Hello friends! I've been gone awhile, but here I am back with a new fandom to contribute to! (Seriously, how did y'all hide this incredible show from me for so long?)

Feel free to leave your thoughts, critiques, and questions in the comments.

I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1

The French Quarter was already bustling by high noon, seeing as New Orleans is quite the summer tourist destination. Carriage rides, beignets, bars open since morning, the whole nine yards. From her second-story window, Heather Beaumont was people watching as she finished sweeping.

Not distracted for long, though, she soon got back to straightening up. She had a guest coming over soon, and wanted her place looking pristine. It was her mom's condo, really, but she was using it while home for the summer. Why not a little free rent in so ideal a location?

Heather finished the major cleaning, and took a long drink from her water bottle. Making one last check through the condo, she hummed a few lines from a radio song before collapsing on her bed. She was an early riser, sure, but heavy-duty housework could wear anybody out. With her alarm set, she closed her eyes for a brief nap.

Once she woke up, Heather searched through her mail and pulled out the newspaper, flipping through to a few of the interesting articles. She pulled off her sweatshirt that read Berkeley across the front just as the doorbell rang. Her watch read 2:30, not surprisingly as her friend was always punctual.

"Erica!" she beamed as she opened the door. The two young women hugged and they made their way for the couches.

Erica leaned into the plush pillows. "I'm so glad to see you, Heather. It's been awhile."

"A few years since you were last out in California." Heather mused, regretting not keeping in better touch with her old high school friend.

"Law school still treating you well?"

"As always. I finally graduate in December, though, and I'll be glad to be done with it. Time to get out there in the real world!"

"I suppose so." Her friend gave a wry smile. "You got a job lined up yet?"

"No, I'm still looking in a few places. But enough about me, how have you spent your time? Still roaming the country?"

Erica grinned as the twisted truth came easily off her lips. "Yeah, still with odd-jobs like my mom and dad. Pest control, mechanical work, whatever comes up."

"I don't know how you do it. But I do admire your nonconformity to the rest of us career robots." Heather offered with a laugh.

They spent the afternoon catching up, trading stories on family and work and maybe the occasional lover. Coffee was brewed, laughs rang out, and the sun had almost dipped behind the levee before Erica stood and reached for her bag.

"I'm gonna take my leave now, Heather. Mom's not expecting me 'til tomorrow morning, but I may as well give her a little surprise."

"Tell her I said hey." Heather said as they embraced. "And maybe you could convince her to send you with some of her oatmeal cookies when you come by tomorrow?"

"Sure thing, I'm sure she'd be glad to. Alright girl, I'll see you about nine." And the door shut firmly behind her.

Heather sighed, heading for the kitchen to wash out the mugs. She spent the rest of her evening calling friends around town, chatting away while the news played in the background.

She awoke with a start to a few strong knocks on her door. Finding herself still on the couch, she looked at the wall clock that read 11:30. "Who on earth wants me at this hour?" She mulled as she ran a hand through her short blonde locks.

Looking through the peephole she saw a middle-aged man standing there, arms folded and leg bouncing. His skin was rather pale, and in the strange lighting his eyes seemed tinted red.

"Can I help you?" Heather called through the door.

"I need to speak with you, ma'am."

"Well, um," she laughed faintly, "I'm sure you'll understand my hesitance. Could you give me some ID or something?"

His face deadpanned, eyes locked on the peephole. To Heather it felt like he could see back through it and was staring straight at her. "I need you to open the door now."

"I'm gonna have to ask you to come back in the morning. Goodbye, sir."

She turned and headed for her phone to alert the building security, but didn't make it four steps before the door broke open with a loud crack. Heather tried to scream but the man was too fast. His hand clamped over her mouth and nose, and it didn't take him long for him to grab the nearest lamp and raise it over his head.

For a split second Heather looked at his face, and was terrified to see his skin was indeed grossly pale and splotched, and his eyes a deep red color.

Then a sharp pain bit her left temple, and everything went black.

When Heather woke up, her head was throbbing. She reached up to massage the pain away, only to find that she couldn't move either of her arms. Or legs. Her eyes snapped open and she was gripped with terror as she found herself bound to a chair in a dimly lit room.

Suddenly she remembered the man and his eyes and the lamp, and her eyes welled up. She wanted to scream for help but she did not want that…thing to come for her. It didn't matter, though, for she soon heard footsteps coming down the hallway.

Heather did her best to steel her nerves, but that didn't stop her breath from catching and a tear rolling down her cheek when he came in the room.

"You're awake. Good." He then looked her in the face. "Oh, don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt you. I don't intend to. We're just waiting for your friend to show up."

"M-my friend?"

He nodded. "Erica, I believe, is her name."

Heather's heart dropped. "Why do you want her? She doesn't know where I am."

"Oh, she'll find us soon." He pulled his shirt down far enough to show a healing wound over his heart. "The bitch that can put this in me will find us with no trouble."

"Erica did that to you?" She almost felt like she could laugh. "Look, buddy, I don't think she's ever –"

"Whatever you think is wrong! I'm ending this girl as soon as she walks up the stairs!" He strode over to Heather, grabbing her hair and yanking her head back, earning a yelp. He held up what looked like a security camera photo of a woman that was definitely Erica.

Heather's mind was spinning.

The man pulled her hair back further. "But if she happens to not come soon enough," he dipped his head and gave one long sniff at the base of her neck, "your blood will have to do." He released her and stomped out of the room.

It was once again silent, except now Heather didn't try to hide her crying.