¼┼ôThat is a nice suit├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's the uniform I wore when I became a Hunter├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWouldn't that be a Priest robe?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm actually only a priest on a technicality. I need to be a Man of the Cloth to help ward off vampires├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt doesn't seem to work on Werewolves├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said as she snuggled close to him ├óÔé¼┼ôNow lets walk. We have at least two hours, because I made my reservations last week├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh remembered the bludgeoned, half dead werewolf, and her traumatized partner.
├óÔé¼┼ôLets get a cab├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said, smiling. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe moon is dawning soon. It's so nice to walk in the moon light├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh, still smiling, shook his head ├óÔé¼┼ôI think a cab would be...safer├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said, grabbing his arm ├óÔé¼┼ôIf you're worried, I'll just rip their eyes out├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRip them out?├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said, raising an eyebrow at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôPolitely├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally muttered. Her tail twitched under the dress. ├óÔé¼┼ôDid you know├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôI think I should wear a dress more often├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh asked ├óÔé¼┼ôGinger always hated dresses├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said, her tail twitching back and forth, quite visibly, under the dress ├óÔé¼┼ôI can move my tail in this...quite nicely├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said, keeping his eyes peeled and shying away from dark allays ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy do you hve to shove you're tail down one of your pant legs? Why don't you just cut a hole in the back?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy don't you cut a hole in the front of your pants and NOT cover it with a zipper├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôI mean, displaying oneself in public is just...rude├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôBeing comfortable is rude?├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you breath with that tie?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally asked. Almost on cue Josh loosened his tie slightly. Then they both started to laugh.
Steve stopped the car. ├óÔé¼┼ôMan!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy are we stopping?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI've gotten next to no sleep these past two days├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd we have yet to hit the Rocky Mountains. I'm pulling over and we are going to spend the next day sleeping and relaxing. Then we are going to take this trip a bit more...easy├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jerome growled ├óÔé¼┼ôEvery day is a day closer to Judgment Day├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôJerome├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôIf you drive my car, do you promise not to crash?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said, ears perking up. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said, rolling into the back seat. Jerome grinned and moved over to the drivers chair. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets roll├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Steve grunted something.
Then he was slammed into the seat by the acceleration. The engine gunned and roared. Jerome whooped at the top of his lungs. Steve sat up with a lurch, suddenly unable to sleep. Jerome leaned on the horn, announcing his mad hurtle forward. Then Steve laid back down ├óÔé¼┼ôJust don't hit anything├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered. He blinked then he was asleep. He woke up face down on the floor of his cab. Jerome was leaning over him and sun light was streaming through the windows ├óÔé¼┼ôI've found us a motel├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said, smiling. Steve got up, and at that moment he couldn't give a flying fuck about any prophecy. Then he saw a smiling face outside of the window. He opened the door and looked at the petite woman that was waving so cheerily at him.
├óÔé¼┼ôHello├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said. ├óÔé¼┼ôHi├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman said. He noticed she had furred ears and he could see a bulge down her left pant leg, where she had jammed her tail down there. Steve looked around and saw that the car was parked in a small town. He started counting heads and getting a bearing on the townsfolk. Each of them looked friendly, smiling openly. Lots of young couples, the way he saw it. Then he noticed that each of them was a werewolf. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe haven't had a...human├óÔé¼┬Ø the woman said ├óÔé¼┼ôIn age's!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôJerome├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said, turning around to face his partner ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere are we?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're in Shady Sands├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman said ├óÔé¼┼ôA preserve for Werewolves├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôShit├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said, standing up. He wanged his head on the roof of his car, hard. He doubled over and shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôOw!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The woman grabbed him, kneeling next to him ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you all right?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôFind├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve lied ├óÔé¼┼ôJust I heard there's a motel round a bouts├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSure├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said, pointing. Steve lifted his head, still feeling his injury gingerly. He saw the motel, a rather nice looking place with a singe proclaiming ├óÔé¼┼ôThey Happy Cub├óÔé¼┬Ø in front of it. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Happy Cub has place's for everyone├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman said ├óÔé¼┼ôHuman, Vampire, Werewolf. We've even got a barbecue for stenches├óÔé¼┬Ø. Steve gulped ├óÔé¼┼ôI hope you don't have to use that often├óÔé¼┬Ø he said.
├óÔé¼┼ôTheres not normally enough left to throw in there├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman said, still smiling. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said, feeling entirely unreassured. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said ├óÔé¼┼ôCan we get a room?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSure├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman said ├óÔé¼┼ôI am Jessica├óÔé¼┬Ø she stuck out her hand. Steve took it. Then she dragged him close for a kiss. She broke the kiss ├óÔé¼┼ôWelcome to Shady Sands├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, smiling at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said, gasping for air ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm a married man├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jessica hissed ├óÔé¼┼ôOh god├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry. I'll tell the others to not tease you so├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's a mistake anyone could make├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said, still feeling like he had been punched in the gut by a very very good boxer.
Josh sat at the table, opposite from Sally and smiled. It had been a long time since he had had such a nice night. The dinner had been excellent. Sally had ordered a steak, and he had ordered a nice bit of spaghetti with garlic bread, his second favored food. Sally had eaten the steak, with her hands, in a few bites, tearing into the meat apart with her teeth. The other customers had stared at the table. Josh noticed that each and every one of them was a Human, and many were looking with disgust at him. Josh had shot the nearest one a very deadly look. The man in question had looked away, and as if breaking a spell, the others did as well.
He was finishing up his spaghetti, and Sally was staring across the table at him, chewing slowly on the plastic straw she had used to drink her root beer. She had left the mashed potatoes next to her steak untouched. Then Josh felt her foot, free from the high heel she had been wearing, probe his leg. ├óÔé¼┼ôSally├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said softly ├óÔé¼┼ôYou never get tired of that, do you?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOnly because it works├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôI see it every time I look at you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôWe can have just as good a relation with sex as without├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôBut├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôIsn't it wasteful? To spend all this time when we could just get to the good part in one go├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Josh sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôBut sex isn't the best part of the relationship├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Sally snorted ├óÔé¼┼ôThats cause you haven't tried it...yet├óÔé¼┬Ø. She smiled at him. It was a very predatory smile, but Josh found that it just made him yearn for her more. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôEven if sex is the best part of a relation ship, witch its not├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally looked ready to argue the point, but Josh just barreled on ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy get to the best part at the beginning? It's like...skipping to the end of a book, just to see how the bad guy gets iced├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally leaned back, her foot dropping away ├óÔé¼┼ôYou can always read the book, even after skipping to the end├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Josh smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôBut its not the same├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally pouted ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut what counts as sex and what counts as cuddling├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh sighed and placed his hand over his face. But he was smiling. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan we at least cuddle tonight?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh conceded ├óÔé¼┼ôCuddling. It's just cuddling├óÔé¼┬Ø he repeated that once or twice more on the walk home. But Sally had won a small victory. Josh opened the door for her. Then he walked in after and closed it behind it. Then he locked it. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo this is your house?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats right├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou've never been here before, have you?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe only played poker at Danny's place├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said. Then her face fell ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's a damn shame├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said, placing a hand on her shoulder. Sally nuzzled it with her nose, nipping at his fingers with her fore teeth. Josh removed the hand and Sally sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôThat means move the hand lower and more to the front├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not so sure about cuddling├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. Sally turned on him ├óÔé¼┼ôYou promised├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut with cloths on├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're haggling this like it was some flea market├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLove is a flea market├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said matter of factly. Sally pressed into him. He could feel her tail twitching under her dress. Josh groaned, eyes glancing at the celling and the crucifix's he had nailed there. ├óÔé¼┼ôCuddling├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered.
Ginger walked into the Blackhorse manor, sighing. Mathew, the nice man from two nights ago, had yet to be saddled with the graveyard shift again. On top of that she was worried about Steve. He had vanished, apparently to chase after some prophecy. She thought it was all tot. She looked around the lounge. There was a man sitting in a chair, facing away from her. ├óÔé¼┼ôTim?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNot precisely├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said, standing. Ginger looked him over.
He was tall, very so, and his face was drawn, almost gaunt. He wore a completely white suit, with a black jacket draped over it. His hair was long and black, looking vaguely girlish. But his face was completely masculine, ruining any effeminate effects caused by the hair. He bowed slightly, waving his hand ├óÔé¼┼ôI am called├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôVladamir, and I would like to Welcome you to the Vampire Community├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Try you're hand at "Name that Icon!". If you guess it correctly, then you win an entire doller!
Sally's hand grabbed the knob of the door. Then she and Josh backed into his bedroom, locked together at the mouth. Sally's legs hit the bed and she fell backwards onto the bed. The bed was old, somewhat bedraggled, and sagged under the weight of both of them. Josh rolled off Sally and they both lay there panting. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is cuddling?├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh asked the air. ├óÔé¼┼ôCuddling├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôIs this, naked├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think this is enough for me├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said.
Sally sat up and straddled him, grinning at him wolfishly. Now that he thought about it, Josh wondered if there was any other way for her to grin. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you sure?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI need something more then steak to...chew on├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh groaned ├óÔé¼┼ôOh hell├óÔé¼┬Ø he said as Sally leaned closer and kissed his cheek. ├óÔé¼┼ôYour so sweet├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou actually worry about sex. Another endearing trait├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you keeping a list?├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said, smiling. Her tail twitched under her dress once or twice as they both lay there, staring at each other.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou have really gorgeous eyes├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh breathed. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can't tell about your's with these glasses├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI never sleep with my glasses on├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you really planning to sleep tonight?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh lied. Sally's hand ran along his chest, a single finger tracing a winding path over his shirt. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet's see├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, using her powers to sharpen her fingernail to a point ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat I can do about that├óÔé¼┬Ø. She traced a line down his shirt and the cloth fell apart, cut in twain. Josh breathed out slowly ├óÔé¼┼ôPlease├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is a nice shirt├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally grinned again, grabbing the two parts of the shirt and getting ready to tear.
Then the phone rang. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait one second├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said, placing his hands on Sally's chest to shove her off. Then he jerked his hand's off her breasts. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. The phone rang again. ├óÔé¼┼ôNever apologize├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôIn fact, why not we ignore this phone and you get your hands right back to where they belong├óÔé¼┬Ø. The phone rang again. Josh slid out from under Sally ├óÔé¼┼ôIt might be important├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. He walked over to the phone, not sure why he was acutely disappointed that it was ringing. He picked up the phone, looking at the notes he had sprawled out and around the phone. The notes he had been pouring through last night.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis is Police chief Hendrix├óÔé¼┬Ø A voice said ├óÔé¼┼ôI believe you are Joshua Smith, brother of Ginger Smith?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôMy sister has talked about you. Said you're a nice guy├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said ├óÔé¼┼ôbut I have some bad news├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh asked ├óÔé¼┼ôIs it about Ginger?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut the last two murders in the city have been against Vampires and Werewolves. Both with the four crosses symbol, and now I've been informed of a two more murders├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôJesus├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. He felt Sally place a hand on his shoulder, looking worried.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe've got a married vampire couple, both dead in their beds. They were doused with gasoline and lit on fire. The husband managed to crawl outside before dying. His wife was found halfway down the hall way, but her legs had given out by that point├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said. ├óÔé¼┼ôDear god├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat makes you think its connected to the other murders?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause a stake was driven into the wall, next to the front door├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll be there in five minutes├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said ├óÔé¼┼ôdid you find anything in You're notes?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSome├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut three cults use the four crosses symbol. I need something more to go on├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôSee you soon├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd sorry to interrupt your evening├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said, hanging up. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat happened?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally asked. Josh sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm afraid I'm going to have to leave now. Two vampires have been murdered and I need to check it out├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally winced ├óÔé¼┼ôAnyone we know?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut it was a bad way to go. They were doused in gasoline and lit on fire├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said, shivering. Josh leaned in and kissed her on the lips. It was not exactly a 'virgin' kiss, as it pressed Sally back against the far wall. They broke apart, panting. ├óÔé¼┼ôI promise├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen I come back, I will propose to you├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôPropose?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said, looking somewhat shocked.
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôI will propose to you, and we will get married├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôT-Thats sudden├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said as Josh pulled his shirt off and started to change to some clothes more suitable to investigating a crime scene. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôYour impulsiveness must have rubbed off on me├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôThat kiss was a nice touch├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, tail twitching under her dress. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll be back soon├óÔé¼┬Ø he walked out of the bed room. Sally sat down on the bed and sighed. Then she looked around and her eyes spotted the notes.
Ginger looked at Vladimir, blinking. His red eyes stared into hers. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø. His smile stiffened slightly ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI can see that, because of You're recent initiation, you might have some...gaps in your knowledge├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLike where Timothy is├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said, looking around ├óÔé¼┼ôI thought he promised me to not leave the house├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe...promised you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Vladimir asked ├óÔé¼┼ôThat is most unusual├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's not exactly used to this age├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe was asleep, I've heard├óÔé¼┬Ø Vladimir said ├óÔé¼┼ôFor a long long time├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe agreement between us was that I would teach him about today, he would teach me about being a vampire. I've been so busy though that I've not had time to ask many questions├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Vladimir said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou are now a Vampire, a Nosferatu, a woman capable of doing anything you put your mind too├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôReally?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked ├óÔé¼┼ôLike super strength, speed and sight├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat is nothing more then the tip of the iceberg├óÔé¼┬Ø Vladimir said. Ginger noticed that everything around her was fading. She turned around. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow I will show you what you can be capable of├óÔé¼┬Ø Vladimir said, his voice lowering slightly. The house around them had completely vanished, replaced by nothing more then a black space.
