The Rules

[Zodiac]

The Rules:

1. NEVER arrive at night.

2. NEVER look like a person of interest, nor a disposable individual. Blend in.

3. NEVER look lost or confused.

4. Travel light.

5. Use a funding card, and keep it somewhere other than your wallet

6. Quality running shoes that fit. High heels gets you killed.

7. If lost, ask a cop. Not the people just hanging around.

8. Be armed and know how to use what you are armed with

9. NO BARS

10. Ignore the unusual. It's not your problem

11. Stay on the populated side of 'The Fence'-always!

12. NEVER think you are safe.

13. If you feel you are being watched-you are.

14. Memorize the map!

15. The transits are relatively safe. Just don't hang around the stations more than necessary

16. ......

The girl looked over the well folded bit of paper again as the bus crossed the town limits. The sunlight was filling the bus with a soft glow of warmth as they made their way along to the station. She had gotten the list months ago in a small post office box she kept for such things in a small town just south of Sonora, Texas. It had been waiting for her for a couple months, but her normal lifestyle kept her from fetching the mail daily like most people did. It was something her 'blood sister' had arranged for and kept paid up for her to use.

The girl slipped the list behind the other slice of paper and looked over the words written there in a handwriting she knew all too well. A flowing script done in purple ink.

Assuming you are ever a fool enough to come to me, I give you this. You might think what is the harm of just walking into this place, but I assure you there is danger here. I am the proof of that, as you saw first hand. Make sure you know where you are going. Standing on a corner gawking at a map screams you are new here and the odds are no one will even miss you. Come directly to the shop. From there I can keep you reasonably safe.

Several lines now was written in Romany, and they made the girl smile despite reading them for perhaps the hundredth time while the bus pulled to a stop. She refolded the papers and stuff them back into her back pack. A Dallas Cowboys baseball hat slipped onto her head as she got up and joined the flow of people who, like her, had business in the town called Harper Rock. She paused outside the bus and slipped on her sunglasses and waited to retrieve her bag as the driver was unloading luggage. "You know where in town exactly we are?" she asked as she took hold of her travel bag.

"This is known as Wickbridge. Basically the center of town." he replied.

"And the transit?" She asked. The driver stood up and pointed down the street. She thanked the man and headed to the building he had pointed out. Once there she quickly checked to see what track she needed to be on for her destination. She relaxed once she was standing in the sunlight again. Just looking around as she waited, it was hard to picture the place the way it had been described to her, however the glint of light off the massive fence north east of the station told her enough. An entire section of town had been barricaded against. She had never seen anything like it before. A few other points of interest caught her eyes as well. Names mentioned in conversation. Her visual tour was broken by the arrival of the train.

TBC

[Zodiac]

As she rode along, she kept looking for places she had been told about. It was a curious feeling seeing places she had been told about in a story sitting there big as life. What kind of wicked fairy tale had her sister been caught up in? That's what this all seemed like to her. A story gone wrong. She also noticed various places engaged in repair and rebuilding. The entire town had the look of it come to think of it. She had heard something of an area in Canada having a extreme weather event a few weeks ago on the news but she hadn't realized it was here.

Once she exited the station, she turned West. More landmarks along her way. Her 'sister' had been quite detailed in her descriptions so once the Marketplace came into view the girl relaxed a bit. She stopped at an outdoor vendor's station and bought coffee and a bear claw before continuing to her destination. A glance at her watch told her she would be there well before sunset, so rather than go straight to her sister's shop, she made a loop of the market to see what else did business in here.

It certainly wasn't the typical types of shops one would find in a mini mall, that was for certain. She window shopped a few of them in curiosity. Did people here need such firepower? Not people, she reminded herself. Tattoo parlors buzzing away and other things caught her eyes while a scent of heaven wafted from the bakery across the main court. "I could get fat here real quick," she laughed. She turned west again and laughed out loud at what she saw down the west most pathway in the complex.

It screamed Angela.

The two level building brightly decorated in various shades of purple and its twin to the right as she approached. The large, cartoon like bandages stuck against windows with large PARDON OUR MESS messages made her laugh. It did not look like the stores had been hurt too badly but they had their share of damage like the rest of the town did. How bad of a storm was it, she wondered.

