Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Rosario Vampire. I am merely twisting the creator's vision into my own dream. If the supernatural, sexuality, or violence is offensive to you, then you should not read this.
Chapter 323
Kasumi was ready to go out right on time. She had on the cocktail dress Ruby had picked out, with a black shoulder wrap, and silver bracelets and ear rings for accessories. For a night out with her husband's bosses at a fancy restaurant, Kasumi was sure she would have fit right in. For an evening out with her son, she felt a little overdressed and silly. The only reason she had allowed Ruby to dress her up so much, beside the fact that the younger woman appeared to be enjoying herself, was that Kasumi had enjoyed the attention.
Also, Ruby, Kasumi observed, was perfectly capable of talking and working at the same time. As long as she didn't waste time arguing with the younger woman, Tsukune's mother had the chance to hear about more of her son's life. Kasumi got a chance to hear about Tsukune's rise to power at school. From being voted by his classmates to be their representative, to becoming a part of the school's festival committee, Tsukune had broken out of his shy, middle-of-the-herd habitual life. He had been made editor of the school newspaper because everybody in the club respected him. He had risen up in popularity from just being just another student in his class to being known by the whole school, which seemed incredible to Kasumi.
Ruby proved to be a wealth of small tidbits about Tsukune's school life. She even told the story of how Tsukune had started a whole new club. Kasumi found the story of the Love Letter Club to be very heart warming, and more than a little funny. She thought that story alone would make for a good television drama.
Kasumi had enjoyed the attention and the stories enough that she didn't pout when Tsukune arrived. In his gray suit, he looked sharp. Kasumi couldn't resist taking a picture of him. Tsukune gave a token protest, but saved his energy for more important battles.
"Alright," Tsukune had sighed while his mother held her old but trusty camera. "Come stand with me Ruby."
"Eep!" Ruby was startled at what he had said.
"Ooh, that's a wonderful idea," Kasumi smiled and nodded. "A nice family photo of you both."
It had only taken a minute for the pictures to be taken. When it was over, Kasumi had a picture of herself with Tsukune, one with Ruby, a shot of the two of them, and thanks to the timer function, one of all three of them together. As she stepped out with her son, Kasumi was humming happily.
Tsukune knew what he would see as he gave a last look over his shoulder towards Ruby. His servant was already busying herself with making sure the house was in order, with her hands trembling ever so slightly. With a smile from ear to ear, Ruby was so happy about the 'family photo,' she was crying.
X
One question that Kasumi had not been able to ignore kept pecking at her thoughts. How was Tsukune supposed to be picking her up. Ruby had arrived in the minivan that Tsukune usually drove. She speculated that her son could arrive on his motorcycle, and then take the minivan. The problem with that thought was that if Tsukune had dressed up for the evening, a motorcycle would not make a lot of sense for getting around.
It turned out that Tsukune had another option that his mother had not thought of. He arrived in a sporty, black coupe. While it was not a luxury brand, it looked powerful. Adding to it's look was a flattened oval mounted on the roof. It took a moment for Kasumi to realize that the device was a fancy light bar. Tsukune had come to pick her up in one of his company's cars.
"Tsukune," Kasumi chided. "You are saving for you future aren't you?"
"Yes Mother," Tsukune gave her a nod and a warm smile. "Between my time with the police, and some of the connections I made in school, business is doing very well."
"That is good to hear," Kasumi said as Tsukune held the car door open for her. "But you shouldn't spend too much. Think about the future."
"Unfortunately, in order to make money, I have to spend some," Tsukune sighed. "I need patrol cars to make my supervisors visible to current and prospective clients." He closed the door once his mother was seated and then went around the car to climb into the driver's seat. He continued talking as he pulled away from the side of the road.
"The supervisors help support the guards on the posts," Tsukune explained. "They make sure the guards have fresh batteries for their flashlights and radios, pick up daily reports and drop off blank forms, and generally make sure the guards are doing their jobs and look professional. And of course, depending on how many clients I have, I need enough guards and supervisors to make sure all of the positions are covered, and I try to keep my staff at least ten percent above my current needs."
"It sounds like a lot of people depend on you," Kasumi observed. She had heard her husband talk about work for years. It gave her a warm feeling of pride to hear her son do the same, and not just whine about having to support himself.
Her friend, Ochi Karin, had a son Tsukune's age. While he had graduated collage, the young man was still living in a small apartment and coming home each weekend to eat and do his laundry. Karin had given Kasumi an ear full about how her son wasn't ready to settle down, and was apathetic about advancing his career.
