Catching a Chance (Chauncy)

[Rudy]

The sun disappeared slowly beyond the horizon Twilight and the night soon set in and Rudy had come out early. The fish were best at this time when the crickets and other insects emerged for the night. He sat on the dock near his shop on Fisherman's Warf. His bare feet dangling over the edge. He peered over the rippling water its glassy surface not revealing many secrets. His fingers dipped into the foul smelling box of rotten chicken liver what he was fishing for would require the rater disgusting bait. He put one on his hook that was turning slightly green around the edges. It soon hit the water with a plop and Rudy sat back waiting patiently.
It was nice out and he was just doing his normal thing He tried not to think of Rose but often at this time of night she crept into his mind.

Rose had been the love of his life and he still could not see himself with anyone else but life had gotten better. He had Taylor now and she was fantastic his Princess he would kill for that woman. She had given him reason to live. It sounded a bit insane to think that he needed someone else for basic survival ... but loosing Rose had done something to him that he had not expected he had been broken in some fundamental way. He had been like a addict he guessed Rose had been his everything. So what happens when you loose everything You go a bit crazy he guessed. Taylor had been a great interruption of the crazy. Things were not by all means normal with him and probably never would be again but at least he would survive.

Rudy felt a tug on his line bringing him out of his reverie of self reflection. He yanked back on the pole sinking the hook and started to reel the fish in. It felt like a big one. The pole bent with the weight of his prize a frown formed on his face as it emerged from the water. "****" he muttered as the human head surfaced.
It wasn't the first time he had fished one of these out the Algonquin river was a favorite dumping grounds for Vampires and gangsters alike. "Well what the hell am I going to do with this " He muttered looking around hopeing nobody was around to see his catch before he took out his pocket knife and started to cut the line.

[Chauncy (DELETED 9600)]

The whiskey bottle stood erect and empty, a dead solider of sorts. Grabbing a rock from the rubble on the ground near where she sat, she threw it at the bottle. It broke on contact and gave a satisfying crashing sound of glass hitting concrete.

Leaning up against the wall of the abandoned building, the misplaced Russian could hear her stomach gurgling. The sound of it seemed to echo off the walls. From the decrepit surroundings and rotting forgotten machinery, it was easy to figure that she had found her new abode to be inside of an old factory or warehouse. It had to have been at least a decade or two since the place had last been in use.

No matter to her, it was just a temporary shelter until she could collect some more money and get a cheap hotel for a night or two. Eventually she would have to do something and find more secure means of money, besides stealing, and every so often pawning the last bit of things she had left of her parents. But how? She was undocumented and had zero references. Then there was the fact that her Russian accent was so thick, that often, people didn’t understand what she was saying. If only she had a dollar for every time someone asked her where she was from; then she would have had more for dinner, besides a bottle of cheap whiskey and a can of sardines.

A deep sigh escaped her lips and she tossed another rock. This one landed and rolled into a puddle. Another growl and hunger pang pulled on her stomach. It had been more than 18 hours since she had last eaten. Pushing herself up, she grabbed her backpack and headed out to see what she could get.

It was just after dusk and the night was just starting to come alive. There was a certain vibe that she could almost feel when the city would start to wake from its daytime slumber. Her head tucked down and her hands to the front of her, tugging on the straps of her backpack. Chauncy walked toward the part of the city known as River Rock, where she had discovered a great fishing spot on the wharf, there. Maybe, she would get lucky and find an abandoned rod, or even better, an unattended one.

The smell of the air always seemed a little sweeter when she was near the water. Besides the sound of seagulls and other water fowl, it was always the smell that seemed to make the announcement to Chauncy that she had arrived .

As she walked the wooden wharf, a crane, that had been perched on one of the pillars, looked at her and then stretched its wings. With a quick flap, it turned and flew away. The brunette continued to walk, with her eyes looking for any abandoned or unattended rods.

As she got closer to the fishing shop on the wharf, Chauncy saw that someone else also had the idea of fishing that night. She watched as a man, who seemed to be middle aged with dark hair, cut the line to his rod after mutter something inaudible.

Her right eyebrow lifted and she broke the silent space between them, “It usually bad sign when you have to kut line.”

[Rudy]

Rudy turned eyeing the woman who had spoken. Dark hair and eyes framed a creamy white skin ... she was attractive. A grin spread across his face. The head that had been cut free sinking back into the depths of the water being carried away by the current. She looked thin and a bit pale despite her looks and she was human.

Rudy could smell it all over her like a fresh meal.


He had never been overly fond of being a vampire but it beat the alternative. He would have been dead if he hadn't tried to die in the lair of a old resting vampire. This girl looked like she was just a few meals away from extinction herself. Rudy cracked a smile " Its always a bad thing to have to cut a line ... Do you fish doll face ?"
There was something interesting about this chic. One she wasn't from around here and two she looked like she needed a little help. He normally wasn't one to volunteer at the local soup kitchen but when someone that needed help presented themselves within his vicinity he usually helped when he could.

