My head was a little all over the place as I went over the information that was available to me. Vampires are real, magic has been mentioned one of the twisted things wanted to gank a vampire? The club is full of cult members? Alright the last part was speculation but the way they acted, and treated Freyja with such reverence and fear? Hildi to? I know I was missing a lot, and if I wanted to have a chance to get back to my place in one piece what was the smart thing to do?
The staff lounge was what you would expect okay lighting, dark sofas coffee tables and vending machines. Magazines strewn around.
“Talk. Human.” Hildi said, she pointed to a chair positioned before a breakfast nook. She had a face like a slapped ass. I suppose you could say she was glowering at me, but it just didn’t do her enough credit. She made it very difficult for me to want me to participate. I was about to say something just to get on her nerves a little more, but Freyja beautiful, adorable Freyja smiled and put one hand on my shoulder. Before walking to Hildi, and whispering something to her, both had their eyes fixed on me, Hildi seemed to be struggling with whatever Freyja had been whispering to her but some of the haughtiness seemed to leave her. My gut was telling me to go for it, to bare all, there was just one problem.
“I don’t know where to start honestly…” I looked around the room, the night was getting on, I was dog tired and honestly, I just wanted to be done with this, go home spend the next few months working before going on excursions anywhere.
“Why did you come here, what was you intention?” Hildi asked. Others were starting to file into the staff lounge, there seemed to be two groups, the staff and others that matched them and then the ones like Hildi and Freyja though none compared to threat of violence oozing off the primary pair. I wanted to spend some time and concentration on being able to see auras, but I didn’t have the time, it sure would been neat to be able to see some intent from people, auras could be great for things like that. Instead in my head I split them into two groups, appeared living, and appeared vampires. Vampires it seemed were like media taught in the sense of being a whole lot paler, and still, very still, watching them move was almost unnatural, robot like, no unnecessary movements. Then there was Olivia’s group, there was a lot of piercings, feathers, tattoos, body modifications and natural clothing, they did also reek of weed and patchouli.
“I haven’t had a night out drinking in months and was persuaded to by two colleagues from my office.” I didn’t like being sat there with everyone watching me.
“Please, we wish to know why you acted, why you… what you, did.” It was another blonde woman, this one closer to platinum, she was wearing black leather pants and a red corset, with large cold blue eyes that never met my own. She looked like she was a vampire and loved being one. All exposed collarbones and a black pearl necklace. She also didn’t have the same thick accent, but you could still tell that English wasn’t her first language.
“I didn’t come out with the intent to fight. It’s not how it works.”
“Could you please be more specific.”
“Not really.” I ran my hands over my face, feeling slightly stressed. “Look, when some event like this usually occurs, I am in and out. Nobody knows I was there apart from the person if they are still alive…”
“So you are a killer then.”
“Sometimes yes.” This had the room looking a little uneasy, apart from Hildi and Freyja. I had no idea if Freyja understood what I was saying, but she had an odd half smile. I considered that maybe I was sharing too much but it was nice just talking about It openly. I found it cathartic, the only other person I spoke to about this was my sister.
“I have to point out, that I only act as I am required.”
“You kill when it pleases you?” Hildi asked. I let out a cold laugh.
“No. That’s you putting words in my mouth, I am… shit I guess you could say that I am an agent of opportunity.”
Wait that didn’t sound right at all. I am totally making myself sound like a serial killer.
“Oh gods.” The blonde vampire looked somehow paler.
“What is it Vala?”
“I saw his strand, his weave. I... I think it’s-” Hildi held a hand up to stop her. My redheads smile only grew, her fangs slowly descending.
I have no idea what that means… is she… is she just looking at me like I am a snack? Or does she like hearing me talking about violence? I was lost in my own thoughts for a few seconds while the peanut gallery settled once again. More than a few quick words were exchanged with Olivia’s group too.
“Continue. Mr agent of opportunity.” Hildi didn’t appear to hold me in high regard. She seemed to keep setting up questions to paint me in a bad light. Like I needed her fucking judging me for shit she didn’t even know about.
“Look, I am really trying, it’s just sort of difficult to explain. The easiest way to see things from my perspective is to understand that I have been cursed. This isn’t me moping or being sorry for myself because I am not, I am just saying how it is. So, lets just start there, I have been cursed with a miserable shitty life-”
“You can’t expect us to-” Hildi butted in.
“Look if you want me to try and share you have to be willing to listen, if you don’t, that’s cool I can fuck off right now.” Freyja tugged on Hildi’s arm and said something, a lot of heat left Hildi’s expression then, and she nodded to me, so I continued.
