Sooner Or Later
Confessions
Frank headed inside of Gerard's house just as the sun started to rise to a threatening level. He headed into the kitchen and saw a tall young man with glasses and dark blonde almost brunette hair.
"Oh hi. Figured you'd be back soon."
"Who-"
"Mikey, Gerard's brother."
"He didn't tell me he had a brother."
"Gerard doesn't tell much at all. I help him out...daytime things, cover, ear to the city, kind of the lap dog, though I prefer night time myself."
"So you're not-"
"Huh, no...no I'm not..." Mikey chuckled and shut the fridge's door. "If you need anything, I'll be here." Frank nodded and watched Mikey walk off. He wanted to call after him and ask where Gerard was, but decided it was pointless, yawning, Frank stretched...despite his desire to find Claire, there was nothing he could do now, not until the sun set.
Ray sat up in bed, feeling different, he looked around for a moment wondering where he was and a stinging sensation dwelled on his neck.
"It'll pass soon..." Claire said, walking into the dark room, the curtains drawn tight. Ray stood up and headed towards the windows, "DON'T!" Claire shouted.
"Why not?"
"Just…dont." Ray looked at Claire, his eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness, Claire had no problems seeing in the dark, her eyes had long ago adapted to seeing in such ways.
"How are you feeling?"
"My neck hurts." He touched it and felt the marks, slowly healing but unmistakable. "What the heck?"
"You don't remember?" Ray looked at Claire as she took a seat next to him on the bed. "Last night?"
”Why does my neck feel all funny? It feels like there is some kind of hole…no…two holes in it. Did I fall?”
“You didn’t fall..”
“Then what the fucks up with my neck?”
“Listen, I have to tell you something,” Claire said, slowly backing away. “But you have to promise not to be angry.”
Ray moved towards her, “I’m not promising anything till you tell me what’s going on.”
The door to the bedroom opened and Stormy walked in, “How’s our little vampire doing today?”
Rays eyes widened, “Claire, did she just call me a VAMPIRE?”
Claire nodded.
Stormy closed the door, “That’s because you are a vampire.”
“What? No I’m not. Listen crazy lady, Claire and I are leaving.” He grabbed Claire and started to drag her to the window.
“Don’t Ray, don’t open the blinds.”
“Why? Claire, was she the one that kidnapped you all those years back? Does she order you the keep the blinds closed and hide in this house?”
His eyes searched her sad face, “Was it Frank? Did he sell you to this crazy lady?”
Hearing Franks name Claire’s eyes started to water.
Ray let go of her arm and she slid to the floor, rocking and sobbing. Stormy ran to her and put her arm around Claire.
“Honey, how long have you been with Frank,”
Claire didn’t look at Stormy but looked up at Ray and started to talk in hiccupy sobs, “Never spent a night away from him for three years…but now…t-they…they…h-h-hunters…we tried so h-h-hard to get…to get away….I w-want Frank…Its been too long…t-the way he used to…to make my cup of blood …I just…”
“Did you just say cup of BLOOD?”
Claire snivelled, wiped her nose on her sleeve and nodded.
“What are they doing to you here Claire?”
Claire busted into tears, “Stormy, you tell him.”
She then ran out of the room.
Claire sat in the corner of the kitchen quietly crying.
She heard Ray’s muffled yells from the other room. A door crashed open and Ray ran into the kitchen.
“Claire!” he gasped, “She’s a crazy woman! I’m not a…a vampire!”
Claire wiped her eyes and stood to face him.
“She’s telling the truth.”
“She BRAINWASHED YOU! Frank probably helped.”
“DON’T TALK ABOUT HIM LIKE THAT!”
She took his hands and looked into his eyes.
“I’m really sorry but she’s telling the truth, I’ve been one for years…”
Rays eyes widened and he saw her fangs, screaming, he ran out of the room. She heard the door to the bathroom slam shut.
“Give it time, he’ll come around.” Stormy said, Claire just shot back an evil look.
Refusing to leave things like that with Ray, she ignored Stormy’s advice and slowly opened the door to the bathroom.
