@dirtwatchman replied to your post “[pm] I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry I'm the biggest...”:
[pm] Of course I finally get the courage to do this and it goes to the wrong person. You're kind of cold hearted, you know that? You could have at least given me a good outcome to keep my hopes up.
[pm] And you're kind of bad at apologies. That sounded very self-flagellating. Whoever that was for, I think they shouldn't forgive you. Also Caleb, you know I'm literally cold hearted. As in, undead.
PARTIES: @dirtwatchman, @disengagedspirit
TIMING: Later the same day after this solo.
SUMMARY: Mercy finds her way into a nearby cemetery, Caleb's cemetery, where he finds her lost and confused after waking from a nearly 400 year slumber.
CONTENT WARNINGS: unsanitary tw (brief mentions in regards to her clothing)
Though it had been morning, when Mercy had been revived from her slumber of almost 400 years, the man she had fed from had given her enough strength to find shelter in a nearby tomb located in the cemetery she had found herself wandering into out of desperation earlier in the day. But now, with the night sky hanging overhead, the woman who only appeared to be 33 had found herself conversing with a spirit who donned clothing similar to her own, “Pray tell kind sir, what day is it?”
“Tis’ Wednesday, Madam.” He was an older gentleman who had reminded her of the man who had raised her. At least what glimpses of him she could recall. After spending century after century in the dirt everything she had tried to hang onto had slowly faded, except now, there had been gentle reminders with the fog lifted from the meal she had consumed that morning.
“And the year of our…” Mercy paused, nearly choking on the word Lord. “What year might it be?” It hurt not being able to speak of such things that she was once so passionate about and had been raised on, but to force it out would have meant an agony she couldn’t quite handle at the moment.
“Tis’ 1724.” Though he was kind, his answer didn't sit well with her. There had been so much progress with the sun captured in tiny glass containers. Melodic songs that rang out from small bright objects that shook. And numerous other things. If witchcraft hadn’t existed while she was still around previously, it certainly did now.
—
There’d been an influx of strange happenings going on around town lately which wasn’t all that alarming to Caleb. This had been happening ever since he was a kid. One thing would die down only for another crazy circumstance to take over. It was life in this beautifully weird town. But this circumstance was a little different and even he was being overwhelmed by the noises and the ghosts taking over the place. So many were in the cemetery alone. Where he used to only see a few here and there it seemed like they were multiplying each day.
As he made his way towards a gravestone that he’d noticed graffiti on earlier he noticed a woman who was talking to one of them. She wasn’t a ghost but she was almost dressed exactly like them save for the larger blood stains covering her clothes. Well…that wasn’t good.
Cautiously making his way over to the pair, he caught the tail end of their conversation. The ghost didn’t know what year it was? Hadn’t somebody told him yet? “Excuse me, miss? Are you okay?” Caleb’s eyes trailed over the fresh blood, noticing that it wasn’t limited to her clothes. It was splattered over her face as well. His caution grew but he also had ended up in situations like this so he couldn’t really judge her harshly. “It’s 2024, ma’am. He’s a little off on that. But it also looks like he’s been dead since 1724 too….what year did you think it was?”
—
Mercy let out a soft sigh. If his answer was accurate, she had only been in the ground less than a century, but that realization was soon shattered by the presence of a man approaching her. Pulling her away from the ghost’s attention, Mercy set her sights on someone who appeared to be solid and dressed much differently than she had ever seen, except on one other person who was now laying dead miles away from where she was currently standing. He was rather tall and reminded her of Thomas; at least what little she could remember of her husband. But his vernacular was all wrong, and when she turned back to speak to the ghost, he was gone.
With no other choice, Mercy turned back around to face the man again, “Forgive me, but hast thou proclaimed it to be 2024?” If her heart could beat, it would stop. With her sharp blue eyes widening, it meant that if the math in her head was correct – Thomas had taught her much about the art of mathematics – that she was underground for nearly 400 years.
Stepping backwards somewhat, Mercy reached out for a nearby stone bench and sat down. It had taken her a moment to regain herself and to be able to talk to the man. Though she didn’t want to believe it, it had made a lot more sense, with all of the new discoveries, than what the gentleman earlier had said. And with sad eyes, she looked back upon him, “1694. When thy accusers placed thee underground…”
—
As soon as she started to speak Caleb knew he was in for a wild ride with this one. This woman had definitely missed out on some time but how in the world had this happened? “Um…yea, thou is 2024…okay, yea, I don’t know how to speak old English properly so I’m not even going to try. I’m sorry.” He watched her take a seat on the memorial bench, trying not to spook her too much. Of course it was a shock, he was shocked just hearing her so he couldn’t imagine what was going on in her mind.
Did she say 1694? Accusers? The paranoia started to grow stronger as Caleb kept his distance from her even if he knew he most likely wasn’t in danger. The woman had to be dead so whatever she ate it wasn’t rotting flesh like him. But what had she done to be placed underground? And who had just become her latest meal? Were they still in the graveyard? “I think I’m going to need a little more context here so that I can try to help you. Could you explain…why you were underground and why you’re here now? Did you wake up here?”
The questions were fair. He was understandably curious but he also needed to know if there was a body that needed to be taken care of before more police started to crawl around the place. Caleb already had enough of those looking his way.
—
Mercy couldn’t help, but gaze up at him with furrowed brows at his attempt. The language spoken now was so different, but yet, still very similar. Thankfully, she had been able to make out what he was saying, and what he was asking wasn’t unfair. Though she was weary in replying. Mercy did not know his motives. Would he try to drag her back to a premature grave or hang her for her crimes? She had seen this happen far too many times, and while she wouldn’t deny being at fault for what she had done, death by the gallows was something that scared her greatly.
“Might I trust thee?” Mercy needed to know, before confessing why she had ended up buried so deeply in the ground. Humans could change and evolve, she had seen that in the short amount of time she had been roaming the Earth. She had witnessed it with Abigail in her jealousy and accusations, and unfortunately, she had only just met this man, “Many a year ago, I was betrayed and don’t trust as I once did.” Mercy looked at the man with sad eyes.
—
Her question threw him for a loop, Caleb not really sure how to answer that. Really, he couldn’t could he? Trusting him was all on her. He could tell this woman all night that he wasn’t going to do anything to hurt her but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t in her mind, especially after what she’d been through and he didn’t even know the extent of it all. “I…I mean, I guess that’s up to you. But I will point out that you’re covered in blood talking to a ghost and I haven’t thrown you in the ground yet.” He gave her a sincere look, not sure if that was the right thing to say or not.
Especially since she’d experienced betrayal before. Anyone who had been through something like that would have a hard time trusting others again but where Caleb stood, she didn’t really have much of a choice, did she? “Tell you what, I’ll introduce myself. Let you know why I’m here and then you can decide whether you want to tell me or not.” The zombie gave her a moment to contemplate that, make any objections if she wanted, before continuing. “My name is Caleb. I work in this cemetery, take care of it, and I see things like this pretty often. Though, I think you’re the first one who’s been buried for…so long.”
—
Mercy listened intently as Caleb spoke. He had made a fair point. As she glanced down to look at herself, she noticed the blood and dirt soaking her dress. A dress that she could vaguely remember being a different color when she first wore it so many years ago. Not dingy and aged and eaten by the worms and beetles that had slipped into the cracks in the coffin over the years. In fact, it had been the first time that Mercy had seen any part of herself – her eyes only having been focused on the vast changes in the world around her, “You are fair in your observations.”
As he continued, she nodded gently, her bright blue eyes remaining trained on him the entire time. When he finished, she paused thinking if it were safe enough to trust him, and when she realized he was her only option of assistance in such a dire matter, she spoke, “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Caleb.” She wanted to quickly return her name, but as the moment came up, Mercy paused. She had been buried for so long and in the dark for quite some time that she couldn't quite recall her name, at least not immediately. And when she finally did, she returned an answer, “My sincerest apologies. You may call me Mercy. Laying in darkness and rot for many a year has taken its toll on my memories.” It was strange being upright. Strange being out of her dark and dirt ridden prison and back in the land of the living. “I suppose it is only fair for me to explain myself. I have repeated my life’s story over and over again, perchance I was to be freed from my eternal prison in the ground. However, I fear I am unable to remember everything, so please forgive me, if I cannot recall every detail as it was.”