Ginger was frozen in place by an implacable, inexplicable terror. Eyes started to open around her, in the blackness. Red eyes, blue eyes, golden eyes. Eyes with two pupils, eyes with no pupils, eyes without anything at all. Ginger backed away from them and ran into Vladimir, who was starting to laugh maniacally. ├óÔé¼┼ôStop it!├óÔé¼┬Ø she snarled. Then with a twang, like a rubber band, everything snapped back to normal. Ginger growled at Vladimir, not frightened, but angry ├óÔé¼┼ôNever change what I see├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôNever├óÔé¼┬Ø. Vladimir smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have some backbone├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger shook her head ├óÔé¼┼ôEver been to Disneyland?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Vladimir asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôI've seen things there that were just as believable as that├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said. The insult was lost on Vladimir, as he had never ridden any of the hokey, animatronic rides, but still he glowered. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôFire and spunk├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôNow I really have to go out and find Tim before he gets in trouble├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut first├óÔé¼┬Ø Vladimir said ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to tell you of the three Laws├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOnly three?├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey cover the basics├óÔé¼┬Ø Vladimir said.
Ginger leaned against the wall and nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôContinue├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôVery well├óÔé¼┬Ø Vladimir said ├óÔé¼┼ôFirst there is the Law of Child. You must not create a child, unless it is approved by the Vampire Council. The second is Law of Power. You must not use your powers, unless it is the most extreme circumstance. The final, and most important Law is the Law of Blood. You must not, under any circumstance drink of the Blood of a fellow Vampire├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou can do that!├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger asked, standing up. ├óÔé¼┼ôEvery of the human offshoots has blood that can be drunk├óÔé¼┬Ø Vladimir said.
├óÔé¼┼ôEven Zombies?├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger asked. Vladimir wrinkled his nose in distaste, as if Ginger had said something horrible. In fact, she had. ├óÔé¼┼ôZombie blood is disgusting├óÔé¼┬Ø Vladimir said ├óÔé¼┼ôNosferatu only drink of them if it can't be helped├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can see why├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôNow I must be leaving. You first├óÔé¼┬Ø she opened the door. Vladimir walked out, pulling out a hat and nestling it on his head. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood day, Ms. Smith├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Then he walked out of the mansion. Ginger stepped out and closed the door, locking it behind her.
Steve sat at the dinner table. He thought there was only one dinner table in the entirety of Shady Sands, seeing as how every single werewolf was crammed in there, each waiting for the meal to arrive. It was a lot of furry ears, wagging tails (unlike city wolves, these Werewolves kept their tails out and in the open) and a lode of plates and cups. No cutlery, from what Steven could see. But of course there wouldn't be. Werewolves eat with their fingers, their teeth and whatever else seems to be usable. Forks and knives seem to be a waste of time, to them. Then the doors at the far end of the eating house opened and a bundle of carts rolled into the room, pushed by several young, smiling werewolves.
Steve also noticed everyone was smiling, including Jerome, who was beaming. The occult specialist was already leaning over and whispering into the ear of the lass who had welcomed Steve and Jerome to the small village. Then the food was served in a matter of seconds, the werewolves rushing to and fro, handing out a load of steaks. Once everyone was served a werewolf at the far end of the table stood up. He held up a glass, filled with wine, and said ├óÔé¼┼ôA toast to our new visitors, Jerome and Steven Smith├óÔé¼┬Ø he paused ├óÔé¼┼ôA human├óÔé¼┬Ø. There was some whispering as werewolves who hadn't seen the strangers reacted to that news.
Steve, now that he was more used to the abundance of werewolves, he noticed that there were actually only about twenty or so. Most of them had to be related, the way werewolves breed. Going to far down that line of thought was a bit uncomfortable to Steve, so instead he focused on the food. Less patient werewolves were already eating semi-quietly. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø the werewolf patriarch said ├óÔé¼┼ôLet us eat├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then there was a loud sound of chewing as the werewolves, Jerome included, gobbling down the food. Steve looked at the steak. There was nothing but that huge chunk of steak. No forks, no knives.
├óÔé¼┼ôAh to hell with it├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered and grabbed the steak. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. He took a smallish bite of the steak, witch grabbed him some fat. He chewed it slightly, enjoying the taste, despite how horrible it was for him, and ate it. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø A werewolf said, looking over the table at Steve ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're a city boy?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said, looking back at the man ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about it?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat's it like?├óÔé¼┬Ø the werewolf asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôBrighter at night, more people. I think there are a lot more werewolves there, but they are thinned out by vampires and humans too├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you know any nice young werewolf lassies├óÔé¼┬Ø A woman werewolf was asking Jerome, elbowing him in the ribs ├óÔé¼┼ôNone as nice as you├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said.
├óÔé¼┼ôLook his ears aren't fuzzy├óÔé¼┬Ø A young werewolf lad said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd he don't have no tail. Is he better then us, mommy?├óÔé¼┬Ø. The elderly werewolf next to the boy shook her head ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôhe's actually worse off├óÔé¼┬Ø. Steve got down half his steak after a while, but then he plopped the meat down, whipping his hands on his pant leg. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you going to finish that?├óÔé¼┬Ø The werewolf lass asked, pointing at the steak. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't need to eat as much├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said, grabbing the steak. He handed it to the lass next to him.
The dinner took a while longer then that, as after everyone had eaten it was time for the 'size up the stranger' game. By the end of it all Steve felt like he had been interviewed for at least ten jobs as Werewolf dignitary's of every shape and size, from the local school teacher, to the mayor of the town, to the doctor. The one interview that stuck out in his mind was the constable. The Constable was an old, scruffy war veteran. His left leg had been taken off at the knee cap by a stray artillery shrapnel and his lungs were scarred from the Poison Gas the Germans had dropped on the trenches.
He had two revolvers, like an old west sheriff and his eyes constantly scanned Steve. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're a hunter├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said, surprised that he had said such. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou hunt...vampires? Zombies...our kind?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWerewolves├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm no bigot, mind you├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôA bigot would never have eaten a steak with us, a bigot would never have looked at little miss May the way you did├óÔé¼┬Ø. Steve felt his ear's redden ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm a married man├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. He had looked at little miss May, seeing as how she was sitting across the table from him. But then again she had been a looker. Steve dragged his mind off that train of thought.
├óÔé¼┼ôThat you are├óÔé¼┬Ø The Constable said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut you'd have to be blind to not notice May. She certainly noticed you and we being a small town, new menfolk are hard to come by├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I'm just going to have to let her down if she comes knocking├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø The Constable said ├óÔé¼┼ôA man who abandons his den deserves to have it taken├óÔé¼┬Ø. Steve could see the wolfish logic in that, so he nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø The Constable said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're friend said you both are on a business trip...exactly why is a Hunter traveling with one he hunts?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Steve sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôJerome has worked with me on many occasions. I hunt Renegades, those who don't follow the laws both our race's agreed on├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd what├óÔé¼┬Ø The Constable said, his hand perceptibly reaching for the left gun ├óÔé¼┼ôwould you do if I were a Renegade?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Steve smiled wearily ├óÔé¼┼ôThat would be an interesting thing to see├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. The Constable smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôI like you. You aren't going to put up with lawlessness, and thats what those Renegades are├óÔé¼┬Ø The Constable clapped a hand on Steve's shoulders ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll spread the word to our more...forward ladies, make sure they try your friend Clock before you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Steve looked across the room at Jerome, who had wandered apart to talk up some ladies. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't think they need to be told that, per say├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said.
The Constable smiled and turned away, clomping on his wooden leg. The rest of the evening passed in a blurr of talking, laughing, smiling people. Then Steve was being lead to the hotel the 'Happy Pup' by May. Jerome was still at the car, getting some of his books. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø May said ├óÔé¼┼ôI hear you're a right good shot├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôFrom who?├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve asked, somewhat bleary from the drinks he had had. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Constable said you and Jerome have been working together for years, fighting Renegades and such├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI have to be├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said as he reached the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø May said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's a cold night, up here in the rockies. Sure you don't want some company?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Steve still had enough sense to remember Sandra's beautiful face and winning personality. So he shook his head ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm fine├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. May smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôAh well├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, turning away. Her tail twitched once or twice provocatively.
Josh arrived at the crime scene and sighed. The pile of ash's was chalked out. He could imagine the man crawling out of the house, hand reaching outwards for something to grab in. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou took You're time├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh whipped some lipstick off his cheek and said ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah. I'm sorry about that but my fiancee is a little...eager├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're getting married?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix asked ├óÔé¼┼ôYour sister didn't mention that├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôI engaged this night. In fact I engaged in a few hours later├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNever mind├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said ├óÔé¼┼ôHere is the calling card├óÔé¼┬Ø. He walked up to the door and pointed at the steak that was driven through the top part of the card. On the card was a red circle with a black + sign, but each end was bent inwards, making it look vaguely like an X.
├óÔé¼┼ôHave you ever seen anything like that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix asked, pointing at the icon. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôNever seen anything like that├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Sally's hand grabbed the knob of the door. Then she and Josh backed into his bedroom, locked together at the mouth. Sally's legs hit the bed and she fell backwards onto the bed. The bed was old, somewhat bedraggled, and sagged under the weight of both of them. Josh rolled off Sally and they both lay there panting. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is cuddling?├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh asked the air. ├óÔé¼┼ôCuddling├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôIs this, naked├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think this is enough for me├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said.
Sally sat up and straddled him, grinning at him wolfishly. Now that he thought about it, Josh wondered if there was any other way for her to grin. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you sure?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI need something more then steak to...chew on├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh groaned ├óÔé¼┼ôOh hell├óÔé¼┬Ø he said as Sally leaned closer and kissed his cheek. ├óÔé¼┼ôYour so sweet├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou actually worry about sex. Another endearing trait├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you keeping a list?├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said, smiling. Her tail twitched under her dress once or twice as they both lay there, staring at each other.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou have really gorgeous eyes├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh breathed. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can't tell about your's with these glasses├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI never sleep with my glasses on├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you really planning to sleep tonight?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh lied. Sally's hand ran along his chest, a single finger tracing a winding path over his shirt. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet's see├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, using her powers to sharpen her fingernail to a point ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat I can do about that├óÔé¼┬Ø. She traced a line down his shirt and the cloth fell apart, cut in twain. Josh breathed out slowly ├óÔé¼┼ôPlease├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is a nice shirt├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally grinned again, grabbing the two parts of the shirt and getting ready to tear.
Then the phone rang. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait one second├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said, placing his hands on Sally's chest to shove her off. Then he jerked his hand's off her breasts. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. The phone rang again. ├óÔé¼┼ôNever apologize├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôIn fact, why not we ignore this phone and you get your hands right back to where they belong├óÔé¼┬Ø. The phone rang again. Josh slid out from under Sally ├óÔé¼┼ôIt might be important├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. He walked over to the phone, not sure why he was acutely disappointed that it was ringing. He picked up the phone, looking at the notes he had sprawled out and around the phone. The notes he had been pouring through last night.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis is Police chief Hendrix├óÔé¼┬Ø A voice said ├óÔé¼┼ôI believe you are Joshua Smith, brother of Ginger Smith?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôMy sister has talked about you. Said you're a nice guy├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said ├óÔé¼┼ôbut I have some bad news├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh asked ├óÔé¼┼ôIs it about Ginger?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut the last two murders in the city have been against Vampires and Werewolves. Both with the four crosses symbol, and now I've been informed of a two more murders├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôJesus├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. He felt Sally place a hand on his shoulder, looking worried.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe've got a married vampire couple, both dead in their beds. They were doused with gasoline and lit on fire. The husband managed to crawl outside before dying. His wife was found halfway down the hall way, but her legs had given out by that point├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said. ├óÔé¼┼ôDear god├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat makes you think its connected to the other murders?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause a stake was driven into the wall, next to the front door├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll be there in five minutes├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said ├óÔé¼┼ôdid you find anything in You're notes?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSome├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut three cults use the four crosses symbol. I need something more to go on├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôSee you soon├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd sorry to interrupt your evening├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said, hanging up. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat happened?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally asked. Josh sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm afraid I'm going to have to leave now. Two vampires have been murdered and I need to check it out├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally winced ├óÔé¼┼ôAnyone we know?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut it was a bad way to go. They were doused in gasoline and lit on fire├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said, shivering. Josh leaned in and kissed her on the lips. It was not exactly a 'virgin' kiss, as it pressed Sally back against the far wall. They broke apart, panting. ├óÔé¼┼ôI promise├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen I come back, I will propose to you├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôPropose?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said, looking somewhat shocked.
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôI will propose to you, and we will get married├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôT-Thats sudden├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said as Josh pulled his shirt off and started to change to some clothes more suitable to investigating a crime scene. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôYour impulsiveness must have rubbed off on me├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôThat kiss was a nice touch├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, tail twitching under her dress. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll be back soon├óÔé¼┬Ø he walked out of the bed room. Sally sat down on the bed and sighed. Then she looked around and her eyes spotted the notes.
Ginger looked at Vladimir, blinking. His red eyes stared into hers. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø. His smile stiffened slightly ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI can see that, because of You're recent initiation, you might have some...gaps in your knowledge├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLike where Timothy is├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said, looking around ├óÔé¼┼ôI thought he promised me to not leave the house├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe...promised you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Vladimir asked ├óÔé¼┼ôThat is most unusual├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's not exactly used to this age├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe was asleep, I've heard├óÔé¼┬Ø Vladimir said ├óÔé¼┼ôFor a long long time├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe agreement between us was that I would teach him about today, he would teach me about being a vampire. I've been so busy though that I've not had time to ask many questions├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Vladimir said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou are now a Vampire, a Nosferatu, a woman capable of doing anything you put your mind too├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôReally?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked ├óÔé¼┼ôLike super strength, speed and sight├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat is nothing more then the tip of the iceberg├óÔé¼┬Ø Vladimir said. Ginger noticed that everything around her was fading. She turned around. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow I will show you what you can be capable of├óÔé¼┬Ø Vladimir said, his voice lowering slightly. The house around them had completely vanished, replaced by nothing more then a black space.
