Haven (5)
December 5th, 2051 Great ominous gray clouds gathered in the sky high above the city streets. All through the day the radios and televisions had warned of snow. So, by sunset the streets were bare and naked. The citizens of Haven, well used to its harsh winters had retreated into the safety and comfort of their homes. This left the outside world to Haven’s darker denizens. Every shadow in the city moved with a life entirely unnatural. Things lurched in alleyways with malicious intent. Woods seethed with preternatural predator and prey. As the human population retreated inside, the city choked on darkness. And, the monsters danced. Above the city, the first few flakes of winter snow were falling to the ground below. As they made their way through the air to the streets, Jill watched with little interest from her office window. The mayor of Haven rarely had time to indulge in such things, and she wished that she were capable of enjoying it more. Her mind was filled with too many other things to be concerned with the weather. It seemed that Haven had become a much more dangerous place to live than it had been. The death rate had doubled almost overnight, and remained that way for a month. The police were baffled at first, and now the local experts were talking of an epidemic. Jill Morgan was not at all pleased with the situation. She knew that Haven was a corrupt city in almost every way. Something about the epidemic talk bothered her. It was a very serious matter, and she had told them to take every precaution, but it seemed that nothing was being done. Jill was beginning to think that this epidemic might have been some sort of cover-up. Whatever it was, she was going to have to come up with something to tell the people very soon. Such an astonishing rash of deaths had caused quite a panic, and the citizens of Haven had demanded an explanation. Jill had called a meeting at city hall that was to take place in three days. She hoped to have some answers by them, and perhaps quell some of the rumors of serial murderers and raging plagues. As of yet, she had been given no new information. She continued to watch the falling snow, hoping that perhaps it would delay the meeting for a day or two. Such thoughts saddened her. There had been a time when she really thought that she could change this city, but two years as mayor was quickly changing her mind. The degradation of this city where she had spent her entire life was more definitely apparent from her view on high. When she was merely a citizen of the city, she had a clearer view of its potential. Then, it had been her home and not her burden. She had walked the streets with a feeling of familiarity, but that was before her station as mayor had ripped away that veil of innocence she had seen it through. She had loved this city and truly wanted to see it become a better place since she was young. However, she realized now that she had taken the wrong path. Bound by politics and regulations, Jill was virtually powerless to change anything. At age seventeen, her life had been irrevocably changed on the streets of this city that she loved so much. Jill was returning home from a friend’s house. She was terribly late and she knew that her parents were got to be furious with her. This time the truth was definitely not going to work. She was sure that her mother and father were not going to believe that she had accidentally fallen asleep. Jill raced through the alleys that she knew she should not have gone down, but she cared not about muggers and rapists when faced with her parents’ wrath. Her footfalls echoed loudly in her ears as she rounded a corner into a particularly dark street. Instinct stopped her at the mouth of the alley so shaded that she could scarcely see two feet in front of her. For half a second she considered taking another route. Finally, she swallowed her fear and started into the darkness. No sooner had she taken a step into the darkness than a meaty hand clamped onto her shoulder and pushed her against a brick wall. The world spun as Jill’s breath was knocked brutally from her lungs. She was immediately assaulted by a barrage of profanities that her yet unseen attacker used to describe what his plans were for her. He kept her front side pressed against the wall with his hand pushing into the small of her back. She found that she was too scared to scream when she felt his other hand wrap around her waist and start fumbling with her belt. The volley of profanity continued to pour from the man’s lips as he tried to undress her. After his stubby fingers had pulled at the waist of her pants for a full minute, the man snapped his hand away and pushed her harder into the wall. Jill felt the man’s breath come hard against her right ear. His breathing was frantic and ragged as he said, “You do it.” For a long moment nothing happened. Jill knew what it was that this man wanted from her. He had made that very clear, but she had no intention of just giving it to him. “No,” she had said, simply. She could almost feel the man’s rage well up behind her. “Don’t think I won’t kill you,” he whispered loudly in her ear. His voice was guttural, and Jill had no doubt that he meant what he had said. In fact, she had figured that was what he had in mind all along. It seemed pointless to give him what he wanted if he planned to kill her either way. “Kill me, then,” she answered, suddenly bold. “You can have me when I’m dead.” He grabbed a fist full of her red hair and pushed her face into the wall. She waited for the man to