“I was born in the year 1656. I was married and gave birth to a beautiful, little girl – my sweet Sarah.” Mercy felt the girl’s name catch in her throat as she thought of her daughter and husband. “We lived in Salem town. But when the war broke out, people started to flock to Salem for refuge; our town twas no longer peaceful. I was later attacked and left for dead, but when I awoke, I had a very unusual craving for blood. In fear of harming my sweet Thomas and Sarah, I fled; hid in the shadows for as long as I could and consumed that which was offered by poor, innocent animals, until I was caught by a former friend who betrayed me. In desperation, I fled from my home and everything I knew to a town known as Wicked’s Rest. Here I was caught and forced to an eternity of rotting in the ground.”
—
“You don’t have to tell me everything...” She just kept talking, Caleb, surprised that when she finally decided to trust him the woman decided to tell her whole life story. And what a sad story it was. He could feel his heart going out to her more and more, especially after hearing her throat catch while talking about her daughter. Being turned into a vampire, losing her family, a friend betraying her and her ending up in the ground buried alive because of it…it was heavy. Something occurred to him though. The whole time she was talking, she never once mentioned the word ‘vampire.’
Did she even know what she was?
“And then you woke up in 2024…you’ve missed a lot.” He let out a deep breath that he’d been holding in, probably for longer than he should have. “I’m sorry you had to go through all of that. Do you…know why all of that happened to you? I mean, the reason you woke up craving blood, do you know why that is?” He didn’t want to mansplain vampires to a vampire but Caleb couldn’t get over the fact that she’d avoided the word. “Did you crave it when you woke?”
He knew she did. The blood on her dress was enough to tell him that but he also knew that not eating for so long was enough to throw them into a frenzy. Now he was wondering if there was a trail of bodies he needed to help clean up and maybe some he could harvest for his own needs. Caleb ran a hand over the nape of his neck and looked around them, seeing only the old fashioned ghosts that had taken to walking around the town. At least there was no one alive around to witness this.
—
“Sorry. I needed to speak it. To allow it out so that my life and the life of my Thomas and Sarah were still relevant even in…” Mercy still couldn’t process the year, “Two-thousand and twenty-four.” She looked away from him, still trying to understand how she could even still be here. But his questions caught her attention, “Excuse me?”
Mercy still didn’t understand that part of her life. She knew that whatever it was had made her an abomination in the eyes of the Lord. Any holy words spoken had burned her tongue and any time she had tried to lay her hand on a Bible, it sent a searing pain through her body. If any memory from her time previously walking the Earth that she had held onto, that was it. And it had made laying in a wooden box for centuries so much harder. Her faith not being an option to get her through the longest days of her undead life. So she made her husband and her child her faith with the hopes that she would one day see them again, but now that she was once more free and living in a completely different era in the history of the world, even she knew it was impossible.
“All I know is that I am an abomination.” She tugged at her bloodied dress in frustration. “A parasite that can still roam freely needing to take the lives of innocents to survive. Even…God’s…” She paused as pain coursed through her small figure leaving her to ball her fists, “green pastures and warm sunshine burn my skin if I am in them for too long. I assumed it must be some illness of my time, but I never recalled a name given to its description.” Mercy’s chest heaved up and down as the pain from speaking the Lord’s name slowly dissipated. “So no, I do not know the true reason why I crave the blood of a man or animal, but merely for the reason of my survival.”
—
Everything she was saying only confirmed what she was. If drinking blood to survive after being attacked wasn’t enough to clue him in, not being able to walk in daylight was the seal on what species she was. Watching choke the word ‘God’ out, seeing the pain it caused her, was only the bow on top of the neatly packaged picture she had given him. “Abomination is harsh.” But was it true? It’s what Caleb felt like most days and it’s what a lot of the undead he had met over the years felt like as well. Maybe they were all abominations. It wasn’t like they were meant to walk around this earth after experiencing a death.
“Mercy…I’m certain that I know what you are. I’ve seen quite a few of them over the years. I don’t know if the name was a common thing during the time you lived but they have one for it.” The zombie paused, hands going to his pockets as he tried to let that sink in a little. He was trying his best to be gentle. “You’re a vampire. The person who attacked you before you woke up and craved blood, they must have been one and they turned you.”
Caleb didn’t pretend to be an expert on the subject. He’d run into many while working in the cemetery but he’d never really known one personally so he was sure he didn’t know about everything that came with that life. But what he did know, he could try to help her with. “Unfortunately, blood is not an option. You’ll have to keep drinking it to survive. I don’t know if there’s any way around the sunlight thing either. I’m not an expert on vampirism but I can see what I can do to help you through this. The good thing? It’s easier to go undetected in this town. Plenty of them live around here.”
—
Mercy didn’t know any other way to describe herself. She could no longer be around people without the lingering threat of killing them. She couldn’t walk in the daylight. And worse of all God had shunned her from speaking his name, singing hymns, or saying her prayers. It was an impossible life to live, and the only reason she had been hanging onto it all before had been the existence of her family. Now, she was in a completely different time in the history of the Earth, and they had long been in the grave as she had once been, “Tis my judgment upon thine ownself.”
The small brunette held her head in shame, until Caleb had confessed to knowing what she was. And immediately, though with sorrow in her eyes, raised her head, “Pray tell, Caleb. What have I become?”
As she listened to him explain and finally put a name to what her illness was, Mercy couldn’t help but repeat the word over and over again in her mind, before saying it outloud, “Vampire…I know not of this word, but your description is accurate. I suffer from all of those afflictions; the hunger for blood being the worst of them.” If there had been more of these creatures during her time of living had it meant that the Salem Witch Trials were based on accuracy instead of accusations? It was a question she would ponder for another time. Instead, the realization that she wasn’t alone was more important, as was his offer to help her, “I am indebted to you, sir. Tis your kindness in this moment that means a great deal. The revelation of more…vampires…however, is quite the shock.”
Mercy paused for a moment, “Seeing as though you are willing to help me, how shalt we proceed?”
—
“I get that. The hunger isn’t easy. Mine’s not exactly the same but I experience it in a different way than you would…different than humans too.” Caleb didn’t exactly know if it was wise to bring up what he was to her but he also wanted her to know that he could understand in a way. He wasn’t just some random guy who didn’t know how to relate to her. Still, telling her that he was a zombie would come at another time as she was still processing what she was.
“Oh, no, you’re not…indebted to me. I just want to help. You looked very lost and…” He paused, not sure how to explain why he wanted to help her. It was something he did quite often for many different people but there was a pull with Mercy. It might have been because Caleb was also lost when he was turned. It took a long time to realize what he’d become and how to properly live as it so maybe there was a sort of kinship there. “Your story seems familiar, is all. Besides, the town doesn’t need a confused vampire on its hands. We’ll all suffer for it, not just you.” That might have been a little harsh but it was the truth. If she didn’t know how to control herself things could turn messy.
The zombie was still focused on the messy part, actually. “I think we should start with whatever body you left behind. We can’t leave it.” Especially if it was in his cemetery. Besides, he could harvest from them if they hadn’t started to decompose yet. “And then, I guess you’ll need somewhere to stay. I have extra room but I need you to promise that you won’t go into the basement of my house. It’s kind of off limits.” More than a little off limits. His stash of brains was littered across that entire basement, the supply for most of the zombies in Wicked’s Rest. It would most likely scare the hell out of her.
