Take This to Your Grave and I'll Take It to Mine

What felt like only moments later my eyes reopened but this time I was looking at the lid of my coffin.

I looked and Pete's arms were slung really low on my waist like he said and my bruising was, for the most part, healed.

I was hungrier then I had been in a long time just like last time.

I need to get the hell out of this coffin and go hunt.

I threw the coffin open and got out fast. That woke Pete up.

"Erin what's the matter." He said groggily getting up.

"I need to go eat." I couldn't even look at him because I was afraid we'd have a repeat performance if I did.

"Maybe now you aren't as sensitive to holy water anymore and you can drink the stuff Patrick made." He said trying to help me. "Come on." He grabbed my wrist to stop me so he could give me sweat pants and a shirt. Then dragged me to the kitchen.

He went under the counter and resurfaced with a bottle of holy water. He opened the bottle and put his finger on the top and flipped it so there would be a little on his finger.

"Give me your hand." He said reaching out for it with his other hand.

I gave him my left hand and he gently rubbed the finger with the holy water on it on the back of my hand.

It didn't burn through my skin. It only tingled a little.

"Shit." I said in surprise that the holy water didn't do anything to me.

"See now you can drink what I drink and not whatever you drank before." He said with a smile.

Great. I just want blood plain and simple, but no, I have to live with Mr. Sensitivity.

He dragged me to the kitchen area and started blending that hellish drink.

Garlic, holy water, pig’s blood, and too much more to remember, I don't want to drink this.

"Here." He said as he passed me the pitcher full of the crap.

He had a smile on his face.

He was trying to kill me, the smile said everything.

I held it out as if making a toast. "To me hopefully not dying."

Dear God, if you care for demons such as myself, let me live through this.

I put it to my lips and I drank it down.

It tingled going down but it didn't burn through my throat, which I was thankful for.

In all it was a good synthetic blood. I felt good; I was ready to take on the world again. Only now I'd have to do it one vampire at a time.

I have to talk to Patrick. I told him I'd show him that letter, and now I understand it.

I returned to my room and searched for the letter that I received that night that they ended up in a jail cell.

I dug through everything to find this stupid letter. I finally found it buried under my clothes in that damn dresser.

I walked back to his 'office' (his desk in the basement) and called for him as I went down.

"Patrick? Patrick I brought you that letter." I looked by his desk but he wasn't there.

"Oh awesome." He said from the other side of the room.

"But I understand it now. William took me in my dream and explained himself." As I handed him the paper I noticed something that I hadn't noticed before. "Hold on."

I pulled the paper back and looked at the blind eye. There was a picture of a blind eye drawn on here. "That blind man they were attacking the other night, what happened to him?"

"What blind man?" Patrick asked me back.

Of course he didn't notice the man. "When we got there a bunch of Dandies were attacking, or questioning. I'm not entirely sure what they were doing. There were to many of them there to just be bothering that blind man. They knew we were coming. Whoever told you what was going down kill them." I was putting the pieces together one by one.

"What?" I think I confused him with all my subject hopping.

I heard a knock on the door.

I guess I'm not going to get to explain it either.

I ran up the stairs to get to the door. I had a feeling that it was important.

Pete was about to answer it when I jumped right in front of him to open it.

There stood the blind man that has been plaguing my mind.

"Hello Erin." He said in a firm confident voice with his walking stick touching the wall by the door. If his eyes didn't have the white glaze over them you'd think he could see.

Pete thought now would be a great time to come to my rescue. "How do you know her?" He tried to step in front of me.

"Peter, he's a blind human. He's not here to do me any harm." I could sense that this man had some sort of significance.

"Thank you Erin." His dark brown skin shined under the moonlight. "May I come in?" He was more polite then anyone I'd meet in years.

"Sure." I moved aside so he could come in. “Do you need help?”

"Yes, can we go to a room where I can speak to you in private Erin? I mean where no one else can hear the conversation." He said as I took his arm to better lead him.

"Pete where can we go where no one will hear us?" I looked him in the eyes.

Pete gave me an uneasy look back.

"Don't worry Pete no harm will come to her." This blind man was remarkable.

"There's sitting space on the back patio. No one ever goes out there so that's your safest bet." He still sounded worried.

"Thanks Pete." I said with a smile.

Whatever this blind man knows is worth knowing.

We got to the back door, went out, and I realized I hadn't been out here but it was really nice. There was a table with the umbrella up and four chairs around it and two of those patio lounge chairs.

I lead him to the table, pulled a seat out for him, and helped him sit then sat right across from him.

"So why do the Dandies want you?" I was just trying to get him talking.

"Isn't it obvious?" He said to like I had just asked the most ridiculous question ever thought of. "I'm clairvoyant. I see the future. You know the old saying, 'The blind see so little.' You all are blind to this world that I see so vividly. You are one of the few who see both and you don't even see the second one often." Have you ever watched those movies with blind men and they're looking in the wrong direction when they're talking to the person? Well, he was nothing like that.