strike her. The pressure against her cheek was bearable, but she was sure that she had angered him more than that. It seemed that he had stopped everything that he was doing. It quickly became clear to Jill that something was going on behind her back that she was unable to see. Had she been saved? Suddenly, she was thrown to the ground. Her face scraped across the brick before she fell to the pavement causing her to cry out in pain. In the darkness she saw the man being pulled away by some unseen savior. Jill lay on the ground for a long time before the figure that had saved her finally reappeared. Jill could not tell much about the woman except that she was blonde and her white T-shirt was covered in the rapist’s blood. “This is not for your eyes,” the woman said in a harsh voice. “Go home and tell no one what you have seen here tonight.” Two hours later Jill was sitting in the police station telling them her version of what had happened. In exchange for her life, Jill had not mentioned the woman that had saved her. She told the police that the man had dragged her to some place she did not recognize, and she had somehow managed to get away from him. However, it was at that moment that Jill had realized that something had to be done about Haven. When killers were murdering killers, things had gotten out of control. It was thirteen years later that she became mayor of Haven. Now, two years after that, it frustrated her to no end that the city was just as corrupt as it had always been, and there was little that she could do about it. So, it was not uncommon, these nights that Jill spent in her office poring over crime reports and newspaper headlines trying to find a pattern to it all, and hopefully, a solution. She stared out once more at the falling snow and realized that it had started to gather on the streets, and she wondered if she should not try to make it home before the ivory deluge came faster and covered the entire city. With that thought, Jill grabbed her coat and purse from the back of her office chair and started toward the door. * * * * * * * Snowflakes fell like rain outside the old hall. Jenny would have liked it had there been someone there to watch the snow with her, but the rally had been over for hours and all of her kind had already gone into the night. She had to admit, on the other hand, that she had been glad to see them go. This was the third rally in a month, and just like the other two, this one had brought the same accusatory stares in her direction. Now, sitting on the steps in front of the old warehouse she realized that none of her kind would ever forget what she had once been. Forever would they whisper of her behind her back and speak of her in hushed tones even though she was not around. Jenny had never had any friends in Haven except for Sarah and Stephanie. She only referred to those two as friends because they were the only two to stand in her defense after nights like this one. She had always understood why people had thought of her the way they did. When she was younger her problem led to the circulation of many unpleasant rumors about her. Now, most people she knew kept their distance. Somehow she had thought that things might change, but she was wrong. The bloodlust that had once tormented her had been overcome almost thirty years ago, but the suspicions that had surrounded her had never died away with it. She knew that she was silently suspected every time a vampire died (for the blood addiction often drove vampires to kill their own kind), and every time there was a rash of inexplicable deaths. It seemed no matter what she did she was still the Alley Shadow, clinging to the night for as long as she could, searching for victims to fuel her addictions. She wondered if she would ever be rid of that reputation. With this new situation that had been the subject of the recent meetings at the old hall, Jenny found that her reputation had not burned out just yet. The police force had been coming down hard on the Society, claiming that the number of vampire kills had reached a tremendous new high and they were having trouble covering it up. The hospitals that had seen themselves rich because of Society payoffs were complaining of the sudden rise in the number of dead coming in from vampires. It was the medical bribes that had bought the rumors of some strange new illness. The Society could only hope that the ruse would hold until they could come up with a solution to this new problem. Of course, all eyes had been turned on Jenny when talk of the killings was brought forth a month ago. She had her secrets like anyone else in the Society. Some of her secrets would have crumbled the Society and the High Ones, but she knew that none of the killings showed any evidence of her doing. Jenny could cope with being the natural suspect in this matter, but the fact that no formal accusations had been made angered her. Seeing the High Ones for what they were—a lot of ancients gossiping like old women—Jenny was disappointed. It seemed that their only solution to this problem was letting the guilty party know that they were aware of what was happening, and them hoping that it would stop. She almost longed for the days of Stephanie prowling the streets like some vampire police officer, but as it were the Society had no such judicial force. All that they did have was an archaic system of laws and no one to enforce them or bring forth punishment. Jenny had considered this problem at length, and she had come to the conclusion that the factors involved were