Ginger was frozen in place by an implacable, inexplicable terror. Eyes started to open around her, in the blackness. Red eyes, blue eyes, golden eyes. Eyes with two pupils, eyes with no pupils, eyes without anything at all. Ginger backed away from them and ran into Vladimir, who was starting to laugh maniacally. ├óÔé¼┼ôStop it!├óÔé¼┬Ø she snarled. Then with a twang, like a rubber band, everything snapped back to normal. Ginger growled at Vladimir, not frightened, but angry ├óÔé¼┼ôNever change what I see├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôNever├óÔé¼┬Ø. Vladimir smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have some backbone├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger shook her head ├óÔé¼┼ôEver been to Disneyland?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Vladimir asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôI've seen things there that were just as believable as that├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said. The insult was lost on Vladimir, as he had never ridden any of the hokey, animatronic rides, but still he glowered. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôFire and spunk├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôNow I really have to go out and find Tim before he gets in trouble├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut first├óÔé¼┬Ø Vladimir said ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to tell you of the three Laws├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOnly three?├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey cover the basics├óÔé¼┬Ø Vladimir said.
Ginger leaned against the wall and nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôContinue├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôVery well├óÔé¼┬Ø Vladimir said ├óÔé¼┼ôFirst there is the Law of Child. You must not create a child, unless it is approved by the Vampire Council. The second is Law of Power. You must not use your powers, unless it is the most extreme circumstance. The final, and most important Law is the Law of Blood. You must not, under any circumstance drink of the Blood of a fellow Vampire├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou can do that!├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger asked, standing up. ├óÔé¼┼ôEvery of the human offshoots has blood that can be drunk├óÔé¼┬Ø Vladimir said.
├óÔé¼┼ôEven Zombies?├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger asked. Vladimir wrinkled his nose in distaste, as if Ginger had said something horrible. In fact, she had. ├óÔé¼┼ôZombie blood is disgusting├óÔé¼┬Ø Vladimir said ├óÔé¼┼ôNosferatu only drink of them if it can't be helped├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can see why├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôNow I must be leaving. You first├óÔé¼┬Ø she opened the door. Vladimir walked out, pulling out a hat and nestling it on his head. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood day, Ms. Smith├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Then he walked out of the mansion. Ginger stepped out and closed the door, locking it behind her.
Steve sat at the dinner table. He thought there was only one dinner table in the entirety of Shady Sands, seeing as how every single werewolf was crammed in there, each waiting for the meal to arrive. It was a lot of furry ears, wagging tails (unlike city wolves, these Werewolves kept their tails out and in the open) and a lode of plates and cups. No cutlery, from what Steven could see. But of course there wouldn't be. Werewolves eat with their fingers, their teeth and whatever else seems to be usable. Forks and knives seem to be a waste of time, to them. Then the doors at the far end of the eating house opened and a bundle of carts rolled into the room, pushed by several young, smiling werewolves.
Steve also noticed everyone was smiling, including Jerome, who was beaming. The occult specialist was already leaning over and whispering into the ear of the lass who had welcomed Steve and Jerome to the small village. Then the food was served in a matter of seconds, the werewolves rushing to and fro, handing out a load of steaks. Once everyone was served a werewolf at the far end of the table stood up. He held up a glass, filled with wine, and said ├óÔé¼┼ôA toast to our new visitors, Jerome and Steven Smith├óÔé¼┬Ø he paused ├óÔé¼┼ôA human├óÔé¼┬Ø. There was some whispering as werewolves who hadn't seen the strangers reacted to that news.
Steve, now that he was more used to the abundance of werewolves, he noticed that there were actually only about twenty or so. Most of them had to be related, the way werewolves breed. Going to far down that line of thought was a bit uncomfortable to Steve, so instead he focused on the food. Less patient werewolves were already eating semi-quietly. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø the werewolf patriarch said ├óÔé¼┼ôLet us eat├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then there was a loud sound of chewing as the werewolves, Jerome included, gobbling down the food. Steve looked at the steak. There was nothing but that huge chunk of steak. No forks, no knives.
├óÔé¼┼ôAh to hell with it├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered and grabbed the steak. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. He took a smallish bite of the steak, witch grabbed him some fat. He chewed it slightly, enjoying the taste, despite how horrible it was for him, and ate it. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø A werewolf said, looking over the table at Steve ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're a city boy?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said, looking back at the man ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about it?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat's it like?├óÔé¼┬Ø the werewolf asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôBrighter at night, more people. I think there are a lot more werewolves there, but they are thinned out by vampires and humans too├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you know any nice young werewolf lassies├óÔé¼┬Ø A woman werewolf was asking Jerome, elbowing him in the ribs ├óÔé¼┼ôNone as nice as you├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said.
├óÔé¼┼ôLook his ears aren't fuzzy├óÔé¼┬Ø A young werewolf lad said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd he don't have no tail. Is he better then us, mommy?├óÔé¼┬Ø. The elderly werewolf next to the boy shook her head ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôhe's actually worse off├óÔé¼┬Ø. Steve got down half his steak after a while, but then he plopped the meat down, whipping his hands on his pant leg. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you going to finish that?├óÔé¼┬Ø The werewolf lass asked, pointing at the steak. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't need to eat as much├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said, grabbing the steak. He handed it to the lass next to him.
The dinner took a while longer then that, as after everyone had eaten it was time for the 'size up the stranger' game. By the end of it all Steve felt like he had been interviewed for at least ten jobs as Werewolf dignitary's of every shape and size, from the local school teacher, to the mayor of the town, to the doctor. The one interview that stuck out in his mind was the constable. The Constable was an old, scruffy war veteran. His left leg had been taken off at the knee cap by a stray artillery shrapnel and his lungs were scarred from the Poison Gas the Germans had dropped on the trenches.
He had two revolvers, like an old west sheriff and his eyes constantly scanned Steve. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're a hunter├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said, surprised that he had said such. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou hunt...vampires? Zombies...our kind?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWerewolves├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm no bigot, mind you├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôA bigot would never have eaten a steak with us, a bigot would never have looked at little miss May the way you did├óÔé¼┬Ø. Steve felt his ear's redden ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm a married man├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. He had looked at little miss May, seeing as how she was sitting across the table from him. But then again she had been a looker. Steve dragged his mind off that train of thought.
├óÔé¼┼ôThat you are├óÔé¼┬Ø The Constable said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut you'd have to be blind to not notice May. She certainly noticed you and we being a small town, new menfolk are hard to come by├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I'm just going to have to let her down if she comes knocking├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø The Constable said ├óÔé¼┼ôA man who abandons his den deserves to have it taken├óÔé¼┬Ø. Steve could see the wolfish logic in that, so he nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø The Constable said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're friend said you both are on a business trip...exactly why is a Hunter traveling with one he hunts?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Steve sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôJerome has worked with me on many occasions. I hunt Renegades, those who don't follow the laws both our race's agreed on├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd what├óÔé¼┬Ø The Constable said, his hand perceptibly reaching for the left gun ├óÔé¼┼ôwould you do if I were a Renegade?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Steve smiled wearily ├óÔé¼┼ôThat would be an interesting thing to see├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. The Constable smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôI like you. You aren't going to put up with lawlessness, and thats what those Renegades are├óÔé¼┬Ø The Constable clapped a hand on Steve's shoulders ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll spread the word to our more...forward ladies, make sure they try your friend Clock before you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Steve looked across the room at Jerome, who had wandered apart to talk up some ladies. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't think they need to be told that, per say├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said.
The Constable smiled and turned away, clomping on his wooden leg. The rest of the evening passed in a blurr of talking, laughing, smiling people. Then Steve was being lead to the hotel the 'Happy Pup' by May. Jerome was still at the car, getting some of his books. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø May said ├óÔé¼┼ôI hear you're a right good shot├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôFrom who?├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve asked, somewhat bleary from the drinks he had had. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Constable said you and Jerome have been working together for years, fighting Renegades and such├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI have to be├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said as he reached the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø May said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's a cold night, up here in the rockies. Sure you don't want some company?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Steve still had enough sense to remember Sandra's beautiful face and winning personality. So he shook his head ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm fine├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. May smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôAh well├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, turning away. Her tail twitched once or twice provocatively.
Josh arrived at the crime scene and sighed. The pile of ash's was chalked out. He could imagine the man crawling out of the house, hand reaching outwards for something to grab in. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou took You're time├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh whipped some lipstick off his cheek and said ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah. I'm sorry about that but my fiancee is a little...eager├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're getting married?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix asked ├óÔé¼┼ôYour sister didn't mention that├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôI engaged this night. In fact I engaged in a few hours later├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNever mind├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said ├óÔé¼┼ôHere is the calling card├óÔé¼┬Ø. He walked up to the door and pointed at the steak that was driven through the top part of the card. On the card was a red circle with a black + sign, but each end was bent inwards, making it look vaguely like an X.
├óÔé¼┼ôHave you ever seen anything like that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix asked, pointing at the icon. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôNever seen anything like that├óÔé¼┬Ø.
-
Johns_Volition
- Posts: 134
- Joined: 05 Jul 2006, 21:17
I thought there was!
http://www.americannaziparty.com/
(attention, that link leads to a white supremacist site, so be aware)
http://www.americannaziparty.com/
(attention, that link leads to a white supremacist site, so be aware)
LAAAND PIRATES!!!
LAAAAAAAAAND PIRATES!!!!!!!
Then the recollection came to Josh. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI did see that before├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy notes├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôIn my notes one of the three cults that used the four crosses was founded in Germany. They were responsible for the deaths of over thirty four deaths of both Werewolves and Vampires. Called themselves the Cult of the Dawn. Supposedly they were whipped out of existence when a detective who's wife was lit on fire by them managed to track down their leader├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh paused. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho's there leader?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôSome Herman├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to check my notes, but I think he was Adolph Hit-laar├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats Hitler├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix corrected Josh's pronunciation.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhatever├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh snapped, still looking at the icon staked to the door ├óÔé¼┼ôAny way old Adolph has been in prison for the last ten years. He's got life without parole. Would have gotten the death penalty if Germany was less liberal. So he's not getting out soon, and his cult disbanded├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThen why is their symbol staked to the door of this house!├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix jabbed his finger at the icon ├óÔé¼┼ôAre they starting the same kind of shit they did back in Germany? Because this is America, and I'm going to start eating brains before I start letting some Krauts kill my citizens, Vampires or not!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Hendrix was getting red in the face. ├óÔé¼┼ôI say we put this on the news├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe certainly have enough evidence to warn people. Tell vampires to lock their doors more securely, and have some friends watch over them during the day├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôGood idea├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe should also send out some officers to confiscate silver, put them in safe deposit box's├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats a bit drastic├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. ├óÔé¼┼ôEven a candlestick can kill a werewolf, if its silver├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I can't this cult to have as hard a time as possible├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôright├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll be sure to protect my fiancee├óÔé¼┬Ø he said darkly. ├óÔé¼┼ôYour fiancee?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix asked. Then he remembered ├óÔé¼┼ôYour marrying a...├óÔé¼┬Ø he trailed off. ├óÔé¼┼ôWerewolf├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said ├óÔé¼┼ôI've heard things about em...good luck├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is that supposed to mean!├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust keep her safe├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd see if you can dig up more facts on this Cult of the Dawn. I'm going to put my best researchers on this├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I think we might need to look at something closer to the source├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe one member of the cult that we know of├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôHitler├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan we get a telephone link to Germany?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix mused aloud. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll fly there├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôI can speak Latin├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLatin is not German├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut German is a Latin off shoot. That should help my fuddle by with a dictionary till I get to prison├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said ├óÔé¼┼ôI hate to get you out of this city, not when we might need you in case a Vampire gets uppity about this Cult business├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy sister├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôMy sister is definitely a good choice, if you need a specialist├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's an anti-zombie Hunter├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd...I'm not sure she's cut out for combat├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôGinger has trained all her life for fighting. And it doesn't matter if the enemy is a zombie or vampire, as long as she hits them in the head, no?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôAre you sure?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI doubt anything serious will pop up├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I will check with Ginger first. If not, we can send a message to the hunter Board and get them to send another Vampire Hunter here as soon as possible├óÔé¼┬Ø. Hendrix nodded, looking at the other police officers who were taking pictures and dusting for finger prints. Josh walked to his car ├óÔé¼┼ôFirst I will check in with Ginger, then call you. Then I'm going home to break the news├óÔé¼┬Ø. He drove off. Hendrix sighed slowly, looking at the crime scene ├óÔé¼┼ôGet me a phone├óÔé¼┬Ø He said.
Ginger walked back to Blackhorse manor, now getting very very worried. Timothy was no where to be found. She opened the door, praying that he had come back, even though the thoughts actually stung her mind slightly. Then she heard a sound of footsteps. She turned around, expecting to see Tim. Instead Josh's spectacles glinted back at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôJosh!├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said, running forward. He smiled as she hugged him, still not nearly as tall as her bigger brother. ├óÔé¼┼ôGinger├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôI've got a lot to tell you and very very little time├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThen start now├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said, stepping away from him.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôFirst I'm getting married├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou are!├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said, her face splitting in a wide smile. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôWell... I hope so. I mean I have to ask her when I get home├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho is the luck lady? And why have you been keeping You're relationship a secret?├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôthe relationship wasn't secret. It's just that I didn't know that it was a relationship until about five days ago├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho was it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger asked ├óÔé¼┼ôSome unrequited love├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSally├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe've been going out for these five days, and I've made up my mind. I'm going to marry her├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôSally!├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôThats great! She's so nice├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou only met her once├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell some people wear themselves on their sleeves. Sally dose that. Its an├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôEndearing trait├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh finished for her ├óÔé¼┼ôBut the second thing I need to tell you is this. I have to go on a trip to Germany. Will you take care of the city's Vampire and Werewolf hunting needs?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôMe?├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger asked ├óÔé¼┼ôBu-Bu-Bu├óÔé¼┬Ø. She stammered, but Josh cut her off. ├óÔé¼┼ôIf need be, I'll send for some other hunter├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe city has been quiet for the time being. I can handle it├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you sure?├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI really don't want to put you in a bad place├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôI can handle it├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe third thing I need to tell you is this├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry I haven't had time for you. You're my little sister and I haven't been helping you as I should. Its been a tough week for you, and-├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôStop apologizing├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said, touched by his words ├óÔé¼┼ôYou did just great├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh smiled and hugged her ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll be back in about five or so days├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôIn and out├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôTell Sally congratulations from me├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôOkay├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then he was turning away, running to his car. Ginger stood outside of her house, somewhat dazed by the new occurrences. Then she remembered Tim and walked inside.
