Claira woke, for the second time that day, feeling much more refreshed. With a stretch and a sigh, she picked up her keys and shoved them into the ignition. After an agonizing pause, the car slowly rumbled to life. Claira looked at the tiny digital clock inside the dash and saw that it read 4:30pm.
"Still loads of time 'til my night shift," She mumbled aloud, wondering what to do. Logic would dictate that she probably ought to try and get some more sleep, seeing as how she didn't often get the chance to obtain a healthy amount of it. Yet, she felt wide awake now, and she didn't want to just be sitting idly there until her shift started at 9:00. Not to mention it'd start getting dark closer to 6:00 or 7:00 now that the winter months were fast approaching, and she did NOT want to have another meeting with the man from last night.
"Well, I guess that only leaves me one thing left to do," Claira sighed, though a flighty smile played at the corners of her lips. She'd do the same thing she did every other instant she actually had some spare time to kill.
She'd go to the boardwalk!
It was a pleasant enough place, always something going on. Besides, she had some friends up there with a shop, and she needed to pay them a visit.
*THISWOULDBEALINEBREAK*
Back at the cave, David was awake and restless. He crouched agitatedly in the shadows watching as the sun crept away, slowly. Much too slowly!
He glared at those deadly rays, despising them for every moment they confined him while that girl was out there! With a long exhale he leaned back against a rocky crag in the wall. The girl, Claira, she was in his brain! He wanted to see her again. Bring out her wild determination, and entice her into a battle she couldn't win. He wanted to taste the blood that pumped so furiously in her veins. He wouldn't kill her, not at first anyway, she needed to be savored.
He wondered how limited her courage was. Was it fueled by bravery or foolishness? He wondered if she was always that strong-headed, or was it only in a time of crisis? He wondered what it was that drove her. He wondered if he'd ever be able to expand upon such musings with the DAMN SUN MOVING SO SLOW!
He continued his brooding until a sleepy voice issued from behind him.
"David?"
He turned quickly to find a very tired Dwayne standing a few feet behind him.
"David, What're you doin' up?
"Couldn't sleep," David answered, truthfully. "Paul and Marco aren't up, are they?"
"No," Dwayne smirked. "And you shouldn't be up either
"Thanks Mom, but look who's talking." David hissed.
"Hey," Dwayne laughed. "I woke up by chance! But don't worry, next time I wake up and find you missing I'll be sure not to come looking for ya'."
David grimaced half heartedly, and Dwayne looked at him thoughtfully.
"You're still thinking about that girl, aren't you?"
"Yeah," David answered.
"What gives David? You met her less than 24 (24, Jack Bauer… Keifer Sutherland :D haha! (I'm lame, ignore me)) hours ago and you're hooked! You know that "Love at first Sight" stuff is bullshit, right?"
"It's not like that! Damn!" David grumbled, turning away. How could Dwayne expect to understand the way he felt? Hell, David hardly understood it himself!
Dwayne sighed and crouched down beside him.
"Look David," Dwayne said. "I understand more than you give me credit for."
David snorted and Dwayne shot him an angry look.
"I get it better than you!" he snapped. "You know, that girl was ballsy, I'll give her that. It takes a lot to stand up to one of us. But you're idolizing her David! She's not some magical creature you've discovered, she's not special, she's just a girl. Don't make her into something she's not just to escape your boredom!"
"I'm not doing anything like that!" David persisted. " She was different! I swear!"
Dwayne sighed.
"Keep telling yourself that David." He said, standing and turning back towards the inner sanctums of the cave. "But you need to decide whether to kill her or turn her. Don't get anymore involved than that."
With that, Dwayne left, leaving David alone in the silence .
*THISWOULDBEALINEBREAK*
Back in the world of the sun, Claira had just managed to find a parking spot for her rickety old car. Grabbing a light jacket from her bag, she scampered out onto the lot and slammed the car door behind her. She smiled as she was met by a cool ocean breeze and the bright sun.
It was never cold in Santa Carla. That's one of the reasons why she loved it. Sure it got cooler in the winter, especially at night, but it was never downright cold.
She hated the cold.
Making her way through crowded walkways, she spotted the shop she was looking for. It was a small comic shop, nearly engulfed by the shops on either side of it. Upon entering, she could see the cluttered shelves overflowing with comic books, but she could not find her friends amongst the mess. But she knew they were there, and she knew how to get their attention.
With a smirk, Claira slowly neared a shelf and went to pocket one of the books that threatened to spill off of it.
"Hey!" A loud voice called out. "No nicking our stuff!"
The voice was accompanied by two boys, rushing to the rescue of their merchandise.
"There ya are you little midgets!" Claira laughed, plopping the book back down on the shelf. "Knew you'd come running once you sensed shoplifting! Long time no see!"
