As The Blood Is Drained, It's Bad For Business
They Haunt Me In My Sleep
“Honestly Dad, I don’t think you’re doing a very good parenting job if you’re encouraging us to fight,” Matthew laughs. Dad has recently bought us sparring gloves and insists we learn how to use self-defense. We’re in the living room; we’ve pushed the couch and coffee table back towards the wall to give us maximum space.
“Now, cover all angles of your body. You don’t want to be left unprotected,” Dad instructs. I hold back a laugh. When are we actually going to be attacked in Astoria? I sure as hell don’t know.
“Put ‘em up,” Matthew says, imitating Sylvester Stallone. I laugh, but Dad glares.
“Don’t let your guard down!” Dad snaps. I smirk but bring my hands back up to my face.
“Alright, now Scarlett, you punch first,” Dad says. I nod and punch with my right hand.
Matthew blocks me and counter-attacks my middle. I block him by bringing my left arm down on his hand.
“Good, very good guys. You’re getting there,” Dad praises. We continue to work on various routines until the doorbell rings; the pizza is here. We take off our sparring gloves and go sit down to eat.
“I don’t understand, Chuckie! I always get them! I always get them!!” I whined, slapping my hand against my forehead. I was lying on his bed, complaining to him about how I thought I was losing my touch. He got up off of his revolving chair and sat down on his bed next to me.
“Little Lette, maybe you did get him. Maybe the poison will end up killing him,” he said, trying to soothe my restless mind.
“Oh shut up, Chuckie. You know your poison doesn’t kill them. Nice try,” I snapped, clenching my teeth. He sighed.
“I don’t know what else to say. This is the first one that has gotten away in the entire year that you’ve been going after them. I think that’s pretty damn good, Scarlett.” I felt the weight shift on the bed as he got up to leave.
“Get some sleep, Scarlett. I think you need it,” he added, and shut the door behind him. I sighed. I did need sleep. I had almost been up for twenty-four hours straight. If I wanted to kick demon ass I was going to have to be in shape. I got up and stumbled over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of PJ pants. I put them on and fell back onto the bed. I took out one of my small daggers and made sure it was safely secured in its holster before I held it in my hand, tight to my chest, and fell asleep.
When I sleep, I sleep completely soundly. I don’t dream. It’s nothing but the darkness behind my eyelids. But that night, I had a dream for probably the first time in a few years. And it wasn’t all sugar plums and fairies, either. I dreamt I was back at that vacant parking lot, apparently waiting for something. It was early morning, probably only about an hour after midnight. I kept looking around for something. After a couple minutes of standing there in silence, the vampire that got away came into my view. He walked gracefully and silently, slowly edging his way towards me. I stood completely still. I didn’t even reach for my weapons; I didn’t even have any weapons. I was just wearing a long-sleeve shirt and jeans. I felt so-bare. The vampire took one more step and his face was just inches away from mine. He put his hand on the back of my neck and for some reason, I didn’t flinch.
“You’ve got it all wrong,” he whispered to me, and inched his face even closer to mine.
I woke up from that dream in a cold sweat, panting, and clenching the sheets on the bed for dear life.
“Now, cover all angles of your body. You don’t want to be left unprotected,” Dad instructs. I hold back a laugh. When are we actually going to be attacked in Astoria? I sure as hell don’t know.
“Put ‘em up,” Matthew says, imitating Sylvester Stallone. I laugh, but Dad glares.
“Don’t let your guard down!” Dad snaps. I smirk but bring my hands back up to my face.
“Alright, now Scarlett, you punch first,” Dad says. I nod and punch with my right hand.
Matthew blocks me and counter-attacks my middle. I block him by bringing my left arm down on his hand.
“Good, very good guys. You’re getting there,” Dad praises. We continue to work on various routines until the doorbell rings; the pizza is here. We take off our sparring gloves and go sit down to eat.
“I don’t understand, Chuckie! I always get them! I always get them!!” I whined, slapping my hand against my forehead. I was lying on his bed, complaining to him about how I thought I was losing my touch. He got up off of his revolving chair and sat down on his bed next to me.
“Little Lette, maybe you did get him. Maybe the poison will end up killing him,” he said, trying to soothe my restless mind.
“Oh shut up, Chuckie. You know your poison doesn’t kill them. Nice try,” I snapped, clenching my teeth. He sighed.
“I don’t know what else to say. This is the first one that has gotten away in the entire year that you’ve been going after them. I think that’s pretty damn good, Scarlett.” I felt the weight shift on the bed as he got up to leave.
“Get some sleep, Scarlett. I think you need it,” he added, and shut the door behind him. I sighed. I did need sleep. I had almost been up for twenty-four hours straight. If I wanted to kick demon ass I was going to have to be in shape. I got up and stumbled over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of PJ pants. I put them on and fell back onto the bed. I took out one of my small daggers and made sure it was safely secured in its holster before I held it in my hand, tight to my chest, and fell asleep.
When I sleep, I sleep completely soundly. I don’t dream. It’s nothing but the darkness behind my eyelids. But that night, I had a dream for probably the first time in a few years. And it wasn’t all sugar plums and fairies, either. I dreamt I was back at that vacant parking lot, apparently waiting for something. It was early morning, probably only about an hour after midnight. I kept looking around for something. After a couple minutes of standing there in silence, the vampire that got away came into my view. He walked gracefully and silently, slowly edging his way towards me. I stood completely still. I didn’t even reach for my weapons; I didn’t even have any weapons. I was just wearing a long-sleeve shirt and jeans. I felt so-bare. The vampire took one more step and his face was just inches away from mine. He put his hand on the back of my neck and for some reason, I didn’t flinch.
“You’ve got it all wrong,” he whispered to me, and inched his face even closer to mine.
I woke up from that dream in a cold sweat, panting, and clenching the sheets on the bed for dear life.