Josh's car squealed to a halt outside of his house. He stood up and felt around in his pocket. Then he got up, butterfly's in his stomach. He walked to the house and opened the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôSally!├óÔé¼┬Ø He called. There was a groan from the bed room and Sally opened the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôI was asleep├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, somewhat irritably. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts fine├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said, blinking. She walked over to the shutters and opened them wide, letting the moon light in. The moon was just starting to wax, and yet it already seemed to be not nearly as powerful as it should be. Sally just shivered slightly and looked awake, rather then the odd hyper alertness Josh had been noticing before with the moon light.
But these thoughts were chased out of his mind when he kneeled on the floor and saw how incredible she looked with the moonlight running through her ponytails. It was probably a mistake. But he still pulled his hand out of his pocket and held the ring forward ├óÔé¼┼ôWill you marry me?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. Sally was struck dumb, sitting their with her eyes wide, jaw slack. Then she blinked. ├óÔé¼┼ôMarriage?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. ├óÔé¼┼ôMarriage is a big step├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you sure?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. He was sure, despite himself. ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause when I give my answer├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm going to hug you, and kiss you and you can't make me stop├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll marry you├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh repeated, standing up as she took up the engagement ring and slipped it on her finger. It was a simple ring, not even real gold. But to her it looked as pretty as the best diamond ring. It also helped that she couldn't tell the difference between real gold and fake gold if you shoved it down her throat. Then she grabbed Josh and kissed him hard. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said after she broke the kiss ├óÔé¼┼ôWe might have to put of the Marriage for a two or so weeks├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can wait├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to go to Germany├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôGermany!├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said, shocked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's about this cult thing├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. He had a lot of explaining to do.
Steve was snoring quite peacefully. Then he heard a floor board creak in his room. If he had been anyone else, he would have not waken up. But he had been attacked in his bed before, so he pulled out his gun, sliding it out from under his pillows and aimed it at the sound. Then he opened his eyes. Jerome was sneaking across his room, another werewolf behind him. Both were holding hunting rifles. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh damn├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôWe woke him up├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell is going on!├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve snarled, getting out of bed. He stood up. Then Jerome kicked his legs out from under him. ├óÔé¼┼ôStay down!├óÔé¼┬Ø he hissed.
Steve rolled onto his front and stayed down. He was hearing something outside. It sounded like engines. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats going on?├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve hissed, looking at Jerome. ├óÔé¼┼ôLand Pirates├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome's werewolf companion said ├óÔé¼┼ôHooligans├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôI thought-├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then the motorcycles roared into town and he could hear whopping men. Steve risked a peak out of the window and saw a party of five or so men riding motorcycles. They were talking to each other, shouting uncouthly. Then one of them fired a gun into the air. Steve ducked down as the bullet slammed into the wooden wall next to him. But the man who had fired was not even looking at him. It had just been a random shot.
├óÔé¼┼ôShut the fuck up, you damn mosquitoes!├óÔé¼┬Ø the man shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôThis town has been...refusing our protection for one week too long├óÔé¼┬Ø. There was a shout from the Land Pirates and some more gunfire into the sky. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve hissed to Jerome ├óÔé¼┼ôHe said mosquitoes├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey're vampires├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome's friend piped up ├óÔé¼┼ôThey've been attacking us intermittently every few days. They killed two of us last week. Now we're going to show them├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then there was a howl. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats the sign!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said, standing up. His werewolf friend whooped and got up too. They broke the window and aimed their guns at the vampire group.
Steve got up as well, holding his pistol. It made pretty big holes, but it wasn't made for stopping vampires. The windows of the buildings around the vampire raiding party suddenly sprouted guns, rifles, shot guns, pistols and other weapons of death that were aimed at them. The door to the Happy Pup opened and the Constable walked slowly into the night, the electric light inside the Happy Pup casting a long shadow in front of him. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell Well Well├óÔé¼┬Ø The Vampire Leader said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt seems the dogs have decided to play├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou have been trying to get us under you're heel├óÔé¼┬Ø The Constable said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe don't stand for it├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe other towns seem to have given in├óÔé¼┬Ø The Vampire said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø The Constable said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe other towns don't have a Vampire Hunter with them├óÔé¼┬Ø. He looked over his shoulder, directly at Steven through the window. Steve looked at Jerome. Jerome jerked his head out the window, obviously telling him to do something. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah!├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôI've been hired to put you down for good...unless you want to just turn around and leave this town├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôHunter, eh?├óÔé¼┬Ø The Vampire Leader said. Then his hand shot up and a bullet thwacked into Steve's shoulder. Steve looked at the spreading blood, wondering why it didn't hurt. Then he toppled forward, falling over the windowsill. He hit the awning under the window and he rolled off and onto the ground, next to the Constable. ├óÔé¼┼ôFIRE!├óÔé¼┬Ø The Constable shouted, pulling out both of his pistols. The werewolves opened up with their weapons, bullets causing the ground around the vampires to explode violently.
The vampires pulled out their guns and started to fire at the werewolves. The leader of the vampires dropped his gun and pulled out both knifes, running at the Constable. The Constable shot him twice in the stomach with both his guns before the Vampire barreled into him. The two of them fell to the ground, the Vampire tearing at the Constable's neck. The Constable growled and his finger nails turned into long claws. He jammed them into the side of the Vampire's head. The Vampire snarled, bitting at the neck. Then the clouds uncovered the moon, and the silvery light shone down on the Constable.
The Constable's cloths ripped off as he morphed into a wolf form, hair sprouting, legs shrinking and snout expanding. Then the Wolf kicked hard and the Vampire flew off the Constable's chest. The Wolf then ran up to the fallen Vampire and bit at its face. The Vampire stabbed the Constable in the side and kicked him hard, very hard. The Constable's body was flung aside and slammed into the side of the Happy Pup. Then the Vampire leader saw that his compatriots were riddled with holes, their bikes shot all to hell. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit├óÔé¼┬Ø he snarled, running down the street. The guns of the Werewolves were trying to tag him, but he was soon out of their view range.
Then his leg exploded at the knee cap. The Vampire fell face forward ├óÔé¼┼ôFUCK!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted, grasping at the stump of his leg. ├óÔé¼┼ôMeant to hit his...heart├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve gasped, dropping his pistol in the ground. Then he blacked out. He came too with a gaggle of...somethings on his chest. They looked like little balls of fluff. Then he saw the ears, eyes, noses and limbs of the cubs. ├óÔé¼┼ôHi├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said blearily, looking at the pups. One of them yipped. Then Steve saw the other werewolves who were standing around his bed. ├óÔé¼┼ôDid I miss something fun?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked, still groggy.
├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said, leaning over the bed ├óÔé¼┼ôYou missed dying by a hair├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose that was fun├óÔé¼┬Ø. The cubs on his stomach were crawling around, yipping. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry├óÔé¼┬Ø One of the older werewolves said, leaning over and picking up a bundle of the cubs ├óÔé¼┼ôThe young un's seem to think your the new 'big thing'├óÔé¼┬Ø. Steve nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose I am├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. The other werewolves laughed. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou'll all be here when I wake up, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø then he blacked out again.
He came to later and all that was there was May, Jerome and the Constable. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø The Constable was saying, waving his arms despite a rather large bandage around his rib ├óÔé¼┼ôMy daughter calls me up and guess what! Little Sally is getting married!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats great!├óÔé¼┬Ø May exclaimed. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho to?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôSome city slicker├óÔé¼┬Ø The Constable said ├óÔé¼┼ôshe said his name was Joshua Smith, and he's a-├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôJosh?├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve asked ├óÔé¼┼ôGetting married?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you know Josh?├óÔé¼┬Ø The Constable asked, turning around and staring at Steve. ├óÔé¼┼ôI like to think so├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's my brother├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Constable was silent for a moment. Jerome and May stood up, staring at Steve.
├óÔé¼┼ôIsn't that a hall of a thing?├óÔé¼┬Ø The Constable said ├óÔé¼┼ôNot only is he the hero of town, but he's also my new grandchild!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt is├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said, a wee bit to tired ├óÔé¼┼ônow...I'm going to pass out again├óÔé¼┬Ø. And he did. Jerome, May and the Constable all looked at the snoring human. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey do take a long time to heal├óÔé¼┬Ø the Constable said. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan't fault them for that├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut we will have to be leaving when he wakes up again├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're car will be fueled, repaired. We'll even toss in some...presents in the back├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jerome grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôI can't wait├óÔé¼┬Ø he said.
LAAAAAAAAAND PIRATES!!!!!!!
Then the recollection came to Josh. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI did see that before├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy notes├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôIn my notes one of the three cults that used the four crosses was founded in Germany. They were responsible for the deaths of over thirty four deaths of both Werewolves and Vampires. Called themselves the Cult of the Dawn. Supposedly they were whipped out of existence when a detective who's wife was lit on fire by them managed to track down their leader├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh paused. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho's there leader?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôSome Herman├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to check my notes, but I think he was Adolph Hit-laar├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats Hitler├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix corrected Josh's pronunciation.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhatever├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh snapped, still looking at the icon staked to the door ├óÔé¼┼ôAny way old Adolph has been in prison for the last ten years. He's got life without parole. Would have gotten the death penalty if Germany was less liberal. So he's not getting out soon, and his cult disbanded├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThen why is their symbol staked to the door of this house!├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix jabbed his finger at the icon ├óÔé¼┼ôAre they starting the same kind of shit they did back in Germany? Because this is America, and I'm going to start eating brains before I start letting some Krauts kill my citizens, Vampires or not!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Hendrix was getting red in the face. ├óÔé¼┼ôI say we put this on the news├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe certainly have enough evidence to warn people. Tell vampires to lock their doors more securely, and have some friends watch over them during the day├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôGood idea├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe should also send out some officers to confiscate silver, put them in safe deposit box's├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats a bit drastic├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. ├óÔé¼┼ôEven a candlestick can kill a werewolf, if its silver├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I can't this cult to have as hard a time as possible├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôright├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll be sure to protect my fiancee├óÔé¼┬Ø he said darkly. ├óÔé¼┼ôYour fiancee?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix asked. Then he remembered ├óÔé¼┼ôYour marrying a...├óÔé¼┬Ø he trailed off. ├óÔé¼┼ôWerewolf├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said ├óÔé¼┼ôI've heard things about em...good luck├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is that supposed to mean!├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust keep her safe├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd see if you can dig up more facts on this Cult of the Dawn. I'm going to put my best researchers on this├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I think we might need to look at something closer to the source├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe one member of the cult that we know of├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôHitler├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan we get a telephone link to Germany?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix mused aloud. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll fly there├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôI can speak Latin├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLatin is not German├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut German is a Latin off shoot. That should help my fuddle by with a dictionary till I get to prison├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said ├óÔé¼┼ôI hate to get you out of this city, not when we might need you in case a Vampire gets uppity about this Cult business├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy sister├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôMy sister is definitely a good choice, if you need a specialist├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's an anti-zombie Hunter├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd...I'm not sure she's cut out for combat├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôGinger has trained all her life for fighting. And it doesn't matter if the enemy is a zombie or vampire, as long as she hits them in the head, no?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôAre you sure?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hendrix asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI doubt anything serious will pop up├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I will check with Ginger first. If not, we can send a message to the hunter Board and get them to send another Vampire Hunter here as soon as possible├óÔé¼┬Ø. Hendrix nodded, looking at the other police officers who were taking pictures and dusting for finger prints. Josh walked to his car ├óÔé¼┼ôFirst I will check in with Ginger, then call you. Then I'm going home to break the news├óÔé¼┬Ø. He drove off. Hendrix sighed slowly, looking at the crime scene ├óÔé¼┼ôGet me a phone├óÔé¼┬Ø He said.
Ginger walked back to Blackhorse manor, now getting very very worried. Timothy was no where to be found. She opened the door, praying that he had come back, even though the thoughts actually stung her mind slightly. Then she heard a sound of footsteps. She turned around, expecting to see Tim. Instead Josh's spectacles glinted back at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôJosh!├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said, running forward. He smiled as she hugged him, still not nearly as tall as her bigger brother. ├óÔé¼┼ôGinger├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôI've got a lot to tell you and very very little time├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThen start now├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said, stepping away from him.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôFirst I'm getting married├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou are!├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said, her face splitting in a wide smile. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôWell... I hope so. I mean I have to ask her when I get home├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho is the luck lady? And why have you been keeping You're relationship a secret?├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôthe relationship wasn't secret. It's just that I didn't know that it was a relationship until about five days ago├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho was it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger asked ├óÔé¼┼ôSome unrequited love├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSally├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe've been going out for these five days, and I've made up my mind. I'm going to marry her├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôSally!├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôThats great! She's so nice├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou only met her once├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell some people wear themselves on their sleeves. Sally dose that. Its an├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôEndearing trait├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh finished for her ├óÔé¼┼ôBut the second thing I need to tell you is this. I have to go on a trip to Germany. Will you take care of the city's Vampire and Werewolf hunting needs?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôMe?├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger asked ├óÔé¼┼ôBu-Bu-Bu├óÔé¼┬Ø. She stammered, but Josh cut her off. ├óÔé¼┼ôIf need be, I'll send for some other hunter├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe city has been quiet for the time being. I can handle it├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you sure?├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI really don't want to put you in a bad place├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôI can handle it├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe third thing I need to tell you is this├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry I haven't had time for you. You're my little sister and I haven't been helping you as I should. Its been a tough week for you, and-├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôStop apologizing├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said, touched by his words ├óÔé¼┼ôYou did just great├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh smiled and hugged her ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll be back in about five or so days├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôIn and out├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôTell Sally congratulations from me├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôOkay├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then he was turning away, running to his car. Ginger stood outside of her house, somewhat dazed by the new occurrences. Then she remembered Tim and walked inside.
