6.

The Body

"Fine! You know, I don't care anymore! I do not give a crap 'bout your problems, I'm going back without you."

Spike was disappointed what he'd just said didn't make him feel any better. He turned and walked off, determined into the darkness, his own little piece of comfort.

"Good," Jackie called back. "Go then."

Spike trudged off, crunching the gravel beneath his feet. He couldn't believe that he'd followed Jackie this far, all the way to her late class of Hospitality. Who went to late classes anyway?

He cursed, the night uttering no reply.

This had turned out to be useless. There had been absolutely no point in coming to the pile of sand. He kicked the ground, angry at all the effort he had put in, all the time he had wasted.

He paced back and forth, rage radiating from him as he walked his way into the long grass surrounding the training restaurant.

So absolutely angry at himself, he roared aloud, kicking the ground in fury again, this time, he foot coming into contact with something soft.

Spike looked to the ground, squinting through the darkness at what he'd kicked.

One good thing at being a Vampire is the improved night vision.

After a while, his eyes came into focus. He was shocked at what he could see.

What he'd kicked was deep in the long grass, it was hidden from anyone's eyes, even during the day, except if you'd walked straight over it as Spike had done.

It was dead. She was dead, to be exact.

The dead body of a young teenage girl lay spread eagle in the grass. Her eyes were eerily wide open with shock. Her lips were partly open, her lipstick smeared across her face.

Spike bent down, picking up her wrist, holding it between his thumb and forefinger. No Pulse. She was officially dead. Her skin felt cold beneath his touch. She'd been dead for a while now.

This girl's long blonde hair was swept back to one of her shoulders and the collar of her school uniform was soaked in blood, blood, which had dried, running down from the bite mark in her neck.

Spike staggered up, his mouth felt dry, his nostrils filled with the smell of her blood. Even without seeing it, he could smell a small amount of blood in the grass around her.

This girl had been drained by a Vampire.

Spike looked back at the Hospitality Centre, where Jackie had just entered. He glanced back down at the girl. She was roughly Jackie's age and wearing the same uniform Jackie wore, they came from the same school.

Spike tore back through the long grass towards the training restaurant. This girl had been killed near the Hospitality Centre, there was a huge possibility that the offender was actually inside, but who was it?

Spike neared the doors. Even if he couldn't convince Jackie to come with him to America, she was still in danger, even here. He had to help her.

Spike slammed through the doors, startling the patrons who were eating. Many of them turned, and looked at him, registering how strange he looked, but turned their attention eventually back to eating.

"Excuse me sir," called out a young dark haired girl at the reception desk.

"Sir, do you have a booking?"

Spike ignored her and looked around for Jackie. If he couldn't find her, he wasn't sure if he could forgive himself for leaving her alone, nor would anyone back in America.

The place was set up like any usual restaurant. The tables were all being waited on by students, learning about the food industry. Many of the patrons were actually parents of the students working there. Yet, still no sign of Jackie.

Spike looked around at everyone eating and serving there. He'd have no idea who was the Vampire without actually holding a crucifix to everyone's skin and seeing their reaction.

Spike advanced into the restaurant, despite the persistence of the dark haired girl, who was calling him back to the front desk.

Many of the other students stood back to allow him to pass, afraid of this strange man who had marched in without a booking.

Thinking of this, Spike started to wonder. Usually, their teacher would have taken charge of a situation like this, when all his students were lost at what to do.

But where was he?

Starting to panic, Spike ran to the door behind the bar, passing small, frightened looking kids, polishing glasses daintily.

Spike pushed through the swinging door and nearly jumped out of his skin at what he saw.