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Post by candiedmusic on Sept 28, 2008 21:19:35 GMT -5
It was dark outside, the worst time for any mortal to sleep. The stars couldn't be seen because of the bright lights of the city not far away from these run down buildings. The sky was completely dark because of the New Moon this night. A candle had to be lit just so Belita could see what was happening around her.
As her chocolate eyes studied the room, a soft smile graced her full lips. It wasn't a manor or a luxory hotel, but to Belita this was home. A wad of moth eaten sheets lay in a corner, a few loose nails being used to hang clothes, a bucket in the corner for water, and an extremely worn blanket under where she sat. The candle wasn't far away from her either.
The night was cold, but Belita didn't bother to put on warmer clothes. She couldn't waste her energy to get up and do that. Besides, she wished to see the reasons of why she couldn't be marked again.
Old scars criss crossed her for once bare arms and legs as her long black hair hid the ones on her neck. These scars were from old punishments from her old master, the reasons she couldn't be found and marked once more. Belita shuddered, not from cold but from fear.
"I am hopeless." She whispered to the darkness, her pale skin holding no color...almost as if she were a vampire, the one she fears to find her here in the dark.
Belita sighed and shook her head. There wasn't any hope for her to have at the moment. A vampire or some form of Were will come and mark her one day. She cannot always be protected by false hopes and promises. That was one reason she decided to give up on God long ago. What was the point in someone who never listened or saved you from your pain?
The young woman stood from where she had been sitting in her room and moved towards the boarded up window. She removed the middle board which she had taken off her first night here, and looked out into the night. The lights from the lively city were still on and the sounds of cars roared to her ears. The buidling around her creaked and rattled with every breath the wind took. It was slightly eerie but also oddly comforting.
"Who can I know look to for savior?" Belita sang a few notes, her favorite past time.
No one was there to hear her sing, so why hide it now?
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Post by The Janitor on Sept 29, 2008 17:20:44 GMT -5
Always with the cold, he thought. Wishing that he could wrap his arms around himself to keep warm. Only he couldn't due to having his hands full. Cold weather was something he always hated about working this far North. Even though he did enjoy when it snowed later on in the season. It was too early for that however. If his aim had not been stealth a long stream of curses would have been heard through night. Instead he kept his body moving, eyes/ears open, and his mouth shut.
More than ten miles between him and his vehicle. Not a good thing at the time. It wasn't that he worried about it being stolen at this time of night. It was well hidden and the little anti-theft device he had put together would solve that problem. A botched hunt was a whole other story. Wasn't a good idea to hang around the same neighborhood with a master you just pissed off. Trouble usually came threes. Of the three one was the master, one was faster than him, and the other could go out into sunlight.
He really didn't have the means to tangle with more vampires along with human servants. So the best plan of action was evade the threat long enough get to his vehicle then disappear. He'd have to make due with what he had. Three shotshells, two pistol mags, and two knives. The other shotgun would have to be retrieved later if it were possible. If not it was just a few hundred dollars down the drain. It could be replaced, his life however could not.
So far he hadn't run into any trouble. Of course he had been traveling by rooftop. Luckily there hadn't been any gaps longer than seven feet. Nor any weakened places where he could've fallen through. If anyone could pick up his trail they deserved to catch him. It had all been smooth sailing until now. "Ah shit." he muttered. Nothing but cold hard concrete down below between him and the next building. Has to be at least fifteen feet across, he thought looking down. He wasn't sure if he could make the jump. Not with all the equipment he was carrying.
Got to be another way around, he thought looking back over his shoulder. A shadow moved in the distance. No there isn't, he thought. Jogging back to the other end of the building he stopped for a moment. Trying to get his nerve for the crazy stunt he was about to pull. Getting a running start he pushed off the ledge. One arm clutching the gun at his chest, other stretched out in front of him, and both legs flailing in the empty air.
I'm going to make it, he thought. Until his stomach smacked into the rooftop ledge. "I didn't make it." he gasped. His free arm was locked against the concrete and both feet were sliding against the exterior wall. He held on for dear life trying to push off the wall and pull himself up. Luckily he managed to get his other arm over the ledge. Finally a foot, and then the other foot. Remind me not to do that again, he thought rolling over onto his back. Catching his breath he was up again. No more buildings to cross this time. This time he was going through one.
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Post by candiedmusic on Sept 29, 2008 20:27:11 GMT -5
Belita gasped as she heard the thud from the roof top, well mainly the side actually, but that didn't matter. She rushed to grab her longer shirt and pants to pull on over the lighter clothes she had been wearing. From there she snuffed out the candle and moved for the landing. She couldn't really jump from a window this high if she had to.