"One hell of a major step up from the old days," she thought as she finished her pastry. She frowned as her eyes found the closed fish shop to the left. The idea of pets reminded her of how bad her dog had thrown a fit when she left to come here. She probably would have felt much safer with Sirus along, but the dog had the habit of considering anything that didn't smell like family a threat.

"Would have been one intense bus ride," she smirked while approaching the door. The door chimes rang as she entered. Angela had said it was 'just a shop' but that was not the conclusion the girl drew as she looked about. She had certainly gone all out in making this place. It was more than just a shop. The girl had known the owner far too long to make such a simple assumption. No, this was more than a place of business, but a shine to her mentor and grandmother. She could see Nana holding court in this place. The selections and the scope of it all just hints to what may lurk deeper within the building.

"Good afternoon," a pleasant voice called out. The girl looked up to see a red head with glasses looking at her from behind the counter. "Welcome to Pandora's. Anything special you looking for today?"

"Only the owner, actually," the girl laughed. "Forgive me, but you're Jennifer Hayes, yes?"

Now the redhead had a touch of concern in her eyes. "Yes, that's me. And you are?"

"Ah, forgive my horrid manners." the girl offered her best smile. "Hello, I'm Mary Aanandin. So is An.... Zodiac about?"

TBC

[Zodiac]

"Oh my God," Jennifer walked around the counter and approached Mary. The girl was a bit confused until the red head hugged her. "I have heard so much about you for the last five years." Mary returned the hug and laughed a bit.

"Likewise," she admitted. "The last time I talked to her, she could not stop raving about you."

"Oh please!"

"I'm serious."

"Wow." Jennifer smiled. "Well, c'mon in. Coffee is on and I think some donuts have managed to survive."

"From that place across the way?" Mary asked hopefully.

"Oh yes, we got a contract with them."

"Then lead on, woman!"

***

Jennifer sipped coffee as Mary discovered the quality of local pastry while the pair sat in the break room. "So, did Zo know you was coming?"

The girl shook her head no as she swallowed. "Was kinda a surprise. We are all camped out for the winter now, so I thought this would be a good time to pop in, visit for a few days, then head back before the spring migration."

"Boss lady don't like surprises, not like this." Jennifer frowned. Her voice dropping several octaves. "I am sure you know what you just walked into."

"Why I showed up when the sun was still up. So where is she now?"

"Where do you think? The sun is still up. You sure you know about this stuff?"

"Sorry" Mary looked around. "Who's that?" she gestured at the large bird cage.

"Him? That's Stone Cold. Store mascot and all around noise maker. I'm surprised he is not demanding attention since we are sitting here." Jennifer pulled out her phone and began to text.

"Hey there." Mary leaned closer to inspect the small owl. "So what happened here? Whole town looks like it cracked a bit."

"Combination freak blizzard and earthquakes. A lot of people got stuck in odd places during that."

"Earthquakes? In Canada?"

"Is not impossible but very suspicious." Jenn agreed. "Zo thinks it had a supernatural hand to it, but won't say anything till she finds some proof."

"That had to be frightening."

"Not so bad where I was. I was next door in the Teahouse. We had closed Pandy's when the **** hit the fan and myself, a few of the staff from both places and about 30 customers ended up camped out in there." the woman shrugged. "We all stayed warm as best we could, sipped tea and coffee warmed on a propane set up and told bad jokes till they came to bust the ice away from the doors so we could leave."

"Damn. The doors froze shut?"

"It was worse elsewhere. Where boss lady was the building shifted due to the quake and the door was literally jammed shut. She was not happy with the company she got stuck with."

"Sounds like a healthy dose of hell." Mary replied while trying to pet the owl. Stone Cold shook his head, causing her to pull back her finger quickly.

"Yeah, he's a touchy one." Jenn glanced at her watch and excused herself for a moment. She returned with several ledger books and a stack of notes and receipts and began to copy information into the various books. "Another hour till shift change. Zo will be in anytime after that." she explained.

"Oh good. When exactly does she...'pop' in? I think she called it teleporting."

