Arthur Schoenberg's face stared back at me from the photograph I held in my hands. I sat in the small two bedroom apartment that I shared with Christian. I remember the day I found his body; Roza was there with me that day.
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Cautiously, I approached the front door; I could feel Roza following behind me. I stopped in front of the front door of the house, I was studying the door. It wasn't open, but it wasn't entirely shut either. It looked like it had been closed in haste, not sealing. Further examination showed scuffs along the door's edge, as though it had been forced at some point. The slightest nudge would open it. I lightly ran my fingers along where the door met its frame, my breathe making small clouds in the air. When I touched the door's handle it juggled a little, like it had been broken.
"Rose, go wait in the car." She was skilled, but I had a bad feeling; I needed her safe.
"but wh—"
"Go."
I waited, straining my hearing, until I heard her get into the car. I gently pushed open the door and slipped inside, as quietly and quickly as possible. Again, straining my hearing; trying to hear any signs of life.
I walked through the house, until I got to the living room. I counted four bodies, among the bodies was Arthur Schoenberg's body. I decided to move through the rest of the house to see if there was anything to give me a clue as to what happen here. I guessed from the smell permeating the air and the weather or the last couple of days; and the lack of footprints outside the house that his has been a couple of nights since the attack. But with Strigoi it's always better to be cautious; so I kept quiet and continued looking around.
I moved to the back of the house and everything, was normal. As I was moving back down the hallway towards the kitchen to go back into the living room I heard movement.
As I was advancing, preparing to go on the attack. I round the corner and see Roza standing next to the broken patio, I quickly ran up behind her and put my hand over her mouth to keep her from breaking the silence. I never wanted her to see this; I could see it in her eyes when she had turned around to face me; that this had shook her to the core.
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I snapped out of my revere and stared back down at the picture in my hand of the legend that was Arthur; and I shook my head in disbelief at the connection between him and Ryan.
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I had my arms crossed under my chest and was numbly walking back home; my thoughts were chasing each other in circles. I kept replaying the whole night over and over and kept hearing what Anna had said to me. Her words had really made me feel cheap; I knew that she didn't intend for that; but her words really made me feel like a horrible person. 'I have become one of those slutty girls that strung all these guys along, the kind I use to make fun of' I thought and shook my head. I had known that what I was doing was wrong, but it was never brought to the forefront like it had been tonight.
I heard a loud honk behind me, startled out of my thoughts I turned to see Ryan's car. He came to a stop next to where I was standing on the curb and rolled down the window.
"Rose, get in I'll give you a ride." I heard his voice drift out from the window; it was too dark to see his face. I know Anna said that boys will be boys, but I was still worried during my walk about him and Dimitri; I needed to know what happened and I needed to make sure that they were both okay.
I opened the door and slid in, before I had completely shut the door behind me; I had looked over and from the overhead light I could see that Ryan's lip was busted and he had bruising on the front of his face and his nose looked slightly swollen. There were blood stains on parts of his shirt. I finished closing the door unconsciously as I stared at Ryan.
When the door had completely shut the overhead light in the car went out and we were encased in darkness, all I could see was the outline of him from the streetlamp down the street from us. I moved towards him and gently touched the side of his face. I don't know why; but I needed to touch him, it calmed my nerves which were more frazzled than I had realized until I felt a tear slide down my cheek.
Ryan cleared his throat and pulled back from me, "Let me take you home." His voice sounded rough, he didn't sound right. I mean I knew he had just fought Dimitri, who would terrify anyone since he was a God in a fight; but it wasn't from that. I could just tell, I turned forward in my seat without saying anything and he took off towards my house.
The drive to my house was silent, and it was a tense silence. I felt like I needed to say something, to ask him what the hell had happened. But I couldn't bring myself to for some reason. He pulled up in my drive and looking at the house I could tell that no one was home.
I turned towards Ryan, who was still facing forward staring blankly at the garage door. I reached over and grabbed the keys out of the ignition before he could react. I jumped out of the car and started walking to my front door.
"Rose!" I heard him yell, he was standing in-between the car and the drivers side door. "What are you doing?" He asked, he sounded stressed.
"Come in side and let me clean you up." I said and turned around and walked up to my door without looking to see if he was following. The light next to our front door was out so I was standing there fumbling with my keys when I felt Ryan right behind me. He was standing close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off of him. I finally got the door open and walked in silently letting out a breathe I hadn't realized I had been holding, the presence of Ryan sometimes was so overwhelming.