• Search for the Lost

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2007 4:02 pm**

I had spent the night looking feverishly for the little girl. Feverishly, because I feared she may be dead or worse, and feverishly, because I don’t do well on pigeon blood. I must have been pulling a record high fever of 45 degrees. Not that I’ve ever taken my temperature as a vampire, or even registered on heat detectors, but that’s what I felt like.

The night had been shockingly droll, considering there was an extra dead girl lurking about. So when I scented him, I wasn’t sure how I should react. But I figured his mission was the same as mine tonight. I guessed at his trajectory and took a quicker route, climbing to the rooftops and circling around so we would meet each other face to face. If I was going to get shot tonight, I wanted to be shot from the front, not skulking in the shadows. According to the custom of my kind, his cat screeched and clambered up his shoulder as I passed them, several stories up. He cocked his gun and pointed it into the darkness warily, scanning through the shadows. I dropped from my perch about twenty feet in front of him.

“Darken.” He said my name as though it was the answer to a weather report.

“Ron,” I greeted with a nod. Mr. Fluffers had returned to normal and was padding up to me even before we had finished the secret handshake. Ron looked at his cat with something akin to amazement as the scruffy thing rubbed against my leg once before circling about and sitting down, glaring at me as though to say, “Well, are you going to offer me a treat, or what?”

Several silent moments issued. Ron lowered his gun from my chest—and away from Mr. Fluffers at my feet.

“Looking for the girl?” I asked hesitantly.

He nodded.

“Yes, you too?”

I nodded.

“Yes . . . no sign of her in this alley.” What kind of a moronic thing was that to say? Next I’d be asking for his number!

His brows furrowed over his goggles.

“No sign of her down here either.” Well, considering Mr. Fluffers had stopped staring at me to disinterestedly begin washing himself, as least Ron had an excuse to be tongue-tied.

“I hope we find her before the cold or something worse happens . . .” he said.

“Yeah . . .” Cold? What about the cold? Oh . . . right, humans and their warmblooded needs . . .

I nodded in agreement. He stared at me as though trying to read my mind.

I put up a Mind Block just in case.

“Well good luck.” He suddenly said, backing up.

“Thanks, you too.”

We slowly backed away from each other. Ron seemed to remember that I was still a threat and hastily trained his gun on me. The moment Mr. Fluffers noticed we were parting ways, he glared at me as if to say, “You really blundered on this one, Cee,” and raced back to Ron’s heels.

I didn’t find the girl. Anyone else have any luck?

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2007 4:09 pm**

Uh Bert and I are not even in the same hemisphere any more, so you can resonably guess we had no luck.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2007 4:16 pm**

Oh wonderful, so its like this..KT is in the hospital, Shadow & Bert are vacationin' in Russia right now, the noobs pulled out, Shang is gone, and Kolya's guys left a few days ago.

This is just frickin' fantasic. So much for goin' home. Other than Ron and Cee (who by the way sounds like death warmed over), Im the only other one here.

Ok then, maybe we should try to regroup. Duke, go find Celeste. She needs out help right now. I just hope I don't find her and Ron smoochin' in an alley somewhere, I don't have a camera.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2007 4:48 pm**

I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that from you, Ben. Not that it would be out of character, but the idea of Ron and me . . . um . . . I suggest you brace yourself for the moment he reads it.

As for the other commnt, I am death warmed over . . . by a couple of degrees.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2007 4:56 pm**

What you two do fals under my foreign policy; " Ya'll can go an' kill yourselves, but do it quietly and don't get me involved. "

Sides, I know ya only got eyes for me.

Now lets go ind this missin' kid.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2007 5:43 pm**

Holister if you are talking about Bert and I over here in Russia,You may have noticed that Kolya is more concerned about Bert's safety than Mine. So as soon as we have Bert somewhere safe I will be heading back.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2007 5:48 pm**

This is the first time I've been treated like a parcel since the last time I traveled on a gov't flight. :lol:

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2007 11:45 pm**

Me . . . and Miss Dead-girl-walking . . . kissing . . .

Ben, you wanted me to say if you have an alcohol problem, so I got to know how many have you had before you posted that?

I'm just as likely to kiss Darken as she as to invite me to watch the sunrise with her.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2007 11:49 pm**

Ron you do understand we is pulling your leg there, not to metion he seems to have a crush on Celeste.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2007 11:52 pm**

Unless he's into necrophillia, I don't understand why.

Posted: **Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:00 am**

I am kinda Hazy on if haveing a relation with a Vampire would or would not actually count as Necrophillia, But from some stand points I can see why he is attracted to her even undead she is cute if she were alive I would like have asked her out. I did say If she were alive, just to head off any comments towards me.

