CLICK HERE FOR THOUSANDS OF FREE BLOGGER TEMPLATES »

Monday, December 29, 2008

For THE Krissy

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Sammy's Drawing

Just Another Krissy Shipper Manip

Thursday, December 25, 2008

A Different For Krissy <3

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

for krissy

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Castiel 2.0

Friday, December 19, 2008

Castiel - NOT color coordinated

Friday, December 12, 2008

Just A Picture of A Rose I Painted


Wednesday, December 3, 2008

DRABBLE LENGTH

Not So Keen
Summary: SPN Drabble. 100 words.

He shook his head, a soft keen rasping up dry throat tissue and out between chapped lips. It had been a long summer made even longer it seemed by the endless days stuck at home while his father and older brother were out Hunting evil.

He ran a hand over the smooth skin replacing his long, dark locks. It felt alien, discomforting. He sighed and let his shoulders droop.

Dad was going to be pissed. When school started next week life would be hell. The prank war had reached an ultimate low in the hazel eyes of the Sam Winchester.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Secret Lies The Way Of Difference

Secret Lies The Way of Difference
By Tina c.

Trevor smiled at Jade over his breakfast tray. He could still feel the glow from their previous day. She nodded to him, but did not return the smile. She had been distant all morning and Trevor needed to know why. His eyes skimmed the surface of the paper as he tried to focus on what could have turned his fellow vampire off. It could not have been the blood or the love-making, she had made that crystal clear the night before as he was leaving to go to his quarters.

The feeling of being full and happy was such a welcomed one. Trevor did not want the source of that to fade. He looked over at Jade again. Her expression was one of downcast resolve. To the young man it looked like rejection and he swallowed bitterly. To finally find happiness and then lose it was the worst and he did not want to experience that again.

Tamlina Gray had gone, he was glad to note. Although she had never been one to join in on the communal breakfast Seth had informed him that morning she had taken her leave. At least now he knew it was safe inside the sanctuary, although he still held doubts for the endless faith he had felt in Seth. Perhaps it was misplaced, perhaps not, but Trevor felt his most pressing concern was finding out what was wrong with Jade.

“You haven’t said anything yet this morning.” Trevor spoke up first. He gave her a challenging stare tempered with fondness. “Is it something I did?”

She shook head. “No.”

“Well, that’s good.” He let out a low, awkward chuckle.

“I don’t normally….do that.” The tone said what ‘that’ was, the day before.

Trevor ducked his head to hide the disappointment. “That’s alright, I understand.” He managed to choke out.

Jade sent him a sympathetic look. “I’m really sorry, Trevor. It’s not you, it’s me.”

“I cannot believe I’m having the ‘I’m dumping you for your own good’ speech being handed to me less than twenty four hours after we started.” Trevor announced with hurt. He ran a hand over his face. “This is just great.”

“I’m sorry, Trevor.” Jade said softly, honestly, her eyes finding his across the table. “I never wanted this.”

“Then why?” Trevor’s voice broke at the same moment a piece of his heart imploded. “Why would you do that with me if you…if it didn’t mean anything to you?”

“To be honest. I don’t know.” She blinked. “I was very conflicted - am still conflicted.”

“I’m willing to work through that. I don’t want to let this go…what we had yesterday.”

“It was a one time thing. We both need to accept that. What we had…past tense. It’s going to stay that way, Trevor. I’m sorry.” She whispered softly.

Trevor pushed his tray of food away and fell back to collapse against the back of his chair. He thought a moment, avoided her gaze and then stood abruptly to his feet.

“I’ll see you later.” He said without looking at Jade.

****
Trevor ran across the warehouse rooftop. He reached the edge and without hesitating flung his body out into the air, arms spread out beside him. The roof of a neighboring building rushed up to meet his speeding body and he tucked into a perfectly executed roll to soften the blow of the landing. Without pause he came to his feet and went on with his run.

He felt winded, but there was no way he would stop now. There were too many emotions to work through for him to stop now. He needed to figure out what was wrong with him and Jade. Why did she seem so convinced that they could not work out. In Trevor’s eyes, the day before had been the most beautiful, natural experience ever.

He licked his lips, tasting the blood running over her lips. Brows coming together, he pushed his body to run harder across the tin tiles, the sound reverberating through the empty docks. He reached the end of another roof and flew for a second through space, leaving his worries rooted to the tin. He wanted to escape the loneliness and the need for survival. He felt so different now though he was still the same Trevor Snow.

As a young adult, Trevor had seen many things that had both startled and surprised him, but what he and Jade had done the day before trumped it all. They had made love in a pool of hot, living blood. He felt his stomach rumble as his mind told it to eat. He had been running for hours - ever since that meeting at breakfast. He could still not understand why Jade had felt they should not remain together.

A cold calculation had filled his thought as they locked down under the weight of uncertainty. It was not a human reaction and he knew that. There was still so much to learn about his new body and what blessings and curses it would bring to him in the future.

He leapt from roof-top to roof-top without tiring. Hunger grew inside of him, but his muscles seemed unable to feel the stress that they were being put under. He wondered how far out into the bay he would be able to swim before needing to rest. He momentarily thought about leaping out past the docks to see, but he quickly dismissed this thought. He did not have time to waste.

He had to figure out how to fix this thing between himself and Jade. He loved her and he did not want to lose what they had found. Somehow he just had to convince her that she needed the love that they had found together. He could still feel her hurt gaze locked on his own. He squeezed his eyes shut and listened to the air whistle past him as he ran full-tilt.

It felt good to have so much control. He relished the thought of sharing this lifestyle with someone as strong and independent as Jade Suon. He needed her to need him. It would make everything better. If he could not change what he had become, he needed to find a way to come to terms with it. Jade had done that for him yesterday, pushing him past his boundaries and opening up a whole new world to him. A world he did not know could be explored so fully.

He flew through the air and landed with cat-like reflexes. A burning started behind his eyes and he rubbed them a few seconds later the pain disappeared and he shoved the experience to the back of his mind so that he could focus on fixing his relationship.

****

Jade Suon looked down at her hands clasped between her knees. She felt horrible for what must have seemed a very cool rejection. That morning when she had told Trevor what the day before had truly meant to her it had seemed to crush his spirit and that was the last thing that she wanted for him. A small part of her begged to just give in to the primal, vampire feelings and go with him. They could live together and happy in each other, but she knew better. A soft sigh blew between her cracking, pink lips. She could feel a weight settle on her heart and she knew that it was because of her earlier actions.

Trevor was young and impressionable and she had take advantage of him during a time when neither of them were thinking clearly or even acting on pure intentions. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she had made love to the young man out of pure, unbridled lust. At the time it had felt natural and right, but now in the light of day she felt ashamed of herself.

Her thoughts went to Seth and she found herself blushing and blinking away tears in a strange, uncomfortable mixture of embarrassment at her own actions and regret at what she had lost. An opportunity to express to the werewolf just how good she felt about the situation.

She sat in one of the many, small studies hidden in corners throughout the building. She wondered what it would be like to life in that place for hundreds of years. She knew that Seth had done this. He knew the property better than the fur on his paw, she had seen the way he could navigate easily without sight. It left her in awe. Her only home had been an apartment after moving out of her parents house thirteen years before. She wondered what her parents were doing.

So many thoughts and fillings filled her up, but she did not have time for that. After eating and taking care of other needs the day before the woman felt that she was long overdue for a chat with Seth’s children. She needed to contribute something to this sanctuary that had harbored her safely these past months. When eating had been abhorrent she had been too weak to help them much other than the occasional meal she would cook.

Jade stood to her feet and ran a hand over her shirt to straighten out the wrinkles caused by sitting for a long period. She was ready to do her part - to really start living again.

The smell of chicken blood still lingered in her nostrils, reminding her of Trevor and what they could have shared. As much as she wanted to understand the thing she had become, Jade wanted to do it on her own terms and not out of necessity.

****

Seth looked down at the picture of his dead wife, the black and white photo faded to a dull yellow, with the edges worn completely away from many years of being folded and unfolded. A creases went through his wife’s clasped hands. She stood in front of the monastery a calm, motherly smile gracing her features. She held two children in her arms while the others sat around her feet. Seth smiled softly.

It had been a good day and it was still a fond memory for him to look back on and remember what life had been like before. He remembered and he mourned. Julietta had been so important to him, a part of his soul that kept him alive and happy. Now he was alone with the children, trying to give them the love of two, but sometimes he felt that he fell short. As a man it was easy to overlook the need that they had for encouragement and love. He loved them, but expressing that emotion to his children was never easy.

****

Trevor came to a stop on the ground. He had given up running across the buildings, exchanging that for the exploration of the warehouses themselves. He still remembered finding this place all those weeks ago. Scared, hungry and alone. He had been terrified of himself and the acts that he had committed against the innocent people on the streets. He had been half-naked and soaked through the skin with the blood of his human victims.

His hands formed clenched fists, the knuckles going white with the intensity of the grip. He hated that about himself. No wonder Jade did not want him. He was a killer - a murderer. He was a bad vampire.

