Kevin - Visiting Hours

The morning was grey, heavy clouds overhanging the city, though the threat of rain was far in coming. The heavens had loosed their fury the night before so he had little to worry about. He was thankful for that at least.

Donning a pair of faded jeans, a simple shirt, and his leather jacket, he left early, taking his sportbike east and out of the choked city. This was a ritual by now, one born of long experience. His eyes shielded by his expensive sunglasses, the road slipped away under him, paying little heed to the speed limits.

He wasn't going overly far, but by the time he had reached his destination some of the clouds had shifted and the sun broke through here and there, patching the road with light.

He turned down a private road, leaving a sign behind him, one that he no longer looked at each time he passed it.

-East Trenton Psychiatric Hospital-

From there, it was only a short drive up to the large building, though it wasn't the kind that looked like some foreboding prison. He had made damn sure of that.

Parking his cycle, he walked up the gravel drive and through the doors. The artificial chemically smell drifted to his nose almost instantly though thankfully it wasn't to overpowering, as he made his way to the desk. At the sight of him the older woman there gave him a smile and a greeting. She knew him, far to well.

"Good morning Mr. Chan. Come to visit?"

"Yeah..." He gave her a pleasant enough smile. "Where is she?" She checked through a few files on the desk.

"Shes out on the grounds this morning."

He nodded, and after the formalities of signing in and getting his visitors badge he navigated his way through the familiar passages for the most part trying to ignore the wandering specters that moved through the aseptic halls. He didn't like to think of her here, but it was the only place. The best place. It was good for her here. Turning down a hall he made his way outside onto the high walled grounds, a breeze teasing his already wild orange hair, the emerging sun making it glow softly in the light.

In lieu of getting directions he decided to find his quarry himself. Stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jeans he sauntered out onto the grass, scenting the wind and scanning the green with his keen eyes.

He liked that she had this. It was soothing, quiet, serene.

It didn't take him long.

Under a large oak tree sat a small, lone figure. She was bent over slightly, long sandy hair falling all around into her lap, hiding her face, the neutral colors of the infirmary almost seeming to sap the color right out of her. Though his steps were silent, as he approached from behind she seemed to become still. He paused there and she gave an almost inaudible sound. When she spoke, her voice was so soft, almost swallowed up by the gentle breeze that blew around them and the natural creaking of the oak. However, to his sensitive ears, it was unmistakable.

"Kevin...?"

He gave the ghost of a smile before replying.

"Hey babe."

He stepped forward and closed the space between them, kneeling down in the grass in front of her. Finally, she looked up, emerald eyes meeting those of the most vivid blue. More beautiful than the sky, than the sea, than any other blue he could ever remember seeing. But, despite their beauty, they had a deadness about them. It seemed not even her visitor could change that and it was he only who knew the whole reason for them being so.

He mostly blamed himself, no matter how many times he was told otherwise.

---

The dark streets were nothing but a black blur as they ran, their legs carrying them as fast as they were able.

The two young figures held hands as they fled, turning corners wildly. It didn't help that neither one knew where they were or where they were going. They could hear, or at least thought they could, the pounding of feet behind them, bearing down upon them like a wave.

He wouldn't let them be caught again.

Not again.

He was jerked to a semi-stop as his companion tripped over some refuse and went sprawling hard to the ground. It was only their joined hands that kept her from breaking something. As it was...

"Come on, get up!"

Even as she battled to get to her feet, it was clear that wasn't possible. Something was twisted.

"I can't..." Instead of abandoning her as so many others might have he kneeled down by her side, managing to pull her onto his back. Hefting her up onto his small frame, he somehow got back to his feet, swaying just slightly before he set his course again and they were off. He was slower now, but that was a risk he was willing to take.

Unfortunately, his sense of direction wasn't as developed as his protectiveness. The next corner he took led them down into a dead end. He turned around, ready to bolt back the way they had come when the tromping of feet rounded the corner. The gigantic man who wore them almost seemed to take up the entire alley by himself, cutting off all way of escape.

Backing off, the boy went as far as he could, letting the girl slip from his shoulders as he lowered himself before her in a defensive stance, pushing down the fear and panic that were welling up inside of him. He had to protect her. The big man chuckled darkly as he advanced upon them both, electricity crackling around the closed fist at his right side. When he was in range he swung at the boy, but driven by instinct, or perhaps something far more special he dodged to the side with reflexes that were almost to fast to be human. The girl had let out a cry, having expected her companion to have been felled by that. He almost seemed as surprised as she did.

That pause was his mistake.

He missed the attack that came from the side from the second mutant who had come out of nowhere. A blow to the back of the neck. He heard her screaming, trying to get to him, and knew he had failed. Despair took hold of him as he felt himself being picked up roughly and tossed over a gigantic shoulder.

Then everything went black.

Alexandre - Flight

Alex stormed out of the house, slamming the door shut behind him. That bastard! How could he have been so foolish? He should know what a responsibility it is to make a fledgling! He paused; then again, Lorenzo had never made a vampire before… But that wasn’t the point! Hadn’t he learned anything at Carec? He shook his head and his form disappeared as he raced through the trees. Miles he went, perhaps, fuming all the way. Soon, the sides of his vision were beginning to take on a reddish tinge and the hunger was becoming maddening. He needed to kill. Now.

