Hello! My first DS and Morganville fan fiction! Since there isn't any others up, I thought it would be awesome to post the first chapter... but I'm weird so... ANYWAY... This is taken place in present day, and just after the first book (basically when Claire, Eve, Shane and Michael are put under Amelie's Protection) and the plot continues from there. It's mostly Eve... so yeah... Also another brief note, it's Burtonverse so it will be following the movie rather than the Dark Shadows series... OK here we go =)
Disclaimer: No. I do NOT own the brilliant Dark Shadows or the terrific Morganville series or anything like Call of Duty! ;)
Chapter 1: Blackout
It was Saturday, sunset had just occurred and Michael had just materialised.
Eve was on the phone, desperately trying to persuade someone to give her a job. She'd been hunting for ages and couldn't wait to earn some dough... she needed some just to clear her credit card of huge bills for Gothic clothing. That sort of stuff cost a bomb!
Claire was sat with Shane on the sofa, frowning at him as he killed other players on the screen, his controller moulded fingers pushed each slippery sweat covered button frequently. "Take that you novice internet geek!" he shouted, screaming when his avatar was under fire. "WHAT?! NO!"
Claire rolled her eyes and focused on the science text book she was reading. As her eyes were on the key part of her whole revision, a shrill, annoyed voice made her look up.
"Please! I need this damn job! How else am I going to- Hello? Hey!" Eve shrieked shrilly. "The bitch. She hung up on me!"
Michael suddenly walked into the room, smiling.
"Hi guys."
Claire went back to reading her boring book and then gave him a nod, so did Shane, who was still grumbling now he was under rapid fire.
Michael sighed and glanced at Eve. She did not look happy.
He slowly padded over to her, head steadily in place to stare her in the eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked softly. Eve shuffled and tried not to show her frustration... but Eve was a girl whose passion for emotion was too strong and so... you could see right through her.
"Well... I haven't found a job yet. I can't pay the rent for this week Michael. I'm so sorry-"
"No. Don't worry. I won't ask you for rent anyway, since we've like... just been attacked by 'the master dick', Oliver."
Eve smiled and almost let a delightful squeak escape her when he brushed his hands down her sides, holding her hands. "If you are that desperate to earn some money-"- Which everyone in the room knew she was-"-then maybe... you should... y'know... leave?"
She glared at him and pushed him off her. "NO! I am not doing that! You guys are like my family! How could I even leave anyway? Vamp city would be on to me like wild fire if I left!"
Shane cursed and threw the xbox controller down, crossing his arms over and scowling like an annoyed toddler. "I never win!" he pouted, and everyone stopped whatever they were doing at the time- and just stared at him. "What?!"
"Shane what are you playing?" Michael asked, frowning at the TV screen."Uh... Call of Duty. "Shane said matter-of-factly. The girls groaned."Why?"
Michael swallowed and widened his eyes even further. "Well, that does not look like a war game to me!"
Shane shot a casual glance to the TV, expecting the usual table of his terrible gaming results... but instead it was something else. A weird sort of advert flickered on the TV, the words scrambled in English Gothic writing, the edges of each letter dripping with raven ink... like someone had written it by hand... but it was on the TV... so how was that even possible?!
Claire glared at the telly. "What the hell is that?!"
Michael, having no fear as he'd died twice already—and because he couldn't be hurt under Amelie's Protection—rushed over in front of the blurring TV, observing the flickering message.
"What is it?" Eve asked, kind of hoping that it was just Shane messing around with his stupid xbox's internet connection.
"I-I don't know..." Michael whispered, reading the black blotted words carefully, until the words became sentences and started to create sense. "Ah... Now I know... Huh?!"
"What? Is it something dangerous?!" Claire asked, sitting forward in suspense.
"Maybe dangerous... I'm not sure."
"Just tell us what it says, man!" Shane yelled, frustrated that everyone was making a huge deal out of something so small and also by the fact that this stupid thing was interrupting his valuable game time.
"It says this... 'A wealthy bar owner is looking for someone young, polite and well experienced in pouring any sort of drink'..."
Everyone turned back to Eve... who was standing at the very back of the group, behind the sofa. "Why is everyone looking at me?" She questioned shakily, her blue eyes scanning over all three of them. Clearly she hadn't been listening to Michael... or was just pretending not to know what they were all thinking.
Michael sighed and cleared his throat, turning back to the screen. "It says that there is a job that needs to be filled as soon as possible and pays... whoa... five-hundred A WEEK!"
The others jaws dropped. Just like on the cartoons!
"Must be a damn good job!"
The other three roommates nodded at Shane's comment and Michael went on, "It says that the work is mainly on evenings due to... huh?"
"What?!" Claire asked, well more like shrieked.
"What the hell's Collinsport?"
The other three looked at each other and shrugged. "A place?" Claire guessed cleverly, seeing as it had the word port at the end of it. Michael nodded, supporting her theory now that he scanned the second part of the advert.
"Seems like it is... well... it says the job is mainly on evenings due to Collinsport's lively nightlife—apparently it's the most fashionable place to be at night in Maine. And you apply there, at Collinwood manor."
"Maine? That's ages away!" Eve protested, huffing and crossing her arms over.
"And it's 'signed' by some guy called 'Lord '." He finished, ignoring her comment. "Well that's... odd..." Suddenly the screen flashed in front of him and the TV screen buzzed... and strangely just... went off. And that's when they heard the rest of electrical equipment in the Glass House fizz and hiss, the snapping of each electric circuit making them all jump.
Claire screamed and hugged Shane as the lights went out, leaving Eve's glowing phone on the dining table behind them all, the only source of light in the whole room.
