Chapter Two: The Arrival
Hillcrest was for the most part flat, except for one large mountain the cast its shadow reach across the town for almost the whole day. It was a fairly sleepy town, that was for certain but even when Sasha's clawed feet he expected it to be difficult to find somewhere to hid and change back. It was barely into the evening and the streets were empty. No children laughing at play, no neighbors talking as they gathered their mail or even noising teenage drivers blaring their music for everyone to hear. All was silence. All was mourning. Duffel bag still slung over his shoulder, Sasha moved silently through the streets like a ghost that had escaped its grave. His feet didn't even echo as he moved through the town square and on to the main street, it was as if the towns sorrow was sucking the life from the world itself.
Sasha had initially been worried that he wouldn't be able to find where he was going to be staying. He had thought that hotels, motels and inns were as numerous as clouds in the sky. At least that's how most movies and shows portrayed the traveling world. Hillcrest had only one motel, Crest Falls, a five room slice of heaven and according to the proprietor was the Ritz-Carlton for drivers passing through the area. That was of course before the highway, Floyd explained as he began to hand over paperwork. Floyd was quiet the looker himself. Sasha could see why his aunt had taken him as a lover. It wasn't that he was unattractive but there was this core to him that shone with a kind of emotional beauty that was lost through the squinty eyes and too large nose. Hell even the way his over sized teeth pulled up his lips thin, his voice was excited.
"I was surprised when Shiarra said she had a younger brother."
"Were you?" Sasha couldn't help but let his eyes roam around the office.
"Yah you bet." He smiled, "I mean I figured she would have mentioned."
"That's my sister for you."
He pulled out a room key and pressed it down on the counter. "Look when you get settled, if you find yourself needing some food I want ya to go right across the street Donna will take care of ya. My wife would love to me you."
"Are you sure I wouldn't be imposing."
"Nah, not at all. Plus I betting she would be so happy to meet you."
"If you insist."
Floyd's toothy horse grin split his face again. "Oh I do."
Some of the streetlights were beginning to flicker on as Sasha stepped out into the little square parking lot. He had been placed into the number five room, farthest from Floyd and unwanted visitation. Not that the incubus didn't like the man, but he didn't want to risk the poor guy walking in when he had weapons or changing. In any sense of that statement. Sasha moved swiftly towards the bright red door with the bronzed number. In a set of three movements the door was opened, the duffel was tossed onto one of the twin beds and then the door was closed. It wasn't that Sasha was really hungry, it was more that he didn't want to curl up in some shitty motel bed and cry himself to sleep yet.
Part of him wondered for a moment if Shi ever heard him, when his emotions overwhelmed him at night. It was embarrassing falling asleep knowing that he would have to wake up to face the day without his friend. Without the person who had given him an object of affection weeks before it was allowed. Everyday the Celtic knot proved a morbid reminder of the time Sasha and Cam shared as well as the loss of anything they could have had before. But still even when it had begun to way him down, Sasha kept it now. Now he was happy he saved it. Though the lost still hurt deeply, the necklace gave him hope that maybe one day things could be fixed.
Sasha even felt hope that maybe, just maybe Cam was still wearing his.
The teenage incubus' concentration faded away as he stepped up to the houses front door. Floyd's house was much like his appearance, not overtly beautiful but having a charm and appeal what made you want to come inside. The lights were on and from the sounds, there was quiet a commotion going on inside the door. The sounds of a family existing and making dinner, he wasn't sure why but Sasha felt like he could stand outside that door forever. Something whispered in the back of his mind that if he knocked on the door, the whole scene would shatter like broken glass. With a deep sigh, Sahsa reached out with his fist before muttering softly to himself.
"Here goes nothing."
In two seconds the door was opened and a visage of beauty appeared behind the screen. She was tall and fairly curvy, with long black hair that just cascaded down around her ample bosom. A small child still clad in diapers was attached to her pant leg and looked up at the incubus. Her young eyes looked up that Sasha's hair with a massive curiosity. Her chubby finger pointed up at the young man and she uttered a single word.
