The following couple weeks brought a lot less nightmares. Me, Sookie, and Tara had become close, seeing each other every day at work. She introduced me to Bill and I had to say, he was unlike any vampire I'd ever met. I was happy she proved everyone wrong by having a successful relationship with a vampire. I also met her older brother, Jason. A tall, jock with blond hair and blue eyes just like his sister. He was sweet and polite, but dumb as a box of rocks. All in all, I was beginning to feel at home in Bon Temps.
I had decorated my house the day before I started work. Black leather sofa and love seat, Parisian rugs, and mahogany tables. My room had been set up in a Gothic decor. I had purple velvet sheets on my antique queen size four poster bed. Black candelabras were set on each of the rosewood nightstands. All my furniture in this room had been antique, looking almost like it came out of the 14th century. I could never resist the beautiful work of old furniture. All in all, I was impressed at how the room looked. And I was surprised when decorating at how large the room itself was, that I decided to go back and get more furniture of the same fashion for the spare bedroom. My house was finally livable.
I had just woken up for the 6th day in a row without any nightmares. I was beginning to loose myself in my glee. I practically skipped to the bathroom and decided I felt like taking a nice hot bath. I turned the water on and stripped off my clothes. I carefully stepped into the water and laid back, letting my hair bob in the warm water.
I seemed like hours I was in that tub just relaxing. I looked over at the clock on the wall and realized from the time and my pruned fingers and toes, that I had been in there a lot longer than I intended. I quickly pulled the plug, letting the now cold water escape down the drain. I walked into the bedroom and pulled on my uniform with my black vans. I sat at my vanity and applied my makeup. I was feeling spontaneous so I decided to put on some fire engine red lipstick and gave myself a smoky eye. I double-checked myself in my full length mirror. Pleased with how I looked, I grabbed my purse and started to my car.
I arrived at Merlotte's and started toward the door. Once I entered I noticed it was a lot louder than normal, as if everyone was talking at the same time.
It was then I realized that most of the bar was too busy eating their food or getting drunk to talk.
I had no idea what was going on, or why it seemed so much louder. At first I thought I maybe just had a migraine without realizing. Then Sookie called my name and walked up toward me.
I wonder what's wrong with her.
I was horrified when I saw that her lips didn't move.
I grabbed her arm and ran towards the bar, yelling at Sam that I needed to talk to Sookie for a minute. He lifted his head up and nodded. I pulled Sookie to the back door and walked outside.
"Rayne, what's wrong?" she stood in front of me while I grabbed at my hair, my eyes almost bulging out of my skull.
"Sookie, this is going to sound crazy," I said, pacing in front of her. "but I think I can.. hear.. people's... thoughts."
"What? Rayne if you're making fun of me, I'm used to it." She said staring at me incredulously.
"I'm serious Sookie. When I walked in, it seemed like everyone was talking at once, then I realized they were barely talking at all, and when you walked up to me, I could hear you wonder what was wrong with me." I sat down on the bench and put my head in my hands.
"Are you sure? Maybe you just read my expression or something. I've just never heard of someone just becoming a telepath"
I sat quiet for a second before an idea struck. "Think of a number, a color, and a state."
"Okay"
14. Uhm... purple. And California?
"14, purple, California."
She dropped her jaw. "Oh. My. Lord." This time I thought she was going to be the one needing to pick her eyeballs off the ground after they popped out. "How?... I... What?" She was speechless.
"I have no idea, but I need your help trying to control this new wonderful 'gift' of mine. How do I close my mind off like you do?"
"It's a lot harder than you think. It took me years to be able to do it and it's still draining." She said, turning her back toward me. "Just imagine everyone's thoughts inside a big box. Close the box and toss it aside. It's going to be hard to keep it closed."
"I don't understand how this happened. Thank you Sookie." I said, giving her a hug.
"I don't either. I wish I could ask Bill about it but he doesn't know much about how I'm a telepath." She said reassuringly.
"Me too.. Okay, here goes nothing," I said as I walked back into the bar.
Sure enough, the voices were still running through my head. I stood back, took a deep breath, and tried to push the voices away. They got quieter and quieter until they eventually subsided. I don't know what was happening to me, but I didn't like it.
I pitied Sookie for having to deal with this her whole life.
I had only been a telepath for 4 hours before I felt mentally exhausted. I had been serving drinks to a couple in a booth when Bill walked in.
But it wasn't just Bill.
There were two others behind him. Both obviously vampires. The one to his left was a woman. She was absolutely gorgeous. She was dressed in a simple black dress with matching heels. She had long blonde hair and blue eyes. She had a disgusted look on her face as she came in and looked around. Following closely behind the vampire beside her.