Posted: **Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:06 am**

Between her dental issues and her heart condition I really can't says he does anything for me . . . and it's not like I've had many dates lately.

Posted: **Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:10 am**

Be careful you don't know what kind of comments an admission like that could get from Holister.

Posted: **Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:13 am**

I don't particularly care. It's not like I've mad a secret of it. I have more important things to do in my life than to get all doe eyed over something that has a few different curves than I do.

Posted: **Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:18 am**

Ron I don't think anyone at anytime could ever say that you were every Doe Eyed for anything in your life.

Posted: **Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:23 am**

There was one, but not in 14 - 15 years now.

Posted: **Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:29 am**

I stand corrected.

Posted: **Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:33 am**

You've been in the compound, you met Sarah.

Posted: **Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:35 am**

Yes I have and you may not want to say anymore just in case.

Posted: **Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:40 am**

I know . . . I'm so tired of this, I look forward to not having to worry anymore.

Anyway, it's been a rough night for KT, my turn to go on "watch."

Posted: **Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:45 am**

Trust me the worrying never stops, as you get older you just learn to deal with it better. At least that is what my grandparents say.
Otherwise I wish you a Quiet night.

Posted: **Wed Feb 28, 2007 9:06 am**

This is a specific worry I'm looking to get rid of.

Posted: **Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:22 pm**

Yeah we will hopefully get that one taken care of soon.

Posted: **Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:47 pm**

“The sightings have increased,” Marion said. “That or people are making a joke of it.”

“Any trace of a pattern in these sightings?” I leaned forward to gaze at the computer screen, ignoring his rapid breathing when my hair brushed his shoulder.

“Sort of,” he said after a moment of vainly hoping I would bite him.

I waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t; basking in my vampiric aura was enough for him.

“Please explain ‘sort of,’” I instructed forcefully, straightening and not resorting to hypnotism.

“Sh . . . she has two patterns,” he said quickly, licking his lips when he turned around from the computer and noticed my glare. “Or at least, that’s what I suspect. It’d be physically impossible for someone . . . anyone to pull off . . . some of them were seen at the same time.”

I paused, slowly digesting this. “What about those using magical transportation and other such instantaneous methods?”

“That would take some seriously complicated magic,” he waved my suggestion off with respect. “Or using spells I’ve never heard of. Though I guess they could use Wink Out and Teleportation, though the PPE usage would be high enough to get the attention of anybody that’s sensitive to such things.”

I shook my head, musing quietly. “That doesn’t sound like Khavik.”

Marion gazed at me longingly. “Celeste, you’re looking pale. I think you’d feel a lot better if you just had a little pick me up. I’ll get a lancet . . .”

I stopped him with a glare. “No. Stick to finding more patterns; I’ll check out the ones you’ve found.”

He nodded glumly. All right. But if you change your mind, just ask . . .”

“Marion. This is not the time.” I rocked on my heels when I came against the ward placed against the hall. But bracing myself against it, I felt it bend like hardened taffy under my strength. I stumbled when I broke through, and the ward bent back into shape. Marion was still eyeing me, impressed.

“You may want to fix it,” I advised. He shook his head.

“Wouldn’t do me any good. I pulled it off perfectly this time. It only blocks lesser servants, pranksters, and a few other nasties. You’re obviously a part of the greater ones, Celeste. Are you sure you don’t want a drink?”

“Good night,, Marion,” I replied stiffly.

He nodded glumly. “Good night.”

I nodded curtly and returned to the street level to start my search anew.

And it seems I’ve been running into everybody except Hannah . . . running into Ron several times in one night, and again in the second . . . I was beginning to think he was stalking me.

I decided I had better search farther away. I didn’t care that “logically” she couldn’t have gone far. “Logically,” I shouldn’t be moving. So I took to a different hunting route, well away from Ron’s hunting grounds.

And it was a good thing I did.

Posted: **Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:51 pm**

Ok you want to let the rest of the class in on what happened?

Posted: **Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:52 pm**

They both think the other is seeking them out.

Cue Holister comment and then get on with business...

Looking forward to the rest of the story, too, by the way.

Posted: **Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:56 pm**

Thanks Kolya that much I got. I was wondering about what she did find?

Posted: **Wed Feb 28, 2007 1:24 pm**

See what I mean?

Sometimes he just says weird nonsense!

Posted: **Wed Feb 28, 2007 1:31 pm**

As opposed to normal nonsense?

Posted: **Wed Feb 28, 2007 1:31 pm**

oof

Search for the Lost

Search for the Lost

Pretending

Homing In