It took a couple of weeks of planning if Anthrax had, had her way it would have taken longer but a plan, the plan had finally come together. The night after the theatre Anthrax was supposed to make a big show of kidnapping Elsie smuggling her out of the back door. Vince had been there, fortune had smiled on them for once and he'd been suffering from a cold it gaze Elise the excuse to take him to work with her. However like so much else it all seemed to go wrong in the blink of an eye. Before Anthrax could get to her the Hitcher had swept Elsie and Vince away taking them along with all three of the Piper twins to a boxing match. Elise loved boxing, all her family had been involved in the sport, she'd even told Anthrax that she'd seen one of her many brothers once punch a man so hard that his legs had turned into trombones. Of course Anthrax hadn't believed her, so much Elsie said had seemed to be ridiculous and born out of her overactive imagination.
'Can't you shut 'im up.' The Hitcher had frowned as he'd grown annoyed at the sound of Vince's fractious fidgeting and cries.
'There, there come on Vince come on my little lover.' Elise had cooed resting her mouth against the top of her young son's warm head.
'Look, look Vincey that's Jem Smith Mummy's got a lot of money riding on him.' Bouncing Vince on her lap she'd pointed out one of the blood splattered bare-knuckle boxers.
'Don't listen to her boy,' The Hitcher advised Vince. Through all this Vince had continued to cry, he'd been sobbing away until Elsie had produced the doll.
'You'll turn that boy into a pansy.' The Hitcher had warned staring at the doll with contempt, the doll in question had long golden ringlets and a pair of white real feather angel wings, from the minute Elsie had given it to Vince the pair had been inseparable.
'It's just a doll he likes it, you like it don't you Vincey.' She'd waved it in front of his face, giggling through his tears he'd snatched it possessively to his chest.
The Hitcher had snorted and Elsie had avoided mentioning that if anything was going to turn her son into a 'pansy' or give him strange ideas about gender it was probably the fact that she was shacked up with a woman who dressed like a man. This she'd avoided.
'I'm gonna take Vince outside I think he needs some fresh air, it's a bit stuffy in here and he's burning up.' Elsie had excused herself, once she was safely outside it didn't take her long to locate Anthrax.
'What are we going to do?' Anthrax had questioned nervously.
'Nothing.' Elsie had replied wrapping her arm around Anthrax neck planting a kiss on her lips making sure that she didn't crush Vince who had still been sobbing.
'Nothing? You've changed your mind?'
'No, no I meant we do it anyway…we just gotta do it here.' Anthrax had been doubtful, but the expression on Elsie face had told her that if they didn't do it together now she would have gone ahead and done something stupid and dangerous.
'He's got it bad.' Anthrax had frowned as she'd felt Vince's feverish forehead.
'He's suffering, but it's just a cold he's not really sick.' Elsie had reassured them both.
'Come on brace-up littleman.' Anthrax had whispered to her son.
Surprisingly the whole kidnapping thing seemed to transpire without a hitch. Anthrax had grabbed Elsie and Vince, her face covered holding the pair at gun point she'd dragged them out of the packed warehouse and into a nearby waiting cab. It had really happened there would never be any turning back for them now, if the Hitcher ever found them ever caught up with them before they had had the chance to escape to America they'd both known it would be all over.
It took them a week to stop looking over their shoulders, in that time they moved from hotel to boarding house never stopping long enough to attract any interest. Vince became Tricia disguised as a girl and Elsie started calling herself Polly Truegood. The three of them became a proper family Mr Bob Skeleton, his skittish fiancé and their daughter.
The America thing didn't work out quite as they'd planned, Elise had overspent on Vince's clothes and they'd ended up with just enough to keep them in room and board. Anything they had, had they'd had to leave behind so they didn't even have anything valuable to hock or sell for a few bob.
In dire financial straights their dream off a new life slipping away daily Anthrax had decided to take a gamble and use the remainder of the money they'd possessed to set herself up as a detective, while Elsie had got a job as a barmaid in a pub which had, had a room for rent above it. The room had been smaller and dingier than the flat above the pie and smash shop, they'd been spoilt with all that space and so many warm open fires. Eventually the Hitcher stopped looking for Elsie, when they'd dragged the body out of the Thames it was too far gone for a positive identification but it had been wearing Elsie's clothes when Anthrax had tossed it into the water. It wasn't murder the girl had been festering and dead for weeks before Anthrax had bought the body from an old contact she'd made in the Stew. Elsie Noir was dead, Vince Noir was missing most probably murdered along with his Mother, Mary McKinley was long since gone the Hitcher wouldn't be looking for any of them.
