Gina Files

I don’t know how I get myself into messes like this one. I guess I’m just drawn to them like a moth to a flame. It’s possible that my yearning for death draws the unwanted attention to me. Whatever it is, I am in big trouble.

How did I miss the signs? What did I do wrong? I can remember the past few hours clearly, I never have trouble remembering anything. I always remember things; it’s one of the benefits of being an immortal. You never forget anything. Every little detail is etched into your minds eye, every smell stored neatly in some unique file system, waiting to be plucked out and placed in the waiting images that were stored in the same way. If scientists had a way, they would dissect my people’s brains to extract each memory. But thankfully such technology has yet to be discovered.

It’s funny, how even now, as I flex my arms, the pain cripples me, brings tears to my eyes. I have felt worse, but this pain, it was unbearable. It ached in the deepest part of my chest where a gaping hole was open and very raw. I have only felt this pain twice in my long life, and I am not very fond of it. The first time left me catatonic, living yes, but not living. I was like a drone, just sitting there and doing nothing, and I guess I can say I am now in some ways. I drink more than ever and sometimes, I don’t even know where the hell I am, or who the hell I am. It’s been nearly three years since he’s been gone, and I can’t even pull myself together to care for my son. I know he needs me, but I can’t take this pain.

I can feel the alcohol desert me, leaving me confused and irritated. That sweet numb feeling was gone; washed away by my blood’s never ending cycle of bacteria eating away anything that posed a threat.

I hear myself chuckle in an almost mad way. It echoed off the stone walls, bouncing back and forth and down the hall, distorting it and making it more deranged that it honestly was. I found it amusing for some reason. But the amusement didn’t last long. That nerve wracking dripping started, causing me to groan in pain as it harassed my already sensitive ears. It dripped in a slow pattern, each splash sounding like cannon fire. Yes, I have heard cannon fire before. I hated it then and I hate it now, even if it was just dripping water that cut through my head in white hot flashes. I can’t even tune it out like I wanted to. I need to focus on where I am. But, to focus I needed to open my eyes, and I’m afraid to. I had to open them sooner or later. I braced myself, ignored the pain, and slowly inched them open.

I have been in better cells, but this one tops the charts. I blink a few times and slowly sweep my gaze around the room. I was right, I was in some sort of stone structure. The smell is musty and damp. I wonder why I never noticed it until now. Most likely because I was focused on keeping the hole closed, plus I was sulking. Something else I haven’t noted till now. I feel incredibly weak. I realize this as I try to break the ropes that hold my hands behind my back. I’m such a fucking idiot. I should have fed before coming to this bloody village.

Back to the room though. I was bound in a cave of sorts, moonlight flitting down from cracks in the ceiling. The floors were covered in the reddish dirt that surrounded the whole canyon area. The walls were rough stone that looked like sandpaper normally looked, only it glittered in the moon’s glow. The room couldn’t be any bigger than maybe an apartments master bathroom, without the fixtures that is. It could have easily fit at least one, maybe two more people, depending on their size. The only opening was in front of me, where that agonizing dripping came from. There was some pathetic looking cage door in front of the opening, shielding the racket behind chicken wire. The dripping was coming from one of the cracks, the water pooling under and reflecting the light in many sharp points of light. One flashed and hit me in the eyes, making me grunt as I painfully rolled onto my back, crushing my dead hands under me.

“Gott verdammtes Mutterfucking Licht! Scheiße! Verdammen Sie es aller zur Hölle!” I felt curses bubble up my throat and spew out of my lips in a tide of rich German words. It has been a long time since I’ve spoken anything in that language. I prefer to stick to English. It was one language that I am used to using fluently. I knew many languages, I just choose not to let on that I knew many. It gave me an upper hand when I need information. It’s easy to eavesdrop when people thought you were ignorant and couldn’t understand a word they spoke.

I hear voices coming down the hall, speaking rapidly as footsteps approached. A set broke off and walked off at a fast gate, obviously the other person angered him. It didn’t matter, one unknown person was bad enough. The footsteps grew closer and all too soon I can see a pair of legs. Looking up I find myself starring at a man in his mid forties. His hair was greasy and graying. What color left was black, like his eyes. They assessed me and locked on mine, a slow smile curving his lips. I breathed in deeply and his scent hit me like a brick wall. It was sweet, yet pungent. Like a sewage pipe. Once you get past the awful smell there is an almost pleasant smell. Of course, that rule didn’t apply to most people.

