The next evening, it began to rain lightly, stopping, and then
starting again. In the rubble of the Sanctuary, something shifted. Bits
of smaller debris moved, and a pale, blood streaked hand appeared. A
moment later, another hand appeared as Grace struggled to pull herself from
the rubble. But she was too weak. Suddenly, a pair of strong hands
grabbed hers and pulled her free.
"Oh, it's you," said a voice.
Coughing, Grace looked up. "Rae?" she said, her voice hoarse, staring at the young black woman. "W-what are you doing here?"
The older vampire narrowed her eyes as she looked down at Grace. The two had met before and hated each other. Mostly because of how different they were.
Rae sighed. "I wouldn't even be here, except that Deacon told me-"
"What?" Grace gasped, cutting Rae off, "Deacon? He's..alright?"
Rae rolled her eyes, "Of course he is," she said.
Grace swallowed hard, blinking the soot from her eyes.
"Honestly, I'm surprised you're even alive," Rae muttered.
Suddenly, Grace realized something. "You know where he is!" she said.
Rae rolled her eyes again, "Of course I do," she said, "His apartment, silly!"
Grace coughed again, soot and ash in her throat, "Could you-" she paused, cleared her throat, and tried again, "Could you tell me where?"
"Why should I?" Rae said with a smirk, crossing her arms over her chest.
Frustrated, Grace glared at the older vampire, "Look, I've almost been killed, and I'm not in a very good mood right now, so why don't you just tell me so we can both get the hell out of here," she said.
Rae glared back, for a moment not saying anything. "Fine," she sighed at last, and told Grace where.
A few minutes later, they both left what used to be the Sanctuary, and headed in opposite directions down the side walk. It began to rain again as Grace walked, well, limped actually, but she didn't mind; she was covered in blood and soot, what was a little rain going to hurt? After a while, it started to rain harder, washing some of the blood from her face and arms. By the time she reached the building that Rae told her Deacon lived, she was soaked to the bone and shivering.
For a moment, Grace just stood and stared up at the tall building, then walked through the front doors, out of the rain. Almost immediately, she was stopped by guards.
Her heart pounding, she said, "I'm Grace, I b-believe Deacon is expecting m- me." Her teeth chattered slightly.
The two guards glanced at each other, obviously hesitating. She couldn't blame them though; she probably looked like a city street bum, or a drowned rat, take your pick. Anyway, at last, they confirmed what she had said and escorted her to an elevator, telling her to go to the top floor. On her way up, she grew nervous, about meeting Deacon again, and, most oddly, about her appearance. Why the latter would even occur to her, she didn't know.
She shivered, wondering when she was going to reach the top floor. Why was it so cold in this elevator? Not five seconds later, there was a soft ping and the doors slid open silently. Taking a deep breath, Grace stepped out. She pushed her damp hair out of her face and looked around. She was in a large room, will big windows across one wall, and glass doors leading out to a balcony.
The room had a modern look to it. And water. Lots of it. Just when she thought she'd seen enough water. The room was almost completely silent except for the gentle gurgling of the waterfall. For a moment, she just stood there, staring at the rubber ducks bobbing in the water. Ducks? She felt awkward, out of place, and swallowed hard as she shivered.
"Grace?" Said a voice behind her.
Her heart skipped a beat; she knew that voice. "Deacon?" she said, turning.
"You're alive," he said.
"You didn't think I was dead, did you?" Grace said in a teasing tone, her face serious.
His expression was the only answer she needed and she smiled, shivering again despite the warmth that seemed to grow inside her.
The next few moments were a blur to her whenever she tried to remember. What she did remember was talking to Deacon, feeling light headed and very, very cold. It had been obvious that he had noticed, because he had appeared concerned. Now, a few minutes after that, her mind was waking up again. She blinked, looking around. She was standing alone, in a shower. And as the hot water coursed down over her, sending goose bumps across her skin, she remembered.
She closed her eyes for a moment, and sighed heavily. Then she opened her eyes again, a faint smile on her face. Standing under this hot water, she began to feel more and more alive. Parts of her that had gone numb from the cold were beginning to wake up. She didn't know how long she stayed there, washing the blood and soot from her hair and skin, but it felt like forever.
When she was done, she turned off the water and peeped into the rest of the bathroom. She spotted a neatly folded towel within reach and zeroed in on it. Grace wondered briefly how it had gotten there, but at the moment it didn't seem to be very important. When she had dried off, she looked around again and noticed something that she hadn't seen when she had gotten the towel; her clothes, dry and folded on the counter right next to the door.
