Loose Ends
A/N: Well again is seems like it has taken a Very long time to get this one out without it feeling rushed. If it does apologies in advance. i do hope you read, review, and enjoy!
When I'd found her, she was completely unresponsive lying on the cool stone floor of the mausoleum close to the hidden Warrens Entrance. Only knew that secret because Isaac needed one person to be the messenger between himself and Their leader. That was one of my other jobs. Gary wasn't really fond of the baron of Hollywood, but tolerated his ghoul. I've wondered if it wasn't because of the two clan's blood. Scooping up the limp body of the Malk-girl, I took her back to the shack like Isaac had instructed. Her eyes had been wide open, but unfocused as she seemed to be in a coma. I only managed to here one phrase muttered from her faint burgundy lips.
"He gave all of us the blood..."
Once she came to I would ask her about it. Though it wasn't too likely I'd get a straight answer. I frown, gazing at her with a mix of pity and sadness.
"It's a pity such a gentle looking face like yours got wrapped up with a Madman."
The words caused me to wake, the Grave Guard's cool voice pulling me from the oblivion. I had been tangled in the Web unable to break free. But static and radio frequencies surrounded me and the Web; almost like I had been inside the radio with the other voices, my eyes only being able to visualize what the patterns I heard meant as they floated by, either fast or slow, big or small. Sometimes words; streams of sentences passing by. Other times images; pictures and movies playing out before me. So much knowledge and the coppery taste still clung to the back of my throat.
"Why are you sad with what had happened to us. We may have never met you if not for this condition...?"
I hadn't realized I spoke, but my eyes blinked up and focused on Romero's emerald eyes. They almost glowed like gems. Something was wrong, I could feel it somewhere, but I had no outward control. It was almost like watching a the back of my head I could almost make out the edges of a mirror. Before I could fully focus that thought Romero began to speak.
"Well finding you completely comatose in a graveyard, isn't exactly what I would say a happy sight for someone who cares about your corpse", his mouth turned up in humor; my body laughed too; I could agree it was a good one, however offensive to my current state. The coppery taste was intensifying, making me unable to focus on the Grave Guard's words, and more on the pulse at the base of his throat. It was thrumming a bit quicker than normal, he was a bit on edge. Was that what's wrong? Could he tell I was thirsting? My body stifled a giggle. Almost as if it was hearing my thought pattern. Of coarse I am, you're part of us. We are one. You and Me, remember?
Mirror-Me? But she cant take control. Frenzying is when you lose control, did I lose control? Am I at a hunger for the red nectar? Romero's pulse kept getting louder to my ears. I could feel my body suppress a laugh, as the edges of my vision began to bleed red. Romero was no longer speaking, he seemed lost in his own head as my body wrapped around his, my fangs piercing his throat. The red ceased, but my body was still not my own. The sweet taste of his vitae eventually washed down the copper tang. But my body wasn't trying to stop. Romero's hand on the back of my head made my body sigh, before my mouth slowly pulled away.
"What's gotten into you Doll?", his voice was hoarse, and I could see the lust in his eyes. My body was responding; especially with the blood slowly spilling past his collarbone. I could feel the carnal need trying to break whatever control Mirror-Me was having on my body. I again was moving without my own permission; straddling Romero I began to slowly lap up the blood that was almost past his shirt collar. A slightly irritated noise came from my throat before Mirror-Me's voice came from my lips again.
"How is it you know that she is not me?", I felt the pout tug at my lips with her words. The Grave Guard smirked, his eyes gleaming almost supernaturally.
"You got the grace of a predator. Amelia is more naughty instead of graceful. And more open to read; almost naive. I'm not just a quick draw there, Doll."
"Quite the observer, Ghoul. It's a pity she has a hold over you now from the blood bond", a giggle escaped my lips uncontrollably, "That only means your my play thing. Dancing with you keeps the Humanity alive. Losing touch with those carnal needs means succumbing to the Beasts cravings. We are part of the Beast; one that's the curse of the Clan's blood. Fragments of a whole. After all she thinks she's herself and I'm me, when in fact I am who she's supposed to be eventually, if she would only give in..."
A shiver ran through me at Mirror-Me's words. It held truth with the grave guard making me feel alive again. He seemed like a good one to place your money on. And I used to have issues gambling B.D. Before Death. The rest caused my brain to ache. And the feeling that I wasn't alone in my own skin. Down to my blood felt like another's presence was there. Pulling my strings, giving Mirror-Me the opportunity to use my body as her plaything. I began to not trust her as I started to hear a faint whisper in the back of my head. It was one I had become accustom to my last few weeks of life, the voice crept into my mind every time as Arron would leave me curled up and crying in the bedroom of my old apartment.
A woman's face flickered into my view through the blackness of the oblivion, her malicious silver gaze piercing through my own as she balanced on a strand of the web not far from the one my booted feet stood upon. Her face strangely resembled my own, but her eyes were a brilliant silver and very alive unlike Mirror-Me's black oblivion filled sockets. The girl wore a white summer dress that barely brushed her mid thighs and military boots that came up to her knees. Her dark mane, was loose and untamed, seeming to blow in a wind I could neither feel nor hear.
"Future Sister", she snapped referring to me, in a singsong voice as her eyes narrowed in anger, "Wasn't it suspicious before that she was so eager to help you?"
