How Dark Is the Night?

It was a slow night slaying for a bit. Erelin and Brendon followed us in their car to some alleys downtown that Pete wanted to scope out. Some of them I recognized from slaying there a few months ago.

“Amanda, are you alright? You seem distant.” Pete said as we got out of the car. Apparently Erelin heard him and came over to me.

“I’m ok.” I said watching Pete and Brendon walk ahead of me.

“You need to tell Pete what you dreamed.” Erelin annoyingly said.

“Shh. No.” I said.

“Do it.” She said.

“No.” I replied.

“Hey, what’s the problem?” Pete said turning around noticing that Erelin and I weren’t following him and Brendon.

“Uh, Erelin and I were just having a little girl talk.” I said giving her a dirty look to back off.

“Yeah, we are just talking about dr…girl talk.” Erelin said as I hit her arm. Then she gave me a dirty look.

“Ok, well we will be down the block here.” Pete said turning back to talk to Brendon.

“That was uncalled for.” Erelin said.

“You were going to tell him.” I said.

“I don’t even know what you dreamed. You won’t tell me! So how could I possibly tell him anything except that you are worried about what you had dreamed?” She replied.

“You really want to know?” I asked annoyed.

“Yes!” She said crossing her arms.

Erelin and I were ambushed by two ugly vampire guys, which interrupted what I was going to say. Erelin got slammed to the ground by one of the vamps and I came up and climbed on his back, distracting him as he was trying to get me off. He kept spinning around but I kept my focus and staked the other guy who was trying to grab me off the other vampire’s back.
Then I was thrown off finally landing against a store window which thankfully didn’t break. That definitely hurt. I sat there on the concrete watching Erelin fight off the ugly vampire before staking him. She gave out a few choice words to him too. Apparently he ruined her outfit which made me laugh a bit.

Just then, the air seemed to get a bit chilly and I turned to look around the street. I had this weird feeling like I was being watched. All I saw, however, was Erelin.

“Can you believe what that creep did? He ripped my shirt. That was a seventy five dollar shirt Brendon bought me from Vera Wang.” Erelin said.

“Well maybe you shouldn’t wear good stuff like that when you are out doing combat.” I said rolling my eyes.

“Ha ha, you think you are so funny. I didn’t even like it that much anyway.” Erelin said sighing and rolling her eyes back at me. “Now, tell me what you can’t tell Pete.” She said.

“Fine. The other day while I went out costume shopping I saw Beckett. He followed me and appeared in a window to me and even had me follow him in a costume shop to lose him after he had bumped into me. Everyone thinks I am crazy. They didn’t see him but I did. I know what I saw Erelin. I told Pete about this and he told me Beckett wouldn’t hurt me because he appeared in a dream of his and he was good. He told Pete to stay with me at all times. And in tonight’s dream he chased me down an alley. I fell and he caught up to me and was about to grab me which left me screaming.” I said explaining everything.

“Wow!” Erelin said looking shocked.

“See, you think it is all in my head too.” I said upset.

“No. I know you are under a lot of stress with the baby and all but I can’t figure this one out. If Pete says he is good then why come after you? It doesn’t make sense to me. But you know stranger things have happened. Maybe he is trying to warn you and he is a ghost. Who knows?” She said shrugging her shoulders.

“But can a ghost touch you?” I asked knowing Erelin couldn’t answer my question but it was more like a thought.

“We better find the boys.” Erelin said leading the way.

“There is my handsome husband.” I said once we caught up to the guys.

“That was a long girl talk.” Brendon said rolling his eyes. “And my shirt! What did you do to this shirt I bought you?” He added.

“Shit happens ok? We got ambushed and the idiot that I was fighting decided he didn’t like it.” Erelin said sarcastically.

Poor Brendon, at least he tried to buy her nice stuff. I just laughed as they started in on their normal bickering. But seriously who wears a seventy five dollar shirt and who wears it out slaying? As I watched them Pete pulled me aside.

“Do you want to patrol the next street over?” Pete asked me.

“Sure, I guess.” I said expecting him to follow me as I headed over that way. I turned to see him watch me walk away from him. “You aren’t coming?” I asked.

“No. You look like you need to be alone for a few.” Pete said sensing that I was troubled and did want to be alone.

“But I thought you wanted me to be with someone at all times.” I replied.

Pete approached me and kissed me. “It is just one street over. Scream loudly and we will be there.” Pete said.

“Thank you.” I said smiling and taking my stake in my hand and leaving everyone. I did want to be alone. I haven’t really patrolled alone in forever.

As I made it onto the next street I looked around. I knew this street. I used to patrol here a lot. It also was the street in my dream. Ok, maybe this was a bad idea.
It started to feel chilly again and a fog rolled into the street. I felt like I was being watched again. I didn’t like this. This was a feeling a slayer has. Am I just out of whack? Am I going crazy from stress? This is not good for the baby.

As I turned around I saw a shadow emerge from the fog and that was my cue to run. I ran as fast as I could and ended up tripping in the middle of the street just like my dream. I heard footsteps behind me and as I turned around to try and get up I saw none other then Beckett standing in front of me and I screamed as loudly as I could for Pete to hear.