Chapter 14 – Of Ghouls and Blood Dolls

September 28, 2004 = Tuesday

I decided to head for home with what time I had left tonight. I didn't need to get caught by a rising sun, and the night was mostly spent anyway. The cab ride was swift, and it dropped me off at the end of the alley. The card Walsh had given me was accepted without question, so that was a relief. I looked around the alley, not seeing any of the girls that haunted the area. I wasn't really hungry, but it was nice to know that breakfast wasn't far away.

I headed upstairs, only to hear something pound a wall. It wasn't until it happened again that I realized it was coming from my apartment. I ran to the door, and was just turning the knob when I heard a woman shriek, "Where is it?!"

I opened the door to find a tall dark haired woman holding a gun on Brian. She never even noticed me, which made it easier to grab her wrist by the pressure point, then twist her arm back. She looked back at me, mouth twisted in a snarl, then I squeezed her pressure point harder, and made her fall to her knees.

"Ow, you dumb bitch!" she yelled at me. I didn't really care, but I did take the gun from her, tossing it to Brian. I kept her on her knees, and looked her over. She was short, thin, naturally gorgeous, and the dark hair was real. Her makeup was light, and only used to accentuate her natural beauty. She was dressed in a leather mini, with a light flouncy top. The only thing I noticed that was odd was that she had a little glitter in her cleavage, which was almost completely hidden in her top.

And the only reason she'd have glitter in her cleavage was that she was a stripper like Sharron.

"How did you find out," I asked her, making her lock eyes with me. She did, and she began shivering.

"Amber said that she'd only ever gets her stuff from Brian, so I wanted to know what he had given her that made her so good," she said, her lip trembled a little, making it sound like she was crying. "But he said he didn't have it."

"He doesn't," I told her, and her face fell. "I do."

"Please, that bitch doesn't deserve it," she began to plead, and I turned away to look at Brian. He was just getting up, but he didn't look badly hurt. Just a few bruises.

"Amber is Sharron's stage name. This here's Angel, Four-Play's best girl," Brian explained for me.

"Please, that tramp can't upstage me!" she said, and I began to wonder what she talking about. "All night long, all my best customers would take one look at her, and her obvious boob job, and walk right by me. How does she do it?"

I began to think about that, then the answer seemed so obvious I actually chuckled. I could do it, I didn't know my ghouls could. Must be something I would have learned had I actually been properly schooled. Well, I had been wanting more income. I began to think how to best describe it without giving away the secret.

"I got a product, something I been working on," I lied. "It's a pheromone enhancer, that's how she gets your customers. Quick boost of confidence, and she's suddenly the hot topic of the scene."

"How much?" she said, regaining some sense of composure. I smiled, business I could do. As long as we were doing business, I let go of her arm and she rubbed the sore spot on her wrist.

"Three grand per hit. Once it builds up in your system, should last a month between doses."

"Three grand?

"Cash only," I said, as I went to stand by Brian, glad he wasn't in worse shape.

"I can have it as soon as the bank opens in the morning."

My eyebrows went up at that. Three grand that fast? I would be in my own place in no time at this rate.

"Deal, come back and see Brian then, he'll have your dose. Maybe if you're nice when you do it, he'll give you your gun back," I said, as she got up. She really was short, I noticed as she stood no higher than me in six inch heels, but she had no fat anywhere on her. Her arms and legs were highly toned, and it was obvious she kept herself in excellent shape.

"And Angel, if anyone asks, you don't tell them about this new drug. I don't have a lot of stock to give to every dancer that comes along. If I find out you're telling people about it, I will cut you off and send someone to shut you up. Understood?"

"Yes," she said, then turned and left. I so needed more income, but I was really starting to feel like a juice box. Angel would make the fourth ghoul, and I decided that if I did get more ghouls they better not be dancers. It wouldn't do to have them all fighting over the same customers.

"Thanks, mistress," Brian said, going to sit on his bed. He laid the pistol beside him, and began rubbing at a sore spot on the side of his head. "That girl went crazy when I said I couldn't help her."

I went over to the desk, checking my stock. I was going to need more blood draw kits, as I had just the one left, and I didn't know when any of my ghouls would need their next hit. It was also puzzling that Sharron had developed my Presence capability, I really needed to talk with Mercurio again. I eyed my last draw kit, then decided I'd have to go get more. I only needed one more for Sharron, Brian drank straight from me. Poe would do that too, as I'd have to keep an eye on her since she'd be closer to me than most other ghouls I had. Angel would need at least two, and I really needed a spare in case I got the opportunity to make another ghoul. Just had to find one.