The red head laughed. "You have watched too many movies, girl. Trust me, she has a 'morning' routine like anyone else. Wakes up, bathes, looks over the stock indexes, judges her schedules for the 'day', feeds the cats, gets dolled up, and then comes in when she is good and ready to. And when she does, she will walk through the same door you did just like anyone else. I sent her a text so when she wakes up she will know you are here."

"And you know this how?" Mary was curious.

"You work with someone for over five years, you pick up things. I've spent the night there a few times as well when things have gotten so crazy I was too tired to go home."

"Oh, I see."

"Not like that." Jenn began writing again.

"I was not..."

"Yes you were, but that's okay."Jenn looked up from her bookkeeping and pointed her pen at Mary. "Now, question for you. What was it like growing up with Zo?"

TBC

[Zodiac]

In the semi darkness of her bedroom, her eyes snapped open as the sun slipped past the horizon. Slowly she sat up and took stock of herself as one hand greeted Ginny with pets. Tempy was elsewhere. Either already at work or involved in something that demanded her attentions.

"Another night." she thought flatly as she turned and stood up. The gypsy grabbed her iPhone and made her way to the bathroom and started the tub filling. The sweat shirt and pj bottoms ended up on the floor and she eases herself into the steaming bath. As she soaks, her mind begins to play across the internet. Checking her mails and other points of interest. She smiles as she reads the mail from the auto shop. The mini bus was not as badly damaged in the quake as she thought, and it was ready to be picked up. Mentally she wrote a reply while making a note on her phone of the fact. Perhaps Jennifer could pick it up before she went home for the night.

Next the business reports. Her little empire was not front page news anymore, but they held their own among the long term markets. That made her feel proud of their collective efforts. Only once was there a pay error in the two year history of the project. Her people were always paid and the returns was a steady block of dependability that helped make each new step possible. She made a note to herself to begin studying long term forecasts to see when a raise would be possible for her people again.

Next, a bit of hacking. A few spots she frequently made miserable and the main course of mental exercise. Her talents were like a physical muscle and she exercised them frequently. A few files of value and usability were stored elsewhere for later use.

Finally, she checked the messages on her phone.

Hey boss. Friend of yours from out of town is here. Mary A. With me at Pandys

The girl dried her hands and sat up. Bringing up the message to view on the screen as if it had been misread by her thoughts. She stared at it for several moments before laying the phone to the side and sliding down into the water.

"Oh joy," she frowned. It had nothing to do with the fact she had literally grown up with the woman at all. Quite the opposite. The two of them would be chatting away like a pair of hens the entire time she was here. The only problem she had was the fact Mary was here of all places. This place, this thrice damned placed wrapped in innocent appearances when the sun was shining tended to a fiend when the sun slipped away and devoured any and all it could get its hands on. Zodiac expelled the air from her lungs and took in water as she laid on the bottom of the tub. Her own makeshift deprivation chamber as it were.

The devouring had begun with her. Every instinct she had screamed not to get comfortable here, but she ignored it all and found herself part of the darkness that swallowed her up. Then not long after she had been turned was Randal. The tribe had made the unwitting mistake of setting up near Harper Rock and because of a moment of excitement in the middle of a kiss some would say was long overdue, he was accused of being a thrall and killed to keep the tribe safe. When she had finally went back to set things right once and for all, her mother-Amanda- also fell to the darkness that she now fought a constant war against.

And was there even more? It was possible if the scant clues she found was right. A strange stalker she had briefly for a time who vanished just as quickly as they had appeared. She could never be sure of this, but some of the clues suggested Shira- another child she had grown up with had been here. Had she gone, been swallowed up as she had been or was in some nameless grave somewhere in this place? Bit by bit, the few scraps of her past she held the most dear were dying or falling away. All that was left of her original 'family' now was Mary and her mother, Nora (and that dumb dumb dog of Mary's- Sirus.). Hell, she woke most nights wondering if she would discover Jennifer had been turned or butchered or Ginny headless or gutted as it was without having to worry about another. It was as if her new state of existence was trying to break or corrupt every tie to sanity and self she had left to cling to. Temperance was her rock, but she was a rock based in her new way of dealing with the world. The old rock that anchored her to the fact she was still Angela Ferenczy was eroding to dust and there was nothing she could do to stop it seemed.

