I own nothing to do with True Blood and I never will, of course. :-) Just adore the characters.
Thank you all so so much! Words cannot explain how excited I get to read your reviews, lol. It's fun. So... thank you! I'm really hoping you will continue to enjoy. Way nervous about this chapter though, especially.
I'm really hoping this chapter doesn't suck real bad. Literally. I'm always so nervous with posting on here, I get so jittery. I really hope it's not a disappointment, or that it's badly written! There will be more surprises to come, I promise...
Chapter Seven
I started on my way home from school, dying to get my godawful tight gym shoes off. I could feel what felt a million blisters growing on the sides of my ankles, and I was not a happy camper today.
I glanced up at Gran's looming house and was met with the most amazing sense of profound relief. I adored Gran's weatherboard house, just as much as she did. While the plumbing was still a little dodgy and the white paint at the front was starting to peel, I wouldn't have changed anything about it for the world.
The house was two-storied, and Gran had told me fondly once that it was built over two hunded years ago and, there it was... still holding strong as ever.
I brought my eyes over to slowly inspect Mr. Compton's quietly deserted house. Every time I seemed to look at it now, I was met with the same creepy feeling, as before. I didn't know why that was, but I'm sure it had absolutely nothing to do with the undead inhabitants living in it.
At least, I convinced myself that wasn't it.
I was not prejudiced against vampires, at all. I think Jason felt differently and he liked to express his views on the matter very openly and crudely to whoever would listen. Hence why Gran practically threw him out of the house two nights ago while Mr. Compton was over visiting. But not me. Never me.
But, it felt as if something was set to change that...
"Hey, Gran," I said exhaustedly, the moment I had reached the inside of the house, shutting the door behind me.
"Hello, dear. How was school?" She called back eagerly from in the kitchen. Gran was all for asking me about my day.
"Busy," I managed, toeing off my shoes.
"How is Tara?"
"Oh, Tara's great, Gran. Arlene, too!"
Arlene Fowler was another one of my close friends but she didn't visit here very often. The news had spread so quickly around the school, about Mr. Compton and his daughter living nextdoor, that none of my friends in town ever wanted to step a foot into Gran's yard again. I think they were all too spooked out, because of our nextdoor neighbour vamps. They just didn't know how to react around vampires, with Mr. Compton and his daughter being the first, and all. It was quite unfortunate.
It hadn't been the same for Jason's friends, though.
As soon as his best friend Hoyt heard the news, he was literally begging us loudly for answers and details in the school cafeteria at lunch on our fangy neighbours. He even said he'd make a note of visiting our house one evening after dark very soon. I think, secretely, Hoyt wanted to join the infamous clan of fangbangers that had broken out once vampires had come out of the coffin. Not that I could blame him; They certainly were an interesting bunch of folks. This Eric Northman in particular...
Just as I had joined Gran into the kitchen, slumping tiredly into a chair and rubbing at my feet while she was working at one of her crossword puzzles, the doorbell jingled.
That was very... unusual, to say the least. We didn't get many visitors too often.
Gran was practically racing with all her might with her pair of frail limbs, to get to the door before I could. "It's probably Mr. Compton coming to say good evening," she told me excitedly, through delighted laughter. "Sookie, stop lingering by the door," she snapped sternly, when she saw me standing at a hair's length behind her, peeking over her shoulder.
Gran was starting to become so touchy.
Gran swung open the front door to come face-to-face with a female vampire. Her glowing smile instantly receded in disappointment at the discovery that it was not in fact Mr. Compton. My heart sank a little in disappointment for her, too. Poor Gran.
I hadn't known it was possible for vampires to be out just a little before dusk, but this lady sure was. She was wearing a large black rimmed hat, probably to cover herself from the sneaky dim rays of the late afternoon sun peeking through the winding branches of the maple trees into our yard.
The look of this lady vampire took my breath, but not for all the right reasons.
She was tall, pure blonde, and she had this striking glow about her.
She was very beautiful in a European way. She was at least five feet nine and was wearing all black. Black suede knee-length buckle boots, and a trench coat. She also looked quite a mess. Her bright blue eyes were all rimmed red and puffy and blood was leaking out of her eyeballs in wet streaks. She stared at Gran, bleak and drained.
"Where is Eric?" this lady vampire purred at Gran, who was completely blank in the face. I knew she hadn't any idea what this lady was babbling on about.
I didn't know what he was to her but all of this was hurting her. Maybe he was a close friend. An old lover, too. Either way, I could hear the pure desperation in her voice.
"Eric Northman?" She repeated a little louder, while bringing her eyes over to me. "Is he here? I have some very pressing news that I must tattle with him about."
Gran clearly was stunned out of her mind, because it seemed she had trouble verbalizing anything. "Oh, I... Uh..." She spluttered nervously.
All of a sudden, I realized he was in danger, whatever the reason might be. And, I'll be damned if I let this lady take him away from me, and hurt him.
I hastily stepped forward, pushing Gran out of the way. "Hi," I said, trying my very hardest to adopt a cheerful attitude, smiling brightly. "I'm awfully sorry but we don't know who you're talking about here. Maybe you've got it all mixed-" I fell silent awkwardly.