—
Mercy was curious, but she dared not question him. Not when he was offering a helping hand despite knowing what she was. There would be time for that, because, apparently, at this rate, she had all the time in the world, “I trust thee, Caleb. No need to explain thyself.” He was right in his assumption though, she was definitely lost. This world and all its changes had been nearly impossible to understand. And though she hadn’t encountered many people yet, she knew things were going to get a lot harder, especially in the upcoming days, until she could actually adjust and blend in more, “I fear you are correct. I don’t want to take the life of another innocent. Tis not fair nor right.”
Mercy knew that consuming the blood of the man who had freed her had been a sin. She had taken him away from his family, much like she had taken the woman who had been caring for her after being attacked, away from her family. The only right thing to do was to give him a proper burial, and it seemed that Caleb would be the one to help her, “I shall take you there. He deserves peace - the peace in which his family will never have. She hung her head in shame as she slowly climbed back up to her feet.
All the vampire had wanted to do was to pray for forgiveness and to ask for guidance, but in some ways she was at least getting the latter, especially when this man, who could have easily gone about his ways, had offered to help her. What she didn’t expect was for him to allow her a place to stay. Normally, she would have hesitated – what would it have said of her reputation, boarding with a man, whom she barely knew? But Mercy was in no position, and looking up to him with a true innocence, she spoke up, “I promise. It is your home, and I am merely a guest. It may have been many years since I have resided above ground, but I know my place, sir. And I will cause no problems.”
With that, Mercy turned away from him and began to walk in the direction from once she came. She wasn’t entirely sure how Caleb had planned to handle the body of the man she had feasted on, but just like everything else currently happening in her long and barely lived life, she would soon find out. She was just grateful to have someone on her side who, rather than shun her and point fingers, gave her the opportunity to explain herself, and if this was commonplace in the world now, then maybe life in this new time wouldn’t be so horrible after all.
PARTIES: @dirtwatchman @uncannysam
TIMING: Mid-December
SUMMARY: Sam decides to hit up the local record shop. Struggling to go in, since it was a favorite place to frequent with Zach, she's caught by Caleb talking to herself, who gives her a friendly little nudge forward, and once inside the pair strike up a conversation about music.
WARNINGS: None!
Buying new records had been a guilty pleasure for Sam when things got hard, or she just wanted to treat herself. But it had always been something she did with Zach. Something she had given up doing for a couple of months now, since that fateful night in the alley. And while she had sworn she was going to never go back, give up any kind of happiness really, for the cowardness she showed that night and the guilt she felt, here she stood at the entrance of their favorite place to hang out together, tears threatening to come out.
“Dammit. Quit being a coward and just go through the fucking door. You know Zach would be making fun of your stupid ass right now.” It was under her breath, just low enough that she hoped no one had heard, but a wave of embarrassment flooded her body, when she noticed someone staring at her as they walked past, “Sorry. Just deciding if I want to spend the money or not.” Sam stepped to the side as she still struggled to make up her mind.
---
Weekly trips to the record store was something he’d started as soon as Caleb was making his own money. He didn’t always buy anything with his finances but he did like to go and check out any new releases that had come in over the weekends and it had been a tradition for him for so many years now that it felt wrong to stop. Music was a big part of who he was, it had helped him get through many nights stuck at the Ellsworth house as he sat there drowning out the yelling with even louder bands playing heavy guitar riffs. Now the music just filled the silence that engulfed his life. He didn’t know which had been worse.
Walking up to the store, he spotted a young girl talking to herself, amping herself up to try and go inside. The words had him slowing his steps and Caleb couldn’t help but stop to look at her. Eyes watering, looking like she was exhausted, she seemed like she could use some help. “Uh, well…you could always just look. That’s what I do when I don’t want to give up food for the week.” He paused, biting the inside of his lip as he looked her over again. “Are you okay?”
---
His voice cut through the haze in her mind. Sam had been worn out lately, and she was still trying to process if what she had been seeing was actually real or something else. Something worse. What she had seen the night Zach died appeared to be real. How could such a small woman lift up her friend and choke him to death, and on top of that, all those other people…eating him. It was like the life she had known had become a living, breathing nightmare.
“Huh? Oh. Yeah, that’s not a bad idea actually.” Sam had almost been afraid to look upwards at the man who was towering over her out of fear that he, too, was something other than normal, and when she finally had the courage to, her heart nearly beating out of her chest, she found he was just another average human being. Damn boy, you got hit with the pretty stick. Shut up, Sam. “Yeah, yeah. I’m good. Just a little tired is all.” She looked back over towards the door, “After you, Prince Pretty.” Fuck.
---
Prince Pretty? What? Had he heard her right? Had to have. Why would he have created that in his mind? The girl looked like she was pretty out of it anyway so he wasn’t going to pay too much attention to it even if he was flattered. Clearing his throat, Caleb stepped up to the door and held it open for her, deciding to ignore the comment. She did just say she was tired after all. “No, after you.”
As he walked in after her, his eyes roamed the familiar shelves that felt like home. All of the usuals were there but Caleb had the new arrivals section in mind, heading that way as he spoke to the girl again. “Is there anything in particular that you’re looking for? I know you’re just browsing but it’s always nice to see new stuff from your favorite people if they’re out.” His fingers ran over the edge of a Taking Back Sunday album as he continued walking, knowing it was on his list for future purchases if he could bring himself to spend the money.
---
That’s always the best way to greet somebody you don’t know. Call them fucking Prince Pretty. A tint of red spread across her cheeks as she let her eyes fall to the ground, and she tucked her hypothetical tail between her legs. Yeah, if Zach was here, he’d be making fun of her so hard right now, “I’m just gonna…yeah.” Sam didn’t have to say much as she moved through the doorway. The embarrassment had seemed to keep her mind off of prior thoughts about not wanting to enter the store though.
Once inside, the familiar smell of vinyl and mustiness from the old building washed over Sam like a cool wave on a hot summer day. It felt like home and familiarity and regardless of her friend not being here with her physically, his memory was definitely still alive and making her smile, “Uh, no. Not really. Me and a friend used to come here pretty often, and this is the first time back since…yeah.” She let her eyes look towards the Taking Back Sunday record, before spotting the latest Ice Nine Kills album. Are you jelly right now, Zachers? Cause this shit is about to be all mine. Sam glanced up towards the ceiling.
---
The red cheeks were evidence of so many things to Caleb at that moment. First, he knew that she wasn’t undead like himself but that didn’t necessarily mean human, and second he knew that he had heard her right. His lips quirked up, even more flattered, but he still stayed quiet on the subject. At the mention of her friend though, he looked up sharply and watched as she trailed off, his mind pulling pieces together. Was that why she was almost in tears when she was standing outside?
Maybe she needed a friend now that her other one wasn’t around for whatever reason, a reason that seemed dark now that she was looking to the ceiling. Spotting the album in front of her, Caleb decided to continue the conversation in hopes that he might be able to help her out a little. “I’ve never heard of them. What are they like?”
---
Sam lowered her gaze back to the record and reached out for it, “Hell yeah! It’s the Silver Scream Splatter vinyl.” Taking it into her hands, she flipped it over and looked over the track listing. She had heard it a million times on Spotify (thank goodness for premium), but had held off on buying it out of the grief and guilt she had been feeling. But for whatever reason, today felt different. Especially with someone by her side. It didn’t seem so…lonely.
Looking up at Prince Pretty, Sam grinned, “Honestly, I didn’t know about them until my friend introduced me to their music many years ago. But they’re metal, so if you're not into that or horror movies, you might not like them.” Sitting the album back down, she pulled out her phone and opened up Spotify. “I listen to them way too much so they’re already at the top.” Like he needed to know that. Scrolling down, she pressed play on their most popular song, “A Grave Mistake”, before handing him her phone.
---
The sheer excitement that she held as she picked up the album was enough to calm Caleb’s worry to a degree. Music was a godsend, life saving for many including himself, and he’d always loved seeing the passion that others held for it. It was heartwarming. She had seemed so sad when he’d first walked up on her so it was nice to see that something could light her up like that. “Well, Avenged Sevenfold is one of my favorite bands but I’m not too much into horror movies.” He had enough horrors in his life, he didn’t need to add to it. “So this could go either way.”