far too paradoxical to ever be solved. It seemed that the Society was doomed to destroy itself. Ancient creatures consumed in ancient laws, trying to impress them on a generation far beyond their sense of logic. Not that this would spell the end for the vampire species of undead, only that the “Society” would eventually come to an end. Jenny could see its end as clearly as the rest of them, and just like them she had no inkling of what might be done about it. It seemed, at this point, to preserve the Society they needed a vampire appointed “above the law.” She knew though that such power only bred corruption. So, whit these long thoughts rolling about her head, Jenny took to the snow-covered streets of her city in search of her one victim. She hoped that it would be a criminal. She preferred them these days. If it were just an average citizen, though, so be it. * * * * * * * Angelique stood in the middle of the Haven Cemetery and wept tears of blood. She felt as though her sorrow might consume her. Here, surrounded by death, was really the only part of the city that was capable of evoking pleasant memories. This had been the place where she and Martin had first met almost fifty years before. She could still remember the way that he had stared at her that night as though he were entranced by her, which he was. At the time he had been a vampire for less than a year, and his only real experience with the others was through Sarah, which meant next to none at all if any. Everything about Angelique had amazed him. He had left Haven thirty-five years ago to find a better place for himself. Before he had gone he had left Angelique with a promise. Martin had told her that when he found that place he would surely come back for her. Now, three and a half decades later, she had almost lost hope in his return. Now, she came her almost every night to remember this man that had captured her heart with his innocence only to later leave her in a place that even he had grown to loathe. She remembered his slightly crooked smile, and his unruly brown hair. These were not the things that endeared him to her, but Angelique would give most anything to see them again. Every part of her wanted to set out in search of him, but she knew that these thoughts were foolish. However, these thoughts had led her to some frightening points in her life. She shook these things away from her mind. Her desperation had brought many horrors to mind, and she did not want to think of them. Tonight, she wanted only to think of Martin. Something told her that he was coming back very soon. Her Fae friends had seen only portents of evil lately. She knew that those omens drawn from a very different society than her own could not be about Martin. Nothing in him was evil, despite the blood that he oft times took from evildoers. The Fae had warned her, nonetheless. She trusted them, and she knew that her life contained a measure of badness yet to come. This had been prophesized by Methos, the most powerful of the Fae in Haven. This was a great burden to Angelique who thought that she had seen the last of the evil in her life. These new thoughts of the Fae prophecy brought more sanguine tears to her eyes. She fell to her knees in the snow, reveling in dreams of past and future troubles. Her marble skin and ashen face made her appear as a holy statue in the center of the graveyard. A perversion of the Virgin Mary pouring forth sacred tears fro her fallen son. The snow receded from the crimson droplets, and was soon replaced by more. * * * * * * * Two strangers crossed the border into the city. A man and a woman. Both of them moved with an air of urgency about them, though the woman a bit more light-hearted, toward the far end of the city. Their expressions stern, and their walk determined, the two of them came to this supernatural draw point bearing a dire message. The woman stared in awe at her surroundings, more so with every step into Haven that she took. “This is it?” she said to her companion in an almost disappointed tone. “Not what you expected?” His voice was hurried, but she could hear the hurt that was there. She stopped in her tracks turning a pair of very blue eyes up to him. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I just expected something very different things call home.” She sounded very apologetic. “Amanda,” he said as he began walking again, “you have not been inhuman that long. You know that humans are masters of denial and self-delusion. They built this city, and it was their way of trying to fight back the abnormality that was already here. It looks much as any other city in America might, but you and I both know that the hidden things are good at what they do,” he paused for emphasis. “Hiding.” Amanda nodded at the words of this man. She had never been to Haven before, but from the stories that she had heard of the place, it was grossly over exaggerated. The tall buildings and mundane shops were indeed just like what one would see in any other city. However, if his words were true, then this place seethed with unseen things that would probably shock Amanda as much as they would any human. She had only been a vampire for a few years, and the world of the supernatural was still very new to her. Most of her time in unlife had been spent traveling. She had, of course, seen her share of horrors in this time, but everywhere that she had been whispered talk of Haven echoed around her; Some kind of monstrous Mecca. Admittedly, now that she had seen, she was a little disappointed. However, she