Chinatown Vampires

Chappy 1

By Crystalquirt

for Sanura

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[TD]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

With Sanura's OC San. TobeyxSan, mild language, violence.

Introduction:

Nana and Kong Li's master had a recipe in his collection that stood out from the others in his book. A particularly dark, strange recipe and one he never spoke about to his students. One who consumes the recipe would take on some of the classic characteristics of vampirism.

To his delight, Kong Li found the recipe. The parchment was cleverly disguised in a book of instructions for patients to use to rejuvenate their red blood cells after surgery or giving blood. The ingredients list was packed with iron-enriched foods like liver and spinach.

Kong Li had heard about two sightings of Vampires in Chinatown. No one really believed it, but Kong Li investigated and found that all the victims had given blood at the blood bank. The instruction book containing the magic recipe was in a disused desk at the blood bank. One very thorough employee had thought she was being helpful when she copied the pages and started handing them out to patients. How it got there was anybodies guess.

Now this was not evil enough for Kong Li. After finding the recipe, he spent months experimenting with the original ingredients to make the effects fit better with his evil scheme. Kong Li's goal was to have the victims not only strong and thirsty for blood, he wanted them to follow him faithfully until he didn't need them anymore.

Like classic vampires, if bitten and not killed the newest victims would become vampires and be loyal to Kong Li too. Or that was his plan. He wanted to have his own little army of super-strong vampires to help him take over Chinatown and the world.

Unfortunately, there were at least two unplanned side effects that even Kong Li couldn't have predicted. For one thing Kong Li thought his vampires would only do his bidding. He was mistaken. Victims of this recipe become very suggestible and will do the bidding of any assertive elder around them. Instead of just Kong Li, any elder would become another master to the victims of the recipe. If Kong Li himself drank the recipe and encountered someone even older than he was – he would be inclined to do their bidding.

The other unplanned and unpredicted consequence of what Kong Li did to the recipe had to do with giving the victim conflicting instructions from different 'masters' at the same time. This turned out to be the most annoying side effect for Kong Li.

Since his recipe was still in the experimental stage he wanted to use it on someone expendable, but in a position to be of service to him. One day, he thinks he found the perfect subject.

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[TD]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

Anything goes race across Chinatown.

"Aaaargh! People who smoke are such pigs!" Sue practically screamed. People from across the street who were standing outside their apartment building smoking, glared at her. Tobey was always the peace keeper. "Come on Sue, I don't think that's a fair generalization."

"What – are you kidding? Look at all the cigarette butts everywhere! Did a whole bunch of slobs just start smoking in Chinatown in the last couple of days?"

"You're right Mei Mei. It is disgusting. Mr. Wu made me come out here to clean cigarette butts up instead of practicing guitar and homework when I got home from school. Now I will have to do homework after deliveries tonight."

"It doesn't look like you did a very good job buddy."

"No, I did – I cleaned up every butt from the sidewalk and gutter from the corner, past Wu's and back to Mrs. Wong's store. These have all been thrown down just since then. I think Sue's right, smokers are pigs."

"I think you guys are judging people wrong. But you are right about one thing, it usually takes weeks for it to get this nasty out here."

"See even you admit, this is grosser than usual. Have you ever seen a non-smoker throwing down cigarette butts?"

"Well okay Sue, I guess you have a point, but that's not what I meant. I mean some smokers are careful with their butts and don't just throw them down for others to have to see or pick up - Hahaha I said they're careful with their butts" Tobey grabbed his butt with both hands and jumped forward like someone had just kicked him. Sid chucked. Sue didn't get it, but ignored him.

"Well, I'd like to meet a careful polite smoker. I've never seen one." Sue grumbled while she strapped her helmet on.

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[TD]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

Little did any of the three realize, but this time it really was a non-smoker who was responsible for every single cigarette butt thrown anywhere along the streets and sidewalks where it was known that Sid, Sue and Tobey regularly make deliveries.