He’d momentarily forgotten that music could be pulled up so quickly with a smart device. Caleb preferred record players, even old walkmans, but he’d ventured into this app a couple of years ago. He just kept forgetting it was a thing. “At the top, right.” He guessed that meant that it was in a favorite list of hers or something. As he listened to the song, he found himself smiling, his head nodding along the best he could with this type of music and his lack of rhythm. “They’re not bad. I could see adding them to my rotation.”
---
Sam watched as he moved along to the music. Her mind flashed back to when Zach had first introduced her. It wasn’t something she had expected to like. She had liked rock music. Classic stuff and music that her parents had listened to. She had grown up on stuff like The Clash and The Ramones, never venturing to anything harder than Green Day or Ozzy Osbourne, but Zach made all the difference. As soon as he played their music, she was hooked. Of course their sound was pretty different back then, but from there, she went down a metal rabbit hole, “Oh, I love A7X. And, yeah, if I see you around town, and you’ve listened to more of their stuff, I’d love to know your opinion.”
Without Zach here now, Samantha didn’t really have anyone to talk music with. There had always been her parents, but they didn’t listen to screamo or the stuff she vibed with most days, so it was hard. “What about you? What are you into?” As the song finished playing, Sam reached up and took her phone back, closing out the app in the process, and shoving it back into her pocket.
---
“Oh, for sure. I’m usually loitering around but you’ll most likely see me here again.” Loitering was not the best word to use there, Caleb wincing after it came out of his mouth. He was doing too much of that lately as it was, he wouldn’t be surprised if he was gaining a reputation as a creep around town. The creepy maintenance man who hangs out in cemeteries more often than not and stares at people…well, that sounded awful. “I just mean you’d probably see me around town. I don’t blend in that well.” Probably not another great thing to say. He was doing so well.
What was he into? Music was such a vast topic and he always hated that question only because Caleb knew he was going to forget important bands in his life. He always did. “My favorite, hands down, are The Smashing Pumpkins. I don’t know why I’ve just always loved them.” He knew why. They’d always been there for him. Whenever they were having a bad night at the Ellsworth house and he couldn’t escape he could turn the band on and drown everything out. They would take over his world for however long he needed, always there with a loud guitar or jarring lyrics. “Avenged Sevenfold, as stated, Brand New, Greenday, Three Days Grace…I could go on…”
---
Loitering? Who is this guy? Sam could tell the more he spoke, the more awkward it had gotten, but it was okay. She was used to awkward, because Zach had been awkward at times, and he often made her laugh. Plus, Caleb was tall, and she could see what he meant by not blending in well. Of course everyone was tall compared to her short little ass. “Ah, right. Being tall and all?” She laughed softly, “I get what you’re saying. My best friend was tall and awkward too. You kind of remind me of him just a little bit.” She looked down for a moment thinking of Zach, before putting her attention back on the guy in front of her and their conversation.
“Wow, such an eclectic taste, but I love it. Those are some solid bands. I grew up on Green Day cause my parents loved their music. And I may have had a little crush on Billie Joe. But that stays between you, me, and the posters on my bedroom wall at my parents’ house.” Sam turned her attention back on the albums, “You been in town long? I’ve seen a lot of new faces over the past several months, including some famous actress. I swear Wicked’s Rest gets weirder and weirder by the day.” That was an understatement considering what Sam could now do. “I’m Sam, by the way. I don’t think I ever introduced myself.” She turned back around and stuck her hand out.
---
“Yea, the tall thing, exactly.” Technically, it was the truth. He’d gotten used to slouching over the years, shrinking in on himself to try and hide away from a world that wasn’t so kind. He’d done it so often that he’d started having back issues before…well, he died. Now he could do it all he wanted without worrying. Clocking in another mention of this friend of hers, Caleb cleared his throat as he prepared for the awkward question that was coming. It seemed like she wanted to talk about him, and he was always willing to lend an ear. “You uh, you talk about this friend a lot. Are you guys fighting or something?” The zombie hoped that was all it was but somehow he knew the answer was going to be no.
“I don’t know about eclectic. I just like loud music. Loudness helps. I think at some point some people were also calling me emo? I don’t really know what that means though.” If he could say anything about this girl it would be that she didn’t seem that shy. Willingly admitting to a crush in front of someone she didn’t know at all, even if the crush was a celebrity, was something he wouldn’t have done himself. “Your secret is safe with me, promise. I don’t even know who I would tell anyway. Anyone else you’d recommend?”
The question made him chuckle, Caleb far from new. It was nice to know that he could still blend in. Maybe his efforts hadn’t been in vain. “Not new, no. I’ve actually been here my whole life. But I know what you mean with the new faces.” A lot of those new faces he’d seen actually turning up dead. Tourists were a big target, that was for sure. “Oh, you mean Mack? I think she mentioned that she was an actress.” Something that made him nervous, even more so now that he knew people would recognize her if something happened. “Oh, uh, Caleb. Nice to meet you.” His eyes went to her hand, the zombie nodding to her instead of reaching out himself. Hopefully she just took that as him not liking physical contact and not personally.
---
“It’s okay. I’m pretty fucking short and have gotten jokes about it my whole life.” It was one of the reasons why she had latched onto the little outcast boy the first year of being in Wicked’s Rest, because he didn’t make fun of her. At least not until they had gotten older, but by then, it was okay, because it was him. Anyone else and she’d throw them the bird or tell them to ‘fuck off’. “Zach, uh…” Sam had somewhat quieted down when the man standing in front of her asked his question. He was right, she had talked about him a lot for the short time they had been communicating without really realizing it, so it was only fair, “No, he…he died a couple of months ago. Um, sorry. I didn’t really realize I was talking about him so much.”
Sam was appreciative of the subject change to loud music, “But, yeah, loud music helps. Especially if you just want to rage out you know? Sometimes it’s needed. And emo? It’s like emotional hardcore. My Chemical Romance falls into that. Jimmy Eat World. And if anybody is making fun of you for it, they’re probably emo too. Unless they listen to that redneck bro country bullshit.” She shuddered at the thought. “I like country, but not country that talks about eating at fucking Applebees.” Sam felt strongly about her music. “As for recommendations, if you’re open to something other than rock, you should check out The Halluci Nation. A good song to start with is “Electric Pow Wow Drum.” But if you’re strictly rock, I also like Barns Courtney.”
“Wow, sorry I didn’t recognize you. For Wicked’s Rest to be so small, it’s still pretty big you know?” Sam had made it a point to explore the small town she was living in when she had been old enough to do so, but there were still untapped places she’d never ventured out to. He must have been in one of those places. “So there really is an actress living here then? Wow. That’s pretty cool. I’m guessing you know her?” She noticed he didn’t return the handshake and tried not to take it too personal, letting her hands instead go to some random album, “It’s nice to meet you, Caleb.” She had put her focus back on the whole reason she had come into the store.
---
“Don’t be sorry.” Caleb almost regretted asking the question. Dealing with as many grieving people as he has over the years he thought that he’d be better at comforting others during a time of loss. He was mostly in the background, yes, but it was sometimes hard to escape loved ones when a body was involved. Yet, he was still as awkward as ever when these situations arose. “Don’t feel bad for talking about someone you loved. It should make you feel better.” With Jack gone, he also knew that sometimes just speaking about him made him happy. Just remembering the person they were was always nice and brought back good memories. “I shouldn’t have brought it up, I’m sorry.”
Her words had him raising an eyebrow, curious about what she meant. “Rage out? How do you rage out? Truthfully, I just like tuning the world out with it. There’s nothing like sitting in your room with the music as loud as you can stand it while ignoring every problem I’ve ever had.” He had to laugh as she went on about the ‘bro country’ as she called it, but it also made him realize how singular his tastes really were as he’d never heard the phrase before. “I like Jimmy Eat World too, I’ve heard of My Chemical Romance but never listened to them. As for singing about Applebees…what?” He kept the names of every artist she was saying in mind, planning on checking out some of them later. A lot of them sounded interesting.
