Take Care

[Hannah Lynn (DELETED 8242)]

[HANNAH] Two days and nights had gone by since her peculiar run in with the vampire in the sewers. The first day, Hannah had been too busy to think about what had happened; for more than a few thoughts here and there. Adam called in, sick with Influenza that had been going around all over the city in extreme cases, which left them one employee short. And that didn’t mean that just because they were one short that they had less patients either. Hannah and Teresa split Adam’s patient load; and still didn’t get to all the patients that day. She felt guilty, but after ten hours, both girls were told to go home as they weren’t trying to give out too much overtime this cheque. What they couldn’t do, would be done first thing upon their return. Which also meant that her scheduled day off, was no longer a day off. Hannah was expected to come in for about four hours to see the patients that had been missed. So, after four and a half hours at the hospital, Hannah had seen every patient and done everything that had been needed to been done. The added half hour was due to the checking out of an elderly woman was going to a nursing home for a few weeks while her fracture finished healing as she had no children that lived nearby.

Hannah slammed the metal locker closed and locked it, then gave it a spin. She shrugged into her sea rose colored waterproof coat and slid her feet into her purple, white, and grey colored tennis shoes. Hopefully, it was no longer raining like it had been when Hannah arrived at the hospital for her half shift. She preferred to walk home, but the rain would prevent that. When Hannah stepped out into the early night hours of the night, the brunette was pleased to find out that while the air was cool, it was dry. A smile found the corners of her lips, as Hannah started down her usual path.

And as she walked, Hannah couldn’t help but think on her two kilometers or so walk home. What Hannah didn’t realize was that while she was thinking, she was also focusing on him and sending him well wishes through an Allurist ability she took off him after tasting his blood. And the first thing she thought about was the vampire in the sewers. Was he still there? Could he talk? Had he ever been able to talk? Why did he let her bite him? Hannah couldn’t get the answers she was looking for without answering the first one. And there was only one way to get that answer. Hannah had to go back down to the sewers. She walked a few more blocks then deviated from her usual course and headed to the train station.


[LANCASTER] The vampire never strayed very far. If there were zones aboveground then there were zones below ground, too -- even if he was sure that he could slaughter every stray vampire in this place with the twitch of a finger, he still stuck to his own territory. There were those that strayed into his territory and they soon became his meals. Sometimes he strayed only far enough to find a meal of his own, if he’d gone a night without one. But he always came back to the same spot.

The addled mind would not have understood why, and if there was a reason it was lost to the grime and to time. The sewers did not change. Time did not exist. Each night segued into the next, the only thing to ever break the monotony was the arrival of other vampires. If they were too clean, the vampire let them pass. If they were lost and confused like he was, they became fodder. Like any dog who’d been taught a lesson, this vampire understood there were things that he should not do, and to attack anyone who could be attached to someone else… well, he was strong, but not strong enough to withstand a gang. And death… death should be avoided at all costs.

A corner was gained and the tall vampire slid down the wall. One knee was raised, one thin arm dangling over it, wrist bent. Blood outlined his fingernails and was dried into the cracks of his skin. Blood and dirt and dust. These fingers once made music. A ring once adorned one of these fingers, white gold and proud. What had happened to that ring? Had it been left behind or lost? The vampire did not remember the ring that he once wore and so could not have said where it had ended up. He did not remember the woman he’d bought it with, the one who’d given it to him. He couldn’t remember the agreements they’d made.

A familiar yet unfamiliar sensation flood his limbs, a warmth that blossomed from somewhere deep inside. It was the temperature of hope, a light shining within his own lost mind. There flashed behind his eyes the face of the girl from a few nights prior, the one whom he’d given blood to. It was a power he himself was capable of, but it didn’t cross his mind to reciprocate.

The empty head fell forward, bright eyes closed to the gloom and darkness. He was as still as death as he sat there, half dozing, half listening. The world outside could be heard, the voices, some sharp and some low, the cars as they rumbled over manholes, the water as it sloshed and dripped. From somewhere came a draft. Somewhere someone had opened a manhole, the sliver of fresh air bringing with it the scent of rain. The vampire took one deep breath and held it, before releasing it again -- and any memory that went along with it.


[HANNAH] The train ride had been interesting. It was pretty full being that people were getting off work and taking the system home, probably to avoid the congestion the traffic offered at this time of day. Hannah was fortunate to be able to talk home, being that she was close enough to work and being active enough to be able to not feel tired before getting back to her apartment.

She had been witness to a couple of young adults; probably college kids playing tonsil hockey until they got off the train. Even then, they were stuck to the other like glue. Behind her, Hannah had the fortunate experience of listening to a man talk business and express his frustrations about people in his office to a friend, maybe a wife or girlfriend. And then finally, to the left of her was a woman that had been chewing gum obnoxiously, popping and clicking it every few seconds. Hannah remembered why it was she tended to walk home after work, or anywhere that was walkable.

When her stop was approaching, there had been no hesitation on her part on getting up and away from the noises of the people on the train. When the door opened, the cool night air enveloped her and almost pulled Hannah out the door. She stepped out of the train, and to the platform, then filled her lungs with the damp air. It smelled like it could still rain if the weather was altered just a little bit.

The petite brunette was away from the train before it unloaded and filled up with the people waiting on the platform. With both hands in her pockets, she made her way towards the sewer entrance that was three, or four blocks from here. As the last bit of colored disappeared from the night sky, Hannah suddenly had some doubts. What was the likelihood that he would even be down there? In the same area, even? Not that Hannah had anything planned for the night, but this could still be a waste of time…

She was at the manhole cover before Hannah knew it, and now it was too late to abandon the small search party for the unknown vampire. The woman looked around, waited until a car passed by and then shoved it open with a sound of determination that escaped her lips. Hannah wiped her hands as she stood, on her dark denim jeans, then rolled her eyes, realizing what a waste of time it was, and how pointless the action was as Hannah was going to be jumping in feet first into a dirty place.

With one last gulp of night air that filled her lungs, Hannah sat on the edge, then turned, lowered herself down and hung on to the edge before letting go and splashing into the ankle deep water. She looked down the passageway and saw nothing, but when the brunette turned, she was almost face to face with the vampire she had been looking for. “Wooooah!” Hannah breathed out, eyes wide as her heart beat deep in her chest. She bent over at the waist and took another breath in, then let it out and spoke again. “You scared me.” She admitted, not having expected him to be here, and almost right in her face. “I could have hurt you.” It was unlikely, but maybe. “Sorry. Anyways, you're here!” She said, almost sounding relieved when saying that. “I was looking for you, which sounds sort of stalkerish, but I'm not. Stalking you that is.” Hannah stood up straight, then started again. “I'm Hannah.” She said, looking at him, hoping that she was wrong. That he could talk. If he could, he would give his name, wouldn't he? It was sort of customary when there were introductions going on.


[LANCASTER] The sound of footsteps was missed, the vampire having fallen into something of a trance; the sound from the outside world was muffled down here. It was a soothing white noise. It was the woooah! that had the vampire jumping in his skin, suddenly alert, muscles tensed and eyes wide. His head snapped back and his hand went to the floor, ready to launch himself into a standing position in order to fight off whatever had come to attack him.

It took a couple of seconds to realise nothing had come to attack him, however, so he remained seated, body relaxing as the girl rambled. The words were heard and the vampire frowned; he understood them, he knew he did. But he had to try to arrange them into his head to really understand the meaning. It had been so long since he had talked to another living person, so long since he’d allowed any kind of coherent, language-shaped thought to flitter through his mind. And now here was this girl, talking to him like she expected him to respond.