"Elmo!"
"No honey," The mother whispered before turning, "I'm so sorry she been in love with Sesame Street."
Running a hand through his hair Sasha chucked, "Its alright, I'm sorry I think I have the wrong house. Floyd told me to stop over if I was hungry."
"No honey, you're in the right place."
"Really?"
"Yeah I'm Donna, this little munchkin is Liz and you must be Shiarra's little brother."
"Um..yeah, its Sasha," Sasha stepped aside as Donna opened the door, "You knew my sister?"
"Please honey, she introduced us. I love that woman."
Quickly Sasha was ushered into the house and Liz's small diapered bottom was slipped into one of those baby bouncers. It was the kind made with elastics that allowed her to bounce herself at a sickening pace. The young incubus watched the little girl and smiled down happily wiggling his fingers at her playfully. Little Liz giggled and reached her chubby fingers out towards Sasha's hair, repeating the name of the happy muppet over and over until Donna glided over, pacifier in hand. Once the little girl was silenced by the piece of plastic the busty mother led Sasha over into the small but incredibly warm kitchen. It was the heat of the oven that he noticed it was warm with love; pictures and drawing traced with the ghost of emotion. The sentimentally laid over everything like a heavy wool blanket.
"I can offer you a sandwich and a soda if you want."
"That's fine."
The mother continued fussing as if she hadn't heard Sasha, "or I could heat up some tuna casserole, would you like some of that. I couldn't get you some pie if you would like."
"Donna please the sandwich will be fine." The incubus flashed a toothy smile.
In a flurry of doors, cabinets and drawers everything began to come together on the plate. The sandwich built up quickly and began to look like something out of a commercial or an advertisement. So when the plate and glass of caramel colored soda slid in front of him. Flashing another grin and muttering a thank you Sasha wolfed down the sandwich. Still sputtering and grinning through his food, Floyd slipped in through the back door. Rising a finger to his lips he hushed the young incubi before slipping behind his wife, when he wrapped his arms around her waist Donna yelped in surprise. A response that got both baby Liz and Sasha to laugh; they laughed even harder when Donna wacked her husband over the head with her spoon.
Hours passed and Sasha had spent more time then he had originally planed. He had found himself lost in the midst of the sandwich, the loving atmosphere and even the giggles of little Liz. It was nearing nine by the time he managed to drag himself free of the family picture, of course he left several fistfuls of hair having been ripped from is skull by the adorably little girl. Liz had of course made Elmo promise that he would come visit her again. Sasha had promised and only then did little Liz let go of the incubus' leg.
As dead as the whole streets were before; the town was just as barren but that wasn't exactly true. There were the sounds of a pair of feet and the long malformed shadows that danced slowly from building to building. It moved like a dark dancer across the brick work. Its back was far too large and curved in so many different angles, like a swooping slope. The arms and legs were long and nimble, stretched out by the moon. The street lamps painted an army in sable tones for Sasha to follow. Down main street, past the strip mall and drug store, past the elementary school and deep into the center of the town. Sasha wasn't sure why he followed it but something in his gut was telling him that this would turn out to be very important.
"Hey sister." A man's voice muttered.
"You have two hours before I have to get ready for midnight mass."
"Thank you sister."
"Don't mention it Maxwell."
Sasha watched as it moved into the church and the nun followed behind. It was one of those old stone churches, the kind from back when every small town had an oversized one. The entire church was surrounded in a fence, wrought iron from the appearance. Within the stone courtyard was a statue of the virgin mother, the child was long since removed from the marble form; where it would have been along her arm and chest was rough. The rocks surface was covered in rough edges and craters that marred the statues beauty and it some strange way its meaning. Sasha let his fingers trace the statue's waist before he walked towards the door. It was heavy and old; the young incubus prayed silently that the church was well maintained so that he could at least open the door without being detected.
His silent wish was answered, the hinges moved without a sound.
