Rose walked into the pub. She looked around to see the man from the night
before but he was not there. Disappointed she went behind the bar and put
on her apron. She had hoped he would be there. Maybe it was for the best.
She didn't have time for a boyfriend. The royalties from her books were
keeping her far from poverty but between college and her part time job at
the bar she didn't have much spare time on her hands.
She often thought about her mothers job. Her mother would never tell her what it was. Rose wondered what she did that she should be ashamed of. She loved her mother dearly even though she was not a blood relative. McKayla was her adopted mother. Her real mother had died in childbirth.
The night passed eventlessly for Rose. She served some regulars and watched them get sloppy. Rose hated sloppy drunks. They reminded her of her step dad. He had come home every night drunk off his ass and beat the shit out of her and her mom. Finally one night he left to go out drinking and never came back. They never found him or knew where he went. He didn't even pack. The police thought there might have been foul play but they didn't have any proof. Where there is no body, there is no case for murder.
Somewhere around midnight she felt a cold breeze. The door opened and then there he was. Staring at her with those penetrating eyes, his long black hair hanging in his face. Once again she was reminded of Darien. He leaned in close.
"So when do you get your break?" he asked.
"Anytime I really want, it's slow tonight. Why do you ask?" she said trembling. She couldn't believe he was talking to her.
"Let me buy dinner for you. I want to get to know you better." he said. She looked at him. Something told her to keep working but another part of her said to take his offer. Besides, she was getting hungry anyway.
"Hey Dave! I'm going on break!" she shouted tossing her apron on the counter. She walked around the bar and he offered his arm to her. Taking it they walked out into the cool midnight air. They walked across the street to the restaurant/bar and got a table. She ordered and waited for him to do the same.
"I'm not hungry." he said. They sat there looking into each others eyes.
"So lets see here. You've come to my work the last two nights, you're buying me dinner at midnight, and I don't think I even know your name yet." She said to him. He gave her a deep meaningful look that almost took her breath away.
"My name is Darien, Dorothy Rosewater" he said. "But I think you already knew that."
She gasped at the sound of her pen name. How did he know? He smiled softly at her and Rose thought her heart would stop in her chest. It was true. The dreams and the stories. HER stories. They were all real!
Standing she tried to excuse herself to the rest room. She was feeling light headed and needed to splash some water on her face. Her knees felt as if they would give out. Darien sat watching her as the room began to spin around her. Rose felt a strong arm around her waist and looked up. There was Darien looking down at her with a look of concern.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Yes, I think I will be fine. I just need to use the restroom. You will excuse me if all of this comes as a bit of a shock." She said heading for the bathroom.
Splashing water on her face she looked at her reflection in the mirror and realized that she looked horrible. Her long black hair was out of place and her skin was so pale that it seriously set off her red lipstick. Running for the toilet she put her head over it and emptied the contents of the day into it. She knew she should get the hell out of there. He was a dangerous man. How many times had she scared herself while writing her stories because of what he had done to people. People just like her that had found out too much about him. Splashing some more water on her face and touching up her makeup, she returned to the table. Darien was still waiting at the table and when he saw her he stood and went behind her to help her into her seat. Placing his mouth close to her ear he spoke to her in a calm tone of voice that was full of concern.
"You don't look well my dear. Maybe you should go home." He said putting feeling behind the last two words.
With a dazed look on her face Rose turned to him. "Yes, I think I will do that"
Walking out the door Rose turned in the direction of home forgetting about work. Darien followed her out the door and began to walk her home. When they reach her front door she took out her key and let them in.
"You do know why I followed you home, right?" he asked her.
"Yes, I do. I know too much and you are going to stop me from ever breathing a word to any living soul about it ever again, am I right?" she asked. Walking up to him she lifted her head and offered him her throat. Growling a bit, he tried to resist her but he knew he had to do it. If he did not she would die. Lowering his lips to her neck he bit gently. She sighed and almost went limp in his arms. She could feel all of her blood draining from her body. Holding her in place he slit his wrist and held it to her mouth. She was slow to start but as she drank she began to feel as if every muscle in her body was on fire.