“Oh, no, again you don’t have to be sorry. You know how many tourists we get around here? New faces all the time, I get it.” Nodding, his mind went to his newest client as the worries of his business started to seep back into place after a temporary lull. He still owed Mack a delivery and Caleb knew he’d probably have to sacrifice some of his personal stock for it. “Yea, I’ve talked to her a few times. She’s pretty cool, kind of secluded though so I’m not sure how much she likes being recognized.” Noticing that she was putting all of her attention towards the albums, he sighed softly, trying to explain so that he didn’t seem like too much of a jerk. “It’s nothing personal, I just don’t really like physical contact much when it comes to new people.” Or all people. Yea, all people sounded right.
---
Sam had listened to his explanation of why he didn’t want to be touched. She could respect that. Some people just didn’t like physical touch, and she had to remember that. After moving from her home in Kahnawake, traditions and how people treated one another had changed quite a bit. Though she was still a child, she could tell that things weren’t the same, especially with how she watched people treat her parents and other children treat her. And as she grew older, she had learned how to better fit in, but refused to fully let go of the lessons her parents continued to teach her, especially on the occasional trip back home to see family and friends, “I get it. I’m sorry too. Sometimes I forget not all people like to be touched.”
She sat the album back down that she had been looking at, “And you’re fine. I can’t go the rest of my life not talking about him. You asked about raging? I rage by blasting the music as loud as I can and letting loose with dancing as hard as I can. Me and Zach used to do that a lot. There’s a little underground metal club we would go to sometimes and mosh, until we couldn’t stand up anymore.” Sam laughed thinking back on one night when it had gotten out of hand and she ended up getting elbowed in the face. “I think you’d like My Chemical Romance. The bro country, not so much, but I mean to each their own I guess.”
She moved over to the other side of the aisle, “That’s cool about your actress friend. I don’t blame her for wanting her privacy. I’d be the same way.” As her eyes scanned the albums, she laid eyes on one and had decided this was the one she was getting today, “Fuck yeah! The Riddlin’ Kids.” She held the album up proud of her find.
---
With the mutual apologies, Caleb decided to let the subject go. He didn’t feel like explaining further, really couldn’t explain further, and she seemed to be fine now that he’d given her something. He just hoped that she wasn’t putting on a front and he hadn’t actually hurt her feelings and unfortunately that wonder would probably take over his mind for the next week at least.
“You probably shouldn’t go the rest of your life without doing so.” He really had no room to lecture here or push her to talk about her friend more since he had barely spoken about his own loss. He’d been too worried and it wasn’t like he didn’t see the man every now and then. It was rather jarring. But encouraging others to speak their pain aloud? He’d never been a stranger to that. “As fun as that sounds, I don’t dance. Never have, most likely never will.” Especially now that Caleb was clumsier than he’d used to be. At least she was laughing as she talked about him this time, an improvement. “I will definitely skip the bro country, thank you for the warning. Applebee’s isn’t even that great.”
He did glance over at the section that held the My Chemical Romance band, picking up one of their albums and turning it over to inspect the back. But when her uninhibited celebration came about his eyes were back to her and the album she was proudly holding. “Again, not sure who they are.” Caleb really needed to expand on his musical tastes. “I feel like I listen to the same bands over and over now.”
---
“You know, I don’t think I could go more than a day without talking about him, so I don’t think I have to worry about that.” She laughed warmly at the thought of her friend as she walked back over to Caleb with the album in hand, “Not even in the privacy of your own home? That’s mostly where I let it all out now, with the exception of being around family.” Sam loved keeping rhythm to the music, especially if it had a great beat. She had imagined that if she were back home with her family, she’d dance publicly, but in more of a spiritual respect for her people. Not headbanging and other high energy, throwing caution to the wind kind of movements she often did, especially since Zach had died. “Yeah, no problem, and honestly, I agree. I’ve never had a decent meal at Applebee’s.” Now LongHorn had been a different story.
“That’s a great album. A good one to start out with if you think you want to start listening to their music.” Sam had loved The Black Parade. “Do you mind?” Taking the album out of his hand, she walked up to the counter with both the Riddlin’ Kids and My Chemical Romance and handed them to the cashier. Once she had paid for both things, she walked back over to Caleb and handed him the bag with the My Chemical Romance album in it, “Here. My treat so you can say you listen to other bands.” She grinned as she looked up at him.
---
“No, not even in private.” Dancing had always felt unnatural to him and his awkward level shot sky high whenever he attempted, even embarrassed to do it when nobody was around. “The screaming sounds fun though…” Caleb might have to try that sometime. It would probably help, especially now that he couldn’t even talk to the people he would normally go to. He’d always heard that screaming could release some of the stress and tension of life but had never really tried it before.
The album was about to be put back, the zombie making a mental note to make it his next purchase, when she plucked it from his grip. His eyebrows furrowed, wondering if she had decided to get it for herself as she made her way to the counter up front, until she was actually handing him the bag. “Oh…wait, no, you didn’t have to do that.” Caleb could never take anything gracefully, even birthday gifts. It always made him feel bad to have people spend their hard earned money on him since he knew how bad things could get. He never wanted to be the cause of someone not being able to eat that week.
But she was handing it to him and if he refused that would have been rude. So, he took the album reluctantly while giving her a nervous smile. “Thank you, that was very sweet. I definitely have to give it a shot now.” Reaching up to rub the back of his neck, Caleb looked anywhere but her eyes, not sure how to continue with the conversation. But she was ready to go after having made her purchases and he was spared the humiliation of trying to push past the uncomfortable feelings to act like a normal human being. He thanked her again, eyes going back to the album as she walked out of the shop. No matter what people said about this town, it was nice to know that kind people still walked the streets.
PARTIES: @dirtwatchman; @twolittlefangs
TIMING: Late July
LOCATION: Martin Mansion
SUMMARY: Caleb gets an invitation to Martin Mansion. Max invites herself as his plus one. Things get spicey.
WARNINGS: Substance abuse tw, Alcohol tw, Cigarettes tw, Spice tw (not too heavy)
In all the years she had been around, Maxine Diaz never had a problem inviting herself to things. And most of those times, she also never had a problem making herself the center of attention. Afterall, if you couldn’t find anything fun, why not make your own? It was a good motto to live by, and with a cute boy claiming to have made a reservation at some old ass house that he couldn’t remember, Max knew there was fun to be had. If not in his confusion and the feeding frenzy that could take place afterwards or perhaps the fun little romp in a bed that was probably as old as she was. Either way, it would be an entertaining evening no matter what played out.
Dressed in her best and ready to go out for the evening, Max gave one final check in the mirror before she sped off down the road towards Harborside in her matte black Porsche 911. Whether or not he would be there would be a surprise in itself, but she was never one to pass up an opportunity for a great evening at another person’s expense. And even if he didn’t show up, it would be a chance and flirting her way into someone else’s life and bed.
“Well, it’s not the Ritz, but at least it’s nicer than I thought.” Parking her car on the side of the road, Max climbed out and let her eyes start scanning the area. She had done her research on his profile to know who she was looking for, and when she spotted him, the smile that spread over her face was almost as genuine as the knock off purse she had purchased from TikTok shop out of boredom one night, “Hey! Caleb right?” You’re even hotter in person. Too bad I’m about to make a meal out of you in more ways than one.
—
The reservation that had suddenly appeared in his email had been deleted too many times for Caleb to count. Every time a new one came in he would swipe it to the trash only for another to appear within the next couple of minutes, all more urgent than the last. By the time he finally confirmed he had thought that would be enough to get them to stop. Turns out, when he had missed his check in time they had started hounding him even more. The emails were non stop, pouring in over and over, until he’d finally had enough and started to head towards the location. Somehow those emails stopped as soon as he’d made that decision and Caleb could tell that he was in for an interesting night.