Jade was pure, she had yet to take a life, which completely explained her hesitancy to attach herself to anything or anyone as monstrous as Trevor Snow. He bowed his head in shame. A small part of him felt numb and dead when he made the decision that she must have been right. He could not force himself on her no matter how much he wanted to do just that. She deserved better and he would show her that he could be a better man.

****

A cell phone rang. It buzzed and then rang again. Then again.

The shower in the other room turned off and splashy footsteps could be heard padding down the hallway to the living room. The phone buzzed.

A wet hand reached down and picked it up, flipping it open. A deep voice answered in annoyance.

“Yeah, what do you want?”

There was a slight pause, almost shorter than a breath.

“Really. Well, that’s unfortunate, my heart goes out to you.” There was sarcasm coating every word. “I don’t care, idiot. Fix the problem and don’t call me back until it’s done or else it will be your head on a platter. You got it?”

Another pause, a longer one. The legs shifted weight, towel slipping a little on the bony hips.

“Right and I’m really going to trust you with it again. Hurry up and -.” Another pause, hands flicked impatiently sending droplets of water onto the wood floor. “If you need help call Daniel Harris. Yeah ask his handler where to find him. How the hell should I know? Okay. Soon, fix it soon. Okay. Bye.”

A thumb pushed the red ‘end’ button on the phone to sever the connection. Wet hair was plastered to a prominent forehead, sending rivulets of warm water down the chiseled face until they dropped off the defined chin. A man’s cough rumbled through the muscled chest. He was getting a cold.

“Great.”

****

Seth sat and watched his children interact with the other creatures of his sanctuary. It always brought joy to his heart and his favorite time of the day was after evening meals when all of the creatures came together. Those that chose to be together. The rest were hidden away in their rooms or other secluded parts of the large, mansion like building.

Seth sighed heavily, his good mood dampened only by the absance of Jade Suon. She had not come down to dinner though he had been sure to send up more chickens blood. He had not heard any more noises coming from her room, but then he had been studiously avoiding any sections that might lend him access to such knowledge. He regretted intruding on their personal activities the night before, but the past could not be changed.

He thought Jade must be up in her room with Trevor. Schooling him and supporting him through the transition period. It frayed on Seth’s nerves and he forced himself not to think of it

Jade was a grown woman and she had the right to do whatever she felt necessary. She was even too young if for him if he gave it any real thought he would feel that. A soft sigh broke through his defenses. His shoulders drooped, his eyelids falling half-way as he drifted into a meditative state.

****

Jade Suon looked over at the overflowing pitchers of chickens blood. It was hot and she would give it a few more minutes before braving the liquid. She did not want to burn her delicate throat. It seemed that vampires had ultra sensitive mouths and throats. It made sense that it would be one of their weakest points. She figured that was why vampires could only be stopped by garlic in the mouth only that way could it’s inherent magical properties soak through the vampire defenses and hinder the souls escape.

Silver. Jade’s brow furrowed. She still did not understand the significance of silver neither could she truly explain how it worked. She would have to ask Seth. At the thought she frowned. Or read some books in the library she added to herself.

She felt a brush of cold air on the back of her neck. She smiled. It had been a very long day and thankfully her Grandmother had not shown up at any time the night before - or the day before for that matter - she turned to face the apparition.

Her Grandmother smiled cheekily. “I see you’ve … come to terms?” she asked with an insinuating giggle.

“Yeah.”

“I see.” Her smile widened, eyes twinkling behind the transparent glasses.

Jade did not appreciate the humor, but at the same time she knew that it was Violets way. The woman smiled. Then frowned. Then smiled again.

Her Grandmother took a step forward, her levity forgotten in the face of her Grandaughter’s confused, guilt-ridden expression. A feather soft hand brushed a strand of hair from Jade’s face or at least tried to. The bang did not move very far before flopping back into place. Ghosts only had a very limited affect on the corporeal world.

“Do you want to tell me about it, dear?” Violet Suon asked quietly. “Did he do something to you? I can talk with Seth if he -.”

Jade shook her head. “No!” She explained in horror. “You’ve got it all wrong, I didn’t do anything with Seth. It was Trevor - Trevor Snow.”

“Oh. Goodness.” Grandmother Suon sat down heavily on a chair, her body floating casual an inch into the wood. “Well, that is a problem.”

Jade felt tears prick at her eyes, she brushed a hand over her face to stall their progress. She did not want anyone to see her in this state and it would not be long before someone came to check on her - they liked to know if she had eaten or not. Her eyes drifted back over to the cooling blood. She licked her lips then glanced back at her Grandmother.

“Do you mind?” She asked, nodding towards the pitchers. “I can explain, but I haven’t eaten yet.”

Her Grandmother’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Well, well, a lot has changed in a short amount of time. Go right ahead, dear. I’ll have to get used to it sometime.” She added honestly. “Not that I don’t find it utterly repulsive, mind you, but I accept that it is now a part of how you are. I love you so I will be fine with you eating chickens blood.”

Jade stood. She felt reassured by that little speech. She gripped the pitchers, one in each hand, and returned sit at the table.

“Well, that’s good, because I have every intention of embracing what I have become. Seth convinced me, he said…” She trailed off into silence for a long moment, starring at the table unseeing. “I think he knows about me and Trevor.”

“With that incredible hearing of his, I have no doubt.” Her Grandmother spoke up.

“Well, that certainly doesn’t make me feel any better about what I’ve done.” Jade sighed, swirling a finger in the closest pitcher. She watched the darker color of the surface blend into the lighter shade as she stirred, transfixed by the smell.

“Are you going to eat it or just sit there and look at it.” Violet asked after a very long silence. She looked uncomfortable, studiously ignoring the large containers dripping blood on the table.

“I thought you were going to be more accepting.’

“Give me time, dear. I’m not the one who thinks blood is palatable, much less appetizing.” She kept her gaze averted.

Jade laughed. “At least it’s only chickens blood.”

“It is good to see that your mood has gotten better and to see you accepting this new side of yourself. I’m proud of you.” Violet said with pride. “You are my Granddaughter. I always knew you would inherit my thirst for life - never in a million years thought it would be literal.”

“Very funny, Grandmother.” Jade laughed around the blood covered finger she had just popped into her mouth. She closed her eyes and savored the feeling of it sliding down her throat. She moaned without realizing it.

“Goodness, dear!” Violet exclaimed in embarrassed surprise. “I can come back if you and the blood need to be alone.”

Jade shook her head and then gripped the edge of the pitcher, tipping it up so that she could drink out of it. The blood spilled down her throat in a red cataract of pure emotion and feeling. She moaned louder and longer. The first pitcher was empty in seconds, the leftover liquid sloshing at the very bottom. Jade sucked in a lungful of air and put a hand over her heart, feeling it beat beneath the paling skin.

“That was delicious.”

“That was horrible, but strangely hypnotizing.” Her Grandmother corrected with a finger in the air.

They sat in companionable silence for a while longer until, sated, Jade went to retire on her bed. Her Grandmother stayed in the room long after the younger woman had fallen asleep. The ghost watched over the only kin she had ever felt a connection with. It wasn’t just the fact that she could be seen by her gifted Granddaughter, but also the fact that she was always accepted by her Jade. Questioned at times, argued with certainly, but ultimately accepted for just what she was and if it was the last thing that she did, Violet would see Jade through the terrors of species transformation. It was the least that she could do.

The night fell slowly and painfully. A full moon lending light to the graveyards and the shadows.

Spears of light escaped through slits in the clouds and illuminated a threat to the paranormal community. If only someone had been around to see it and report.

The future would soon be changed drastically. None would see it coming.

THE END.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Thrill Of the Hunt6 - Icongruous

Thrill Of The Hunt
By Tina c.

Heart pounding, rain pouring off the room edge in a cascade of mirrored moonlight, Trevor Snow ran for his life.

The warehouse was just three blocks away. Three blocks to safety and he felt like his heart would explode long before then. Not even super-human speed could get him there fast enough or so it seemed to him at the time.

****

Tamlina crouched low next to the ground. She could sense eyes on her, but she could not locate their source. She frowned. Trusting the werewolf had been the stupidest thing she’d ever done. Paranormals couldn’t be trusted, obviously.

“Come out and face me.” She screamed into the twilight gray outside her new home. Her nerves were frayed and she did not feel like waiting. With a huff, she stood tall and stalked angrily out of her hiding place. “Come out, you coward!”

There were muffled footsteps off to her left.

****

Seth looked out over the graveyard behind the monastery. His red eyes glowed in the low light and a sigh froze, a light fog, in the air. He sat down heavily on a stone bench and waited. He was a Teacher and he needed to report to the others, his superiors. It had been many, many long years since he had taught the younger generation, but still the Teachers came to him on occasion with “special cases”. Trevor had been one such case and now he was required to give reports on the vampires progress. If it was not within the parameters of the Teacher’s satisfaction then the young vampire would have to be put to sleep.

