It Gets Better: Vicki/Henry

I've just posted the beginning of this story. I have plenty in the works, but just want to see if anyone is interested in it. Sorry it's so short...

This old world can be cruel sometimes

When you're looking for answers

You can't seem to find

No one understands what you're going through

Oh I know it can get lonely out there

When you feel like nobody cares

Well you look around thinking

If they only knew

Well I do

I've felt the chill of this world cut down to the bone

I've walked many a mile down this road on my own

The chill of the night air hovered over the city like a moist cloud. The darkness heavy and unsettled Vicki Nelson for many reasons, " I'm a blind demon beacon who will always be alone." The thoughts escaped her lips as she trudged through the quiet streets towards the solace of her office.

She wasn't ready to go home yet, however. She knew that Coreen had taken the taxi back to the office instead of Vicki's original destination for the driver- the hospital. Instead, with a thousand thoughts and feelings burning inside her, she turned around and headed for the one place where she felt complete understanding- back to the place where everything began.

The alley was calm and quiet like the rest of the city, however, in the confined air of these walls held a certain amount of grief and hostility. After all, this is where everything began a year ago. Henry, her entrance into the dark world of hell, her battle against Asteroth… it all began here and ended with her.

Walking towards the wall, she softly examined the marking left by the demon a year ago. Suddenly, as she touched it, she felt a hot sensation pierce her fingers, and like many times before, her tattoo began to glow and smolder. As suddenly as the searing heat of the tattoos, everything she'd been bottling up for the past year uncorked itself and bubbled over in her throat. Memories flashed before her eyes of that night so long ago when a certain bloodsucker walked in front of her and her life changed completely. Vicki yanked her fingers away and sank to her knees, her back against the wall, the tears falling freely. She clutched her arm tightly, remembering how it felt to have Henry's lips and teeth meet with her flesh.

Looking to the dark sky above her, she sobbed in anguish. "Oh god. What have I done?"

I've been through hell on my knees

Come face to face with the devil

And I know that it's hard to believe

But it gets better

Her pain had led Vicki to another place she never thought to return to. The maple door squeaked as she tested the lock. Stepping slowly over the threshold, she glanced around the dark apartment tentatively, subconsciously knowing that she was alone.

The red lilies were still on the entryway table, just as they were mere hours ago, when her vision had temporarily cleared, thanks to Asteroth, enough for her to take in the beauty of those flowers fully before tunneling back to blindness.

In truth, that devil had never even touched on what her heart truly desired. In fact, she'd been staring at him all night until he left. She would throw away her life for Henry if only she knew that they were going to work out. Otherwise, she couldn't risk it.

The pain of knowing what she caused killed her. Vicki couldn't even begin to think of how to fix everything she caused. Instead, she walked to Henry's bedroom and crawled into the only bed she every truly felt safe in, breathing in the last scent of him, evoking the last sobs she could manage before falling asleep.

The shrill ring of her cell phone aroused Vicki many hours later. Fumbling around the bed, she blindly searched for her phone. " mmm, Hello?"

"Vicki? Where are you?"

Vicki furrowed her brow at the sound of the familiar voice on the other end of the line.

" Coreen? What's wrong?"

"I've been at the office all night and I haven't seen you since…" Since Henry left. Coreen didn't have to finish the sentence for Vicki to catch on.

Running a hand through her hair, Vicki sat up straighter in the bed. " I'm fine. I just didn't feel like coming home quiet yet."

Coreen refused to give up so easily, " Well where are you? Its one in the morning."

"I'm in a safe place, I just don't feel like being bothered right now, okay, Coreen? I just need time to myself right now."

Frustration was evident in her young assistant's voice, but it was rightly stated, " Story of your life, Vicki Nelson. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon."

Hanging up, Vicki flopped back down in the bed, frustration and exhaustion overtaking her body. Sleep came quicker than it had before and encased her mind in complete darkness once again.

Lyrics from Jo Dee Messina's "It Gets Better".

Reviews feed my soul.