Evil laughter echoed through the empty hallway in an old apartment building near the Chinatown Museum. "Mwahahaha - speak into my butts' kids! I want to hear your every word."

Kong Li sat near a smoldering pile of tobacco ashes. From within the smoke, he could hear everything the three were saying through the magic spell he had spread through town. He spread the sneaky recipe in the most disgusting way he could think of. He knew he had to put down something in great numbers and gross enough no one would want to touch them.

Inhaling the nicotine-laden smoke, even Kong Li coughed and made a face. "But a little lung cancer will be worth getting my cookbook back from that foolish old woman for good this time!"

Kong Li tuned back into the voices from the smoke just as a new voice was heard joining the discussion.

"Where'ya all goin'?"

San, a pretty new girl from school rode up on her dark blue mountain bike. She stopped between the boys and smiled at each one before she greeted Sue. "How's it going?"

"Just great." Sue narrowed her eyes when she looked at San obviously not glad she had joined them. In Sue's opinion, she had gotten way too 'close' to Tobey, way too fast!

San, short for Sanura had bright, electric blue eyes and one covered by her long hair, just like Tobey's hair was always in his eyes. Her hair was very long and naturally black except for a turquoise streak on both sides just in front of her ears. The chunk in the front that covered her eye was turquoise too.

She dressed a lot like Sue except her pants were black and long with flared bottoms that almost completely hid her shoes. She wore a similar army green tank top with torn edges from where there were once sleeves. Her studded black belt had shined silver plated rivets with designs on each head. To top it off, she had a collar and one wrist cuff to match the belt. Instead of a second cuff, she wore a small bracelet on her other wrist with a green stone set in silver. Her shoes were gray 'Vans' like Tobey's. San's shoes had hearts drawn on them and what Sue hated most was that she had porcelain skin just like a beautiful doll.

Sue observed that Tobey was already drooling and she got even more annoyed. He walked his bike a step sideways to be closer to San when he answered her about where they were going.

"We're taking a big order, or three big orders all going to Eunice's building. Wanna ride with us?"

San grinned mischievously, "I wanna race you there!"

"Okay, what are the rules?"

"No rules - anything goes! The first one to the front entrance at Eunice's building wins."

Tobey handed San one of his delivery sacks to make things more. "And what will the winner get, Chuck?"

San frowned at him, "Chuck? Do I look like a chuck to you Tobey?"

"Haven't you ever seen 'The Big Wheel' on weekday mornings?"

"No, I'm in school – so are you."

"I've recorded it, I love when they call the loser a 'Flat tire' and push them off the stage. They play the sound of a flushing toilet at the same time!"

"That makes no sense Tobey."

"I know, that makes it even funnier – well, what do we win anyway?"

"How about a kiss from me." San suggested. Sid cringed, "EW"

"Whats the matter Sid, you don't like girls?"

"No! Girls are great – I don't want to kiss you!"

San playfully punched Sid in the arm, "I'm sure Tobey will be the winner anyway."

Sue added, "Well just in case he isn't the winner – and - when I win - I don't want to kiss you either."

"Okay, if Tobey wins that'll be his prize."

It was Tobey's turn to whine, "Awe, that's all? Come on, San. We do that all the time anyway."

"Okay Okay. I have an idea - Mr Wu likes me. If I lose to any of you, I'm sure he'll let me do the dishes all weekend for ya – but if I win, Tobey has to carry my books and walk me to and from school, Sue has to do my homework for me and Sid – what will you do? I'm sure I will come up with something."

"No need, cause you will lose anyway."

"You're on!" San watched as Sid Sue and Tobey all got their bikes pointed in the right direction."Ready – Set – Go!"

The four took off. None of them suspected that Kong Li had been listening to their every word. "Mwahahaha, go ahead kids, have you're race. One of you will be a changed person soon after it's over."