He was purest sense of the word perfect.
He was tall, wearing a black tank top that fit his muscular body perfectly. Black pants covered his long, toned legs. His beautiful pale blond hair was slicked back, making him look similar to those greasers you see in movies. But what attracted the most were his eyes. They were an astonishing shade of blue that fit his face perfectly. He had a smirk as he followed Bill, gaining all the attention in the bar.
I was staring at them, forgetting about my guard. An image went through my mind. It was a little blond boy, no older than 10, playing along the beaches of the North Sea. I could almost smell the salt in the air and the breeze nipping at my skin.
It was then that I dropped the pitcher I had in my hands causing it to shatter on the floor.
Everyone turned their attention toward me, including the new guests. I turned around, acting as if nothing had happened. I awkwardly went back to waiting tables, occasionally looking up to glimpse at the vampires. Sookie was sitting with them, Bill's arm around her, and she looked as though she hated the company of the people across from her. I looked over to look at the male and noticed he had been staring at me. I caught his gaze and stood there watching him watching me. I couldn't turn away. He turned his attention back to Sookie and said something to her. She looked up at me and then back to the man. I tried to see if I could read her mind, seeing what they were saying as she processed the conversation in her head.
"That's none of your business Eric." Sookie snapped.
"I merely wanted a name. She looks quite delectable." Eric said, turning his attention toward me again.
"Eric Northman, you stay away from Rayne!" Sookie said, clapping her hands to her mouth.
"Is she a telepath like you?" the woman asked.
"No. Why would you ask that?"
Eric looked at me again. "Because she seems to be able to hear our conversation from all the way across the bar."
I jumped back into my own head as they all stared at me. Eric lifted his hand up to summon me over. Great, my first day of being a telepath, and everyone can tell. I walked up to the group and smiled. I was used to being around vampires, having lived in the fictional capitol for so long. The woman was the first to speak.
"Well well well, she does look delectable. I wouldn't mind taking a bite out of that.." As she said this, I head a distinct click and her fangs protracted, a look of lust on her pale face.
"I wouldn't mind letting you," I muttered to myself. She was beautiful after all, vampire or not.
"You have an interest in my prodigy?" Eric said, eyebrows raised.
"I'm sorry, that was rude of me. I should have kept my thoughts to myself." Yeah, like I can control my thoughts and other's at this point. "I'm Rayne Crassus. Pleased to meet you." I said, smiling.
"Crassus. Roman?" the woman said.
"Yes ma'am."
"I am Eric Northman, and this is my business partner, Pam." Eric said staring at me intently. "But I think you already knew that."
Sookie shifted in her seat, and looked at me wistfully.
"Why would you say that? I've never met you before now." I threw him a convincing confused look. I don't think he was buying it.
"You have something different about you. I felt the same thing from Sookie when we first met. I assume you know she's a telepath, but what about you?" He raised his eyebrows again. God his eyes were beautiful. Nevermind the fact that he could rip me to shreds. There was just something - different - about him.
"Rayne, you don't have to answer that!" Sookie said practically begging me to shut my mouth. Bill had given her a nudge and shake his head. I'm assuming he was indicating I had to answer. This made me think Eric was Bill's superior. I wouldn't be surprised. He looked much bigger, older, and more threatening than Bill.
"Uhm. I don't know really. I guess I am." I looked down at my feet as I said it.
"Interesting. It seems I've stumbled across some luck." He said, eying me and then turning to Bill. "She could be of use to me."
"She could be of many uses." Pam said, looking me in the same manner as she did before. Either lust or hunger. I couldn't tell which.
"Do you need me for anything else? If not I need to be returning to work." I said, ignoring the comment from Pam.
"Actually I do." Eric said. I had noticed he never moved his gaze from me. It kind of made me uneasy, but it also made me curious.
"Eric please, leave her alone." Bill had said. The short time I knew Bill he had been like a brother. I had no idea he would have stuck up for me in a situation like this though. After all, it did seem like Eric was his superior. I didn't know anything about vampire politics, but I assumed that was so.
I had heard all the trials Sookie had been through. Drew Marshall, Rene being his assumed name, and his muder spree. I hadn't heard much from her about Eric. Except that he was a selfish jerk who used her like a hunting dog, making threats to Bill if they didn't comply.
"What do you want from me?" I said, taking a deep breath and looking directly into Eric's gorgeous bright blue eyes.
Stop that!
"In due time my pet, in due time." I saw a smile faintly play across his lips. I absentmindedly smiled back. "May I speak to you alone for a moment?" He motioned toward the door.
