My name is Ava Mason, I'm 25, and currently my situation is not an ideal one by any means, but before we get into the present let me fill you in on my "back story" if you will..
I was working as a Phlebotomist in New Haven Connecticut at a pretty prestigious hospital. Now I was making a pretty decent salary due to my place of employment and experience so in hind sight I probably should not have become such a greedy little bitch… but I was and here's why… Vampires.
Yes Vampires they "came out of the coffin", as they so cleverly put it, 2 years earlier and Americans have just begun to assimilate. The reason for the coming out of hiding was due to the Japanese who have found a synthetic substitute for human blood that can sustain life. Which is extremely amazing, except for the fact that they started to distribute it to Vampires. Turns out just as well as it replaces human blood to keep us alive it does the same for vampires, meaning technically they no longer NEED to feed from humans in the dark and in hiding. Subsequently meaning they can come out and live among us without having to harming us to live… apparently after sooo many hundreds of years they actually want to be part of society again, who would have thought right? Sorry my sarcastic nature still escapes me in even the shittiest of circumstances.
So me being the brilliant and ambitious young woman I happen to be I decide to take extra amounts of human blood during draws, especially during donations. There is a standard amount allowed is about 1 pint, since the average human has 10-12 pints of blood I decided what could hurt if I took an extra pint during draws? It's illegal obviously, but I bought the extra supplies for the "takes" as I coined it, with my own income and brought them to work with me NO ONE WAS AWARE. The patients were none the wiser and I was making $150 a pint, that's 16 fl oz, that's a bottle of that True Blood crap they were drinking but the real thing, still warm! I only investigated the idea initially.
I met a Vamp one night in a night club; it seemed he was trying something weird with me… the way he was staring in the strangest way. None the less I asked how valuable a bottle of actual human blood fresh from the tap would be if they had to do none of the work and a human was doing it for them. He snickered at me as if I was joking. I told him my plan as I watched him sit across the table from me sipping from a bottle of the True Blood making the most disgusted face after. "I would pay enough but not a substantial amount, we still have our ways of procuring the blood of a human if need be but this poses far less threats for us and much more so for you human." I nodded. I told him I planned to start distributing pints and if he knew anyone interested that I would be able to be contacted on my cell and handed over the number. I also informed him I have my ways of knowing things and if anyone planned to harm me or rat me out in any way that I would know immediately. At this he just smirked, thinking "Silly stupid human" at least that's what I gathered…
That's another thing about me you should know, I have this "thing" this "quark" I can hear and sometimes feel peoples thoughts. Yes, I am a telepath that's why when Vampires came about I wasn't too surprised… I am after all an anomaly who am I to think there are no other oddities in the world. The thing I didn't know is that "hearing" the vampires was different. I could hear them but it was odd… strangled and vague. As opposed to the average humans who were so loud over the years I formed a barrier, a wall to block people out most of the time. But the emotions if they were flowing from someone were unavoidable. I obviously didn't know I could hear them until I started my dealings, which went smoothly with this one original Vampire, his name was Cyrus. I was his supplier and essentially he was my pusher. I sold each pint at the afore said $150 and he sold them for a much higher but unnamed price. He kept a lot to himself most he said to me was a distant greeting and how much he needed for the next week. Obviously the amount of people donating blood was not in GREAT quantity I got a good amount undetected but I didn't want to put up any red flags so I usually limited my weekly amount to 20-30 pints, if that was even reachable… you know people and their lack of charitable nature, what is this world coming to right? I could tell with my "ability" when I should stop the draw, on certain patients it was earlier than others, their thoughts would start to become blurry and their emotions became complacent.
I would contact Cyrus after the "takes" and he would meet me on my quiet residential street in Naugatuck CT where I own a modest little home. In retrospect, no it probably wasn't the smartest Idea to let him know where I lived… but there was that little "cannot enter without the owner's permission" rule that I felt pretty safe with. And Cyrus was a seemingly docile and professional businessman.
ANYWAY enough with the logistics let's get to the action… One night on my way home I called Cyrus and got no answer and thought nothing of it, it's happened before and usually I'd hear back from him on my half hour drive home. I arrived at my house and pulled into the driveway, no Cyrus to be found. I shrugged he's probably got something going on, I knew next to nothing about this man…vampire... but I decided it was nothing really to think of things come up in everyone's lives whether they are dead or alive right? I reached over and got the my bags including the nights "takes" as I was walking up to my front door keys in hand, a young looking pale woman appeared in front of me almost instantly. I gasped slightly "Hi there, you must be Miss. Mason" she said in a flat tone. I looked into her glassy blue eyes for a moment then took her in, She was taller than me but most people are since I stand at a less than substantial 5 feet tall. She had on a pair of blood red pumps, a black pencil skirt that was modest and came to just above her knee and a not to revealing blood red dressy top. Her blonde hair hung in ringlets beautifully around her gorgeous pale face. I felt an aloofness coming off of her in waves like she was bothered to be here. I let my guard down and through all the muck and confusion I felt in her head [Vampire flashed through my mind] I heard something along the lines of "cute, small, Eric, blood" I gathered myself as she crossed her arms over her chest staring at me like I was daft.