_________________
“I don’t want to talk to you…”
“Just listen to what I have to say, alright?”
She sat next to Ray and began to tell him the story, the whole story, from when she ran into the park and met Frank, to when the hunters attacked, Alecia leading them, and how she had found Stormy.
Ray didn’t seem angry at her about what had happened, he just held Claire, stroking her hair and wiping away her tears. He felt so bad about what she had been through. He thought maybe she wouldn’t have had to go through it if he had been there for her in the night she met Frank.
As her sobs subsided she lent further into Ray and he held her tight, not wanting to let go.
What she didn't want to admit, that with each hour that passed, she felt like the chances of finding Frank got smaller and smaller...he had left her. And now that Ray was back it would only be a matter of time before he left her again as well. She would be alone again. With no friends, no one to watch out for her, to take care of her, to talk to... she couldn't very well stay with Stormy forever, could she?
Frank looked over at Gerard who was holding a map of the area, there were different coloured marks here and there. Frank tried to get a better look but Gerard moved it out of his site.
"Best if you don't know these things." Gerard murmured and Frank sighed deeply.
"No luck?"
"None...haven't even heard a rumour."
"Keep looking, you'll find her." Gerard said, standing up and rolling up the map and tucking it into the inside pocket of his jacket. He nodded in Frank's direction and headed out into the dimming sunlight.
Frank sighed and roamed around the house a bit longer, not wanting to take his chances in turning the wrong way and meeting the sun's dying rays face first. Once he was sure the sun was down he said goodbye to Mikey and headed out into the streets once again.
Claire and Ray walked down the streets together. Ray coming with only because he didn't want to stay in the house any longer so Claire took him with her, leaving Stormy free to check her sources and spend time with Rev.
"What are you going to do if you don't find Frank?"
"I don't know. I've thought about it, but I just can't think of anything."
"Won't you just stay with Stormy?"
"I could...if she'd let me. Not much else I could do. What about you?"
"I figured I'd go where you go. You can always stay with me you know it's not like we'd be that far from her in the first place." Claire nodded and the two of them continued down the road in silence.
"CLAIRE!" Jess shouted and ran over to her. Claire stopped and looked at Ray, he looked back at her.
"Hi, I didn't think I'd run into you again so soon...how are you?"
"Fine."
"Is this Frank?"
"No, this is Ray."
"Ohhh, I think I remember her talking about you." Ray blushed a bit and Claire looked over at Jess.
"Sorry that you haven’t found Frank yet."
"Yeah..." Claire gazed at Jess, she envied her. She could go home, she could go out with her friends on a picnic during the day, or go swimming at the pools. She was part of the world. A full part of it, Claire wasn't anymore. A lump formed in her throat.
"I should get going."
"Wait...can I stop by and see you sometime?" She looked over at Ray and he nodded.
"Sure." Claire wrote down Ray's address for her and handed her it. "Great, I'll see you tomorrow okay?"
"After seven though, I've got things going on during the day" she said hastily.
"See you then!" Jess hugged Claire tightly again and headed off towards the bus stop.
"Come on, let's get moving." Ray said.
Stormy stood at the kitchen counter watching Rev cook, music played quietly as they waited for the phone to ring.
"Come on...you know you want to."
"I know you want me to." She teased, playing her fingers along his neck again, he groaned and stirred the sauce. The phone rang and Stormy answered it. She was quiet, her voice was low even as she spoke. Rev looked over at her and she gave him a small smile as she thanked the person on the other end and hung up the phone.
"Anything new?"
"They saw the hunter again, he's back after the people who attacked Claire and Frank. Didn't get a chance to talk to him. They think they'll see him tomorrow, he'll pass the message on then."
Rev nodded and went back to cooking. Stormy came up behind him, her arms around his waist, her chin stretching to rest on his shoulder. "Why do you?"
"Do I what?"
"Want to? What if you're changed and it's not what you thought or hoped it would be?"
"Will you still be here?"
"Yes..."