Seth did not want that to happen. He felt that real progress had been made, but ultimately it was not up to him and he knew that. The day was closing softly and he reveled in the rare moment of peace and quiet. His red eyes slipped closed, covered by dark lids. A sigh escaped between black lips as he relaxed.

“You really should learn to be more aware.”

There was something hard being suddenly pressed against the back of the werewolf’s head. Seth groaned.

“Bad form sneaking up on me, Jethro.” Seth admonished his brother gently. “You could have warned me.”

The cane handle was removed from where it had been set in mock intent against the werewolf’s head. “Sue me.” The man replied flippantly. “So, how have things been here.” Looking around he took a seat on the stone bench. “Looks peaceful enough.”

“It was.” Seth agreed with a toothy grin, insinuation in his voice

“I never was blessed with good timing.” Jethro admitted casually. “You have the report?”

“Of course.”

Seth pulled a thick scroll of parchment from an inner pocket of his robe and handed it over to his human brother. It is an ancient custom that he prefers over the modernized CD compiled reports or even the oral reports many give recorded on tapes. Seth always loved the old fashioned sense of “right” that came with writing things down on parchment paper. He blamed it on the monastery, living around that much history was bound to rub off on anyone. He sighed into the cold, damp air.

“It is complete, but I fear that the Teachers will not see it that way.”

“You know how they can be.” Jethro supplied.

“Exactly what I fear, brother.” Seth acknowledged. “I believe strongly that Trevor Snow will never kill again and that those he has killed were not intentional. I believe that he can be a strong ally. Every vampire we can recruit on our side is one less the enemy will be able to control.”

“We’ll wait and see what the Teachers decide, hm?” Jethro said standing. “It was good to see you, brother.” He bowed low. “Until next week.”

Seth watched the human man walk away at a leisurely pace. A smile turned up the edges of his fierce mouth. If anyone could sway the Teachers it would be Jethro. Seth closed his eyes and let the peace of the graveyard filter back into his conscious mind. A few more minutes and then he would return to his duties inside.

****

Jade Suon glared at the ghost of her long-dead Grandmother, Violet Suon.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” She said with perfect certainty.

“Oh, I may be dead, but I’m not blind.” The older woman responded with a low chuckle. “You like Seth and it is apparent to me.”

“I don’t think you know what you’re talking about.”

Her grandmother raised a finger, pointing it knowingly at the ceiling. “Ah, but you are the one who was calling out his name in your sleep.” The older woman ducked her head and plucked at invisible threads on her apron. “I know because I heard you.”

Jade blushed all the way to her hair roots her hands shaking a bit as she turned to the stovetop. The water for tea was beginning to boil, a whistling sound alerting her to the fact. She took a china cup down from a cupboard over the stove.

“Don’t dismiss this, sweetheart. It could be important.” Violet pushed. “If he makes you happy then there is no reason for you not to tell him how you feel.”

“Why?” Jade asked defensively. “So that he can laugh at me? Besides, he’s much too old for me.”

Her Grandmother made a slight ‘tsking’ sound in her throat. “Now, now, Jade. You are immortal. There must be some hope for you both. Isn’t he immortal too?”

“Well, not exactly.” Jade answered. “Werewolves and vampires aren’t the same when it comes to aging. Werewolves do age whereas vampires don’t. The aging process has only been significantly retarded by the werewolf genes.”

“Oh. I didn’t know.”

“Well, I do. I researched it, remember, back when the Teachers still thought I could be there little human pet.” She bit out the sentence angrily, pouring the steaming water into her cup and tossing in a tea packet with a flick of her wrist. “I know plenty.”

“Now, now, dear. I wasn’t trying to get you all upset.” The older woman shook her head. “I guess I’ve ruined enough of your evening…I’ll just go out for a little while, how’s that sound.” She tried to smile.

Jade smiled back. “Sounds good to me.” She said coldly.

They usually got along very well. Violet’s experience gave her an advantage in knowing when a comment crosses the lines that Jade Suon had constructed to separate her from the world. Everyone once in a while though the ghost would stick her foot in her mouth and the results would be a very broody Jade. With a sigh, Violet faded into the wall and disappeared.

Jade sipped her tea and tried not to think about what her Grandmother had suggested, but like the elephant in the room it refused to leave her alone. She swept a long bang out of her face and behind one ear. Her slanted eyes stared at the opposite wall unseeing. This was the trouble with falling in love with a werewolf.

Seth not only had a very long history that Jade knew nothing about, but there was also the many hints that he had once been happily married. The last thing the Asian werewolf wanted to do was give him the wrong idea or lead him on. She did not want to hurt him, because he had saved her life when she had been most vulnerable he had been there for her and the most she could do to make it up to him would be to leave him to his peaceful life. As far as Jade could tell he never dated and tried not to leave the monastery for long periods at a time. She understood that he feared for his charges and his children.

The children did not like her, Jade felt certain of it ever since their first introductions. They had gawked at her like a display at the carnival. Something to be studied and feared. Werewolf children with human traits were rare, but not unheard of, but for Seth to be luckily enough for all three of his children to be born blessed without the traitorous fur and paws was a miracle. Jade knew that he did not want anything to happen to them. He loved them more than life and if she guessed correctly, it was for his children that Seth had opened the monastery.

A safe haven for those with no one and no where else to lean on. The children of Seth were curious about most things and learned in a variety of different subjects. They all appeared younger than twenty, but that was their werewolf DNA lying to the world - all of them with the exception of Dory Anne - were over forty years old. They had been learning and growing all of those years in every sense but the literal. Jade swallowed a hot sip of tea, it burned her throat as it went down and she winced, blowing across the surface of the liquid still held in the china cup.

Maybe her Grandmother was right, Jade thought. She could tell Seth how she really felt, but then would it even change anything. She wrestled with herself. It would be easier to pretend she didn’t fall into his charm every time they met in the hall. She breathed deep, smelling the spices and herbs from the tea and letting it calm her nerves.

She would decide later. For now, Jade knew that she had to talk with Trevor again. She had promised the boy that they would have regular talks about eating habits. She glanced towards the tiny fridge in the corner of her kitchen and grimaced. She hated thinking about the abominable amount of blood inside. It made her insides crawl. She swallowed hard, this time to keep down the urge to vomit. She closed her eyes and set the tea cup down with a sharp clatter. Jade hated her knew taste for blood, she despised it with every fiber of her being.

Together she would work with Trevor. Maybe they could help each other through this time of transition.

****

Seth walked through the quiet halls in the maze of the monastery. He could feel the weight of Jethro’s words on his shoulders. The Teachers would probably not be satisfied until Trevor gave a blood oath never to kill again. A heavy sigh shook the werewolf’s wide shoulders.

There were three ways to kill a vampire’s soul. This mattered because there were only two people on the planet that knew all three and sometimes that was how many it took for the death to be permanent. Vampires were notoriously resilient. Not by desire, but by design.

The three ways were discovered by a vampire who made a studious career out of suicide. Unfulfilled by the twist his life had taken when he had gotten bitten, Jared Stetson had worked for decades on a way to die. He had craved death so badly it had taken over his every waking hour. Drinking blood had taken a back seat and because of that the Teachers and others like them had learned about chicken’s blood. No one knew why, but it was the only other blood that vampires could drink and remain healthy. Other bloods would keep them alive, but sap the energy. A few weeks on a diet of bad blood and a vampire could fall into a coma.

He had to send out Darian out later that evening to check on Tamlina. Seth knew that the girl Hunter was going through a very difficult time and he recognized that what choices she made now would forever affect her life. The man just wanted to make sure that she made the right choices - ones that she could live with later. He had known her family and their loss hit him hard. He felt responsible for Tamlina Gray.

A low light lit the hallway and Seth almost missed seeing the drops of blood splattered across the corner of the floor, but his nose would make no such mistake. He crouched down and touched his hand to the cool, flaking spots. Bringing it up to his dark snout, Seth sniffed. It was chickens blood.

A smile cracked the brooding expression on his face. This meant that one or both of the vampires had gotten over their phobia.

****

Blood red covered the entire surface of Jade Suon’s apartment. She looked about herself with satisfaction, her eyes wide with desire. Blood tasted good.

“Well, that went pretty good.” The vampire said licking her lips,.

Trevor Snow glanced at her over the rim of his cup and grinned widely. A red film covered his white teeth and a small rivulet of blood spilled out the corner of his mouth. Jade reached over and wiped it away, licking her hand and savoring the taste of life.

“Who knew that chickens could feel so much.” Trevor noted casually.

“So very much.” Jade agreed with a faraway look in her eyes.

She could feel his heart beat, heat racing through her body with the new blood. She had no idea feeding could be this pleasurable. She chuckled. It felt good and light and right. She turned to the boy.

“Lets have some fun?”

His return expression was blank. The inference lost on his age. She ran a finger over his chin and chuckled again. This would be fun. For a brief moment she wondered what he would taste like to feed on. Her eyes went to his neck and the vein pumping chicken’s blood through his pale body.