Her heart skipped a beat when she realized that some one had been in and out of the room while she'd been in the shower with out her noticing. But the thoughts left her mind as she dresses and finished drying her hair. Taking a deep breath, she reached for the knob and opened the door.
"Oh, it's you," said a voice.
Coughing, Grace looked up. "Rae?" she said, her voice hoarse, staring at the young black woman. "W-what are you doing here?"
The older vampire narrowed her eyes as she looked down at Grace. The two had met before and hated each other. Mostly because of how different they were.
Rae sighed. "I wouldn't even be here, except that Deacon told me-"
"What?" Grace gasped, cutting Rae off, "Deacon? He's..alright?"
Rae rolled her eyes, "Of course he is," she said.
Grace swallowed hard, blinking the soot from her eyes.
"Honestly, I'm surprised you're even alive," Rae muttered.
Suddenly, Grace realized something. "You know where he is!" she said.
Rae rolled her eyes again, "Of course I do," she said, "His apartment, silly!"
Grace coughed again, soot and ash in her throat, "Could you-" she paused, cleared her throat, and tried again, "Could you tell me where?"
"Why should I?" Rae said with a smirk, crossing her arms over her chest.
Frustrated, Grace glared at the older vampire, "Look, I've almost been killed, and I'm not in a very good mood right now, so why don't you just tell me so we can both get the hell out of here," she said.
Rae glared back, for a moment not saying anything. "Fine," she sighed at last, and told Grace where.
A few minutes later, they both left what used to be the Sanctuary, and headed in opposite directions down the side walk. It began to rain again as Grace walked, well, limped actually, but she didn't mind; she was covered in blood and soot, what was a little rain going to hurt? After a while, it started to rain harder, washing some of the blood from her face and arms. By the time she reached the building that Rae told her Deacon lived, she was soaked to the bone and shivering.
For a moment, Grace just stood and stared up at the tall building, then walked through the front doors, out of the rain. Almost immediately, she was stopped by guards.
Her heart pounding, she said, "I'm Grace, I b-believe Deacon is expecting m- me." Her teeth chattered slightly.
The two guards glanced at each other, obviously hesitating. She couldn't blame them though; she probably looked like a city street bum, or a drowned rat, take your pick. Anyway, at last, they confirmed what she had said and escorted her to an elevator, telling her to go to the top floor. On her way up, she grew nervous, about meeting Deacon again, and, most oddly, about her appearance. Why the latter would even occur to her, she didn't know.
She shivered, wondering when she was going to reach the top floor. Why was it so cold in this elevator? Not five seconds later, there was a soft ping and the doors slid open silently. Taking a deep breath, Grace stepped out. She pushed her damp hair out of her face and looked around. She was in a large room, will big windows across one wall, and glass doors leading out to a balcony.
The room had a modern look to it. And water. Lots of it. Just when she thought she'd seen enough water. The room was almost completely silent except for the gentle gurgling of the waterfall. For a moment, she just stood there, staring at the rubber ducks bobbing in the water. Ducks? She felt awkward, out of place, and swallowed hard as she shivered.
"Grace?" Said a voice behind her.
Her heart skipped a beat; she knew that voice. "Deacon?" she said, turning.
"You're alive," he said.
"You didn't think I was dead, did you?" Grace said in a teasing tone, her face serious.
His expression was the only answer she needed and she smiled, shivering again despite the warmth that seemed to grow inside her.
The next few moments were a blur to her whenever she tried to remember. What she did remember was talking to Deacon, feeling light headed and very, very cold. It had been obvious that he had noticed, because he had appeared concerned. Now, a few minutes after that, her mind was waking up again. She blinked, looking around. She was standing alone, in a shower. And as the hot water coursed down over her, sending goose bumps across her skin, she remembered.
She closed her eyes for a moment, and sighed heavily. Then she opened her eyes again, a faint smile on her face. Standing under this hot water, she began to feel more and more alive. Parts of her that had gone numb from the cold were beginning to wake up. She didn't know how long she stayed there, washing the blood and soot from her hair and skin, but it felt like forever.
When she was done, she turned off the water and peeped into the rest of the bathroom. She spotted a neatly folded towel within reach and zeroed in on it. Grace wondered briefly how it had gotten there, but at the moment it didn't seem to be very important. When she had dried off, she looked around again and noticed something that she hadn't seen when she had gotten the towel; her clothes, dry and folded on the counter right next to the door.
Her heart skipped a beat when she realized that some one had been in and out of the room while she'd been in the shower with out her noticing. But the thoughts left her mind as she dresses and finished drying her hair. Taking a deep breath, she reached for the knob and opened the door.