Sunset Strip: A Tale From The Tome Of Bill (13 page)

I paused, wondering where these thoughts had come from. It was like all the repressed anger I kept locked up inside of me was loose. The girls in the room had once been my colleagues, and some of them my friends, but now they seemed so small, so insignificant. Playthings for my amusement, nothing more.

“Oh my god!” Minnie shrieked. “What’s wrong with you, Lu?” She stepped up and slapped me across the face.

She never was that bright. All Minnie had going for her was her body. Where would she be in a few years when age caught up to her? She had no future to speak of. This place would use her up and then spit her out.

In some ways, I was doing her a favor.

I reached out and grabbed the sides of her head, violently twisting it with the unnatural strength that was now at my disposal. Her vertebrae snapped like matchsticks. I held her up for a moment longer, watching the light die from her eyes. It was a fascinating thing to see. How had I never considered doing this before? It suddenly seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

She dropped bonelessly to the floor. The sound of her heartbeat faded to nothing in my now overly-sensitive ears. Such a fragile thing was life. All too easy to snuff out, and far too tempting to resist doing so.

Betty was slumped against the wall, stunned from my blow. She wasn’t going anywhere. That left Tina.

She was a smart girl, far brighter than Minnie had been. Seeing what I’d become, she didn’t hesitate for more than second. Letting out a screech of horror, she turned and raced to the dressing room door.

I was on her before she could open it more than an inch. Her screams would probably attract security, but that was okay with me. The party was just getting started, and I was anxious to greet some more guests.

I shoved her forward, slamming the door shut and breaking her nose against it. A small voice inside of me cried out. Tina was a good person, a friend. She had a six year old boy, Brock, who would draw the sweetest pictures at school - pictures that she always hung up on her refrigerator.

I laughed. As if such petty mercy meant anything to me. I wrapped an arm around Tina’s neck, cutting off her air. I began to drag her back toward where Betty still lay. Her nails scraped against my flesh in a futile attempt to break free. The pain of her fingernails digging into my arm was strangely enjoyable.

Little Lucinda
had been my nickname amongst them, a playful jest upon my size. That girl was gone now. In her place stood a creature of stature. Try as Tina might, I didn’t loosen my grip for even a moment. Within a minute, her struggles weakened. I found myself somewhat disappointed it was ending so soon. I was almost tempted to let up just enough for her to take a gulp of air...almost.

Her life force slipped away and I dropped the useless bag of meat left behind. I smiled and licked my lips. Only Betty remained, and sadly for her, my little display had worked up a bit of a thirst in me.

I’d given her enough time to recover, though. She blinked and her eyes began to clear. She kicked out her left leg and hit me in the shin. It was a pathetic blow - I barely felt it - but it ruined my balance and I went down to one knee. Nice! I’d underestimated her. She was a bit of a survivor after all.

She began scrambling backward, away from me. She’d picked the wrong direction, though. Rather than head toward the door, all that was behind her was wall. I grabbed her foot before she could escape my reach and dragged her toward me.

A flash of wicked inspiration hit me. I grabbed at the cheap skirt she wore and ripped it away, revealing her g-string - the one that, on any other night, would be full of bills in just a few hours hence. A lucky customer might even find himself buying a chance to remove it, if he produced enough money.

I shoved her legs apart and she let out a wail.

“What’s the matter, Betty?” I asked, innocently. “I thought this was right up your alley.” I opened my mouth and bit down on her inner thigh. My nose guided me to the blood - a major artery. I tore open her flesh and began to devour her very essence. She fought back, hands tearing at my hair and beating down on my neck and shoulders. It just made me want her more. Oh God, I had never felt so turned on before.

She continued to shriek as I drank and became drenched in the torrent that flowed from her. I reached up and grabbed one arm that was entangled in my hair, playfully snapping her wrist in the process.

I lost myself in her. Her fear and struggles added to the incredible taste. It was as if a fine chef had seasoned her, turning what would have otherwise been a gourmet meal into a feast fit for a queen.

I became dimly aware that the blood slackened along with her will to fight. That was okay. I would allow her the peace that death...

