I also created a WordPress as some of you suggested. It's ladyannachronismfanfic dot wordpress dot com

Thank you to Kleannhouse who once again did a terrific job.

Chapter 4

I woke up the next day with a bitter taste in my mouth. I couldn't quite put the finger on what was bothering me so much, but one thing was for sure, I was uncomfortable with Salon Rouge. Although I had enjoyed learning my new job and thought I would actually enjoy serving drinks, something was bothering me. I wasn't sure whether it was the way Lexi treated me or how Pam had been rude, or maybe how cold Eric had been, but something didn't feel right. You know, that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you know someone is hiding something from you?

I was not one to trust my instincts completely, I mean it had been wrong in the past but in this case, the feeling was overwhelming. I took a deep breath and put on a light blue sundress before I headed downstairs to grab lunch. I was glad I was quickly adapting to the new schedule but since I loved breakfast food, I opted to make myself eggs and toasts despite the late hour.

As I heard my Gran's thoughts while walking into the kitchen and I silently followed them, I found myself missing Eric. His silent mind had been a treat and I knew it was the main reason why I hesitated listening to my instincts screaming at me to get away from his bar. It was strange because as much as I could sense danger; I didn't feel as though I was truly in it. I couldn't tell if it was Eric that made me feel safe or if it was just me being stupid but I brushed it out of my own thoughts as Gran sat at the table with me, pouring herself a cup of tea.

"How was your first night Sookie?" she enquired with a smile.

"It was alright, I think I might like it. Though, I think the bartender doesn't like me very much. She keeps rolling her eyes and talks to me as if I was a dog or something." I replied with a nervous smile. "Would you like some eggs for lunch?" I added but she nods negatively.

"I had a big breakfast dear, I am alright. Don't you worry too much about that girl." She said while taking a sip of her tea.

"Why would you think it is a girl?" I asked intrigued she guessed it.

"Oh Sookie, the fact I am old doesn't mean I can't recognize jealously when I hear it."

I sat down beside her and proceeded to eat the eggs on my plate as she continued to talk.

"You are a beautiful woman with a wonderful smile, I am sure she just feels threaten that you might be a better bartender," she continued and I chuckled.

My gran was a wonderful lady with a kind heart and a perceptive mind. Since I could hear her thoughts, despite my best efforts to respect her privacy, I had discovered throughout the years that my Gran loved drama of any kind to the point of welcoming gossip. It didn't really change the way I looked at her but instead helped me understand that side of people.

It's not that I wasn't a jealous person nor that I never acted out of it but I always had a hard time understanding gossip itself or its purpose. It hurt people and for me it wasn't in my nature to want to do that. My Gran was like me, she wasn't in the business of hurting people so why she enjoyed gossip has intrigued me. After investigating further, I had discovered that it was the emotions attached to it that my Gran craved. I guess she was bored with her everyday life, unable to work full-time, that any piece of juicy emotions gave her enjoyment. Whether it was sadness, anger or joy, she fed on them by gossiping with her friends.

So when she mentioned Lexi being jealous, it made sense to me. Gran didn't need to meet the woman to understand her behaviour. With all her discussions amongst her friends, I am sure she had seen it before; though I wasn't sure I could agree that it was because of my looks. Then again, I couldn't think of another explanation and I guess I could be considered a pretty girl, that is until you figure out I am a freak and walk away.

"I suppose" I replied, "I just hope it doesn't get in the way of me doing a good job."

She grabbed my hands and squeezed them gently before going into the living room where she was most likely going to spend her afternoon reading. It was raining outside, so there was not much I could do myself other than maybe grabbing some groceries at the Piggly Wiggly. The bank account was getting low as I had yet to see the last few weeks I was owned from Merlotte's and of course, Salon Rouge wouldn't give me a cent for at least a week. I decided to go to the computer and check the balance to make sure I would have enough for gas and groceries and after confirming I did for at least another week, I decided to head to the grocery store.