The pale body that held so much attractiveness. She felt her breathing coming faster and her body shivered. Jade turned away from him, momentarily regaining control of her mind. She had never felt this rush before and as good as it felt, she knew that there was something inherently non-human about it. She desired life and lust was an insatiable part of that life. She wanted to have sex with this young man. He was technically about twenty one, but she still felt that it would be improper.

Hands were on her back, kisses raining down on her neck. He was coming onto her from behind, brushing his body up against hers. Jade turned around and with both hands, pulled his face to hers and kissed him long and deep. His hands roamed over her shirt, his tongue pushing past her lips. This felt so right, but it was not what she wanted - not who she wanted. Jade’s kiss deepened still further and with a rush of blood in her ears, she let go of herself.

****

Seth’s keen hearing picked up on the lovemaking long before noon and he felt a small smile hang sadly across his face, but the smile stopped there. His soul felt clouded and overcast with regret. Jade had reminded him so strongly of his dead wife. He had hoped that there would have been a chance for him to say something.

With a regretful sigh, the werewolf returned to his work trying his best not to hear the sounds coming from down the hallway.

****

Tamlina had found no one. She had felt their presence, challenged them openly and searched high and low for whoever had invaded her new sanctuary. Now she just felt betrayed. It had to of been Seth or one of his children. The meddling werewolf clan just could not leave well-enough alone. She frowned and thrust her knife back into it’s sheath. She would deal with them later, but for now she needed to finish moving in.

Turning her back to the courtyard, she remained certain that eyes were watching her every move. A vampire would have been stealthier in it’s surveillance so at least she could knock that off the list of possibilites. Still, it concerned her that so soon she had been compromised.

Tomorrow she would find several new haunts. Options were life savers.

****

Trevor Snow shuddered as he rode out the last wave of pleasure from another round of frantic love-making. They were trying things that were new and yet seemingly familiar. He wondered if being bitten passed on genetic memories. A cup of blood by the bedside had become both a lubricant and a sauce. He poured some more over her torso and then started lapping it up as she writhed beneath his young body.

****

“This has got to stop, father.” Dorian complained that evening.

It was past three in the evening and still the affair between Trevor Snow and Jade Suon was far from over. Seth rubbed his forehead with a weary paw. He did not want to interrupt them. It was obvious that this was just a step towards accepting who and what they had become. He knew from years being a Teacher that vampires, sex and blood were a triangle that never broke. The feelings aroused during love were almost the same as those aroused during blood feeding.

It was why vampires needed to feed. The blood kept their bodies going, for sure, but all Teachers worth their salt knew that really it was the feelings and characteristics being absorbed that a vampire’s body needed. Go too long without it and the creature would turn into flat, gray emotion. Nothing but the husk of a body. Still. Seth had hoped he could share these things with Jade. Instead, the woman had found out about them on her own. He sighed again.

“Why don’t you go out and see how your brother is doing with Tamlina.” He suggested. “Bring back more chickens blood, please. I have a feeling we will need it.”

Dorian bowed his blond head and stood to his feet. All of Seth’s children were tall, but Dorian, his middle child, was tallest of all. He towered his seated father and hesitated a moment.

“Was there something else, son.” Seth asked, thick eyebrow raised.

“I was in town the other day and I heard rumor of someone waking vampires. The abnormal community is getting very upset - they think it could be one of us because there has been no new faces.”

“A human no doubt.” Seth spoke softly from long experience. “It usually is. I will report this to the Teachers tomorrow.” His brow furrowed, long ears perked. “Until then, keep your eye out. Go by the usual hiding places and see if we have any homeless abnormal creatures.”

Dorian nodded and walked out of the room. Seth felt worry fall onto his shoulders, an unwelcome and heavy feeling. He had felt for years now that things were beginning to spin out of control. The golden age that his kind had known filled with peace and most importantly anonymity. Well, it appeared to be fading into the past and he did not look forward to a future without it.

Humans and abnormal creatures were never meant to coexist. He knew this from the many, many histories he had read while working with the Teachers. Biographies and Autobiographies going back thousands of years. Werewolves, shape shifters and vampires all telling their tale. The very first - the oldest few - were the ones that still held his interest. They spoke of a time in the past when humans had experimented with the laws of science and nature. All paranormal creations were the work of humans. Not many knew or cared about this fact, but it was important to Seth.

****

Trevor lay in exhausted sleep, Jade in his arms.

They were both sated and content. Blood filled stomachs and tingling bodies left them healthier than either had been in their entire new lives. The stigma broken, both had done far more than enjoyed the last few hours. It had been life changing. They knew now that this new side of themselves was not a curse or a gift. Simply an evolution from how they used to be. Trevor mumbled in his sleep, eyebrows drawing together in distress.

In her sleep, Jade responded by stroking her hand down his neck, this had the effect of calming the young man. Together in sleep they let their bodies take over and the result was peace. A peace and a solace that neither had thought possible that very morning.

Vampires in body and in mind now. Their story was just beginning to be written.

**Erm, Yeah. Uhmmm….*Scratches Head* Not sure where this came from. :P. Sorry, for the sucky writing - I’ve got a deadline. Will fix and repost later. ;).




Sunday, November 23, 2008

Crossroads5 - Incongruous

Crossroads
By Tina c.

Trevor ran a hand over his bare arm. It was the same spot where Tamlina’s spit had landed on his shirt. He felt ashamed of himself, he felt regret over what he had done and most of all he felt like there was no way out. No hope for someone like him. He had killed. It had not been his choice, but he had still been the one to drain those bodies of blood. He could still feel his victims inside of him, their feelings pumping through his veins. Ghosts of past sins.

He shook his head and pulled on a clean shirt.

Seth had broken up the fight and sent the murderous Tamlina Gray back to her room, but that hardly made Trevor feel more at ease. He looked down at the floor, not seeing the shady carpet, only the denial of who he really was…all he could see was the past.

****

Daniel H. Harris threw down a handful of change onto the countertop and waited impatiently for the waitress to pour him a coffee.

“Black.” He repeated loud enough for her to hear over the music.

She sent him a small smile laced with annoyance. “Yes, sir.”

She brought him a steaming cup, the smell making his empty stomach rumble. The red haired waitress raised an eyebrow.

“Did you want something to eat?” She asked doubtfully, eyeing the small pile of mixed change on the counter top.

Daniel took a sip of the hot liquid and relaxed. “No, this is fine.” He replied curtly.

****

Trevor sat on the edge of his bed, arms straight at his sides. This was a disaster, coming to the monastery. He shook his head and wondered what he could have possibly been thinking the night he agreed to let the werewolf protect him. This was not protection. He was being imprisoned on the same acre as a foaming-at-the-mouth vampire hunter. The young man rolled his eyes, forcing his betrayal beneath the surface. He could deal with it later, once he’d found a way to escape the hunter.

It would only be a matter of time before she tried to kill him again. He had read the insanity in her eyes. The human girl was more of a monster than Trevor would ever become. She had no soul, no remorse, no guilt. He felt certain of this and it frightened him.

His hands clenched around the light blue bedspread beneath him, twisting the fabric. He had wanted so badly for this sanctuary to be real, for the promises to be kept. He shook his head. No one ever kept their word.

Trevor looked out the window to the sky that no longer cried.

****

A blond haired woman entered the restaurant. She wore a scarf over her head, it was tied neatly beneath her chin and matched her purple dress. She had a string of pearls around her neck and large, black sunglasses covering most of her face. She had on high heels, purple gloves and a small purse. She looked monstrously out of place in that shady little diner. Her nose wrinkled at the smell of frying bacon as she made her way over to Daniel. He barely spared the woman a glance dwelling instead on the dark liquid inside his coffee cup. She took the seat next to his and waved away the waitress with an impatient flick of her wrist.

“You’re late.” The woman spoke first.

Daniel took another drink of his coffee. “So what. I made it didn’t I?”

“The others want a full report.”

“Marisa O’Connell. Did you really think I would Welch on this mission?” There was real humor in Daniel’s words.

The woman flinched at the use of her name and checked discreetly to be sure it had not been overheard. Her expression iced over.

“You should be more careful, Daniel Harris.” She replied coldly. “You never know who might be listening.”

He smirked and took another drink. “No, you don’t. And that’s H. Harris, thank you very much.”

“Report. I don’t have all day to listen to this.” She urged him.

Daniel raised an eyebrow. “Why the hurry? The leaders don’t meet until sundown.”

Marisa pushed back a bit in her seat eyes widening in shock. “You truly don’t understand the value of being discreet do you?”

“No. Now, as for the report.” Daniel reached into his jacket pocket, could not locate what he was searching for and moved to his pants pockets.

“Lose something?” Marisa asked snidely.

“The report…is right here.” Daniel finished in relief as he located the mini-tape that he had used to record his oral report. He handed it to the woman under the shield of the counter. She took it, readjusted her glasses and stood.

“Until next week.” Without having once looked at him, Marissa O’Connell walked back out the restaurant door.

Daniel watched her go with a self-righteous grin. He knew that she was not a real Reformer. She was in it for the money and nothing else. Daniel abhorred the woman and all the other Reformers like her, they were not true to the cause. Not like him.