It was just the beginning and he was already regretting his choices as he stared up at the house turned lodging and that was before he’d heard the voice call out to him. His gaze landed on the woman from the internet, eyes widening when he realized he wasn’t imagining her. She was really there in all her ‘have a wild night’ glory. “What are you…” Caleb thought back to their conversation online, desperately wracking his brain to make sure he hadn’t said something that could be taken as an invitation, and in the end he’d come up with nothing. No, she had come here tonight without so much as a hint of him wanting her there. “Why are you here?”
This was on him, wasn’t it? This would teach him to not put any information about where his whereabouts would be online in the future but right now he had to deal with someone who seemed to be a little out of her mind. “Did you sign me up for this?” Why would she have? She had no idea who he was, right? So why would she sign him up and then somehow flood his inbox with emails for an RSVP? He was grasping at straws here but he also couldn’t fathom her showing up out of the blue for no reason other than wanting to ‘show him a good time.’ “I really did not think you were serious about wanting to come here.” Again, his fault. He should have known.
—
Max casually made her way over to Caleb looking every inch of him up and down, including the lost puppy dog look, “First, I’m here, because I didn’t want to leave you alone at some strange house, when you said you had no one to go with. Have you seen Dateline? Secondly, as much as you think I did this…how could I have signed up a stranger? I don’t even know you. And third, come on, Man, you need to loosen up a little! Have a good time on someone else’s dime! Clearly whoever invited you here thought the same thing.” By the time she had finished answering his questions, she was right next to him offering him a playful punch and a whiff of her expensive perfume.
Turning her attention towards the house, she could tell it did give off a weird sort of vibe, but everyone who seemed to be going in around them looked excited, confused, but for the most part excited, “How about this? If you’re not having fun by…let’s say three hours from now, then you can leave, and I’ll go find someone else to entertain.” I swear, this man. She let a small tight smile slip across her face. “We can pretend like this never happened, and you can go back to whatever plans you had jacking off to Doctor Who or something.” He kinda looked like a geek right? Doctor Who was probably his thing.
—
He couldn’t miss the way her eyes traveled over him. He was blind when it came to flirtations but he wasn’t that blind. She was not being subtle in the least online and nor was she in public either. Why the hell she was so interested in him was the bigger question. Caleb tried to tell himself that hunters didn’t use this tactic to draw out the supernatural for their kills. The only ones he’d met were brutes and in some cases didn’t seem to have a flirtatious bone in their body (looking at you, Emilio) but he did have to remember that he hadn't met that many in his lifetime. “I’ve seen Dateline, they usually start like this.” He pointed between the two of them before he stopped to consider the rest of her words.
No one could call him a fun person. Most people, after being around him, could describe him being as fun as a cardboard box. Really, he was just overly cautious and was only able to explore some of the more exciting parts of life if he was with someone he felt safe with. But with his new attitude on new friendships (and some of his older ones) he would need to start letting loose as she said without that safety net to guide him. Now that he was dead, maybe it was time Caleb really started to live.
Three hours. What could that really hurt anyway? Narrowing his eyes slightly, he weighed the pros and the cons against each other before deciding it was time to delve into something he couldn’t guarantee he would live through. “What the hell is Doctor Who?” It was all he said as he turned toward the mansion, knowing the woman would follow him inside. She took the time to show up here, she wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity.
—
As much as Max wanted to reply back to his comment with the words I know, she held her tongue. Pick your battles, Max. You want to have a fun time with this guy. Don’t scare him away before the night’s festivities even begin. “You’ve never seen Doctor Who? Hmm. Surprising. It’s some show about aliens. You just looked like the type. Already surprising me and the night hasn’t even started.” Her grin loosened up a bit. Maybe he wouldn’t be so tight after all. There was always the option of getting a few drinks in the man too. Who didn’t love a drink with a hot woman on their side? She obviously didn’t know Caleb.
“So are we doing this or not?” Max slipped an arm through his and stood next to the tall and lanky man. Hot damn, if he’s this tall, I can’t wait to see what he’s packing between the legs. Letting her eyes quickly drift down, before directly up to his eyes again, Max let her tongue seductively slide over her lips, “I’ve heard they’ve got a decent menu. All you can eat. Legs, thighs, breasts…gravy…It is a bed & breakfast after all. Gotta serve up Grandma’s Fried Chicken. Yum!”
—
For some reason, Caleb felt like he should be offended by the alien show comments. How did someone look like the type to watch a show about aliens? What did that say about him? He looked down at himself the same time that her gaze slid over him and it only proved to further agitate his insecurities. It wouldn’t be the first time someone knocked his jeans and t-shirts and he was sure it wouldn’t be the last. “Aliens aren’t really my thing.” No, he was the one who hung out with werewolves and fae and whatever other creature roamed the town without him knowing. Shit, were there aliens? “That’s me, always keeping people on their heels.” Sarcasm dripped from his words, Caleb reaching out to grab her bag (because he was still a gentleman even if he was annoyed) but before he could her arm looped around his. Not what he had been intending but whatever.
He started to lead them towards the door where a few others were heading inside, all looking just as confused as he felt. At least he wasn’t alone in that feeling. “I thought you hadn’t heard of this place before?” Where the hell did it say anything about thighs and breasts? Caleb was looking around in search of any sign that might indicate what meals would be served but saw nothing. His apprehension with this whole situation started to grow, his eyes drifting back to the strange woman glued to his side. “What did you say your name was?” There wasn’t much that could kill him unless someone knew exactly what they were doing but it was good to have a name anyway. He briefly wondered whether he should text a friend to tell them where he was and who he was with just in case.
But he was distracted as they walked into the house. Despite how large it was, the inside was cozy and welcoming, the atmosphere slowly putting his frayed nerves at ease. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad…if the woman behaved. High ceilings arched over them, the foyer open and airy as the front door was left open. The front desk was empty but each room's keys hung within reach, the names of that room’s guest above each one. That was a little weird, right? Who didn’t have an attendant? Or was he just looking for things to make him want to leave?
Caleb reached out for the keys with his name above them, noting that the room number was 301 before he looked back to the woman on his arm. “Do we…need to wait for an orientation or something?” Just then, another couple nervously walked through the front door, only inside for a few moments before the door closed behind them on its own. Not a good sign.
—
Max was already getting cat and mouse vibes from this man, and she loved it. Her being the cat obviously! Underneath that well put together geeky facade was probably a big strong, muscley man who was too shy to admit he was hot. She loved that type. They were always her favorite to ride and break-in. Much like a wild stallion needing to be tamed. They just needed a little extra care in all the right areas, and Max had been around long enough to know just what those areas were, “No, I suppose they’re not. Hmmm…let me try again.”
Mind wandering back to what she had seen about him online, she had noticed a LOT of Smashing Pumpkins references. He seemed broody, too. Like he had just stepped out of a teenage soap opera. Maybe not Gossip Girl, but perhaps…Teen Wolf? Why do I always find the broody, butt-hurt ones? Oh right, because they’re usually the hottest. She never was the pretty boy type; at least not after she had been married to a politician and gave birth to his two kids. Kids that she deep down did love, but that was her secret to take to the grave…again, “I’m gonna say, since you’re not a nerdy Dr. Who fan, you’re an emo 90s boy, who probably hung out under the bleachers in high school smoking cigarettes, listening to Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana in your ripped jeans and vintage looking band t-shirts. Did I hit the nail on the scruffy head? And also, it’s a bed and breakfast. If there’s food. There’s usually chicken. Duh.”
Taking in the sights as they entered the house, Max remained latched to Caleb’s arm. He was her date, whether he liked it or not, and she was going to be treated with respect, “I don’t think we need to wait to get the party started, unless Lurch comes out to grunt at us.” Max looked back up to Caleb with a grin, “Oh and my name is Maxine, but you can call me Max.”
—
As always, the scrutiny started making him uncomfortable. She was looking at him like she was ready to devour him and Caleb swallowed audibly. Oh, he really had gotten himself into some kind of fuckery, hadn’t he?