"I'm not trying to pry but have you been blind all your life?" I asked as politely as I could.

"Yes, but with my 'sight' I know what colors are and, for example, what you look like." He paused to give me just a moment for that to sink in. "You have blue eyes that could freeze the world and raven black hair with a blue shine in the moonlight."

Good God that's creepy.

"I know that William came to you in your dreams as well last night and he told you your options, but those aren't the only ones. There is also the more selfless way through this." He calmly stated crossing his hands on the table in front of him.

"Well who would it benefit if not me?" I like being alone and not caring for others remember?

"Everyone. Pete would probably be first, but you might get your way in the end if you do this the right way. If you take the wrong way, you'll see everyone you love die, then you'll be killed." He said just as honestly as I've ever seen anyone speak.

"I love no one. And no one could kill me." I was cold and cocky once again.

"I know it helps you to think that, but if you don't recall you had that needle into your throat and you’re just like the rest of them. You know you love too, Cleo is the only example you even might admit." He knew exactly what to say. I hate precogs (People with precognition).

"Well if she's the only one you'd think I'd admit who do you think I care for that I'll deny?" I was curious because I wanted to know what this man that's never met me before that night thought.

"Pete matters to you more then your willing to admit right now. If you do this the right way you'll be able to admit it, but here is where it becomes selfless." He paused I guess for the dramatic effect. "If you do it he'll get what he dreams of and will be yanked away from you forever."

I didn't even have a chance to think on it when Peter burst out the door.

"Erin we've got to go. Dandies are attacking a group of people they need help." His eyes told me it was urgent.

I rose from my seat. "I'm sorry I have to leave-"

"I know I'll just wait here." He finished for me. "I like sitting in the moonlight." He smiled up at me.

"I'll be back." I said as I lead the way back inside with Pete following me closely. Everyone else was strapping up in a rush. Their gear and weapons flying on quicker then most would imagine.

I ran back to my room and picked weapons carefully tonight, as they were all I had.

I slipped on my boots and slid all sorts of knives in there. I even had dagger that was about a foot long tucked in side my right boot with my leg. The handle hung out, is that just overly conspicuous? Yes it is.

I put my broad sword in its sheath and slung it over my shoulder.

I didn't have time for anything else so I just ran out to the car the guys had already started to load up so I was just in time.

Patrick was in the driver's seat and I got to ride shotgun.

"Erin I put the bow and arrow you were foolish enough to let me touch in the trunk so if you want to do the distance fighting again then come close later you have that option." He smiled sweetly at me.

"Thank you Patrick." I smiled back.

Once we got to the location where we were leaving the car we all bailed out and I went into the trunk where my bow was. The boys were on the way to stop the large group of vampires that we were told were there.

I'm still not entirely comfortable with my new strength so I'll hang on the roof until I run out of arrows.

I wonder if I can jump like them?

The weaker race can't fly but they do have the power to jump amazingly. I slung my bow and arrows over my sword on my shoulder.

I jumped almost two stories but not quite. I reached a balcony and jumped to the roof from the railing.

I looked on to this new scene that reminded me of last night, except they had this group of people surrounded.

Why is it always the Dandies? Are the punks ever going to try anything? Or any of the other gangs?

These people were cowering in fear and begging for their lives and the Dandies were just laughing at their trepidation. The boys were letting me start the fight.

I picked out a Dandy with a gray bowler and suit to match. My vision zoomed in on him.

I pulled the bow and an arrow off my shoulder and aimed.

I let go and nailed the bastard right in the head right before he touched the brown haired teenage girl that he was going for. He fell down like a sack of potatoes, dead.

All the Dandies were now on their toes looking around and in poured the guys. From the alley and they came out ready for the fight. I grabbed another arrow readying myself for the next shot.

Some of the Dandies went towards them and some of the others were trying to keep the humans there.

I know I drink blood too but these here are innocent people. I can't read their minds anymore but I just know these are good people who don't deserve this.

I pointed my bow towards another who was just trying to keep his hostages there (and eat them while he's at it).

And I followed the same routine when it came to killing him, pull back, aim, and destroy.

Another moment that was just like last night happened. A strong arm snaked its way around my neck but hand landing on my mouth; another arm made its way around my waist as well.

"How are you Erin my dear?" William joyful voice rang into my ear as I struggled against him. "Have you made that choice yet?"

In all honesty I was willing to change Pete if it was the only way to get my strength back.

I almost answered him when I saw a Dandy preparing to bite a pregnant woman.

I shoved him off of me. "Later." I ran to the edge having dropped my bow when he grabbed me and jumped down.

This won’t hurt me. Landing on my feet is fine but landing the way I did yesterday isn't.