The female vampire cocked her head and gave me a long, piercing look. It was very intimidating. "Cut the crap, smelly breather," she said in a bored tone. She looked around rudely, poking her head through the threshold into Gran's house. "I know he's in here somewhere..."
I thought of a few derogatory words I'd picked up from Jason. Bloodsucker, Nasty piece of white trash vampire goo, Fanger-face... I didn't quite know which one to choose from to make her back off from me and Gran.
I tried again, fighting to keep my stiff smile in place. "Like I said, I'm awfully sorry, but... there ain't no Eric Northman here."
"Hmmm," this lady vamp said, thoughtfully. She flashed me a menacing smile, as well as her fangs. "Now, I think you're full of shit."
I hoped the calm was still showing on my face, because inward, calm wasn't the word I would have described for the way I was feeling right now. Cornered. Frightened. Defensive. I got right up into her face, "Listen, you piece of garbage, I said we don't know anything about an Eric Northman, all right? And besides, even if we did... what would you do to him?" I hoped she'd only take that question as mere curiosity, rather than anything else.
Before I knew it, one of her manicured glintingly-red, fingernailed hands flew up to circle around my throat.
She squeezed, tight, and I gave out a throaty cough. It hurt like a mother!
Behind me, somewhere, Gran was giving out a low whimpering cry for Mr. Compton- funnily enough. Like she believed he would come here, like the Prince Charming she assumed he was, to save the day and haul this nasty vampire lady out backwards onto the porch on her hard ass.
She got all up in my face and, with a cold voice that terrified the daylights out of me, she said, "Tell me where he is or you're dead, little girl!"
Defiantly, I shook my head, no. Take that, you nasty cow!
Oh, Lord. Maybe that wasn't so smart after all.
In response, she let out a cool, heartless laugh, while her hand tightened around my throat, clogging up all my airways even more.
I choked and spluttered, lifting my hands and flailing them around at my neck in defense. Only, it was no good. My effort put into the struggle exhausted me minutely, darn it. My eyes were watering, as I held her deadened gaze, and I could feel the tears rolling down my cheeks.
Within a second, she lept on me, pulling me out onto the confines of Gran's porch and knocking my back flat into the wall. I shrieked, only it sounded more like I was a defenseless, pitiful strangled cat. "Now, human, I will ask you one last time," she warned, in a voice so icy. "Where is Eric Northman? Answer me now, or be prepared to meet your death!"
It was then I knew I was a complete goner. My eyes flitted closed, and I felt myself starting to slip away into the great white light of heaven.
Goodbye Gran. Goodbye Jason.
But then, something happened...
"Pamela, release her," his voice commanded, in a tone so threatening and hostile, it gave me the deep chills. Only, her hand didn't relax. "Pamela, release her. Now."
My eyes flickered open, without really wanting to.
It was harder to see than I'd expected, thanks to my vision being blurry with the tears, and all. But then, my eyes sought him out, standing right behind her. Never had I felt so thankful to see him than I had now.
The vamp's hand relaxed, slowly, until it was her turn to give out a big old whimper. Her eyes widened fearfully, and a second later did I realize, his large hands were curled around her neck in an iron hold. He was ready to rip her head off.
"You disappoint me," he spat out, through the fangs. "You were aware how significant a task this is for me." A thin film of saliva flew out of his mouth, illustrating just how disappointed he really was.
Really, I wanted to watch what was going on between the pair, but my body had other plans in mind. My legs gave out all of a sudden and, there I was, falling hard onto my ass, and giving my butt a nice big bruise in the process.
I coughed, though trying to keep quiet enough not to miss out on the action.
I couldn't hear as well as I'd liked, though. My ears were ringing, buzzing away, so I couldn't make out much of what they were saying. All I knew was that this Eric Northman was yelling at this nasty lady in pure rage. His hands were still closed around her neck,and he was shaking her, like she was nothing more to him than a ragdoll.
Even though she just tried to kill me by cutting off my oxygen supply minutes ago, I still had enough heart in me to feel mightily sorry for her. Her face and hair was matted in sticky, dried blood, and just as suddenly, her impassive face had broken out into anger right back at him.
Suddenly, he was no longer holding her by the neck in a griphold, and she was spinning around to face him.
She looked in a fit of pure helplessness, and her hand flew up to connect with the side of his mouth, loudly.
This Eric Northman looked stunned for all of a second, before he growled, gripping her by the lower part of her legs and flinging her over his shoulder, just like a caveman carrying his hunted, dead prey back in the day. My eyes widened fearfully. I got to thinking maybe he was going to kill her, which I would not stand for.
Sure, she tried to choke me. No biggie. Gran raised me as a child to forgive and forget, no matter what the deed was.
Until I saw her face, that is.
Her face came up around his shoulder, and I realized she was beaming with joy.
His hand came up to slap her on her backside, and she gave out a gleeful laugh, squirming. "Master," she protested, through a fit of laughter. "Set me down before I throw up blood all over you!"