"Well-"
"Shut up! First you try to ignore me now you give in to the blood", the other girl shouted her silver eyes brightening as my mouth snapped shut with an audible click, "You can dance closer to the Mirror than most, that is why you hold Master's attention. The blood is what gives her power, she flows from him into us, corrupting and begging to do as he commands. Bending our wills to fit what he wants. I warned you to reject the blood when you were mortal; that death would be better... Too late now, looks like you're the one he's been looking for. One oh so willing to accept this curse..."
Blinking rapidly my ears were ringing, pain was screaming through my thigh and what came into view was the very close barrel of a shotgun being leveled at my head. The tip was slowly rolling smoke as Romero's green orbs rested on mine warily. Apparently they saw something they had been looking for and began to lower the gun an inch at a time.
"You back with us, Lost Girl?"
"You shot me?", I couldn't quite believe it as my eyes flickered from the slowly healing hole in my leg to his gaze. Timidly I looked away, my eyes roaming around the room behind the Grave Guard, "What deed must I have done to invoke the punishment of the Grave Guard's boomstick?"
"You started talking nonsense, then freaked out over the conversation that was apparently happening in your head and tried to attack me. If maiming you wouldn't have brought you back out of it I would've had to save my own skin."
His words stung, but I had forgotten Romero's ghoulish strength was still no match for my Vampiric advantage, I nodded meagerly, understanding his reasoning, but still hurt that he would injure me so easily. I pulled myself to my feet, the hole in my leg now the size of a pencil as I dug through my bag pulling out the clean white sweater and shorts. Stripping from my blood stained cop suite I pulled on the soft knitted sweater and stepped into the black leather hot pants. Retying my combat boots I tugged my hair loose and slipped the finger-less gloves onto my hands.
"I must go...", I murmured turning on my heels and tossing my bag over my shoulders. Before I could even take a step, I heard Romero set down the gun and tugged my slimmer frame against his solid one, "I have things that need to be done so I can finally be free."
My back to his chest, I felt a hard sigh, "Look girl, you're welcome here. I don't want you to think I would just put you down like the zombies for one of my jobs from Isaac. But I know when I am outmatched, and you wanted to kill me. I get you're upset but don't go get yourself killed. And come visit again, we can kill zombies or something.."
Romero's words immediately brought a smile to my lips, I loved his crude humor. I nodded my head, as I pulled out of his embrace and opened side door to the cabin.
Stepping out into the night, I felt the hunger slowly begin to creep in as I made my way to the top entrance of the cemetery and through the hole in the back portion of the wall. Instead of going to look for a hooker, I remembered the job V.V. had wanted in exchange for being able to dance for the paper faces.
Entering the back of the Sin Bin led into the basement, where one pretty blonde girl was dancing in a Peep Show. And another giving 'favors' in the side room. Making quick work of the money in the ATM, I ran each of the customers out. The last I had to break into the office to manually shut down his window.
Finally once all the onlookers were gone, I opened the stage door to come face to face with my first vampire hunter. She lunged at me, sword in hand, managing to take a nice chunk from my bare shoulder. Hissing in pain I grabbed her by her head and buried my fangs into her throat. Her blood healing my wounds before they could bleed.
Wiping my mouth, as I rounded the corner of what I could only assume was the funeral home next to the Sin Bin, an almost familiar voice called out as someone grabbed my shoulder.
"Amy?!", the girls bright golden brown eyes were almost relieved as the met my gaze, her tanned skin flushing with the exertion of spinning me on my heels as her eyes stared, scrutinizing my features, "Amy, that's really you, I-we've been so worried! Oh god, when you ran off from Kyle at the Asylum, I knew something was up with that guy that brought you back home."
"You must have mistaken my face for another's, please pardon this one", I spoke the words in a calm indifferent tone. I went to excuse myself but her hand on my shoulder kept me in place. I stared hard, but only pieces of the night I had met Aaron came to me. I Remembered a fight with friends led me to a bar and the company of Jack. He introduced me to Aaron, and I let him walk me back to the hotel room I had shared with a few friends. But the next thing is a few weeks later, the night I died. Apparently what ever happened with Aaron affected the mortal lives around me as well before my Embrace.
"Amy, it's me, Samantha!", she put a lot of emphasis on the words, "Did you get mixed up in drugs or something? What did he do to you? Do you have amnesia? Hold on, let me make a call! We can get everybody together and figure this out, okay?"
She turned, and before I knew it was hurrying down the sidewalk towards a pay phone. Stop. Her.
Before I could register the words, my body moved. Hand pressed over her mouth, I dragged Samantha into the alley behind the strip club. I locked my mismatched gaze with hers, causing her eyes to widen in confusion.
"You may have known who I used to be", I stated keeping her gaze locked with mine, "But that person is dead. I will leave you alive, but tell anyone of this night and my face, I will hunt you down and rip your pretty golden eyes from their sockets."
Stepping back from Samantha, the colors drained from her tanned skin. She just nodded once, fear keeping her mouth shut.
"Good, if we happen to meet again the name is Amelia, not Amy. Mourn the dead, don't burden them with your hopes they still breath."
And with that I was gone, turning on my heels I strode out of the mouth of the alley, slipping into the Vesuvius unnoticed.