"Yes, I'm Ava Mason. How can I help you…?"
"Pam, I'm here to take you to my master. He wishes to speak to you involving your recent business ventures. We hear you have been dealing human blood to a certain vampire by the name of Cyrus" She said as a statement more than asked.
"I, uh.." I said before attempting to sprint to my front door, I dropped my bags and flung myself forward. Just to be stopped instantly. I was being held by my throat about 5 inches in the air to meet Pam's eyeline.
"Ava, you will come with me now. Do you understand?" Pam said slowly to be almost soothingly giving me that same odd look Cyrus had given me the night I met him.
I choked out "What did I do?"
Pam let me go and I slammed into the ground and gripped my throat coughing and rubbing. She stared at me confused. Now I could feel she felt slightly nervous. "What are you?" she said mesmerized. I looked up at her pissed off and scared. "I don't know what you are talking about. I'll do what you want just don't choke me again please" I stood up and brushed myself off and Pam smirked at me amused.
"Miss. Mason you will hand me your keys and get back into your vehicle. And make sure to bring your belongings" Pam said and gave me a toothy grin revealing a set of gleaming fangs. I reached out again into her abyss "Interesting, pay off, master will be pleased" leaked out through the confusion. It was almost painful trying to pull things out of her mind. I squinted hard. "What is wrong with you breather?" she said as she set herself into the driver's seat of my Jeep Liberty. "Ah, oh…headache" I said and gripped my head.
As we drove I just stared out the window too involved with the stinging in my skull to become overly worried. That is another thing about my "ability" if I hadn't learned a way to block peoples thoughts out by now I honestly believe my head would have exploded. The headaches I would get by other peoples thoughts invading my head would cause horrible pains to the point I would vomit. It was an effort to keep them out but it has become second nature by now. But this was new to me having to fish through "brain tar" to get fragments of thoughts… it was an exhausting task.
I looked over a Pam she was concentrating on the road but must have felt my gaze on her. She looked over at me. "You seem smart what were you doing dealing with such a bottom feeder?" she asked quizzically. I shrugged "I knew of no other vampires, he's the first and only I'd ever met until now" I said honestly. She turned back to the road and smirk. "This is going to be interesting" she smirked.
We arrived at a night club very close to my place of employment, "get out, I'll park this in the employee lot around back. Go straight in, even if you run we will come back to get you and trust me it is in your best interest to cooperate." I got out still in my scrubs and lab coat carrying my bag filled with the days "takes" and my lab bag with my personal belongings and some extra supplies. I walked oddly into the club there was a bald built looking man (?) at the door. "I.D." he asks as I step in, giving me a glare as he takes in my attire. I reached into my bag and pull out my drivers license. He scanned it quickly then handed it over to me, Pam was next to me in the next second. "Come Miss. Mason, we must go see the master." She placed her hand on my shoulder and guided me through the club from behind at a speed I almost could not keep up with. We strode between freakish looking patrons covered in various amounts of leather and latex, yuck. Everyone looked at me like I was the one that should be ashamed of what I'm wearing. We stopped in front of a large black door at the back of the club. I heard "ENTER" from inside before either of us identified our presence. Pam reached in front of me at an unnatural speed and opened the door and gently nudged me in "You are on your own now" she said smiling then shut the door. There was large black chair behind a desk turned around facing what looked like a large computer screen. "Ah, Miss. Mason, you have finally arrived." said a majestic slightly accented voice from the other side of the chair, then it turned.
I was actually in awe for a moment, he was gorgeous beyond words. A very large man in the vertical sense of the word, sat in the chair he looked to be right around 30 years old. He had beautiful blonde hair, it was cut just to the nape of his neck and brushed back in a part, in a modern businessman like doo, his striking blue eyes bright against the pallor of his skin. He sat with a key board across his lap. He looked down away from me and tapped a few keys and the screen behind him went black. He stood presenting the large figure he was much more than a foot taller than me. He strode over to me in a very graceful manner that didn't expect from someone of his stature. He wore a stylish leather jacket with a black wife beater tank top underneath. I looked down at the long strong legs that held up with gargantuan of a man and saw he was wearing a pair of dark bootcut jeans and a pair of "mandals" you know the thong sandals for men, I smirked to myself despite the situation.