Josh's car squealed to a halt outside of his house. He stood up and felt around in his pocket. Then he got up, butterfly's in his stomach. He walked to the house and opened the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôSally!├óÔé¼┬Ø He called. There was a groan from the bed room and Sally opened the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôI was asleep├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, somewhat irritably. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts fine├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said, blinking. She walked over to the shutters and opened them wide, letting the moon light in. The moon was just starting to wax, and yet it already seemed to be not nearly as powerful as it should be. Sally just shivered slightly and looked awake, rather then the odd hyper alertness Josh had been noticing before with the moon light.
But these thoughts were chased out of his mind when he kneeled on the floor and saw how incredible she looked with the moonlight running through her ponytails. It was probably a mistake. But he still pulled his hand out of his pocket and held the ring forward ├óÔé¼┼ôWill you marry me?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. Sally was struck dumb, sitting their with her eyes wide, jaw slack. Then she blinked. ├óÔé¼┼ôMarriage?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. ├óÔé¼┼ôMarriage is a big step├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you sure?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. He was sure, despite himself. ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause when I give my answer├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm going to hug you, and kiss you and you can't make me stop├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll marry you├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh repeated, standing up as she took up the engagement ring and slipped it on her finger. It was a simple ring, not even real gold. But to her it looked as pretty as the best diamond ring. It also helped that she couldn't tell the difference between real gold and fake gold if you shoved it down her throat. Then she grabbed Josh and kissed him hard. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said after she broke the kiss ├óÔé¼┼ôWe might have to put of the Marriage for a two or so weeks├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can wait├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to go to Germany├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôGermany!├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said, shocked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's about this cult thing├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. He had a lot of explaining to do.
Steve was snoring quite peacefully. Then he heard a floor board creak in his room. If he had been anyone else, he would have not waken up. But he had been attacked in his bed before, so he pulled out his gun, sliding it out from under his pillows and aimed it at the sound. Then he opened his eyes. Jerome was sneaking across his room, another werewolf behind him. Both were holding hunting rifles. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh damn├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôWe woke him up├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell is going on!├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve snarled, getting out of bed. He stood up. Then Jerome kicked his legs out from under him. ├óÔé¼┼ôStay down!├óÔé¼┬Ø he hissed.
Steve rolled onto his front and stayed down. He was hearing something outside. It sounded like engines. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats going on?├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve hissed, looking at Jerome. ├óÔé¼┼ôLand Pirates├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome's werewolf companion said ├óÔé¼┼ôHooligans├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôI thought-├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then the motorcycles roared into town and he could hear whopping men. Steve risked a peak out of the window and saw a party of five or so men riding motorcycles. They were talking to each other, shouting uncouthly. Then one of them fired a gun into the air. Steve ducked down as the bullet slammed into the wooden wall next to him. But the man who had fired was not even looking at him. It had just been a random shot.
├óÔé¼┼ôShut the fuck up, you damn mosquitoes!├óÔé¼┬Ø the man shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôThis town has been...refusing our protection for one week too long├óÔé¼┬Ø. There was a shout from the Land Pirates and some more gunfire into the sky. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve hissed to Jerome ├óÔé¼┼ôHe said mosquitoes├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey're vampires├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome's friend piped up ├óÔé¼┼ôThey've been attacking us intermittently every few days. They killed two of us last week. Now we're going to show them├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then there was a howl. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats the sign!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said, standing up. His werewolf friend whooped and got up too. They broke the window and aimed their guns at the vampire group.
Steve got up as well, holding his pistol. It made pretty big holes, but it wasn't made for stopping vampires. The windows of the buildings around the vampire raiding party suddenly sprouted guns, rifles, shot guns, pistols and other weapons of death that were aimed at them. The door to the Happy Pup opened and the Constable walked slowly into the night, the electric light inside the Happy Pup casting a long shadow in front of him. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell Well Well├óÔé¼┬Ø The Vampire Leader said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt seems the dogs have decided to play├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou have been trying to get us under you're heel├óÔé¼┬Ø The Constable said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe don't stand for it├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe other towns seem to have given in├óÔé¼┬Ø The Vampire said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø The Constable said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe other towns don't have a Vampire Hunter with them├óÔé¼┬Ø. He looked over his shoulder, directly at Steven through the window. Steve looked at Jerome. Jerome jerked his head out the window, obviously telling him to do something. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah!├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôI've been hired to put you down for good...unless you want to just turn around and leave this town├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôHunter, eh?├óÔé¼┬Ø The Vampire Leader said. Then his hand shot up and a bullet thwacked into Steve's shoulder. Steve looked at the spreading blood, wondering why it didn't hurt. Then he toppled forward, falling over the windowsill. He hit the awning under the window and he rolled off and onto the ground, next to the Constable. ├óÔé¼┼ôFIRE!├óÔé¼┬Ø The Constable shouted, pulling out both of his pistols. The werewolves opened up with their weapons, bullets causing the ground around the vampires to explode violently.
The vampires pulled out their guns and started to fire at the werewolves. The leader of the vampires dropped his gun and pulled out both knifes, running at the Constable. The Constable shot him twice in the stomach with both his guns before the Vampire barreled into him. The two of them fell to the ground, the Vampire tearing at the Constable's neck. The Constable growled and his finger nails turned into long claws. He jammed them into the side of the Vampire's head. The Vampire snarled, bitting at the neck. Then the clouds uncovered the moon, and the silvery light shone down on the Constable.
The Constable's cloths ripped off as he morphed into a wolf form, hair sprouting, legs shrinking and snout expanding. Then the Wolf kicked hard and the Vampire flew off the Constable's chest. The Wolf then ran up to the fallen Vampire and bit at its face. The Vampire stabbed the Constable in the side and kicked him hard, very hard. The Constable's body was flung aside and slammed into the side of the Happy Pup. Then the Vampire leader saw that his compatriots were riddled with holes, their bikes shot all to hell. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit├óÔé¼┬Ø he snarled, running down the street. The guns of the Werewolves were trying to tag him, but he was soon out of their view range.
Then his leg exploded at the knee cap. The Vampire fell face forward ├óÔé¼┼ôFUCK!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted, grasping at the stump of his leg. ├óÔé¼┼ôMeant to hit his...heart├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve gasped, dropping his pistol in the ground. Then he blacked out. He came too with a gaggle of...somethings on his chest. They looked like little balls of fluff. Then he saw the ears, eyes, noses and limbs of the cubs. ├óÔé¼┼ôHi├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said blearily, looking at the pups. One of them yipped. Then Steve saw the other werewolves who were standing around his bed. ├óÔé¼┼ôDid I miss something fun?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked, still groggy.
├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said, leaning over the bed ├óÔé¼┼ôYou missed dying by a hair├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose that was fun├óÔé¼┬Ø. The cubs on his stomach were crawling around, yipping. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry├óÔé¼┬Ø One of the older werewolves said, leaning over and picking up a bundle of the cubs ├óÔé¼┼ôThe young un's seem to think your the new 'big thing'├óÔé¼┬Ø. Steve nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose I am├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. The other werewolves laughed. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou'll all be here when I wake up, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø then he blacked out again.
He came to later and all that was there was May, Jerome and the Constable. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø The Constable was saying, waving his arms despite a rather large bandage around his rib ├óÔé¼┼ôMy daughter calls me up and guess what! Little Sally is getting married!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats great!├óÔé¼┬Ø May exclaimed. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho to?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôSome city slicker├óÔé¼┬Ø The Constable said ├óÔé¼┼ôshe said his name was Joshua Smith, and he's a-├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôJosh?├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve asked ├óÔé¼┼ôGetting married?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you know Josh?├óÔé¼┬Ø The Constable asked, turning around and staring at Steve. ├óÔé¼┼ôI like to think so├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's my brother├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Constable was silent for a moment. Jerome and May stood up, staring at Steve.
├óÔé¼┼ôIsn't that a hall of a thing?├óÔé¼┬Ø The Constable said ├óÔé¼┼ôNot only is he the hero of town, but he's also my new grandchild!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt is├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said, a wee bit to tired ├óÔé¼┼ônow...I'm going to pass out again├óÔé¼┬Ø. And he did. Jerome, May and the Constable all looked at the snoring human. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey do take a long time to heal├óÔé¼┬Ø the Constable said. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan't fault them for that├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut we will have to be leaving when he wakes up again├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're car will be fueled, repaired. We'll even toss in some...presents in the back├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jerome grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôI can't wait├óÔé¼┬Ø he said.
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Guessmyname
- Posts: 3301
- Joined: 28 Apr 2005, 21:07
Just out of interest, who here would get extremely pissed off with me if I scrapped the work on Mark 3 of Insurgency Devision and started on Mark 4 from absolute scratch?
(please note that Mark 3 kinda had to be scrapped, as I missed out an important plot piece by accident, and editing the relevant posts would probably just confuse people)
An excerpt from Mark 4:
(please note that Mark 3 kinda had to be scrapped, as I missed out an important plot piece by accident, and editing the relevant posts would probably just confuse people)
An excerpt from Mark 4:
(please note that the above will probably end up subject to change at some point)The Vengeance was in high-orbit of the planet Sarrith Beta. Sarrith Beta, as it├óÔé¼Ôäós name implied, was the second habitable planet in the Sarrith system. Far from it├óÔé¼Ôäós sun, the planet was cold. Very cold. Most of the continents were covered in snow and ice, with the exceptions of a few equatorial greenland areas.
The Vengeance was a cruiser-class ship from the TFC. It was long with three main sections. The rear housed the engines, and the front had the bridge, as well as the manoeuvre and brake engines. The middle housed it├óÔé¼Ôäós broadside weapons, and connected the rear and bridge sections.
The ship was painted dark green to help it blend in with the backdrop of space, throwing it into sharp contrast with the bight white of Sarrith Beta├óÔé¼Ôäós surface. It was quite clearly a military vessel. It was long, tall and thin, with a fairly circular cross-section.
On it├óÔé¼Ôäós underside lay a transport and cargo bay, it├óÔé¼Ôäós sliding doors closed for now. Mounted on the sides were a pair of turrets bearing heavy-duty laser weapons and on the top of the rear section squatted a turreted torpedo launcher.
Captain Lannings sat at ease in his chair, sipping a glass of water. His crew where also sitting idly in their seats now that the ship wasn├óÔé¼Ôäót actually doing anything. The two pilots were chatting quietly to each other. The only person really doing anything was the Sensor Officer, who was keeping an eye on the radar whilst talking the Gunnery Officers about the finer points of radar targeting.
He looked at the snowy-white planet below him. From here it looked tranquil and serene, a peaceful planet on which to live. It didn├óÔé¼Ôäót really have much in the way of population, having only been colonised fairly recently. If it weren├óÔé¼Ôäót for the civil war raging on down below it might actually be a nice place to visit. A shame, really.
His First XO, Roland, walked up behind his chair. Lannings heard him coming by the way his boots clanged against the metal floor ├óÔé¼ÔÇ£ standard military TFC boots had rubber soles. Roland├óÔé¼Ôäós were metal.
Roland leant forwards to whisper into his ear.
├óÔé¼┼ôThe Investigator wants to see you├óÔé¼┬Ø Roland whispered
├óÔé¼┼ôTell him I├óÔé¼Ôäóll be there in a moment├óÔé¼┬Ø Lannings replied quietly
Roland nodded and walked off. Clang, clang, clang. Lannings sighed, drained his glass, set it on his seat├óÔé¼Ôäós armrest and eased out of the chair. The crew stopped talking immediately.
├óÔé¼┼ôAt ease├óÔé¼┬Ø Lannings said waving away their attentions with his hand.
They went back to what they were doing previously. Lannings walked out of the bridge, through the door and into the corridor towards the lift.
Lannings was an old man. He had a bald scalp with some greying hair around the ears, in a sort of half-ring across his head. He was tall, gaunt and lean. He wore numerous layers, mainly to stave off the cold ├óÔé¼ÔÇ£ a ship of the Vengeance├óÔé¼Ôäós size couldn├óÔé¼Ôäót fit strong enough heaters to prop the temperature to more than 13 degrees centigrade. He wore a brown tunic with the TFC emblem on it├óÔé¼Ôäós chest, black felt trousers, a dark red cloak, also felt, with a black trim, and metal shoulder guards, again bearing the TFC emblem. In a side pocket was a smaller version of the TLA slug-pistol. He also carried a well-hidden shock-stick.
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Guessmyname
- Posts: 3301
- Joined: 28 Apr 2005, 21:07
An extra long post!
Sally and Josh discus finance. Ginger learns politics. Steve gets presents, and finds that he really doesn't need the big one.
Ginger walked into the house, head spinning. She was going to be taking care of not one, but three full time jobs. Yes it would be only for a few weeks, but she would need help. She would have asked Tim for some help, but he was missing. That was also very worrying. She would just hoped he turned up by tomorrow night. Then she would ask at the Police Station about filing a missing person report. If it had been, say, one of her brothers, then she would have been less worried. But Tim just didn't know somethings. Then Ginger heard three taps on the door behind her.
├óÔé¼┼ôYes, what is-├óÔé¼┬Ø her sentence died half way out of her mouth. A rather portly gentleman was standing outside of her house, fanning himself with a oriental style fan. ├óÔé¼┼ôHello├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAn├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt seems that I am late. Did that motherless pig of a Nosferatu, Vladimir show up here with his magic tricks and tomfoolery?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I'm afraid I gave him a short stick. He left quickly├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThank the Council├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said ├óÔé¼┼ôI am Gregor, Gregor Uylisses├óÔé¼┬Ø. Gregor bowed slightly. It was then that Ginger realized the man was a vampire, with red eyes and fangs. ├óÔé¼┼ôCome in├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said, opening the door for him.
