to bare feet. Bloodied rags hung on a wan frame. They were shredded and torn, showing glimpses of naked flesh underneath. She might have been pretty if it weren’t for the fact that she looked like a crazy cat lady… with fangs. She shuffled towards the two, body stiff and slow, wailing. “Murder, murderer!” she screamed, over and over.
Tristan couldn’t even bring his body to react. Some part of him was afraid. He knew this woman was a vampire too and she probably had a little to do with the mess in the kitchen, but he couldn’t move. He could barely see through the thick lace covering his vision. Where would he have gone anyway?
“Fuck it,” he mumbled and let his body slide down the wall, away from his puke. His shoulder hit the floor hard, but it didn’t hurt. Nothing hurt anymore.
Indifferent, Ash reached into the folds of his top and withdrew a gun. Ash gave Tristan one final concerned look and turned away. He emptied the Baby Eagle clip into the woman’s chest. She dropped to the ground with a shrill scream, writhing. She wasn’t dead, but it was enough to slow her down. Pace unhurried and deliberate, Ash dropped the gun to the ground, stirring up the dust, and withdrew his katana. He stopped, kicking the toes of his boots into her hip.
“Farewell,” he whispered down to the woman and raised the sword. There was a flash of movement and then her head was separated from her body. Ash no longer had to hold back and pretend to be human. He was what he was… a vampire.
The darkness that was the perimeter of Tristan’s vision finally spread and consumed the light, offering to take him under. The breath left him in a satisfied sigh, grateful to that darkness. The last thing he remembered seeing was Ash’s vibrant eyes fixed on him as he stood over the woman’s body, her head clutched in one hand by the hair, the fingers of his other hand covered in blood and moving towards his outstretched tongue.
8: P eace, L ove & U nderstanding
TINGLES all over. And pain. Muscles tense, sudden alertness.
Tristan popped upright, swaying as his eyes tried to focus to the dark. He was in bed back at Ash’s. All of the curtains were drawn except for the far one near the dinette where the window was propped open. The outside air smelled good, fresh and clean. He took in a deep breath, feeling the aches in his body. He touched his left side and winced when pain tingled down to his hip and up his right arm.
He slouched forward, feeling the tension across his back and sighed, “Shit.”
“You talk in your sleep.”
Tristan flinched back, heart racing. He looked around for something to wield as a weapon and found nothing. “Ash. You fucking liar!”
Ash moved on his perch so that his face was just barely visible. He was sitting on the upholstered bench at the end of the bed, legs crossed under him and his hair free. Did he know how creepy he was, hiding in the shadows like that? Probably.
...fucking vampire.
Ash let out a long sigh. And with that resignation Tristan knew the other man understood exactly what he meant. “No. I never lied to you. I simply had not disclosed my,” He paused, letting out another long breath. “Nature. And understandably. Yes, I am vampire.”
Tristan gasped at the validation. God, it was so stupid to not notice, especially after all that stuff he’d told him the other night—fast movements, pale, cold skin, never awake during daylight hours or ate anything.
“I simply chose to not tell you until I saw it necessary for you to know,” Ash continued. “What would you had done had you known before? Stayed here, allowed me to protect you? I am not so foolish.” Ash sighed. “You must understand, I was and still am only trying to protect you. I had intended on telling you my nature when I saw fit. Unfortunately, the monster in me made me lose my senses and you had to find out in a dreadful manner. I assure you, friend, I am the safest vampire you
Tristan couldn’t even bring his body to react. Some part of him was afraid. He knew this woman was a vampire too and she probably had a little to do with the mess in the kitchen, but he couldn’t move. He could barely see through the thick lace covering his vision. Where would he have gone anyway?
“Fuck it,” he mumbled and let his body slide down the wall, away from his puke. His shoulder hit the floor hard, but it didn’t hurt. Nothing hurt anymore.
Indifferent, Ash reached into the folds of his top and withdrew a gun. Ash gave Tristan one final concerned look and turned away. He emptied the Baby Eagle clip into the woman’s chest. She dropped to the ground with a shrill scream, writhing. She wasn’t dead, but it was enough to slow her down. Pace unhurried and deliberate, Ash dropped the gun to the ground, stirring up the dust, and withdrew his katana. He stopped, kicking the toes of his boots into her hip.
“Farewell,” he whispered down to the woman and raised the sword. There was a flash of movement and then her head was separated from her body. Ash no longer had to hold back and pretend to be human. He was what he was… a vampire.
The darkness that was the perimeter of Tristan’s vision finally spread and consumed the light, offering to take him under. The breath left him in a satisfied sigh, grateful to that darkness. The last thing he remembered seeing was Ash’s vibrant eyes fixed on him as he stood over the woman’s body, her head clutched in one hand by the hair, the fingers of his other hand covered in blood and moving towards his outstretched tongue.
8: P eace, L ove & U nderstanding
TINGLES all over. And pain. Muscles tense, sudden alertness.
Tristan popped upright, swaying as his eyes tried to focus to the dark. He was in bed back at Ash’s. All of the curtains were drawn except for the far one near the dinette where the window was propped open. The outside air smelled good, fresh and clean. He took in a deep breath, feeling the aches in his body. He touched his left side and winced when pain tingled down to his hip and up his right arm.
He slouched forward, feeling the tension across his back and sighed, “Shit.”
“You talk in your sleep.”
Tristan flinched back, heart racing. He looked around for something to wield as a weapon and found nothing. “Ash. You fucking liar!”
Ash moved on his perch so that his face was just barely visible. He was sitting on the upholstered bench at the end of the bed, legs crossed under him and his hair free. Did he know how creepy he was, hiding in the shadows like that? Probably.
...fucking vampire.
Ash let out a long sigh. And with that resignation Tristan knew the other man understood exactly what he meant. “No. I never lied to you. I simply had not disclosed my,” He paused, letting out another long breath. “Nature. And understandably. Yes, I am vampire.”
Tristan gasped at the validation. God, it was so stupid to not notice, especially after all that stuff he’d told him the other night—fast movements, pale, cold skin, never awake during daylight hours or ate anything.
“I simply chose to not tell you until I saw it necessary for you to know,” Ash continued. “What would you had done had you known before? Stayed here, allowed me to protect you? I am not so foolish.” Ash sighed. “You must understand, I was and still am only trying to protect you. I had intended on telling you my nature when I saw fit. Unfortunately, the monster in me made me lose my senses and you had to find out in a dreadful manner. I assure you, friend, I am the safest vampire you
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