Her description? Very close to that metaphorical nail to the head (foot? He thought it was foot.) but not quite perfect. Still, it was close enough that he tried to take a step back from her only for her strong grip to keep him in place. “I don’t smoke.” Never had. His foster father had turned their house into an ashtray and he’d hated the things ever since. “And my jeans were never ripped.” Because his foster mother didn’t think it was appropriate for polite young boys to wear such things. What she wanted, she got…Gary made sure of that. Caleb did have to give credit where credit was due though, even if he was a little freaked out. “Everything else…is accurate.” Right down to his favorite band too.
“Chicken for breakfast?” Did it matter? He wouldn’t be able to enjoy it anyway. He shook his head and after giving the place another look, he decided it was time to head upstairs to try and…well, he didn’t sleep so he supposed relaxing was all he had. If only she would stay downstairs but he had a feeling she was going to follow him. “Alright, Max, since Lurch isn’t joining us I guess let's check out the room. The sooner we get this over with…”
Without waiting for an answer, something that was very uncommon for him, Caleb started to head toward the stairs. Other people were milling about, nervous and not sure what to do, but his impatience was driving him. He had meant it; the sooner this was over, the better.
—
Max was pretty proud of herself for almost calling him out to a T, “Hmmm…for some odd reason you gave me smoking vibes. But hey, better for your lungs. Good for you.” Max had tried everything under the sun, including Tide Pods, because she was already dead. What was it going to do to her, except make her breath smell like clean laundry, “What about Tide Pods? You ever try those?” The question came in passing as they began moving forward. This was already turning into a fun night. Any way she could push his buttons she was definitely going to try. But she also didn’t want to push him to the point of kicking her out or leaving.
“Have you not had chicken and waffles? Caleb, my new delicious friend, we’re going to have to introduce you to something other than cereal.” Max wasn’t sure if he ate cereal, but at this point it didn’t really matter. They were on their way upstairs for hopefully a night they wouldn’t forget. That was…until Max felt a jerk under her feet and soon an entire shift with the stairs causing her to latch onto the handrail connected to the wall, “What the actual fuck?! Are the stairs moving?”
—
So he looked like a smoking degenerate who liked alien shows according to her. “And you want to hang out with me, why?” It was always a legitimate question in his mind but it felt like it was even more valid in this situation. Most people wouldn’t like someone like that…right? He thought back to the ones he chose to spend his time with but the only thing he could really latch onto that connected them all was how…non-human they were. And if they were human, they at least knew about the supernatural to an extent. Maybe trouble did hold some sort of draw or maybe Caleb just seemed to attract that type. Maybe…he was trouble after all.
He was about to comment on the fact that chicken and waffles sounded a little gross when the stairs lurched sideways, his body tossed to the side with the unexpected shift. He was thrown into Max, effectively pinning her against the railing when his hands went out to clench the railing beside her own. “Uh, yea, looks like it.” Caleb’s grip tightened and he stayed exactly where he was until the house stopped moving, his head snapping to the side to see what was waiting for them at the top.
He hadn’t realized he was still crowding her as he took in the landing, lit with the cozy lighting that the foyer had been draped with. The stairs seemed to extend farther than they had before, as if they had doubled while they shifted. When he turned his head to look down there was a new railing up, one that blocked their path from going back down. “I knew this was a bad idea.”
—
Caleb’s body slamming into hers was the sign she needed that the stairs had in fact moved, “I’d say so.” Just like before, she let her eyes move up and down every part of him not wanting this moment to end, inhaling the cologne he was wearing picking up a small whiff of the familiar scent of decay that she naturally wore, and by the time she had reached his own eyes, Max cocked a half grin towards him with one fang barely visible beneath her top lip, “Maybe this house can read minds too.” Fuck he was hot, and she could’ve stayed in this position all night.
Unfortunately, the house had other plans as the stairs shortened again forcing them onto the landing of what appeared to be the second floor, “I think this place is trying to tell us something.” Looking down what appeared to be a never-ending hallway, Max noticed that all the doors of the other rooms were closed except for one, and while there wasn’t usually a cautious bone in her body, she did find herself latching onto Caleb’s hand, partly out of not wanting to get separated because this house clearly had a mind of its own, but also, because playing girlfriend/boyfriend for the night was a fun little game that Max was whole dead-heartedly enjoying, “Lead the way, my big strong teddy bear. This was your reservation…so that…must be your room.” She motioned down the hall with her head.
—
As her eyes raked over him again, Caleb suddenly realized how close they were. He wrenched his hands away from the railing, trying to take a couple steps back, but before he could get too far he noticed the pointed fang nestled in her smile. A vampire. Of course she was a fucking vampire. Who else would follow someone into a random house after one conversation online? It wasn’t like she would feed on him but he was suddenly more apprehensive than he had been before. The only ones he’d ever dealt with were the feral ones at the cemetery.
He’d been staring at her when the stairs started to move them…up? Deposited on the landing, he noticed the door at the end of the hall before looking back down at the key in his hand. What was this even for? “What? That we’re on track to be murdered by it?”
She was on him again. For a split second he wondered if some vampires liked undead blood or something, or whatever you called the substance that…sat in his veins. “Teddy bear?” Caleb really hoped that wasn’t going to be a new nickname. He missed his old one, the person who had given it to him coming to mind for a moment but he was quick to push him away. “Let's get this over with.” How many times had he said that so far? How many times would he end up saying it before he either died or was able to leave?
But he led the way. It didn’t seem like the house was giving either of them much of a choice. When they made it to the door, Caleb found himself peeking around the corner to check if something was waiting for him. But it was just a room. A cozy, almost romantic, room. There was a fireplace in the corner, an arm chair in front of it, and a single bed done up in what looked like very comfortable sheets. He was standing in the doorway when something large hit his back and he was pushed into the room, Max still latched to him. He turned just as the door was closing to see one of the paintings from the opposite wall laying on the ground. Then the door slammed. Caleb felt like it was useless to try and open it but he did anyway. It wouldn’t budge. “So why did it want us in here?”
—
Max didn’t let go of her big strong teddy bear as they moved down the hallway only to be forced into the bedroom by…a painting? Max was loving the way this house was thinking, and hopefully by the end of the night, something would shove the two of them in the bed and under the sheets together. At least that was Max’s dream. However, the words out of Caleb’s mouth resulted in her merely shaking her head. Why were the pretty ones always as dumb as a box of rocks? Did she have to spell it out for him? Cozy looking bedroom with roses and fire in the fireplace. A bottle of champagne. It was almost like this was the honeymoon suite or something. All they had needed was a heart-shaped bed that rotated on a pedestal.
Unlatching from him now that there was no risk of this house separating them, Max slowly made her way around the room taking in all the sights, stopping at one of the vases and inhaling the scent of fresh roses, “Oh, Caleb, Caleb, Caleb…Did you get dropped on that cute little head of yours as a child?” At this point she could practically say anything she wanted considering the house had locked them inside, and neither one of them could go anywhere. She’d still keep it light and airy for him though. “Correct me if I’m wrong. Which I’m not, by the way. But I’d say this house has shacked us up in the honeymoon suite. And I mean, we do make a very cute couple, if you ask me. Which I know you didn’t, but the house gets what the house wants.” She moved on from the roses dragging her finger across the spotless mantle of the fireplace, before turning around to face him, “And I think the house wants us to fuck like the cute little bunnies that it thinks we are.” By now her grin had spread and both fangs were showing.
—
“It’s a possibility.” Who knew if he was dropped as a kid? He didn’t. The way he was shipped from family to family made it impossible for him to know. It wasn’t like a foster was going to report every incident and they weren’t sharing with the other families what happened in their homes. Caleb couldn’t be annoyed by the insinuation as he knew he wasn’t a smart man, but he did hate the way she had said it. It grated on his dead nerves…then again, that was an indication he was still alive in some way.
