Part 2
Mary-Lynnette was bored. She'd been bright and cheerful this morning. She had been expecting...well...he'd left one year ago, and promised to come back. She had wanted to wake up this morning and find him there, waiting for her. He would grab her and kiss her...and they would...soulmate sparks would ignite...and they would just do IT on the kitchen table.
^Yeah, fantasy one of ten^ she thought. ^You daydream all the time about what he looks like naked, but you can't even say his name.^
Her fantasy hadn't happened. She'd come into town, maybe buy something to cheer herself up. Town was deserted. Mainly because of the rash of murders. Dead bodies seemed to be turning up everywhere.
Jeremy's trailer down at Mad Dog creek was still there, though deserted now. No one went near it. Even Todd Akers and Vic Kimble didn't go down there anymore. Everyone said that Mad Dog Creek was cursed. She kept quiet about it. She never talked about him anymore.
People said this new murder rampage was Jeremy's ghost come back. Which was just plain bullshit, of course. The murders were being down by a real life person. Who, remained a mystery.
As Mary-Lynette walked into the Briar Creek General store she noticed Bunny Marten asleep at her post. She smiled a little as she browed aimlessly. She heard the bell over the door jangle and a new girl came in, looking unsure, and almost nervous.
She was as tall as Rowan, and even prettier. Her raven hair hung to her shoulders, her build was very slender. Her eyes were a vivid garnet.
"Hi, are you new in town?"
The girl turned quickly. It was unusual to Mary-Lynnette that someone so pretty should be so nervous. Pretty girls always seemed the most confident. Then she noticed the black iris on the pendant at the girl's throat. She was a Night Person.
"Um, yeah." The girl smiled shyly. " I'm Midian Galena."
^What an odd name^ Mary-Lynnette thought. "Mary-Lynnette Carter. Are you looking for anything in particular?" Meeting someone new could help take her mind of current - issues.
"No, I was just looking," Midian said. "I don't really know anywhere to hang out or anything."
Mary-Lynnette chuckled dryly. "Well, Briar Creek isn't exactly the most happening small town in the area. We're small, but everyone's nice." ^Most people^, she thought, but didn't say anything.
"Actually, that's pretty good. I like the quiet," Midian said, brightening a little. "Do you...um...go to school here?"
"I just graduated actually," she admitted. "I'll e going to college in September. You'll be a senior."
Midian nodded.
"My brother will be a senior. And our friend Jade. I can take you meet them now, if you like."
Midian brightened even more. "Okay." She glanced around, then at Bunny sleeping by the cash register. "Um...should she be asleep?" Mary-Lynnette frowned. Everyone knew Bunny was a daydreamer. She didn't usually drift off. Bunny had been showing Mary-Lynnette all the college offers she'd had that morning. She wasn't sure she wanted to be alone in a big city where she didn't know anyone.
"Bunny?" she asked, pausing on the way out. Bunny didn't move. A few flies were starting to buzz around. Mary-Lynnette frowned and gently shook Bunny's shoulder.
"Something...something's wrong," Midian whispered.
Mary-Lynnette glanced over at her, and bit her lip on a smart remark. Fear sparked deep inside.
"Bunny! Get up Bunny!"
Bunny refused to move. Mary-Lynnette grabbed her hair and yanked Bunny's head back. And started to scream.
* * *
Midian stared at the face of the dead shop girl, the doll-like blue eyes staring blankly back at her. The throat had been slashed, but the deathly pallor of the white skin old her beyond doubt that it was a vampire kill.
Before long the police cars had arrived. Midian didn't like the idea of being known to the human authorities, who were very suspicious of her. Well, she thought as she stood outside the General Store. They would be, wouldn't they? She was new in town, and dead people had started turning up when she'd arrived.
She shivered. Even in the blazing heat. Mary-Lynnette was still talking to the town sheriff, a large man with a gruff Texas accent, and squinting black eyes.
"So you didn't notice anything unusual when you went in?"
Mary-Lynnette was starting to get annoyed. "How many times do I have to tell you? No. I came in to look around for something to do. I thought Bunny had just nodded off. I thought I'd wake her before I left and she didn't move."
The sheriff glanced over at Midian. "And your friend there?"
"Came in two minutes after I did."
Midian frowned. She hadn't dome anything. She was positive of it. Was it a crime to change town? Not as far as she knew. Finally they were allowed to leave.
Midian wasn't sure she was in the mood for meeting new people now. Once or twice, she was sure she'd seen Mary-Lynnette looking at the black iris on her necklace. She knew without question the girl was human. Maybe she was human.
"I know," Mary-Lynnette said simply. "My friends Rowan, Jade and Kestrel are Redferns."
"Humans aren't supposed to know," Midian aid, relaxing a little.
"It - " Mary-Lynnette sighed. "It's along story." She clearly didn't feel like telling it right now, so Midian didn't press the issue.
They got in Mary-Lynnette's new car and drove a few miles to a large farm house that looked ancient and falling apart. Midian remained silent as Mary-Lynnette led her to the front door, which was open.
"Anyone home...?"
"Where *have* you been?" A small girl with a mane of silvery hair came bounding into the hallway. "We've been looking everywhere. Rowan has the *best* surprise."
Mary-Lynnette didn't look like she was too keen on any more surprises. But the smaller girl had come and was pulling someone else forward. "Come *on*," the girl was saying impatiently.
Mary-Lynnette looked over at Midian, shrugging helplessly. Another figure was coming out with the girl. A tall boy, elegant and lanky at the same time with blond hair and eyes that changed colour. A mischievous smile was pulling at the corner of his lips.
Midian had to control her mouth from dropping open.