****

Tamlina paced across the length of her quarters. This was ridiculous! Seth, her friend and ally, was harboring murderous vampires in the monastery. She gritted her teeth in anger and tried to think of some way she might have misunderstood. There had to be an explanation, but Seth had not given any and she could not see any on her own. That boy was a vampire. He had killed, he had admitted as much to her and now Seth expected them to live together in peace.

Tamlina Gray shook her head, long blond locks swaying at the movement. This was not right.

****

“I would appreciate it if you would talk to the boy.” Seth said to Jade Suon.

The Asian vampire ran a hand over her eyebrows. “This will not be easy.” She admitted softly.

“Just do your best, dear.” Her grandmother’s ghost spoke up from a corner of the room. “I’ll be there with you.”

“I’ll try.” Jade promised them both with a grim smile. “Where’s his room?”

****

Trevor heard a knock on the door, he bowed his head.

“Trevor? My name is Jade Suon.” A woman’s voice called through the door.

Trevor Snow ignored the woman. The last thing he wanted was visitors. What could they say that could possibly change what was happening to him - what had happened to him. He closed his eyes against the guilt that assailed him at every mental turn. Those people he had killed would never leave him.

“I know what it’s like.” The woman spoke softly, confessing. “I’m a vampire too, Trevor.”

He looked up then, his eyes focused desperately on the door. He had thought he was alone, but maybe Seth did know what he was doing after all. Trevor stood to his feet and took a step towards the door before hesitating.

****

Jade Suon heard his footsteps, felt the tension in the room beyond and promptly frowned. This was not acceptable. For a young man to be forced into isolation by the very injury that had victimized him sent shivers down her spine. She wanted so badly to have never been turned. To understand so completely what this boy was going through left her hungry. She had noticed a connection between heightened emotional states and her cravings for blood. What it meant, she was unsure, but if Trevor Snow was feeling half of the things she did, Jade feared for his innocence. Broken though it may have been - stained by the blood of humans.

“This is not your fault, Trevor.” Jade said. “You could not have understood what was happening when you killed those people. You had no way of knowing - there’s no reason to feel guilty.”

While this was not true it did get the boy moving again. She heard him approach the door and then it opened, swinging inward. He stared at her, hope sparkling dimly in his dark eyes.

“Can you help me?” He asked openly.

She smiled. “I will do everything that I can for you. May I come in?”

He nodded and stood a bit to the side to afford her entrance. She looked around the bare room with a quick glance. This had not been what she expected. Seth had put him in a room devoid of any furniture, save a bed and dresser. Jade’s smile turned to a frown. If the werewolf was making some kind of statement then Jade wanted to know why. This boy had done nothing beyond his nature, twisted though it may seem to most.

Trevor watched her scan the room. “What is it?”

She turned to him. “How long have you been here?”

She felt a vague suspicion that she would not enjoy the answer. Seth had not told her about the boy before that morning. Why had he hidden the existence of another fresh vampire in the monastery. Jade knew that she and Seth would have a long talk that afternoon and she would get answers.

“I think that you might feel more comfortable in my quarters.” She said in reply. “They’re just down the hall and more…spacious. There’s coffee.” She added unnesarily as an enticement.

The boy looked out the open doorway fearfully and then back at Jade. “Is that girl still out there? Tamlina Gray?”

Jade’s heart went out to the boy at his obvious fear. She could smell true terror in the room. A dark shadow fell over her soul. This was wrong. Trevor should not be forced to live in a cell, isolated and terrified by the threat of execution. She walked over to the boy and put an arm over his shoulders.

“I will keep you safe, come with me.”

With that, Trevor allowed himself to be lead out of the room and down the hall, across the small flight of stairs and through the doorway that lead to the large, four room quarters she had been given.

“Home sweet home.” Grandma Gray’s translucent visage spoke up as the two vampires entered the room.

****

Trevor took a sip of his coffee. He stared at the white apparition seemingly sitting across from him. He took another, longer sip of his coffee.

“Is she real?” He asked finally, disconcerted by the old woman’s stare.

Jade chuckled, pouring herself a cup of the hot liquid. “Of course she’s real. You act like you’ve never seen a ghost before.”

Trevor shook his head. “I haven’t. Well, not that I know of, anyway.”

Jade took a seat next to her Grandmother’s dead spirit and gave Trevor a quick smile. “She’s harmless. A little bossy sometimes.” The coffee cup jumped in Jade’s hands, but she was quick and was able to keep it balanced without spilling so much as a drop. “And mischievous when she has a mind.”

Trevor felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He still felt unnerved by the old woman’s presence. He rubbed his arm for the second time, that same spot where Tamlina had spit, showing all of her hatred and anger. He took another sip of the hot drink.

“Does she always have to be around?” He asked, pointing at the Grandmother.

“I’m sitting right here, you know, young man.” Gray muttered, crossing her arms in an offended fashion. “No respect these days, not even for the dead like me.”

“Calm down, Grandmother.” Jade interrupted before a monologue could be born. “Trevor has a point, why are you here? You don’t need to be and I’d much rather talk to him alone if you don’t mind.”

“If that’s what you want then that’s what you want.” Violet muttered with a hurt wince. “I’ll leave you to it then. Boy.” She nodded in his direction and promptly disappeared.

Trevor glanced about just to be sure that she was really gone and once satisfied that this was the case, he relaxed marginally. She had freaked him out more than somewhat. Trevor held the warm coffee mug in both hands trying to wish the warmth back into his body. It seemed like ages since he had been properly warm.

“Is there a reason for us?” He asked suddenly, softly.

Jade’s brow furrowed. “I don’t understand your question.”

“Vampires. Is there a reason for us? Do you know where we came from - what started this?” He asked.

“Ah. The origins of the vampire legend are up for debate, but many think that it began in the story of human.”

“A human?” Trevor asked confused.

Jade smiled over at him and took a drink. “Well, now that I am more attuned to the subtleties of our reality, I doubt very much that this man was a human. Perhaps he had been bitten like us.”

“So it’s true?” Trevor leaned forward in his seat, gaze intensifying. “The stories that I had heard about vampires who were born and not bitten.”

“Yes.” Jade nodded. “It’s true. Some are born with this and no one, not even occultist historians and supernatural experts, are certain of the ‘why’. It is not genetic, that much we’ve been able to prove.”

“You sound like an expert.” Trevor noted. “When you were human did you -.”

“No.” She cut him off abruptly. Her focus wavered momentarily as she tried not to picture the apartment she had so loved and ultimately lost. It still hurt to picture those heavy drapes, the cozy kitchenette and the cold rug. She missed her old life so badly sometimes.

“Are you alright, Mrs. Suon?”

Jade pulled herself out of the daydream and realized that she was gripping her coffee cup almost too tightly. Fractures were starting around the rim. She relaxed her hands and shot the boy a reassuring nod. It took her a few moments longer to find her voice.

“I’m fine. There’s just.” She paused. If anyone could understand and empathize with her plight, it would be the young man across the table. She decided to be frank. “I miss things. Places. People even. I miss it all so much that it hurts.”

Trevor felt his throat close up painfully, choked by emotions that he wanted so badly not to feel. She knew what if felt like to be going through what he experienced each day. To wake up every morning and know that there would be no family, no friends, no home and no hope. He reached across the table, his outstretched hands stopping just shy of her splayed palm.

“I know what you mean.” The nineteen year old said. “I feel it all the time. It’s good to know that I’m not alone.”

Jade erased the distance separating them and took his hand in her own, grasping it firmly. She looked him in the eye.

“We will make it through this, Trevor. The curse will not break our spirits and it will not choose our destiny.”

He smiled softly. “Strong words.” The smile faltered. “We’ll see.”

****

Seth knocked on the door to Tamlina Gray’s room. He could hear her rustling around inside and he felt concern for her and for his other charges well up inside. He needed to know that the girl would not endanger the others. There was already so much inherent danger with the idea of the monastery. He did not desire more conflict.

“It is Seth.”

“Go away.”

He sighed heavily and leaned his tall, furred frame against the wooden door. He would not leave until satisfied that her grudge would not turn homicidal.

“I need to speak with you. May I come in, please.”

“No. Go away!”

Something hard hit the door with a resounding thud and Seth stepped back a foot. There was a dent in the wood and he could only imagine how bad it looked on the other side.

“Damaging your door is not going to make me go away.” He informed her sternly. “I need to speak with you about Trevor Snow, the vampire that you attacked earlier today.”

There was a suspicious absence of noise from inside the room and then the door was being flung open. Tamlina Gray stood just inside the doorway, chest heaving, eyes glaring. She pointed an accusing finger at Seth.

“You knew that thing was here and you didn’t warn me. It could have killed me and I had no way of defending myself.”

“Come now, Tamlina, you know that’s not true.” Seth argued.

“Perhaps.” She consented without giving an inch of her disgust. “I am not going to stay in a place that I don’t feel welcomed or appreciated or safe!”