I recoiled from him instinctively when he moved the ‘door’ and stepped inside. He chuckled and arched a bushy eyebrow at me. I hissed and growled at him warningly, glowering hatefully at him. I knew what he was. He was why I was here in the first place. He reeked of werewolf. Narrowing my eyes and focussing I saw his image flicker, showing me a brief glimpse of his doggy form. I blinked a few times and hissed again as he bent down and grabbed me by my trench coats lapels. I would have kicked him if my legs were free but under the circumstances, I couldn’t. He found his amusing and gave me a toothy grin. I wrinkled my nose. His breath stunk like rotting flesh and blood.

“Come on now, where’s your manners?”

“With your mother” I snapped, knowing before it happened that he would hit me.

I wasn’t disappointed. My head snapped to the side. I was going to have a bruise later that’s for sure. I flexed my jaw and glared at him some more.

“No one talks about my mother like that, not even a pretty bitch like you.”

“That’s a shame, I’m sure she talks about you.”

“Keep talking girly, see where that leads you.”

“A mutt like you doesn’t scare me.” It was partly true. At the moment in my weakened state I couldn’t help but fear for myself.

He chuckled again and heaved me to the side. I felt my face scrape against the wall. Well hell it was sandstone. And it hurt like a bitch too. He pulled me back and slammed me into the wall again, cracking my head with a loud thump. Stars exploded in front of my eyes and I was dimly aware of a warm sticky liquid running down my cheek before a rough tong licked it off. I felt myself shudder. The man chuckled again.

“When I get my hands free, your going to regret it.” I said, scowling at him.

“I’ll be careful then.” He said, lifting me and tossing me onto his shoulder.

I could have bit him then and there but I’m not fond of Lycan blood. So I settled on cursing at him some more, insulting more than his mother. He didn’t like it and I got my head bashed into the walls a few times.

We were heading south, I knew that much. My stomach ached where his bony shoulder pressed in to it. I watched my blood leave a trail behind and groaned. I did not need to lose more. I could feel my skin knit itself back together and it exhausted me more. The fasting and drinking was not doing much good for my body and I resolved right then and there not to overload on the liquor in the future. Hell, I’ll even feed more, on a weekly basis. I forced my fingers to flex, grinding my teeth and crossing my eyes as I tried to wheedle my way into the man’s mind. I felt my mind slowly inch into his until it slammed into a wall. I cringed.
‘Fuck that hurt.’

I didn’t expect an answer so it took me by surprise when someone giggled and cooed

‘Well silly what do you expect? Your weak.’

‘What the hell? Who are you?’
‘
I’m you silly!’

‘Bullshit! Who are you really?’

‘I’m Millie. You are in some trouble, aren’t you? You know, you never used to get captured so easily.’ The voice giggled again and I can feel my body relax. I was fucking going crazy and hearing a voice. What was worse, I was talking back! ‘You’re not crazy Gina! Your just confused.’ The voice sounded like someone would when they would pat your back. What was that word?

A sharp pain brought me back to the present and I looked around, disoriented. I wasn’t on the Lycan’s shoulder anymore. I was back on the hard floor. He kicked me as he walked passed me, disappearing from my line of view. I curled up into a ball, drawing my knees to my chest and shirked, rolling onto my back as I painfully worked my arms past my hips and away from my legs. With my hands in front of me I had more of a chance at getting my job done then booking my ass back home. I am pretty sure James has noticed my absence. I never tell him when I go out on a job. It’s just too much of a pain in the ass to have him tag along. I needed to do these things alone, my tactics unquestioned. Anyway, I hated the man with a passion. Father of my child or not. He was a fucking dick and I’m not afraid to admit it to his face. I just didn’t want to deal with his shit.