[Chauncy (DELETED 9600)]

“I do. Little. I kan say I know enough zat I surre you kan’t katch many fish vith kut line.” She gave him a smile. It was hard not to smile, charm seemed to ooze from him, not to mention, he was definitely not hard to look at.

“Actually, I vas taught trick. Here, let me show you.” Chauncy slipped her arms out of her backpack and unzipped it. After rummaging for a moment, a flashlight appeared in her hand. She rezipped the pack and hung it back on her shoulders.

With a click, a bright beam of white light shot out from the flashlight’s reflector and over the side of the wharf. The brunette walked closer to the edged and shined it downward. The strength of the beam was so much, that it penetrated the murky water by about 3 feet down. As she looked down, schools of small fish could be seen.

“Ve let zis light sit herrre while you fix yourrr line. In moment, bigger fish vill kome up to feed on smaller fish zat arrre attrrracted to light. You just have to vatch forrr vaves and you put yourrr hook down in middle of it."
She turned her head toward the man and tucked a lock of dark hair behind her ear that had fallen in her face.

The Russian couldn’t help but hope that when the man caught something, he would share his bounty with her as a thank you. After all, this fishing hack was taught to her by her father, and it always worked.

[Rudy]

Rudy reached into the small tackle box he had brought with him and retrieved a hook. He smiled at the young woman as she Schooled him in catching fish. He knew a lot about fish being in the trade he had to know. But it would be awful crass of him not to accept the lesson. He managed to get the line through the fish hook hole with one try and with nimble fingers tied the line in a elaborate knot assuring it wouldn't come off. he pulled out a couple of weights and clamped them onto the line. He fished out another of the particularly rank liver and put it on the hook. He looked at her again he held the pole out to her " You want to give it a try love ?"

She might not take the bait but Rudy suddenly had a whole new fishing game going .

[Chauncy (DELETED 9600)]

Her head slowly bobbed up and down into a nod. If she had seemed reluctant to him, it was only because she was doing her best to decide if he was safe, or not. Since the deaths of her parents and knowing what really happened to them, Chauncy never took a situation for granted. Sure, he seemed nice enough, but that could easily be a false personification.

Shifting her pack from her shoulders to a spot on the ground, there was a bit of a clanging noise that could be heard, as it was set down on the dock; a telling sign that she had most of everything that she owned in that back pack. Giving the new acquaintance a small smile, she leaned down and sat between her belongings and him. Once settled, she held out her flashlight to him. “Herrre, hold flashlight while I kast.”

Before the flashlight could exchange hands, Chauncy’s back stiffened and her eyes widened, as the image of a man in a suit came into view. He was standing under one of the lights that lined the dock, near the shoreline, where the dock began. He looked to be standing there, just smoking a cigarette. She leaned a little forward, obviously on alert.

“Frriend of yourrs?” She asked her new fishing partner. Her eyes did not leave the man at the end of the dock.

[Rudy]

Rudy barely glanced at the man at the end of the Pier. He wasn't anyone that the Killer knew not that he knew many people, most were acquaintances. " No love no friend of mine " Rudy noticed her visibly stiffen becoming uncomfortable with the other mans presence. " Hey if the dude is bothering you We can skip the fishing and you can come to my shop. I'll give you free pick of anything you want from the lunch counter. I own the Bait and tackle shop over there on the pier" Rudy smiled and shrugged like it was no big deal. To him it really wasn't he was just selling tackle and bait ... doing something he loved . When he wasn't at the forge crafting weapons You could find him camped out here on the Pier with his hook in the water. "What do you say love sandwiches or a nice big plate of todays fresh catch ?"

[Chauncy (DELETED 9600)]

The guy that she worried about, took a final pull on his cigarette and flicked it over the side of the dock and into the water, before he turned to leave. Chauncy watched him as his figure was slowly swallowed by the shadows of the night. With relief, she turned back toward Rudy and smiled. His offer was something that her empty stomach could not refuse. There was also a hint of pink on her cheeks when she caught that he was the owner of a bait and tackle shop. It became clear that he probably knew more than she did about fishing, and felt a little silly for having shown him a 'trick' to fishing.

"If you rreally don't mind, sandviches vould be grrreat." Her stomach gurgled loudly as if it were chiming in its agreement and her dark eyes couldn't hide the appreciation that she felt.


"I feel little silly now...shoving you zat trrrick. You obviously kould prrrobably teach me zing orrr tvo about fishing." She said as she nodded slightly toward his shop.

Chauncy gathered up her bag and stood up, waiting for Rudy to lead the way. "I am Chauncy, by the vay." She then extended her slender hand toward him, as both an offering to help him up and to shake his hand.

[Rudy]

Rudy started to pack up his gear it wasn't much just a small tackle box and his rod. He was glad that she had decided to come to the shop. It would really cut down on her chances of flight and his chances of getting to know exactly what was up with this woman increased exponentially. She was Russian and from her accent not here long. She seemed to be on her own but one thing this city had taught him was that nothing was as it seemed here. There was a story here and Rudy wanted to know it He smiled " Nice to meet you Chauncy . You can call me Rudy. " He started to walk towards the shop slowly and turned waiting for her to follow.