Red doesn't so much tinge my vision as FLOOD it. The whole world becomes a maddened, swirling red haze. The demon that's haunted me ever since I died leaps to the fore, howling its fury and venting its anger on anything and everything it can reach. I fight to regain control and succeed after a few (seconds?minutes?hours?) of struggle.
Once again, I become aware of my surroundings. I'm in the hallway, in front of the stairwell. The walls have claw marks on them, and looking back I can see the door to my room has been torn clear off the hinges. The door now lies on the hallway floor, and its obviously been scratched up too. I duck my head into the room and give a low whistle.
Wow.
In just under ( I glance at my wrist watch) five minutes I turned a serviceable if bare room into ground zero. The TV's wrecked, the screen shattered and spitting sparks all over the place as it gamely attempts to show me the rest of Bride of Frankenschlong. The walls haven't just been scratched, there're fist shaped holes in them. The windows are no longer boarded up; apparently I'd decided to let a bit of light in by throwing the bedside table through them. The bed itself is little more than a pile of stuffing, with a lot more stuffing strewn about the room.
Well, this is just gonna be a joy to cover up. Still, gotta do it or Prince Beatrice will have me dusting the next sunrise.I take a moment to think, then stride confidently outside. First I trash the room even FURTHER, tearing off wallpaper to hide the claw marks. Then I do the same in the hall.
Next, I close my eyes and open my mind, in that special way we Malks are best at. Only one other guy on the floor, and his thoughts are fried. I nip into his room to double check (lockpicking's a handy little skill no Kindred should do without). Yep, just as I thought. The poor SOB is on the floor going through a REALLY bad trip, or whatever they call it these days. He's thrashing, moaning, and sometimes screaming, all the while looking wildly around the room.
In act of mercy, I grab his head and gaze into his diluted eyes. "Have. Pleasant. Dreams." I order him, and no sooner to I say it then his face transforms. His eyes lose that panicked look, his body stops twitching and a (I'll be honest here) beautiful smile crosses his face. I know, instinctively, that because of me this kid's having a mindblowing tour of Innerspace. I nod, and leave the room. The guy'll put whatever he heard down to a narcotic fuelled hallucination, and even if he doesn't who'll believe him?
I walk downstairs, reflecting that sometimes it really can feel good to do good. I feel warm and fuzzy, and significantly more hopeful. If I can still do and feel things like that, then my soul probably isnt all that far away yet. I don't know what its 'range' is, but I don't guess it to be much, since its such a small thing.
I reach the lobby just as that pathetic excuse for a clerk shows up. He starts yelling about noise and about what he's going to do to me if there's so much as a single dent in the wall. I listen with amusement for about half a minute, then act. I pump blood into my muscles, and yank the ugly bastard clear across the table. He's gotta be a hundred and eighty pounds easy, and I look like a slim gentleman in my early forties, so he's a tad… nonplussed by my sudden show of force. I pull him up further, so I'm looking into his eyes.
"SHUT. UP." I command him "here is what happened. The couple you checked in earlier tonight were NOT a man and a woman. Rather, they were two men, and you will alter the records accordingly. You are unsure of just what they looked like though you think one of them was Asian, and the other was quite skinny. You believe they were thieves or criminals who had some sort of argument in the room, and the ensuing fight destroyed the room. One escaped through the window, while the other ran out the front door three minutes ago. In five minutes, you will call the police."
Well, that's the Masquerade preserved, but now for my own personal satisfaction. "You will look upon this as a warning sign. Are you the owner of this hotel?" He nods. I'm pleased, but not surprised. Somehow, the slob seems just the type of owner who'd let a once-fine establishment go to pot. "Good. Then you will begin to wonder if such a sleazy hotel isn't a magnet for these types of problems. In six months, you will begin to improve the hotel, bringing it to a higher standard. You will make repairs, improve the furniture, and for Gods sake start dressing properly. If you need money you will seek out the Happy Homeowner Loan Company, but not until seven months from now. They will offer you a generous loan, in exchange for partial ownership. You will accept."
I release him, both his body and his mind. Phew! That was a lot of mindwork, and most Kindred wouldn't be up to it, but I'm not most Kindred. I never caught the infection that allowed other Malks to spread our insight, but I make do with good old-fashioned mind control. Now,I've got seven months to start up the Happy Homeowner Company, so I can take back my Sunshine. Fortunately, I've got a sizeable bit of cash (an invisible burglar who pays no rent and doesn't buy food can save up quite a bit), and some favors owed me by the local Bluebloods. Just hope LeVeaux doesn't fuck it up for me… selfish prick…
I step out onto the street. All that can wait until AFTER I've got my soul. I close my eyes again, but this time I open my NOSE. The bitch wore a weird perfume, not really common… ah, there it is. I manage to pick up her trail from the mingled scents and stenches which float (or ooze) around the area. It's a pretty faint trail, she'd left about eight hours ago I'd guess. Must've taken a lot of her blood before I passed out. Normally I'd feel bad about that, since I try to never take too much. I hate accidentally killing, espescially some poor girl who's only real crime is being unlucky or stupid. Still, in this case, it means her trail's that much easier to follow. And when I get a hold of that thieving slut, there's not going to be anything accidental about her demise.
I follow it downtown, to a shabby apartment complex. A filthy, concrete cube with small, broken windows and cracks in the walls.Its pretty obvious (and sad) that this is where the thieving bitch lives. Not only is her scent all over, but I find a penny on the ground. I pick it up, concentrate, and discover that she dropped it not too long ago.
I'm close. And getting closer.