*Ash.*
* * *
Mary-Lynnette was bored. She'd been bright and cheerful this morning. She had been expecting...well...he'd left one year ago, and promised to come back. She had wanted to wake up this morning and find him there, waiting for her. He would grab her and kiss her...and they would...soulmate sparks would ignite...and they would just do IT on the kitchen table.
^Yeah, fantasy one of ten^ she thought. ^You daydream all the time about what he looks like naked, but you can't even say his name.^
Her fantasy hadn't happened. She'd come into town, maybe buy something to cheer herself up. Town was deserted. Mainly because of the rash of murders. Dead bodies seemed to be turning up everywhere.
Jeremy's trailer down at Mad Dog creek was still there, though deserted now. No one went near it. Even Todd Akers and Vic Kimble didn't go down there anymore. Everyone said that Mad Dog Creek was cursed. She kept quiet about it. She never talked about him anymore.
People said this new murder rampage was Jeremy's ghost come back. Which was just plain bullshit, of course. The murders were being down by a real life person. Who, remained a mystery.
As Mary-Lynette walked into the Briar Creek General store she noticed Bunny Marten asleep at her post. She smiled a little as she browed aimlessly. She heard the bell over the door jangle and a new girl came in, looking unsure, and almost nervous.
She was as tall as Rowan, and even prettier. Her raven hair hung to her shoulders, her build was very slender. Her eyes were a vivid garnet.
"Hi, are you new in town?"
The girl turned quickly. It was unusual to Mary-Lynnette that someone so pretty should be so nervous. Pretty girls always seemed the most confident. Then she noticed the black iris on the pendant at the girl's throat. She was a Night Person.
"Um, yeah." The girl smiled shyly. " I'm Midian Galena."
^What an odd name^ Mary-Lynnette thought. "Mary-Lynnette Carter. Are you looking for anything in particular?" Meeting someone new could help take her mind of current - issues.
"No, I was just looking," Midian said. "I don't really know anywhere to hang out or anything."
Mary-Lynnette chuckled dryly. "Well, Briar Creek isn't exactly the most happening small town in the area. We're small, but everyone's nice." ^Most people^, she thought, but didn't say anything.
"Actually, that's pretty good. I like the quiet," Midian said, brightening a little. "Do you...um...go to school here?"
"I just graduated actually," she admitted. "I'll e going to college in September. You'll be a senior."
Midian nodded.
"My brother will be a senior. And our friend Jade. I can take you meet them now, if you like."
Midian brightened even more. "Okay." She glanced around, then at Bunny sleeping by the cash register. "Um...should she be asleep?" Mary-Lynnette frowned. Everyone knew Bunny was a daydreamer. She didn't usually drift off. Bunny had been showing Mary-Lynnette all the college offers she'd had that morning. She wasn't sure she wanted to be alone in a big city where she didn't know anyone.
"Bunny?" she asked, pausing on the way out. Bunny didn't move. A few flies were starting to buzz around. Mary-Lynnette frowned and gently shook Bunny's shoulder.
"Something...something's wrong," Midian whispered.
Mary-Lynnette glanced over at her, and bit her lip on a smart remark. Fear sparked deep inside.
"Bunny! Get up Bunny!"
Bunny refused to move. Mary-Lynnette grabbed her hair and yanked Bunny's head back. And started to scream.
* * *
Midian stared at the face of the dead shop girl, the doll-like blue eyes staring blankly back at her. The throat had been slashed, but the deathly pallor of the white skin old her beyond doubt that it was a vampire kill.
Before long the police cars had arrived. Midian didn't like the idea of being known to the human authorities, who were very suspicious of her. Well, she thought as she stood outside the General Store. They would be, wouldn't they? She was new in town, and dead people had started turning up when she'd arrived.
She shivered. Even in the blazing heat. Mary-Lynnette was still talking to the town sheriff, a large man with a gruff Texas accent, and squinting black eyes.
"So you didn't notice anything unusual when you went in?"
Mary-Lynnette was starting to get annoyed. "How many times do I have to tell you? No. I came in to look around for something to do. I thought Bunny had just nodded off. I thought I'd wake her before I left and she didn't move."
The sheriff glanced over at Midian. "And your friend there?"
"Came in two minutes after I did."
Midian frowned. She hadn't dome anything. She was positive of it. Was it a crime to change town? Not as far as she knew. Finally they were allowed to leave.
Midian wasn't sure she was in the mood for meeting new people now. Once or twice, she was sure she'd seen Mary-Lynnette looking at the black iris on her necklace. She knew without question the girl was human. Maybe she was human.
"I know," Mary-Lynnette said simply. "My friends Rowan, Jade and Kestrel are Redferns."
"Humans aren't supposed to know," Midian aid, relaxing a little.
"It - " Mary-Lynnette sighed. "It's along story." She clearly didn't feel like telling it right now, so Midian didn't press the issue.
They got in Mary-Lynnette's new car and drove a few miles to a large farm house that looked ancient and falling apart. Midian remained silent as Mary-Lynnette led her to the front door, which was open.
"Anyone home...?"
"Where *have* you been?" A small girl with a mane of silvery hair came bounding into the hallway. "We've been looking everywhere. Rowan has the *best* surprise."
Mary-Lynnette didn't look like she was too keen on any more surprises. But the smaller girl had come and was pulling someone else forward. "Come *on*," the girl was saying impatiently.
Mary-Lynnette looked over at Midian, shrugging helplessly. Another figure was coming out with the girl. A tall boy, elegant and lanky at the same time with blond hair and eyes that changed colour. A mischievous smile was pulling at the corner of his lips.
Midian had to control her mouth from dropping open.
*Ash.*
* * *