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'You hit me.' Anthrax had repeated dumbly. Ebola's mouth fell open silently her eyes widening as she'd watched the red mark grow darker. She'd hit her, she'd actually hit her it took a few moments to sink in. She reached out but pulled back before she could touch Anthrax, she wanted to comfort her and she didn't. She wanted to love her but she couldn't. The remorse on her face was quickly swept away by steely uncaring determination.
'Get out.' Anthrax blinked back at her not believing, not able to believe what was happening. What was happening? Was it over? It couldn't be over, it would never end like this.
Ebola suddenly reached out and grabbed her dragging her by the collar of her jacket towards the door of the bedroom they shared. Anthrax was too stunned to fight or struggle she was just swept along by the power of Ebola's anger.
And then before she'd really known what was happening she'd been on the other side of the door, there'd been no Ebola and she'd been staring at the dark wood. Everything after that passed in a daze, Anthrax felt like she'd been split apart as if she'd been a newborn again with her umbilical cord fraying. The other part of herself gone and lost.
'Come on now Miss Delia she'll come round, you'll see everything will be better tomorrow.' George's voice had cut through the nothingness. She was sitting in the back of the limo being driven, she had no-where to go but she was still being driven somewhere. She'd left before she had the chance to collect her things, she couldn't stand being there for a moment longer.
'Here we are Miss.' George had informed her as the car had come to a grinding halt, she strained to see out of one of the dark windows, she caught the outline of a retro looking suburban 1970's house. It was pebble dashed, she shuddered.
'Where, where are we?'
'Well Miss you're at your new home…temporary mind you.' He answered turning in the driver's seat to face her, the leather underneath him squealing as he twisted and moved.
'But I,'
'I got some friends you see and when I told 'em about you they said they'd be more than happy to put you up for a few days, it ain't permanent mind you Miss still it don't have to be.' He whistled optimistically, optimism was something that went against the grain of Anthrax's personality. Before she had the chance to ask anymore questions George had disappeared and her door was flying open.
'Does Amy know about this?' She inquired the cold night air hitting her suddenly.
'Ah…well not exactly Miss Delia.'
'Oh I see.' But she didn't see.
'Miss Delia,'
'Don't, don't call me that.'
'What?'
'Any of it. Call me, call me…' Anthrax frowned it was hard to let go of Delia.
'Call me Anthrax, but just Anthrax I'm not your Mistress we're…equal got that.'
'Equal.' George let the word mix around his mouth for a moment, and unfamiliar word.
'Equal.' He smiled and rung the door bell. Music flooded through the closed door, the large blacked out double glazed windows vibrated menacingly, Anthrax didn't like the idea of A) staying somewhere which had quite so many windows and B) Staying in a house which was situated in a cul-de-sac an actual real cul-de-sac. It was all too lower middle class.
The front door burst open and she caught a few bars of a Le Tigre song.
'Watch ya Georgie boy,' A man appeared grinning away, he was medium height and lanky all long arms and legs, with a dark pitted mocha complexion and a mass of unruly black hair. The jeans he was wearing looked as if they'd been sprayed on him straight from a can.
'Alright Jimmy.' Jimmy's eyes moved over Anthrax as he decided upon something, it took a split second for the decision to be decided upon before it was replaced by another bright and more importantly real smile.
'Alright there I'm Jimmy, you wanna come it love.' He invited her holding out his hand, but pulled away before she could touch him staring over the top of her head nodding a George who was behind her.
'The hand thing alright is it, only George said bout the touch and all. That alright through is it?' Anthrax nodded.
'If it don't bother you.' He held out his hand enthusiastically.
'Na love we're all friends round here, I ain't interesting enough to have anything to hide, besides.' Jimmy and George both chuckled an 'in' joke passing between the pair. Anthrax held his hand it was cold and dry the skin was rough and warn, it took a few seconds but it hit her like a ton of bricks the everything, the everything of the life of the man whose hand she was holding. She swallowed when they broke apart she heard the opening bars of some Los Campesinos! from what she imagined was the living room.
