This will be deleted soon - The Wrong Hope *Complete and Free*

26. St E-useless

Guy

Year: 1983 1st of August, Monday, almost dawn, Summer

With each step the sound of Sally-Anne’s wailing grew. It was intolerable and trashed my good mood.

Stupid b***h.

As the flash light had called time I brought the gruesome Vamp bone torch with me but there was a chance that once I passed the threshold of the wards it would snuff itself out.

My fingers drummed lightly on the duffle bag, infected with a nervous energy as I surveyed the pantry from the safety of this side of the doorway. Sally-Anne was exactly where I'd left her slumped on the floor, face twisted in, well, don’t know what kind of agony you would call that but it was UGLY. Jez did I really want to deal with that? I supposed I could think about it on the way to the car, I couldn’t carry her AND the bag. Clearly the bag was the number one priority after all this effort.

Right. With a critical eye I looked at the space on the floor memorising where to step if the light went out. Once I was out of the pantry it should be plain sailing to the kitchen side door. I knew from my previous visit that the path to that side of the house was reasonably clear so getting to the car would be a piece of piss, I could even drive it round this side of the house and use the headlights to help me come back inside for Doll if I decided to.

“You better not be a useless piece of shit.” I told the Saint Eustace bracelet, holding it up to eye level. It glinted mischievously in the light of the flames. “Christ, Guy stop being a pussy.” With a sharp exhale I stepped through the ward prepared for the onslaught – or so I thought.

Clutching at my chest I struggled to take a breath against the weight of the grief, so much for this f*****g enchanted medallion. Saint Eustace? More like Saint E-useless. The rest of the stuff from the Vault better not be cheap s**t like this. I almost dropped the torch (which was thankfully still alight) with the shock. Damn I needed to get out of here before this stupid b***h and her Tick had me on my knees.

Stepping around her I made a beeline for the door. The more distance between us the less the weight of her emotions but I was still shaking by the time I got to the car. I looked at the still lit torch dubiously. How the hell did I get it to turn off?

“Extinguish!” I ordered it but nothing happened. Ah f**k it. I dumped it on its side on the drive, deciding to deal with it when I had calmed down but thankfully it went out as soon as I let go. I picked it up again and it didn’t reignite. Huh, must have sustained the ward link with the physical contact of the ward owner; even with a sock in between. With great care I wedged my duffle bag of goodies on the back seat with the rest of the equipment, tossing the torch, along with the dirty sock (I wasn’t putting that back on till it was washed – even if my sweaty toes were sliding around my boot) on top and leant on the open door. Goddamn I needed a smoke and a drink. Sliding my whisky flask out of my waist band I swallowed down a couple of big mouthfuls to calm myself before fishing out the matches and cigarettes from the side of the duffle.

Bloody hell I was sick of these Lucky Strikes or ‘Luckies’ as the clerk had called them. I should have known that was a bad sign, needed to get me some Kool’s or Camel. I'd stop for some after I got paid for my swag but till then these would have to do. I lit up with a sigh and took a calming drag.

For a moment I simply enjoyed my success.

I had driven for two nights with a starving Vampire in the car.

I had acquired the Brice Vault.

I'd survived my little Doll’s meltdown.

I had my reward safely tucked away.

Now I had to make a new decision. That obedience potion was looking mighty tempting. Like if I could make Doll my little puppet that would be incredible, in herself she would be an asset. The hassle of getting her though, hum, that was another thing. I weighed it up. The only hassle was bringing her back to the car and putting up with her till I could get to the Enchantress. I had to go see the Enchantress to sell most of the haul anyway, I had to go back into the house anyway; I couldn’t in good conscience leave a blood sucker lying around.

Fuck it. Tossing the nub on the floor I slammed the door shut and went to the driver’s side. Who says you can’t have it all. Once the car was in position I threw the lights on high beam. Getting out of the car I paused and looked at the bracelet, I could feel Doll’s grief pressing on my heart; useless piece of s**t. Pissed I ripped it off and tossed it into the centre console.

BIG MISTAKE.

The pain crashed into me, making me gasp for breath and fall to my knees. I would have screamed but there was no air for it. s**t, clawing at the car seat I pulled myself up stretching for the gold chain that I had so hastily discarded. Holy f*****g Christ this was bad, if I didn’t grab it soon I was going to pass out. Just a little more..... My fingers brushed the metal and the pain dissipated. Praying I didn’t lose the feeble connection I was able to get up and grab it. With shaking hands I slipped it back over my wrist. I would not be taking that off again in a hurry.

Walking back into the house everything was cast in cavernous shadows, they looked blacker than the ones my flashlight had caused and harsher than the soft lined shadows from the Vamp bone torch.

The sound of her agony had not diminished.