Bill and Sookie looked worried, while Pam looked curious.
"Yeah, sure." I said, nodding my head.
It wasn't until I turned around that I noticed that the entire bar was staring at me. Sam looked up with an expression saying "watch yourself". I followed Eric toward the door. He stepped into the woods, expecting me to follow. I did. I could hear him turn towards me but I couldn't see, the moonlight wasn't enough light in the woods. All I could see was the outline of his pale face.
"I would like to see you at Fangtasia tomorrow night. You're of use to me, though why I can't say here." He said, turning his head as he spoke.
"So just because I have this new ability to read minds, I wind up being a toy for some vampire I don't know?" I didn't like being used. I sure as hell wasn't going to be some blood bag for every vampire in the area.
"You're a feisty one." He almost chuckled at me. "I like that."
All of a sudden I felt my head tingle. I couldn't describe it. It just felt... off.
"You will come to Fangtasia tomorrow night just after sundown." He said. I could tell he was staring straight into my eyes.
"What if I refuse?"
"I guess glamour doesn't work on you either. If you refuse, I'll just have to use you in other ways." I heard his fangs 'click' and he moved closer to me. His fangs shining in the moon.
"I'm not afraid of you."
"Really?" His breath was on my neck. It was almost as cool as his skin.
"What happens if I go? What do I get out of it?" I asked, trying to calm myself of the the fact that this beautiful vampire's breath made the hairs on my arms stand up.
"That will be discussed when you arrive tomorrow." He said. It seemed he hadn't noticed my reaction. Probably not the one he was intending, but a reaction I wouldn't like him to know nonetheless.
"Fine. I'll be there." I said reluctantly.
"Good choice." His fangs retracted.
As he was turning around I remembered something I'd been meaning to ask.
"Uhm, Mr. Northman. May I ask you something?" He stopped in his tracks and turned around. He was out of the woods, and I could see him glow in the moonlight. He looked like an angel. Well, as close to an angel I was going to get.
"Speak."
I didn't know how to start it. "Uhm... Did you, uh, used to live near the North Sea as a child?" That was a wonderful way to ask.
He looked confused, something I'd never seen in a vampire before.
"How could you possibly know that?" He said, his eyes fixed on me, moving closer.
"I don't know. I just," I paused, "sensed it. You almost smell like salt water." I felt stupid. It was none of my business.
"Very interesting Miss Crassus." He stared at me for what seemed like hours before turning around and walking into the bar.
I stood there for a minute, absorbing what had just happened. The I walked back into the bar, only hearing Eric tell Pam it was time to go. Pam waved at me and smiled. It wasn't friendly. It was almost like someone would smile when a steak was served in front of them. Eric shot me another glance before walking out of the bar, leaving me there dumbfounded. It wasn't until Sookie ran up to me that I snapped back to reality.
"What did he talk to you about?" She said after hugging me like I'd been gone for weeks.
"He wants me to go to Fangtasia tomorrow night." I said, still having not re-gained my composure.
"You're not seriously thinking about going are you! Eric is not the kind of person you want to get mixed up with." She said, almost shaking me.
"Look Sookie, I know you mean well, but I don't have much of a choice."
"I guess you're right, but be careful when you do. You've been a good friend the past couple weeks and I couldn't stand to loose another."
"I'll be fine Sookie, I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." I said, grabbing my tray so I could go back to work.
"I'm just worried Rayne."
The rest of the night went by relatively fast. My guard had slipped a few times when I thought about what had happened earlier, hearing about some man that cheated on his wife and hoped drinking would relinquish his guilt. All in all, in the few hours I had it, I was learning to control my new gift with a surprising ease. When it was time to leave, I did the last of my closing chores, and grabbed my things, telling Sam goodnight. I started to my car and headed home.
As I got to the door, I grabbed my keys from my purse. Just before I had them in the lock, I noticed something to my right in the distance. Or someone I should say.
I could have sworn it was Eric.
After rubbing my eyes a bit, making sure I wasn't completely delusional, I realized my eyes were correct. He was watching me from the end of my private parish road. I heard him say, even as far as he was:
"I don't know what you are, Rayne Crassus, but I intend to find out."
In an instant, he vanished, as if he were never there. I stood on my front porch for a moment, wondering what the hell just happened, and then proceeded into my home. I slowly walked up the stairs, holding the handrail as I walked. As I entered my room, I felt so tired all of a sudden. I changed into my regular pajamas: a t-shirt so big it consumed me and a pair of cheeky hiphugger undies. Almost as soon as I laid my head on the pillow, I feel asleep.
I knew I would dream of Eric tonight.