“Han-nah,” he repeated. If sane, he might have told her that her name was a palindrome. It was spelled -- and sounded -- the same backwards as it was forwards. It was pretty cool. But the vampire was not sane and the word palindrome didn’t come anywhere near the surface. The vampire nodded, even if he was still frowning. Common courtesy might have dictated that he give his own name in return, but he didn’t have one. Surely she had not come back down here to exchange pleasantries?

The vampire straightened and again pushed himself to his knees. It was the easiest position, given his height. Easier to access his blood if he’s kneeling, rather than standing. His head canted left to reveal the arch of his neck, watching the girl out of the corner of his eye. It made sense to the vampire that this should be her reason for returning.


[HANNAH] Hannah about jumped for joy when she heard him repeat her name. So the vampire could talk. “Yes. Hannah. That’s right.” She said, talking slower, before a hand moved to her hair and brushed it back and away from her face. This action cleared her immediate surroundings of her own scent; the smell of her shampoo, and perfume and deodorant. Her pupils dilated as eyes locked onto him and she took a deep breath in, smelling the sewer waters, dirt...and him. The tip of her tongue danced across her lips, but she locked her feet in place, fighting the urge to launch herself at him. No name came at her in return, which was a little disappointing, but it didn’t show on her face. Progress had been made and she could take it slow. It was a lot like rehabilitating a muscle or a bone. You work at it enough to make it a little sore, but don’t overdo it, or the person will be back at the starting point. Everything would be lost.

The nameless vampire positioned himself upon his knees and then offered his neck to her again. This hadn’t been the reason she came here, but Hannah found herself taking steps towards him as her fangs peered out from her upper lip. “I don’t want-I didn’t come…” Hannah closed her eyes, but her feet kept walking forward, until the tip of her trainers brushed against his knelt frame.

Her eyes opened again, finding his neck with ease. As if she had some sort of sixth sense about her. “I came to--” Fingers reached out and found his shoulder, almost like the last time, only this time she was in front of him and not behind the vampire. Just the simple sight of the vampire on the ground; seeing his neck—the donation of sorts was enough for Hannah to forget just why she had come here in the first place. The undeniable hunger; the feasting on something so...powerful tantalized her taste buds. She was like a moth to a flame in this respect.

The brunette found the side of the vampire, then latched onto him with her arms. Almost embracing him in a hug, his kneeling posture comparable to her standing height. A little shorter, but not by much. Though the arms around him may have seemed like an intimate action, it was anything but. It was an assurance that he would stay, or that she would stay with him, should the nameless vampire decide to rescind his neck from her. She wanted his blood and Hannah was going to make sure she got it. It wasn't something she could deny herself when the thirst took her over.

Just like two nights ago, her lips suctioned themselves to his cold dirty skin, but that didn't distract her from what she wanted. It had only been two nights since she fed from the gigantic vampire, and Hannah could go longer than that, she knew, deep down, but the tickle at the back of her throat told a different story. Her blood thief fangs found his flesh and bore down into them with ferocity that hinted at the hunger that coursed through her very being. But unlike two nights ago, perhaps not having to test her luck, or boundaries, Hannah didn't take just what she needed. She indulged just a little more in the taste of his thick, delicious blood as it eased its way into her mouth, to the back of her throat and down it. Her fingers tightened around the vampire, almost in a predatory fashion while she indulged in not only his blood, but the moment, before she slowly pulled her fangs from out of his skin. Hannah took a shallow breath inwards, then released her hold on him, before mumbling “Thank you.” The blood on her lips was swept off with yet another flick of her tongue, before she took a few steps back from him. “I-I came here to...help. You.” She laughed a little then shook her head. “It probably doesn't look that way, but...just...come with me.” She said with a heavy sigh, and a single handed gesture, before slowly stepping away from him. A watchful eye peered back at him, hoping he would understand her, and was coming with her too.


[LANCASTER] At first he thought that his invitation was going to be denied. Hannah even made noises, like she was going to say no, this wasn’t the reason she was here. It only inspired more confusion in the vampire, who wanted to ask what her reasons were but who lacked the senses to do so. The question formed as a vague mass in the back of his mind before it was picked apart and lost; like he was constantly lost in a dream and constantly losing the threads, unable to pick them up and weave them back together again.

It wasn’t long before the baby fangs were sunk into flesh and, again, the vampire suffered strange twitches, reactions left over from a past life. It didn’t hurt but his eyes closed -- the dryness of them stung with involuntary wetness. Emotion was a strange thing. It remained when the accompanying memories had been destroyed. It didn’t matter how much of the past was lost, the vampire was, at heart, an Allurist. It didn’t matter how hard he fought against it, he was always going to be victim to his own emotions, blown out of proportion and felt like the fury of a thousand suns. There was grief, and he didn’t know who for. Was it for himself? Or was it for this girl, Hannah, who was a victim in her own right? Victim to her own addictions. Had she chosen this life, or had it been chosen for her?

She pulled back and the vampire blinked the moisture from his eyes. His dirty hand lifted to touch his neck, but the wound that had been made had already healed. She muttered her thanks and the vampire prepared to slip back into his seated position, to return to his former still and solitary state. But she did not leave. Instead, she gestured for him to follow. She said that word, help. He couldn’t imagine what she had to show him, or whether she had anything to show him at all. It could be a trap. Still, the vampire pushed himself to his feet, shoulders slumped as he eyed Hannah warily. Curiosity got the better of him, and like a dog offered a fresh bowl of water after a long hot day, he followed.


[HANNAH] Her eyes showed surprise as Hannah saw him actually following her. Another positive move forward for them. The only problem was...how was she going to help him? She didn’t know what he needed, but he needed something. Hannah thought back to something she learned in university life. Probably anyone who spent any time in uni learned about Maslow's hierarchy. One need must be met for others to be met. Without one of the five...or was it six needs, a person couldn't theoretically survive, or be their best. Five. It was five needs. To verify that it was five, Hannah held up her right hand and went through all the sections in the pyramid. Physiological, safety, esteem, self-actualization, and then the sense of belonging. Yep. Five.

He seemed on edge all the time. Or at least whenever Hannah had encountered him. His body language often spoke of it. Which meant, he didn't feel safe down here. As for the esteem...that was a can of worms Hannah wasn't even going to try and figure out right now. Besides, she didn't have any sort of degree in terms of psychological things...so she would have to start at the most basic and try to work her way up...which meant time. Probably lots of it.

Hannah stopped suddenly, realizing that she had taken blood from him. Was he hungry then? Maybe. If he was, how come he didn't bite her back? “Wait.” She said, suddenly coming to a grinding halt. “I almost forgot what you can do.” She had been excited about the fact that he could talk and that the vampire was actually following her that she hadn't even thought past her own needs and wants until Maslow came to mind. Physiological first. It's the most basic and primitive need. Food. Air and water were in there too, but vampires didn't really need those things. Not that she knew. Her right hand reached out for his shoulder and she once again replaced what it was she took from him, or as much as she could on a one time go. “We have to go. Up.” She said, pointing to the manhole cover that was still open.