As she spoke, he took another look around the room. The fire was lit (which had to be a safety issue, right?), rose petals all over the place along with the cut flowers in the corner (Oliver would be appalled), champagne chilling next to the bed. Fuck. She was right. This was definitely the honeymoon suite.
The idea that she had set this whole this up occurred to him. She’d been not so subtly hinting at this ever since he’d seen her outside and she had basically stalked him here. Was it possible that she was controlling all of this? Why would anyone go through so much trouble to sleep with him? In the end, he decided it was just an unfortunate coincidence, coming to the conclusion just in time for him to choke on his own spit at her last comment. “Why would a house want that?”
He watched her cautiously, Caleb eyeing her fangs. Dead with the dead, not a huge possibility of either of them hurting each other, a house pushing them to a honeymoon suite as if it knew they would work well together. He’d only had a single one night stand in his life but this seemed like an opportunity not worth passing up. She was…probably a little too intense but connections where he didn’t have to worry about attachment had been his goal lately, right? “I’m not cheap. You’re going to have to work for it.”
—
“Does it look like me and the house are besties? I don’t know, man. I didn’t even know houses could do this sort of thing. In my 100+ years of being here, this is the first time I’ve ever had this experience, but I’m guessing it's your first time too.” She moved back over towards where the champagne was sitting curious if it was any good or not. Maybe she could warm him up with a nice bit of bubbly. It would certainly make her all warm and tingly…well tingly in other places. But her plan stalled when he told her she was going to have to work for it. So he did want to play domestics.
Resuming her former plot with the champagne, she pulled the bottle out of the ice and mulled it over. Not too shabby for a free night’s stay. This house really knows its stuff. Turning to Caleb, she held up the bottle. She had easily popped many a cork in her day, but maybe if she let him feel like he was in control this would work out a lot better for her, “Here, Honey. Do you mind popping our complimentary bottle of champagne with those big strong muscles of yours?” Max smiled warmly at him, keeping her fangs hidden this time for roleplaying purposes.
—
“First time having a house try to get me laid? Yea, pretty much. First time seeing a house have a mind of its own? No. I go to a lot of different residences and I’ve seen some things.” As he spoke, he started moving around the room to take in the rest of it. Red velvet drapes over the window, thick enough to drown out the sun in the morning. As he passed them he could have sworn he felt them on his back, pushing him towards the bed. Was the house just horny? Caleb couldn’t remember ever hearing about a house being a wingman.
As he looked over to Max though he couldn’t help but think about how much work it was putting into this. Why wasn’t it trying to kill them? He felt like that would have been more fun for it in the end. Maybe that was the plan while they were distracted?
When he reached the bed, he reached out to take the champagne from her. “This stuff doesn’t do anything for us. Or me, anyway.” It wouldn’t loosen him up. It wouldn’t make him think this was any more of a good idea. “But sure.” He unwrapped the top of it, clumsy fingers taking longer than most would, before popping the cork. “Hope you enjoy it.”
Wow, he really was being a wet blanket when she was basically throwing herself at him wasn’t he? Clearly they weren’t going anywhere if the house had any say in it. A beautiful woman was willing to fill his time with some fun. He needed to calm down. The shot nerves were working their magic at stressing him the hell out but there was a natural stress reliever right there. Caleb sank down into the bed and held the bottle out to her, the harsh lines of his face loosening into something more gentle. “Sorry…I don’t really handle stuff like this well.”
—
“I mean, I’m fine either way. If the house wants me to fuck a stranger, I’ll fuck a stranger. If the house wants me to kill them, I kill them. At the end of the day, it’s all the same.” It really wasn’t, but Max lacked morals. If later, the house wanted her to Lorena Bobbett the man that was now fumbling with the bottle of champagne, she would. No sweat off her brow, especially considering she didn’t sweat, but while he was distracted, she made an effort to slip out of her dress, letting it fall to her high-heeled feet revealing to him nothing, but her red lacy underwear, she had worn specifically for this occasion.
“You’ve really gotta loosen up, Man. The shit doesn’t do anything for me either, but it's fun to pretend.” She turned around and grabbed the champagne flutes nearby showing off her well-toned bum-bum that filled out the underwear she was wearing, before turning back around, “Mind pouring?” Holding out the glasses, she winked, “And if you don’t want yours, I’ll drink it too.” I might need it after the way you’re acting. She waited patiently. As the house watched on, waiting to see what would happen between the two of them.
—
As soon as he realized the dress was gone, Caleb averted his eyes. He hadn’t meant to look away but it felt like the respectful thing to do…until he remembered that she’d been all over him that night. Head turning back to her just in time to watch her grab the flutes, he instinctively looked down before his gaze roamed up her body. Slowly. One night. It was only one night. Besides the talk of murder, what could possibly happen? “As long as you’re not murdering me, I’ll loosen up, alright?” Because yea, he had to set that boundary.
Tipping the bottle up, he kept an eye on the rapidly fizzing drink, making sure neither one spilled over. He failed in that endeavor, champagne running down the second glass and onto her hand. Setting the bottle aside, Caleb grabbed that overflowing glass but instead of drinking from it first, he took Max’s hand and brought her fingers to his lips, softly sucking the liquid off of one of them. “Deal?”
—
Max caught sight of Caleb ogling her goodies, and an even wider grin spread across her face. Fucking finally. Teddy Bear wants some honey. She didn’t hold back with her words. Of course, she never did, unless it aided in her getting exactly what she wanted, and right now, all odds were in her favor to soon be riding this man like the six foot bear that he was, and his little cub that was at least six inches or longer.
Holding the flutes steady, but starting to get antsy, the vampire watched as the glasses were topped off, but as soon as she felt the cold liquid running down her fingers, Max’s eyes darted back to Caleb to see what he was going to do next. And what he did next had honestly surprised her. He had been giving her the cold shoulder all night, up until this moment. So the way he delicately sucked the liquid off of her fingers had caused her to start to feel more than she had been, so much so that she threw back the flute of champagne and tossed the empty glass to the side, not caring that it shattered when it hit the wall, “Deal.”
—
When the glass hit the wall, his eyes widened with the slight shock of the movement but Caleb’s shoulders were shaking with silent laughter. It wasn’t that she hadn’t been eager since they’d arrived but he had apparently unlocked even more enthusiasm and it caught him off guard. He didn’t even bother with the champagne himself, leaning over her to set his glass on the table next to them. When he moved back, Caleb stopped just as his face hovered hers, his lips close enough to graze her own.
The deal was he loosened up and she promised no murder in his future and even if he couldn’t be sure that she would hold up her end he would hold up his. This was out of character for him (except for, you know, that one time where he had some assistance in lowering his inhibitions) and loosening up wasn’t as easy for him anymore but he was suddenly determined. Caleb was telling himself it was the murder of it all but he knew it was more about his desire to let go of certain insecurities and his need to form close bonds. He chuckled softly as the next words came to mind, shaking his head a little at how stupid he felt.
@dirtwatchman replied to your post “[pm] Apparently you're the person to talk to...”:
[pm] Doesn't seem like Van to keep her mouth shut so I think you know exactly what I'm thinking. But I'll play along. What did she tell you about me?
[pm] I'll shut your fucking mouth with a goddamn-- Ahh well, you know. Heard there was a new demon in town. You missed the party by a couple months unfortunately. Would have had all sorts of "employment opportunities" and other fun things.
[pm] Oh, yea, I can do that. And add something from me I'll take them inside with your next delivery.
Also, thank you for the gift. It was very sweet of you. You didn't have to do that.
[pm] Thanks, Caleb. I really appreciate it. I should be back after the new year.
Yeah, no problem. I mean, you do play a big role in my life, so I thought it was the least I could.
[pm] Would you be okay if your next [...] order was delayed? Only by a day or two. I just wanted to make sure you weren't going to run out.
[pm] Uh, I think so. I mean as long as I don't fall off a balcony or get into something I shouldn't be into, it should be fine. I'll just hangout at home. Safer for everyone that way.