She sat up in the tub and coughed up the water she had breathed in, then began to wash her hair. As much joy as she would have having Mary around, she would simply have to be given the twenty five cent tour and be escorted out of town as quickly as possible. A part of her had to survive. Somehow. Somewhere.

Mentally her thoughts found the phone and wrote a reply to Jennifer's text.

OK and sent it along.

TBC

[Zodiac]

16. Never travel alone if possible

17. Shop in the daytime. Same goes for banking.


"She did what?" Jennifer laughed as she poured more coffee.

"When the kid punched her, she took her baseball bat and smacked him in the knee. When he fell down she was on top of him slapping and clawing the daylights out of him." Mary accepted the cup while refusing another pastry.

"Doesn't sound like she has changed all that much. I mean, she usually is quiet and reserved but if something rubs her wrong..."

"Get out of her way" Mary finished. Jenn laughed as well as she checked her phone. "Was that her?"

"Yep. She said 'OK' and that was it."

"Just OK?"

"Yeah. Why? I s there some secret code between you two I don't know about?"

"An...Zodiac is usually more elaborate with her answers unless she is not happy."

"You guys have a fight or something?"

"No, not at all. Was quite a pleasant visit outside of the issues with Amanda."

"That's Mom, right?" Jennifer began entering the last stack of receipts.

"Was Mom," Mary replied.


18. There is a percentage of daytime freaks as well. Do not accept their invites to join them. listen to them, and do NOT let them teach you ANYTHING!

18b. Especially some guys called Solace. They are a bunch of mindless jerks who be the first against the wall when the revolution comes.



"Yeah, she mentioned that."

"It was so strange. Amanda wasn't that badly hurt." Mary finished her cup. She saw Jennifer just giving her a look she could not place. "What?"

"What what?"

"Why did you look at me like that?"

Rather than answer, the redhead continued to update the files. The door chimes rang and broke her focus. "Excuse me," Jennifer stood up and approached the new comer. Mary's eyes grew wide as the watched the woman stand and have a small conversation with one of the largest people she had ever seen. The man was a walking tank! She watched Jennifer hand him a few bits of paper and the man nodded and walked on into the break area, only to turn and enter a door near the back.

"Who is that?" she asked softly when the woman took her seat again.

"Nighttime security."

"It gets that bad around here?" Mary actually thought the market was a nice place. It did not look as if crime was really an issue here.

"Not with him around it doesn't." Jennifer closed the books and her laptop. The chimes rang again. This time a dark haired woman appeared and the redhead excused herself again and met her at the register and talked. Two more women appeared while the girl explained the sales, specials, and what could be expected on the shift that was starting. The people that had been working were now leaving and Mary wondered how many of the 'night shift' was like her blood sister. After Jennifer finished, the three women dispersed. Two went to a large arrangement on the wall and pulled folders that were stored under a sign marked Orders, checked them and then moved deeper into the shop. The dark haired girl opened a safe and pulled out a cash drawer and began to count it wile Jennifer rang out on the register and pulled her drawer free. "Shift change," she glanced over her shoulder to Mary. "Boss lady should be here anytime now."

19. Avoid any animal that is not acting like an animal. Ginny is exempt from this one, of course.

20. Stay OUT of the sewers. (I know, why would you go in one anyways, but trust me. Just don't)

TBC

[Zodiac]

21. You may see odd items in shops and think they are novelties.
They aren't

22. If someone says to you 'I can give you eternal life', they are not talking about life insurance

She went into the teahouse first. A deviation of her normal routine, and fluttered about the guests all smiles and well wishes before going to the counter and checking the dailys for herself. She could feel Mary's presence next door now and she still debated in her mind how to deal with the situation. The conversation with her people ran like clockwork. What was right, what was wrong, what issues has surfaced and what was working properly, what was selling and not selling and needed to be restocked or put on mark down all peppered with hugs (even for her people who normally did not like being hugged. Working for the gypsy had its hazards for some). It was a 'dance' she did every night. Keeping her finger on the pulse (ha ha) of things and trusting her people to fill in the gaps of information was why they hung in the black of things financially. Barely sometimes, but the red days were few and far between. A few final smiles and she exited the shop and stood looking at her 'baby'. Baby was an odd word for it she supposed but she gave birth to the idea and dragged it kicking and screaming to where it was now. Those in her employ helped beyond anything they might imagine in the current state of things, but it was Jennifer and herself that nursed the little embryo and held its hands as it took its first wobbling steps. A romantic view, perhaps, but no one ever accused Zodiac of thinking like most normal (ha ha) people thought.