As her body died she felt the bliss she always knew she would feel. She was stunned a bit too that he had given her the chance to live instead of killing her like she knew he should. Darien placed her on the bed and whispered in her ear. Getting up he left knowing that she would be able to care for herself even if she didn't remember him. On her desk were the 5 books that she had published about him. Her laptop lay on sitting her desk with what looked like the unfinished copy of her 6th book on it. He went to her laptop and disconnected it. He couldn't let the new manuscript be seen. On his way out he glimpsed something on a side table. It was chain mail. She had made it. He knew by its beauty that he had made the right choice to embrace her. She had talent that would prove very useful in the Toreador Clan. This week he would send her a message and let her know where Elysium would be held. She could get the help she needed there. She would learn her place in the Camarilla and serve them well. When she's ready, he thought, I'll come back for her and let her know who her sire is. But I can't let this be traced back to me.
Waking in her room the next night she stood and looked in her mirror. The person staring back at her was one that she hardly recognized. Her complexion was spotless and her hair was shining with new found glory. Thinking back to the night before she tried to think about how she had gotten home from work. She had gone to dinner with the man from the pub, but after that the night was a blur.
Feeling her stomach telling her to eat she went down to her kitchen. Eating a sandwich, she thought about the stranger that had shown such interest. While she was thinking about him her stomach began to cramp. She ran for the bathroom and got to the toilet just in time to loose the sandwich in it. Thinking she realized what had happened. All the signs were there. Picking up the phone she called her boyfriend Kevin.
"Hey, can you come over?.....Really? Great."
She paced the living room trying to think of what to do. It was obvious that she couldn't stay, living under her mother's roof in the condition she was in. The only reasonable plan of action was to leave. She couldn't tell her mother where she was going but she would leave her a note letting her know that she was ok and would call as soon as she was settled.
When Kevin arrived she knew what she had to do. Rose took him up to her room. They kissed for a while and she let him kiss her neck which gave her access to his. Kissing it, she bit gently so that she would not cause him pain. Drinking her fill she licked his neck, healing the wound, and they lay down on the bed to sleep. But sleep eluded her. Her senses were making it hard for her to even think. She could hear and smell the animals outside. The traffic in the distance was deafening. Kevin's heart beat thundered in her ears.
Rose went into her closet and pulled the brown paper package down from the shelf. Her 6th book. She had had writers block for a long time but with her dream from the other night she knew she could finish a few more chapters of it.
This wasn't the place for her. She would find others of her kind to help her. Silently she left the room and went outside. Looking back at the house she mourned the life she was leaving but was excited that she was becoming a part of the world that she had once dreamed of. This is where her mortal life would end and her immortal life would begin.
She often thought about her mothers job. Her mother would never tell her what it was. Rose wondered what she did that she should be ashamed of. She loved her mother dearly even though she was not a blood relative. McKayla was her adopted mother. Her real mother had died in childbirth.
The night passed eventlessly for Rose. She served some regulars and watched them get sloppy. Rose hated sloppy drunks. They reminded her of her step dad. He had come home every night drunk off his ass and beat the shit out of her and her mom. Finally one night he left to go out drinking and never came back. They never found him or knew where he went. He didn't even pack. The police thought there might have been foul play but they didn't have any proof. Where there is no body, there is no case for murder.
Somewhere around midnight she felt a cold breeze. The door opened and then there he was. Staring at her with those penetrating eyes, his long black hair hanging in his face. Once again she was reminded of Darien. He leaned in close.
"So when do you get your break?" he asked.
"Anytime I really want, it's slow tonight. Why do you ask?" she said trembling. She couldn't believe he was talking to her.
"Let me buy dinner for you. I want to get to know you better." he said. She looked at him. Something told her to keep working but another part of her said to take his offer. Besides, she was getting hungry anyway.
"Hey Dave! I'm going on break!" she shouted tossing her apron on the counter. She walked around the bar and he offered his arm to her. Taking it they walked out into the cool midnight air. They walked across the street to the restaurant/bar and got a table. She ordered and waited for him to do the same.
"I'm not hungry." he said. They sat there looking into each others eyes.
"So lets see here. You've come to my work the last two nights, you're buying me dinner at midnight, and I don't think I even know your name yet." She said to him. He gave her a deep meaningful look that almost took her breath away.
"My name is Darien, Dorothy Rosewater" he said. "But I think you already knew that."
She gasped at the sound of her pen name. How did he know? He smiled softly at her and Rose thought her heart would stop in her chest. It was true. The dreams and the stories. HER stories. They were all real!