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[TD]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

Kong Li used his portal spell to get a block ahead of the racer's. He stayed hidden and let San and Tobey pass him. When Sue and Sid got close he used magic to open a cap on a nearby fire hydrant. The rush of water blasted Sid and Sue off their bikes.

San and Tobey were ahead and so involved in competing against each other they didn't realize they'd lost Sid and Sue. Sid stood up and helped Sue up. Sue was so angry it looked like the water was turning to steam off of her shirt. Sid took off his shirt, twisted it into a ball and wrung it out.

Without being seen by anyone, Kong Li used the portal spell to get in front of Tobey and San again. With less than a block to go, the villain had to think fast. Crouching behind a truck that Tobey was sure to go right by, Kong Li got ready with his staff. San didn't see the trap when she went by first. She was only three seconds ahead of Tobey, he had been catching up to her for the win in the last stretch of the race.

Instead of catching up Tobey screamed when his bike came to an abrupt stop with Kong Li's staff through the spokes on his front wheel. The back wheel came up over the front and flipped him off. San looked back just in time to see Tobey land hard, flat on his back in the street. His bike tumbled wheels over handlebars to the side.

A dark, cloaked figure stood up and walked toward Tobey. He was lying on the ground panting and trying to catch his breath. "Who's there?" San shouted as she jumped off her bike."If you're not here to help - go away!" San threatened. Kong Li only laughed maniacally. She beat him to Tobey's side and with another glance in his direction, she could tell for sure he wasn't there to help.

Kong Li tapped his staff on the ground as he approached slowly, smiling at San. She asked,

"Did you make him fall off his bike? You could have seriously hurt him! Call for help!"

Tobey slowly put his hands up to hold his throbbing head through the helmet. He couldn't really feel his hands with the helmet on, but was concerned his head would fall off if he didn't hold onto it. Tobey groaned what sounded to San like, "Mong Ke."

"Monkey? Yeah Tob - he looks kinda like a monkey. Lie still until you're sure you aren't injured. Does it hurt anyplace in particular?" Tobey didn't answer, he had his eyes squeezed shut trying to force the pain away so he could get up and take care of Kong Li.

Worrying over Tobey, San was distracted from watching the stranger and wondering where Sid and Sue were. Kong Li raised his staff and brought it down across her back. San fell over Tobey and made him groan again. "Sorry Tobey! Hang on, I'm sure Sid and Sue will be here any minute, but it looks like I have to do something about this guy."

As San got up Tobey cried softly, "No - run San." She ignored him, or maybe didn't hear him. "Leave us alone!"

"Not a chance girl! I need you to help me with a little experiment." Kong Li charged her.

"Experiment? – What?" San blocked a palm strike coming at her head, but the heavy dragon-headed end of Kong Li's staff smashed into her right abdomen. "Ooof," she let out her breath loudly and somersaulted to the side thinking, I have to keep this jerk away from Tobey!

Kong Li bore down on San not giving her a moment to gather herself. She blocked a kick and two punches, but missed when she tried to kick Kong Li's head off. Kong Li pulled out a vial from his cloak, quickly sucked the liquid from it into his mouth and spit it at her like a viper!

"Oh gross, you're spitting on me now? You must really be afraid I'll beat you!" Immediately though, San felt dizzy. She fell back on her butt and the last thing she heard was Kong Li's evil laughter.

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[TD]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

Dripping wet and cold, Sid and Sue finally approached Eunice's building on their bikes. Sue was grumbling, "I think San had something to do with the fire hydrant. She just wanted to be alone with Tobey."

"What's going on with you and San? You act like you're jealous or something. OH! That's it isn't it! You are jealous!"

"Am not – I just don't want to see Tobey get hurt – he's letting her move too fast."

"No – you're jealous – I can tell, Mei Mei! What happened to you're feelings for Barney?"

"He's okay – just a little slow. You'd think after all this time, he would have realized that I liked him."

"You've never told him, how would he know?"