With that she slammed the door so hard dust fell from the hallway ceiling and peppered Seth’s red facial fur. He shook his head, sparking a cloud of gray. This would be more difficult than he had first assumed. If she persisted with this destructive behavior he might be forced to exorcise her from the monastery. That was a last option, in his view.

“You are both safe and welcomed here.” Seth did not add the ‘for now’ that lurked on the tip of his tongue. “Please, I would only like to speak about what happened earlier between you and Trevor.”

*****

Tamlina froze, her blood going cold. That man, that werewolf, that thing wanted her to sit down and calmly discuss the fact that she had been betrayed by a friend. She shook her head. This was not going to happen. She had a job to do - the Teachers had trained her well. The vampire needed to die.

“Fine.” Her concession was anything but fueled by good intentions. “Come in and talk.” She spit out the last word bitterly.

The werewolf entered cautiously, his gaze flashing between her and the weapons spread out on the bed. It was her own personal stash that she had snuck in under the cover of night those first few hours. She stood protectively between Seth and the bed. If he so much as tried to take them away from her there would be a fight. Perhaps sensing this, Seth calmly took a seat in the corner of the room. Tamlina stayed standing, watching him.

“So talk.” She demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

Seth sighed heavily and rubbed a claw across his forehead. “I would first like to apologize for the way that I have treated this situation so far. You have lost your family and I understand how you might feel that I let you down in some way by harboring vampires here.”

“Vampires?” Tamlina asked in shock. “There is more than one?”

Seth nodded. “Yes, but that is not your concern. They are not a danger to anyone and I will see that it stays that way. They are only trying to survive.”

Tamlina ran her tongue over dry lips as she tried to wrap her head around the information she had just learned. “You’ve been shielding murderers, Seth? Here of all places?”

“It’s not what you think, Tamlina.” He defended himself. “I do not allow just anyone here…only those that I truly believe can be helped. Not all vampires are murderers.”

“Trevor said-.”

“Trevor Snow is an exception.” Seth interrupted. “He had no control over his actions.”

Tamlina snorted. “Yeah, I’ll accept that excuse when pigs fly!”

“It is true. He was awakened from the grave years after being staked to his body. He had no knowledge of what he had become and his starving body took over. It was a rare situation.”

Tamlina studied the werewolf critically. “Someone woke him up?” She asked.

“Yes.” Seth sighed again, his shoulders falling. “There is a new group, growing stronger by the month. They are called the Reformers and they have been freeing vampires.”

Tamlina’s first thought was for her family. She tensed.

“Your family is safe for now, I have been keeping watch.” Seth assured her, sensing her distress. “They will remain asleep in their graves for as long as I can help to keep them there. It is safe here, just as I promised, Tamlina. I have kept this a sanctuary for over a hundred years and this is not our first dealings with the Reformers. We have safety measures.”

“I don’t care. I want my family and I out of here and somewhere hidden today.” Tamlina demanded. “I need to know that I’m not going to get bitten in the middle of the night by a rabid vampire running loose on the grounds.”

“You won’t. You have my word that it won’t happen.” Seth said, holding a paw over his heart.

“That’s not good enough. I’m leaving.” Tamlina began stuffing the weapons in her coat pockets. She was determined to find someplace safe - she knew of several haunts that vampires would not dare to tread. She also knew that werewolves could not find them. Human access alone allowed her the safety she would need. Once all the weapons were concealed she walked to the door.

“Don’t try to follow me, Seth.” She warned in a low tone and then she walked away without a backward glance or hesitation.

Seth watched her go a concerned frown wrinkling his face. He twirled the ends of his red hair with a paw. This was not good.

THE END

Friday, November 21, 2008

She Wolf4 - Incongruous

Julietta Lightbarer
By Tina c.

A raindrop splattered wetness on the tip of her freckled nose. Minutes before, the gray skies had been dry of heaven’s tears. A brisk current of air blew through cracks in the plaster wall, lifting up the red fur on her feet. She shivered and hugged her knees closer.

Julietta Lightbarer sat huddled on the mold-invested floor of her apartment room. The thirty year old felt real fear claw at her inside as she whimpered away the dark hole in her heart.

It had been years since she had last felt safe.

A lady centuries before, loved and adored, now only a barely perceivable remnant of that glorious past. Human change was kind to none, her least of all. Julietta took a shuddering breath of icy air. Tomorrow seemed so far away. Too late in coming.

A light at the end of an eternity of tunnel travel, she felt its presence. Unhelpful and useless as the metaphorical light was truly, it gave her hope.

Julietta Lightbarer felt the end would never come for her, she was destined to live a life made horrible and filled a despair that she dreaded. Royalty meant nothing in this new age of computers and accountants, teen punks and television. Her wide eyes stared unseeing at a world that gave way to chaos.

****

Seth ran a paw through his thick, red facial hair. He twirled his finger around the ends. He remembered the morning Julietta Lightbarer had met him on that lonely street corner. Violet and Pine. Twenty long years and three states later he could still remember the intersection where she had stolen his heart. His nose wrinkled at the phantom smell of sewage and old fruit. A grin softened his often grim expression.

Julietta had been a lovely creature. A human with the ability to perceive the paranormal bitten at a young age and changed into something majestic. The werewolf sighed heavily. Perhaps it was this reason alone that compelled him to harbor the vampire, Jade Suon. She had been human not so long ago and a highly empathic human at that. Seth could see so much of Julietta in the quiet, non-assuming Jade Suon. Her Asian eyes sparkling with the same vigor for life and beauty and acceptance.

A knock on the door stirred the werewolf from his musings. He placed the sweet memories back in their little spot at the back of his mind where he could always reach them to mull over when the mood to do so assailed him. He smiled a bittersweet smile.

****

Jade Suon stood on the other side of Seth’s door, her palm resting flat across the dark, aged wood. She listened with the ears that so recently had been made super-human. Paranormal abilities were only the beginning of the change that had taken over her body and soul.

“Come in.” Seth’s voice invited, there was a melancholy air to the tone. “It is open.”

Jade turned the brass knob, it’s shiny countenance out of sync with the old buildings rusty interior. She had puzzled over the new plumbing as well, but left the questions unasked. A simple shrug was enough to pass over these trite details.

She stepped into the small quarters and spied the werewolf sitting on the edge of his bed. A blush made it’s way up her neck, she twisted his sleeves in her hands, suddenly nervous.

“If I am interrupting your prayers I can come back.”

Seth chuckled, a bright smile lighting up his red eyes. True humor entered his voice. “Nonsense, child. I was merely thinking. You are always welcomed.” He motioned towards the chair opposite him, where it had been placed next to the wall of fading red paper. “Now, tell me what has been bothering you.”

Jade took the offered seat, she ran her sweaty, shaking palms across her jeans trying to calm her speeding heart. This would be more difficult than she had first though, but, of course, she could count on Seth not to judge her. Seth never judged.

“I’ve been thinking about blood lately. . .A lot and it is starting to really scare me.” Her wide eyes locked with his knowing gaze. “I’m worried.”

A sad frown met her concerned one. “I would be upset if that did not worry you. The fact that you are aware of what you are feeling and are still able to curb these impulses leads me to believe that you are not going to play out your worst fears.”

“But what if I can’t stop myself? I’ve heard the stories of vampires unable to control their urges. Especially if they are already hungry.”

This grabbed Seth’s attention. He studied her intently with his glowing red eyes.

“Have you not been feeding? Is the chicken’s blood not enough.”

She shook her head. “It isn’t that. I just. The whole thing disgusts me. I’ve been having a really hard time keeping it down.”

“Ah. I am sorry to hear that.”

“I’ve tried.” Desperation leaked into her confession. “I’ve tried telling myself that it is just incredibly gross warm milk. I’ve tried thinking of it as tomato juice…Nothing has worked so far. I’m starting to feel….hungry.”

“That is regrettable.”

****

Trevor Snow looked out the small, barred window of his room. It felt like a cozy cell. There was everything that he needed - or wanted - to survive, but he was still a prisoner. The outside world inaccessible while he stayed in the protective custody of the monastery.

Seth had introduced him to a few of the others that lived in this new world. An underground brotherhood of the unusual. Paranormal, supernatural and just plain strange were all patrons of this religious sanctuary. Trevor felt both blessed to have been found by the monk and distressed that he was forced into the life of a freak.

His parents were out there somewhere, no doubt devastated by his death. Trevor would give anything for a chance to see them one more time. To hug them close and tell them that he would be alright, that everything would be alright. It tore him up inside that he could not even give them that little bit of closure. Tears pricked his eyes painfully and he ran a hand over his face. He had spent a lot of time thinking about where his life was headed and the answer had still not presented itself to his internal debates.

Whether he was now meant to go on in this world as a strange creature of the dark, feared and shunned or not was still for him to determine. Seth had been a great help. The large werewolf had been there to talk to and he had given sound advice to Trevor, for that the boy would forever be grateful. Whatever he decided, his new life would be thanks to that kind werewolf. A bit of a contradiction, but a reassuring one as Trevor knew that someday in the near future he would also be a contradiction. It was his hope, his redemption and all he had left to do was figure out how to make it real.