[LANCASTER] The vampire’s eyes rolled back as the blood was replenished. It was an odd sensation, and one that he wasn’t entirely a stranger to. It was something that he could do -- for himself, and for others. But it wasn’t a power he’d been using down here. Any knowledge of what he was and was not capable of was lost along with his memories; instinct should have made him aware, but instinct also kicked in when in life or death situations. The vampire had kept himself fed, and thus had never required the use of a power to replenish lost blood. Whatever the case, he was thankful for what was returned to him, which was communicated with a slow nod.

That slow nod turned into a shake, however, eyes wide as Hannah pointed up. Up, she said. That’s where she was taking him. Up, and out. The sewers had become a shell into which the vampire had retreated. It wasn’t a cage for him -- and if it was, it was a cage that he had chosen of his own volition. The outside world presented something that the vampire was afraid of, though he could not have pinpointed what. Like the emotions that had overwhelmed him only minutes prior, he did not know why they were there. He only knew that they were there, and they were telling him to stay where he was.

Two steps forward, one step back. Literally, the vampire took a step back. Yes, the fresh air was alluring. But it, too, felt like a trap. Like he was stepping out of his a self-made cage into another cage, someone else’s cage. And yet, even as fear of the unknown drove him back, the vampire still peered through the open manhole. There was longing, there, too. He was fighting with himself, inwardly -- part of him wanted to go, the stronger part wanted him to stay. Again, he shook his head.

“Nnn...no,” he said. The more Hannah talked, the more the vampire realised that words were something that he could use, too.


[HANNAH] More words and even though they were against what she suggested, Hannah wasn't deflated. Slow and steady won the race, was the saying she learned as a kid. A bedtime story her biological mom read her before her parents divorced and Hannah was uprooted to Japan with her father. It was for the best. Her mother was too much of a free spirit to take care of a kid by herself.

“Okay.” She said with a nod, partially agreeing. “Not yet.” She leaned against the wall of the sewers. He didn't trust her. Not that Hannah could blame him. Sure, he knew her name, but that still made them strangers. “But soon.” She told him, not sure if he understood her, but felt like talking was the right thing to do. Or, the only thing she could do. “So, I'm Hannah and you are...nameless.” She turned to look at him, allowing the light from above to define his features for her. Not that it helped, because he was dirty and had dried blood on him. “You look like...a....ummm...” She paused and crossed her arms, tapping her right foot. “Okay. I'm going to say names and if you like one, you should say it. Or make a noise, if it sounds right.” Hannah said slowly, thinking about all the guy names she knew. Which probably were more than what was coming to her mind right now, but she thought of all the patients she had to deal with over the last few years. The memorable ones for whatever reason. “Howard?” She frowned and shook her head. He didn't look like a Howard. “Abraham?” She said, the inflection of her voice changing as uncertainty reared its ugly head. “Joseph?” She sighed then shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe another time when I'm not thinking of men who are in their sixties or older.” She blinked, then cut to the chase. “Look. It's really not safe down here. For either of us.” She started, then pointed back up. “Even if you are really, really tall. It's better to be up there. Up there has food...beds and...well....a shower. No offense, but...you need one.” She said flatly, looking back at him. “I'm not going to hurt you, but I have to be honest. I'm going up, and so are you.” The ultimatum had been thrown out there without any tone of real threat; just certainty.


[LANCASTER] Names. A name. He must have one. The vampire mentally concurred, but what was his name? He had limbs, like she did. He had the ability to speak, like she did. He understood words, and he knew what lay above ground. He knew about cars and buildings and banks and bars. He knew about marriage and children and jobs and travel. Where his expression might have been wary and unsure before, now it only crumpled. Names were thrown at him and he could only shake his head. It wasn’t so much a negation but an admittance; he did not know what his name was, or whether he even had one.

Could he have been born in these sewers? Shouldn’t he have memories of his childhood? But it was all blank. There was nothing there. There was no one there. The only face he could remember was hers; Hannah’s. And the faces of the multitudes of wild vampires he’d drained.

Food, she said, and he nodded. Yes! That’s why he had to stay here. “Food he repeated, then pointed to the ground. He then pointed down the lengths of the sewer’s corridors. If he went above ground, where would he get his food? He’d have to come back. Wasn’t it easier just to stay? “Vampires,” he said. The word had once caused him to cringe -- a word he’d never wanted to be real and yet, he’d had to accept the facts. It had always sounded insane, even after years of being one. Now, the word slipped from him like vampires had always been a source of nourishment, as if they were ordinary, every day fruit. “They’re food. They’re down here,” he said, almost triumphant. Almost smiling, as if he were trying to convince this woman that he was perfectly fine where he was.


[HANNAH] Either those names weren’t his name, or he didn’t have one. Was it possible that someone could be nameless? It wasn’t something Hannah had ever thought about before because it just seemed so...expected. Normal, even. A rite of passage. “Don’t worry about it.” She assured him. Maybe in time he would remember, or would tell her. Was it possible he couldn’t remember due to some sort of injury? She hadn’t seen anything, but then again, Hannah hadn’t looked all that hard either. “Wait.” She said after he finished talking, trying to digest what he was saying. Vampires were food? That didn’t sound...right. Unless he was a blood thief, which he clearly wasn’t. And even then, they weren’t really food. Hannah still ate regular food, drank things like water and wine. She frowned thinking of a time where she might not be able to have those things. How different life would be if she were a vampire.

“Not going to hurt you, buuuut-” Hannah held up her hands, then moved around him to see if maybe he did have a head injury now that she thought about it and there was some light to assist her in looking at the back of his head. “I need to check something…” She said, standing behind the still nameless vampire as her fingers combed through his hair and probed at the back of his head. “Good news is I don’t feel any blood. Nothing that’s wet anyways.” She stated, then shrugged. “But that doesn’t really mean anything if it’s internal. Don’t vampires heal from stuff?” She asked, before moving back around him. “There are vampires up there too.” If he believed he fed off vampires, she would entertain the idea for now. “And, I know that they sell some vampire blood at some of the stores. Saw it when I had to buy a couple packs on the downlow a few weeks ago. Not vampire blood. Human. Long story.” She rolled her eyes and then looked dead up again. “So, we can get you whatever you need up there.” A nod, tagged along with a smile met his gaze, before she pointed to the rungs of a work ladder. “You have to climb.” She moved towards the ladder and grabbed ahold of it, then lifted herself up, showing him how to do it.


[LANCASTER] It was an unnamable longing that finally convinced the vampire to follow the blood thief. He really was, for the most part, a Big Friendly Giant -- he was comparable to a Great Dane who patiently allowed a kitten to crawl all over it, claws and all. And yet, Hannah had no claws. Her deft fingers ran through his hair and though he had no idea what her intention was, or what she was even looking for, the mere touch reminded the vampire of past tenderness. Although it was a touch with a purpose, it wasn’t the same as when she clung to him to feed. There was good intention in what she did; she had inspired him, she had healed him, and as her fingers wrapped around the rungs of the ladder the vampire realised he did not want her to go.

Elliot Lancaster had never been a loner. Yes, he could be quiet when he wanted to be, and he felt the urge to climb out of windows often enough. But it had never been the urge to get away from company. From shallow minds and shallower conversation, yes, but when he found good company, Lancaster had relished it. He’d indulged. He wasn’t the kind of man who could ever really, truly be alone. It had always been half his problem, because somehow he’d always ended up alone. And it had only started once he’d landed in Harper Rock.