I hit the ground as was running toward him, the one who had the pregnant woman's back to him and was leaning in to bite her.

"Get off of her!" I roared with fire in my eyes (the expression not literally).

Before he complied I ripped him away from her making sure I didn't knock her over when I did.

I pushed him into the wall of the closest building and held him there by his throat while I reached for my dagger.

I pulled it out of my boot and jammed it straight into his heart. By then I was surrounded by Dandies again. I just started walking through them swinging my dagger and hitting the targets. I didn't care to do this with finesse I just wanted to make sure that woman was ok.

I feel extra sympathy for women, even more so pregnant women. We were built with the smaller more fragile builds and men use it against us all to often. With pregnant women it's even worse, I mean really if you fall or anything hits you there's a risk of death for your baby.

When I was alive-Never mind it doesn't matter.

I'm lucky so few of them were armed or I'd have more of a fight on my hands, but luckily it was just a bunch of hungry dandies.

I got out of the crowd that came towards me I saw that some of the people had escaped, but not my pregnant girl. and since there were less people that meant more Dandies per person because there weren't as many people as there were Dandies to begin with and the numbers haven't thinned evenly.

Some were coming close to her again.

I pushed my dagger back into my boot and pulled my sword out of it's sheath on my back and jumped between the Dandies and her.

They still advanced that's when I realized, they know I'm not the same. Their not afraid of me anymore.

A few of them had swords tonight.

Great.

So the ones who didn't were down and there were maybe six that had their cane/swords ready for a fight.

Thank God for hundreds of years of experience, right?

They were all swinging their swords with great skill I just had to block until I saw openings worth going for.

I had an idea but I'd have to do it skillfully.

I glanced behind me to make sure that I'd have enough space.

The girl was still back there. "Back up." I said quickly still blocking their swings.

I started to lean back kind of what most modern people would call 'Matrix style.' I took one hand off my sword handle and grabbed two knives from my boot and launched them at the Dandies as I yanked my legs over my head landing a back flip facing them.

The knives landed in two different Dandies, one went straight through the light haired Dandy's throat and the other well his mouth must have been open because the knife was lodged straight in the back of his gaping mouth.

I looked back at the other Dandies. "Bring it fuckers." I said in a low growl.

And on they came.

There was still four of them so it was still a slight challenge.

There was one in a black suit that must have lost his bowler somewhere, a small brunette in a white suit, another with a gray suit, and the last was in brown.

God they all look the same too. Dandies are like zebras; they try to confuse you with their nearly identical looks.

They all threw their swings and I dodged countered and used lots of grace. The one in the black suit's sword swung towards me I spun out of it's way and dragged mine threw the one in the white suit's middle.

Another one bites the dust.

The three left were still fighting hard but I was fighting harder. I glanced over to the guys and they must have been done because they were looking over watching me in amazement.

Pete got the brilliant idea to come help me kill the last three and Joe followed suit.

They took the ones in brown and gray, and I was left with the man in black.

"Did you ever hear that black is my signature color?" Well now that it was one on one there was room for a few insults.

"Well when your dead I'll make sure they bury you in black." He snapped back.

"That won’t be necessary because I'm not the one dying here tonight. That would be you. I'd make that promise to you but vampires don't get buried, moron." I spit back and he made the one simple mistake that gave me the space to cut off his head.

I looked around at the damage, everybody had their various bumps and bruises but we got all the Dandies.

Except William of course, but I'm probably the only one who saw him.

Joe had his attention focused on something behind me, but not bad attention. I turned and that pregnant woman was still behind me.

She was a beautiful young woman, probably 24 with beautiful natural blonde hair that was straight and to her shoulders and green eyes that even in the night sparkled.

"Thank you." She very earnestly thanked me.

I looked down to her attire and she looked like a street person.

My face softened to her. "Your welcome. Can we take you home?" I just hope that she has one.

"I have no where for you to take me." Her voice was hurt and afraid. She hasn't been on the streets long at all.

"We can't let you stay out here." Joe blurted out with concern.

I looked back at him and noticed he had come up right behind me.

If he was any closer he'd be sitting on my shoulder.

"Dude, where is she gonna stay?" Pete asked thinking logically. "Not that we don't want you but the house is sort of full."

"What about the attic?" Andy thoughtfully responded.

I guess I'm really the only person he doesn't like.

"She won’t be able to get up those little rickety pull down stairs." Patrick was always logical.

"I can." I stated rather plainly. "And so can Pete so we can make that the 'coffin' room. That way there will be more room in the basement for weapons."

"That's a good idea and if someone raided the house during the day they'd be less likely to find you too." Patrick said really liking the idea. "What do you think Pete?"

"Sounds great." He glanced at me and his eyes were dancing, he was thinking that if we shared a room it would be easier for him to get near me.

