Choices We Make:
Sasha Luna had never liked the dead. Now that she was one, she still didn't like them. Perhaps that what drove her to wander the streets alone at night. Or maybe it was a primal instinct that came from the immortal blood in her veins. What ever it was; it drove her to walk in the silver shadows of the late night, it made her think of people she had known, people she had lost and of people she had hated. As she walked down the cracked cement path; her steps were sharp against the stones as she beat out the frustration in her body. Without thinking of it she found herself standing in front of the Haven.
Once inside she snatched a corner table and hunched up around herself. Glaring at the tabletop instead of the faces around her; instead of admitting what she knew was true.
"Ms. Luna?"
She jumped at the grave tone and looked up to stare at a police badge and the hard face of a cop. "Yeah?"
"I'm Detective Queen," He put his badge away, "I need to ask you some questions."
She rolled her eyes, "I don't know anything."
He stared at her with empty eyes, his hand held up a year book photo and Sasha was rocked to the core. "Do you know this girl?"
Sasha snatched grabbed the photograph and peered at the black and white. She stared into the face and felt her head spin. "What's wrong?"
"Do you know her?" He asked again.
"Yeah. We went to school together, then I moved here and I haven't seen her since." Sasha looked up at him and felt tears prickle her eyes. "What has happened?"
"Could you tell us her name?" He asked.
Sasha blinked several times before she could answer, "Andie Lauren."
He wrote that down and took the photo back, "The last time you saw her was in high school?"
Sasha nodded. "Yeah, before I came here. Please tell me what has happened."
The detective sighed. "I'm not at liberty to say."
"Then can you tell me where she is staying?" Sash asked.
"General hospital." He answered and nodded as his way of saying good bye.
Sasha swallowed a few times to regain her senses and stood up quickly. Her steps were quick as she ran down the side walk. For once she was thankful of her supernatural strengths.
**
Sasha hesitated as she stared in the darkened window of the room. Two people lay inside; one of them was Andie, the other was a stranger. Sasha gently edged open the door after looking around to once again assure herself she was alone. Stepping inside she silently closed the door and approached the bed on the left side of the room.
Andie lay asleep and peaceful; her hair tangled around her head as though she had been tossing it, her skin was a harsh white color in the dim lights above her. A machine monitored her well being and beeped annoyingly.
Sasha approached the bed in careful steps and watched her friend. "Hey, Andie," She felt her eyes sting as tears fell in reddish tracks down her face. "I could have put you up at my place you know?" She laughed weakly and reached for her friend. Only to pull away sharply as fear took hold of her and wring her hands together in an effort to comfort herself. "I should have written I guess, but I don't know how to explain any of what's happened."
Sasha found a chair near by and pulled it up to sit by the bed.
"I can hardly believe how things have changed. So how can I possibly write about them?" Sasha found herself chatting aimlessly about the last six months and to her surprise it brought a sense of comfort to her. She talked about Cash and Julian, about Eddie and now Cameron and she spoke of Lillie. Mostly she spoke of how much she missed parts of her old life.
Sasha stopped after what seemed an age and took a breath.
"Sounds like you've been busy." Came the whispered, scratchy reply from the bed.
Sasha gasped as Andie opened her eyes and gave a weak smile.
"I didn't mean to wake you!" Sasha exclaimed.
"I wasn't really asleep." Andie answered. "Lord, Sasha, I can't sleep. The pain is too much sometimes."
"What pain?" Sasha leaned forward and took Andie's hand before she could stop herself. "What has happened Andie?"
Andie closed her eyes a moment as the muscles in her hand tensed. She drew in a shallow breath and let it out slowly. "I am dying Sasha. My heart has finally given out on me."
"No!" Sasha shook her head to keep from saying anything. "I mean, I thought it was all better now."
"No. The medications only put off the inevitable. I just grew too old for this old thing to keep working." Andie joked and smiled softly. "Don't be so heartbroken…."Andie grinned at herself and squeezed Sasha's hand. "I mean don't be so upset over this, the doctors have me back on the meds and say I can leave in a few days."
"But if nothing's wrong then why were the police asking about you?" Sasha asked.
Andie frowned, "What police?"
"There was a detective Queen looking for you earlier. I told him that I had known you in high school and your name. When I asked what was wrong he said he couldn't say." Sasha noticed the panicked look cross Andie's face. "He wasn't a cop?"
"No." Andie's tone was heavy as she stared out the window of her room. "Matthew Queenside is no cop. He is a…"She stopped and shook her head. "You should not have come here Sasha."
"Like hell," Sasha said sharply, causing Andie to look at her. "You saved my life a few times. The least I can do is help you now. I have some powerful friends you know."
Andie stared at her with serious eyes. "Don't help me Sasha. Don't even say you've come here. Just leave and don't return."
Sasha felt like arguing but found herself speechless. Andie took back her hand and closed her eyes again. Letting out a weak breath.
"I am going to help you Andie." Sasha stated firmly.
Andie made no reply and Sasha left the room. Making her way down to the main street, Sasha noticed the sky was lightening and heaved a sigh. Making her way down the block to the intersection she hailed a passing cab and told him to take her home.
**
Julian was a little more then shocked to see his niece walk through the front doors at just after dawn, smelling of the hospital and tears. Her face was drawn and she looked deeply troubled. He wanted to ask what was wrong, but Sasha walked right by him and up to her room. Julian sensed Cash approached and looked over to see the Gangrel staring after his former lover.
The two men met each others surprised looks and just shrugged. Without a word they both continued on their way and Sasha locked the door to her room and sat down to cry.