Trevor stared up into the blue open sky and tried harder to close the gap between what he wanted to become and what he had become. A gray area that he knew Seth would help him through.

****

Tamlina Gray sat on the floor of her room, her eyes stared unseeing at the uncarpeted, cold cement. She could hear her little brother’s screams and she could see the terror in her mother’s eyes. It was a bad nightmare that played over and over and refused to let up for even an hour.

Dark circled colored her eyes and she ran a hand through her knotted hair. It had been days since she had thought of eating. Pale skin pulled taunt over her muscles. She had never been capable of keeping on a few extra pounds, something her mother had always been on her case about. A tiny sob escaped and she hugged her knees to her chest, her brow furrowing in deep distress. Another sob shook her shoulders.

This was just too much to take. Knowing that her family’s bodies were located just blocks away under six feet of clay and dirt. Tears sprinkled her bare arms as she tried to hold back the scream of anguish that was building up inside of her heart. It all hurt so badly.

She may have killed the vampire who had murdered her entire family, but Tamlina was far from finished with her thirst for revenge. Angry eyes stared unseeing as pain forced it’s way through her body and mind.

****

Seth watched Jade closely. The last thing that he wanted to do was introduce a danger to his children or those fragile creatures under his protection. He had safety rooms where he could put Jade until the hunger passed or until she could come to realize that drinking animal blood was a way of life for her now. It was not a disgusting thing, it was a life giving ritual and until he could convince the woman of this he would have to make sure that she did not endanger herself or those that called the monastery home.

“Jade.” He started softly, imploringly. “You know that I want to help you, but I need you to want this to happen. You have to accept that what has happened to you is not just a bad thing. Vampires have been painted with a bloody brush of misunderstandings and ignorance. I think that there is much more individuality to vampires than the legends would imply. Are you willing to put the stereotype to the test?”

Jade smiled through pooling tears. “I’ve already put it to the test.” She wiped at her eyes delicately. “I understand what you are saying and the answer is ‘yes’. I am not going to let this thing beat me.”

“It is more than that, Jade. You have to accept that this is not going to go away and it is who you are now. I’m sorry that this has happened to you, but it has so you have to deal with it. Not as we wish it were, but as it is.”

“What does that even mean?” Jade asked, her voice raising.

“You have to be willing to let yourself change into something…it will be up to you what that something is.”

“English!”

Seth sighed heavily. “Like it or not, you are no longer human and you need to start treating your body that way. You need to change the way that you think. It will be difficult, I won’t lie to you, but I know that it is possible to guide your new powers and senses. I am living proof of that. You do not need to be a monster, Jade, but you are not human anymore and you have got to accept that.”

“I can accept that. I’ve had to!” Jade argued, her voice growing angered.

“On an intellectual level perhaps, but this goes so much deeper than that. Your heart has to accept the fact that you are a vampire.”

Jade flinched at the name. A single, salty tear smeared her dark mascara sending a dark trail down her cheek. Seth felt badly for the woman and for the things that he was being forced to say to her, but he also knew that tough love was sometimes the only option available. He reached across the distance separating them and laid a hand on her knee.

“I will be here to help you through this. You will get through this.” He promised solemnly.

“I’m not so sure. This hunger. It’s so strong sometimes and I cannot control it.”

“You can, you have. How do you think you have made it through the common rooms up to my quarters without anyone losing their lives. I know that you passed the infirmary. I know that you smelled the blood. I also know that you are sitting before me scared and every bit as innocent as you were the day your grandmother sent you to me.”

The shaking grew and soon Jade was engulfed in a hug of self-loathing. She felt her body spasm and after a moment realized that she was trying ineffectually to cry tears of regret. One moment. It had taken one moment for her to lose her life and gain a new curse.

“I never wanted this.” She admitted to the world, losing site of the fact that she was not alone. Her eyes grew distant and clouded. “I never wanted this at all. I saved that woman from the vampire…I thought it was the right thing - the only thing that I could have done, but I’m not so sure now. I just don’t know. What if I could have avoided all of this?” She questioned.

“Whether your choice was right or wrong. It was made. Now we need to deal with what is facing us, not what could have been.” Seth replied softly. “I am so sorry for your loss, Jade, but we need you to move forward.”

****

Trevor itched for a chance to go outside and experience the life of a young adult he had been deprived of at the whim of a dark creature. He took a deep breath and made his way to the door of his room, his cell, reaching down he turned the knob.

The hallway outside was dark, cobwebs clinging to the corners of the ceiling, the wallpaper peeling. He wondered who had chosen what must have once been a very cheery, floral pattern. Somehow he could not see Seth choosing such a decorative wallpaper. With a shrug, Trevor dismissed the detail and continued on his trek through the mansion. He had not been given a very liberal tour and now thought that his time could best be spent discovering exactly where it was he had agreed to live. A smile of curiosity stole over his features.

He was reminded of the summer his freshman year when he and a group of five friends had decided to break into the local ‘haunted’ house on Halloween. He frowned suddenly at the thought that maybe their fun-filled quest to find a ‘ghost’ might have ended in true disaster that night. A shudder ran up his spine.

****

Julietta sniffled a bit, her dark nose twitching at the phantom sneeze that wanted to manifest. She fought the urge, tired of all the allergies she had built up over the year of living in that broken down place she called home. The rent was cheap so she was able to keep it otherwise she would be forced to take to the street. Others life her were luckier, they could get jobs in the defense industry, but she refused to hurt anymore than she already had and so she had tried her hand…her paws at other careers, but it was hard for a furry, tall, obviously non-human to find employment through regular channels. She knew a few kind people who took in charity supernatural cases and they had graciously agreed to pay rent for the building. Another sniffle broke the chilled silence of the room. Julietta hugged herself closer, her long floral print dress scratching against her long, red fur.

A growl of disgust rumbled through her chest. She was sick of living through the same day of nothing.

****

Daniel H. Harris looked the building over cautiously. He would have written it off as an abandoned monastery if he had not seen the werewolf and vampire enter it. Days before he had been checking up on the vampire Trevor Snow and he had arrived just in time to see the young creature escorted to the building of worship by an old, fierce-looking werewolf. The thirty year old man ran a hand through his spiked red hair, the gel sticking to his fingertips.

He would need to tell the others and see what the leaders wanted him to do, until they replied he would keep away so as not to raise any suspicions. This could mean great new allies for the cause or a possible fracture in their plan to Reform the way the world dealt with abnormal beings. Daniel reached into his pocket, felt around for a moment and frowned. He had left the device at home. A sigh escaped from between his lips and with an eye roll at his own lack of foresight, he turned on his heel and began the long trudge homeward.

****

All those long years ago Julietta had looked out her window, eyes shadowed with a deep sadness, and she had seen a form walking down the street, it’s back to her view. She had pushed her shuddering body to a standing position. She had ran for the door, sprinting down the single flight of stairs that lead to the ground level. The young woman had been out the door and down the rain drenched sidewalk in moments, her strangled voice yelling after the form.

“Wait!”

Seth had turned to face her, his red eyes glowing with curiosity and alarm.

“Wait!”

The woman had met up with him at the intersection, at the edge of the broken sidewalk. She had looked at him with a mixture of awe and hope. Twenty years later she would still look at him with that strange mixture that had turned her world upside down in the course of one wary glance into the world.

****

Seth let Jade leave his quarters. He knew that she would need as much support as he and the others could offer her, but he also knew that ultimately the choice to change and become something different rested entirely on her shoulders. If she did not want to take up the strange path that had lead her to this new life then nothing he said could change that. She would have to make up her own mind. Until then he would be there to help show her the way. A light in the darkness of uncertainty.

Once alone again, he looked over at the dresser set against the far wall. He could see Julietta’s picture there, her glowing smile warming him as he felt her hands on his arm. Even though she was dead he could still feel the presence of her soul. It’s kindness and forgiveness and caring saturated everything in the monastery. His eyes closed and he let his hands fall open, an invitation to her lingering form.

“I love you, Julietta Lightbarer.” He spoke softly, his voice a deep purr. “Then, now and forever.”

****

Trevor saw a half-open door just off the hall he had been following for some time. His curiosity aroused, the young vampire walked towards it. Peeking inside he saw nothing at first and then a small keen drew his attention to the form pressed against the wall, shivering.

He pushed the door open a little more. There was a young woman sobbing on the floor, he took a small step into the room.

“Excuse me, are you alright?” He asked hesitantly.

She glanced up, wiping at her eyes in embarrassment. “No. I’m fine.”

Trevor smiled uncertainly. “You don’t look fine. I can get Seth if you need -.”

“No!” She said more forcefully. “I’m fine. Just…I just.” Her tears began anew, cascading down her face in a river of pain and despair. “I just lost my family.”

Trevor felt a pang of empathy. He took another step forward, his voice lowering. “I know how you feel.” He told her honestly. “I lost my family too.”

“I’m sorry.” She said through a sniffle. “How did they die.”