He'd been telling the truth on both fronts when he said he didn't have anything to hide and the fact that he'd been boring. He seemed to have spent his whole life having drinks in pubs with George. Jimmy likes George that was apparent, Anthrax wonders if George quite knows how much Jimmy actually likes him. He was also a lot older than Anthrax.
'So yeah this is the house, that's the upstairs.' He pointed up the stairs.
'That's the kitchen don't go in there, or out in the garden it's probably best if you just stay in the location of well around here.' Because that's where the thing is, none of them know what it is it's some kind of animal they think it just showed up one day in the garden and then it got inside the house and then…The kitchen door has a heavy padlock and a flimsy chair in front of it.
'So ah you want a little sit down or a drink? Oh ah this, that's the living room.' The living room is larger than Anthrax would have expected the carpet looks like its original to the house it's all orange and brown and swirls, she'd forgotten how ugly the 70's had really been. Its easy to forget the reality of something. There's a faded yellow sofa, a telly, a huge sound system, a bean bag chair and a gas bar fire but that's about it except for the fact that the walls are covered with brightly coloured paintings. The bright colours mask the disturbing content that actually exists within the confines of the paper; there are a hell of a lot of severed heads in the pictures not the house.
There's a girl sitting in front of the bar fire, her legs folded up underneath her as she sits painting away a paint brush hanging out of her mouth. Anthrax knows the girl is called Mina, Mina Patel Jimmy likes her a lot as well about as much as he likes George. When your dead sexuality becomes kind of flexible.
Anyway back to Mina, Jimmy sired her when she'd been studying textiles at St Martin's during the 70's she'd gone missing one night on her way home from the cinema.
'Alright, you're new.' Mina grins up at her pulling the paint brush out of her mouth when she speaks, her brow furrows as she twists the canvas around of the carpet scrutinizing it from almost every angle.
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'If anyone asks you're Catholic, got that.' Anthrax had informed Elsie, pausing until her coughing fit had subsided her chest had felt unbearably tight and constricted sometimes she'd felt like all the oxygen was being squeezed from her lungs. Elsie had appeared behind her wrapping her arm limply around her neck pulling the cigarette from her blue tinted lips.
'Why?' She'd questioned taking a long drag from the roll-up.
Anthrax had giggled she'd never felt so happy, they didn't have anything Elsie had, had a positive aversion to not spending money.
'Why do you think?' Elsie had thought about it for a moment, it had almost been painful watching her as she attempted to work it out.
'Oh.' The penny had finally dropped.
Anthrax had got up from the bed the springs screeching underneath her, casually she'd buttoned up the front of her shirt.
'Oh Mary, Mary…' Elsie had teased her moaning and writhing around in the centre of their bed.
'Keep that down, and its Bob remember.' Anthrax had chided her, a smile playing across her features as she did so.
'That works too.' Elsie had laughed
When she laughed it was like music.
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When she'd first sat down awkwardly in the bean bag chair Anthrax had felt out of place lost in so many colours and strange faces, but it didn't take her long to feel more at home they were an easy going bunch of people and the combination of beer and free blow had helped.
'Anthrax do you want another drink?' Jimmy asked her, she glanced down at the empty bottle in her hands. She nodded lost in the sensations of being able to smoke again, she let the unfamiliar and familiar texture roll across her tongue, why had she ever given up she should never have given up Ebola had made her give up she couldn't stand the smell.
'Get us another bevy, love.' He pointed a Mina.
'Your legs dropped off again or something? Get off your fat lazy arse and get it yourself.' Mina had responded simply rolling her large expressive hazel eyes, Anthrax's watches her its been a really long time since she's looked really looked at another woman, not just in terms of lunch but in terms of well…Mina's pretty but she's not a patch on Ebola, Anthrax likes them light and bubbly or fragile and moody.
'You fucking feminist, if I'd have known you were a fucking feminist.' Jimmy complained pushing himself off the sofa spliff hanging out of his gob as he pulled a couple of bottles out of the mini fridge, which hummed away in the corner of the Formica clad room.