Sasha Luna had never liked the dead. Now that she was one, she still didn't like them. Perhaps that what drove her to wander the streets alone at night. Or maybe it was a primal instinct that came from the immortal blood in her veins. What ever it was; it drove her to walk in the silver shadows of the late night, it made her think of people she had known, people she had lost and of people she had hated. As she walked down the cracked cement path; her steps were sharp against the stones as she beat out the frustration in her body. Without thinking of it she found herself standing in front of the Haven.
Once inside she snatched a corner table and hunched up around herself. Glaring at the tabletop instead of the faces around her; instead of admitting what she knew was true.
"Ms. Luna?"
She jumped at the grave tone and looked up to stare at a police badge and the hard face of a cop. "Yeah?"
"I'm Detective Queen," He put his badge away, "I need to ask you some questions."
She rolled her eyes, "I don't know anything."
He stared at her with empty eyes, his hand held up a year book photo and Sasha was rocked to the core. "Do you know this girl?"
Sasha snatched grabbed the photograph and peered at the black and white. She stared into the face and felt her head spin. "What's wrong?"
"Do you know her?" He asked again.
"Yeah. We went to school together, then I moved here and I haven't seen her since." Sasha looked up at him and felt tears prickle her eyes. "What has happened?"
"Could you tell us her name?" He asked.
Sasha blinked several times before she could answer, "Andie Lauren."
He wrote that down and took the photo back, "The last time you saw her was in high school?"
Sasha nodded. "Yeah, before I came here. Please tell me what has happened."
The detective sighed. "I'm not at liberty to say."
"Then can you tell me where she is staying?" Sash asked.
"General hospital." He answered and nodded as his way of saying good bye.
Sasha swallowed a few times to regain her senses and stood up quickly. Her steps were quick as she ran down the side walk. For once she was thankful of her supernatural strengths.
**
Sasha hesitated as she stared in the darkened window of the room. Two people lay inside; one of them was Andie, the other was a stranger. Sasha gently edged open the door after looking around to once again assure herself she was alone. Stepping inside she silently closed the door and approached the bed on the left side of the room.
Andie lay asleep and peaceful; her hair tangled around her head as though she had been tossing it, her skin was a harsh white color in the dim lights above her. A machine monitored her well being and beeped annoyingly.
Sasha approached the bed in careful steps and watched her friend. "Hey, Andie," She felt her eyes sting as tears fell in reddish tracks down her face. "I could have put you up at my place you know?" She laughed weakly and reached for her friend. Only to pull away sharply as fear took hold of her and wring her hands together in an effort to comfort herself. "I should have written I guess, but I don't know how to explain any of what's happened."
Sasha found a chair near by and pulled it up to sit by the bed.
"I can hardly believe how things have changed. So how can I possibly write about them?" Sasha found herself chatting aimlessly about the last six months and to her surprise it brought a sense of comfort to her. She talked about Cash and Julian, about Eddie and now Cameron and she spoke of Lillie. Mostly she spoke of how much she missed parts of her old life.
Sasha stopped after what seemed an age and took a breath.
"Sounds like you've been busy." Came the whispered, scratchy reply from the bed.
Sasha gasped as Andie opened her eyes and gave a weak smile.
"I didn't mean to wake you!" Sasha exclaimed.
"I wasn't really asleep." Andie answered. "Lord, Sasha, I can't sleep. The pain is too much sometimes."
"What pain?" Sasha leaned forward and took Andie's hand before she could stop herself. "What has happened Andie?"
Andie closed her eyes a moment as the muscles in her hand tensed. She drew in a shallow breath and let it out slowly. "I am dying Sasha. My heart has finally given out on me."
"No!" Sasha shook her head to keep from saying anything. "I mean, I thought it was all better now."
"No. The medications only put off the inevitable. I just grew too old for this old thing to keep working." Andie joked and smiled softly. "Don't be so heartbroken…."Andie grinned at herself and squeezed Sasha's hand. "I mean don't be so upset over this, the doctors have me back on the meds and say I can leave in a few days."
"But if nothing's wrong then why were the police asking about you?" Sasha asked.
Andie frowned, "What police?"
"There was a detective Queen looking for you earlier. I told him that I had known you in high school and your name. When I asked what was wrong he said he couldn't say." Sasha noticed the panicked look cross Andie's face. "He wasn't a cop?"
"No." Andie's tone was heavy as she stared out the window of her room. "Matthew Queenside is no cop. He is a…"She stopped and shook her head. "You should not have come here Sasha."
"Like hell," Sasha said sharply, causing Andie to look at her. "You saved my life a few times. The least I can do is help you now. I have some powerful friends you know."
Andie stared at her with serious eyes. "Don't help me Sasha. Don't even say you've come here. Just leave and don't return."
Sasha felt like arguing but found herself speechless. Andie took back her hand and closed her eyes again. Letting out a weak breath.
"I am going to help you Andie." Sasha stated firmly.
Andie made no reply and Sasha left the room. Making her way down to the main street, Sasha noticed the sky was lightening and heaved a sigh. Making her way down the block to the intersection she hailed a passing cab and told him to take her home.
**
Julian was a little more then shocked to see his niece walk through the front doors at just after dawn, smelling of the hospital and tears. Her face was drawn and she looked deeply troubled. He wanted to ask what was wrong, but Sasha walked right by him and up to her room. Julian sensed Cash approached and looked over to see the Gangrel staring after his former lover.
The two men met each others surprised looks and just shrugged. Without a word they both continued on their way and Sasha locked the door to her room and sat down to cry.