She entered her establishment with Ginny following her at heel. The few regulars she saw was greeted like long lost friends not seen in years, and new faces were welcomed in a similar fashion. The shop was a stage as well as a business, and some came specifically to see the little gypsy girl herself and she did not disappoint them. This was the basic bread and butter that kept it all alive. She probably could have started an auto parts store or some adult peep show porn palace and had the same results.

23. Second guess everything except your gut. That you triple guess to be sure.

24. The best defense in being here is never to put yourself in the path of the offence. (AKA- stay away)

25. Your dog is a whole lot smarter than you are. Trust his responses.

The first thing she noticed was everything was calm. She half expected Sirus to be barking his fool head off about everything. There were smells to this city most did not notice or had, over time, simply became blind to them, but a new element would be overwhelmed by them. Ginny had gotten used to the majority of them in the process, but she still trusted the cat's reaction to things her eyes could not see or notice. She must have left the dog at home and that suggested she took the bus. No way to simply tell her get back in her car and get the hell out of here right now.

She finally made her way to the counter and chatted with the night cashier after a welcoming hug about what was in store for the night and checked her appointment book.

***

"There she is," Jennifer smiled. Mary leaned out in her chair to see the one she had come so far to see talking to the dark haired girl in the front. "Trust me, you got a few minutes yet before she gets back here."

"Is that normal?"

"Always. Later she will go to her other two shops and do the same thing. Her highness there is very hands on when it comes to her little empire." Jennifer sat a pan of water on the hot plate and pulled a small package from the fridge and sat it in the water.

"What is that?"

"You really are clueless, aren't you?" Jenn smirked. "It's breakfast. For her."

"Oh,"

"What did you think? She scarfs down a couple jelly bombs and a large coffee? Trust me, she wishes she could."

"Why can't she?"

"Honestly? I never asked. I know some of them can eat and drink but the majority can't. Is strange, but then again what is normal in any of this."

TBC

[Zodiac]

26....

Once the normal whirlwind of greetings had finished, Zodiac entered the back with her list of appointments in hand. A hug for Jennifer and then she finally directed her full attentions to the girl sitting in the break room.

"Greetings, Sora sânge." she smiled

"Sora sânge." Mary replied as she stood up. The two embraced tightly.

"Hey, no talking in code around the clueless one." Jennifer teased playfully.

"It means 'blood sister' in Romany," Mary explained. "There is a whole little ceremony involved with that." She opened her left hand and a small scar could still be seen in her palm.

"Yes, just like some Indiana tribes did." Zodiac added as she let go of the girl. "I see my seven o'clock is here, so I best get started," she turned her attention to Jennifer again. "I called the repair shop and the mini bus is ready to be picked up. Why don't you take Mary with you and go pick it up while I tend to my client."

"Umm, sure?" Jenn looked confused for a second. She had thought Zo would be all over Mary and declaring a holiday considering what she had heard from her employer about the girl over the years, but now the gypsy was acting like the girl was an annoyance. "You sure about..."

"Oh please, you manage to move about with no problems. Go to the shop. The 'Shadow man' won't bite either of you. Take the van for a test run then come back." she shook the paper with her appointments listed on it. "Time to make the folding money and all."

"Sure," Jenn finally answered then looked at Mary. "You can leave your bags in the back room. It locks up."

"Okay," the girl was even more confused than Jennifer now. She knew making money was always a priority, especially among their kind-gypsies- but her blood sister was acting as if an annoyance had just walked into her life. Dismissing her without even a 'How have you been?' or 'What's new?' or anything.

"Good. I have two back to back so that should give you time to give her a proper tour of the town." Zo nodded. "Then we can have some time to talk when I head over to The Eye. Make sure it's fixed right and fill the tank when you are done. Is my parlor set up and ready?"

"As always,"

"Good," She turned and smiled at Mary again. "Is good to see you, sister. We have much to discuss later this evening." Without another word she walked to the front and motioned for a woman to come join her and two vanished inside of the 'purple parlor' as the door closed.