Tsukune and Kasumi continued their idle talk until they reached their destination. She tried to work in casual questions about Moka, Ruby, and anything else she though he might still be keeping secrets about. Tsukune replied with simple, uninformative answers, using broad, general terms that were unsatisfying. Unless he ignored the questions all together. Kasumi wanted to press harder for information, but to be fair, Tsukune was driving, and she did not want to distract him too much from that.
X
The destination turned out to be a club Kasumi had never been to before. Recently remodeled, it projected a feeling of relaxed comfort. The valet didn't show any surprise at being left with a private security patrol car. The pair of young men at the front door offered deep bows as Tsukune and Kasumi entered. The hostess responded calmly, but with familiarity.
"Welcome, Aono-Sama," The woman said with a bow and a smile. "Your table is ready."
"Thank you, Kokasan," Tsukune politely acknowledged.
Kasumi tried to appear calm and composed, but she could not help but notice the way the club was different than any she had seen before. It was clear right away that it was a Host/Hostess club, but instead of trying to be a party scene, it was the kind of place that made her want to just relax. It was the kind of club where money would be spent thoughtlessly by people that had it to spend.
"Tsukune..." A voice called out as the hostess lead them from the door. Kasumi turned and saw someone she recognized, and had not expected to see.
"Kasumi," Ageha smiled. "I am so glad you could make it."
"Ageha," Kasumi greeted the woman that had become her unlikely friend. "Tsukune did not tell me we would be meeting you tonight."
"Tsukune," Ageha gave him a pout and a hug. "You shouldn't be cruel like that to your own mother."
"Don't worry," Tsukune smiled as he hugged her back. "I will make it up to her. I hope you and Kurumu have not been waiting long."
"Kurumu's here too?" Kasumi was stunned.
"She arrived just ahead of you," Ageha reported. She let go of Tsukune and started to lead him and his mother deeper into the club. "She is waiting at your table."
The club, among its different details, had an unusual floor plan. Most such clubs favored a large, easy to supervise, open floor plan, with furniture other fittings set up to section out zones and conversational areas. By having everything open, the festive, party atmosphere could be used to encourage business. By contrast, this club had been set up to encourage a stronger sense of both intimacy and privacy. The table Ageha lead Kasumi and Tsukune to was in a corner nook that was almost hidden from the bar, and completely out of site of the front doors.
Kurumu came out of her seat as Tsukune approached, eager to great him. They shared an embrace and a heated kiss beside the table. Kasumi had grown to lover Kurumu as much as the other women close to her son. It was because she knew her so well that Kasumi could see the tension in Kurumu's posture.
"Mother Aono," Kurumu said as she turned to greet her. "I am glad to see you. You look wonderful."
"She does," Ageha nodded.
"So do both of you," Kasumi found herself blushing. Ageha dressed with a flashy elegance. Kurumu always looked pretty. Having the mother-daughter pair complementing her felt good, but she had a hard time believing that she really measured up that well.
"Let's all get comfortable," Tsukune suggested.
The table was the center of a small conversational area. It wasn't quite a booth. Instead the table was flanked on three sides with short couches, or love seats. At either end of the couch at the back of the table there were end tables. One held a collection of books, and a lamp on a swing arm. The other just had a table lamp and a land-line phone. It was a very unusual arrangement to have in a club.
Tsukune and Kurumu sat together, with her on his right, and the back side of the table. The two mothers sat across from each other. Ageha had encouraged Kasumi to the seat that would put her to Kurumu's right, while taking the seat to Tsukune's left for herself.
"I am a little surprised that a club has books laying around?" Kasumi commented in an attempt to get over her growing nervousness. It was clear her son was up to something.
"Normally there wouldn't be," Ageha replied. "But this is mine and Tsukune's private table. The phone is even a dedicated line for any business maters."
"A private table?" Kasumi frowned. She looked at her son. "Why would you need a private table in a club? How much time and money do you spend here."
"It's not like that," Tsukune protested.
"It is my idea," Ageha spoke up. "I always like it when Tsukune comes to visit, so I made sure everybody here knows he has V.I.P status."
"You can do that?" Kasumi asked.
"Sure I can," Ageha smiled. "This is my club. I bought it and remodeled it recently. It is a part of my retirement plan." She gave the other mother a wink.