"Doesn't matter – now I realize how sweet and brave Tobey really is! . . . Tobey!" Sue cried angrily when she saw orders they were supposed to deliver all over the street. "Oh man, Tobey dropped the order he was carrying ours got soaked. We better hurry back and get more. I'll call Barney to tell him to get the orders ready again."

"Wait Sue – he didn't just drop the order, there's his bike!" Sid and Sue jumped off of their bikes and ran toward Tobey's bike, but changed direction when Tobey's body came into view lying behind the truck. "Tobey!"

"Tobey! Come on buddy - talk to us!" Sid begged. "Oh man, he must have had a horrific crash! Look how far away his bike wound up!"

"Maybe he got hit by a car. - oh Tobey, can you hear me?"

Sid pulled out his phone to call for help, when Tobey moaned. "Mong Ki."

Sue and Sid had no trouble understanding that he said Kong Li.

"What? - Tobey was Kong Li here? What did he do to you?" Sue cried patting his cheek gently trying to get him to be more alert and talk to them. While he was on the phone waiting for Nana to answer, Sid stood up, ready to protect Tobey and Sue if Kong Li was there. He suddenly realized someon was missing. "Tobey - where's San?"

"Ow, Kong Li took her!"

Sue sounded annoyed, "No way, why would Kong Li take San?"

"Cause she's my friend. My girlfriend! Kong Li will try to use her to make me get the cookbook for him!"

"You dork, even Kong Li would realize that wouldn't work. We would just rescue her. That didn't even work when he took Nana away from us. San would be no help to him and she doesn't know anything about him, the cookbook or the recipes."

"But she knows me. I just know he's doing something awful to her to get to me; to us! We have to find her."

"Tobey calm down. She probably just ran off."

"No WAY!" Tobey tried to sit up, but even that simple movement hurt his back and his leg. "Ow, dammit! I cant be hurt – San needs me!"

"Tobey lie back down." Sue had no trouble making him hold still. He seemed so weak she was very worried about him. "Please Tobey, where do you hurt?"

"You guys find her, okay? Make sure she's alright?"

"Take it easy. Nana's on her way." Sid closed up his phone and went to get all of their bikes out of the street just in case someone might drive by. Next, Sid called called Mr. Wu to tell him what happened, well mostly – the part about needed new orders. Sue and Tobey could hear Mr. Wu yelling through Sid's phone like he had the speaker on, but he didn't.

Tobey carefully moved his arms, "Check one . . ." and then his legs, "Check two." Everything seems to be working. Just hurts. Please help me find San!" Tobey tried to get up again, but Sue held him down.

"Tobey lie still – at least until Nana gets here. You may be seriously injured."

"I'm fine. I have to find San."

"Yeah buddy – we'll help find San, but are you sure you weren't dreaming? Even though you had you're helmet on you could have a mild concussion or something. I still think you must have been hit by a car from all the damage to your bike and San's bike isn't here."

"Oh no, my bike's damaged? My girlfriend and my bike – Kong Li will pay for this!"

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[TD]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

Nana took Tobey home in a cab with his crumpled bike in the trunk. Sid and Sue investigated the scene as best they could and searched everywhere they could think of for San or Kong Li before they went back to Wu's. Barney wound up having to wipe the cob webs off of his bike to make the deliveries to Eunice's building himself. He came back bragging about what good tips he got.

Nana made Tobey go up to his room to lie down when she got him home. She sat with him until Sid and Sue got home. "Kids, at least one of you stay with Tobey and make sure he gets some rest. He is determined to go look for his friend and I'm not sure yet if he will need to see a doctor."

"Sure Nana. Do you think Kong Li really had anything to do with this?"

"Its hard to tell. I don't know why he would be after that new girl, but he has proven before he doesn't mind hurting others if it fits in with his plans. Be careful you three."

They were all sure, if given the chance Tobey would sneak out alone to look for San himself. Nana went downstairs to get Tobey a bowl of her healing soup to help him feel better. As it happened, when Sid and Sue went into the room to sit with Tobey, he was already out of bed, limping toward the window.