"What the hell is that all about?" Jennifer muttered as she grabbed her purse and made sure she had the company credit card in her wallet.

"I wish I knew," Mary said.

"Remember the Rules," Zo's mindspeak from the two women.

"I always do." Mary spoke out loud.

****

"Do you now?" the gypsy thought to herself as she prepared tea for her client. "And what about rule 26?"

TBC

[Zodiac]

"Okay, I am just as clueless as you are."

Jennifer leaned against the side of the mini bus as the pump clicked off the amount of gas going into the tank. It had been a short trip to the repair shop and, true to Zo's words, the mechanic did not even blink at the sight of two human females. Jennifer liked the guy actually. He was soft spoken and not the type to be spewing ******** just because he could (as Zo would put it.) He broke down what had been repaired and why and not much else when he decided to speak. Paperwork signed and exchanged and soon the pair were off putting the mini bus through its paces.

"I think he finally got that burring noise out of the wheels," the redhead laughed.

"She finally got her dream machine." Mary was laughing as well. "When we was kids, we saw one of these all painted up and decked out and Angela was all That's gonna be mine one day. The upkeep on this thing has to be a nightmare."

"Not really. Getting the parts may take some time, but the repairs go pretty quick once they have them. So, let the tour begin."

The pair went from one end of town to the other. Jennifer pointing out places of interest (both normal and somewhat odd) and answering questions she felt comfortable answering. Zo had not been specific on that point. Yes, the girl knew Zo was a vampire, but beyond that she kept her answers brief or vague as possible.

"There has to be more of them than just her." Mary insisted and they drove along the row of mansions to the north.

"Maybe so."

"Oh come on! Who turned her then?"

"Not in my job description, sorry."

Mary continued to push her point while Jenn continued to drive along. "I don't get it."

"Oh really now? I was not aware there was a 'what' to get in all this." the girl pulled up to the regular pump and got out. Mary followed her. Jenn handed her a dollar and pointed to the soda machine. "Cherry, please and get yourself one." When the girl returned, Mary refused to back off from her line of questioning.

"You know that I know."

"And your point is?"

26. This subject- me and the situation at hand- is NOT one you stand around chatting about like last night's game or some cliff hanger episode of your fave TV show.

27. Trust no one totally. Even the ones I say you can trust.

28. Do not trust me totally. I have been known to have bad days.

29. Know your audience! Be like water and flow around a subject. If you push too hard, you may not like what happens and sometimes, it can be fatal.

"So why won't you talk to me about all this?" Mary asked.

"I am," Jenn clicked the handle a few times to round out the cost, then hung up the hose and pressed the key for a receipt.

"Outside of Angela having fangs, you have not said anything."

Jennifer turned to face her and approached, backing the girl up against one of the pumps. "Let me tell you something," her voice was barely a whisper as her eyes darted around to be sure no one was near them. "This place has eyes and ears you can't even begin to imagine and they hear a lot of things. Things that can get not only you, but your sister killed. The fact of the matter is, Miss Ferenczy, the original owner of the shop became ill and sold her store and the 'Mistress Zodiac' motif to the woman who has it now. We don't know what happened to her after that. Maybe Angela moved to Florida or something.
We,
don't,
know."

"What?"

"Don't what me," Jennifer glanced at her watch and saw it would be at least another hour till Zo was done with her second client. "Talk can get people hurt around here, especially talk that has no business being discussed in public. And if not by ones like her, then by ones like us. Oh yes, they are out there too and would love to put someone like Zo into a world of hurt."

"So you finally admit there are more of them."

"Did I?" Jennifer took the receipt and pulled a clipboard from the dash and entered the info, then tucked the bit of paper into a zip pouch attached to the board.

"You're a thrall." Mary said plainly. "Protecting and serving her like nobody's business."

Jennifer stiffened at the sound of the words, then pointed a warning finger at the woman. "I am going to pretend you didn't say that." as she dropped the board back onto the dash.

"But you are." the girl persisted.

The red head debated the matter for a few moments. "Sorry boss" she thought as she drew back her fist and punched Mary soundly on the nose.

