December 16, 2003. 5:32PM
Darius hung up the phone after Aspen called him and took a breath. There was a lot he'd found out in one night. And he looked like hell as a result of having stayed up all night to actually do the research. The internet had always seemed a viable option. So when he found a website that posted a survey on supernatural experiences, something about freedom or some such...he'd taken the survey and been invited to join their mailing list.
All these people…they're like me. They've seen monsters, and a lot of them sound like their experiences were like mine…maybe they can be help. But…some of them seem a little crazy…best to trust no one with this yet, but at least I can show Aspen.
Darius took a quick shower before he grabbed his letter jacket and pulled it on as he stepped outside and walked down the sidewalk toward his car at the curb. It was cold out, the wind ripping right through the protection of his jacket to make his teeth chatter. It was almost like a gyp like this though, no snow to play in, yet freezing temperature. In a childish way it pissed him off.
Inside his car wasn't much better, and he cranked up the heat for the drive toward the address Aspen had given him. She lived in a nice house, either she did well for herself or someone really took care of her. It was a one story house, but spacious and the outside looked well kept up. Darius smiled a little bit as he stepped out of the car. Just before walking in, he retrieved a small zippered bag from the glove compartment and slipped it into his jacket pocket. The one thing that made a lot of sense from some of the backposts he'd read in that mailing list on Hunter-net (as they self titled it) was that it was a good idea to constantly be armed. He just hoped Aspen had one.
As Darius stepped onto the front stoop of her house, the powder blue door swung open and Aspen stood there looking as pissed as she did scared. Her blonde hair was mussed, and for a moment Darius found himself disappointed she had a shirt on, rather having that image from yesterday burned into his head. He must have been staring because her tone was icy when she spoke.
"Yes. I have tits. Get over it." Aspen growled as she crossed her arms over her ample breasts and waited for him to get inside, stepping aside.
Darius felt his cheeks flush hot and he stepped inside, avoiding her gaze. It was a nice living room that he entered, and he immediately sat down on the couch, casting his gaze back to her as she stood by the door.
"So..have you found out anything?" He asked Aspen shyly.
Aspen
Aspen sighed as the kid took on that same coy tone. It made her want to stick her foot up his ass. She vaguely wondered if he realized that. From the continuous look he gave her, it was unlikely. She sighed to herself and shook her head at his question.
"Well here's what I found out Aspen. There are others like us out there. I found this mailing list on the internet after I filled out this survey. And…I guess this has been happening to different people around the world since about four years ago. Here's the thing. Monsters control the world Aspen. They have, supposedly, for as long as there's been civilization. And there's not just…dead girls. From the posts I've read, there's shapeshifters, vampires, zombies, ghosts…the whole lot. I'll introduce you to this website soon..but…that's about the gist of it." Darius took a breath and looked up at her finally.
Aspen stared at him cynically. She wanted to make a defense against that. She wanted to tell him not to believe everything he read on the computer. But the encounter was still fresh in his mind to deny it. The world was run by monsters and there wasn't anything she could do to deny it. She took a seat next to him, and her shoulders started shaking. It was only a moment before she allowed herself to press her face to his shoulder and start crying softly. She was scared, and there wasn't anything she could do about it. She hated showing weakness, but she had a feeling it was either this or just completely and totally break down.