It turned out that was something he did not want to have to face- this vamp lady being sick all over him - because he set her right down onto the heels of her boots in one swift motion, and she staggered forward slightly in the next.
In another swift motion, he was making a peculiar bowing gesture, while pressing that fanged mouth of his against her forehead, just right underneath where her hairline met her scalp. It was just like they were the closest of friends and that their reunion was one to be celebrated.
Their tender moment only lasted a second and even through the blurriness, I could tell she was quite embarrassed by having him kiss her in such a way- flustered, even- before recovering visibly into her former stony stare.
It was too much. Everything was too damn much for one day.
I felt the blood rushing up to my head and I felt I was coming dangerously close to fainting. I heard my heart pummeling in my ears. Throughout the pulsing blood surging straight to my head, I saw him cradle her bloodied face delicately between his hands.
"What is this?" he was whispering, sounding so surprised.
Her hands moved up to knock his away, and she sniffed loudly. "It has been many years. Forgive me if I'm feeling overly-sentimental," she spat out nonchalantly, in defense for herself.
Then, she turned to peer down at me speculatively. I stared back up at her mutely, trying to grasp hold of my feelings. She burst out laughing chillingly. It seemed to echo through the air, retreating into the darkness of the night.
"God, Eric," she was saying, giving out a little grunt in unconcealed disgust, while her eyes ran down my body in distaste. "All this time away... and you've been here all along, with this tiny, weak excuse for a Fae?"
He looked down at me, too, joining in on her mute contemplating. "All the more reason," he muttered underneath his breath, though I couldn't understand a word of what he was saying. I couldn't seem to grasp any meaning into any of their conversations tonight.
I turned and held his gaze. The look on his stoic face, was unreadable.
"She's so fresh and spicy," this lady vampire continued. She sounded somewhat delighted. "She certainly smells it but she does not look it." She paused for half a minute, pursing her lips, like she was considering hard about something. But, her eyes never left my own. "Of course, she is the only one left of her kind. And that makes her all the more... delicious."
"Pamela," Eric Northman hissed in warning. He gave her an odd, parental stare.
Without warning, she dropped down to crouch in front of me. Her leather boots made little squeaking noises with the sudden impact of her movement. "Oh, Eric, you have become such a drag," she drawled through laughter, scrutinizing me coldly.
She raised a tightly balled hand level to my face, and drew back her arm. I whimpered and recoiled, without really wanting to. Last thing I needed was for her to assume I was nothing more than a weakling. Which I was not, thank you very much.
I was almost ready, surrending willingly for the pain of her blow to come. Only, it didn't.
"Pamela," he repeated again, quietly in warning. "Quit taunting. Now's not the time."
She gave out a low, bored sigh, straightening up fully into her standing position. She was away from me, thank goodness. Nasty vampire lady!
Then, she eyed him expectantly. "Shall we?"
"I'm afraid I cannot."
"What?" she barked out in disbelief. Her fangs retracted, and she pouted. "Fangtasia is not the same without you- even after all these years!"
"If I leave now, Pam, it would mean everything will remain incomplete," he was muttering to her vastly, like it was obvious. Like it should have been as clear as crystal to her. "I have to finish what has begun. The cards are already in motion."
Everything was starting to get a little fuzzy, but somehow I managed to stay conscious for the half part.
This Eric was crouching in front of me, taking the ladies place from earlier.
Thankfully, there was nothing threatening about the way he held himself, so I did not feel the need to recoil and shrink away, like a rabbit. And, besides, in a way I felt I knew him. While he didn't come across as pitiful, like he had the other times before, I just felt thankful. Thankful that he'd arrived in time. Thankful that I wasn't dead at the mercy of this ladies hands.
His fingers, so long and sinewy, touched a lock of my hair. Exactly like the way Gran used to when I was a young girl, comforting me and running her fingers through the strands of my hair whenever I awoke frightened from nightmares. Nightmares had been a common occassion back then, especially after my parent's died.
Without really knowing why, I leaned into his touch and his large hand rose to gently scrape down across my cheek; Just as I expected, his hand was cold to the touch, his fingertips calloused and rough. I didn't know why but I felt the most amazing sense of warmth at his touch. Like everything in the world was right as rain and safe, again. He gave out what sounded a wistful long sigh, then slowly turned back to meet the blood-streaked face of the lady vamp.
"He has arrived and my tiny human is in more danger than ever before. As well, as her cherished ones."
"He contacted me, you know," the vampire threw at him off-handedly, almost as if an afterthought. "He saw the notification in the newspaper that you were missing. He reported to me that you were, in fact, here in Bon Temps." She laughed. "I refused to give him the reward, though. So he threatened to hack my head off with a silver blade and steak me a thousand times over."
Eric Northman shared a laugh with her, though it seemed pitifully forced and short.
"Cheeky main-streamin' fucker," she added, with something that, oddly enough, resembled profound fondness flickering in her eyes.
He levelled his gaze onto her. "He did?" he sighed out, looking a little taken aback. "Well, I can hardly say that I am surprised. It is so... typical of him."
What in the Lord's name is going on?