"Tobey! You're supposed to be in bed." Sue scolded. "Sid and I will not let you leave."

He hung his head and went back to his bunk. Sue observed, "You're limping – are you sure you didn't break anything?"

"Well no – I couldn't be walking at all if I broke something."

"That's not necessarily true Tobey. Please do what Nana says."

For the first time that Sid could ever remember, Tobey slowly climbed up the ladder to get on his bunk. He always just jumped up without even touching the ladder. "Wow Tobey, you must really be hurt."

"I'm not – I'm okay! - I'll just rest a few more minutes – then I want to go look for San. Can I take your bike, Sid?"

"No – you need to rest longer than a minute and besides, Sue and I looked everywhere we could think of already. No sign of San or Kong Li. Sue and I will go look again if you want."

Sue interrupted, "I won't look any more. San probably just had stuff to do or something. Can't you call her?"

"No – already tried and she's not answering. And she wouldn't have just left me lying in the street - not even if she was mad at me – and I don't think I did anything to make her angry."

Sue frowned, "You can't be sure of that - you haven't known her that long."

"Come on Sue, what are you jealous?" Even Tobey suddenly realized Sue's strange behavior toward San.

"No!" Sue insisted. "Why do you guys just assume I'm jealous?"

"Sue - no human would just leave another human just lying in the street like a cigarette butt."

"Well it would be true in a perfect world, but bad things like that happen all the time; you see hit and run drivers and other terrible things humans do to each other all the time on TV. I think you were hit by a hit and run driver."

"But San wouldn't . . ."

"San wouldn't what?"

They all three looked toward the window and saw San leaning in through the curtain. Tobey got down as quickly as he could hopping on one leg. "San! I was so worried - what happened to you?"

"Nothing . . . who won the race anyway? Guess I have to do dishes for you guys this weekend." San climbed the rest of the way in the window and smoothed her hair back.

"You know you could use the door." Sue grumbled.

"I didn't want to ask permission to come see you. Mr. Wu seems angry about something already. Well, Who won?"

Sue lost her temper, "As if! Are you going to tell us you don't know what happened to Tobey?"

"Easy Sue." Sid put out his hand to physically hold Sue back. "Tobey got hurt – not sure what happened. We were hoping you knew."

"Well no! . . . Tobey was fine. I had stopped to wait for him or something. I remember my back hurt . . . oh and my stomach. I don't really remember exactly what happened."

"Maybe they both got hit by a car only San wandered away injured." Sid suggested. "Are you still in pain San?"

"San – are you hurt?" Tobey asked too and grabbed San for a hug, but she wound up holding him up more than hugging him.

"Just a little sore – like I've been in a fight."

"See guys – I told you – Kon . . ."

"Tobey! . . . um . . . I'll go see if Nana will come check on her." Sue left hoping Tobey had taken the hint and wouldn't talk about Kong Li in front of San.

"Tobey I'm sorry, I never would have just wandered away knowing you had gotten hurt!"

"I know – that's what I told these guys! And I'm not hurt – I'll be fine. I think something bad happened to you though. I'm sure I remember seeing some one else there before I passed out . . . San, did you see anyone? I remember you talking with him, even fighting with him."

"I don't remember anyone at all, but I think I would remember if I fought with anyone."

Nana came in and spoke to San too. An hour later they still had no idea what had really happened out on the streets of Chinatown that night.

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[TD]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

After he made Tobey crash, Kong Li took San to his lair. He had a lab with many of his books and magical ingredients set up in an empty apartment. There were only a few other residents in the building and he had little to worry about anyone bothering him. He only had candles to light the apartment with. Kong Li didn't want to alert anyone to his being there by having the electricity turned on. He had a row of car batteries all hooked together and feeding into a souped-up slow cooker. With the help of a few 'real-world' add-ons and a little magic spell the innocent little slow-cooker from a thrift store could now get up to 600 degrees and Kong Li was using it to render any magic ingredient to be it's most powerful, and tender in minutes.