"Congratulations," Kasumi offered, not sure what she should say.
"Oh it gets better," Ageha went on. "This is a family run business. I hire the women and manage their schedules and manage the bar. Kurumu writes the menus and manages the kitchen and its staff. Tsukune is in charge of security."
"Well... that is..." Kasumi had trouble finding the right words. "A family business..." She gave her son an unreadable look. "Are you branching out? Is that what this is about?"
"No mother," Tsukune gave her a smile. "I brought you here so we could talk. When you came over for dinner, I didn't tell you everything."
"Tsukune..." Kasumi didn't know if she should be upset that he was knowingly holding out on her, or excited about the chance to learn more... Or wondering why he had taken her out to Ageha's club to talk. Then she smiled as something came to light in her mind.
Kurumu had been in school with Tsukune and Moka. She must know about Moka's big secret, and more about Tsukune's life away from home for those years. Of course there was the question of how much Ageha knew, but she always had seemed to Kasumi as an open minded woman.
"Kurumu," Tsukune gave her a smile and a playful shoulder bump. "Would like to order dinner for us?"
X
It was a unique dinner for Kasumi. It was an entire meal made up of appetizers and snacks. The table was loaded with plates and bowls of different foods and sauces. Kurumu explained the different dishes, sometimes in depth. She also explained to Kasumi how the foods could complement each other. Kasumi did sample everything, Kurumu knew her stuff when it came to food after all. It helped that the younger woman was able to explain how a whole and healthy meal could be made from what was on the table, and no two people had to eat exactly the same things.
It was a pleasant way to dine with friends, Kasumi decided. There was some background music playing. The lights were bright enough to see the food and people, but without any glare. The club was warm, but not humid. The seats were comfortable, with room to move about, or to cuddle, depending on the company. Along with some good wine, Kasumi was feeling relaxed when the conversation shifted away from food and random small talk.
"I hope you are having a good time," Tsukune said to his mother. "I know you needed a little chance to relax."
"This is a fun way to relax," Kasumi nodded.
"Isn't it though?" Ageha spoke up.
"Especially after the last two days," Kasumi nodded.
"Oh?" Ageha smiled.
"Yes," Tsukune nodded. "Because Moka and I told her more about how we met, and what went on in high school; like how we faced an ogre on the first day."
"Tsukune..." Kasumi gave a gasp at how casually he mentioned the ogre.
"Oh don't worry," Ageha made a dismissive wave of her hand. "My club is the perfect place for sharing confidences. People need a place where they can relax without everybody learning every little thing about them." She gave the other mother a smile and a wink. "And relaxed, happy people spend a lot of money."
"I understand," Kasumi gave a nod. "But still..."
"Don't worry," Kurumu spoke up. "Remember, Tsukune and I went to school together, and my mother visited a few times. She knows most of what happened."
"I wanted you to be able to talk with Ageha," Tsukune explained. "Because I know you want to have somebody to talk with about everything you are learning."
"And I already know all the big secrets," Ageha added. "So you don't have to worry about getting anybody in trouble."
"Really?" Kasumi looked back and forth between Tsukune and Ageha. Her eyes were wide, much as if she were a child that had just been given a special treat. "She already knows... You already know that Moka is a.. a..."
"A youkai?" Ageha said as she gave the human woman an amused smile. "Yes. I've known for years."
"Tsukune..." Kasumie turned in protest to her son. "How come she was allowed to know everything, but you only just told me two days ago?"
"It is because of the nature of the school you sent me to," Tsukune replied calmly. "You had never even herd of the place before you sent me there, and I made sure you never came for a visit. There was a lot of secrecy to the place, and for a very good reason. The students there need to be kept safe, and keeping everything a secret was the best way to do that."
"Well, I can understand you wanting to protect Moka..." Kasumi frowned.
"Not just Moka," Tsukune pointed out.
"Tsukune was protecting us all by not telling you the truth," Kurumu spoke up. "Mother Aono, he wanted to keep all of us safe, and the best way to do that was to not let you know what was happening."
"But Aghea," Kasumi said to the woman across from her. "You were allowed to visit the school. You said you knew about Moka's secret for years."
"That is because of what I am," Ageha said with a smile.
Tsukune could see the nervousness in Kurumu's mother's smile. He knew that the succubus had grown fond of his mother, and nobody liked losing friends. Coming out with the truth was always a test for human-youkai relationships.
