The Fall of Pride [Mora]
Posted: 14 Mar 2015, 09:32
The air chilled against her sweat covered skin as she stepped out of the studio, causing the dancer to pull her black jacket tighter around her torso. The streets were eerily quiet as she pulled the door closed and locked it, waiting for the click before she turned automatically towards the drop box. She had almost dropped the keys down the chute, before remembering that no one would be there in the morning to collect them. Closing her eyes against the fresh wave of pain, the blonde lowered her head for a moment and collected her thoughts. The apocalyptic storm of Harper Rock had claimed hundreds of lives, and among them had been Megan’s. The retired dancer had so much life left inside of her, it was still too raw to think that she would never again dance to another shitty remix of Like a Virgin.
Pressing her knuckles to her trembling lips, she fought back the tears that burned behind her lids and gently slid the keys into the back pocket of her jeans. The studio had been left to her, along with the rest of Megan’s earthly possessions, which were now in boxes in the office. She still had yet to open them, not wanting to accept the fact that the first woman that had given her a chance at a new life was gone. She knew the moment she opened the boxes, it would be real. “Snap out of it, Rain,” she muttered under her breath as the sharp pains began to subside. She couldn’t turn back time any more than she could raise the dead. If she had either ability, her life would have turned out so much different. Shoving her hands through her white-blonde curls, she turned her blue gaze from the studio’s entrance to study the streets. It had taken her a moment to realize that not a single soul lingered.
They were smart.
It wasn’t like she didn’t know what hunted the city of Harper Rock when the sun went down. She had seen for herself the kind of creatures that pulled themselves out of the shadows – she just didn’t care. As long as they left her to her life, she had no reason to fear them. In fact, she had even gone as far as to befriend one of them, much to the shock of Megan. She had warned her from the beginning that it would cost her life, but the woman hadn’t known Mora like she did. She couldn’t see the blonde raising a finger to her, no matter the cost of allowing her to live. Instead, she did everything she could to ensure that she survived, even when Rain made it difficult – like she was right then.
She should have been back in her apartment hours ago, but she had found herself caught up in a new routine. Time had been irrelevant as she moved to an old Usher beat, the melody flooding through her veins and taking complete control until she knew nothing but the song. When it had finally faded and she had gotten the moves perfected, the sun had set and the moon had taken precedence. You also didn’t want to face reality. Let’s not forget that, her subconscious sniped. Shaking her head, she ignored the voice and headed for the transit as she pulled out her cellphone. As she brought up Mora’s number, she pulled her hood up and pressed the ‘on’ button on her Bluetooth when she got her voicemail.
“I know I’m late. I just now left the studio. I’ll be at Peppermint s—“
Her words cut off as pain exploded through her skull, the force of the sudden blow knocking her off her feet. As her knees slammed into the concrete, she caught herself with her hands. Strong fingers twisted into her hair and dug into her shoulder, bruising the soft flesh through the cotton of her sweatshirt. The scent of alcohol assaulted her senses, and she knew without a doubt, that her attacker was human. In a millisecond, the shock dissipated, only to be replaced with uncontrollable rage. As he tightened his hold in her hair and prepared to slam her forward, she lifted her hand and dug her nails into his skin. When she felt it rip beneath her assault, she raked down, causing him to loosen his hold. As he staggered back in surprise, she moved to her feet with feline grace and spun, her foot connecting with his jaw. His head snapped back, and blood sprayed in a crimson arc from his lips.
Run, you foolish *****. RUN.
The words bounced around in her skull as her attacker regained his composure, but she had paused for too long. She watched as he reached under his jacket, his eyes wild and clouded with whatever his poison of choice had been. She narrowed her eyes as he fumbled for a second, and she took a step back. Something wasn’t right, he wasn’t attacking her. She had expected him to fight her. A clap of thunder turned her gaze skyward, and for a second, she was surprised. I hadn’t heard anything about a storm, she thought as pain blossomed through her chest. It burned through her like a wildfire, causing her senses to go into overdrive as she slowly blinked. Catching a flash of silver out of the corner of her eye, she followed the path as it fell from the man’s hand and to the ground. She could feel the confusion on her face as she stared at it, fingers lifting to press to her chest as she rapidly tried to piece together the puzzle. When she pulled them back, her fingertips were stained a dark red. Her lips parted on a strangled gasp as realization began to dawn.