"Brian, I'm headed down to the clinic. I'll be back soon," I said, as I grabbed my bag from beside the desk. I really needed to find a medical outlet to get these from, or start making all my ghouls drink from the source. Might work, but I needed more info to make that call.

Brian only grunted as I left the small apartment, and once outside headed back to to the end of the alley. My eyes caught the sight of the lone red headed girl standing there, as she eyed the distant traffic. She didn't notice me until I was halfway across the road. "Hey baby, looking for a date?" she asked.

I nodded, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, and we headed back into the alley. We no more than turned the corner before I slipped in behind her, wrapping both arms around her. She chuckled, not realizing what was about to happen, and I pulled her hair to the side with an arm. "Pay up, baby," she said, but I bit her bare neck before she could do or say more. Her blood was like pure honey, sweet and thick, and I drank her deep. After feeding, I licked her wounds clean, and set her down on the ground. I then frisked her body, taking several bills from her bra.

She wasn't the usual detritus I saw on my corner, and I looked her over again. Tight dark colored jeans, and wine colored halter top? If I had to guess, I would guess she was a young runaway. She was dressed in clothes not entirely suited for getting them off easily, and her Mary Janes with the baby heel were black and shiny, not the scuffed up mess I'd expect of a drug addict. No, this girl took care of herself. Her red hair was neat, freshly brushed, and pulled back in a neat ponytail and had not one split end.

I decided to leave her anyway, not that I didn't care about her, but what am I supposed to do? Stuff her in my bag? I walked through the back alleys to the clinic, taking the back door that led to the blood clinic. Inside, I headed straight for the supply room, glad that the early hours meant that most people were either tied up with patients or sitting at a desk trying not to nod off. I pulled four more kits and six more tubes out of a drawer, stuffing it all in my bag.

I left by the front entrance, not even getting a look from anyone, and headed back to my apartment. Miss runaway was standing hunched over, eyeing all traffic as it came and went. She eyed me, then kept going back to scanning everyone else.

"Hey, did you see anyone come into the alley after we finished?" she asked when I got close.

"No, it was just me and you," I told her. I didn't want to stop, not wanting to get into a fist fight which I'd obviously win, but traffic made me. She just shook her head, and kept leaning against the light post.

"Someone took all the money I had saved. I was hoping to buy a ticket out of here."

"Home life not that great huh," I responded, still not looking at her.

"Yeah, well," she said as she leaned against the light post to eye the sidewalk for another mark, "Anything is better than here,'

The traffic stopped, and instead of crossing the street, I paused. "Anything? Like feeling the ecstasy again that I left you in?"

I didn't look at her, but I could feel her staring at me. "I don't even remember what we did. I thought the attack had gave me amnesia."

"More like I left you so out of it that your attacker lifted your money while you were slack jawed on the ground."

"What's your name," she asked me, though I didn't look back.

"Eliza. Yours?"

"Constance," she said.

"What do I have to do," she said, coming over to stand with me. I looked at her, smiled and said "Follow me." I crossed the traffic and led her through the door to my apartment. Inside, Brian lay on his bed with his eyes covered, and I led my new 'friend' inside. I turned around to see the girl look the place over with disdain, her eyes settling on Brian. She shied away from him, but didn't run.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked, her eyes on Brian.

"Simple," I told her. "I want you to be here when I wake up tonight."

"Um, for?" she prompted.

"Your blood is actually rather sweet and I'd like to keep it on hand, even if that means keeping you on hand."

"My blood?" She asked, her eyes going back to Brian. "Why?"

"I'm a vampire. Not the Bram Stroker kind, or even Interview kind. Hollywood hasn't actually quite nailed it yet. But we do need blood."

"So you want to drink my blood?"

"Already have. That's what left you feeling so good inside that I took this from you without you realizing it," I said, holding up her money.

"Oh," she said, rubbing her neck. "So, you feed on me when you wake up. Then what?"

"One thing Hollywood has partly right, is that there are some of us that don't have reflections, like me. I can't see myself if I look in a mirror. I want your other duties to include doing my makeup and hair."

She paused, looking at her Mary Janes as she decided. She looked around the squalor that was my apartment, then shivered. "Are you going to be here long? It's just a bit tight."

