CHAPTER TWO
With the moon shining brightly, the wind picked up as the night rolled on. Lazarus was so close to getting what he wanted, he could taste it, smell it, and feel it. Two nights before, he took six of his men to a small passage just outside Cairo, Egypt. They dug up the land there--seven feet deep--and uncovered a box that held the very evil that could shake the earth. Too bad the bitch who controlled it wasn't around. It would have made things much easier.
He looked down at the box that sat next to him.
Pandora's Box.
It wasn't as beautiful as many people believed. It was ugly, actually. And it wasn't even a box! But none of that mattered, of course. No, the power that came with it mattered and that was all Lazarus wanted. After they dug it up, he immediately returned to Seattle and presented the special object to his Master. Just when Lazarus thought things couldn't get any better--they crumbled, but only slightly.
The box couldn't be opened.
It was protected by some kind of woopy spell the almighty Pandora put on before she passed on. No one can just open the damn thing. You have to have the key and the sacrifice of a pure blooded human woman. Oh, and not just any woman! She had to be a woman genuinely in love.
That thought made Lazarus cringe. He could easily find a pure blooded human woman. But one in love? That was going to take weeks! Months even! Nowadays, humans avoided love as much as any Vampire would. The whole idea, he thought was tedious and cheesy. A pure blooded human woman in love? He had as much good luck with that one as a hen surviving Christmas week.
After enduring a few choice words from his Master, Lazarus was sent to Crosswoods, Connecticut where the key was located.
And a Dr. Selene Warren.
Supposedly, the key was secured around her neck on a chain. Well, that shouldn't be a problem. All he had to do was snap her neck and get the key. He'd bring it to his Master alright. Maybe he'd even bring her head too--for decoration purposes of course.
Lazarus stood towards the back of the train, looking out of the window. He watched as the trees and buildings flew past him in different colored blurs. Crosswoods was getting close. Thank Hades. He was never one for train rides or any ride for that matter.
Turning, he walked back to the front where he had originally been seated. It was quiet--stark quiet.
He grinned.
He knew that sound. It was the sound of stone, cold death.
Passing by the limp bodies and blood, he kicked one of them, moving it out of his way. The stench of corpses filled the air and it made his mouth water. He stopped and looked to the side, seeing a young--scared--girl. She looked to be no more than sixteen. She had a future. A full life ahead of her! Too bad she wasn't going to get the chance to actually live it.
She had fiery red hair and was scrawny and tiny looking. She looked to be a snack rather than a meal. Fine. He'd had a large meal before he abroad the train anyway. He advanced on her slowly. The more he walked to her, the more she frantically moved back and then scrambled away. But before she could get anywhere, he grabbed the back of her head and slammed it against the floor. Lazarus made a face at the splatter of blood. "Oh, what a mess."
An hour later, the train slowed to a stop. Lazarus smiled widely as he wiped his mouth, his fangs showing fully. Standing he and his men made their way off the train and onto the ground. The air was wild there. It reeked of sweet-blooded humans. He could feel his senses reeling. He laughed, his belly shaking up and down.
"Welcome to Crosswoods, boys."
**********
Selene sighed to herself, stacking the last box in the closet. Before she closed the door, she wiped the small beads of sweat from her forehead. She had finally unpacked her things. Her apartment was starting to look like a home instead of an old warehouse or something. She placed her hands on her hips, looking at her living room. She felt so accomplished. She had a new apartment; a new job; and a new life.
Yes, the apartment was much smaller than what she had in Baltimore, but it suited her just fine. She had a nice sized bedroom and bathroom. Her garden tub was amazing. Her kitchen was small, though it large enough for just her. Her den quaint and she couldn't have asked for a better sunroom.
Then there was her living room. Her flat 50 inch television fit nicely in the center and her bookcases stood tall in two of the corners in the room. Her fireplace was small but she was sure it would pack in some heat. The walls were beautiful. All white was boring so she decided to paint some of them red. It was stylish and went great with her red and cream colored furniture.