While San was still unconscious, Kong Li strapped her down to a heavy wooden and iron table. He had her tied down 'examination in a mental ward' style so he wouldn't have to worry about her trying to defend herself if she woke up.

Even though she was still unconscious, he whispered to her, "My dear, you seem to have a little Kung Fu about you too. Have you been hanging around my son and his Nana that long or did you pick it up someplace else?"

Kong Li continued to talk to San like he knew her – and like she was awake while he put the finishing touches in two bowls and then finally mixed them together. "If you survive, this is going to be the end of Mei Hua and those brats."

San moaned and started to wake up. She slowly became aware that she couldn't move, and then became aware why. Even though it scared the crap out of her to be tied down and helpless, she remained quiet. Kong Li didn't seem to notice that she had woken up and continued talking kinda to her, but mostly to himself.

"This lovely girl is perfect in every way for my experiment. The best part is how close she can get to my son."

Who is his son? Who is this guy? San's mind was reeling with questions that she was a little afraid to ask. Suddenly Kong Li whirled around and looked at her. "Oh good – you're awake."

Kong Li grabbed her nose and pried her teeth apart with a metal instrument of some kind. She couldn't see it, but it really hurt when it banged against her teeth. She tried to keep her teeth clenched together, but it wasn't working and she whined desperately as she struggled. Wedged between her teeth now was something foul-tasting and hard enough she couldn't bite it in half.

San wanted to scream when he started pouring some foul smelling and tasting, slimy brown liquid in her mouth, but the threat of drowning shut her up.

"You'll learn to love this recipe. It will probably make you very strong, with only a few drawbacks – like following my every instruction without question. You should know the care I cooked this with. It took three days at nearly 600 degrees to make the base ingredients liquid enough for you to swallow. I knew I could never convince you to chew it. I think it is the earthworms that give it that slimy texture and I'm sorry, since it had to simmer so long it mildewed, but it should still work just fine – even if you can't keep all of it down, Mwahahaha!"

San coughed and tried to spit it out, but Kong Li held her nose so she had to swallow or drown in it. He poured the last of the brown goo in, and it made her cough and gag violently. She though he would end up suffocating her anyway, since he wouldn't let go of her nose with his boney, yellowed fingers. It seemed like forever since she had been allowed to breathe.

Finally with the stuff in her stomach doing 'who knows what' Kong Li took his hands off of her. She turned her head and spit out the object that had kept her mouth open and asked, "What did you just do to me? Who the hell are you?"

"You don't need to know. . . and even if I tell you, in a few minutes you won't remember anyway." San struggled against the restraints, nausea starting to consume her thoughts as she tried to listen to Kong Li. "If you live through this, you will help me get my cookbook and bring my son home to me!"

"What? Do I even know your son? And did I hear you right? You are doing this to me so you can get a cookbook? You've been to crazy-town recently haven't you?"

Kong Li slapped her across the face with the back of his hand. "I will come back when you're a little more agreeable, or dead." Kong Li left San in the apartment alone to wonder what her fate was.

Her stomach muscles started contracting and convulsing, she wanted to throw up, her body wanted her to throw up – but for some reason she couldn't. Wondering, panicking about what the stuff he made her drink and worrying about Tobey were the last two thoughts she had.

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[TD]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

In the boys room many, hours after she climbed through the window San was still there. Sue had gone to bed hours ago, disgusted and dismayed at the whole situation. After talking with her for all that time. they still had little information about what had happened to Tobey, or to her. Sue wondered if she really couldn't remember or if she was up to something.

Nana wasn't influenced at all by teenage emotion or hormones like Sue was and suspected San really didn't remember what happened to her. The question she wanted answered was why. Did Tobey really see Kong Li? Did that monster do something to her just because she was Tobey's friend? Before Nana left she examined inside San's mouth; had her blow into a bag made of cheesecloth and spit into a cup.