Rough hands grabbed my arms and dragged me away, interrupting my intimate moment. I was pulled to my feet and spun around. The granite-like visage of Colt, our chief bouncer, met mine. I snarled and threw a punch, wondering how it would feel to rip through his muscular chest and tear his still-beating heart out.

Imagine my surprise when he caught my fist in his meaty hand. I tried to pull away, but his grip was like a vice. It was impossible. I’d torn through people -
my friends
- like they’d been made of tissue paper. There was no way he should have been able to...

That’s when his eyes turned black and he flashed fangs of his own. There were more like me? He was one, too? Had Jeff infected others at the club?

Sadly, answers weren’t forthcoming. The next thing I knew, Colt’s fist slammed into my jaw, sending me spiraling down into the comforting darkness of oblivion.

Chapter 23

*CRACK*

Mark clocked me in the face again. It was starting to get tiresome. Compulsion would be useless against him. Sure, I’d turned him, which would give me an edge, but our closeness in age would mean he’d be able to fight back and quite possibly shake me off.

I decided to try talking instead. If I could get him to start yammering, at least I wouldn't be force-fed knuckle sandwiches. “Are we gonna keep up this foreplay for much longer, or are we going to finally get to the point?”

“I’d heard that you’d grown up. That the little girl I loved was now a big bad woman calling the shots. Not calling anything now, though, are you?”

Oh he didn’t just say the L word, did he? I really hoped that all this bullshit wasn’t because he was still smitten with me. That would kind of suck for him. He’d been a nice guy, but I’d gotten over him a long time ago.

At least, I was fairly sure I had.

“Wait,” said Christy. “
This
is the guy you were telling me about? He’s the man you were dating back when you were still...”

“Say the word human, witch,” Mark replied, his claws extending, “and I will cut your unborn child right out of your stomach.”

Christy’s gaze carried with it a look of pure unadulterated murder, but she immediately clammed up. I could see why. He had meant every word. I wasn’t the only one who’d grown up.

“What happened to you?” I asked, truthfully wanting to know.

“What happened to me? What happened to
me
?! After you murdered me, I had nothing. I had no idea who I was.
What
I was. Unlike you, I didn’t have the fancy clothes or high rise apartments. I didn’t live the high life and sure as shit didn’t have fate drop our legendary savior right into my lap. You’ve been given everything. I, on the other hand, went underground, surviving off of rats and any derelicts I could catch. I lived that way for years. During those dark times, I used to pray that you’d come back. That you’d explain what had happened and offer me a way for salvation.
Together,
we could have done it.” His voice started to crack. If he began crying, I was seriously going to consider asking that he stake me and get it over with. I really wasn’t in the mood for a sob story.

“Let me guess. Eventually, Marlene found you.”

“Yes. Where you failed me, she was my angel. She pulled me from the pits of despair and offered me a new option. She took me under her wing and showed me that not only could I live again, but I could be better than I ever was before. I could have all those things you had, and more.”

“So where does Kara come into this?” Christy asked, unable to keep her mouth shut.

It was a mistake. Mark backhanded her without his gaze leaving me. Her head rocked back and she went limp. I could hear her taking ragged breaths, which was good, but she was out for the count.

“Yeah,” I added, making sure his attention remained on me lest he decide to follow up on his earlier threat. “If, as you said, you had it all, then why bother with her? Why come all the way across the country to pick up some ditzy teenager from Jersey?”

“It’s simple,” Marlene’s voice replied from the second floor landing onto which she’d just stepped. “It’s because you fucked us all.”

* * *

1979

“
WAKE UP!!
”

Instantly, my eyes popped open. One moment I was in unthinking darkness, and the next I was wide awake. I blinked a few times and looked around. Large hands grasped me on either side, holding me upright. Colt’s I guessed. We stood in the main room, next to the stage. Marlene was there, glaring at me.

I looked past her and my breath caught in my throat. Behind her was Uncle Colin, but that wasn’t who’d caught my attention. Jeff stood there, too. The smug look upon his face told me he was well aware of what he’d done.

The urges that had taken hold of me in the dressing room had subsided, which meant I had no desire to see him take any other victims.

