The next night Grace awoke early and quickly left the abandoned
factory where she had spent the day. She walked the dark streets, again
having the feeling that some one was following her. But every time she
looked around, she would never see anyone suspicious lurking in the
shadows.
Grace was glad when she neared the Sanctuary; this weird feeling was creeping her out. She walked up the stone steps and pulled open the door, welcoming the flashing lights and blaring music. Grace looked around the crowded dance floor, one part of her mind making a note of the fact that the whales sounded uneasy, like there was danger, they had since the moment she walked through the door.
"Grace," said a familiar voice behind her.
She turned. "Deacon," Grace said, surprised, as their gazes met.
And from there on, it was a blur, a blur of memories. She remembered talking and dancing with Deacon, remembered laughing at something he said that struck her as funny, remembered blushing at the compliments. Felt.a connection of sorts grow between the two of them, something she couldn't explain.something that stirred deep down inside her.
But that was when the wave of emotions hit her. It was the whales. Their normally peaceful songs had turned into moans of fear, moans that told of death, despair, tragedy. And it all came crashing down on Grace. Her legs buckled, threatening to let her fall.
"Oh, god," Grace whispered, and collapsed.
Deacon went to her side, but it was because of the whales' warning that Grace didn't see or hear the front door to the Sanctuary bang open. Though she had to owe it to the whales, as they had saved her life, (unlife?) and Deacon too. Because if they had not both been crouched low to the ground as they had, they too would most likely have died when the spray of silver bullets tore through the crowd of vampires, killing half of them in seconds It was a moment after that, that Grace actually heard the ringing gunfire.
"What the hell," she heard Deacon say.
Grace looked up; trying to see what was going on without getting trampled by the panicky, fleeing crowd. 'Jeez,' she thought, 'make them vampires and people still react the same way in a life or death situation.' And what she saw surprised her; it was.vampires.attacking their own kind.
She sprang nimbly to her feet, keeping as low as possible. And was almost instantly shoved aside by running vampires. Grace grew angry as she was pushed around like a ping pong ball. She lost her balance and went down hard. But that was what saved her life-er, unlife-because that was when the second wave of bullets hit the crowd.
All around her, vampires crumbled into dust and she looked around wide eyed. Fear was now replacing her anger as her mind began to race. Deacon, Esther! Were they alright? Grace looked around again quickly, trying to scramble out of the firing line so she wouldn't be the next to turn to ash.
She crouched behind an over turned table, gazing around at the mayhem. Suddenly, she rolled to the side, just barely avoiding the spray of Holy water that hit the floor where she had been just moments before. Hell, these guys were really out to kill every one in this night club!
Now that the crowd was thinning, it was harder to remain hidden. Grace sprang to her feet and took up a defense position, ready to defend herself. She looked up and cursed when she saw that all the attacking vampires had guns. The blonde looked around and spotted a row of couches near the wall.
She took a running dive and landed behind them just as more gunfire erupted from behind her, this time coming her way. Grace yelped as the bullets tore through the fabric of the couches. 'Note to self,' she thought, quickly crawling along behind the couches, just barely managing to keep ahead of the streaming gunfire, 'furniture is not good protection from gun wielding maniacs.'
The row of couches ended abruptly and Grace sprang to her feet; unsure of what to do next. She found herself standing a mere five feet from another gun wielding vampire. Though his attention was not on Grace; he was more interested in killing the remaining vampires. Or was it Deacon he was after? Either way, some one else was going to die very soon.
But, to Grace's horror, she realized that Deacon hadn't noticed the second vampire because another of the 'enemy' vampires was attacking him. Grace acted without thinking, and took a flying leap at the vampire in front of her. At the last minute, the vampire saw her and whirled. He aimed the gun at her, and fired.
Grace cried out as the silver bullet tore through her shoulder and she stumbled back a few steps. She barely had time to comprehend the fact that her flesh should be crumbling into ash-but wasn't-before the vampire was aiming at her again. He pulled the trigger-and nothing happened; the clip was empty.
Grace heard the vampire curse as she gritted her teeth against the pain in her shoulder and lunged at him. A split second later, he swung the gun at her head and she heard the 'crack!' of the impact as she stumbled. Her head throbbed and her mind began to swim. She was dizzy, confused. The room was sliding in and out of focus, and black tinged her vision.
