Ghost in the Machine – True Blood

The hall was intimidating and dark as Christine started down it for the bathrooms. As her eyes became less useful she started to focus more on her ears. That still didn't stop her from tensing up in shock as someone suddenly appeared in front of her. "Stay in here until I get you." Pam's voice helped calm her, because that was the only person she even knew the name of in this place, and the way she stared into Christine's eyes made it clear Pam meant it as a command. Christine found herself being shoved into a small storage room. The door closed behind her and she felt nervous and out of place. The room was maybe six by eight and had shelves on three walls, filled with boxes. Some were flavorings, some napkins, she notices this before she focused on the door.

Pam was out there and Christine remembered how strong looking the muscle man was. She swallowed hard and hoped that the blonde would be okay. She tried to convince herself that Pam would have grabbed the bouncer to help her, but she hadn't seen anyone in that narrow hall but Pam, before being shoved in here.

She could hear every breath she was taking and she back up from the door enough to feel the boxes behind her. A loud noise had Christine's body jerking further into the boxes and her eyes widened, even as a shocked sound escaped from her mouth. Another sound of someone slamming into a wall shook one of the shelves and Christine took a step for the door, worried about the woman who'd gone after those men for Christine.

She stood there, tensely, listening as hard as she could for any hint that Pam needed help. Christine didn't know how to fight, she didn't worry about that at all though, because if Pam needed help she'd go. There were the murmuring sounds that told her someone was talking, but the walls and the noise in the bar conspired to make it impossible for her to tell what was being said or even who was saying it. She really hoped it was the bouncer. She hadn't seen the bouncer, but a bar like this had to have one and she hoped it was a huge man that would send those jerks packing, or maybe even a vampire. Christine felt a little vicious wishing an angry vampire on those men, but after what they'd planned for her, she wouldn't mind at all.

What she really didn't want was to think of Pam alone in the ladies room with them. No, Christine didn't like that thought at all and it was that thought that had her reaching for the doorknob, because she just had to know Pam wasn't in trouble. She was almost ready to go when the door opened and she had to jump back to avoid getting hit with it.

Her pounding heart started to relax as she saw Pam there, her hair just slightly mussed. "You won't see them around here again sweety." Pam gave her a small smile and Christine swallowed hard. "Come now, you really look like you need another drink."

She felt like it too, but Christine had already thought the last one, before being drugged, was pushing it. "I shouldn't. I still need to drive back." If she were thinking she wouldn't have driven to start with, but she wasn't sure she'd be able to get a cab to pick her up here. There was some prejudice against vampires and those that hung out with them.

"If you're determined to leave, I guess I could walk you to your car." Pam waved Christine away from the bar, further down the dark hall. "Back door over here, and it's closer to the parking. You did park behind the bar right?"

Christine followed Pam, but was very relieved when the door opened and the street lamps in the parking lot made it so she could see more than outlines. She finished her walk out of the building with more confidence she wasn't about to trip over a forgotten box or something.

It was a little surprising that Pam followed her into the parking lot, but Christine just fumbled for her keys and glanced around for her hatchback. Once she was next to it she turned to thank Pam, but Pam was staring at her license plate. "Washington State?"

"I've house swapped for a few months." Christine explained.

"I didn't think humans could just take off for a few months anymore." Pam said, and it was a little confusing, but then Christine thought about it. It seemed like writers like Hemmingway used to travel for their writing, but lately people didn't do that.

"I got lucky. I needed to visit the area and just stumbled into a situation where I could afford to." Christine had been surprised how quickly it all fell together for her when she had finally agreed to take a peek at her old novel and do a bit of research to see if it could be resurrected. What were the chances that her agent would have just been talking to another author wanting to do some research on Washington state right before talking to her, or that she'd live in Louisiana. Now to be more perfect that woman would have lived in New Orleans, but the drive wouldn't be too bad and the Voice had been rather pleased with the location of the house.

"Well that is nice." Pam stared into her eyes. "Come back tomorrow night." The command was strange and rather sexy and Christine just stared at Pam a moment, stunned. Her luck was never this good, and her mind struggled with what to do or say, because she decided she did want to see Pam again, and she really did need to try and find a vampire consultant soon or she'd have to report that her research hadn't really began when her agent called. She just nodded and Pam smiled, and then walked away.

….