'Like, I'd ever wash your pants.' Mina chuckled referring to something Anthrax has no idea about, another 'in' joke.
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'Here eat up or it'll get cold, you need to keep your strength up.' Elsie smiled pushing the bowl of steaming soup under Anthrax's nose. She wasn't hungry, she just felt tired and drained she couldn't even get out of bed without feeling like a plastic bag had been stuck over her head, not that such things had existed then.
'Vince make sure Mummy Bob eats her dinner.' Elsie had told her son who'd been lying in the bed next to Anthrax flipping through the pages of one of her old fashion catalogues pointing at the various items excitedly. And then she was gone back down stairs to finish or start another long shift. This wasn't the life Anthrax had wanted for her, she was meant to be someone to be someone special Elise Noir was meant to be adored by millions but instead the bloom of her youth was rotting away concealed in a dingy back alley pub.
Anthrax knew she'd been dying it didn't take a genius. It felt like a vice around her heart, she couldn't run she couldn't escape from her own body she'd been trapped.
'I'm sorry Vince.' She'd whispered softly. She felt like she'd failed them, what was going to happen to them if she died how would Elise cope?
Maybe she'd been underestimating her, there'd always been something about Elsie that told Anthrax that if she had to she'd be more than able to survive without her, that Elise and Vince needed her a lot less than she needed them.
But still she knew she couldn't die like that…
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They get ready to go out, well they do Anthrax doesn't because she hasn't got anything to change into Mina offers her something but she refuses she's not use to other peoples cast offs.
'Does Mac know you've been making Vampires?' She leaned against George keeping her voice low. George said nothing he simply blushed opened his mouth to speak but then closed it again, turning his face away.
'She won't like it you know.' He snapped then, not in a violent or angry way he just snapped in the way that someone does when they've had something to say for a long time but behind denied the opportunity or the voice to say it.
'Jimmy he's my…' He swallowed hard and then continued. '…my best mate, no-one wants to spent eternity alone do they and it was only the once I don't make a habit out of it.'
The idea of being alone suddenly flooded her it was an old familiar feeling; she could never stand being the one stuck on the outside looking in. She wanted to cry. Her gaze shifts between George and Jimmy and Mina there's a special bond between a Vampire and the one who sired them its stronger than Mother and child you become a living part of one another, your blood runs through their veins and theirs through yours. Anthrax understands for the first time why Ebola can't seem to ever say 'no' to Frank to keep him out of their life. Without Ebola Anthrax feels hollowed out and empty, that's how she must feel she theorizes to herself, without Frank.
Anthrax feels guilty.
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She remembers what it was like the first time she tasted her. That sweet warm river of crimson. She didn't want to hurt her, she never wanted to hurt her but she couldn't fight what she was she couldn't stop herself. That intake of breath, that wince half born out of pleasure and pain as you dig in deep penetrating her soft skin. It was so warm, she was so warm you rested your head against her chin feeling her breath. You stopped yourself you pulled back before it was too late, before you lost her forever. You remember how she looked at you. You remember the choice you gave her, the choice that was denied you that he denied you.
She agreed and your heart soared, you blocked out those thoughts the thoughts that told you there were only two reasons why she was doing this and neither of them were you.
You'd never done it before, but it's like everything instinct takes over. You unbuttoned your blouse and exposed the soft flesh that lay just above your corset. You dug deep opening a hole inside your chest, you search for a moment and then you found it its cold and dead your tore a piece off a piece of your heart and you gave it to her she ate it and from that moment on she was yours and you were hers.
It's easy to take a life you just bite wherever and drain them dry, but it's hard to make a Vampire.
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'I think she wanted you to have this.' Elsie thought about not taking the money which was being held out in front of her for the briefest of seconds, but its only the briefest of moments she's never been proud and the money wouldn't just be for her it was for Vince as well. So she took it she doesn't bother to count it she knows there more than enough in her hands for the tickets to America, more for them to start a new life. She's being paid off she's not that silly that she doesn't know what a pay off looks like.
It didn't feel real, it didn't feel like she was really dead everything feels wrong but Elsie doesn't question it she just rushed home with her son perched awkwardly in her arms and the money burning a hole in her pocket.