Gregor walked into the room and sat down on one of the chairs, looking around. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Gregor said, licking his lips ├óÔé¼┼ôIt seems that you have unwittingly gotten yourself a new enemy and a half├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat!├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said, looking at him ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you mean!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Gregor said ├óÔé¼┼ôby talking with Vladimir, you have earned the ire of both the Alliance and the Ordo Dracul├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger closed her eyes, feeling her head pound ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't even know who those are├óÔé¼┬Ø she moaned. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's no surprise├óÔé¼┬Ø Gregor said ├óÔé¼┼ôto the human, werewolf and unthinking Zombie eyes, we are one community, the Vampire community. Inside the story is a little more...interesting├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôTell me about it├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt seems like a lot of things have been falling into my lap tonight. So if you could, well, explain some things to me├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Gregor said, crossing his fingers ├óÔé¼┼ôfirst off, Vladimir is working for the Invictus. They are a coalition of vampires who believe that they come first. They undercut those who might actually challenge them. They only tolerate the Ordo and the Alliance and the Unaligned because they can't really hurt them. We can annoy them and exist, witch is enough for some. But you've been turned in a...difficult time├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait wait wait├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said, holding up her hand ├óÔé¼┼ôWho the hell are the Alliance and the Unaligned and the Ordo? They sound like something out of...of some book!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôThey are organizations of Vampires, or, in the case of the Unaligned, lack of organization├óÔé¼┬Ø Gregor said ├óÔé¼┼ôthe Alliance are scientists. They believe that if we study our...condition long enough, we will find out how to...cure it├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger nodded to that. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Ordo are another brand entirely. They believe through piety and worship they can unlock the secrets of their creator...Count Dracula himself├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger hissed ├óÔé¼┼ôDracula!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut...he's dead├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat is true├óÔé¼┬Ø Gregor coincided ├óÔé¼┼ôBut he created a following because...well...its a long story├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI have time├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said, sitting down more comfortably. Gregor sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt all started in 1493 when Count Dracula, who was still known as Vlad Dracula and not Vlad Tepes Dracula. He earned the surname on a rainy Easter Sunday, in Wallachia, when he impaled over fifty men on stakes. Tepes, literally means, 'The Impaler'├óÔé¼┬Ø
Ginger listened, nodding steadily. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was then that Tepes...did something. We don't know what happened, and we never will, but after that Sunday...Vlad Tepes was no longer a man. He was Nosferatu├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger blinked ├óÔé¼┼ôSomeone must have sired him├óÔé¼┬Ø She said. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut no one did├óÔé¼┬Ø Gregor said ├óÔé¼┼ôNot a single Nosferatu lived in the area around Wallachia, and none has lived their sense. It is a mystery how it happened, and it has plagued the Vampires for age's. The Ordo believes if they try hard enough, they will unlock the secret behind what happened to Vlad Tepes├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôThat covers the Ordo, the Alliance, and the Unaligned are obvious enough. Who do you work for├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked, pointing at Gregor.
├óÔé¼┼ôI work for the Vampire community as a whole. I am what one would call a...a representative. All four factions have told me they believe I work for their best interest. Now I am working a balancing act, as the Invictus are getting uppity, the Ordo are getting more and more frantic about the Chosen one and the Unaligned are getting restless├óÔé¼┬Ø Gregor pressed his hands to his temples ├óÔé¼┼ôIt makes my head spin, and I've been working with it for over fifty years├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is a lot to take in├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI never knew about any of this├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe Vampires├óÔé¼┬Ø Gregor said ├óÔé¼┼ôLike to keep our troubles and machinations to ourselves├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôI can see why├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said softly ├óÔé¼┼ôbut...what Chosen one?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Gregor sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôIts another long story├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôbut the basic upshot is that there is a Council of Vampires that lives in a very secretive position, known only to the more powerful members of the Vampire society. But they have been getting...messages from the other side. A very powerful Nosferatu is going to be turned soon, a woman or a man we aren't sure. All we know is they will uncover a great menace and discover the truth behind a ancient secret. Other then that we are in the dark├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger gulped.
They were both silent for the time being, the clock ticking softly in the back ground. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôHow have I annoyed the...the Ordo and the Carthian?├óÔé¼┬Ø she was trying to keep all these society's straight, but it was hard. It felt like some kind of byzantine power struggle. ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause you've talked with the Invictus first, they believe you have deliberately shunned them. I'll tell them, or try too, that you weren't aware of the situation and will talk with their representatives as soon as they arrive├óÔé¼┬Ø. Gregor stood up to leave. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôMy sire, Timothy├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about him?├óÔé¼┬Ø Gregor asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's missing├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Gregor said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sure he'll turn up├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Ginger walked into the house. She was worried, but she could do much about Tim. For one thing it was nearing dawn, and she did not want to die. She prayed, the words singing her mind slightly, that Tim was okay. Then she walked up the stairs, humming to herself. She got to the room Tim had set up for her. She plopped down on the bed, knowing she had about ten or so minuts before she should get into her coffin. She started to imagine that nice guy from the station...Michel, was his name? No. the right name floated up. Mathew. Ginger smiled, remembering his hansom face, nice smile. And the fact that he treated her like a normal person, not a blood sucker. She remembered the shot of blood she had taken...was it already a week?
Ginger sat up. She realized she was hungry. Not for food, not for water. Blood. She yearned for the blood, could feel it around her in the bodies of the men and women in the city. She gulped, trying to force it down. She could last two or so more weeks. Then she would get her next allotment. Ginger lay back in the bed, trying to feel comfortable. But she was used to sleeping upright. She got up, annoyed, and walked to the coffin. She leaned back in it and tried to cheer herself up by thinking about Mathew again. It worked and she felt the familiar tug of temptation. Why not? she asked herself Mother was old fashioned. Ginger slid the coffin lid over herself and unzipped her pants.
Josh felt a bump and he was awake. He looked around. The plane's engines droned on and on. Josh sighed, leaning his head back against the chair. It seemed like he had been in the plane for years. Then he realized he really needed to go to the bathroom. Josh got up, walked past the empty seat on the side, and walked down the stuffy ally way. The others around him were also sleeping, but the plane felt dead and empty. Even the droning engines felt like a forced contrivance, a way of putting sounds into dead air.
Josh got to the bathrooms at the back of the plane. A stewardess was sitting back there, looking out of the window. Then he heard a call from the front of the plane. ├óÔé¼┼ôStewardess!├óÔé¼┬Ø a man called ├óÔé¼┼ôStewardess!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Stewardess swore and got up, walking down the hall. ├óÔé¼┼ôI asked for a human Stewardess├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said, loud enough for the entire plane to hear him. The Stewardess sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm on the night shift because all the human Stewardess's are in their beds, sir├óÔé¼┬Ø. She punctuated the sir ever so slightly. The sarcasm was not lost on the man, who muttered something inaudible. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat was that, sir?├óÔé¼┬Ø the Stewardess asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI want a human, not a mosquito harlot├óÔé¼┬Ø The man said, repeating himself louder. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø The Stewardess said. Josh found himself walking up to the front of the plane, where the man was seated.
├óÔé¼┼ôIs there a problem, here?├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh asked. The Stewardess looked up at him, looking a little startled. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you a steward?├óÔé¼┬Ø The man asked ├óÔé¼┼ôNice to see a human working here├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh opened his coat slightly, so that both the man and the Stewardess could see the bible page pined above his heart. The Stewardess drew back slightly, hissing. The man, however, looked positively joyous. ├óÔé¼┼ôBetter to see a Hunter. You should wipe these nonhuman freaks-├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh grabbed his shoulder, hard, ├óÔé¼┼ôMy fiancee├óÔé¼┬Ø he hissed ├óÔé¼┼ôIs not human, but she is worth ten of you. This lady will service you, or by God, i will throw you off this plane├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The man stared at him, something approaching terror in his eyes. The Stewardess was reevaluating Josh, her eyes approving. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't tell m├óÔé¼┬Ø the man started. Josh squeezed slightly more with his hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll right, all right!├óÔé¼┬Ø The man babbled ├óÔé¼┼ôI would like some coffee├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Stewardess sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are all out. Would you like some Tea?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm an American├óÔé¼┬Ø The man muttered, as if that was explanation enough. The stewardess rolled her eyes and walked back to her place. Josh, remembering he really needed to pee, followed. He got to the bathroom and was about to open the door when the Stewardess turned on him.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell was that?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked ├óÔé¼┼ôYou never hurt the passengers, or we fine you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I just remembered my-├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Stewardess leaned in and kissed him, gently, on the mouth. ├óÔé¼┼ôThank you├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll just remember how Mr. Jones tripped while heading to the bathroom and bruised his shoulder├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh, still a little dazed, nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. The Stewardess smiled, but was called to the front again, this time by a woman. Josh turned to the bathroom and reached for the door to open it. Then he heard a clunk behind him, and a muffled yelp.
He turned around and the door to the storage level opened. And then a head poked out. Black hair, with two furry ears. Green eyes. Sally. Josh looked down the hall frantically. The Stewardess was getting some food at the middle ------- area. Sally climbed out of the storage level and closed the trap door. Then she brushed off her shirt, straightened her jeans and smiled at Josh. ├óÔé¼┼ôSally├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh hissed. Then he saw the Stewardess starting to turn back to her place. He grabbed Sally and moved her into the bathroom. He closed the door and locked it.
├óÔé¼┼ôRomantic├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said, turning around. Her elbows bumped into Josh. She was standing at an odd angle, tilted over the toilet. Josh was mashed into the back wall, their legs twined together. Josh's first thought was how incredible Sally looked, how cute she was in jeans and pants. But he focused on his anger. It was rather hard to do that ├óÔé¼┼ôSally├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôStowing away on a plane is a crime├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI brought money├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said, holding up a fistful of dollars. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats not the point├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. Sally sighed, ears drooping ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I just├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat you did was stupid in three different ways. God I love you├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôThats a├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said, but Josh was leaning in, pressing his lips against hers. Sally breathed into his mouth, making a soft moaning sound. Josh broke the kiss, still not drawing away from Sally. She growled at him. He nipped at her lips, teeth flashing. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou come on like a wolf├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI've been learning├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said, pulling out a small booklet from his back pocket. ├óÔé¼┼ôFun facts about Werewolf biology?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally asked, looking at the book ├óÔé¼┼ôI could have told you those├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôLike├óÔé¼┬Ø. She plucked the book out of his hand and opened the book.
├óÔé¼┼ôLike├óÔé¼┬Ø she repeated, reading the book ├óÔé¼┼ôWerewolves do not howl at the full moon├óÔé¼┬Ø she snapped ├óÔé¼┼ôAt least I don't├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou don't have too├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou could howl at anything, and everything if it makes you happy├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI only want to howl when├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen you do something very, very special├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh grinned, thoughts of sin, vice and eternal damnation so far from his mind that he would be hard pressed to even remember the first page of the bible. ├óÔé¼┼ôSally├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, softly ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm rethinking my 'take it slow' hypothesis├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally smiled, her hands drifting up to her waist line, dragging her shirt up ├óÔé¼┼ôWe can still take it slow├óÔé¼┬Ø she breathed ├óÔé¼┼ôFast├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Sally pulled her shirt up, to right below her breasts. Josh's hands ran over the flat of stomach, feeling the indent of her belly button. Sally leaned back, eyes closed. She sighed softly as Josh's hands slowing, slowing, running gently over her skin. Her ears were perked up to their full extension, vibrating on the tips. Josh stopped. ├óÔé¼┼ôSally├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you sure...you want to do it here, in an airplane bathroom?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally's eyes opened ├óÔé¼┼ôI want to do it├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôAny where. I don't care if we're in a airplane bathroom, or the White house, I want to...fuck...you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôJust wanted to make sure he said, getting ready to pull her shirt up and off.
├óÔé¼┼ôAre you done in there!├óÔé¼┬Ø the bigot man shouted, hammering on the door ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to use the bathroom├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said, yanking his hands away from Sally. It seemed as if he had snapped from insane, but pleasant, to sane, but rather unpleasant. ├óÔé¼┼ôOne second├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI just...need to get my pants on├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally's ears were straight down, eyes smoldering. Not with lust, but with anger. She pushed past Josh, and before he could stop her, she opened the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôPlease├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôMy fiancee and I were having an...fiscal discussion├óÔé¼┬Ø. The man, who seemed more intent on gaping at Sally's ears and wolfish teeth, gibbered.
Sally slammed the door. Josh heard the muffled laughter of the Stewardess, who had been sitting at her usual post next to the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere were we├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Stewardess tapped on the door and said ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou'll have to wait till we touch down for you're...fiscal discussion├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh pushed past Sally and opened the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll right├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe'll go to our seat├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you believe that!├óÔé¼┬Ø The man snarled ├óÔé¼┼ôA human with one of them├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh shot a rather deadly glance at the man. Sally just ignored him completely, even as Josh took a step forward towards the man with not so uncertain intent.
Then she grabbed his arm and dragged him along with her, even as Josh strained to get at the man. ├óÔé¼┼ôSee├óÔé¼┬Ø The man said, ignoring the fact that he was talking to a vampire, ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's letting an inhuman push him around!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOf course sir├óÔé¼┬Ø The Stewardess said, trying to lay the sarcasm on as thick as possible. Sally shoved Josh into the chair next to the window and say down on the chair next to him. Then she leaned over and kissed him ├óÔé¼┼ôMy gallant Knight├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôAlways ready to rip someone in half for insulting me├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh growled ├óÔé¼┼ôYou should have seen that guy just three minuets ago├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI heard him, actually├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôThese ears are not just for making me unbearably cute, but also to...hear things├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Josh leaned over and whispered in her ear ├óÔé¼┼ôI can think of a few more things to do with them├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally giggled ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're learning├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø The Stewardess said, leaning over. Josh sprang apart from Sally as best he could while sitting next to her. ├óÔé¼┼ôPlease├óÔé¼┬Ø The Stewardess said ├óÔé¼┼ôKeep your hands off your fiancee while in full view of the public├óÔé¼┬Ø. If she wondered why Sally hadn't been sitting in that chair a few minuets ago, she didn't show it. In fact no one seemed to have commented it. Seeing as how most of them were asleep or not even looking away from their own device's, Josh supposed that was not so unlikely.
├óÔé¼┼ôStewardess├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh called. The vampire walked down the hall, looking inquisitive. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes, sir, mam?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan we have a...blanket?├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh asked. The Stewardess nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôSure├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, pulling down a blanket. She handed it to Josh, and walked back down the hall. Josh took the blanket and spread it out as much as possible and over the chairs, making a little tent. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh murmured, leaning over to Sally ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere was I?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked, whispering into her ear. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat tickles├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally moaned. The rest of the passengers was staring at the tent. The Stewardess sighed and threw up her hands in defeat.