As I got out of the car, I grabbed my cellphone and dialed Sam's number. I had not talked to him since the fire but had kept in touch with Lafayette who suggested it would be best to give him his space. I had agreed, unable to imagine the pain he was in. The phone rang a couple times before going to voicemail. My first thought was that he saw I was calling him and decided not to answer my call. I don't know why we always assumed the worst but then I shrugged and figured he could simply just be busy.

I grabbed a cart and headed to the back of the store where I knew I would find the meat and the dairy sections. I always enjoyed buying fresh vegetables but when you are on a budget, it is best not to; frozen vegetables had the same nutriments but a lot less waste and was a lot cheaper. So I grabbed milk, chicken since it was on special, enough for a couple dinners and then a couple bags of frozen vegetables.

As I headed to the cash register, I saw Sam at the end of the aisle reaching for a bag of oatmeal.

"Sam!" I exclaimed and he turned around with a shaky smile.

I would never say it out loud but he looked terrible. The huge bags under his eyes were so big; it was hard to see anything else. His hair was also a mess as if he had not combed it in days. Who could blame him?

I reached for a hug and squeezed him as hard as I could, pouring as much love into it as I could mentally. His mind was extremely fuzzy, more than usual, as if he couldn't focus on his own thoughts himself. I heard sniffles and I thought he was crying. The poor thing!

As I pushed him back a little to look at him in the eyes, I saw no tears and I frowned. That was odd but I smiled. He too was frowning as he brought his face closer to my shoulder sniffing it. I guess that is what I had heard and had mistaken it for a sniffle. What the hell was he doing?

"Are you alright?" I ask him which stopped him from sniffing.

"Sorry Cher, I just thought I smelled a perfume I recognized."

"I am not wearing any" I said glaring at him confused by his gesture.

"I have been better" he continued shrugging. It took me away from my questioning and I went back to hugging him.

"I am sure you will be okay" I said with confidence and he nodded as his sole response.

"Where have you been?" he asked me with a lot of curiosity in his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

I found his question strange considering what he had been through; there was lot of different things we could have been discussing. Besides, he said it as if I should have been with him not somewhere else, it's not like I didn't try to call him.

"I mean have you found work?" he hesitated and I saw it.

"I have. It's a bar, I was trained yesterday so I am not sure whether I will like it or not" I said. "But some of the staff are really nice" I quickly added so I wouldn't sound so ungrateful.

"Which bar?"

"Salon Rouge, why?"

"Curiosity" he said nervously. "It is not a very safe establishment Sookie."

"What?" I exclaimed, "How so?"

"Well" he hesitated again then he continued "it is in Shreveport, you know how big cities can be. Just be careful please" he added.

"Okay then," I said not sure I understood the warning nor the reason behind it. I was curious to know why he would say that to me as I highly doubt it was because of the city it was in. But a part of me didn't want to know and felt defensive he would attack the only place that had offered me a job.

"Well I got to run, but it was nice seeing you Sookie. I am sorry I haven't paid you yet. I promise as soon as the insurance process my claim…"

"It's fine Sam" I said cutting him off. "We all understand, don't you worry about that. Call me if you need anything, I miss you" I added as he started walking away quickly. He was acting so strange it made no sense to me. Especially the entire time we had talked, I kept my mind open and had picked up no thoughts from him at all. I feared something was wrong with him but then again, wouldn't you be depressed if you had lost everything you have worked for in one night? I had to trust that Lafayette was taking good care of him and I promised myself I would check up on him more often.

I was finishing putting the groceries away when my Gran came into the kitchen and sat at the table.

"We have a new neighbour" she exclaimed excited by the news.

We lived in a farmhouse pretty far from the main road. There was no neighbour behind us and we had one to each side of the property but they were so far away from us, it was as if we had none. In front of the house, on the other side of the street, there was a cemetery so I wasn't sure exactly what she meant by new neighbour. Judging by her excitement, however, it had to be someone somewhat close, so I guessed the Compton Estate on the other side of the cemetery which we could see from our house on clear days.