Once inside Sasha wasn't sure how he was going to hit considering that the church's interior was really an empty vaulted box filled with pews. It wasn't going to take much more then the man hunched near the pulpit turning around and he would be spotted. Slipping to one of the darker corners of the church, Sasha settled down and kneeled, nose and eyes peering daggers at the man's back. There was a snap, at first the incubus' mind flipped to a gun being cocked but it wasn't that; there were two snaps just barely overlapped. Most people wouldn't pick up on it, but then again most people aren't a freshly fed incubus.
The man rose and a set of shoulder length hair fell around the collar of his jacket. Even from behind, Sasha could see that the man had taken a guitar; the man plucked a few cords nervously. He kneeled as well, adjusting the strings until he seem satisfied with the sound that came out. Suddenly he stood and turned, shaggy bangs falling across his face has he let the bass line walk slowly. After a minute the tune shifted to something familiar and a voice rose up softly to fill the church.
'Very superstitious, writing's on the wall,
Very superstitious, ladders bout' to fall,
Thirteen month old baby, broke the lookin' glass
Seven years of bad luck, the good things in your past.'
The man began to sway and rock slightly has he pounded out the song, Sasha could swear he heard a whole band. His voice had grown and swollen large with the rush of the song, was hard to blame him because he was obviously enjoying it. This was the most joyful sound the incubus had heard in the town since he arrived, not counting the baby Liz's laugh of course.
'Ooh When you believe in things that you don't understand,
Then you suffer,
Superstition ain't the way'
There was a draw, Sasha could feel it like someone had thread a rope right though his middle. He wanted to start singing, to join the man up in the front of the church. Sasha wanted to sing with him and it seemed to take a great amount of strength for him not to burst into the song.
Very superstitious, wash your face and hands,
Rid me of the problem, do all that you can,
Keep me in a daydream, keep me goin' strong,
You don't wanna save me, sad is my song.
'When you believe in things that you don't understand,
Then you suffer,
Superstition ain't the way, yeh, yeh.'
Sasha smiled the man was in love with performing and it was easy to see why he had picked the church now, its acoustics were perfect for his instrument. They let him draw everything in to him and pushed all other sound away. So much so that he didn't notice the nun until she walked past him down the isle.
'Very superstitious, nothin' more to say,
Very superstitious, the devil's on his way,
Thirteen month old baby, broke the lookin' glass,
Seven years of bad luck, good things in your past'
'When you believe in things that you don't understand,
Then you suffer,'
With one cough the sister interrupted the song, cutting it off the song. The man's confidence evaporated almost instantly, his shoulders feel and he could barely meet the nuns gaze as he began to pack the guitar back into its case. She looked like a tall aging penguin, with her crisp gaze.
"I'm sorry you must go." Her gaze turned towards Sasha, "both of you."
In one soft movement Sasha caught the gaze of one eye. Thought he couldn't tell the color, the way the candle light reflected made it obvious that the man was looking at young incubus. Blood quickly worked up his neck, through to the tips of his ears. The man walked walked past the sister and along the corridor, his face was slung low.
The power was gone from his voice as he spoke the last words. "Superstition ain't the way, no, no, no."
The young incubus felt his face burn and he rushed out of the church, embarrassment somehow thrust on him by the nun. He imagined that this feeling was somehow related to the feelings that a human would get when they were caught masturbating. It wasn't that incubi and succubae didn't rub one out; it was more that it didn't carry the same social stigmata that it did for humans. The emptiness of the town passed by unnoticed. Sasha could barely recall the walk from the church to the door of his motel. Hell he could barely figure out what happened after the song, all he knew was there was something off about that man at the church. He couldn't place his figure on it but something deep in him told him that he would have to find that man again before all this could get resolved. The last thing that really floated into Sasha's drowsy and confuses mind was the singing voice of the mystery man, Maxwell.
"Seven years of bad luck, good things in your past."
A/N: So i been busy with my own writing (both personal and fanfiction) but this story needs loving to. Please read and review.
-WordDemon