The Past Repeats Itself
Chapter 1 – The Girl
The early Sunday-morning sky was a cold, crisp blue and not something one wanted to see waking up in the middle of a wood, clothe-less. Wised, however, to the routine of wax and wane, George had left some clothes in the little shed, as instructed by Tully some weeks earlier. The idea was that both he and Nina would transform in isolation together, but the overprotective George had pointed out "What if we're not the same as werewolves? What if we end up ripping each others throats out?", so they transformed separately, swapping places each month. At the bottom of the carrier bag he'd used for his clothes, George found a packet of wet wipes and a post-it with a shopping list on it. 'Thanks Annie,' he thought 'I'm experiencing the most painful process known to man, and you give me a shopping list. Unbelievable!' George didn't use the wet-wipes out of pride and spite, and instead headed towards civilisation.
Not long afterwards, George was stomping down Cheapside St, not far from the terrace, when the bag split and everything fell all over the pavement. 'I don't believe…'
"Hey, hey!" George had spotted a girl on the other side of the street, next to the fish and chip shop, and was not about to pass up on getting someone to help him pick up the shopping, especially when there was nobody else about at this time.
"I don't s'pose you could help me?" He waved his arms frantically and beckoned to the teenager who looked shocked, then amused, then shocked again. She turned to go, then ran round the corner. 'Stupid stranger-danger rubbish.'
"Hey, I'm not the paedo, it was the other one!" he yelled after her. Deciding that he didn't care about the shopping, George continued on, before guiltily doubling back to struggle home without a carrier bag.
The event, however, was soon forgotten and George only remembered it when taking a walk with Nina after work. They were in Queen's Square, strolling around the central lawn, when George saw a flash of sky blue in the unusually empty street. He squinted a little, looking in the direction of the statue at the centre of the square, then saw more clearly what it was. The young teenager from the other day was staring at him. He looked more closely than before, noting her rather 1940's style clothes of a blue floral-print tea dress, grey cardigan and a hair style to match. 'Dark hair', he noted. He put his hand up in recognition which she, tentatively, returned.
"Who are you waving to?" Nina asked, whilst trying to peer round George's torso.
"Her." George pointed at the place the girl had been before realising that she was no longer there. "Oh, just some girl I kind of know, she was there just a moment ago."
"Oh, I see," said Nina, drawing away a little "it's like that then, 'just some girl I kind of know'? C'mon what's with her?" She did feel annoyed, though really she was just pushing George's buttons.
"No, I didn't mean it like that..." They bickered all the way back to the house until Nina sniggered and George got the joke. He took a swipe at her with a flat palm.
"Careful," Nina giggled "that makes you look very camp!" Sighing, George kissed her on the forehead and went into the house. He stopped in the hall, slumped, and turned and beckoned to her, before going into the kitchen. George saw Annie dash into the garden to give them some privacy.
It was some hours before the three were all together again. Mitchell came in late from God knew where, and George had forgotten to tell Annie that she could come in again, even though Nina was long gone. At the sound of the door opening and closing, George awoke and clumped downstairs, bleary-eyed. Annie came in, shivering
"You must have finished by now, you two."
"Oh yeah, ages ago, she went back, I went to bed. Don't tell me you've been standing out there all that time! Have you?" Annie simply rolled her eyes at him and went to sit with her back the radiator.
"So, how was your date with young Nina then?" Asked Mitchell, eyebrows jumping up and down. The innuendo passed the sleepy George by.
"Young? Why is there a need to call her young? Anyway, it's not like that."
"Oh, George," Mitchell teased "that could mean one of two things: you are either all scruffy because you've had a 'good time' with your girlfriend tonight, or you've had a tiff with Nina 'cos you're frigi…" The newly-installed door bell rang. Three heads all snapped towards the origin of the noise.
"It's silly really," said Annie "he's dead, properly dead, but I still don't like answering the door." She got up and moved behind Mitchell whilst George unhooked the latch and peeked round. He jumped back, making Annie squeak, and flung the door wide as he did so. It was not Herrick, or any other vampire, but the girl. Holding a cake.
"Time for some explanations." She said, before stepping inside.