Looking back into the room with a painful stab in her chest. This room had been a safe haven to her for a long time and now she was to leave it all behind. With a soft sigh, she moved into the darkened building. She wasn't stealthy like the people who wanted her or the people who hunted the creatures. She was just an ordinary human woman who wanted most of all to be free.
Belita threw these thoughts out the window. There wasn't any use to them now. However, as she started down the stair case she forgot that this was the one that broke through all the time. There had always been another one that she used because it was safer, but without light she couldn't see which one she was about to step on.
Her first foot fall was safe but the second one was not. The stair creeked and banged open, causing her left foot to be caught between two peices of rotting boards. Belita flew forward and caught herself on the only sturdy peice of the stair well, the banisiter. It didn't help the fact that the rest of the stairs started to fall through and she hung from the railing with one two arms and her left foot in the second stair going down.
"Help!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, not caring if she was to be made a servant once more...she didn't want to die here.
Not here in this building and from her own weakness.
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Post by The Janitor on Sept 30, 2008 16:35:08 GMT -5
Hanging onto the shotgun he quickly opened the door and brought it to bear. Hitting the light mounted on the foreend. Nothing down the stairs. Killing the light he slowly made his way down one step at a time. Rounding a corner he scanned the hallway with the muzzle of his weapon. Nothing unsual except for a single door left open. Whoever had lived in the room had left in a hurry.
A loud bang caused him to turn almost firing a shot in the direction it had come from. His light cut through the darkness once more revealing another set of stairs. A sudden cry for help almost resulted in a heart attack. "Shit." he muttered after catching his breath. Sprinting toward the source of the sound he found a young girl hanging onto to handrail of the stairs.
He started forward only to be met with empty space. Definately a bad sign, he thought. Wasn't much time to think. If he didn't act now there was no saving her. "Take my hand and let go of the rail." Dropping down on his stomach so he could handle the transfer of weight. Reaching out as far he could with his right hand. He didn't want the force of her fall to drag him over the edge.
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Post by candiedmusic on Sept 30, 2008 20:17:41 GMT -5
Belita was happy that someone had come to her rescue but she also wasn't thrilled. She couldn't trust many people but she had to try this night. She reached out to take the mans outstretched hand and eased herself from the railing. She wasn't going to fall down and break her neck. Belita wasn't very heavy, many would claim she was light as a feather, because she hardly ever has enough money to eat. Which would explain why she lived in such a building.
Her chocolate eyes were closed as she allowed her right hand to fall completely from the banister and her body flop towards the floor her room was on. She braced herself for the contact of her body on the wood and when it hit, a gasp past her lips. Belita reached up then to help him pull her up, using her right hand to grab at the side of the floor, where stairs should have been.
Why did you have to go down those stairs? Belita scolded herself just as if she were listening to a master yelling at her.
(sorry for the shortness. Felt like I'd start to power play if I continued.)
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Post by The Janitor on Sept 30, 2008 21:01:27 GMT -5
(I wouldn't have worried about it.)
A low growl slipped from his lips as the girl let go of the railing after taking his hand. A little over or right at a hundred pounds pulling against his arm wasn't exactly comfortable. Especially when it dropped from about three feet. His arm was practically screaming at him, but he held on. There was a little relief when she grabbed onto the floor. Grabbing onto his right wrist with his left hand he slowly rose from the floor pulling her up from the empty stairwell.
She didn't weigh that much with use of both arms. He pegged her for one of the many houseless within the city. Judging by how frail she looked and the long clothing. Probably been on the streets for a while. Surprising since anyone from that particular group had a low life expectancy with all the were-creatures and vampires prowling the slums. "Well that was a close one. I'll bet that third step was a doozy." he chuckled.
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Post by candiedmusic on Sept 30, 2008 21:11:45 GMT -5
Belita smiled slightly. He couldn't be more than a human with how much difficulty he had at pulling her up. That was a slight comfort to her. "I forgot it was the wrong staircase. The other one doesn't break." Belita replied softly, looking around her and into the shadows. "Was it you that made the noise on the roof?" She questioned him now. She couldn't let her guard down unless she knew for sure there wasn't something else prowling this building. She had to know that only humans stayed here.