"So it's settled." Joe said happily. He had the hots for a pregnant girl. That's strange to say the least. Most men run at the thought of getting a girl pregnant but he doesn't care and it's not even his kid.

These boys never stop amazing me.

"Wait there isn't a bed in my room. Is there a spare bed somewhere?" This woman couldn't sleep on the floor imagine what that would do to her.

"Yeah in the attic. Remember, Dirty's bed, we only put it there a day or two ago." Andy said looking at me like I was a moron.

"Have you ever heard that when your seriously injured that things that happened before can be forgotten? I was only shot with an arrow you know, then the next day I was pushed off of a building." I challenged with my rudeness.

"Let's just get to the car." Patrick was tired of mine and Andy's fights.

The boys started off to the car and me and... She never gave us her name. We're bringing a woman into our house and we didn't even bother to ask her name.

"I feel terribly rude. What's your name?" I asked.

"I'm Alessa, Alessa Marson. You are?" She said extending her hand to me.

"Cold, a vampire, and my cat calls me a melancholy bitch, but my name is Erin." I smiled at her.

"Ok the vampire part I expected, but your cat talks to you?" She looked at me as if I was crazy.

"Well she doesn't just talk to me she talks to anyone. I wonder if she talks to herself sometimes, because she just loves to talk so much. Patrick was kind of afraid of her for a while." I joked.

"Well she must be a character. Calling you a melancholy bitch and you not killing her like you killed them." She said motioning to the dead Dandies.

"Shit, I forgot my bow I'll be back." I said and ran over to the building and jumped up to another balcony and launching myself off of it. I grabbed my bow and walked to the other edge of the building that the car was near and I jumped off.

I kept walking after landed and Pete walked over to me before I got to the car.

"You look really hot when you land like that." He smirked at me. "You’re sitting on my lap so Alessa can take the front seat." And he walked away from me to get in the car and I followed.

This is going to be a long car ride.

Pete climbed in and everybody else was in but Alessa and me.

I hopped in and sat on Pete's lap in the least affectionate way possible.

He in turn decided it was necessary to wrap his arms around my waist and bury his head in my back.

"Does he do this to anyone who sits on him?" I asked void of expression.

"Yeah he's just cuddly like that." Patrick replied.

"More like starved for attention." Joe said with a laugh.

"I could spread my legs more so you'd have room to actually sit on the seat rather then my lap." Pete suggested. "We're all skinny guys it won't cause us to be squished."

"Whatever works for you." I shrugged because I could really care less.

He started to move his legs so it would work and I gently slid down to the seat so now Pete and I were on the same level.

He now rested his head on my shoulder and his hands slid into my lap.

This isn't going to be good.

I looked around and all of our passengers appear to have an attention deficit problem. Not a single one of them were even thinking about looking at me and Pete.

His hands started to gently caress my thighs.

I pushed his hands away roughly.

He put his lips to my ear and whispered in the quietest voice possible so only I could hear, "Shh, Hun, don't want to grab their attention do you?"

Now we don't have a body temperature so I can't say his hot breath sent shivers down my spine, but his breath that had a lack of temperature did send a shiver down my spine.

His hands went back to doing whatever he was doing.

He was rubbing my inner thighs. This is why I don't wear skirts, because if I did he'd have his hands up my skirt by now.

He kept rubbing my thighs the whole way home I think he was trying to make me uncomfortable. Or maybe he was trying to arouse me. I'm not sure.

The whole time he was doing this act in front of four other people I had to bite my lip so I wouldn't say a word.

So by the time we pulled up home he had taken his hands out of my lap and my hand was over my mouth that was gushing blood from my lip. I started sucking my own lip so the blood wouldn't start seeping through my fingers.

I think Joe started to notice something.

His nose twitched like he smelled something and he turned his head towards me. "Erin, are you ok?" He asked looking at me.

I removed my hand and stopped sucking my lip. "Yeah I just bit my lip, you know simple mistake." I said with a smile and going back to sucking my lip.

"How hard did you bite it that was huge?" He asked with concern.

"Oh, just don't even worry I'll be fine. I mean really I was shot with an arrow the other night then yesterday I fell off a building, I'll be fine." I smiled as sincerely as I could fake.

We left it at that and the car finally came to a complete stop in front of the house and I hopped up as fast as I could and hit my head on the roof. Everyone in turned looked at me, because I was such a moron.

I heard Pete snicker.

"I just really want to get out of the car." I blushed.

Everyone nodded skeptically and started to get out.

After Alessa was all the way out before she even had the chance to look back and move the seat I hopped over the seat and rolled out. And again everyone’s eyes were on me as I rushed inside.

Once I opened the door I was met with an disquieting scene.

The place had been raided, just like my place.

Only this time there was a piece of evidence pointing straight at the Dandies this time instead of Cleo's word.

Wait, where's Cleo?