The promise of company was like a leash tied to an invisible collar at his neck, and as soon as Hannah started to move upwards he had no choice but to follow. The leash was of his own making, an unknowable force urging him onwards. For all intents and purposes, now, Hannah had become the owner of that leash -- at least until such a time as the vampire regained his feet, and his sense of self. The walls of the house in his mind had been torn down, razed to the ground. And now it was time to rebuild.


[HANNAH] Something she said had moved him to follow after her. Hannah wasn't about to let the moment disappear, or turn against her, so she climbed faster, until she was to the top and then pulled her way out. She peered down at him, making sure that he was coming with her, and when his head came to the top, Hannah moved back a little to allow the nameless man to get out without her burdening his journey out. When he was up and standing, Hannah held up a finger to him and then moved to put the cover back over the hole. It clanged in place after rocking back and forth for a few seconds. “Okay. We have to walk. A while.” She confessed, not wanting to take the train for obvious reasons of his appearance. “We're going to my apartment.” She said with a sturdy voice, as she waved for him to follow her to the sidewalk. “I don't have vampire blood there, but I can get some.” Or clothing either, now that she thought about it. Hannah kicked herself for being so...unprepared. Not that she knew he would want vampire blood, but clothing probably would have been a good idea to grab on her way here. She would figure something out when they got there.

“Do you like music?” She randomly asked, reaching into her off pink colored rain coat to reveal her IPOD and earbuds. “Probably not what I like, but it passes the time.” She opened up the music application, to play some No Doubt, turning it down. Who knew how long it had been since he heard anything other than running water, and her voice yapping at her? She offered him an earbud, but then set it against his ear. “It goes in there.” She said with a smile. “I hope you don't mind cats. I have two of them. They're not bad. One's a little playful in the early morning and right before bed, but the other claims the foot of my bed, or an entire cushion of my couch.” Hannah said with a little laugh, as they continued to walk down the city block.

“Actually, lucky for you...my sister came by around Christmas, forcing me to get a daybed for her visit. It's in the spare room and yours until...whenever.” She said, talking to pass the time as they walked. “We'll have to order you clothes. Obviously.” She said, wondering if a pair of scrubs might work. At least the bottoms. Maybe. The thing about scrubs were that a medium was bigger than a medium in her eyes, but the drawstring around the waist fixed that problem. Hannah imagined it was the same for every size of scrubs. “The band is No Doubt, but they aren't really a band anymore. Gwen went on to do her own thing, which was cool. But kind of stinks for the band.” She nodded, then looked over at him. “Do you know how long you've been down there for? It's two-thousand and seventeen. March to be exact.”

[Lancaster]

[LANCASTER] It was a good thing that Hannah stopped to put the manhole cover back in place. If she hadn’t, there was a good chance the vampire might have turned around and crawled right back in again. Harper Rock was no New York; the sights and sounds were not magically overwhelming, but after god knew how long down in the sewers he had to stand there for a few seconds, stock still, trying to gather his bearings. Wind cooled by rain brushed through his hair and slapped against skin that hadn’t felt such stimulation in weeks. He could not only smell exhaust fumes, but food -- someone was baking something, somewhere, coupled with a roast. Someone had a roast in the oven. Or was it garlic bread? Were the restaurants nearby?

All of it was cut through by Hannah’s voice, and the vampire’s attention was drawn to her. They started walking and the vampire had to match his long stride with his companion’s -- first, he had no idea where they were going. And second, if he went at his preferred pace he’d outstrip her, two of her footsteps matching one of his.

The earbud was pressed into the vampire’s ear and he wasn’t perturbed by it. He knew what music was. He knew what an earbud was. The music it radiated, even, sounded familiar. There was an itch in the vampire’s throat, a lump as if he knew the lyrics, as if he could just start singing them into the city streets. The earbud was swiped from his ear before he could do anything; in his mind’s eye there was a stage, a crowd -- but then the image disappeared as quickly as it came. It was easy enough to assume he wanted only to be able to hear Hannah, and the music was a distraction.

“Daybed? The sun… it burns,” he said, not at all liking the idea of a ‘day’ bed. And again, he had to shake his head. “I don’t remember,” he said. He didn’t know how long he had been down in the sewers but something told him it hadn’t been all his life. She gave him the date and it didn’t seem at all off-putting, or surprising. Either he hadn’t been down there long, or he really didn’t care. It wasn’t something that impacted him. It certainly wasn’t something from which he could measure time backwards.

“I don’t remember,” he repeated. They passed another couple walking in the other direction; the woman lifted her hand to her mouth and nose, clearly disturbed about the way the vampire smelled. The vampire’s head bowed, ashamed. He did remember what a shower was. And now that he knew that he had one to look forward to, he could not wait to get there.


[HANNAH] The laugh that almost came out of Hannah was stifled when the woman pressed her lips together and shook her head. “No, it’s a type of bed. Sort of. It’s a couch that can be a bed, or couch. You’ll see.” She said with confidence. When he repeated that he didn’t remember, she nodded her head and then shrugged. “It’s okay. It’s not really that big of a deal, I guess.” And it wasn’t. Now that he wasn’t down there.

A new song started playing from the ‘Rock Steady’ album, Hannah hearing the music from where she was walking in comparison to him. She mulled over his words and how they seemed to be coming at him at an easier pace. How they were easily understood and recognizable. This led the brunette to believe that he hadn’t always lived the way he was currently living. If he had been down there since he was born, or for hundreds of years, just moaning and groaning along, Hannah didn’t think he would remember words; or how to say them. How to reply to her, even. “We have to turn at the end of the block. East.” She pointed her finger in the direction of east, emphasizing that. “Not much longer after this turn.” Partially the truth; Hannah saying it because she didn’t want him to change his mind, or turn back.

“Do you like movies?” She asked, trying to keep the conversation moving, while trying to figure out just how long he might have been down there. If he didn’t know about movies, then he had been down there a long time and she was wrong--then again, he hadn’t pushed the earbuds away from her when Hannah pressed them to his ear. He hadn’t freaked out either, which seemed to indicate that he knew what they were. When had earbuds become a thing? Sometime in the early two-thousands. Hannah remembered that she was still in school when headphones phased out and the smaller, more lightweight things came out. “What about reading?” She asked as they kept walking, their stride in unison with the other. “I’ve got a television and a shelf full of books. Probably nothing any guy would like, but....I can pick up something from a bookstore on my way home from work some night. I know this really great bookstore…” Hannah said trailing off, not wanting to overstimulate the guy. “Let’s just focus on the shower bit first and then we can get to the other stuff.” She said, mostly for her own benefit. “So, there’s Gwen, and her brother Eric used to be in the band...and some guy named John, but he died back in the early nineties, I think.” She swallowed, then moved past that tragic tale. “So right now there is Tony, Tom and Adrian.” Names she said, to see if any of those struck anything with the nameless vampire, while seeming casual about the conversation. “Supposedly there are rumors they are working on something, but that’s been a long time rumor. Months ago. Maybe around Christmas, I heard that rumor online.” She said, seeing her building coming into view a few blocks away. “I live right there…” Hannah said as she pointed to the building, which probably wasn’t easy to pick out since there were other buildings--apartment buildings, like hers. “Do you like it? The music?” She asked, head turning in his direction.


[LANCASTER] Hannah sure did talk a lot. The vampire wondered if she was nervous; he peered down at her, subconsciously deciphering the vibe he got from her, subconsciously trying to untangle it so that he could understand what she was feeling. More difficult, however, was untangling his own emotions, and trying to understand them. That was enough, without having to dig through someone else’s.