"Another reason I wanted you to come and meet with Ageha and Kurumu tonight, is because there is more for you to know," Tsukune said a little quickly, moving the conversation towards his intended purpose. "And Kurumu should be the one to share it with you."
"What?" Kasumi turned her attention to the young woman beside her son. "Are you a vampire too?"
"No," Kurumu shook her head. "Vampires are not that common, thank the stars. They are usually all overly proud and try to lord it over the rest of us with how important they think they are." Kurumu gave a little pout and a sniff.
"But Moka isn't like that at all," Kasumi protested.
"Not the Moka you know," Kurumu gave a small shake of her head. "But I know her better than you do."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Kasumi demanded. She wanted to defend the sweet young woman she had come to know and love like a daughter.
"Mother," Tsukune broke up the tension. "Would you like to hear the story of how Kurumu and I first met?"
"What?" Kasumi nearly gave herself whiplash as she shifted her attention to her son. "Yes." She perked up a little in her seat.
"Please remember," Tsukune began. "I love Moka, but I have not always been very smart about the way I handle things."
"Oh my..." Kasumi put a hand to her chest as she felt her excitement building. She recognized right away that she was about to hear some juicy drama. "You don't say." Not smiling took a lot of effort as she looked forward to hearing the story.
"This happened within a week of starting school," Tsukune began the story. "I was very excited to be close friends with Moka, but at the same time, Moka and I were both learning how to understand each other. On the day I met Kurumu, Moka and I had just had a foolish argument over a misunderstanding."
"You make it sound like nobody is to blame," Kurumu gave a little huff. "Moka never could restrain herself properly."
Kasumi was already on the edge of her seat. She could feel the animosity between Moka and Kurumu in the story already. A small part of her had always been a little disappointed by the lack of open conflict between the young women clustered around her son. The fight between Ruby and Moka had been a surprise to hear about, but her excitement over that conflict had been lost quickly when Moka's secret had come out. This time Kasumi felt that she was ready to enjoy a good, juicy drama.
"Nobody was to blame," Tsukune argued gently with Kurumu. "It was just a little misunderstanding because we were both young and new to being with each other."
"You say that," Kurumu shot back. "But Moka was being greedy and selfish by drinking your blood so often, and you and I both know that nobody understands being self centered better than I do."
"Wait..." Kasumi frowned as her brain caught up to what had been said. "Moka drank your blood?"
"Well she is a vampire," Tsukune said a little sheepishly. "But she never took too much, but at the time I was feeling frustrated about it, so one morning I complained about it in the same way I used to complain about having to take a bath when I wanted to watch television. Then I went off to pout about it and ran into Kurumu."
"You better let me tell my part of the story," Kurumu nudged Tsukune with her shoulder.
"Be my guest," Tsukune gave her a smile and a nod.
"Mother Aono," Kurumu began. "I hope you won't think badly about me, but I used to be a selfish girl that didn't care about others. I was cute, and sexy, and I thought I knew what I wanted in life and how to get it."
"Oh my," Kasumi nodded to show she was paying attention.
Ageha watched her daughter with a smile. She liked knowing that Kurumu was mature enough to know her own failings, and she liked the story of how Tsukune had helped her grow into a proper woman.
"When I started high school," Kurumu went on. "I was excited to be making a fresh start. I was free of the troublemakers that had bothered me in middle school. Nobody knew me, or the reputation those troublemakers had stuck me with. I was going to have a new life, and I was going to start it by becoming the most popular girl in school."
"I was going to smile, flirt, and tease every boy in school until I had them all following me," Kurumu recalled her own foolishness. "And then when I had them all paying attention only to me, I was going to pick out the best one, or ones, without a care for who I left brokenhearted."
"Oh my..." Kasumi knew she should not, and really could not approve of the callous, calculating attitude Kurumu was talking about, but it did promise to make the story all the more juicy.
"Everything was going according to plan," Kurumu went on. "I had every boy in my year drooling over me in no time." Her face darkened. "Except one." She gave Tsukune a small, evil glare. "Tsukune never even looked my way. He was too busy following Moka around to pay any attention to me" She looked back to Kasumi and gave her a sparkling smile that had a touch of nastiness to it.
"Well I couldn't let any boys ignore me," Kurumu insisted. "I was too important for that. So I made it a point to stalk Tsukune down and make him pay attention to me. One morning I heard him and Moka yelling, and then he went off alone. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up."