"What do you find amusing in this situation Miss. Mason?" The large Vampire looked down at me with a stoic look on his face. I wiped the smile off my face and reached into his head and turn up with nothing. Then a new expression dawned on my face, confusion. "Miss. Mason can you hear me?" He leaned down a ways and was a few inches from my face.
"Yes I'm sorry" I said trying to subside the stinging in my head.
"You are probably curious as to why I summoned you here, let me enlighten you, have a seat." He said and gestured to a leather sofa to the right of where I was standing still in front of the door. He then placed his hand to the small of my back and guided me in the direction on the couch and almost physically placed me there, turning me by my shoulders and pressing down on then gently urging me to sit. I placed my bags on the floor beside me and turned toward where he was now sitting next to me.
"You are dealing your own kinds blood to an underling of mine and I have come to find this out through mutual clientele of yours. Now usually I would have interrogated just the subservient for my answers but when he told me that his supplier was a young small human female I just had to see for myself." He said almost amused, or so it seemed.
My bag suddenly shifted on the floor and I looked over for a second then back at this man, he nostrils flared notably. "You have brought it with you?" he used his vampire speed to pick up my bag before I could utter a word and reached into my bag then pulled out a punctured bag of blood , this was all in milliseconds. He looked down at it and licked the blood off it, a pleasured look came to his face. He then covered the puncture with his large thumb, "go to my desk and get me the tape human" he said in a commanding manner. This guy must not be used to asking for things politely but in my situation I do not want to argue but, "I have something better in my bag" I say quickly and reach for my personal bag with my other supplies and before I know this man has his large cold hand wrapped around my chin and pulls my face to his. "You will inform me of what you need out of this bag and I shall retrieve it human" he says with a growl and I hear a small click. He lifts his lip to reveal his fangs to me. "I… I'm sorry I was just going to get out some surgical tape it would hold better" I said nervously. I couldn't even feel the emotions coming off of this vampire, I was in a situation I was not familiar with being treated like a criminal that was about to be put to death or eaten. I was so nervous I started to shake. The vampire released my face and used his free hand to reach into my bag and began searching for the tape. He found it and handed it to me. "Tear a piece, I will cover the hole before more can drip out" he instructed me and I did so without a word. After he took the piece I shifted slightly away from him and put my hands in my lap, looking down at them I started to pick at my cuticles. Trying to busy myself and keep myself from crying. I knew this wouldn't end well but the money was too good. I was making $3,000-$4,500 a week in profit and on top of what I already made I was living comfortably…
"Listen to me now Ava, I apologize for this treatment" he set down my things and put a finger under my chin beckoning my attention, I look at his beautiful eyes intently. "I do not know what you know of Vampire politics and as I suspect and hope it is not much. But I must tell you that an underling of mine earning money doing such things without my permission or without providing commission to his area sheriff is not accepted by my kind." I nod intently. "As I said, I hope you knew nothing of this because the vampire Cyrus you have dealt with over the last months is no older than a mere 200-300 years and is still ill experienced. His business dealing became exploitive to our kind and I am not pleased."
I took the liberty to speak although I was unsure of whether I should at the time "I apologize um…"
"Eric Northman, you may call me Eric"
"Eric, I Apologize very much. I had no clue; I was just trying to make money. I know what I was doing is wrong and I won't do it anymore I promise. You have my" I cut myself short in anticipation of the knock on the door. I could feel that same aloof presence that was coming from the Vampire, Pam earlier approaching. Eric stared at me intently and his expression changed almost saying "YES, AND?" then Pam knocked and he cocked and eyebrow at me.
"Yes Pamela?" He said and turned toward the door.
"Eric, we are done with Cyrus. What do you want us to do with him?" She said and popped her hip to the side and placed a hand on it almost saying, hurry up I've got better things to do.
"Take him to the magister and inform him of his misdealings, and speak not of the girl. Tell him that he employed his glamouring to acquire the blood." Eric spoke firmly.
"Yes master" Pam said and in an instant the door was closed again.
Eric turned back toward me, "There is something about you…"
"Mr. Northman, I assure you I will stop what I was doing if you want. Can I please leave? I will give you the blood and you can keep it, I don't want it…" I said and looked down at my lap again.
"Ava I do not intend to discontinue your venture, I wish to become your partner." He said and actually smiled at me in a cocky way, his fangs were no longer out. He was definitely implying that this was far from over, in fact to me it seemed like I had no choice in the matter….