"Then it will be." Rev looked at Stormy, she smiled and took a deep breath and sank her teeth into his neck.
"Oh hi. Figured you'd be back soon."
"Who-"
"Mikey, Gerard's brother."
"He didn't tell me he had a brother."
"Gerard doesn't tell much at all. I help him out...daytime things, cover, ear to the city, kind of the lap dog, though I prefer night time myself."
"So you're not-"
"Huh, no...no I'm not..." Mikey chuckled and shut the fridge's door. "If you need anything, I'll be here." Frank nodded and watched Mikey walk off. He wanted to call after him and ask where Gerard was, but decided it was pointless, yawning, Frank stretched...despite his desire to find Claire, there was nothing he could do now, not until the sun set.
Ray sat up in bed, feeling different, he looked around for a moment wondering where he was and a stinging sensation dwelled on his neck.
"It'll pass soon..." Claire said, walking into the dark room, the curtains drawn tight. Ray stood up and headed towards the windows, "DON'T!" Claire shouted.
"Why not?"
"Just…dont." Ray looked at Claire, his eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness, Claire had no problems seeing in the dark, her eyes had long ago adapted to seeing in such ways.
"How are you feeling?"
"My neck hurts." He touched it and felt the marks, slowly healing but unmistakable. "What the heck?"
"You don't remember?" Ray looked at Claire as she took a seat next to him on the bed. "Last night?"
”Why does my neck feel all funny? It feels like there is some kind of hole…no…two holes in it. Did I fall?”
“You didn’t fall..”
“Then what the fucks up with my neck?”
“Listen, I have to tell you something,” Claire said, slowly backing away. “But you have to promise not to be angry.”
Ray moved towards her, “I’m not promising anything till you tell me what’s going on.”
The door to the bedroom opened and Stormy walked in, “How’s our little vampire doing today?”
Rays eyes widened, “Claire, did she just call me a VAMPIRE?”
Claire nodded.
Stormy closed the door, “That’s because you are a vampire.”
“What? No I’m not. Listen crazy lady, Claire and I are leaving.” He grabbed Claire and started to drag her to the window.
“Don’t Ray, don’t open the blinds.”
“Why? Claire, was she the one that kidnapped you all those years back? Does she order you the keep the blinds closed and hide in this house?”
His eyes searched her sad face, “Was it Frank? Did he sell you to this crazy lady?”
Hearing Franks name Claire’s eyes started to water.
Ray let go of her arm and she slid to the floor, rocking and sobbing. Stormy ran to her and put her arm around Claire.
“Honey, how long have you been with Frank,”
Claire didn’t look at Stormy but looked up at Ray and started to talk in hiccupy sobs, “Never spent a night away from him for three years…but now…t-they…they…h-h-hunters…we tried so h-h-hard to get…to get away….I w-want Frank…Its been too long…t-the way he used to…to make my cup of blood …I just…”
“Did you just say cup of BLOOD?”
Claire snivelled, wiped her nose on her sleeve and nodded.
“What are they doing to you here Claire?”
Claire busted into tears, “Stormy, you tell him.”
She then ran out of the room.
Claire sat in the corner of the kitchen quietly crying.
She heard Ray’s muffled yells from the other room. A door crashed open and Ray ran into the kitchen.
“Claire!” he gasped, “She’s a crazy woman! I’m not a…a vampire!”
Claire wiped her eyes and stood to face him.
“She’s telling the truth.”
“She BRAINWASHED YOU! Frank probably helped.”
“DON’T TALK ABOUT HIM LIKE THAT!”
She took his hands and looked into his eyes.
“I’m really sorry but she’s telling the truth, I’ve been one for years…”
Rays eyes widened and he saw her fangs, screaming, he ran out of the room. She heard the door to the bathroom slam shut.
“Give it time, he’ll come around.” Stormy said, Claire just shot back an evil look.
Refusing to leave things like that with Ray, she ignored Stormy’s advice and slowly opened the door to the bathroom.
_________________
“I don’t want to talk to you…”
“Just listen to what I have to say, alright?”
