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birthright_rpgDuring the day the campus thrived. Sunlight made the buildings glow. It kept smiles on faces and brought forth joy to be there. During the night it came alive. Groups formed, wandered and grew to inevitably find a party of interest. Couples walked hand in hand under the stars. Things came out of the shadows to mingle. Valerie walked with her head tipped back to find the moon, a sliver in the sky that looked like a wicked smile, the kind that held secrets. She didn’t return it, simply blinked before she focused on where she was actually going. The air smelled fresh, the faintest of breezes tickled her skin and she sighed.
She felt lucky to be there, to actually live the dream she’d had as a teenager. Valerie tried to appreciate these moments as they came, because who was to say it wouldn’t be the last? The blonde fiddled with the Walkman she had clipped to waistband of her jeans before realising she’d accidentally unplugged the headphones. “Idiot.” She muttered under her breath, stuck the headphones back in, and nearly burst her eardrums. Fingers found the volume and turned it down as she reeled slightly. Yeah well, who needs hearing anyway. Distracted, she almost tripped over a bag someone had left at the bushes by the path. No wait, that wasn’t a bag, that was a person.
Valerie spun to crouch by the girl, it looked as if someone or something had tried to pull her behind them by her feet. “They were trying to hide you.” The words were whispered as the blonde pressed two fingers at the woman’s neck and found no pulse, though her skin felt warm to the touch. She looked to be in her mid twenties, pale but even in death she looked fresh faced. Valerie used her fingers under the woman’s chin to turn her head towards her and felt her heart sink. “I’m sorry.” Two puncture wounds seeped crimson before her eyes and she had to stand up. Still fresh, the blood hadn‘t even begun to congeal. It was always hard finding a body, it was harder when she knew without a doubt that she’d missed the attack by minutes. The blonde caught sight of something clutched in the woman’s hand and pried it free. A chunk of black fabric. She slipped it into her pocket before heading off.
It took her twenty minutes to find the vampire after she’d alerted the campus security about the girl anonymously. By then he’d made his way around the campus and back to a party. He was new, maybe a few days, Valerie had found out he belonged to a frat according to his buddies she’d met by the punch bowl. Any longer and they’d have noticed his absence during the day, especially in classes. They had thought she’d been asking questions about him because she was interested in seeing him. The blonde didn’t bother to correct them and so when they walked her over to meet him she’d smiled sweetly and told him her name. She yawned when he talked and fed him a lie about being wiped out from classes. When he offered to walk her back to her dorm she couldn’t refuse.
“I haven’t seen you around, are you new this year?” He’d asked with a friendly smile.
Valerie shrugged lightly and kept walking to make sure they were alone “Yeah. Hey, what happened to your shirt?” The question sounded casual, friendly, as she slipped her left hand around her back to pull the sharpened wood from her belt loops.
“Oh that.” He looked at the sleeve where it had torn at the bottom and actually laughed. “Caught it in a door.”
“You know it’s weird because I found this...” She used her free hand to pull the fabric out of her pocket to dangle between her fingers. “In a dead girls hand not that far from here. I mean, what are the odds of that, right?”
The facade dropped and his true visage was shown as he made a grab for her. “I’ll give you five seconds to run if you want, get that blood flowing, but when I catch you...” He grinned. “You’ll have the chance to make a choice just like she did.”
Valerie dodged his arms with a look of disgust. The whole thing was just a bit of fun to him and it turned her stomach. “What choice?” She spat out, hands raised for a fight, the stake gripped in her left.
The vampire laughed again and took a step backwards when he caught sight of the stake. “She could join me or die.” The words were barely out of his mouth when he turned to make a run for it.
The blonde felt her anger kick start her instincts. He barely made it four feet away when the wood flew through the air and imbedded into his back. The vampire burst into dust still running just to blow away in the breeze. Valerie hit play on her Walkman and adjusted her headphones as she walked over to pick up the stake. The tune of ‘Where Is My Mind’ filled her ears and she had to wonder.
The walk back to her dorm didn’t feel as lucky as when she’d first stepped out. It was when she searched her pocket for her door key that she found the folded napkin. She found herself carrying it around and refused to question why. She opened it and traced the number with her thumb as she pushed the door open. Valerie smoothed the napkin against the bedside cabinet and reached for the phone. She dialed before she could think of a reason not too and wound the cord around her finger as she waited.
It rang a few times then cut to an answering machine. She chewed her lip and almost hung up on reflex alone. “Hi Brian, it’s Valerie. I know it’s late but I was up and just wondering how you were doing so I thought I’d call... I sound kinda creepy, I never know what to say on these things. Uhm, if you feel like calling my number’s 555 7321 but it’s not you now, mandatory or anything. Oh, and I hope your band practice went well the other night. Okay, uhm, night.”
