Path of the Vampire forum

“You see it now. It’s why you are who you are. Every experience good or bad, shapes up and continues to shape us into who we will be. Believe it or not, I am better person now, than when I was a human.” He tossed her an unashamed grin, “I’m still a ******* ********, but I can see value in people I never saw before. Before, people were numbers or things. If they hurt I didn’t care. If I hurt them, I didn't care.” He paused, never took his eyes off the road as he geared down and increased speed to pass more cars, “Alright.. I still dont care if I hurt some people. In fact it amuses me.. but not to the degree it did before.” The cars were passed but still the speed increased. It was as though talking about himself made him drive more aggressively. Perhaps it was a subliminal sign of discomfort.

Falling silent, the speed immediately decreased as he glanced at the gauge. “**** me, we were going like a bat out of hell” He focused on his driving. His tone of voice became softer as he almost asked, “Look warn me if you see me doing that **** again. Last thing we need is a ******* cop trying to pull us over..” He grinned again, “It is a nice machine though…”

Dominique listened and found more than grains of truth in what Doc said. In fact more like boulders. Big, solid and impossible not to take seriously. They applied to her. She was a hell of a lot better now than she ever was before. She felt the poke of each bead of the rosaries she still had stuffed deep in each hip pocket. A crystal series of ornate beads in the left while the other set of worn green in the right. She shifted her hips slowly and looked over at him. While he asked her to warn him her mind drifted to her grandmother. She could almost see her in the seat next to her but there was no steering wheel. She was kneeling. While her grandmother whispered the rosary Dominique prayed but her lips only moved. How bad was that? She never said a prayer she truly meant in her short life. She just pretended to.

“You are asking the wrong woman.” Her dark eyes looked down at the dashboard then popped back over to her hips where she was patting her fingers twice to confirm what she knew was already there.

Dominique moved again and this time curled her left leg under her bottom and leaned her left side against the back of the seat facing him. After checking out the compartments between them and what was inside this and that she looked back up.

“I don’t pay attention to warnings so why would I give you one? Besides that...I don’t believe in slowing down. In a machine like this it would be considered a sin.” She nibbled briefly on her bottom lip then decided she was already in one confession deep she might as well hand him a side of agreement. “You are right. You are a ******* ******** and I am still a **** but better off dead than I was alive.”

“Listen Kid.. warnings are there for a damn good reason. Some of them are just ******* nags, but some are there for a reason. Why would someone give a person a warning if it wasn't important? Yea, some people are over protective pricks, but warnings are usually an important things. Like for instance.. warning me when I ******* speed so we don't start a high speed chase ending up with both of us surrounded and incarcerated, then exposing humans to our presence..“ he said dryly, “I would consider it a favor of immense proportion because, I know what they would do to us if they figured out what we were .. and let me tell you kid… what I have done to you will seem like goods times..”

“Some of it was.” Dominique had to slide that in. It didn’t sound right when it came out but it was the truth. How many times can you beat someone into a bloody pulp out of anger and not worry about killing them? “So I am supposed to watch you and tell you when you need to slow down? Warn you when you are at risk of losing control?”

Doc has issues with impulse and control? Perhaps. It would explain a few things. Then again who didn’t to some degree? The car she was sitting in was a sign. So was the speedometer that was climbing again.

“I think you need to ease up on the gas. Cruise control on this? I would think it has a option for oars and rowing if you look hard enough.” She shrugged and looked around. “So what can you do if you don’t mind me asking? You know…” She paused and eyed him. “Besides be invisible. Forewarning you I learned that trick as well.”

“Impulse control.. I wouldn’t say as a normal course of daily issues, but when I get under stress, I tend to react without thinking. Most of the time I typically regret it.” He glanced at her briefly before focusing on his speed again, “I did not regret stealing the car.. and kidnapping you. Well I haven't regretted it so far..”

He looked for cruise control, muttering about having a machine like this and ruining it with cruise control. Then he turned his attention to the powers he had mastered. “what can I do? It would be easier to list what I can’t ******* do. What can I do? Nothing that I really want to do. I can’t speak telepathically .. but everyone else seems to have no trouble. I can’t entice a human to do my bidding.. I can’t track worth a damn. But I can..walk on water, I can blood boost so I don't need to feed. I can create an area where I can regenerate my ‘magic’ faster than normal. But for the most part.. thats it. ******* lame.

Hours later the scene has changed considerably.

“******* lame.”

The two words came back to Dominique. It wasn’t lame that she finally got some sleep and found the luxurious suite had a fridge loaded with everything from champagne to her preferred energy drinks, chocolate covered fruit and a vast selection of what you likely couldn’t find in any grocery store. Neither was the comfortable sofa beneath her as she leaned down and fingered flipped the pages of the catalog that was grabbed from the lobby just before sunrise as she made her way into Vancouver’s Shangri-La Hotel. She had strolled right on by the front desk, neglecting to check in or for that matter get an access card or key. Why bother? They couldn’t see her if she did say anything.