Steve yawned and winced. His ribs still hurt like the dickens from his plummet out of the window. He kept driving, despite the pain. Jerome was next to him, looking over his shoulder at the presents. The Constable had been right about the presents. Literally twenty four, or twenty three packages, fifteen bags, three long bolts of cloth and a single huge, rectangular package under all that. Steven sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôShould we pull over and pick one of those presents. Just too see what's in it?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jerome nodded quickly ├óÔé¼┼ôThis road is getting to me├óÔé¼┬Ø. They were going up and over the Rockies, and as such the street was winding and dizzying. Then Steve saw a small spot to pull over.
So he did, the car's tires growling over the mud. Steve opened the car, ribs still complaining as he did so. Jerome opened the back seat and yanked the large package out. The bags and parcels atop of that tumbled out as well, some spilling on the ground. Steve groaned ├óÔé¼┼ôBe careful├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThese might be fragile├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut this is the biggest one├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said, grinning. He grabbed the upper part of the bag and ripped down, tearing the cloth off. It was a wooden box. Steve walked over to the bag ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. Then the box snapped open and May popped out ├óÔé¼┼ôBla!├óÔé¼┬Ø she hissed, imitating a vampire in one of the old movies. Confetti sprayed out with her, as she had been packed in with it.
Steve and Jerome jerked back ├óÔé¼┼ôAH!├óÔé¼┬Ø they both shouted, jerking back. ├óÔé¼┼ôHi!├óÔé¼┬Ø May said, pulling some confetti off her hair and shaking her hair. Her ears waggled. Steve grabbed at his ribs, his sudden motion causing them to smart quite a bit. Jerome gaped, then a very silly grin plastered itself over his face. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're a very nice present├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Sally punched him. If she had been standing she would have hit his ribs. As it was she hit him in the crotch, and Jerome doubled up, groaning.
May climbed out of the box ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you doing?├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy...how...when?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø May said, smiling proudly ├óÔé¼┼ôI decided that my present to you will be...me├óÔé¼┬Ø. Seeing Steve's expression, she quickly held up her hands ├óÔé¼┼ôNo, not like that, Mr. I'm-a-married-man├óÔé¼┬Ø. Steve's expression stuck halfway between anger and laughter. ├óÔé¼┼ôI came because it looked like you two needed help, and because living in my little village is about as fun as watching molasses go uphill in January├óÔé¼┬Ø May said ├óÔé¼┼ôI can use a gun as well as anyone else, and If you intended to get across the Killing fields with nothing but a car, two pistols and some ammo, then you'll need someone who can aim a rifle├óÔé¼┬Ø. She kicked the box and a side panel fell off, revealing a very fine hunting rifle.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis is all well and good├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut we're not going across the Killing Fields. We're just going to New Mexico├óÔé¼┬Ø. May's eyes bugged ├óÔé¼┼ôAs if that makes a lick of difference├óÔé¼┬Ø She exploded ├óÔé¼┼ôIn fact that's WORSE then going across the Killing Fields! At least there you can RUN!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Steve sighed, wondering why he had let Jerome talk him into this. Not that you weren't that hard to convince, you adventure monger you a snide voice whispered in his mind. Steve told himself to shut the hell up and focused on May and Jerome ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have four seats, so I suppose you can come├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôgood├óÔé¼┬Ø May said, smiling at them. Jerome smiled back, still feeling a little sore.
├óÔé¼┼ôDon't get your hopes up├óÔé¼┬Ø May said to him. ├óÔé¼┼ôB-Bu-Bu├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome stammered. ├óÔé¼┼ôI've already got my eyes sighted on someone far better├óÔé¼┬Ø May said, pulling out a picture from her back pocket. It was faded, worn and re-folded so many times that Steve had a hard time making out the face. ├óÔé¼┼ôRingo Star!├óÔé¼┬Ø He blurted out. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's soooo dreamy├óÔé¼┬Ø May clutched the picture to her bosom, looking at the sky. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn Cockroach├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome muttered. May shot him an icy look as they all climbed into the car. May had to pile some presents up on the sides, then climb in, but she managed it. She cradled her rifle to her chest protectively. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs that an M1 Garand?├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve asked, as way of making conversation. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood eye├óÔé¼┬Ø May said, smiling at him ├óÔé¼┼ôWith a telescopic sight. No better zombie killer on the market├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Jerome placed his hand on Steve's shoulder ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd we might need to test it├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, pointing. Steve looked. Then he sat up, banging his head into the dent that he still needed to fix. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit!├óÔé¼┬Ø he moaned, feeling his head. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs it a zombie?├óÔé¼┬Ø May asked, leaning forward. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said ├óÔé¼┼ôI can hear his moan├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôMe too├óÔé¼┬Ø May said. Steve grumbled about werewolf's hearing, but he nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can take him from here├óÔé¼┬Ø May said ├óÔé¼┼ôWithout even opening the door├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo it├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôJust don't break anything├óÔé¼┬Ø. May grinned at him, rolling down one of the windows.
She twirled the rifle around on her finger, as it were some pistol in a Wild West movie. Then she brought it to bear on the distant zombie's head and squeezed the trigger. The gun coughed and a shell flew out of the chamber. The zombie's head exploded outwards, it's soft face pulped by the round. It fell to its feet and twitched once or twice. Then it was still. Jerome and Steve gaped. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat was...good' Steve said, eyes bugging out a little. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo I can come?├óÔé¼┬Ø May asked, smiling, ears perked up. Steve grumbled a bit. Then nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. He reached for the radio and turned it on. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Beatles!├óÔé¼┬Ø May said ├óÔé¼┼ôI love these guys!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then they drove off, everyone but Jerome in high spirits.
---------------------------
In the Next Episode, Steve heads into the Killing Fields (Basically the Great Planes that we all know and love, BUT WITH ZOMBIES!). Sally finds she needs a passport and Josh meets Hitler. Twists, turns, and new adventures for the Smith siblings and their friends, well wishers, enemy's and lovers.
Sally and Josh discus finance. Ginger learns politics. Steve gets presents, and finds that he really doesn't need the big one.
Ginger walked into the house, head spinning. She was going to be taking care of not one, but three full time jobs. Yes it would be only for a few weeks, but she would need help. She would have asked Tim for some help, but he was missing. That was also very worrying. She would just hoped he turned up by tomorrow night. Then she would ask at the Police Station about filing a missing person report. If it had been, say, one of her brothers, then she would have been less worried. But Tim just didn't know somethings. Then Ginger heard three taps on the door behind her.
├óÔé¼┼ôYes, what is-├óÔé¼┬Ø her sentence died half way out of her mouth. A rather portly gentleman was standing outside of her house, fanning himself with a oriental style fan. ├óÔé¼┼ôHello├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAn├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt seems that I am late. Did that motherless pig of a Nosferatu, Vladimir show up here with his magic tricks and tomfoolery?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I'm afraid I gave him a short stick. He left quickly├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThank the Council├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said ├óÔé¼┼ôI am Gregor, Gregor Uylisses├óÔé¼┬Ø. Gregor bowed slightly. It was then that Ginger realized the man was a vampire, with red eyes and fangs. ├óÔé¼┼ôCome in├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said, opening the door for him.
Gregor walked into the room and sat down on one of the chairs, looking around. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Gregor said, licking his lips ├óÔé¼┼ôIt seems that you have unwittingly gotten yourself a new enemy and a half├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat!├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said, looking at him ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you mean!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Gregor said ├óÔé¼┼ôby talking with Vladimir, you have earned the ire of both the Alliance and the Ordo Dracul├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger closed her eyes, feeling her head pound ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't even know who those are├óÔé¼┬Ø she moaned. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's no surprise├óÔé¼┬Ø Gregor said ├óÔé¼┼ôto the human, werewolf and unthinking Zombie eyes, we are one community, the Vampire community. Inside the story is a little more...interesting├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôTell me about it├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt seems like a lot of things have been falling into my lap tonight. So if you could, well, explain some things to me├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Gregor said, crossing his fingers ├óÔé¼┼ôfirst off, Vladimir is working for the Invictus. They are a coalition of vampires who believe that they come first. They undercut those who might actually challenge them. They only tolerate the Ordo and the Alliance and the Unaligned because they can't really hurt them. We can annoy them and exist, witch is enough for some. But you've been turned in a...difficult time├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait wait wait├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said, holding up her hand ├óÔé¼┼ôWho the hell are the Alliance and the Unaligned and the Ordo? They sound like something out of...of some book!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôThey are organizations of Vampires, or, in the case of the Unaligned, lack of organization├óÔé¼┬Ø Gregor said ├óÔé¼┼ôthe Alliance are scientists. They believe that if we study our...condition long enough, we will find out how to...cure it├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger nodded to that. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Ordo are another brand entirely. They believe through piety and worship they can unlock the secrets of their creator...Count Dracula himself├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger hissed ├óÔé¼┼ôDracula!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut...he's dead├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat is true├óÔé¼┬Ø Gregor coincided ├óÔé¼┼ôBut he created a following because...well...its a long story├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI have time├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said, sitting down more comfortably. Gregor sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt all started in 1493 when Count Dracula, who was still known as Vlad Dracula and not Vlad Tepes Dracula. He earned the surname on a rainy Easter Sunday, in Wallachia, when he impaled over fifty men on stakes. Tepes, literally means, 'The Impaler'├óÔé¼┬Ø
Ginger listened, nodding steadily. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was then that Tepes...did something. We don't know what happened, and we never will, but after that Sunday...Vlad Tepes was no longer a man. He was Nosferatu├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger blinked ├óÔé¼┼ôSomeone must have sired him├óÔé¼┬Ø She said. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut no one did├óÔé¼┬Ø Gregor said ├óÔé¼┼ôNot a single Nosferatu lived in the area around Wallachia, and none has lived their sense. It is a mystery how it happened, and it has plagued the Vampires for age's. The Ordo believes if they try hard enough, they will unlock the secret behind what happened to Vlad Tepes├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôThat covers the Ordo, the Alliance, and the Unaligned are obvious enough. Who do you work for├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked, pointing at Gregor.
├óÔé¼┼ôI work for the Vampire community as a whole. I am what one would call a...a representative. All four factions have told me they believe I work for their best interest. Now I am working a balancing act, as the Invictus are getting uppity, the Ordo are getting more and more frantic about the Chosen one and the Unaligned are getting restless├óÔé¼┬Ø Gregor pressed his hands to his temples ├óÔé¼┼ôIt makes my head spin, and I've been working with it for over fifty years├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is a lot to take in├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI never knew about any of this├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe Vampires├óÔé¼┬Ø Gregor said ├óÔé¼┼ôLike to keep our troubles and machinations to ourselves├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôI can see why├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said softly ├óÔé¼┼ôbut...what Chosen one?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Gregor sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôIts another long story├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôbut the basic upshot is that there is a Council of Vampires that lives in a very secretive position, known only to the more powerful members of the Vampire society. But they have been getting...messages from the other side. A very powerful Nosferatu is going to be turned soon, a woman or a man we aren't sure. All we know is they will uncover a great menace and discover the truth behind a ancient secret. Other then that we are in the dark├óÔé¼┬Ø. Ginger gulped.
They were both silent for the time being, the clock ticking softly in the back ground. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôHow have I annoyed the...the Ordo and the Carthian?├óÔé¼┬Ø she was trying to keep all these society's straight, but it was hard. It felt like some kind of byzantine power struggle. ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause you've talked with the Invictus first, they believe you have deliberately shunned them. I'll tell them, or try too, that you weren't aware of the situation and will talk with their representatives as soon as they arrive├óÔé¼┬Ø. Gregor stood up to leave. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said ├óÔé¼┼ôMy sire, Timothy├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about him?├óÔé¼┬Ø Gregor asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's missing├óÔé¼┬Ø Ginger said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Gregor said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sure he'll turn up├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Ginger walked into the house. She was worried, but she could do much about Tim. For one thing it was nearing dawn, and she did not want to die. She prayed, the words singing her mind slightly, that Tim was okay. Then she walked up the stairs, humming to herself. She got to the room Tim had set up for her. She plopped down on the bed, knowing she had about ten or so minuts before she should get into her coffin. She started to imagine that nice guy from the station...Michel, was his name? No. the right name floated up. Mathew. Ginger smiled, remembering his hansom face, nice smile. And the fact that he treated her like a normal person, not a blood sucker. She remembered the shot of blood she had taken...was it already a week?
Ginger sat up. She realized she was hungry. Not for food, not for water. Blood. She yearned for the blood, could feel it around her in the bodies of the men and women in the city. She gulped, trying to force it down. She could last two or so more weeks. Then she would get her next allotment. Ginger lay back in the bed, trying to feel comfortable. But she was used to sleeping upright. She got up, annoyed, and walked to the coffin. She leaned back in it and tried to cheer herself up by thinking about Mathew again. It worked and she felt the familiar tug of temptation. Why not? she asked herself Mother was old fashioned. Ginger slid the coffin lid over herself and unzipped her pants.
Josh felt a bump and he was awake. He looked around. The plane's engines droned on and on. Josh sighed, leaning his head back against the chair. It seemed like he had been in the plane for years. Then he realized he really needed to go to the bathroom. Josh got up, walked past the empty seat on the side, and walked down the stuffy ally way. The others around him were also sleeping, but the plane felt dead and empty. Even the droning engines felt like a forced contrivance, a way of putting sounds into dead air.
Josh got to the bathrooms at the back of the plane. A stewardess was sitting back there, looking out of the window. Then he heard a call from the front of the plane. ├óÔé¼┼ôStewardess!├óÔé¼┬Ø a man called ├óÔé¼┼ôStewardess!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Stewardess swore and got up, walking down the hall. ├óÔé¼┼ôI asked for a human Stewardess├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said, loud enough for the entire plane to hear him. The Stewardess sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm on the night shift because all the human Stewardess's are in their beds, sir├óÔé¼┬Ø. She punctuated the sir ever so slightly. The sarcasm was not lost on the man, who muttered something inaudible. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat was that, sir?├óÔé¼┬Ø the Stewardess asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI want a human, not a mosquito harlot├óÔé¼┬Ø The man said, repeating himself louder. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø The Stewardess said. Josh found himself walking up to the front of the plane, where the man was seated.