Valerie put the phone down and caught sight of herself in the mirror. “Don’t give me that look, you need a life, that was the point of coming here.” Then she turned to open drawers for a fresh towel and her pajamas. She’d grab a shower before going to bed. Maybe the hot water would wash away the feeling of failure.
She felt lucky to be there, to actually live the dream she’d had as a teenager. Valerie tried to appreciate these moments as they came, because who was to say it wouldn’t be the last? The blonde fiddled with the Walkman she had clipped to waistband of her jeans before realising she’d accidentally unplugged the headphones. “Idiot.” She muttered under her breath, stuck the headphones back in, and nearly burst her eardrums. Fingers found the volume and turned it down as she reeled slightly. Yeah well, who needs hearing anyway. Distracted, she almost tripped over a bag someone had left at the bushes by the path. No wait, that wasn’t a bag, that was a person.
Valerie spun to crouch by the girl, it looked as if someone or something had tried to pull her behind them by her feet. “They were trying to hide you.” The words were whispered as the blonde pressed two fingers at the woman’s neck and found no pulse, though her skin felt warm to the touch. She looked to be in her mid twenties, pale but even in death she looked fresh faced. Valerie used her fingers under the woman’s chin to turn her head towards her and felt her heart sink. “I’m sorry.” Two puncture wounds seeped crimson before her eyes and she had to stand up. Still fresh, the blood hadn‘t even begun to congeal. It was always hard finding a body, it was harder when she knew without a doubt that she’d missed the attack by minutes. The blonde caught sight of something clutched in the woman’s hand and pried it free. A chunk of black fabric. She slipped it into her pocket before heading off.
It took her twenty minutes to find the vampire after she’d alerted the campus security about the girl anonymously. By then he’d made his way around the campus and back to a party. He was new, maybe a few days, Valerie had found out he belonged to a frat according to his buddies she’d met by the punch bowl. Any longer and they’d have noticed his absence during the day, especially in classes. They had thought she’d been asking questions about him because she was interested in seeing him. The blonde didn’t bother to correct them and so when they walked her over to meet him she’d smiled sweetly and told him her name. She yawned when he talked and fed him a lie about being wiped out from classes. When he offered to walk her back to her dorm she couldn’t refuse.
“I haven’t seen you around, are you new this year?” He’d asked with a friendly smile.
Valerie shrugged lightly and kept walking to make sure they were alone “Yeah. Hey, what happened to your shirt?” The question sounded casual, friendly, as she slipped her left hand around her back to pull the sharpened wood from her belt loops.
“Oh that.” He looked at the sleeve where it had torn at the bottom and actually laughed. “Caught it in a door.”
“You know it’s weird because I found this...” She used her free hand to pull the fabric out of her pocket to dangle between her fingers. “In a dead girls hand not that far from here. I mean, what are the odds of that, right?”
The facade dropped and his true visage was shown as he made a grab for her. “I’ll give you five seconds to run if you want, get that blood flowing, but when I catch you...” He grinned. “You’ll have the chance to make a choice just like she did.”
Valerie dodged his arms with a look of disgust. The whole thing was just a bit of fun to him and it turned her stomach. “What choice?” She spat out, hands raised for a fight, the stake gripped in her left.
The vampire laughed again and took a step backwards when he caught sight of the stake. “She could join me or die.” The words were barely out of his mouth when he turned to make a run for it.
The blonde felt her anger kick start her instincts. He barely made it four feet away when the wood flew through the air and imbedded into his back. The vampire burst into dust still running just to blow away in the breeze. Valerie hit play on her Walkman and adjusted her headphones as she walked over to pick up the stake. The tune of ‘Where Is My Mind’ filled her ears and she had to wonder.
The walk back to her dorm didn’t feel as lucky as when she’d first stepped out. It was when she searched her pocket for her door key that she found the folded napkin. She found herself carrying it around and refused to question why. She opened it and traced the number with her thumb as she pushed the door open. Valerie smoothed the napkin against the bedside cabinet and reached for the phone. She dialed before she could think of a reason not too and wound the cord around her finger as she waited.
It rang a few times then cut to an answering machine. She chewed her lip and almost hung up on reflex alone. “Hi Brian, it’s Valerie. I know it’s late but I was up and just wondering how you were doing so I thought I’d call... I sound kinda creepy, I never know what to say on these things. Uhm, if you feel like calling my number’s 555 7321 but it’s not you now, mandatory or anything. Oh, and I hope your band practice went well the other night. Okay, uhm, night.”
Valerie put the phone down and caught sight of herself in the mirror. “Don’t give me that look, you need a life, that was the point of coming here.” Then she turned to open drawers for a fresh towel and her pajamas. She’d grab a shower before going to bed. Maybe the hot water would wash away the feeling of failure.
Valerie's Answering Machine
on 2013-08-16 03:15 am (UTC)