Part 7
Dawn tapped her fingers impatiently on the door of Gabriel's sleek black car. They'd stopped at a gas station as the rain eased off. Dawn took the opportunity to call Willow's cell. She didn't want the rest of the group barging in on her and Gabriel when they were getting to the good part.
"Where *are* you? You know you shouldn't go running off like that!"
Dawn's eyes rolled. "I know, I know. Anyway, I'm at Janice's, and I'll be stopping over, so don't worry. ." She hung up and called Janice, in case they decided to check up on her. Janice agreed if Dawn promised to tell her *all* the details.
Dawn put her cell phone away, looking around for Gabriel. He was still stood outside, talking to a girl with purple hair and a tight-fitting leather and lace outfit. The girl caught her staring and flashed her a grin. Dawn smiled vaguely back.
Gabriel looked at her, then said something to the other girl. The girl nodded and walked away.
"Friend of yours?" Dawn asked as Gabriel got back in the car.
"Yeah, that's Phyre. She's gonna drop by the house."
"So where'd you live?"
"Not far now." Gabriel seemed to have a habit of not answering questions directly. Which made her think he was hiding something. All that did was make Dawn want to know him better.
They were driving to an older area of the town. The houses were large and sparse. They stopped at the last house at the end of an old road which was really nothing more than a dirt track. Then house itself looked dilapidated, like a haunted house from a bad horror movie. "You live *here*?"
Gabriel shrugged, brushing a few strands of black hair out his eyes. "No rent."
"I can see why," Dawn muttered.
He pushed open the door. Dawn eyed the house dubiously, then followed him inside. Inside was as shabby as the outside. Old portraits of people probably long dead glared down at her from the walls.
"You guys got a ghost to go with this dump?"
Gabriel snorted, pushing open a creaky door. "Nah. A few vampires dotted around though."
Dawn didn't react. She couldn't be sure if he was kidding or not. And yeah, she knew they were supposed to be the bad guys, but she'd known two vampires who weren't evil. "Let me guess, you've got a pet werewolf on the side."
Gabriel laughed. "That'd be an interesting pet. Phyre had a banshee once."
"The things that scream?" The room was meant to be a living room. There was a fire place, a moth eaten green couch, two chairs and a broken coffee table. "How'd you keep a banshee as a *pet*?"
"We didn't, the bitch drove us nuts. We had to get a witch to vanquish it."
"Uh-huh." Dawn looked around, not really wanting to sit in the dank room.
"Wait here."
Gabriel lit a few candles on a mantel piece. Dawn watched him go, perching on the edge of the sofa. She was beginning to have second thoughts. She should have brought Janice with her, then she wouldn't have to be alone.
"Help me!"
Dawn stood up, startled by the voice crying out in the silence of the old house. "Who's there?" She ran out the living room, not sure which way to turn. Everywhere was so *dark*.
"Help!" The voice sounded so desperate.
Dawn saw a staircase going down off to her left at the end of the hall. A girl was crawling to the top of the steps. Her blonde hair was dishevelled, her eyes wet with tears. Her red dress was torn, and even in the gloom Dawn could see blood trickling out of the vampire bite on her neck.
"We have to get out of here! They're *monsters!*" The girl cried.
"Come on." Dawn helped her up.
"Hey, that's my *dinner*." An amused male voice came out from what seemed like a dark void. He snatched the girl away from Dawn, snapping her neck, tossing her body carelessly aside.
Dawn stood frozen for a second before she turned - and ran into Phyre, who's yellow vampire eyes were glowing, fangs glimmering dimly in the darkness.
Phyre looked at the guy, eyes rolling. "What the hell are you doing, idiot?"
"Well I wasn't expecting her to escape - or company." He grinned at Dawn.
Dawn could feel hot tears stinging her eyes. Her heart was racing.
The guy laughed. "Ooh, smell that *fear*."
Dawn shoved Phyre out the way. Powered by panic she ran for the door.
Only she never made it.