Her chocolate eyes slightly shimmered in the light from the only broken window not that far from where they stood that showed the cities lights. Her eyes sparkled with the faint ghost of childhood laughter and good times. Her eyes never smiled anymore unless in the company of humans and only humans. She pulled at the sleeves of her long shirt, making sure now scars were showing. However, her attempts were slightly futile because her pants had been ripped from tripping in that one torn stair. Faint scars glowed from her left shin and she quickly made to cross that leg behind the clothed right.
"Thank you for saving me. Not many would have." Belita smiled softly once more, her eyes landing on him.
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Post by The Janitor on Sept 30, 2008 21:52:34 GMT -5
"Yeah, that was me. I kind of had a rough landing." he answered. Supressing a sheepish grin. She seemed a bit tense. Like something was really bothering her. Obviously wasn't a vampire or were-creature due to previous observations. If it were the case he could hold his own should a fight occur. Even without warning which it was likely he would recieve none if attacked.
"I had to take a short cut after dealing with a very unpleasant person." he explained. That was too nice of a term for the vampire. Stepping back he reached down to pick up the shotgun from the ground. "I think it would be best if we finished this conversation elsewhere. Odds are they'll be passing through here and they won't be happy." he added thinking about the shadow on the other rooftop. "You may want to avoid this place for a few days. I'll pay for lodging elsewhere until you can return."
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Post by candiedmusic on Sept 30, 2008 21:58:11 GMT -5
Belita shook her head quickly. "They can't find me at all. I'll get my things and leave here. I'll find somewhere." Belita whispered the last part. She was not going to be made into a slave again. She glared into the shadows as she moved to step around the man. "Oh, if you want you can come with me. I was able to get my room a bit more warmer than the others. The wind isn' t as bad in there." Belita explained, finally feeling how cold it really was in this building.
She smiled once more in a soft expression. He was kind enough to save her and then give her advance warning of a creature to possibly come here looking for prey. It counted for something, Belita knew, and she could only afford a bit of warmth. She needed more than that to give the man after what he had done for her, but she had nothing else to give. Belita motioned down the hall, the way she had come earlier.
The building was dark and silent. Even if a vampire tried to sneak up on them, Belita would know. She knew every creek this building makes by heart and could tell you if one was supernatural or not. Nothing was there and the normal creeks of rotting wood sounded around them. And the contiued scattering of dust from the broken stair case behind them.
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Post by The Janitor on Oct 1, 2008 19:30:28 GMT -5
"That would be a novel idea. A fight is out of the question at the moment." he said patting the empty shell carriers on his vest. Nearly all of his ammunition had been expended during the fight. All except three shells. One slug and two buckshot. He couldn't remember the shot sizes on the latter. Were most likely 00. Not to mention the two pistol magazines, but that was a last resort. "Lead the way."
As badly as he wanted to clear out before anything caught up with him he was going to stick around for a little. Just to make sure she got out okay. Though he could live with it the last thing he wanted was anyone getting hurt because of his stupidity. It would be nice to get out of the cold any way. Even if it were only for a few minutes. "You've got a bit red on you." he said nodding to her upper arm.
"Is that mine or your's?" he asked taking a second to check himself for any cuts. If it were him there was no telling where it came from. Could have been a wound from the fight that started bleeding again. Could have been a scrape from the jump between rooftops. Maybe it was from a loose nail on the stairwell. The last possibility would have to be as soon as possible. He hated minor cuts getting infected and hated tetanus shots even more.
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Post by candiedmusic on Oct 1, 2008 19:50:58 GMT -5
Belita smiled as she started to walk down the hall way, leading him towards the room she had occupied for a while now. It was only the mention of blood that she looked down at her arm. She used the sleeve of her other arm to wipe it away and sighed. A large tear had appeared on the sleeve of her shirt and a larger gash was spilling blood. She moved to press a hand against it, just at least until she got to her room. "It's mine." She whispered out, looking out a window that they passed.
If a vampire was close they would be able to smell the blood. "I guess we should hurry." She spoke suddenly as she moved into a dark room and went to light her lone candle. From there she put the board back in place on the window and then went to the blanket that was in front of the candle and ripped a long peice. It would have been much easier to dress her wound if she didn't have company, but she couldn't just let it bleed. The shirt wasn't going to allow much pressure on the wound. The only choice she had was to pull up the sleeve of her shirt and allow her scars to be seen.
Belita turned around as she did this and quickly wrapped the torn peice of blanket so she could get a small peice to dress her wound. She'd take care of it better when she was out of here. There wasn't time for anything else. "Thank you again. I probably wouldn't have realized I was bleeding." She whispered to the man behind her once she was finished.