Trevor wanted to lean down and wipe her tears away, his heart breaking at the sight of her grief.

“They didn’t die.” He explained. “I did.”

Her gasp of surprised had been expected but when she drew away, her eyes going wide with rage, Trevor felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. She meant to murder him, he could see it in her eyes. He turned and ran, his footsteps echoing loudly off the walls of the hallway.

“Seth!”

“Seth!”

He heard her scream seconds after his own cry for help, but she sounded like a warrior calling for backup. Trevor used all the super-human powers at his control to remain mere steps in front of the young woman. She was much faster than she looked. Panting, Trevor ran for his life.

****

Seth met the two youngsters at an intersection of the hallway. He grabbed them each by the arm, holding them still with an iron grip. Both tried to pull away, Trevor out of fear and Tamlina out of pure hatred. Seth felt sympathy for them both. This was not going to be an easy introduction. He would have liked to have kept them separated during their stay.

“You should have asked for a guided tour if you wished to check out the premises.” Seth told Trevor with a small shake of his head. “I would have referred you and she not to have met under such conditions.”

“So, you knew he was here! Him! A vampire!” Tamlina’s face turned a light shade of red, she glared angrily at the werewolf. “I thought you were looking out for me.”

“I am, young one.” Seth replied softly. He sighed. “Trevor is not your typical vampire.”

“So, he doesn’t drink blood? He doesn’t kill innocent people!” She directed the last at Trevor with venom in her voice.

“No. Not anymore.” Seth said.

“Anymore? What, is this some kind of joke?” Tamlina mocked.

“No.”

“I don’t want to hurt anyone.” Trevor spoke up for the first time, defending himself. “I never wanted to hurt anyone.”

Tamlina ground her teeth together to control herself. “Yeah? Says you!”

“I’m sorry. Okay. I’m sorry for what I’ve done.”

Tamlina refused to hear the contrition and self-loathing on those honest words. All she allowed herself to hear was the lies of a hostile vampire.

“I can’t stay here. Not with that.” She spat on Trevor’s sleeve.

****

Seth knew that it would take a lot of work to get those two understanding each other, but he also knew that in order for them to survive the coming months in the isolated company of the monastery, they would need to learn to work together and fast. They had to at least be able to tolerate the each other in order to survive in the isolated monastery lifestyle.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

STORY

HUMAN MONSTER: SUPERNATURAL FANFICTION
Human Monster
By Ebbtide

Summary: Dean helps a woman in need. Not all monsters are of the supernatural variety.

Yells sound from the other side of the hotel wall. There is a sound of a fight, something gets smashed. Dean rolls over in his sleep, bone-weary from the last week of Hunting. He buries his head under the pillow and tries to get his tired muscles relaxed so he can sleep. It has been days since his last hotel room and he does not want to waste the money. It is getting harder to come by these days.

A sharp scream is cut off almost as soon as it starts. There is a louder crash on the other side of the thick barrier. Muffled voices raise in anger and pain. Dean Winchester looks over at his young brother Sam and is not surprised to find that the dark haired man is still asleep. It has been a very hard few days for Sam Winchester especially. With a sigh, Dean pushes himself up.

There would be no more sleep for him. Not for a while.

He hears the door to the room next to theirs open and then slam closed. Dean feels relieved that whatever the occupants had been fighting over - the fight was, in fact, over. He sighs again and runs a hand through his short blond hair. Why can life never be simple. Even the act of sleeping has become too complicated to achieve.

He eyes the door with discontent and longing. The night air in southern California is a balm to his ravaged skin, but he feels too tired to move. With a low, weary groan the Hunter pushes to his feet and slips a jacket over his bare shoulders. Outside he feels the warmth soak into his body and a smile forms across his face. To stay there and never leave is impossible, but so fondly dreamed of. Dean let his head fall forward, eyes closed in tired distress.

He knows that the woman has been watching him ever since he exited his room. It was for this very meeting that he has forced his exhausted body to walk into the cement parking lot. He hears her sniffle for a moment and knows that tears are likely hidden by the shadowy veil of night.

“You should leave him.” Dean says softly, his voice carrying in the stillness.

The woman freezes in fear and surprise. He hears her breathing come in quick gasps. She scared of him, this attention that he has given her, and rightfully so if the earlier argument is any kind of meter for him to judge her life by. Men could be such monsters, Dean thinks with sadness.

“I promise, I won’t hurt you.” He adds without looking up or opening his eyes. He is content to stay unmoving - his aching back and ribs begs for just such inaction. It is his mind that will not let him go back to rest. It is his beating heart that refuses to leave this woman without options or encouragement.

A warm breeze washes over him and for a brief moment he forgets about everything. The woman, his brother and the life that he never chose. All of his worries fades for a single moment in the wake of feeling so peaceful. He feels the urge to cry when the moment ends.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The woman begins to deny, but Dean has heard this story many times and he quickly cuts her off with a firm, but calm statement.

“He hurts you. We both know it and now is a chance for you to do something about it.”

“I fell.” She begins with a motion that he hears, but does not see. He assumes that she is covering up whatever new injury her man has given her as a threat for the future. Dean has seen this all so many times in the past.

Women used and abused by human monsters. Not all evil crawls in the night on the words of a devil tongue. Dean turns to face the woman for the first time, his hazel eyes boring into her frightened blue gaze. He sees the fear in them, the servitude she has forced upon herself. He knows better than to take that step in her direction that comfort begs to walk. He remains unmoving and just looks into her battered soul.

“You’re stronger than he is - you’re stronger than you think.” He assures softly.

The woman wipes at her eyes, smearing a line of mascara down her cheek. Dean wants to wipe those tears away, erase her pain so stark in the open night air. He practically feels her anxiety pouring off in waves of emotion. It is then that he sees her hands are shaking. She hides it well. Practice is hope’s enemy.

“I don’t know what you mean.” She says in a choked voice that wavers dangerously even as she tries to exude a poise she does not own. “I’m fine. He‘s just had a bad day. It‘s nothing, don‘t bother yourself over it.” She laughs a little, dead laugh.

Dean shakes his head. “We both know better than that. He owns you.”

It is a truth that is read so easily on her open face. She is not the closed book that she likes to imagine. Dean has seen this so many times before. Every one of them is his mother. Broken inside, wanting something more. Needing to believe in something better and right. He sees Mary Winchester’s green eyes begging for a new life.

Dean blinks. His tired mind has blurred together his mother’s features with those of this stranger. He turns away again and looks out at the horizon of city lights. The woman is not his responsibility, but still he feels for her in a way that is so very personal.

“I can help you get out of town.” He offers with an invisible sigh. “He won’t find you, I promise.”

She wants so badly to take him up on that offer, but there are so many doubts holding her back. She bites her lip, tears spilling down her chin.

“How can you be sure?”

He glances at her sideways, his eyes hold firm resolve. “You aren’t the first one I’ve helped. Trust me and I will get you somewhere safe.”

She takes a small step forward, hugs herself tight and then steps backward. “I-I don’t know.”

“You can trust me….”

“Mary.”

The blinks come more rapidly as he tries to keep his tired mind in line. It hurts him to see her pain so real. She has his mother’s name.

“Mary Wilson.” She supplies weakly. “If you are sure…then.” Her eyebrows draw together. “All of my stuff is in the room.”

“I have money. We can get you new stuff.” Dean supplies quickly. He knows the first few minutes are the hardest, but if he can get her to see the possibility of life without her slavery to an abusive man then she will make it. “Come one. We can leave right now.”

His eyes are bloodshot from lack of sleep, but the night hides this fact from the woman. To her, Dean Winchester is a knight riding in with an impossible gift: freedom.

“Yes.” She whispers.

Dean smiles a little. “Good. I need to pack quickly and then we’ll be gone.”

As he passes her on his way back into his hotel room, Dean pauses and gently puts a hand on her shoulder. The expected flinch does not make him back away. He is now close enough for her to see the sincerity in his expression.

“Don’t worry, Mary Wilson, you’re safe now.”

****

Mary sits in the back seat of the Impala surrounded by the earthly possessions of the Winchester boys. She figures them for a couple on vacation, but something about this theory does not quite fit. She knows theirs is a story she will never hear.

A second man, Sam, sleeps in the passenger seat - soft snores confess his tiredness. She feels guilt over the fact that she has caused these men so much trouble, but as the miles fall behind them she also feels hope-renewed spring up inside the well of her soul. She looks out the side window with new eyes. No drunken boyfriend to hold her back or force the dreams from her spirit. She is a free woman.

“Thank you.” She says aloud for the tenth time in as many minutes. The gratitude will never be expressed fully in words. “You saved me.”

She sees Dean glance back at her in the rearview mirror. He smiles a tiny, half-smile that speaks of a weariness no one should have to shoulder. “It was your choice to leave. You saved you - I‘m just a glorified exit-driver.”

He winks in jest and she laughs softly, freely. With no boundaries to constrict her any longer, Mary Wilson looks ahead to a new life and a new purpose.

THE END.