What was lame? The voices and the rattle of the keys outside the door that now threatened to disrupt her relaxation. She sighed as the door began to open which would give those entering a sight of her clad in a bath towel and the rest would be eye fulls of skin and ink. Immediately she felt the energy of being caught off guard and discovered flow through her as she jumped to her feet. She went to wrap the towel tighter and found her arms and body fade from sight.

A sigh of relief escaped her beeswax covered lips as a gray haired couple slipped into the room with their bags. This wouldn’t be so bad. Old people moved slow, their vision wasn’t entirely reliable and they were known not to hear well. Some of them. Dominique stood there as if she just stepped out of the shower and stared straight at the two. They were as warm as any eighty year old bodies could be that were still upright and walking. The blood didn’t move as fast in those veins beneath their skin and they were the type she imagined that always complained they were cold. Human was her assessing thought. She would bet....well she wasn’t a gambler but if she had to bet on anything it would be that these two unexpected arrivals to her coveted luxury suite were carrying a pulse that was riding faster than their hearts would eventually be able to handle. They seemed harmless enough.

The pillbox hat adorned woman huffed as she set down the carry on tote in her hand and glanced around the room while the tall casual business suit clad companion tapped the light switch with the tip of his wood cane.

"For the love of Mary and Joseph!" The woman exclaimed as she turned around to take in the condition of the posh suite she stood in. It was obvious by her expression she was rather shocked. "This is not the room we ordered, Sylvester!"

The man set down his cane and the briefcase in his opposite hand. A twitch of his silver mustache perched over his otherwise thin top lip signaled he was likely in agreement with the woman complaining next to him. Dominique watched him as his eyes toured the room and finally came to where she stood. He rubbed his chin at that very moment then let his eyes continue back to the woman who still was without a name.

“I see that, Mabel.” He agreed with a firm tone.

Sylvester left Mabel standing while he moved to the dining table that looked ready to entertain a four star dinner party outside the few odd items that should not be there. Two unopened cans of Monster sat together at the end of the wood table close to where he stood. The outside of the cans were beaded with drops sliding down into a shallow pool around the bottom. Dominique had sat there first thing when she got out of bed to eat a plate of chocolate covered strawberries, have a glass of champagne and check out a map of the tourist sights. Now the white dinner plate was empty outside the green leaf caps that had topped the strawberries. The empty champagne flute towered next to the plate and the tourist map blanketed half of the table.

While Sylvester put the clues together Mabel made her way to the bedroom. Dominique stepped slowly in the same direction while passing the man who took a glance at his watch then the door they had entered. Mabel was not impressed as she pushed the french doors open to discover a massive bed unmade and Dominique’s clothes on the floor and chaise.

“Sylvester!” She stomped on her square shaped beige shoes back to the dining area where Sylvester was checking out the contents of the fridge. “What are you doing? We are calling the front desk!”

Sylvester closed the door and looked rather disappointed. Of course they were going to call the front desk. All the chocolate covered fruit that he specifically requested to be stocked was nibbled on or consumed. The open champagne bottle in the ice bucket in the sink was inexcusable. It was going to be another one of those trips with Mabel. He could feel it deep in his aging bones. While Mabel dialed the desk downstairs Sylvester was making sure he stayed ahead of the nag fest threatening to begin. His flask with the bedtime sherry was tucked in the easy access pouch on the inside of his briefcase. That is exactly where the lanky elderly man headed while Mabel bitched in the background about some floozies had been messing her room. Only floozies wore those clothes and tossed them on the floor.

Dominique heard enough and really she was in need of getting herself back together in the couple hours time she had learned the invisible effect currently over her held on. While the two were distracted with the phone call and the discreet pull on the flask in the small breakfast nook she wasted no time grabbing her items Mabel was quick to point out. HOPE shot out and hooked her fingers quickly to grab her pants with her cell phone still in the pocket and breezed past between the two opening the door and leaving it ajar. She was checking out of Sylvester and Mabel's love nest.

A few moments of dodging into an elevator and setting the hold button she pulled out her cell and sent out three texts. The last went to the man responsible for this impromptu hotel room hopping she was doing.

-Nice room but unfortunately I am not into hanging out with people old enough to be my grandparents.-

Doc was in the middle of his meeting with ReCorp when his phone vibrated on the glass top conference table. He reached for it and automatically ignored the text, it was the polite thing to do. In business, you gave you undivided attention to the person physically with you; not to an unnamed faceless person that may or may not be relevant to the business at hand.

Todd Morrison looked at Doc expectantly, “Do you need to get that?” To which Doc shook his head negatively and replied, “Whatever it is, it can wait.” Apparently that was the correct answer as Todd looked at Chub. Yes a grown man who was named ‘Chub’. Chub smiled a sly smile in return to Todd, before turning the conversation back to business.

“So you think you would have the volume to fulfill our needs, then?” Chub asked for the second time.