"I circled around Tsukune and came up with a plan," Kurumu said. "Tsukune was upset about not being appreciated, so I put myself down at a place he couldn't help but hear me and pretended to cry. I played at being upset over being hurt and misunderstood, because I knew he would not be able to resist me if he thought I would be able to understand his feelings."
"Oh... What a thing to do," Kasumi couldn't help herself. She was nibbling at the snacks nervously as she hung on ever word of the story.
"It almost worked," Kurumu went on. "I had Tsukune eating out of my hand, but then Moka came around to make up with him. As soon as he saw her, I could tell that he was going to break out of my control if I didn't do something, so used my Charm to make them have another argument. Moka ran off in tears and I was already starting to gloat over my victory."
"But Tsukune started to feel bad about arguing with Moka," Kurumu explained. "And that meant that he wasn't giving me his full attention. So I pretended to be faint from the excitement. Tsukune was the perfect hero, and helped me to the nursing office."
"You know," Tsukune interrupted. "I just realized that I never visited the nursing office again after Yukari joined us."
"Tsukune, hush!" Kasumi complained.
"As I was saying," Kurumu gave Tsukune a dark look before picking up the story again. "Tsukune helped me to the nursing office, where I had him all to myself. I was going to get him to kiss me, so that I would truly have him under my control."
"Oh..." Kasumi could feel her body tighten up with anticipation. She had already learned that Ruby had taken Tsukune's first kiss in his second year, but that did not take away from the excitement at the scene Kurumu was describing.
"We were along on the bed," Kurumu said in a lowered voice, adding to the sense of drama. "We were face to face and looking into each others eyes. When Tsukune reached for me, I was a little frightened, but so very, very excited."
"And..." Kasumi wiggled in her seat with anticipation.
"And then Tsukune grabbed me," Kurumu made a sour face. "He pulled me into a tight hug and started apologizing to me. He was so worried about Moka that I couldn't even get him to kiss me when he was Charmed."
"Oh my..." Kasumi breathed.
"Mother Aono," Kurumu raised her voice a little as she remembered her frustration that day. "You don't understand. He should not have been able to resist me. I had grown up learning that no man could resist one of my kind. He should have given up on Moka and become my follower without any hesitation."
"Well Moka is a special kind of... person," Kasumi was still a little uncomfortable with saying 'vampire' out loud. She was still a little worried about what that might really mean.
"Moka was a vampire," Kurumu scoffed. "I'm a succubus. Men are supposed to go mindless when we use our Charm ability on them."
"A what?" Kasumi sat up as that statement sank in.
"A succubus," Kurumu explained. "We seduce men to use their life energy as food. What a vampire does with strength and fangs, we do with sensuality and seduction."
"Ohhh my..." Kasumi felt herself growing warm. There was no hiding the emotions in Kurumu's words. It was exciting to hear the story, but now it had whole new layers to the drama. She knew she should be frightened, but at the same time she was to enthralled by the story to want to miss any of it. Kasumi was on the edge of her seat, literally, as she sipped her wine and waited for more.
"Tsukune had rejected me as a woman," Kurumu growled. "And now I was failing as a succubus. I couldn't stand it. I would not, could not accept that I could lose to anybody. I had set out to take Tsukune away from Moka to prove that I could, but Tsukune wasn't playing along. I was so angry that I decided that if I couldn't have him, nobody should. I was going to make my failure go away by killing him."
Kasumi could feel the drama, the emotions of that day. She had dealt with a heartbreak or two of her own after all. There had been a member of her high school's football team she had almost gotten together with. She had been ready to confess to him, right after their team had been trounced in the national qualifications, when a girl a year younger had popped up and kissed him on the cheek. Kasumi had wanted to kill the girl. She had turned out to be his sister, but by the time Kasumi had learned the truth it was too late.
Kasumi could understand some of Kurumu's frustration. She could even sympathies with the feeling of anger and wanting to strike out. It was a sign of how caught up in the story she was that Kasumi was not upset that Kurumu was talking about wanting to kill her son.
"But then Moka showed up and stopped me," Kurumu growled. "It was bad enough that Tsukune was rejecting me, but to have Moka wiling to stand up to me, I was not going to let them get away with that. We started to fight."
"Oh my," Kasumi could feel her pulse quickening with excitement. She had seen girls fight over a boy before, more than once, and not just on television.
I still think I could have won if Tsukune had stayed out of it," Kurumu went on. "But he unsealed her power, and when Moka's seal is removed she is a real monster. I didn't have a chance against her then."