She starts to think about the future, however much she wants to morn the past she's a person whose very soul runs on perpetual motion, she can't stop she has to keep moving forward if she stops and thinks for too long then she might break, she can't break what would happen to Vince if she broke?
As she climbed up the stairs to the flat they'd once shared, she knows that there are a lot of people in the world who would be lamenting the fact that they'd ever left their home and family. But for Elsie it had been worth it all the misery and the sacrifices, she had Vince, she had met the love of her life and for the briefest of moments her star had shone just brightly enough to get a by-line in no less than three national newspapers. She knew it was callous, but she couldn't help but smile at the thought of Elsie Noir stage and screen star. It was a fantasy she'd already decided from the moment that Anthrax had died that her and Vince would for ever be known as Elsie and Vince Skeleton, in death she'd decided she'd finally get Anthrax to make an honest woman out of her.
The flat had felt cold and empty and for the first time it had really hit her when she closed the door behind them that this was really it, that it was just the two of them forever now. Not even forever though, just the two of them until Vince did what all children were supposed to do and buggered off and started a life of his own.
'You know,' She'd brushed her hand across her son's chubby pale cheek.
'…I wouldn't care if you were a pansy.' His head a bobbed as he'd slipped off to sleep.
'Just as long as you were happy, and…' Elsie giggled to herself as she carried him into what was now just their bedroom.
'…don't forget what Mummy always tells you about accessorizes. They can really breath new life into a last season look.' She laid Vince gently down in the centre of the bed, watching as he sucked his thumb covering him carefully with a blanket.
'Never forget your Mummy loves you very much.' She smiled weakly as she brushed her tears away, getting up from the bed she'd moved as quickly and as quietly as she could out of the room closing the door softly behind her.
'Dear oh Dear, what have we got 'ere?' Elise blood had frozen in her veins that the sound of the familiar cackle behind her.
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The only thing she could hear had been the sound of Vince's high pitched screams, Anthrax had forced the door open and found him sitting in the middle of the bedroom she'd once shared with Elsie surrounded by complete and under devastation. She so desperately wanted to pick him up and comfort him but his very presence reminded her of food. It was Ebola in the end who picked him up.
'There, there.' She'd whispered rocking him in her arms.
'What's his name?'
'Vince.' Anthrax had answered absentmindedly as she's searched the small space for any sign of Elsie. Ebola avoided mentioning that the scent of fresh death lingered in her nostrils.
'Where, where is she?'
'There, there little Vince. Dee I think, I don't think we should stay here lets take Vince home with us.'
Reluctantly Anthrax finally gave into Ebola's will.
'I'll go back tomorrow when it's darker, I have to find her.' Ebola had agreed, but deep down she'd known it was hopeless.
'What are we going to do with little Vince? He can't stay here its not safe or healthy who is going to look after him in the day, he'll end up with scurvy or rickets or both.' She broached the subject as soon as they stepped over the threshold, it was callous but it was for the best he couldn't remain with them it wouldn't be long until he'd end up on the menu.
'But Elise,'
'Yes I know and if…when you find her we can get Vince back, but you have to find her first Dee.'
'But I'm his, he's my son he should stay with me.' Solemnly Ebola had taken Anthrax's hand in her own, squeezing it softly.
'Dee, Delia this is not an acceptable environment to raise a baby you must realise that.'
'I know…I do, but I…I love him I can't…'
'Then you should do what's best for him.' Anthrax had known Ebola was right, it was then that they had found it Vince had been clutching the Hitcher's pendant tightly in his tiny grasp. Ebola didn't wait she struck while the iron was hot, Anthrax showed her how to use the pendant she picked Vince up and the next minute she'd been standing in a forest. Thankfully it had been the middle of the night or at least late evening, the moon had been full hanging in a cloudless star spangled sky. In the distance she'd seen the outline of what looked like a large expensive looking tree house. Ebola placed Vince down on the grass next to the ladder, which led up to the impressive tree house she hoped she'd been doing the right thing.
'Now you be a good boy.' She told him trying not to sound to stern; around his neck she'd hung a tag which read My name is Vince Noir. I am a very good baby. Please look after me. My Mummy is…dead.
She heard a noise, someone announced themselves as being Bryan Ferry but she didn't wait she disappeared off into the night leaving Vince behind.