“Yes, I have the volume. However, from what you have explained, you will need more than volume. You will need to meet specific sets of criteria; which” Doc smiled evenly, “.. I am sure you know. For straight up DNA testing Genesis Labs has the volume. However, you will need need a varied set criteria, in varied amounts of decomp to prove that your technique is viable in a court of law. And as loath as I am to admit this.. Harper Rock does have a lot of gang violence. You could grease the wheels a bit, by contacting the HR Police Department and give them a friendly nudge in our direction. We would be willing to do every fourth case pro bono. For a cash strapped Police Department, that would be a compelling offer. And if they took the offer, you would be able to write an iron clad contract to allow for ‘any extra duplicative tests as needed for the course of justice…?” Doc intoned quietly, knowing the men would catch on.

Having actual DNA cases that may go to court as part of their testing procedure, for good or bad, would do nothing but prove the authenticity of the testing phase. Chub stood up, “I think we can work something out Dr. Nilson, you’re in town for a few days?”

“Yes, I brought my daughter with me.. we rarely get to spend any quality time together.”

Todd nodded, “I hear you.. mine is fourteen. Just the other day she was six and adored me.. now I can’t do anything right. I have been put on this earth to personally make her life a misery.. to hear her tell it.”

Doc looked at him, his brow furrowed slightly, “So it’s not just me?”

Todd snorted a laugh, “No.. My wife told me, when she hit puberty.. she refused to speak to her parents for two years. How old is yours?”

“Twenty-two.. but I wasn’t in her life until recently..” Doc admitted. The business was why he was here, but this turn of conversation was quite illuminating.

Chub, the oldest of the three men, nodded knowingly, “Divorce is a *****. My ex refused to let me see the kids, what she was hoping to accomplish I don’t know.. but now that the kids are of legal age, they found me and we have a great relationship. Thank your lucky stars you were well out of the adolescent teen roller coaster years.” Chub offered his hand and shook Doc’s enthusiastically. “You will hear from us in two days. Nice to put a face with a name Charles.”

It was later as Doc was exiting the building that he read the text message from Minx. ‘Old people’? What the hell was she talking about? He texted her in response, *text* -What old people? The reservation was under my name.-

It was then he realized, she may not know his last name.. or his first. He quickly texted, *text* -Dr. Charles Nilson-

Dominique was rather puzzled by the text on her cell screen as she stood in the fresh, sparkling lavish suite she had just made her way back into. When they arrived it was a stop and drop. No words were exchanged so why would she expect to walk into a place full of humans and flash her bold ink and pearly whites and announce she had arrived? Of course she blended with the human crowd outside her glorious colorful flesh canvas. However, she was still going through the last several weeks and trying to make sense of it all. Then there was the whole thing about being outside Harper Rock and a little more at odds for explaining herself than when she was asked for her passport when she first entered the Canadian border. Now it seemed like another lifetime.

The truth was the sportscar rolled up to the hotel in the dark early morning hours she got out and disappeared from view like a shadow like her should. She didn’t wait around for Doc to give her directions, expectations or for that matter more rules. She was going about things as she did anytime. She found her way in fading as she did from human eyes and even that of her own kind. While the vampire went on to do his business she, also a vampire, did her own. She walked through the lobby like she owned the space she moved in. When hidden in shadows it was her space. Last thing she was waiting for was permission to be there.

A text came through from Doc finally and she was confused. Staying or going? His meeting was over so going? One could only consume so many flavorless chocolate covered berries and flutes of top dollar champagne before it lost its luster. Her fingers went to work to cut to the chase with a reply of her own as she made her way back to the locked suite door she recently made her way through uninvited.

-I didn’t mention your name. Hell, I didn’t even mention mine. Didn’t speak to anyone. No one knew I was there. Not even Sylvester and Mabel. Ready to leave Vancouver. Will be the thin air you can’t see at the front of the hotel.-

Dominique sent the text on its way and took a last glance around as she pocketed the cell phone. It was nice place but it certainly wasn’t even close to being at home. There was no comfort like that to be found in the outskirts of Harper Rock. The fact she never really felt like she could call a place home until she discovered Vita Bella reminded her of one thing. She missed it. She couldn’t do that unless it was just what it felt like from the first night she slid the keys into the front door. Home.

Doc read the text. For **** sake. The ride had gone well, really well in fact. So why is she being needy now? he replied, -Check in. Chill. Sleep in a bed, get some rest, you will be driving back. Order what you like. Its a business expense.- He hit send.

He arrived at the hotel about an hour later. He was looking forward to sleeping a 5 star hotel bed. He checked in, and didn’t even double check to make sure Minx had. She was a big girl. If she wanted to hang out on her own, it was fine. Just as long as she knew where to meet him on the way back.

Letting himself into the hotel suite, he loosened his tie, shed his jacket, and folded carefully and laid it on a chair. He then, made a straight line for the bedroom. Stripping down to his boxers, he slid into the bed, sighing contentedly that sheets were so high in thread count they felt like silk. It didn’t take ten minutes before he was out.