“Watch out, Uncle Colin! He’s a...”

“A what?” Marlene's eyes turned momentarily black. She was one of them?! Oh God! “Do you even have the faintest clue of who you are or what you’ve done?
NOW SIT DOWN AND BEHAVE!!
”

All at once, my mind became all cloudy. I opened my mouth to cry out, but had no voice. My throat had sealed itself shut. It was as if I was plunged into a dream. Marlene’s words were...
overpowering
, the word of God himself. I couldn’t resist and had no desire to.

“That’s a good girl.” She reached out and gently caressed my cheek, tracing a line down my jaw and neck with one finger. Her face shown disappointment. “Such a waste”.

I became vaguely aware of Colt’s hands letting go of me. Rather than run, which is what I should have done, I calmly walked over to the bar and sat on a stool.

Marlene turned around. “Now, Colin, let’s have a little chat.”

Colin?
Uncle
Colin? Oh no! I found the strength to fight and the mist cleared from my head a bit. Jeff, Colt, and now Marlene? All of them were those...
things
. I wouldn’t let them take Uncle Colin, too.

“Run!” I shouted, finding my voice again. “They’re monsters! Save yourself!”

Marlene turned back to me, a look of both disgust and pity upon her face. She opened her mouth, perhaps to command me again, but Uncle Colin put a hand upon her shoulder. What was he doing? Didn’t he realize the danger?

“I’ll handle this, Marlene my dear,” he said smoothly. Something in his voice had changed. Gone was the paternal tone he’d used so often with me. In its place, arrogance had seeped in. “After all, I do feel this is partially my fault.”

“Partially?” she growled. Her eyes turned black once more.

“Now now, let’s not forget we’re civilized beings.” He strolled over to me with a casual gait, as if he had all the time in the world. He stopped short and looked down upon me, his expression unreadable.

Feeling tears well up in my eyes, I opened my arms and reached out to him, seeking what little comfort I could. Neither of us were going to get out of this alive, but knowing that someone I trusted was here made it seem...

He stepped back before I could touch him, leaving me grasping nothing but air. I looked up at him confused as a short bark of laughter echoed from Jeff.

“Now now, none of that, Lucinda,” Uncle Colin said. “This is an imported shirt. Italian silk. Blood simply won’t come out of it. I’m sure you can understand.”

“I don’t understand any of this!”

“That’s regrettable,” he replied. “You had such potential once upon a time. Now...well, look how far you’ve fallen.” He quickly inclined his head back toward Marlene. “No offense intended to your business, oh gracious host.”

She opened her mouth as if to respond, but Uncle Colin turned to face me again before she could say anything. “I suppose it’s not entirely your fault. For all of his technical foresight, your father was always mired in the past as far as his wife and daughters were concerned. I should have supposed he’d have this effect on you. If he hadn’t been useful otherwise, I’d have thought to have killed him rather than let him spoil you with his petty ideals.” He smiled, revealing his fangs.

Something inside of me died at the sight. I finally understood that the nightmare was real and I wouldn’t wake up from it ever again.

“How long?” I whimpered. “Did he...” I raised a hand and pointed it toward Jeff, who continued to stand there smirking as if he found the whole thing uproariously funny.

Uncle Colin laughed as if he sensed the same humor Jeff was feeling. “Oh no, you misunderstand, my darling. I’ve walked in darkness since long before you met me...
far
longer, in fact.”

His words hit my gut like a pair of brass knuckles. “So all this time...”

“Doing business with humans is a necessity of my post, I’m afraid. As for you, well, I’d be doing my kind a disservice if I didn’t keep my eyes out for those with promise. I had hoped that one day I might recruit you for my team. I see now that was mere folly. Still, you have proven to be of amusement to my associate here. At the very least, I dare say you’ve filled out nicely. I suppose that counts for something. That could...”

“You fuck!” I screamed. “You motherfucking son of a bitch! I trusted you.” I stood and took a step forward. “All this time, I trusted you!” With that I lost it. My own teeth extended and the red rage from earlier descended upon me. I lunged at Colin, intent on rending the asshole to shreds.