* * *
Dawn tapped her fingers impatiently on the door of Gabriel's sleek black car. They'd stopped at a gas station as the rain eased off. Dawn took the opportunity to call Willow's cell. She didn't want the rest of the group barging in on her and Gabriel when they were getting to the good part.
"Where *are* you? You know you shouldn't go running off like that!"
Dawn's eyes rolled. "I know, I know. Anyway, I'm at Janice's, and I'll be stopping over, so don't worry. ." She hung up and called Janice, in case they decided to check up on her. Janice agreed if Dawn promised to tell her *all* the details.
Dawn put her cell phone away, looking around for Gabriel. He was still stood outside, talking to a girl with purple hair and a tight-fitting leather and lace outfit. The girl caught her staring and flashed her a grin. Dawn smiled vaguely back.
Gabriel looked at her, then said something to the other girl. The girl nodded and walked away.
"Friend of yours?" Dawn asked as Gabriel got back in the car.
"Yeah, that's Phyre. She's gonna drop by the house."
"So where'd you live?"
"Not far now." Gabriel seemed to have a habit of not answering questions directly. Which made her think he was hiding something. All that did was make Dawn want to know him better.
They were driving to an older area of the town. The houses were large and sparse. They stopped at the last house at the end of an old road which was really nothing more than a dirt track. Then house itself looked dilapidated, like a haunted house from a bad horror movie. "You live *here*?"
Gabriel shrugged, brushing a few strands of black hair out his eyes. "No rent."
"I can see why," Dawn muttered.
He pushed open the door. Dawn eyed the house dubiously, then followed him inside. Inside was as shabby as the outside. Old portraits of people probably long dead glared down at her from the walls.
"You guys got a ghost to go with this dump?"
Gabriel snorted, pushing open a creaky door. "Nah. A few vampires dotted around though."
Dawn didn't react. She couldn't be sure if he was kidding or not. And yeah, she knew they were supposed to be the bad guys, but she'd known two vampires who weren't evil. "Let me guess, you've got a pet werewolf on the side."
Gabriel laughed. "That'd be an interesting pet. Phyre had a banshee once."
"The things that scream?" The room was meant to be a living room. There was a fire place, a moth eaten green couch, two chairs and a broken coffee table. "How'd you keep a banshee as a *pet*?"
"We didn't, the bitch drove us nuts. We had to get a witch to vanquish it."
"Uh-huh." Dawn looked around, not really wanting to sit in the dank room.
"Wait here."
Gabriel lit a few candles on a mantel piece. Dawn watched him go, perching on the edge of the sofa. She was beginning to have second thoughts. She should have brought Janice with her, then she wouldn't have to be alone.
"Help me!"
Dawn stood up, startled by the voice crying out in the silence of the old house. "Who's there?" She ran out the living room, not sure which way to turn. Everywhere was so *dark*.
"Help!" The voice sounded so desperate.
Dawn saw a staircase going down off to her left at the end of the hall. A girl was crawling to the top of the steps. Her blonde hair was dishevelled, her eyes wet with tears. Her red dress was torn, and even in the gloom Dawn could see blood trickling out of the vampire bite on her neck.
"We have to get out of here! They're *monsters!*" The girl cried.
"Come on." Dawn helped her up.
"Hey, that's my *dinner*." An amused male voice came out from what seemed like a dark void. He snatched the girl away from Dawn, snapping her neck, tossing her body carelessly aside.
Dawn stood frozen for a second before she turned - and ran into Phyre, who's yellow vampire eyes were glowing, fangs glimmering dimly in the darkness.
Phyre looked at the guy, eyes rolling. "What the hell are you doing, idiot?"
"Well I wasn't expecting her to escape - or company." He grinned at Dawn.
Dawn could feel hot tears stinging her eyes. Her heart was racing.
The guy laughed. "Ooh, smell that *fear*."
Dawn shoved Phyre out the way. Powered by panic she ran for the door.
Only she never made it.
* * *