Movies, yes. Films on big screens in theatres full of people, or empty of people. On small screens in living rooms, on smaller screens in hands, in the backs of seats on planes. Yes, he knew what movies were. Did he like them? He couldn’t remember them. Whatever he recalled was blurred, no names came to mind. And he hadn’t had enough time to figure it out before she was asking him the next thing. Books! Did he like books? Solid, the smell of them musty when opened, words to teach, to inspire the imagination. It was easier to say that he liked books given the emotion the question inspired but even before he could answer that, Hannah had again moved on. Names, lives of people he did not know. What was she talking about now? His mind was still stuck on books. A dull ache started at the front of his skull and radiated backwards. Did he like the music?

Stopping, the vampire pressed the earbud back into Hannah’s palm. He shook his head.

“I don’t know. Please. I don’t remember,” he said, trying to catch her eye, trying to communicate with her just with the force of his words. She was asking too many questions that he didn’t know the answers to and, frankly, it was overwhelming. His anxiety hiked when he couldn’t be sure he knew what anxiety was.

As much as the questions had rocked the vampire, they weren’t all bad. The constant chatter, the enquiries -- it made him realise that he was a thinking, reasoning being. He could understand the questions even if the answers were lacking. The freedom of ignorance was no longer a boon, and the vampire, in slowly coming back to his senses, was learning a brand new predicament.

Who the hell was he?!

He released Hannah’s hand and straightened, before allowing them to start walking again. “I’m sure you read a rumour online,” he muttered, clinging to the second-to-last thing she’d said. Something mundane. Something that wasn’t a question. “Not heard it. Unless it was a youtube clip…” he said. The words rolled from his tongue like they’d been there all along, her company and her chatter like grease on rusted cogs. The skeleton of memory was still there; day to day things were not forgotten. Whenever he tried to remember where he’d come from, though? Nothing existed.


[HANNAH] The earbud found her palm and words came from him. Hannah frowned, when she heard the word please, then nodded her head. “Sorry.” She said, realizing that while she was trying to pass the time, trying to keep him engaged while they walked, she had probably said too much about things he probably didn't care about. Like the band. Who cared about a band that hadn't done anything in about five or six years, other than her? And who cared about reading, or watching movies, unless they liked doing those things? Then again...what if he didn't know about movies? Books seemed unlikely because they had been around for ever-or at least a really long time. Since medieval times, maybe?

There was a mention of youtube and online, which once again solidified that he had spent some recent time topside; at least sometime in the last two decades or so. “Yeah. Or those things you can buy at a store at the checkout. Magazines.” She clarified, looking straight ahead. “So, my lease just has me on it, so you'll kind of have to stay here on the down low. Stay inside the apartment. For a while.” A while could be a week, or a month...it was hard to tell. Progress was being made, but it was slow moving. And that was fine and to be expected. Hannah had to remember not to get caught up in the moments that progress was being seen and made and bombard the nameless vampire with more than he could handle. “It's like..a secret.” Hannah concluded as she pulled out her key chain to reveal her keys. “I live on floor five.” She held up five fingers for him, before sliding her key into the outside lock and turning it open. “Come on.” She said quietly, moving to the elevator at the end of the hall.


[LANCASTER] The vampire understood the reasons behind the way Hannah spoke to him -- over-explaining, and the need to show him five fingers to indicate which floor she was on. She had found him in the sewers acting like some stray dog and it wasn’t completely obvious that he was ‘all there’. For the first time since she’d met him, he laughed. The smile that graced his lips was an easy one, as if it had once belonged to a man who smiled often.

Honestly, he didn’t think that staying inside the apartment would be so bad. He’d be trading one solitary place for another. If she could obtain those bags of vampire blood, or if she healed him (or if he figured out how to heal himself) every night, there would be no reason to leave.

“Floor five, don’t be seen,” he repeated and nodded. He understood. As soon as they were inside he peered around, getting the lay of the land. Already he was calmer, being inside and away from the rush and rumble of the outside world. He did not yet understand that it was not the world itself that he mistrusted. He wasn’t afraid of what anyone else could do to him. He was afraid of what he might do to them. It was himself he did not trust. Guilt for past actions or inactions lined the inner walls of his being, of his everything, and shame for future crimes that he had not yet permitted coloured his outlook. It was something he might not ever understand, and it was a feeling that slowly ebbed. Eventually, once all remnants of his past had been banished, he’d rarely feel it at all.

The vampire slipped into the elevator beside Hannah. In this enclosed space all he could smell was the sewers, and the old blood that had dried upon his skin and clothes. He tried to creep back into a corner so as to not assault Hannah too much with the scent, though it wouldn’t have done much.

The sooner he got into the shower, the better.


[HANNAH] Hannah hadn't noticed the still unnamed vampire step to the back of the elevator, as she had been too preoccupied with pressing the button to her floor, as quickly as she could. Then she repetitively pressed the close door button to try and prevent anyone from seeing them. After all, the nameless vampire had tattered clothing, and was bloodied and dirty. Imagine the rumors driven by overactive imagination.

“So, if you happen to leave the apartment for whatever reason, I live in five oh five. Right towards the end of the hall. The guy at the end is never home, and the guy across from me is kind of a creep. Totally stay away from him.” hannah concluded as the doors slid open to her floor. “Come on.” She whispered in a hissing tone, while frantically waving her right hand. The walk down the hall was quiet as her left hand found the other key she needed, plus Hannah didn't want to run into the guy across the hall.

With her apartment key in the lock above the doorknob, Hannah opened the door with a soft push. Her empty hand reached for the light switch on the wall, bringing light into the apartment. “Come on in,” Hannah said with an inviting smile. She backed up into the wall with the door pressed against it to allow him in. Once he was in, the door was closed and locked. “This is home.” Hannah stated while she shrugged out of her rain coat to reveal the solid colored scrub top that matched her bottoms.

A sofa and a love seat were each claimed by a cat; one white as snow, the other, shades of white mixed with ginger hues. A five shelf bookcase claimed a wall, another held an entertainment center with a decent sized t.v. and stereo system.

As she walked into the apartment, she labeled each room within. Near the living room was the kitchen, in the hallway past them was the full bathroom, her room next to that, and then the guest room opposite to hers. “This is your room. It has a small dresser and the daybed.” Hannah pointed to it, before moving inside the room to reveal how it worked. “So, about that shower…” After the bed was extended, she looked at him, then pointed to the hall. “You'll need the bathroom and clothes. I don't have any guy clothes, but I've got enough scrub bottoms and t-shirts or tanks. I'll meet you in the bathroom.” Hannah said as she moved out of his room and into her own.


[LANCASTER] The light bothered the vampire, now that he noticed it properly. Ever since they’d entered the building he’d been squinting, but in here the light was clear and strong. Five-oh-five, he repeated to himself mentally. Guy across the way is a creep. Check, and check. A headache threatened to form behind his eyes as the light near blinded him, but it was a brightness he would soon become accustomed to. He’d just spent so long in the dark, and in the light he was feeling far more self-conscious than he had previously.

A glance was spared for the window of the spare room that she had labelled as ‘his’; he was looking for blinds or heavy curtains, and wondering whether the daybed might be high enough for him to slip underneath it, should his paranoia get the better of him. The internal clock that he’d been keeping to for the past few weeks told him that there were plenty of hours until sunrise -- sun-proofing the room could wait.