The sound of his footsteps fading away were the last thing she heard as she fell against the wall and slid to the ground.
Pressing her knuckles to her trembling lips, she fought back the tears that burned behind her lids and gently slid the keys into the back pocket of her jeans. The studio had been left to her, along with the rest of Megan’s earthly possessions, which were now in boxes in the office. She still had yet to open them, not wanting to accept the fact that the first woman that had given her a chance at a new life was gone. She knew the moment she opened the boxes, it would be real. “Snap out of it, Rain,” she muttered under her breath as the sharp pains began to subside. She couldn’t turn back time any more than she could raise the dead. If she had either ability, her life would have turned out so much different. Shoving her hands through her white-blonde curls, she turned her blue gaze from the studio’s entrance to study the streets. It had taken her a moment to realize that not a single soul lingered.
They were smart.
It wasn’t like she didn’t know what hunted the city of Harper Rock when the sun went down. She had seen for herself the kind of creatures that pulled themselves out of the shadows – she just didn’t care. As long as they left her to her life, she had no reason to fear them. In fact, she had even gone as far as to befriend one of them, much to the shock of Megan. She had warned her from the beginning that it would cost her life, but the woman hadn’t known Mora like she did. She couldn’t see the blonde raising a finger to her, no matter the cost of allowing her to live. Instead, she did everything she could to ensure that she survived, even when Rain made it difficult – like she was right then.
She should have been back in her apartment hours ago, but she had found herself caught up in a new routine. Time had been irrelevant as she moved to an old Usher beat, the melody flooding through her veins and taking complete control until she knew nothing but the song. When it had finally faded and she had gotten the moves perfected, the sun had set and the moon had taken precedence. You also didn’t want to face reality. Let’s not forget that, her subconscious sniped. Shaking her head, she ignored the voice and headed for the transit as she pulled out her cellphone. As she brought up Mora’s number, she pulled her hood up and pressed the ‘on’ button on her Bluetooth when she got her voicemail.
“I know I’m late. I just now left the studio. I’ll be at Peppermint s—“
Her words cut off as pain exploded through her skull, the force of the sudden blow knocking her off her feet. As her knees slammed into the concrete, she caught herself with her hands. Strong fingers twisted into her hair and dug into her shoulder, bruising the soft flesh through the cotton of her sweatshirt. The scent of alcohol assaulted her senses, and she knew without a doubt, that her attacker was human. In a millisecond, the shock dissipated, only to be replaced with uncontrollable rage. As he tightened his hold in her hair and prepared to slam her forward, she lifted her hand and dug her nails into his skin. When she felt it rip beneath her assault, she raked down, causing him to loosen his hold. As he staggered back in surprise, she moved to her feet with feline grace and spun, her foot connecting with his jaw. His head snapped back, and blood sprayed in a crimson arc from his lips.
Run, you foolish *****. RUN.
The words bounced around in her skull as her attacker regained his composure, but she had paused for too long. She watched as he reached under his jacket, his eyes wild and clouded with whatever his poison of choice had been. She narrowed her eyes as he fumbled for a second, and she took a step back. Something wasn’t right, he wasn’t attacking her. She had expected him to fight her. A clap of thunder turned her gaze skyward, and for a second, she was surprised. I hadn’t heard anything about a storm, she thought as pain blossomed through her chest. It burned through her like a wildfire, causing her senses to go into overdrive as she slowly blinked. Catching a flash of silver out of the corner of her eye, she followed the path as it fell from the man’s hand and to the ground. She could feel the confusion on her face as she stared at it, fingers lifting to press to her chest as she rapidly tried to piece together the puzzle. When she pulled them back, her fingertips were stained a dark red. Her lips parted on a strangled gasp as realization began to dawn.
The sound of his footsteps fading away were the last thing she heard as she fell against the wall and slid to the ground.