Okay, he was a bit understanding about brad at first but now he had started riding my ass about spending my money (which he claims is his) on Bloodwine. I have my own offshore account that I have been taping into. The professor pays pretty handsomely so I don’t see the problem. I even own the house he insists on paying rent for. I don’t understand the human one bit. I’m not stupid enough to run out of money like that. I’m over four hundred years old for fuck sakes.

I slowly sit up and look around. I was alone but I don’t know for how long. Slipping my arms over my knees I worked on the knots around my ankles, keeping an eye out. After what seemed like hours they loosened and fell off, now that my feet were free i started chewing on the ropes that bound my hands. It didn’t take long to get them off and soon I was on my feet and slinking through the shadows. The cavern was big, maybe a few hundred feet across and wide. It was more squared shaped than round so I figure that it was enlarged by the pack not to long ago, maybe a few months before they started picking off the village people. It certainly explained why the whole place reeked of sweat and blood, literally. The smell was so sharp it hurt my nose. I forced myself to stop breathing to avoid the smell and instead focused more on my hearing. Listening carefully I could hear the faint sound of voices. Judging by the different sounds I would have to say there were at least six in this pack, maybe more. If there were they were out hunting.

I followed the sounds, my mouth suddenly salivating. The burning in my veins was slowly becoming noticeable. I couldn’t ignore the thirst anymore. And since I didn’t have my weapons I would have to make do with what I had. The taste I didn’t care for but I could use a little boost in my strength. So slipping out of the room I made my way down the dark passageway, smiling to myself as a dim light got closer. I crouched and peeked into the room. I was correct on the number of Lycan’s present. Now I have to figure out how to pick them off without them all attacking at once.

Of course, I didn’t get much time to think about it. One scented me and alerted the others. So much for the element of surprise. I jumped up and went into action. The first one that ran at me with his head lowered I let tackle me. We rolled on the ground, wrestling until I attached myself into his juggler. He fought but I drained him in a matter of seconds. I must have been starving for that to have happened. I kicked him off and went after the others, picking them off one by one, snapping the necks of two whom thought to ambush me while I fed off their friend. I let the last drop and wiped my mouth oddly satisfied. I barely noted the blood that covered me. I looked at my work before I spotted my weapons on the table they were sitting around. Smirking I stepped over a blonde and picked them up.

When I got back to the village, the one who had carried me to my room was there. There were screams coming from the center of the village. Haunting screams of a woman. This pissed me off. I ran towards the screams and growled loudly and felt the first tremors of a change come. The lycan I was looking for was above the woman, pillaging her. Everything turned red as I fell on all fours and tackled him off the woman, snarling and raking large claws down his chest. His screams turned to rage as he violently shoved me off, sending me flying and crashing to the ground. He changed quicker than I could ever have. I noted that his fur was a dull gray as he crouched, his hackles raised and teeth bared. His tail lifted and his fur bristled. He was challenging me. I rolled over and stood up. I was bigger than he was and he seemed to realize that. It made him tense. We circled one another, waiting for the other to make the first move.

Obviously he got tired of waiting because he lunged for my throat. I batted him to the ground with my paw and ran at him as he got back up. He ran at me and met me halfway. We became a snarling mass of fur, biting and gouging at each other. It ended as quickly as it began. He made the mistake of baring his throat to me as he tried to blind me. In an instant my jaw sank into his throat and locked. I shook him violently until he went limp and went back to his human form. I ripped his head off before I even realized he was dead. I dropped him and backed up, panting.

It was quiet but soon people started hooting and bellowing in triumph. I was confused as I shifted back, breathing heavily and looking around as the village people spewed out of their huts and swarming around me. I didn’t mind being pushed around by them. They were happy and wanted to celebrate. I did protest when they pulled my trench off and drug me to one hut on the farthest edge of the village. They babbled at me as they shoved me down and crowded around. One man, the village elder I suppose presented a bowl to me. No amount of rejecting it made him take it away so I forced myself to drink it down. It was bitter and disgusting but it pleased the man.

I ended up sitting there for hours as one man tattooed my arms, chest, and my back. I supposed it was their way of marking me as a warrior. I had noticed that most the men had the markings the first time I came here just days before. I felt proud for the first time in a long time. All too soon I was boarding a small plane and leaving, heading home to show off my new tattoos.