The vampire was conscious of touching nothing. He even felt like his bare feet were tracking prints across the clean floor, so he did not take long to take himself to the bathroom. He knew about bathrooms. He knew about light switches. He knew how all the modern contraptions worked -- but he couldn’t remember any specific bathroom, or any familiar light switch. It was disconcerting, this lack of knowing. He tried not to dwell on it, and instead focused on other things.

Scrubs, she had said. Was she a doctor? A nurse? A dentist, even? Surgeon? Was she too young to be a surgeon? No. It was noble, regardless, whatever profession she was in. Scrubs generally signified healing. Or at least comfort, selflessness. To an extent. There was honour in scrubs. They demanded respect.

He focused on his shirt, and getting it off. He held the filthy material in his hand even as he leaned over to turn on the water, hot as it would go. Hannah had not met him yet, so he refrained from taking all his clothes off. He wasn’t that far gone, and knew enough that most people wouldn’t get naked in front of strangers. Near-strangers, anyway. Steam started to billow from the water stream, and he was left standing in the middle of the bathroom while he waited, not knowing what to do with the filthy and tattered garment in his hand. He stared at it, as if staring at it might yet provide him with an answer.


[HANNAH] Hannah was standing in front of her closet, looking at what she had to offer the unnamed vampire. All her dresses were pushed to the far left side, so she could get a better view of what she had to work with in here. Which was...nothing. Nothing could or would fit the really tall, male vampire. She sighed, slid the door closed and moved to her dresser. The middle draws were pulled open, the woman opting for her scrubs since that seemed the only things she had that might work. She pulled out a dark hunter green colored pants, positive he would prefer those over the pink, yellow, or even teal bottoms she had because she hadn’t worn them yet this week. As for a top, Hannah knew he wouldn’t fit any of her scrub tops. Most were fitted as a mock wrap fashion. The thought of him wearing her size medium wrap scrub top had Hannah laughing at the imagery. She would have no sleeves for sure, and it chances are the shoulders would be damaged too.

The bottom, left hand side of her drawers and went through all her tank tops. After going through them all, and putting aside the ones with the thinner ones that fell into the group of camisoles, Hannah found a black tank with broader shoulders that still would probably be too small, but since she hadn’t planned on having someone live with her while Hannah devised her plan, it was what it was. “These won’t fit you great..maybe not at all, but…” Hannah said as she stepped out of her bedroom and turned into the bathroom. Her eyes fell on the vampire’s upper torso, gauging him more for injuries than anything. Not that she could see much with the dirt and dried blood. “I kind of only have things that smell like coconut, or some sort of flower. Sorry.” She said apologetically, while setting the scrubs and tank top on the vanity in the bathroom. “Oh. Towel.” She said, rolling her eyes, before closing the door partially, and opening up the small closet behind the door. “They’re in here. Use whatever you need and just put them on the ground when you’re done.” She pointed to the variety of towel sizes and named them for him; washcloth, hand towel and towel, then closed the door and opened the bathroom door again. “So, I’ll leave you to it then. Fingers crossed they fit a little bit.” She said, crossing both her fingers, then disappearing out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Hannah moved down the hallway, her feet being wrapped in fur as curiosity set in with Amarillo. The noises and the new face had roused him from his sleep, and now he was meowing for attention. Hannah bent down and scooped him up, then set him on her bed. He sat, and watched her dig in her closet on the shelf for the most solid colored blanket, and the thickest one. Hannah was all too aware that sun and vampire’s didn’t mix and while the sun didn’t rise towards his room, it definitely set in his direction. Hannah pulled out a dark brown colored throw, moved to his room and draped it over the curtain rod, allowing it to drape freely to cover as much of the window as she could. The blinds were closed shut, before Hannah moved to the small closet and grabbed the sheet set and duvet. The bed was made, the duvet laid at the foot of the bed, not sure if he would actually need it, before she vacated his room and found the couch, tucking both legs under her, just in time for Magnolia to scoot over and curl up into Hannah’s side.


[LANCASTER] “It’s okay,” the vampire said, glad that the clean clothes were placed onto the vanity and not into his own filthy hands. Hannah suggested that used towels could be dumped in the corner, to which the vampire frowned. He did not wish to waste anything, and if he washed himself properly there should be no need to get the towels dirty enough to discard. Rather than throw anything in a corner, he instead decided he’d find somewhere to hang it. Unless Hannah didn’t want him to stay more than one night…

But that would have to be discussed later, at the dawn of the next night.

The vampire also learned that he had nothing against coconuts or flowers, and wondered why anyone should. Was she afraid he would start to smell like a ‘girl’? The vampire shook his head, the cobwebs thinning as his wits tried to push through them. Was he learning more about himself, his personality, without the memories that had formed it? Rather than focus on what he knew and what he didn’t, the vampire merely nodded as Hannah made her way out.

“Thank you,” he said as the door shut, a little late. By now the steam was starting to fill the bathroom, and the vampire tested the heat. It was boiling. The cold tap was turned just a little to make the heat more bearable, before he stepped slowly into the stream. A low groan which may or may not have been heard from outside the bathroom reverberated from his chest. How long had it been since he’d had a shower? He couldn’t remember his last one. The hot water sliced over his skin, cutting through the grease but not breaking it down completely. For a good three minutes he just stood there beneath the water, allowing it to warm his cold limbs. It was bliss.

There were memories there, circling his brain. The feeling of them remained. The shower, the way it felt so good, it was trying to remind him of something. Something hot, something tender. It was when the grief started to tip-toe in that he stirred; he stirred because he’d only previously been thinking about waste, and here he was wasting water. He washed his hair, first. He scrubbed it twice, three times. And then he reached for the soap, scrubbing his skin all over until it was red and raw and there was barely any soap left. He’d make a point to replace what he’d used -- but with what money? Did he have any money? Did he have anything at all?

Dread filled him, followed by a burgeoning gratitude. How long would he be here, burdening Hannah and using her things? How long until he figured his **** out?

Now completely clean, he stepped from the shower and dried himself. The clothes were pulled on and, as suspected, did not quite fit. The legs of the scrubs ended a third of the way down his calf and were quite tight around his hips, no doubt leaving nothing to the imagination. While trying to pull himself into the tank top the material stretched and, worrying he might tear it he stopped. He left it off. He took off the scrubs, too, thinking if he bent over he might ruin them, too. When he stepped out of the bathroom it was with only the towel wrapped around his middle. And when he found Hannah in the lounge room he sat down on one of the couches.

“The clothes they… are a bit tight,” he said, and then licked his lips. “I… don’t know what I’m going to do,” he said, shaking his head. “I can’t thank you enough for your hospitality but I can’t leech off you forever…”


[HANNAH] Hannah wouldn’t have cared how long the shower took, how could she care? He looked like a caveman in terms of dirt and grit on him, so she expected him to take a longer shower than normal--until he looked like a human; well vampire human again. While she waited, the television remote was grabbed and Hannah flicked through her list of programs on her TiVO.

Finding the latest episode of ‘Chopped,’ Hannah pressed the play button and leaned back into the couch while she gave her cat the attention it was requiring. Why Hannah watched cooking shows was anyone’s guess, even hers. It’s not as if the woman really had any time to actually cook something, given her long hours at work and all the overtime she typically did. Cooking was the last thing on her mind, but it was something she would still like to try and do should she ever find the time to do it. When Hannah heard the door to the bathroom open, the program was shut off along with the television to give him the attention he may need, and to not overstimulate him with something he might not even know about, or remember for whatever reason. Did he go through some sort of trauma the reason he couldn’t really remember things? Or did he know the things Hannah asked about, but preferred to keep the answers to himself?