"I saw lights on last night in the Compton Estate and I asked Judith about it and she said that sure enough someone had moved in" she continued with hope in her eyes. I am not sure what she was hoping for exactly but this was making her very happy. Maybe she thought she would make a new friend?

Judith was her friend who worked at the township bureau. She was probably the biggest gossiper I knew so it didn't shock me to hear that she had gossip about someone moving into the house.

The Compton estate was huge. It had been built in the 1800 and was abandoned sometime in the 50s with no owners since. So I imagined it was in pretty bad shape and couldn't fathom the amount of money it would require to restore it to its original beauty.

"Do we know who?" I asked.

"She said it was someone from the Compton family, he is a long lost descendant who asked to purchase it. I didn't even know it was for sale."

She walked to the fridge and took out one of her famous Pecanpies.

"I made this, do you think you could go over and greet him and welcome him to the neighbourhood?" she asked and I immediately looked outside to see what kind of weather I would have to brave. It had been raining all day and I wasn't too keen on walking through the cemetery to get soaked. Luckily, as the sun was coming down, the rain had ceased.

"Of course Gran, that should not be a problem." I assured her as I reached in the fridge to grab some of the biscuit and sausage that was left over from yesterday.

She smiled and offered to cook me something fresh but I refused. We were on a budget so no food would go to waste. After I was done my meal, I grabbed a sweater in case the night would be cold and took the pie before heading to the cemetery.

It wasn't a big cemetery, but big enough that it was about a 10 minute walk to the other side where I would find the estate. I took a small detour to see my parent's grave as they were buried there. The night was not cold per say but something about a cemetery was chilling. I wasn't sure if it was the notion of death itself, as death did not scared me. It was more the fact that it was for many, their final resting place and that was creepy as far as I'm concerned. I stopped by the small stones which were decorated with pink flowers. Gran always came here at least once a week, to arrange the flowers or to change them. She had not been particularly close to my father but he was her son and I imagined she felt it was her duty to take care of him even in death.

By the time I reached the other side, the sun had disappeared completely. The moon was shining which helped me see where I was placing my feet and to avoid tripping on the roots and dead limbs.. I quickened my pace as the evening was getting colder and, sure it was just a pie, but it was a heavy pie and my arms were getting tired.

There was a porch light on at the main entrance which led me to believe the new owner was home, although, let it be said, I secretly wished he wasn't. I was not feeling the most social tonight and I was tired which meant my shields were acting funny and hard to keep up. Nonetheless, when I reached the door, I fixed my dress and gently knocked. I only waited a minute or two before the door opened.

I looked up to the tall man with my best welcoming smile but found myself stuttering a bit, shocked that he was so good looking. I am not sure if I was expecting an older person, more like my Gran's age or something but when I met his dark brown eyes, I shivered unintentionally. His hair was also dark brown and he had sideburns that gave him a mysterious look. He had a predatorial look to him, as if he could be a hunter and I sure did not want to be his prey.

"Welcome!" I managed to say and he quickly smiled before taking the pie I was offering.

"My Gran made it for you. We live across from the cemetery. I am Sookie!" I quickly said and he nodded back.

"Nice to meet you Miss Stackhouse, my name is William Compton, but call me Bill" he said inviting me in. I thanked him and entered despite not knowing him very well. I stood at the door watching him leave for what I assumed was the kitchen.

Apparently, he knew my last name and I immediately thought of Judith and her gossiping. I looked around as I waited for him, admiring the house. It was an old colonial style home and it had not been updated for quite some time. The floor was creaking under his steps while the wallpaper seemed to be peeling from the ceiling. The old staircase seemed to have a broken step and be in need of a paint job. The chandelier that,- I was guessing-, was supposed to hang at the front entrance was on the floor, broken. It didn't take away from the house's beauty but it was evident it needed some renovations and I wasn't sure if Bill planned on doing them.