San wondered why, but cooperated with the strange examination. Nana didn't say why, but she took the bag and cup down to the storeroom and started doing some experiments of her own.

Sid was on his bunk, but couldn't go to to sleep with the talking and giggling going on in Tobey's bunk right above his head. San was sitting up there with him, her legs hanging down where Sid could see the constant movement. She kept kicking the edge of the ladder with her heel and finally, it got to Sid. "Come on you two? Its late – you should go San and let Tobey – and me get some rest."

"Awe, do I have to?" San asked Tobey. He nodded and stated, "You'll be back bright and early right? You said you'd help with dishes and stuff all weekend."

"Right, see you in the morning." San leaned over and kissed Tobey's cheek like she had so many times before. He held her collar so she couldn't get away too fast. Smiling at each other first he kissed her on the lips. She slid her lips along his jaw and kissed under his ear. Tobey giggled with pleasure as goosebumps ran down his arms and across his chest at her touch.

Then he yelped suddenly, "Ow!" San had a large chunk of Tobey's skin near his collar bone in-between her teeth. He whined, "Come on – that's a tender spot!"

"I just wanted to mark you as mine." San laughed and slid down the ladder. "Ow – I don't think that's how you're supposed to make a hickey!" Tobey grumbled. San blew him a kiss from the window before she climbed out. Sid watched her and turned on the light as he stood up to yell at Tobey. "I don't know why she won't use the door and why did you let her stay this late?"

Sid climbed part way up the ladder to see Tobey better. He had his hand covered where San bit him. "What did she do Tobey?"

"Nothing."

"Why did you yell and say something was a tender spot?"

"She bit me . . . Hard!"

"Wow, I didn't think you'd go for the aggressive type."

"She's never done anything like that before."

"Ow." Tobey said it again and raised his shoulder to his ear in discomfort when he moved his hand to fluff his pillow. Sid saw Tobey's neck clearly and cried, "Shit Tobey, she drew blood!"

Tobey looked at his hand and sure enough, there was a wad of clotting blood smeared across the palm. "Oh man!" Tobey took his white shirt off quickly and carefully so it wouldn't get blood on it. Sid helped him get down from his bunk to go to the bathroom to get cleaned up.

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[TD]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

After unwillingly leaving Wu's Garden only because Tobey told her too, San started feeling dizzy on her way home. Soon she couldn't remember where home was, then she couldn't remember where she was going, or where she was. Words spoken in Kong Li's voice echoed in San's mind. "Bite him, infect him, instruct him – You belong to me! Tobey belongs to me!"

"Aurrrgh!" the pain shooting through her head and down her spine put her on the sidewalk. He bike fell off the curb. There was little traffic at that time of night and she saw no one else around to see her curl into a fetal position holding her head with both hands.

"You belong to me!"

"No!" She moaned.

"You belong to me!"

"Its not true – Who . . ."

San never made it home that night. Aimlessly she wandered into Chung Lee park and fell asleep on a bench near the wishing well. She left her bike where it fell, not even remembering that it was her bike.

Just before daylight, San woke up with a man leaning over her looking right at her face chest. Still drunk from the night before, his face and the smell of alcohol and tobacco turned her stomach. Reflex made her palm him in the face. He fell back unconscious with one hit. San leaned down over him like he had done to her and licked her lips.

"You belong to me!" She repeated and grinned at him; her new, long white fangs reflecting the light of dawn as she opened her mouth wide and moved toward his neck.

When she got closer to him, the intense stench burned her nose and offended her heightened senses. She thought she wanted to taste his blood, but changed her mind. She rose without biting at him.

"You are not the one to belong to me! . . . Foul creature! You offend me by you're very existence."

San picked they guy up and threw him down the wishing well. "Take a bath – or drown. I don't care which . . . I want someone sweeter and younger . . . Tobey! I want Tobey. He's the one I want a taste of. He will join me and we will kneel together in front of our master before sunrise."

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[TD]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

Tobey continued . . .