Her head turned when he started talking, not realizing he was closer than she guessed, but then again, he did have really long legs. When she saw him without the clothes, her cheeks splashed with pink. This was the first time that she saw the unknown vampire as not just a person who needed help; but as an actual male, instead of someone who was taken under her wing like a patient. “I’m sorry. I can get you some clothes tomorrow. Or, I can go now?” She offered, eyes still on him, until Hannah felt the gentle nudge of an attention seeking cat against the hand that stilled when she saw him. “Do?” She asked as a frown came across her lips. “There’s not much you can do until you get some clothes.” She teased him, her smile returning. “And no. Not forever, but long enough to get you some clothes, a name and figure out a few other things. Besides, humans don’t live forever...so…” She said with a laugh before looking down the hallway. “I made the bed up, and tried to sort out the window...I’m not really sure what to do about the window. Might require some plywood or something from the hardware store.” She wasn’t sure if she had faith in the way she set up the window, but it was the best she could do for now. “I work tomorrow, I can grab stuff on the way home. Like blood. Clothes and the board if it’s needed.” She assured him, as Hannah shifted the weight of her body on the couch, feeling the cool of her cheeks once again, now that she was focused on something other than the fact she had a pretty naked man in her apartment.


[LANCASTER] “No, no…” he said in a hurry, holding out a hand as if he would have to stop Hannah from getting up and going back out to get him some clothes. Would anything even be open at this time of the night? He shook his head. The blush of pink in the human’s cheeks was enough for the vampire to take note of how he was sitting. Comfortably, he’d have sat with his elbows on his knees, his legs spread. Right now, he made sure that his knees were close together and that the towel drooped between them. Was it presumptuous of him to wander around shirtless? He should have grabbed a blanket from somewhere to wrap around his shoulders.

“I’ll have a look at the window. I’m sure it’s fine. Honestly, you don’t need to go to so much trouble,” he said, the guilt creeping in. No, he had not invited himself over. Hannah had wanted him here, and it was her prerogative to do what she liked to help him. But he did not want to disrupt her routine too much.

As he spoke, he noted the difference between her voice and his. The accent. His was… well, not from around here. Broad. Australian. It should have meant something. Thinking about it, he should have remembered a childhood, sun, sand. Something. But there was nothing. He frowned, and cleared his throat.

“Clothes, don’t worry about them now. Don’t need clothes to sleep,” he said, cracking half a smile. “I’ll sleep under a blanket,” he said, and found himself curious. The curiosity had slowly grown and could no longer be denied. “As for blood… on that topic. How often do you uhm… need it? You healed me down there, in the sewers. Is that a one time thing? You said you got that from me. Does it… you probably never had a need to try, but does it work on yourself? Can I do it to myself? You might not need to get me anything…” he said. “If you don’t mind, please wait? I’ll see if I can sort myself out…” he said. There was a cat at Hannah’s side and the vampire smiled at it, holding out a hand for the creature to smell.


[HANNAH] She had seen people at their best and worst while working in her field. The best case scenarios were always a fulling journey, that would turn into the patient going right home instead of some nursing home or rehab facility. The worst case...coupled with not being able to return home was walking in on people at the wrong times. She had seen people of both genders half, or fully naked, even when informing people she was coming in with a knock, or sticking her head in. Hannah should have been prepared for the worst case scenario, instead of the hopeful scenario that the clothes fit, even if they fit not so well.

“It’s not really any trouble. Just an extra five or six minutes out of my night.” Hannah confessed with a roll of her shoulders, offering him a smile. Hannah had noticed the accent as well, but hadn’t commented on it, being happy that he could talk in clear sentences, even if short and broken. She had never been to Australia, but she knew he wasn’t from around her, or from around Japan either. Even a ‘gaijin’ as Levi had called her when they met, had a subtle accent of some description.

His comment about clothing while he slept, received a nod of her head. Hannah was familiar with that. This summer she had slept most her time like that; both in Harper Rock and in Japan. The summer’s in Japan were almost suffocating. The lighter, and cooler someone could make themselves to survive it was the best method, which often meant clothing was over-rated if Hannah wasn’t expecting company, or wasn’t out and about. “Right.” She said, thinking about what he asked… “Uhm. I don’t need it every day, but...I-tend to want it, if it’s offered, or nearby.” She confessed, her weight shifting again, tucking some strands of dark hair behind her ear. “As for healing...I can do anything you can do.” She said… “Any vampire I drink off, I get to temporarily borrow their powers and claim them as my own. I’m not sure what you can do yet...besides the blood thing.” She said, eyes on him. “Do you know what you can do?” She asked, expectant eyes on him.

[Hannah Lynn (DELETED 8242)]

[LANCASTER] The vampire arched a brow, wondering what it might be like to be unable to resist. But then he recalled the memories he did have, the ones from the sewers. The nameless blurred faces and the skin he ripped clean from necks to get to the blood beneath. He’d not had any control, either. He’d taken it because it was there. It wasn’t on offer but he took it anyway.

“If it is something I can offer you, to repay you for your hospitality, it’s yours,” he said. Twice she had taken his blood now, and no harm had been done. He felt no sicker because of it. Sitting here, freshly clean and feeling more ‘human’ than he had in god knows how long, the vampire felt like a God. There was no fatigue in his limbs, no sandy tiredness behind his eyes. When he moved, his bones did not creak. There were no aches and pains, no ailments whatsoever -- aside from his broken mind, of course, and the memories that no longer existed.

“I don’t know what I’m capable of,” he said, voice a deep rumble as the frown creased his brow. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Was he a ticking time bomb? If he hadn’t lived in the sewers his whole life -- and given he knew about the internet, and light switched, and the TV, when it was on, had failed to bother him -- than what had happened to make him forget? Had it been by choice or by force? Was it something that he had done? His question hadn’t really been answered, but maybe Hannah didn’t have the answer. If he was able to heal others, shouldn’t he be able to do it for himself? They would soon find out.

“I suppose we can figure it out together,” he said. He glanced between the cat, Hannah, and the TV. “I don’t want to keep you from whatever you might have had planned tonight,” he said. Though, if Hannah got up to busy herself with other things, the vampire didn’t know what he would do with himself. Not yet. He could go sit on the bed and stare into space, but what would that achieve?

“Unless… I mean, do you have a computer handy? Maybe I can do some research. Do you think there’ll be sources about vampires and what they’re capable of…?” he asked. With the one ability that they now knew of… it wasn’t much to start with, but it was still a start.


[HANNAH] Hannah held up a hand to interject. “I had nothing glamorous planned. My nights are pretty low key-usually.” She laughed a little, eyes back on him, still listening. When he asked about a computer, Hannah blinked in surprise. “I do, a laptop, actually.” She said as Hannah stood and moved to the breakfast nook and unplugged it from the wall. “Battery life is around two hours.” She told him, setting the laptop on the arm of the couch he claimed. “The time is on the right hand side of the screen. To get online, click the blue ‘e’ icon, or the one that looks like the world.” She said, while pressing the ‘on’ button. “And I...don’t know. I’ve never looked, well, not on what they can do. Everything that I’ve seen online seems fake, or far fetched--but it’s not.” She extended a hand to him, indicating that she meant vampires were real and could do things. “The best bet to get information about vampires is to ask vampires.” She frowned, then snapped a finger. “Actually, I think this lady at this bookstore I haven’t been to in ages, is one.” Hannah confessed, before she moved away from him and the couch to claim her own again.