I don’t know how I made it across the kitchen and to the pantry, let alone how I was able to carry her back. My determination to have her kept me focused. Driving though – that was impossible. I wasn’t even half way up the drive and I had to stop. A few seconds of fumbling for the door handle felt like an eternity, an eternity that ended with more misery as I ungraciously fell out onto all fours before vomiting hot burning bile and whisky across the dirt drive.

Oh God, I couldn’t do this, I was going to have to kill her. I started crawling around the car but disoriented I found I was going the long way around the back of the car. Exhausted, I leant against the wheel arch to catch my breath. There was just enough distance between us that I could think – perhaps if I moved her to the trunk I'd be ok to drive. Who the f**k was I kidding it wasn’t enough distance between us for even a short drive.

“AGHHH CHRIST IN HELL.” I yelled, frustrated. I was a stupid cunt she needed to go in the trunk anyway, the sun would be up soon and it was at least a 6 hour drive to see the Enchantress. I banged the back of my head against the car, the physical pain blocking out some of the Tick. I needed a solution and I needed it now.

An idea struck me. By sheer force of will I got to my feet and opened the driver side passenger door that I was next to. Hands shaking, I rummaged through the stack of equipment till I found what I was looking for – the first aid kit. The b***h was going night night. After putting some distance between myself and the car I filled the syringe; it would have been next to impossible to do it close to Doll, my hands were shaking and it would have been really f*****g tempting to dose myself up instead. Man I needed a break from this s**t.

Walking back to the car, dawn started to warm the sky, the screaming suddenly stopped. The pressure on my chest didn’t lift, the way my heart felt like it was breaking over and over was without reprieve, my mind was still pounding with a deep chilling sadness that wasn’t mine and yet the silence now underling this projected pain was more distressing than that God awful wailing. At this sudden change I approached the car with caution, moving the primed syringe to my left hand and pulling my hunting knife from its holster.

My Grandfather had taught me how fickle a Vampire could be, especially a newbie, like my Doll. If her emotional state was about to flip I had to be ready. I walked the long way round the car so I could look through the driver's side at her, that little bit of distance would give me a heads up if anything was awry unlike if I came straight up on the passenger door.

Dipping my head I looked through the window. Everything appeared to be in order. She was where I had left her in the front passenger seat; perfectly still. The only difference was that she had pulled her knees up to her chest, shoes on my f*****g upholstery, elbows bent either side of her knees with her hands clawing her face. Glossy beads of black blood slithered from beneath her finger tips running down her face and arms, dripping in MY GODDAMN CAR. That little b***h.

It was hard to feel all my anger with all her feelings muddling me up but I knew it was there, lurking, a beast in the shadows. I was being a glutton for punishment and making a fool of myself in the process; I'd never worked so hard for anything before. In fact I'd never wanted to work for anything either and yet here I was slogging my guts out for this piece of s**t Blood Sucker. She was a feast and I was full but for some reason unbeknownst to me I couldn’t f*****g stop going back for more.

Having scoped out the situation there seemed to be no need for the knife so I slipped it away just before I opened the door. With the physical barrier of the door removed it was hard to keep my focus, only my new best friend Saint Eusty blocking out her insane Tick kept me going. Hands shaking and bile rising in my throat I pulled her left hand away from her face so I could access her eye, it came away easier than expected but stayed rigid, locked in its claw-like position.

Freaky.

Just as I decided that the needle was in the perfect position, alarm flooded, what had been only a moment ago, a vacant staring eye.

“Hey, stop it. Hold. Still.” I told her through clenched teeth as she tried to push me away. As I tried to hold her still and get the needle into her eye she started keening, the sound high-pitched and laced with terror, while weakly slapping at my chest.

“Ahh. f**k. Shitting hell.” At least one of her razor sharp nails had caught me leaving a searing pain across my chest, I could feel the wetness coating my skin. Exasperated, I took a step back. “What the f**k are you fighting me for Doll?” I practically shouted glaring at her.

For the briefest moment something flashed in her eyes before she went limp. It was like someone had turned the light off – everything stopped. Now the unyielding grief had simply finished and I could finally breathe. One very deep breath later and a quick roll of my shoulders I stepped back up to her now corpse-like body and slammed the needle straight into her eye before forcing the plunger. Admittedly it was probably a little heavy handed but Doll had royally pissed me off.

Now that she was out for the count I scooped her up so I could put her in the trunk. The cut on my chest stung where her body slumped against mine. I looked at the line of her blood startlingly dark against her pale cheek. Desire grew in me. With a slow deliberate motion I ran my tongue over her cool flesh devouring the streak of blood. While I didn’t savour the taste I certainly savoured the action. As I dumped her in the trunk I could feel the wound on my chest knitting together. I tugged the tarp over my little Doll and my c**k stirred. She was mine.