"What's happening?" Eve whispered, eyes wide. Michael rushed over to her and took her hand. "I don't know... but it can't be good. Nobody panic okay? Whatever's happening is probably just some blackout..."
He gripped Eve's hand tighter and pulled her into a cuddle, letting her rub her nose against his collarbone. "It's OK..." he whispered, kissing the top of her head and stroking her hair. "Nothing's going to happen... Don't worry..." It was a lie, but hey, someone had to be the comforter around here...
She pulled away to look up at him through her thick ebony make-up, where he just lost all sense of tense altogether.
"I love you Micheal." She whispered, so the others wouldn't hear. He smiled and linked his arms around her waist. "I love you too..." The smell of smoke filled the room... and automatically they all thought the house was on fire again... but it wasn't.
The lights flashed on, and all the electric equipment that had been on... was now on again. Like nothing had happened.
The two couples let go of one another's lover and sighed with relief.
"What just happened?" Shane asked and got up to check out the TV set... it was exactly as it had been when he'd finished his third round on the battlefield...at the game results table...
"I guess whatever that message was..." Claire said slowly, working up all of the puzzle pieces. "It was meant for us... Or rather... One of us..."
Eve swallowed. Claire meant her. She'd wanted another bar job yes. But a creepy job that just chose Eve instead of letting Eve choose the job... it was a little off. And she couldn't get to Maine even if she wanted to take the job. She had hardly any money left for gas for her black Cadillac. And it was only on quarter of a tank.
"Eve?" Shane asked, although it sounded like he'd stated rather than asked it.
"W-What?" she replied, trying to sound all tough... but her nerves were on edge and she couldn't take any more of this weird stuff... not after Oliver's attack... and that weird old-no-so-old vampire lady...
"You gonna take that job?"
It seemed like a stupid question. But Shane did have a point. It paid well, gave Eve loads more opportunities and most importantly it was away from Morganville.
"Uh... N-No."
Everyone stayed quiet.
"What? You guys seriously think I should take it?! It's just made the house totally blackout!"
"Exactly," Michael stated, sighing. "And it looks like you were the one they were describing to a T. So, if that advert was in fact intended for you-"
"If Eve doesn't comply, what will it—whoever or whatever it is—consider doing to the house, or us, next?" Claire butted in, getting Mike's vibe entirely. He nodded.
Eve nervously looked down at the floorboards. "I-"
She decided not to say anything, seeing the looks on all of their faces. They were right. She couldn't deny it.
"Ok... so... do you think I should take it?"
They all nodded vigorously.
"I have no gas money."
"We'll all give you some." Michael said, hiding a smirk when he saw Shane mouth 'WHAT?!' and gawped at Claire, not believing what he had to do for his friend. "Won't we Shane?"
"Huh? Y-Yeah. Yeah 'course. Anything... for a friend..." Shane whispered, dreading the moment when he had to hand over what little money he actually had. Michael nodded. "Very good. And Claire, no need to worry about your payment. I will take it out of your rent money—the wad of cash you first gave me."
Claire smiled and nodded. "OK."
Eve stood awkwardly. "So ... I guess I'm taking the job." She paused.
"But not because of the money... just because it'll keep you all out of any more trouble." She added.
Claire look at her, worried. Something didn't sit right with her... Eve seemed keen to work... but the choice of job was so sudden...
"I guess I'll get going tomorrow morning." Eve said sadly, looking at her three friends and wishing she didn't have to go... she knew she had to... just to keep them out of any danger. "How will she exit Morganville?" Claire piped up suddenly, everyone turning to look at her. "I mean... the physic spell-thing is instantly cast on any poor soul who tries to leave Morganville."
Michael nodded.
"I know. Don't worry about that. I'll be able to get Eve out in her car... she won't even feel any different as she leaves. And she'll be completely unaffected." He explained, smiling smugly.
"How?"
"Wait and see."
"I'll go pack." Eve said, sighing. "I'm really gonna miss you guys."
"You might not be gone that long..." Shane said quietly, sad to think about a Glass House with no Eve Rosser. It was definitely hard to imagine. It would seem lonely somehow—even with other two roommates Shane had... it would still seem... incomplete.
"The odds are that I will be, Shane... I'm sorry. I don't want to go either..."
She hugged Michael, ran over to the other two and gave them a hug too.
"Get a good rest, Eve. We'll see you off in the morning." Michael said softly.
She nodded and felt tears welling up in her eyes, but broke the urge to cry. She tore away from her two friends and slowly made her way out of the living area, rushed up the stairs, into her room and slammed the door.
That's when the tears came flooding. In an instant she was sobbing, the feelings hurt like hell and she ended up stumbling over onto her black covers, burying her face in the rose graphics.
She didn't want to go.
The Glass House was her home.
And Michael, Shane and Claire were her family now.
After some time, she pulled away from the covers and wiped her mucky make-up stained cheeks frantically. She took a deep breath and pulled out an old black suitcase, covered in Goth band stickers and things that summed her life up—and just generally things she liked from underneath her bed.
She smiled, stroking the neat front and opened it.
She knew this day would come:
The day when she would have to leave The Glass House.
She just...
Hadn't expected it to be so soon...
Thank you for getting to the bottom! Another chapter? Well there's one in store! I know it was a weird place to end. So, review and I'll make the next chapter extra juicy for you! I know there wasn't as much DS in this part... in the next one there will be so... yeah. That's when you decide if the two series' mix together well. I think they do... but hey... let's wait and see =) x
SecretSparrowTodd, Forever in your gratitude ;)
-Keep writing, reading and reviewing xx