“I’ll remember to stop by a store on the way home tomorrow and get you some clothes. I don’t normally dress anyone but myself…”She said, eyes on his chest. “It won’t be anything fancy. Maybe some sweat pants and some shirts. We can figure out what you like later; when you have some form of clothing. If you want. Or if you see something online, we can order it.” Hannah nodded as her feet tucked under her body once again. This movement made the cat on the couch move, hop down to the ground and then stretch out, before cautiously approaching the other couch and sniffing at the air around the vampire. It slinked down after that, then bolted off into Hannah’s room. Not out of fear, but probably to stir up some trouble in there; like batting at something that would keep it entertained for a while. “Then maybe we could go see that lady. If you want. At the bookstore.” Hannah circled back to the other possible vampire she knew, not on a first hand basis, but the way she acted and dressed--Hannah was almost positive she had to be one.


[LANCASTER] The computer was handed to him and as soon as the screen lit up, Lancaster knew what to do with it. He knew what the symbols meant, and how to access the internet. Granted, he was slow with it -- but he had a feeling that had nothing to do with his memory.

Rather than do Hannah the disservice of not listening, he waited until she’d finished speaking before focusing on the computer. And even then, he chose to answer her before falling into the distraction of the screen. He nodded. “Thank you. I’m ah… six foot six so you might need to go to the giant store,” he said with a smirk. The number surfaced without prompting; a non consequential memory that he’d been able to keep. He could remember his height, but not his name. How fucked up was that?

As soon as he opened up the internet, it was as if a switch was flicked. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and synapses fired in his brain; as if it wasn’t the computer connecting to the internet but his own brain. There were familiar pathways there, pathways he felt he had taken before. As soon as his mind began to meander toward them, however, there was a mental -- electric -- explosion. The laptop slipped and he caught it just before it fell to the floor, but as one hand forcefully closed the lid the other dug the heel of a palm into his eye socket.

“--****.” The curse dropped from his tongue as if well used. Mild-mannered, he mused, but with a sailor’s tongue. He learned something new every minute.

“...okay, uhm. That’s new. Books and an actual person might be better. And ah… let’s just assume I know everything but the personal details about my own life,” he said. “Pretty sure I’m from the here and now and not the dark ages,” he said, squinting at Hannah across the lounge room.

[Lancaster]

[HANNAH] A store for giants. Right. She would have to find out where one of those were in Harper Rock. Shopping could be difficult for just her own things, but for someone else? It should be fun. Not that she suspected he would care what Hannah picked him up for a night or two, before they hit the mall...or go online. Online. She could order him some things now since she knew how tall he was. Hannah tucked that thought away at just about the time her laptop almost found the floor. Instinctively, the brunette raised off her couch cushion and reached a hand out, falling extremely short on grabbing it. By a few arms length. “Woooah.” She said, not sitting down, eyes on him. “A-are you okay?” She asked, before laughing at the word he used after the almost sticky situation. Somehow it seemed out of place; the word, but then again, so did a pretty polite vampire living in the sewers.

“It’s just a laptop. I could buy another one.” She assumed that he meant it was a first for him almost dropping a laptop. Hannah didn’t use the computer other than to Skype her family, or email Adam. All of which she could do on her phone if she had to. “We’ll go see her after we get you some clothes. It’s kind of against the rules to go wandering around the city in just a towel.” Hannah said, eyes moving to her bedroom doorway. “We should think about giving you a name. You could go online and look at ‘boy names,’ and pick one out, or any of my books.” Hannah extended her hand to the bookshelf. There was a mix of genres for all ages; Hannah having kept some of her favorite reads throughout the years. “Help yourself to whatever. I should probably get some sleep soon. I’ve got a long shift tomorrow.” Once again her eyes shifted to her bedroom as the brunette woman stood. “Need anything else before I head off?” She asked, then paused. “Just don’t push yourself. I don’t mind the company for a little while-I wouldn’t have invited you here if I cared.” Really, Hannah didn’t want him to stress himself out or get frustrated over things that might not ever come back to the guy. “If not, I’ll leave you to the online world and whatever else vampires do at night…” She said with a crack of a smile on her lips, her voice slightly ominous, while she walked towards the hallway.


[LANCASTER] The vampire kept a close eye on the human, wondering if she could feel it, too. He doubted it, the way she rambled and then sauntered away. She fobbed off his glitch and dismissed it, and the vampire was not given the opportunity to explain before Hannah was taking her leave.

“I--” he started, wanting to tell her that he would be going nowhere near the online world until he knew exactly what it was he had experienced -- but it was a discussion that might last more than a few minutes, and he didn’t want to keep Hannah up any longer. She had to work the next day. It might be better for both their sakes for the vampire to figure it out on his own. What else would he have to do with his night?

“Alright. I probably won’t see you, but have a good day at work,” he said with a nod and a smile. “And thank you again, for everything,” he said. Whatever he did or did not do with the rest of his night was not something Hannah needed to know, detail for detail. Even he did not know what he would do -- whether he would just browse some books or whether he’d try the laptop again. He’d felt… connected, somehow, to the internet. Like he didn’t need to even open the laptop to get there, if he focused on it. But there were barriers, like someone had hacked the ability to give him boundaries, to block him from rooms it didn’t want him to see.

As soon as Hannah had disappeared the vampire made sure the lights were off before he retreated to the room she had prepared for him, taking the laptop with him. He faffed around with the makeshift curtain and even went so far as to pull the bed as far from the window as he could, before he turned off the light and succumbed to the welcoming darkness.

Only once he had settled -- both body and soul, eyes closed and breathing steady -- did he finally reopen the laptop.


[HANNAH] “Thanks.” Hannah took one last glance back at the unnamed vampire, nodded and then headed for her room. As soon as she got in her bedroom, Hannah closed the door with a gentle click, well aware how sounds of any type might irritate the vampire. Her clogs found a spot by the wall, which would be behind the door when she opened it in the morning. Her feet led her to the dresser in her room, where Hannah grabbed a pair of pajama bottoms, peach in color with snowflakes drifting on the material, along with a white tank top. She moved into the tiny bathroom in her room and began to get ready for the night.

As Hannah brushed her teeth, she couldn’t help but think about the vampire. He was from now and not the past. Had he ever made any vampires before? Who had made him? Why was he or she not looking for him? If he made others, why weren’t they looking for him? He disappeared off the face of the vampire earth and no one seemed to know...or care. If it was the latter, Hannah felt bad for him. If it were the former, she couldn’t help but wonder if it was that easy. To just disappear one night.

Her toothbrush was rinsed off, the cup partially filled with water to drink it down, as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. “You’re crazy, Hannah.” She told her reflection. What if he remembered who he was and what if it wasn’t something good? Her need and urge to help overran her sense of safety; not that Hannah was weak or unable to defend herself. However, most people didn’t know that. The cup was set down, the light flicked off, before she moved to her bed and pulled the black cashmere duvet and the sheets down. Hannah listened to the sounds in the apartment, heard nothing and allowed her eyes to close as she made a mental list of all the things she would need to do before and after work for the vampire.