Then, a light in the distance. He had just enough control left to stretch his hearing to see who was inside. The sounds of raucous laughter, bets of gambling, plans to kill. A den of thieves. That was all he needed to know and he didn’t have to worry about thinking anymore. The door would be bolted, all the better. Flying through the window, glass shattered everywhere catching the six or so men inside off their guard. His claws were out and he had ripped open the throats of two before anyone could even react. The others were up now and scattering, eyes watching the gaunt, white monster in their midst. Alex gave a jump and landed on a table, catching one man round the back of the throat, crushing it within his delicate grasp. Letting the man slide to the floor in a heap he noticed that two of the others had fled to the door and were trying desperately to undo the bolt when their attacker was suddenly within their midst. Alex stood just next to one of the men while the other pulled out a dagger and stabbed in an attempt to wound the horrible fiend. Alex merely pushed the other ruffian in the path of the dagger, which embedded itself in his chest. As the man slowly dropped to the ground, Alex pulled the dagger out and took the opportunity to return the favor by plunging it into its owner. Heh, how very quaint.

A moment out of the corner of his eye and he let out a little cry as a sudden pain ripped into his side and he turned to see the last man, a large muscled brute standing over him with a little smirk on his face as his dagger stuck out of the small mans side. The pain brought Alex back to reality as he realized that he had yet to feed and he reached back to tug the dagger out, flinging it away from him, the mans face changing to one of disbelief. Alex was upon him in an instant, arms forming a crushing embrace around him, his fangs ripping into the man’s neck as he fed in a frenzy. It took little time for him to be finished and he pushed the corpse away from him as he blinked and looked around at the destruction he had wrought. Realization suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks and he slid down to the ground, drawing his legs up against him and covering his head with his arms.

Bridget, that bright and lovely girl, was going to have to do this night after night simply in order to survive. And for what, to go mad like Isabella, or be destroyed like William? Or to be left behind, like himself…

His thoughts drifted to Annika probably lying asleep up in her room, exhausted from the change she had been forced to perform for him. For him… to many people had had to die just for that reason. So here he was again, back to the selfishly spoiled brat. Lorenzo’s voice echoed in his mind followed by his own.

‘She deserved the choice... she was going to die...’

‘Sometimes that is better!’

Sometimes death is better.

Sometimes it brings peace.

Sometimes…

Is that what his William had found in the flames?

And when the scythe of time had cut down Annika?

Blood tears were streaming down his face and he found that he no longer wanted to think, to feel. He was suddenly on his feet and out the window, the momentary pain of the glass cutting into his hands the only memory he carried of the movement. Then he was gone from the house of death, fled into the maze of trees in no particular direction. He ran until his sides ached and he was breathing hard and there he dropped to the ground and began to dig a deep hole in the soft earth with his delicate hands. He had done this fifty years ago and never though he would be doing it again so soon. The feel of the cool soil upon his skin and the simple smell of it calmed him just slightly. When the hole was deep enough he crawled down into it and buried himself, letting his eyes close as he felt the embrace of the earth, enjoying the comfort and closeness it gave him, like returning home after so very long...

Jack - A Character Sketch

If there was one thing Jack Cassidy hated and loved more than anything, it was the sound of someone crying. There was that burning hatred of the unknown passerby weeping over only god knew what. It tore at him, made him feel sick, and want to really give them something to cry about. But then... then there was that other sound. Tears being shed because of something he did. Now that was completely different. It was better than vintage wine, a pair of blonde twins who've drunk just a little to much, or a hundred other things he could possibly think of.

It was pure incandesance.

A grin spread across Jack's face and it was by no means something that would put anyone in his presence at ease. There was something distinctly malicious about it, a peculiarity about him when he finally showed his true colors. The young woman at the kitchen table only continued to sniffle and look up at him with those stunning eyes of hers. He had known right from the moment she flashed those blues at him he had to have her. And he always got what he wanted. How was he to know she had a lovely little knack for coming up with damn good screenplays too? It was like Christmas come early.

Her perfectly manicured hands rested next to the pictures he had personally come to deliver to her, the subject matter of which contained things she would certainly rather not let other people see. She hadn't been to keen on handing over her work when he had asked and so he had seen to it that a little... persuasion was set in order.

"B-but why?" She finally asked, her larks voice laced with sobs, which made it only that much more sweet. "You said you... loved me."

That devilish grin only became more pronounced and he fixed his own eyes upon her, blue on blue. His voice was smooth and tinged with a hint of pleasure. "Of course I did, baby. You were the damn fool who actually believed I meant it."

Go Me

Wow, I've done a fantastic job with keeping up this blog and about concentrating on my writing haven't I?

Yes, I know, who am I kidding?

Really, I wonder at times if I'm even supposed to be trying to write anything at all. I had promised myself that I would keep any bitching and emo crap out of this blog, but it looks as if I'm breaking that rule too. Go me indeed.

Perhaps its just my disicipline issues. Willpower and all of that. I really can't make myself do the things I most want because I'm a lazy ass. Busy with work, yes, and thats all fine and good but there are times that I could set aside for this which I simply don't. But is that my fault when everything I put to the page sounds like a five year old wrote it? Perhaps. Perhaps not.

However, lack of time or even an abundance of it cannot hide the fact that a person has no talent whatesoever. No, only money can do that. Unfortunatly, that isn't something I have a whole lot of. I am just a simple librarian after all.

I think I'll go read something now.