The last thing she remembered was being thrown across the room and smashing into the wall. Her eyes closed and she slipped into unconsciousness as the rubble from the ruined night club came crashing down and buried her.
Grace was glad when she neared the Sanctuary; this weird feeling was creeping her out. She walked up the stone steps and pulled open the door, welcoming the flashing lights and blaring music. Grace looked around the crowded dance floor, one part of her mind making a note of the fact that the whales sounded uneasy, like there was danger, they had since the moment she walked through the door.
"Grace," said a familiar voice behind her.
She turned. "Deacon," Grace said, surprised, as their gazes met.
And from there on, it was a blur, a blur of memories. She remembered talking and dancing with Deacon, remembered laughing at something he said that struck her as funny, remembered blushing at the compliments. Felt.a connection of sorts grow between the two of them, something she couldn't explain.something that stirred deep down inside her.
But that was when the wave of emotions hit her. It was the whales. Their normally peaceful songs had turned into moans of fear, moans that told of death, despair, tragedy. And it all came crashing down on Grace. Her legs buckled, threatening to let her fall.
"Oh, god," Grace whispered, and collapsed.
Deacon went to her side, but it was because of the whales' warning that Grace didn't see or hear the front door to the Sanctuary bang open. Though she had to owe it to the whales, as they had saved her life, (unlife?) and Deacon too. Because if they had not both been crouched low to the ground as they had, they too would most likely have died when the spray of silver bullets tore through the crowd of vampires, killing half of them in seconds It was a moment after that, that Grace actually heard the ringing gunfire.
"What the hell," she heard Deacon say.
Grace looked up; trying to see what was going on without getting trampled by the panicky, fleeing crowd. 'Jeez,' she thought, 'make them vampires and people still react the same way in a life or death situation.' And what she saw surprised her; it was.vampires.attacking their own kind.
She sprang nimbly to her feet, keeping as low as possible. And was almost instantly shoved aside by running vampires. Grace grew angry as she was pushed around like a ping pong ball. She lost her balance and went down hard. But that was what saved her life-er, unlife-because that was when the second wave of bullets hit the crowd.
All around her, vampires crumbled into dust and she looked around wide eyed. Fear was now replacing her anger as her mind began to race. Deacon, Esther! Were they alright? Grace looked around again quickly, trying to scramble out of the firing line so she wouldn't be the next to turn to ash.
She crouched behind an over turned table, gazing around at the mayhem. Suddenly, she rolled to the side, just barely avoiding the spray of Holy water that hit the floor where she had been just moments before. Hell, these guys were really out to kill every one in this night club!
Now that the crowd was thinning, it was harder to remain hidden. Grace sprang to her feet and took up a defense position, ready to defend herself. She looked up and cursed when she saw that all the attacking vampires had guns. The blonde looked around and spotted a row of couches near the wall.
She took a running dive and landed behind them just as more gunfire erupted from behind her, this time coming her way. Grace yelped as the bullets tore through the fabric of the couches. 'Note to self,' she thought, quickly crawling along behind the couches, just barely managing to keep ahead of the streaming gunfire, 'furniture is not good protection from gun wielding maniacs.'
The row of couches ended abruptly and Grace sprang to her feet; unsure of what to do next. She found herself standing a mere five feet from another gun wielding vampire. Though his attention was not on Grace; he was more interested in killing the remaining vampires. Or was it Deacon he was after? Either way, some one else was going to die very soon.
But, to Grace's horror, she realized that Deacon hadn't noticed the second vampire because another of the 'enemy' vampires was attacking him. Grace acted without thinking, and took a flying leap at the vampire in front of her. At the last minute, the vampire saw her and whirled. He aimed the gun at her, and fired.
Grace cried out as the silver bullet tore through her shoulder and she stumbled back a few steps. She barely had time to comprehend the fact that her flesh should be crumbling into ash-but wasn't-before the vampire was aiming at her again. He pulled the trigger-and nothing happened; the clip was empty.
Grace heard the vampire curse as she gritted her teeth against the pain in her shoulder and lunged at him. A split second later, he swung the gun at her head and she heard the 'crack!' of the impact as she stumbled. Her head throbbed and her mind began to swim. She was dizzy, confused. The room was sliding in and out of focus, and black tinged her vision.
The last thing she remembered was being thrown across the room and smashing into the wall. Her eyes closed and she slipped into unconsciousness as the rubble from the ruined night club came crashing down and buried her.