Chapter Two

"Scalpal sluts" The dark haired girl thought to herself as she glanced up from her useless drink to assess the room. Thais was horrified to be at a party thrown by the Largo's, yet here she was. She stood out amongst the plastic party-goers that were mingling near her. It's not that Thais wasn't pretty, she was just... striking. She was beautiful in a different sense of the word, people were very drawn to her. Thais wore a short black pencil-dress with a zippered corset. Black waist-length hair fell around her slim frame accenting her icy blue eyes and sharp nose and jawbone. She was also tall, taller than most of the other women in the room and her skin was pale ivory (not unhealthy) but oddly pale all the same. This was a night at which she didn't care about societal status or wealth. No, she was here for a much darker reason. Thais had made up a great story if anyone asked. She would say she was born in the Romanian countryside and lived there until she was sixteen. Then her father decided to immigrate to America to take advantage of the recent surgery fad and sell legal zydrate. Although his decision to get in on the drug business did them well financially, Thais longed for her Eastern European childhood. It wasn't a complete lie, Thais was born in Romania, and her father did die when she was young. She just decided to leave out a few key (and quite morbid) details about her past.

Thais rarely made ventures into this country, let alone Sanitarium Island or Geneco. But she was horribly tired of her previous European "hunting grounds" and was desperately looking for a bit of excitement, and what better way to find that besides sneaking into Amber Sweet's birthday party? At least these last remnants of what used to be called Los Angeles weren't as sunny as before. Oh, The Largo Manor, what a place to end up. It was a disgusting place to her. She knew of this family's "hobbies" and she couldn't wait to quickly get what she needed and then rid herself of this place. Amber made her over-the-top entrance to her 26th birthday party, complete with a gaudy orange and magenta corset and matching skirt and fishnets and henchmen on either side. Even her hair had changed to match the neon vomit that she called "fashion". Soon, Thais spotted the Largo brothers and before she could even make her way over to them to make quick "acquaintances" and leave, Pavi had set lustful eyes on her.

"My, my," he thought to himself as he gazed at the spectacle of a woman standing alone and looking a bit annoyed "How do I not know of-a this bella". Pale skin almost glowed in the colored lighting that enveloped her and her hair gracefully adorned her sharp features.

Thais saw him lay eyes on her, and she knew exactly what he was thinking as he sauntered to her from across the hall, leaving disappointed Genterns in his wake.

"Buon giorno, bella," Pavi greeted this beautiful stranger, "And how are-a we this spectacular evening?"

"Quite well, Mr. Largo." Thais answered, sweet, but somewhat reluctantly. She knew she had to be nice to him, and his family. They were the her hosts after all... but it was difficult to have a civil conversation with a man shamelessly staring down your entire body (not to mention whilst wearing a dead woman rotting face over his own).

"And-a why is it that we have-a not been introduced, mia cara?" he said while snaking a hand around Thais's waist. She pulled away immediately, startling Pavi. He was not, by any means, used to rejection. In fact he couldn't think of a time he was ever rejected and the woman had got away with it.

"I-I'm sorry Sir," Thais continued, "I am just a little uneasy, I am new the the city and-"

"Shh," he interrupted, "The Pavi will-a introduce you to the people of Sanitarium Island." He smiled through his second face and took her by the waist again, leading her to Amber's dance floor. Thais couldn't understand why he was getting the best of her, but she knew she didn't like it. She did not want to do this, she was not like these people. Thais absolutely did not want to be around them, let alone dance with one of their celebrities.

"Mr. Largo, please, I really don't feel like dancing. At least let me finish my drink?" Thais appealed Pavi.

"Oh bella, if-a you insist..." he trailed off. Pavi new that he was never going to woo this newcomer by forcing her to do something she didn't want to- yet. Pavi's attention soon transitioned to the Genterns previously escorting him.

Thais couldn't do this, she wanted to get out of here. She didn't expect to have so much trouble controlling her urges.

"Who cares about a new hunt..." she thought to herself, "I need to get out of here." She wasn't used to being so close to someone, especially a Largo. Thais had... a bit of a condition that she found hard to control at times, and her control was quickly dissipating. She quickly found the exit of GeneCo and on her way down the streets of Sanitarium Island. The streets shimmered in the the moonlight and GeneCo towers loomed overhead. Thais didn't know where she was headed, but anything was better than where she was. She knew that one of the Largo's would be missed way too much. She needed to find someone common, who would easily be forgotten. Thais new that wouldn't happen with Pavi's eyes on her at Amber's party. There wasn't much that scared Thais after what happened after her father's death, so she wasn't afraid to really explore the city. Block after block went by and soon Thais slowed her pace, examining every passerby and neon store front. Left turn, right turn, Thais found her way deeper and deeper in to heart of Sanitarium Island.

"Goodness, this-a girl walks fast" Pavi muttered to himself as he began to jog in order to keep Thais in his sight. Pavi was rarely rejected, and it was even more rare for him to let a girl get away. Thais was no exception. Soon, he felt her slow down, now he could slowly gain on her. She made random turn after turn until she found her way to an old school house on the eastern boundary of Sanitarium Island. It wasn't the nicest part of town to say the least, but there was no one around so Thais sat down in a swing near the rickety gates that read "East Village Elementary School". Pavi rounded the corner to see his conquest stop and sit in a debilitated schoolyard. He made his way around the edge of the play-yard, unnoticed by Thais.

"Hello, bella." Pavi's exaggerated accent turned from a sing-song falsetto to a vicious murmer. Thais turned and stood, but didn't run (much to Pavi's surprise).

"Mr. Largo? I should have xpected you to follow me" Thais glared, "And honestly, I don't know how good of an idea that was on your part."

"Mi amore, the Pavi always makes the best decisions when it comes to getting what he wants." A switchblade flicked out of his pant pocket and he lunged toward Thais and she dodged him.

"Really Mr. Largo, you shouldn't do this..." she said, her voice turning from sweet to grave. He tackled her thin form pinning her down onto the muddy ground. He grabbed her hair in his left hand and held his switchblade to her throat in his right.

"Bella, the Pavi's prey never escapes, now-a do as you're told and I will wait to-a claim my prize until after you are dead." He pressed the knife harder against her neck. Thais grabbed this wrist and kicked his side, flinging him off of her into the ground beside them. She stood to run but he shot up and pushed her into the chain link fence surrounding the school.

"Okay then, I won't-a play so nicely." He pressed against her, holding her flush against the fence and he began to make the deep incision around her face. Thais trembled before him as he pressed the blade through the ivory skin of her forehead and sliced down to her cheekbone. Pavi was so enticed by the blood beginning to trail down her face that he didn't notice her angular jawbone extend until he reached it with his knife. Pavi stepped back in fright at Thais's once alluring face elongated, showing two rows of razor-sharp teeth, lengthening before his very eyes. Pavi tried to flee but before he could make any distance, he felt a freezing hand grasp the back of his neck, turn him around, and throw him across the grounds and into the brick walls of the decrepit old school. He hit the building forcefully and fell to the ground with an effeminate moan. He lifted his head momentarily to find his "conquest" crouched over him, staring into his horror filled eyes.

"I told you that was a bad idea" Thais hissed.

"W-w-what are y-y-you?" he asked, his stutter returning out of shear fright.

"Why don't you tell me, Mr. Largo?" Thais watched his eyes wander over her now healed face and protruding teeth.