He came back to the entrance and indicated for me to go into the room on the right, the living room.

"Would you like something to drink?" he asked me charmingly and I agreed to lemonade.

I sat on one of the old loveseat that was facing the fire and after handing me a glass of lemonade, he sat on the other one.

"How long have you been living here in Bon Temps" he asked me clearly making conversation.

He took a sip of a red liquid in one of those old iron glasses. It seemed pretty thick for wine but then again what do I know.

"My entire life, "I replied with a polite smile when I noticed he was staring at me.

"Interesting" he said and I frowned at the realization, I couldn't hear him either.

I could tell my hand had started shaking and I felt suddenly ill. I had not drunk any of my lemonade so in order to focus my thoughts; I took a sip and looked at the empty fire pit. I tried to focus on my breathing but it was getting harder and harder.

Why could I not hear him? Was I sick? Was I broken? What if I was losing my curse?

My head was spinning with all the questions that kept bombarding my head.

"I was born here but my parents moved away when I was little." Bill continued having not noticed my new found illness.

I was sure I looked like crap but I tried to focus on his lips while trying to understand what he was saying but not caring at the same time. The buzz from his mind seemed so loud I was having a hard time focusing on anything.

I had spent the beginning of my life wondering why I was different and why I was cursed with hearing everyone's thoughts. I mean, knowing what people thought of you and not knowing how to stop it was horrible. It was as if I had been walking oneggshells, anything I would do or say caused a thought and I was terrified of what I would hear. I knew my mother suspected my curse and hearing her so scared of me just broke something in me. I had been rejected from an early age and the only way I had made it easier for myself was to learn how to block others thoughts allowing me to respect people's privacy. But I had never been able to connect with my mother as she had passed away before I could learn.

At some point in high school, I learned that my curse could also be a gift. I was able to help some people by reading their minds and making sure they were okay in times that were difficult for them. But like anything else, it still had its downfalls, mainly the fact I was unable to connect on a deeper level with someone because I knew too much.

So here I was, presented with 3 different people in a short period of time, which I couldn't hear. Where had they been my entire life? I knew I was sheltered but how much? And Sam, where did he fit it in to all this?

There was a time in my life where I had thought that maybe we were meant to be a couple since he was the only one I couldn't clearly hear but had soon realized he wasn't for me and he had accepted it just like me; we both had a weird attribute, and I couldn't explain it.

I had finally come to appreciate some part of this curse and here I was losing it?

I felt the panic taking a hold of me and I didn't know what to do. One part of me wanted to ask what was different about him while the other one wanted to go outside and run far away from the estate. His mind's humming was getting louder and louder and I felt a massive headache taking a hold of me

"Are you alright Miss Stackhouse?" he asked and it took me away from my overwhelming thoughts and pain.

"Yes, I am sorry" I said getting up from my seat thumbing across the room. "It's getting late, I better go" I added trying to make my way to the door.

Bill got up and caught me before I could fall. His touch amplified the buzz in my head and I just couldn't take it anymore. He helped me with one arm and I steadied myself on my feet, frowning at the pain in my head.

"You don't seem alright" he started but I cut him off.

"It's just fatigue."

"You cannot walk home in such state" he said while I broke away from his grip.

He too was cold, just like Eric's lips on my hand.

"I am fine, I assure you" I replied while opening the door.

He didn't insist anymore and I was thankful. As soon as I made it outside I bid him farewell and ran to the cemetery where I was hoping for tranquility and solace. I ran as fast as I could, the further I was from him the lesser the hum was until I reached my own home and found my Gran's thoughts wondering about what she would make us for dinner tomorrow night. I couldn't put my shields up, and as her thoughts poured through the headache grew stronger. I stumbled to the door and quietly sneaked in to grab my car keys. I wasn't running away per say but I just couldn't take the thoughts anymore. I heard my Gran call my name and I responded that I was just going for a drive. I knew she would worry but my head was spinning to a point I just got outside, climbed into my car and just drove off.