She sat next to Ray and began to tell him the story, the whole story, from when she ran into the park and met Frank, to when the hunters attacked, Alecia leading them, and how she had found Stormy.
Ray didn’t seem angry at her about what had happened, he just held Claire, stroking her hair and wiping away her tears. He felt so bad about what she had been through. He thought maybe she wouldn’t have had to go through it if he had been there for her in the night she met Frank.
As her sobs subsided she lent further into Ray and he held her tight, not wanting to let go.
What she didn't want to admit, that with each hour that passed, she felt like the chances of finding Frank got smaller and smaller...he had left her. And now that Ray was back it would only be a matter of time before he left her again as well. She would be alone again. With no friends, no one to watch out for her, to take care of her, to talk to... she couldn't very well stay with Stormy forever, could she?
Frank looked over at Gerard who was holding a map of the area, there were different coloured marks here and there. Frank tried to get a better look but Gerard moved it out of his site.
"Best if you don't know these things." Gerard murmured and Frank sighed deeply.
"No luck?"
"None...haven't even heard a rumour."
"Keep looking, you'll find her." Gerard said, standing up and rolling up the map and tucking it into the inside pocket of his jacket. He nodded in Frank's direction and headed out into the dimming sunlight.
Frank sighed and roamed around the house a bit longer, not wanting to take his chances in turning the wrong way and meeting the sun's dying rays face first. Once he was sure the sun was down he said goodbye to Mikey and headed out into the streets once again.
Claire and Ray walked down the streets together. Ray coming with only because he didn't want to stay in the house any longer so Claire took him with her, leaving Stormy free to check her sources and spend time with Rev.
"What are you going to do if you don't find Frank?"
"I don't know. I've thought about it, but I just can't think of anything."
"Won't you just stay with Stormy?"
"I could...if she'd let me. Not much else I could do. What about you?"
"I figured I'd go where you go. You can always stay with me you know it's not like we'd be that far from her in the first place." Claire nodded and the two of them continued down the road in silence.
"CLAIRE!" Jess shouted and ran over to her. Claire stopped and looked at Ray, he looked back at her.
"Hi, I didn't think I'd run into you again so soon...how are you?"
"Fine."
"Is this Frank?"
"No, this is Ray."
"Ohhh, I think I remember her talking about you." Ray blushed a bit and Claire looked over at Jess.
"Sorry that you haven’t found Frank yet."
"Yeah..." Claire gazed at Jess, she envied her. She could go home, she could go out with her friends on a picnic during the day, or go swimming at the pools. She was part of the world. A full part of it, Claire wasn't anymore. A lump formed in her throat.
"I should get going."
"Wait...can I stop by and see you sometime?" She looked over at Ray and he nodded.
"Sure." Claire wrote down Ray's address for her and handed her it. "Great, I'll see you tomorrow okay?"
"After seven though, I've got things going on during the day" she said hastily.
"See you then!" Jess hugged Claire tightly again and headed off towards the bus stop.
"Come on, let's get moving." Ray said.
Stormy stood at the kitchen counter watching Rev cook, music played quietly as they waited for the phone to ring.
"Come on...you know you want to."
"I know you want me to." She teased, playing her fingers along his neck again, he groaned and stirred the sauce. The phone rang and Stormy answered it. She was quiet, her voice was low even as she spoke. Rev looked over at her and she gave him a small smile as she thanked the person on the other end and hung up the phone.
"Anything new?"
"They saw the hunter again, he's back after the people who attacked Claire and Frank. Didn't get a chance to talk to him. They think they'll see him tomorrow, he'll pass the message on then."
Rev nodded and went back to cooking. Stormy came up behind him, her arms around his waist, her chin stretching to rest on his shoulder. "Why do you?"
"Do I what?"
"Want to? What if you're changed and it's not what you thought or hoped it would be?"
"Will you still be here?"
"Yes..."
"Then it will be." Rev looked at Stormy, she smiled and took a deep breath and sank her teeth into his neck.