Standing she tried to excuse herself to the rest room. She was feeling light headed and needed to splash some water on her face. Her knees felt as if they would give out. Darien sat watching her as the room began to spin around her. Rose felt a strong arm around her waist and looked up. There was Darien looking down at her with a look of concern.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Yes, I think I will be fine. I just need to use the restroom. You will excuse me if all of this comes as a bit of a shock." She said heading for the bathroom.
Splashing water on her face she looked at her reflection in the mirror and realized that she looked horrible. Her long black hair was out of place and her skin was so pale that it seriously set off her red lipstick. Running for the toilet she put her head over it and emptied the contents of the day into it. She knew she should get the hell out of there. He was a dangerous man. How many times had she scared herself while writing her stories because of what he had done to people. People just like her that had found out too much about him. Splashing some more water on her face and touching up her makeup, she returned to the table. Darien was still waiting at the table and when he saw her he stood and went behind her to help her into her seat. Placing his mouth close to her ear he spoke to her in a calm tone of voice that was full of concern.
"You don't look well my dear. Maybe you should go home." He said putting feeling behind the last two words.
With a dazed look on her face Rose turned to him. "Yes, I think I will do that"
Walking out the door Rose turned in the direction of home forgetting about work. Darien followed her out the door and began to walk her home. When they reach her front door she took out her key and let them in.
"You do know why I followed you home, right?" he asked her.
"Yes, I do. I know too much and you are going to stop me from ever breathing a word to any living soul about it ever again, am I right?" she asked. Walking up to him she lifted her head and offered him her throat. Growling a bit, he tried to resist her but he knew he had to do it. If he did not she would die. Lowering his lips to her neck he bit gently. She sighed and almost went limp in his arms. She could feel all of her blood draining from her body. Holding her in place he slit his wrist and held it to her mouth. She was slow to start but as she drank she began to feel as if every muscle in her body was on fire.
As her body died she felt the bliss she always knew she would feel. She was stunned a bit too that he had given her the chance to live instead of killing her like she knew he should. Darien placed her on the bed and whispered in her ear. Getting up he left knowing that she would be able to care for herself even if she didn't remember him. On her desk were the 5 books that she had published about him. Her laptop lay on sitting her desk with what looked like the unfinished copy of her 6th book on it. He went to her laptop and disconnected it. He couldn't let the new manuscript be seen. On his way out he glimpsed something on a side table. It was chain mail. She had made it. He knew by its beauty that he had made the right choice to embrace her. She had talent that would prove very useful in the Toreador Clan. This week he would send her a message and let her know where Elysium would be held. She could get the help she needed there. She would learn her place in the Camarilla and serve them well. When she's ready, he thought, I'll come back for her and let her know who her sire is. But I can't let this be traced back to me.
Waking in her room the next night she stood and looked in her mirror. The person staring back at her was one that she hardly recognized. Her complexion was spotless and her hair was shining with new found glory. Thinking back to the night before she tried to think about how she had gotten home from work. She had gone to dinner with the man from the pub, but after that the night was a blur.
Feeling her stomach telling her to eat she went down to her kitchen. Eating a sandwich, she thought about the stranger that had shown such interest. While she was thinking about him her stomach began to cramp. She ran for the bathroom and got to the toilet just in time to loose the sandwich in it. Thinking she realized what had happened. All the signs were there. Picking up the phone she called her boyfriend Kevin.
"Hey, can you come over?.....Really? Great."
She paced the living room trying to think of what to do. It was obvious that she couldn't stay, living under her mother's roof in the condition she was in. The only reasonable plan of action was to leave. She couldn't tell her mother where she was going but she would leave her a note letting her know that she was ok and would call as soon as she was settled.
When Kevin arrived she knew what she had to do. Rose took him up to her room. They kissed for a while and she let him kiss her neck which gave her access to his. Kissing it, she bit gently so that she would not cause him pain. Drinking her fill she licked his neck, healing the wound, and they lay down on the bed to sleep. But sleep eluded her. Her senses were making it hard for her to even think. She could hear and smell the animals outside. The traffic in the distance was deafening. Kevin's heart beat thundered in her ears.
Rose went into her closet and pulled the brown paper package down from the shelf. Her 6th book. She had had writers block for a long time but with her dream from the other night she knew she could finish a few more chapters of it.
This wasn't the place for her. She would find others of her kind to help her. Silently she left the room and went outside. Looking back at the house she mourned the life she was leaving but was excited that she was becoming a part of the world that she had once dreamed of. This is where her mortal life would end and her immortal life would begin.