“If I am out somewhere it seems like I was cursed to be there. When something like tonight arises, with people acting all funky, and I am drawn into it, I just react to what I am brought into. It doesn’t matter what I had been there for initially, I don’t know if the people going through stuff are only going through it because of me? Of if they had been for a long time. I don’t know I don’t hang around to find out. Shit just happens, ya know? Like there was one time where I was out for a stroll, I don’t normally go out for one, why would I? It wasn’t a romantic walk, I don’t own a fucking dog. I was just visiting my sister, when I was like oh I should go out for a stroll so I did. Boring houses, obnoxious teens the usual. A few miles later I got this heavy gut feeling, there was a house in the middle of a cul-de-sac, it was filled with this lovely family of five, but the youngest daughter had been infected by something similar to what had snagged the guy earlier tonight. They had tried calling the church and an archbishop had showed up and left on his knees, covered in his own excrement, half mad. The family were beside themselves, crying while their daughter was belted to a bed shouting all sorts of nonsense. I saw the story play out in my head, and my gut said I should go inside. And I did so, she was maybe twelve or thirteen? I didn’t want to get caught, and I wasn’t I walked in up the stairs and as if sensing me the thing clinging to her detached and attacked me. It was like putting peppermint oil on a tick. With I can only describe as a minor effort of will of me wanting it to be gone it was. I wanted to reassure the girl she’d be fine but she was already out cold, and I left.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
“And was she?”
“Fine?” I pondered on this. “I thought it was a little crazy so I did check on her and the local paper mentioned something about the expert exorcist archbishop, so yeah she’s cool.”
“So you don’t know, you are just saying that you believe it to be so?”
“Lady, belief is a powerful thing. And I am not talking about the secret here.”
“Yet it remains, you do not know.”
“Again yes.” I shrugged.
“Are you too scared to know? You say, if any you said is true that you just act and disappear.”
“Oof. That is actually harder to answer, I guess I just don’t let it weigh me down, you know?” Hildi didn’t seem to like this answer.
“You are a fool then.” I narrowed my eyes. I was all well and good being self-deprecatory, but she hadn’t earned the right to talk to me like that, not by a long shot.
“Like I said, it’s difficult for me to explain what I know, and you questioning my motives, or actions or wanting me to doubt myself? I don’t know what you want from me. I was out tonight because my friends invited me out, I came here because they wanted to come here, we got in because you guys let us in. We had a few drinks, I didn’t even get to bust out any dance moves, I chatted with Olivia then bam. I got a vision saw something was going down and acted on it, I didn’t call the police because by the time I explained what appeared to be going on it would have already happened, I didn’t warn your gorillas or staff because I didn’t think they would believe me, I didn’t set off a fire alarm to clear the club because I did not feel that it would work at least in preventing the attack. I believed my best course of action was what I took. I didn’t doubt myself because it wouldn’t fucking help. So, while you were off sucking dick or whatever you do for blood Vampirella, I acted. I don’t regret it, Freyja seems like a really nice person if a little handsy. I am happy she’s okay, now if you don’t mind my head is fucking killing me, these pants are making my dick feel weird and I have answered everything I think to your satisfaction.”
“No.” Hildi said simply. I wanted to slam my head on the table.
“No?” I said feeling beyond frustrated.
“Shall we tell you what we believe agent of opportunity?”
“If I can go to bed after, sure go for it. Also, the taxi that’s been waiting out front, I am not paying it’s meter running up.” Hildi started speaking with Vala, and Freyja, there was a lot of pointing. Olivia’s group seemed to be lost in a discussion to, without anyone focussing on me, I considered trying to pull up some of my John Cena, you can’t see me mojo and buggering off, but I didn’t know if I would be able to, not how I was feeling. Plus, my gosh darn gut was telling me to stay put for the moment. Having my cursed life was a lot like living that bump and grind R Kelly song without the pee parties. The difference was my mindset. For example, in the song Mr Kelly states that: “My mind's tellin' me no, but my body, my body's tellin' me yes” For me my body is telling me yes and my mind is tellin’ me so how you wanna do this? Olivia’s group approached Freyja’s and there were an awkward few moments while they supplicated themselves to the spooky vampires, coming to a decision.
“We want you to show us.” Vala said, she sounded a little rattled. There were some more animated discussions going on, which I wasn’t privy to.
“Show us.” Hildi demanded.
“Look it doesn’t work like that. I have to feel it.”
“Feel it?” Hildi asked.
“Something, some emotion. I… look I can’t fucking explain it alright I just know its there when I need it. And right now, I don’t feel it, I am beyond tired and feel half dead.” More words exchanged and suddenly four of the vampires, five including Vala were holding onto Freyja. She was putting up one hell of a fight. But she was unable to break loose from their hold.
“Oi what you doing to her?” I spat, starting to rise from my chair. Just what the hell was going on now?
“It is not her you should fear for.” Hildi growled, my stomach tensed, and I knew that it wasn’t the dairy that was causing my gut to spasm. There was a flash of movement as my perspective shifted around the room, one moment I was standing there the next I was taken off my feet and sailing through the air. The last thing I saw was the pleased expression on Hildi’s face on being able to enact some violence upon me as she turned me into a missile.