Selene plopped down on her plush couch, sinking into the softness of it. Though Crosswoods was a small city, it was relatively quiet. Or at least it was where she lived. Yep. it was a quiet Saturday indeed. The best part was, she didn't have to go to work! Wilcox actually closed down the library due to some crazy reason that Selene didn't bother remembering. She had been working there for a couple of weeks and, though it was hard work, it was a nice job to have.
She didn't have to sit and listen to people's feelings and monitor them. She didn't have to write long notes and give diagnosis. There were no clients crying on her shoulder, begging her to make their life worth something.
Yes, Selene missed her old job. She lived for psychology but she had to admit that not doing anything that remotely dealt with it was a breath of fresh air.
But she was sure within the next couple of weeks or months, she was going to get that itch. The same itch that led her to her Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate's degrees.
She fell back onto the cushions, her head resting on the armrest. She closed her eyes, relishing in the calmness and quietness....until the loud shrill of the phone interrupted her peace.
"Well, it was great while it lasted." She sighed heavily, reaching above her head for the phone. Bringing it to her ear, she answered it. "Hello?"
"Hey!"
Selene smiled at the sound of the voice. "Hey Mom. How are you?"
"I'm fine. You stopped calling and I just wanted to make sure that you were alright."
"Mom, I spoke to you just yesterday."
"Yeah, well, you can never hear enough of your children's voices. You know I expect you and your brother to call everyday! How are you?"
She sat up onto her side, propping her head on her hand. "Well..." She looked around her newly, unpacked apartment and smiled. "...good. I'm doing just fine. Have you spoken with Steven? How is he doing?"
"Meh, you know Steven. Always off digging up the dirt of the world. He told me, just last week, that he found a bone--a skull rather, that dated back to the years before Christ. You know I told him that if he ever wanted to find a girl to settle down with, that he not mention anything about his job." She paused. "What about you? Have you found someone new? Have you spoken with Robert?"
Now why would she ask a thing like that, Selene wondered. It was bad enough that she had accidentally packed some of his things and had to either throw it out the window or burn it. Now what? Her mother expected her to talk with him? What's the point of running away from somebody if you stop and talk to them? "Mom, Robert and I don't speak. It's best that way. He doesn't even know where I am. I hope you didn't tell him where I am!"
"Oh, hush, girl. I didn't tell him where you are. But, maybe...look at your father and I. We broke up after a long courtship. Then years later, we reunited and reconnected and that's when your brother was born. If we didn't take that chance, we wouldn't be together today. And he wouldn't be getting on my nerves as we speak. Maybe you and Robert will have a second chance?"
"Mom! We are not getting back together!"
"You are always so negative! You need to be positive for once!"
"Fine! I am positive that we are not going to get back together." She sighed to herself, plopping her head down on the cushions. She listened to her mother and her craziness for a few more minutes until the two of them said their goodbyes and hung up. She loved talking to her mother, but sometimes the woman could be pushy and nosey. Having a conversation with her mother always left her exhausted. She decided to take a short nap, a cat nap.
What was supposed to be a couple of minutes, turned into a couple of hours. Before she knew it, she woke up to evening and to a very hungry stomach. She wanted to order a pizza but to her amazement, she left her wallet back at the library. Why?
Go figure.
Grabbing her keys and jacket, she left her apartment and headed for the library. She decided to walk instead of wasting gas. Besides, the sky was clear, the sun was setting, and the walk would do her some good.
**********
Well, she was right. The walk did do her some good, until it started raining. It was pouring down at the moment and of course Selene didn't bring an Umbrella. She sighed to herself, holding her purse over her head, trying to use it as some form of shield. She didn't mind the walk but her car would have made a good use right now. Seeing a bus stop ahead, she decided to take shelter under the overlay, plopping down on the bench. She smiled at the man who sat next to her.
"Rainy weather we're having."
Selene smiled again and nodded her head. "Yes, very rainy. Too rainy actually."