"No, I'm wanting to move into a house soon. If you were older, I'd have you file the appropriate paperwork and buy one for me. But since your still young enough to be in school during the day, I'll find someone else to buy one for me."

"Why not buy one yourself?"

I shook my head, looking down as I thought about what had happened to me. "I'm legally dead. I didn't just die in private, and get to walk around like I'm still alive. The coroner autopsied a body he identified as me, and they buried me. My best friend, Samantha gave the eulogy at my funeral, or so I'm told. My public life is over."

"Wait, I thought you looked familiar. You're Eliza Flores, right? The girl that was stabbed and left in a barrel full of water. The only reason they knew it was you was your wallet was nearby. I heard they ripped out your eyes and tongue."

"Yes," I told her. "I'm Eliza Flores. But I wasn't stabbed. Simeon kidnapped me and let his men rape me for days. When I escaped, he hunted me down and made me a vampire. I'm here now because of vampire politics. Don't ask, even I don't understand it, but they love to make my life hell."

"You know Samantha doesn't think you're dead? I heard her on Channel seven. The body they found, she refuses to believe its you."

I shook my head. If Samantha were searching for me, she'd find me eventually, in all likelihood. "It's best if she doesn't. The rules we vampires live by means we stay secret, a secret we kill to protect. If she finds me, I might have to kill her. And I don't think I can do that."

"Oh," she said, as she seemed to hunch down, and think.

"I get my own room?"

"Sure, as long as you do as you're told. One quick rule for you. You never tell anyone I'm a vampire. You do, and I'll drain you completely. Understood?"

"Yes," she said, then eyed the small apartment. "Since I'm going to be so close, can I get my clothes and stuff from home?"

"Okay, but don't tell anyone where you're going. I'll send Brian with you to help you move it all. Provided he hasn't OD'd on pain pills by then.

"I'll be there, mistress," he said, slightly startling me and the girl.

"What's his deal, anyway? You need that much?"

"No, Brian is my bodyguard. He protects me while I sleep. Speaking of, you might also get sent with him to help pick out clothes for me to wear. For obvious reasons, I can't go shopping while the stores are open."

"Daylight restrictions, huh?" she said, as she took a seat on the counter, which groaned in protest from her light weight.

"I think I can stay awake," I told her, as I went to check on my email, "but it doesn't seem worth it in this tiny room with nowhere to go."

She looked around at the cramped space, nodding. "Where do you sleep?"

"In the shower. I thought about sleeping under the bed, but the shower seemed cleaner." She laughed at that, and I scrolled through the junk mail, looking for actual messages I needed to look at.

"So, where do I sleep?" she asked me.

"You can have the bed at night. How do you feel about school?"

"I hate ruining my four-point-oh GPA, so maybe I'll go back if that's alright? I kind of wanted to be a doctor one day."

"So did I," I said under my breath. I looked outside at the sunlight that was coming up. Daylight would soon be upon me, and it was time for me to get ready for bed. I went into the bathroom, laying out my makeshift bed, and started stripping my clothes off. The sun actually rose before I was ready so, I wadded everything up into a pile and wrapped myself in a towel. Stepping out, I put my dirty laundry in the bag by the desk for Brian to wash later.

"Brian, still up?" I asked, even as I yawned.

"Yes, mistress," he said, not moving an inch to get up or acknowledge me.

"If Constance runs, tie her up. If she starts to get away, kill her. Understood?"

"Yea, tie her up if she runs, kill her if I can't catch her. Anything else, mistress?

"I'm going to rig the blood draw kit before I go to bed. All you have to do is put the rubber end into the needle and it will fill. Make Angel take it here, with you watching. Alright?"

"Yes, mistress," he said. He must have one killer headache to still be hiding from the light.

I yawned again, as I was really feeling tired. Constance looked at me, for the first time probably figuring out how deep in the shit she was. "And if you haven't taken care of the shopping by the time she gets out of school, take her with you. And Connie, if you aren't there, we're going to assume your running. Understood?

"Yes, ma'am," she said, looking down.

Nodding more to myself that my orders would be carried out, I took a blood draw kit and went back into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I unwrapped the towel, then laid down on my makeshift bed and draped the towel over my body. It didn't take a moment to have the needle inserted into a vein, then I laid back. With a final yawn, I let myself drift into oblivion.