"What did you do?" Kasumi asked breathless with excitement.
"I got beat up is what I did," Kurumu answered. "The unsealed Inner Moka was going to kill me. She threw me into the ground so hard it made a hole."
"Oh my," Kasumi's hands were trembling.
"But then Tsukune was there," Kurumu gave a small sigh and a smile at the memory. "He got between Moka and I. After all the things I had done to try to break them apart, Tsukune was still willing to stand up to Moka and defend me. He kept her from killing me, and gave me a chance to realize how foolish I had been."
Kurumu leaned into Tsukune and gave him an adoring smile. The feelings of love and pride in her face were unmistakable. Kasumi could feel her heart flutter as she watched.
"I had been acting so selfishly," Kurumu said as she looked back towards Tsukune's mother. "But it turned out that my original plan had not been a total waste. You see, I had found the best boy on campus after all."
"Really?" Kasumi questioned.
"Tsukune was so loyal, and so caring, that he didn't give in to me just because I was pretty," Kurumu explained. "And he could not be seduced by my Charm either. He was able to resist me, but was still able to see something in me worth risking himself for. I decided that Tsukune was the one I wanted, and I have not considered a single other boy or man since that day."
"Oh..." Kasumi's voice quavered. She was touched by the feelings coming from the younger woman.
Xxxxxx
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Bonus material...
Thank you for reading. Here is a piece of my next project ( I hope). It will be (if I can get the boilers up to steam) the story of someone you may have heard of, and how he ended up where he did, and what has come after.
Enjoy.
x
Bonus sample
…..
It had started like so many things do... With a bad idea. Like many things in the world, where there are people willing to cause harm and make a mess of things, there are people that get involved without having a choice. As with so many problems, what effects one person eventually effects the people that they come in contact with. That is how Brone was forced to face the secret world that surrounds modern life.
An innocent girl had gotten pulled in by a not at all innocent man. While the state didn't know about the darker things the man was into, the fact that a girl was starting to miss more and more classes while still in eighth grade did not go unnoticed. No in-depth investigation was made. After only some basic questions, which the girl was too frighted to give honest answers to, she was simply moved to another foster home.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
The man had not given up on the girl. He merely use his resources to keep track of where she was moved to. Once she was settled in, he would reach out and reel her in again. It would not take long for her to start missing school again.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
It was in her last year of high school that things finally changed for her. She found a boyfriend that was intimidating enough to keep the man from wanting to get too close, but was nice enough that she was comfortable in his presence. That would have solved her problems, but the man had more than just mundane resources at his command.
She knew he was looking for her again when the nightmares came back. She was trapped in a dark place in those dreams, where the only light came from the same direction as the man's voice as he called out to her. Only this time the dreams were growing stronger.
The dreams were not always waiting for her to fall asleep...
She was out on a date with her boyfriend, who had already become her lover, when she felt the pull of the nightmare. If she could have, she would have excused herself and hidden away until it passed, but that time she didn't have the chance. Movie and pizza night with her boyfriend and his social circle should have been a safe time, but she knew she was never totally safe.
She didn't want anybody to see her pass out. She was afraid of what people would think if they knew the kind of trouble she was in. She was about to give an excuse, a migraine coming, so she could ask for a quiet place to hide, when the nightmare seized her.
When she opened her eyes again, she was witness to the power of geekdom. Many long weekends of roll playing games had given the teens a grasp of strategy, and minds flexible to respond to the unexpected... just maybe not in the best of ways. When she opened her eyes, she was being held by her boyfriend. Most of his friends were standing around, armed with whatever came to hand, including a baseball bat, a wooden sword, a real, and really cheap, sword, and the handle off of a broom. But what caught her attention most was that one of the teens was holding the blue cardboard container of salt, and he had just finished using it to make a circle around her and her boyfriend.
That was Brone. That wasn't his real name, but it was the name she would always remember. One geek among the many, he had taken his interests more seriously than most. When his friends might play a fantasy game that involved magic and creatures of legends, Brone had found his imagination caught up in the ideas, drawing him to do extra reading on the subjects. Seeing that his salt circle had brought a friend out of some kind of nightmare, he had all the proof he needed to know that magic was real, and that he could use it.
That night she told her boyfriend and the others her story, and her dark secret. The friends pulled together and promised they would look out for her. Brone also promised his support, confident in his teenage arrogance that his still fledgling research into the supernatural would be able to protect her.