"You're not from around here, are ya'?"
"No." she shook her head. "I'm not. Does it get like this all the time?"
The stranger shrugged his shoulders. "Wouldn't know. I'm new here too. Just got in tonight. A few minutes ago. You are a very beautiful woman. Where are you from? I mean, where are you originally from?" He held up his hands when she gave him a look. "I'm sorry. I was just trying to make conversation."
"No, it's fine, you just ask a lot of questions. I just...well, I'm originally from Texas but I moved to Massachusetts." She smiled again. "What about you?"
The stranger sighed, looking at the cars passing by on the street before them. Then he turned back to her. "I'm from everywhere, I guess you can say."
"Everywhere?" She nodded. "Everywhere like...where?"
"Everywhere, like everywhere. Many places that you don't need to know."
"Ah. Point taken." The rain let up just enough for her to begin walking again. Selene stood. "Well, it was nice talking to you..."
"Ash."
"Ash. Nice talk to you Ash. Have a nice night." She gave him a quick nod before walking into the rain again. This time, she didn't need her purse.
"Egypt. France. The U.K. Even had a stint in New Zealand for a while."
Her brow raised as she glanced behind her at the man. "Excuse me??"
"That's where I'm from. I've been a lot of places, you see."
"Mm-hm. And you ended up here. Well, how nice." She walked a little faster, holding her purse closer to her chest. If it was what he was after, he wasn't going to get it without a fight.
"Nice? Or pitiful?"
She shrugged. "I don't know." She glanced to him again. He had a smirk on his face. One of those sexy smirks you see on those handsome serial killers from Lifetime. "Was there something you needed?"
"Where are you going?" He asked, staring at the back of her head before looking straight ahead. He walked faster as she did, though because he was taller, his didn't need to take many strides.
'To the police if you don't stop following me.' she thought to herself. Quickly, she glanced behind her at the road before crossing the street and onto the sidewalk. Maybe she should have heated up some leftovers and stayed in.
"I hope you're not going to your apartment, Selene."
Selene stopped dead in her tracks, her brows furrowing. She thought she left him behind but here he was standing right in front of her. "I never gave you my name."
Ash smirked. "No. You didn't." He spoke again when he felt she was about to scream. "Don't scream. It'll just bring them closer."
"Who closer?!" She began to step back.
'Good.' Ash thought as he stepped forward with every step she took back. If she could just keep in that direction...
Selene ran into the road past him. She didn't know that man but she did know she had to get away from him. And fast.
"Wait! No! You mustn't go that way!" His lips pursed. "Fuck."
Selene ran, not looking back. She turned the corner, nearly slipping on something she didn't care to take a look at. Her heart pounded in her chest as did her feet on the ground. Who was he? How did he know her name? Those were questions she wasn't going to stick around to find out. But he knew she stayed in an apartment so, he must have known where she stayed, which meant she couldn't go there.
Ayla.
Ayla lived close! Maybe she could get there and call the police. Hell no. She would call the police now so by the time she got to Ayla's house, they'd already be there. Getting out her phone, Selene quickly dialed 9-1-1. "Hello? I need the police! Quickly! Yes, this is an emergency! I wouldn't be calling if it wasn't! Someone is chased me and now they are trying to break into my house! 4226 Riley Drive! Please, hurry! I--" Her sentence ended when she tripped and fell onto the ground. She noticed her phone face down in a puddle. "Shit." Getting up, Selene began to run again, only to be cut off by someone. The man grabbed her arms, stopping her. "Please! Someone...is...after me." She spoke out of breath.
The man laughed. "Aw, poor little nibblet. We'll protect you." He said of the men who now stood behind him.
Selene's heart beat so fast, she thought it might fly out of her chest. Where they working with that...that Ash? She struggled, trying to pull herself away from him. His grip was like stone; unmoving. "Let me go! Please!" Her eyes widened. His teeth seemed to lengthen! Who, no what the hell was he?! "Help!"
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