"Oh it's you Clair?" The shorter of the two replied. "Beat it will you? We're running a business here. No time for socializing!"
"Nice to see you too Edgar," Claira replied, eyebrows raised. "Come on now, you and Alan don't look like you have much business going on a t the moment." She was right, seeing as the shop was altogether empty. "Surely you have sometime to squeeze in a visit from your old friend Clair?"
"Alright," Edgar sighed. "But make it quick! You know how busy Alan and I are."
Claira rolled her eyes, but nodded to humor them.
"You guys got any letters for me?" she asked.
"NO!" Edgar shot back sourly. "As usual! And we don't appreciate being your personal mail-men Clair!"
"It's not my fault I'm not aloud there anymore!" Claira snickered.
"Yes it is," Alan mumbled. "You were the one who round-house kicked the last mailman employed there."
"Yeah, and he was a total dick!" Claira retorted. "But putting all that aside, how have you guys been?"
"Working hard," Edgar told her. "You know especially with our work after hours."
"Aww," Claira gasped sarcastically. "You two became prostitutes!"
"No!" Edgar grumbled. "You know what I meant! We've been hunting vampires!"
"Creatures of the night." Alan added.
"Oh not the vampire spiel again," Claira groaned. "I've had enough of that shit for this week!"
"It's only Monday," Alan pointed out.
"Besides," Edgar continued. "You can't hear too much about it if you wanna live!"
"I think the vampire stories you two deranged munchkins spread around is getting to people." Clair mused, with another of her sarcastic smirks. "You're making 'em all go bonkers."
"Says who?"
"Says me!" Claira snapped. "Me and the freak I ran into last night who said he was going to "suck my blood"! "
"You saw a vampire!" Edgar exclaimed, his sullen demeanor somewhat brightening.
"No! Are you dumb?" Clair replied incredulously. "He was psychotic! Or drunk…. Probably both!"
"This is bad Clair! If you met a vampire and he let you go, he could be targeting you to use you for some blood orgy with his vampire brethren!" Edgar told her seriously.
"How nice," Claira grimaced. "Doomed to be the victim of a blood orgy? Seems a fitting fate for someone like me."
"I'm serious Clair," Edgar warned. "You should stay off the streets at night for a while. Lay low in your apartment."
"Can't do that bucko," Clair sighed. "I'm way behind on rent! If I show my face to mister McNeil without any money he'll evict my ass!"
"You're behind rent again?" Edgar asked in disbelief.
"You surprised?" Claira joked sadly. "My job don't pay as well as such a fine business like the one you're running."
"That or you're wastin' your salary on chasin' things that should be forgotten." Alan said softly.
Claira's face darkened.
"That's nobody's business but my own." she said shortly. "I'd thank you kindly not to worry about it."
The shop fell silent, and Claira looked away from them, determinedly feigning emotionlessness. Edgar and Alan exchanged nervous looks. The boys knew of all the things Claira couldn't say, just as well as they knew all the questions that they could never ask.
"Right," Edgar said, quickly trying to change the subject. "Putting rent aside, you've got a big problem Clair! The vampires are totally going to find you."
Clair smiled and took the subject change gratefully.
"And what am I supposed to do to defend myself?" She smirked (yet again). "Carry around some crosses and garlic?"
"Couldn't hurt," Edgar affirmed. "But personally I think holy water and stakes are your best weapons. We can hook you up with some if you'd like."
"God you guys are loons," Claira laughed playfully. "Maybe I should start associating myself with some older acquaintances. Ones that aren't infatuated with the occult."
"Like you could find anyone better than us who would want to hang out with you." Edgar shot back with a small smile. Their conversation was interrupted, however, as a couple of teenage boys entered the shop.
"Customers," Claira pointed out, grinning. "Guess I have to get out of your hair then. Let you two attend to "business"." Clair went to make her way towards the exit.
"Clair," Edgar called out hesitantly. She glanced back at the two of them, standing there as if they were two men of importance, not boys in a comic shop. It made her smile. She was several years their senior, and yet she was still proud to call them two of her only friends in Santa Carla.
Edgar met her eyes with an almost worried gaze. "Be careful out there, okay?" He told her. "I'm serious Clair."
"Right," Claira nodded with a grateful smile. "Don't worry you two. I'll be back to bother you guys another day. Nobody, vampire or other, will keep me from that. I'd almost like to think of it as my second job."
The boys faked annoyed looks and she laughed heartily, yet as she left she heard Alan's voice behind her.
"We'll hold you to your word Clair. You'd better not get yourself hurt out there."
"Yeah," she muttered back, leaving the shop and walking back onto the crowded streets.
"I'm not going anywhere yet," She said to herself. "Not yet."
With her mind setting off into a whirlwind of thought, Claira set off down the boardwalk. Biding her time as the sun crept ever closer to setting.