├óÔé¼┼ôIs there a problem, here?├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh asked. The Stewardess looked up at him, looking a little startled. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you a steward?├óÔé¼┬Ø The man asked ├óÔé¼┼ôNice to see a human working here├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh opened his coat slightly, so that both the man and the Stewardess could see the bible page pined above his heart. The Stewardess drew back slightly, hissing. The man, however, looked positively joyous. ├óÔé¼┼ôBetter to see a Hunter. You should wipe these nonhuman freaks-├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh grabbed his shoulder, hard, ├óÔé¼┼ôMy fiancee├óÔé¼┬Ø he hissed ├óÔé¼┼ôIs not human, but she is worth ten of you. This lady will service you, or by God, i will throw you off this plane├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The man stared at him, something approaching terror in his eyes. The Stewardess was reevaluating Josh, her eyes approving. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't tell m├óÔé¼┬Ø the man started. Josh squeezed slightly more with his hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll right, all right!├óÔé¼┬Ø The man babbled ├óÔé¼┼ôI would like some coffee├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Stewardess sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are all out. Would you like some Tea?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm an American├óÔé¼┬Ø The man muttered, as if that was explanation enough. The stewardess rolled her eyes and walked back to her place. Josh, remembering he really needed to pee, followed. He got to the bathroom and was about to open the door when the Stewardess turned on him.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell was that?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked ├óÔé¼┼ôYou never hurt the passengers, or we fine you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I just remembered my-├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Stewardess leaned in and kissed him, gently, on the mouth. ├óÔé¼┼ôThank you├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll just remember how Mr. Jones tripped while heading to the bathroom and bruised his shoulder├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh, still a little dazed, nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. The Stewardess smiled, but was called to the front again, this time by a woman. Josh turned to the bathroom and reached for the door to open it. Then he heard a clunk behind him, and a muffled yelp.
He turned around and the door to the storage level opened. And then a head poked out. Black hair, with two furry ears. Green eyes. Sally. Josh looked down the hall frantically. The Stewardess was getting some food at the middle ------- area. Sally climbed out of the storage level and closed the trap door. Then she brushed off her shirt, straightened her jeans and smiled at Josh. ├óÔé¼┼ôSally├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh hissed. Then he saw the Stewardess starting to turn back to her place. He grabbed Sally and moved her into the bathroom. He closed the door and locked it.
├óÔé¼┼ôRomantic├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said, turning around. Her elbows bumped into Josh. She was standing at an odd angle, tilted over the toilet. Josh was mashed into the back wall, their legs twined together. Josh's first thought was how incredible Sally looked, how cute she was in jeans and pants. But he focused on his anger. It was rather hard to do that ├óÔé¼┼ôSally├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôStowing away on a plane is a crime├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI brought money├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said, holding up a fistful of dollars. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats not the point├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said. Sally sighed, ears drooping ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I just├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat you did was stupid in three different ways. God I love you├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôThats a├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said, but Josh was leaning in, pressing his lips against hers. Sally breathed into his mouth, making a soft moaning sound. Josh broke the kiss, still not drawing away from Sally. She growled at him. He nipped at her lips, teeth flashing. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou come on like a wolf├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI've been learning├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said, pulling out a small booklet from his back pocket. ├óÔé¼┼ôFun facts about Werewolf biology?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally asked, looking at the book ├óÔé¼┼ôI could have told you those├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôLike├óÔé¼┬Ø. She plucked the book out of his hand and opened the book.
├óÔé¼┼ôLike├óÔé¼┬Ø she repeated, reading the book ├óÔé¼┼ôWerewolves do not howl at the full moon├óÔé¼┬Ø she snapped ├óÔé¼┼ôAt least I don't├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou don't have too├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou could howl at anything, and everything if it makes you happy├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI only want to howl when├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen you do something very, very special├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh grinned, thoughts of sin, vice and eternal damnation so far from his mind that he would be hard pressed to even remember the first page of the bible. ├óÔé¼┼ôSally├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, softly ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm rethinking my 'take it slow' hypothesis├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally smiled, her hands drifting up to her waist line, dragging her shirt up ├óÔé¼┼ôWe can still take it slow├óÔé¼┬Ø she breathed ├óÔé¼┼ôFast├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Sally pulled her shirt up, to right below her breasts. Josh's hands ran over the flat of stomach, feeling the indent of her belly button. Sally leaned back, eyes closed. She sighed softly as Josh's hands slowing, slowing, running gently over her skin. Her ears were perked up to their full extension, vibrating on the tips. Josh stopped. ├óÔé¼┼ôSally├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you sure...you want to do it here, in an airplane bathroom?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally's eyes opened ├óÔé¼┼ôI want to do it├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôAny where. I don't care if we're in a airplane bathroom, or the White house, I want to...fuck...you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôJust wanted to make sure he said, getting ready to pull her shirt up and off.
├óÔé¼┼ôAre you done in there!├óÔé¼┬Ø the bigot man shouted, hammering on the door ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to use the bathroom├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh said, yanking his hands away from Sally. It seemed as if he had snapped from insane, but pleasant, to sane, but rather unpleasant. ├óÔé¼┼ôOne second├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI just...need to get my pants on├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally's ears were straight down, eyes smoldering. Not with lust, but with anger. She pushed past Josh, and before he could stop her, she opened the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôPlease├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôMy fiancee and I were having an...fiscal discussion├óÔé¼┬Ø. The man, who seemed more intent on gaping at Sally's ears and wolfish teeth, gibbered.
Sally slammed the door. Josh heard the muffled laughter of the Stewardess, who had been sitting at her usual post next to the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere were we├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Stewardess tapped on the door and said ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou'll have to wait till we touch down for you're...fiscal discussion├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh pushed past Sally and opened the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll right├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe'll go to our seat├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you believe that!├óÔé¼┬Ø The man snarled ├óÔé¼┼ôA human with one of them├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh shot a rather deadly glance at the man. Sally just ignored him completely, even as Josh took a step forward towards the man with not so uncertain intent.
Then she grabbed his arm and dragged him along with her, even as Josh strained to get at the man. ├óÔé¼┼ôSee├óÔé¼┬Ø The man said, ignoring the fact that he was talking to a vampire, ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's letting an inhuman push him around!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOf course sir├óÔé¼┬Ø The Stewardess said, trying to lay the sarcasm on as thick as possible. Sally shoved Josh into the chair next to the window and say down on the chair next to him. Then she leaned over and kissed him ├óÔé¼┼ôMy gallant Knight├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôAlways ready to rip someone in half for insulting me├óÔé¼┬Ø. Josh growled ├óÔé¼┼ôYou should have seen that guy just three minuets ago├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI heard him, actually├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally said ├óÔé¼┼ôThese ears are not just for making me unbearably cute, but also to...hear things├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Josh leaned over and whispered in her ear ├óÔé¼┼ôI can think of a few more things to do with them├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sally giggled ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're learning├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø The Stewardess said, leaning over. Josh sprang apart from Sally as best he could while sitting next to her. ├óÔé¼┼ôPlease├óÔé¼┬Ø The Stewardess said ├óÔé¼┼ôKeep your hands off your fiancee while in full view of the public├óÔé¼┬Ø. If she wondered why Sally hadn't been sitting in that chair a few minuets ago, she didn't show it. In fact no one seemed to have commented it. Seeing as how most of them were asleep or not even looking away from their own device's, Josh supposed that was not so unlikely.
├óÔé¼┼ôStewardess├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh called. The vampire walked down the hall, looking inquisitive. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes, sir, mam?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan we have a...blanket?├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh asked. The Stewardess nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôSure├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, pulling down a blanket. She handed it to Josh, and walked back down the hall. Josh took the blanket and spread it out as much as possible and over the chairs, making a little tent. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Josh murmured, leaning over to Sally ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere was I?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked, whispering into her ear. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat tickles├óÔé¼┬Ø Sally moaned. The rest of the passengers was staring at the tent. The Stewardess sighed and threw up her hands in defeat.
Steve yawned and winced. His ribs still hurt like the dickens from his plummet out of the window. He kept driving, despite the pain. Jerome was next to him, looking over his shoulder at the presents. The Constable had been right about the presents. Literally twenty four, or twenty three packages, fifteen bags, three long bolts of cloth and a single huge, rectangular package under all that. Steven sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôShould we pull over and pick one of those presents. Just too see what's in it?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jerome nodded quickly ├óÔé¼┼ôThis road is getting to me├óÔé¼┬Ø. They were going up and over the Rockies, and as such the street was winding and dizzying. Then Steve saw a small spot to pull over.
So he did, the car's tires growling over the mud. Steve opened the car, ribs still complaining as he did so. Jerome opened the back seat and yanked the large package out. The bags and parcels atop of that tumbled out as well, some spilling on the ground. Steve groaned ├óÔé¼┼ôBe careful├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThese might be fragile├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut this is the biggest one├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said, grinning. He grabbed the upper part of the bag and ripped down, tearing the cloth off. It was a wooden box. Steve walked over to the bag ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. Then the box snapped open and May popped out ├óÔé¼┼ôBla!├óÔé¼┬Ø she hissed, imitating a vampire in one of the old movies. Confetti sprayed out with her, as she had been packed in with it.
Steve and Jerome jerked back ├óÔé¼┼ôAH!├óÔé¼┬Ø they both shouted, jerking back. ├óÔé¼┼ôHi!├óÔé¼┬Ø May said, pulling some confetti off her hair and shaking her hair. Her ears waggled. Steve grabbed at his ribs, his sudden motion causing them to smart quite a bit. Jerome gaped, then a very silly grin plastered itself over his face. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're a very nice present├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Sally punched him. If she had been standing she would have hit his ribs. As it was she hit him in the crotch, and Jerome doubled up, groaning.
May climbed out of the box ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you doing?├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy...how...when?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø May said, smiling proudly ├óÔé¼┼ôI decided that my present to you will be...me├óÔé¼┬Ø. Seeing Steve's expression, she quickly held up her hands ├óÔé¼┼ôNo, not like that, Mr. I'm-a-married-man├óÔé¼┬Ø. Steve's expression stuck halfway between anger and laughter. ├óÔé¼┼ôI came because it looked like you two needed help, and because living in my little village is about as fun as watching molasses go uphill in January├óÔé¼┬Ø May said ├óÔé¼┼ôI can use a gun as well as anyone else, and If you intended to get across the Killing fields with nothing but a car, two pistols and some ammo, then you'll need someone who can aim a rifle├óÔé¼┬Ø. She kicked the box and a side panel fell off, revealing a very fine hunting rifle.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis is all well and good├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut we're not going across the Killing Fields. We're just going to New Mexico├óÔé¼┬Ø. May's eyes bugged ├óÔé¼┼ôAs if that makes a lick of difference├óÔé¼┬Ø She exploded ├óÔé¼┼ôIn fact that's WORSE then going across the Killing Fields! At least there you can RUN!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Steve sighed, wondering why he had let Jerome talk him into this. Not that you weren't that hard to convince, you adventure monger you a snide voice whispered in his mind. Steve told himself to shut the hell up and focused on May and Jerome ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have four seats, so I suppose you can come├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôgood├óÔé¼┬Ø May said, smiling at them. Jerome smiled back, still feeling a little sore.
├óÔé¼┼ôDon't get your hopes up├óÔé¼┬Ø May said to him. ├óÔé¼┼ôB-Bu-Bu├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome stammered. ├óÔé¼┼ôI've already got my eyes sighted on someone far better├óÔé¼┬Ø May said, pulling out a picture from her back pocket. It was faded, worn and re-folded so many times that Steve had a hard time making out the face. ├óÔé¼┼ôRingo Star!├óÔé¼┬Ø He blurted out. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's soooo dreamy├óÔé¼┬Ø May clutched the picture to her bosom, looking at the sky. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn Cockroach├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome muttered. May shot him an icy look as they all climbed into the car. May had to pile some presents up on the sides, then climb in, but she managed it. She cradled her rifle to her chest protectively. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs that an M1 Garand?├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve asked, as way of making conversation. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood eye├óÔé¼┬Ø May said, smiling at him ├óÔé¼┼ôWith a telescopic sight. No better zombie killer on the market├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Jerome placed his hand on Steve's shoulder ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd we might need to test it├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, pointing. Steve looked. Then he sat up, banging his head into the dent that he still needed to fix. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit!├óÔé¼┬Ø he moaned, feeling his head. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs it a zombie?├óÔé¼┬Ø May asked, leaning forward. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Jerome said ├óÔé¼┼ôI can hear his moan├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôMe too├óÔé¼┬Ø May said. Steve grumbled about werewolf's hearing, but he nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can take him from here├óÔé¼┬Ø May said ├óÔé¼┼ôWithout even opening the door├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo it├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said ├óÔé¼┼ôJust don't break anything├óÔé¼┬Ø. May grinned at him, rolling down one of the windows.
She twirled the rifle around on her finger, as it were some pistol in a Wild West movie. Then she brought it to bear on the distant zombie's head and squeezed the trigger. The gun coughed and a shell flew out of the chamber. The zombie's head exploded outwards, it's soft face pulped by the round. It fell to its feet and twitched once or twice. Then it was still. Jerome and Steve gaped. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat was...good' Steve said, eyes bugging out a little. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo I can come?├óÔé¼┬Ø May asked, smiling, ears perked up. Steve grumbled a bit. Then nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. He reached for the radio and turned it on. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Beatles!├óÔé¼┬Ø May said ├óÔé¼┼ôI love these guys!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then they drove off, everyone but Jerome in high spirits.
---------------------------
In the Next Episode, Steve heads into the Killing Fields (Basically the Great Planes that we all know and love, BUT WITH ZOMBIES!). Sally finds she needs a passport and Josh meets Hitler. Twists, turns, and new adventures for the Smith siblings and their friends, well wishers, enemy's and lovers.