"I'm Belita by the way. Or Bell, which ever you prefer." She stated with a small smile as she turned around again, only to move about the room gathering her scant supply of clothes, money, and first-aid supplies into a canvas bag. Once finished she moved to her moth-eaten sheets in the corner to grab a flash light she normally kept on through the night as a precaution.
"This should help us choose the right stair case and get out of here." Belita explained as she went to snuff out the candle for the second time and turn on the light in her left hand.
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Post by The Janitor on Oct 1, 2008 20:32:54 GMT -5
He didn't say a word while following her to the room. After stepping inside he immediately stepped to the window. Peering through the boards into the night. Watching the rooftops above and the streets below for any movement. Hoping that the danger had already pass or there would be some sign to give them a head start. So far the rooftops were clear and streets empty.
So far he had made it through the night with just a few bruises. It was unfortunate that his new friend did not. At least that was all. He wouldn't know until he got back to the shop and peeled all the equipment off him. "You might want to take better care of that right now." he nodded toward her arm. "Infected wound it no fun and we need that bleeding to stop. We've got enough time."
Infection while he was being patched up after a few gunshot wounds in the past would have killed him. The puncture wounds would have probably resulted in the loss of his hand if it got the bone. Neither of which was good. He doubted she wanted to suffer anything like that either.
He stepped back to the door and leaned against the wall peeking out into the hall. Gun clenched in both hands held low at the ready. First sign of trouble and he was lighting up the hall way like a Christmas tree. He pointed the gun toward a corner in the room and hit the light just to make sure it worked. Still strong, but the battery would need charging later. It fried his night vision temporarily. He waited for his eyes to adjust to the low light then went back to watching the hall way.
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Post by candiedmusic on Oct 1, 2008 20:41:07 GMT -5
Belita shook her head as she grabbed her jacket from another corner, using the flashlight to guide her. "It won't matter. My immune systems strong, besides, if there is something out there I'd rather not stay to find out." Belita explained as she slipped into her jacket. She could always take care of the wound later. So many were caused by others that there was no need for her to worry for now. Her blood clotted fast anyway. "Please, let's just get out of here before a vampire finds us."
Belita knew that this man had to know something about them. Why else would he be watching and listening the same as her? Why would he have a gun if it would just be another human coming up to see what was going on? Belita knew about hunters, of course. She had to protect her master from them before, but one like this she had never incountered. It was a shock seeing a man she would have tried to kill long ago. Well, not so long ago.
(ugh..sorry again for the shortness!)
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Post by The Janitor on Oct 1, 2008 21:33:52 GMT -5
(It's no problem)
"Alright. Your choice." he answered stepping away from the door. There was something strange about the girl. He could feel it, and the use of the "V word" proved it. At least I'm dealing with someone who knows, he thought. She couldn't have been a hunter. No hunter lived unarmed and squatted in abandoned buildings. Well they only chose the latter if they were going off the radar completely. Still they always had a weapon and could at least afford a hotel room with whatever cash they took off their quarry. Servant was unlikely since they would be with their master. He'd have to find out what he was dealing with later.
"I'll need you to lead. If anything happens get behind me. I don't want you get plastered while taking a shot." he explained. As long as the shotgun was in play anything friendly in front of him was at risk. Even with so with a weapon that fired only one projectile, but chance of injury was less. He slowly pushed the door open and checked the hall way before stepping out. Ready to fire on anything that moved and didn't look friendly.
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Post by candiedmusic on Oct 2, 2008 22:04:33 GMT -5
Belita just nodded as she slipped into the hall and listened to their surroundings. Dust was settling down where the stairs would have fallen and the wind forced the building to creek and moan. Nothing but them was moving in the darkness, that was an up side. Belita motioned down the hall, turning her flashlight on low beam. If something was stalking them they wouldn't need the light to know where the two humans were. Belita knew that.
Moving down the hall in silence, Belita allowed her eyes to wonder and her ears to listen. However, her mind was thinking of her slip up. She should never had said the word vampire, but it was too late now. Questions would be asked and that was something she would have to deal with. Belita could handle questions. A human could possibly understand her situation. At least a human with knowledge of the creatures that prowled the shadows and preyed upon innocents.
The good set of stairs was coming up and Belita paused at the top. "There's a cat down there. It comes here to hunt." Belita whispered back to her companion. This cat wasn't large, a normal cat, so Belita never bothered much with it. This cat lived on the streets and hunting what ever it could find, this building its favorite place from what Bell could tell from it.
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