TBC

[Zodiac]

A bored clerk barely looked out the window of the gas station. He has seen too much happening around him in his time at this job at night to get over excited about one person punching another so turned his attention back to his word search puzzle. As long as the property wasn't being destroyed, the scene outside did not concern him.

***

"YOU HIT ME!" Mary sputtered with outrage as she got up from the ground. It was more shock than the actual punch that made her fall down.

"Keep talking and I'll do it again." the redhead threatened. "Just get in the van so we can talk somewhere more private."

***

Mary sat in silence as the mini bus turned off the gravel road and began to roll along a paved driveway that passed small fields. She had texted Angela and told her what happened, but the quick reply was 'I'm busy. Will talk later'. She seriously debated returning the favor. Mary grew up in the same rough and tumble lifestyle as Angela had, so she was sure she could either take out or give the redhead a run for her money but what would that accomplish now? She was in the middle of a possibly vampire infested city with no clue where exactly she was at the moment and one of the two 'friends' she had here was too busy to deal with her while the other had tried to bloody her nose.

The van pulled around a loop in the drive and finally stopped when it was pointed back in the direction where they had come. Behind them, a two story farm house sat in the darkness in silence.

"Sorry I hit you," Jennifer mumbled as she took a drink from her cherry soda.

"No problem. Payback is a *****." Mary replied.

Jennifer nodded her understanding and lit up a cigarette, then offered the pack to Mary. She took several puffs in silence then spoke. "You were standing there talking about things you have no real clue of in a situation anyone could be hearing what you are saying. You have no clue how dangerous this can be here-especially at night. And don't you DARE call me a thrall again!" Mary opened her mouth to speak, but the woman continued.

"You don't understand. I know you two grew up together, but I knew her before and after what happened to her. Going on six years now we have been in each others lives and she did her best to keep that nocturnal side of her away from me. And when she found out I was putting all the clues together she..........." Jennifer paused as if chocking on the words. "Enthralled me to keep me safe. She doesn't use me like some robot or slave. Has even offered several times to bankroll me and put me on a plane to wherever I'd want to go if I could not cope with this twisted life she is trapped in."

"I'm sorry," Mary listened with a hint of wonder in her thoughts. She knew the legends and myths as much as Angela did, but this was nothing like the tales told her a thrall was supposed to be like. "You love her?"

"Love?" Jennifer laughed a bit. "Not in the super close/lesbian manner some of my friends think I do, no. But your 'sister' has been my best friend as well as my employer. When she was alive I did my best to keep things right and her out of trouble, so what has really changed between me and her? I watch her back where I can and she does the same for me and hopefully in the process I help keep her anchored."

"Anchored to what?"

"What's left of her humanity." Jennifer started the mini bus. "And if you are going to tell me she hasn't changed at all, then you are beyond clueless, girl."

***

She walked around the shop to assure herself all was going well before retreating to her office. Her second client of the night had left in contentment and she was not due another for two hours now, so she took a few moments to consider the problem of Mary.

Problem? Is that what she was now? There was a time she would have given her life to protect the woman without a second of hesitation and those feelings were still there within her, but softer- more distant now. As much as she treasured this last living slice of her past, she was finding new words floating in her brain as well to describe her. Annoyance, problem, idiot, foolish, impulsive.

Zodiac grabbed a tissue and held it to her eyes as she wondered. Was she loosing herself this quickly now?

"If only she had followed the Rules." she thought to herself. She stood up and pushed the chair away from her desk and knelled on the floor. She looked up to the ceiling and prayed as she always had-within her thoughts.

"Spirits of my ancestors, you know I did not want this. I did not and I still don't. But now I am fighting a loosing war within myself. Help me to hold on, I beg of you. I don't want to be like them. I want to be me." her lips moved as if mimicking her thoughts. "And when I have yielded to these new urges, disaster always follows. Lives are lost and the darkness clutches me tighter within. I told her what to do, I did. Why didn't she listen to me? WHY?"


30. Never ever EVER decide to come here without TELLING or ASKING ME FIRST! You have no clue what you might be walking into like some sacrificial lamb. I also may not be quite 'myself' at times anymore as well. Write me, text me, call me, anything but DO NOT JUST SHOW UP!

TBC