still anticipated learning of the darker face that this city wore. She looked to her companion and wondered at how this place that, through rumor and conjecture, had been deemed evil could have produced someone like him. “So, where are we going?” she asked him to break the silence. “First, we are going to the old hall. I’ve got to inform the big guys about what’s going on.” He paused for a moment, lost in memory. “That is, if they are still in power. After that, I’ve got to find Sarah.” Amanda thought about meeting Sarah. She had heard that she was somewhat of a rebel in Haven. While the idea of meeting Sarah appealed to her, it seemed that their mission would possibly move in another direction. “Don’t you want to go see her, Martin?” He stopped and contemplated her words for a long time. Amanda could not help from smiling when she looked at him. Standing there in the falling snow, head slightly upturned, and that ponderous look upon his face. She fancied that he looked rather noble, even though she had nothing to compare him to. He frowned and began walking again. “I don’t know,” he said, clearly not wanting to discuss it any further. As they trudged through the snow that was now nearing six inches deep, Amanda wondered what would occur between Martin and Angelique while they were in Haven. When Martin had first given Amanda her unlife, all he ever spoke of was Angelique. Over the years talk of this lost love had grown less and less, and Amanda was aware of how Martin often looked at her. It seemed that the longer the two of them were together, the more they stumbled into something more than friendship. Amanda was smart enough to realize, though, that while this may be true, Martin was not wholly comfortable with it. Even she did not know what to do about the two of them. Martin appealed to her in many ways, most of them beyond the realms of friendliness, but when it came to such matters, Amanda felt as though she were a child again. She was still unsure of many aspects of vampire physiology, and sex especially was a mystery to her. All of the vampires she had met in her unlife seemed devoid of any kind of sex drive, including Martin. She knew that vampirism caused most of the body’s organs to function solely on blood. She was sure that this had some effects on the hormonal drives that humans had, but as of yet she had not felt the effects. Some said that it was the taking of blood that surpassed all other pleasures, but this too was untrue for her. In short, she had not had sex in five, and it was beginning to get to her. To put is sharply, Amanda needed to get laid. Amanda sighed involuntarily, soliciting a quizzical look from Martin. She waved it away and he turned his attention back to his feet. In essence her problem was that she wanted Martin. His attachment to Angelique had suddenly become more of a problem than it had been, not to mention her own lack of knowledge about vampire couplings. In the meantime, he seemed oblivious to her needs. Men! * * * * * * * Seamus pushed the broom across the floor of the old hall, and sighed heavily. Everyone had gone hours before, and Seamus was left there to clean up after the masses. When he had come to Haven he had been under the impression that service to the High Ones would be a good way to better himself and his standing among the Society. Thus far, though, he had done nothing but clean up after them. He did not know anything new like he thought that he would. If nothing else, he would have liked to get to know some of the other vampires in the city, but he had spoken to only a few of them. He had taken notice of one that had stayed behind after the others had gone. Seamus had heard stories about that one. He could not avoid hearing them in this place. The idea of talking to her had occurred to him, but he had decided against it. The higher-ups frowned upon Seamus socializing at all. He did not understand why they would not let him come into contact with any of the vampires in Haven. They claimed that his proximity to the High Ones made his mind too valuable a thing to be accessed by the vampire populace. Seamus thought that they were full of it. Since he had been working for the High Ones, he had learned nothing but how to be a better janitor. As Seamus pondered his situation, he came to the sad realization of how little he had gained in his immortality. It had failed to provide that cause or purpose that he had so dearly wished for. Coming to Haven had been a last chance effort for Seamus. He had thought that working in service to the High Ones would somehow make him feel better about that emptiness that permeated his unlife. He was wrong. He was five seconds from throwing aside his broom and rushing out into the night to be a real vampire when the double doors of the old hall opened from the outside. Two people that Seamus had never seen before entered calmly. He stood there for several seconds only staring dumbly at the man and woman. “Where are they?” the man said roughly. “Who?” Seamus was still shocked by their entrance. “The High Ones, kid. Where are they?” It was the woman this time. “In the back, but they won’t see anybody.” “They’ll see us.” The man narrowed his eyes on Seamus. “Who are you?” “My name’s Seamus.” “We’re here on important business, Seamus,” the man said. “So, leave.” With that said, the pair pushed him toward the backrooms. Seamus started toward the door. Before he reached the snow-covered steps he heard the woman mention something about Sarah.
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