How It All Began
It started with Thai food.
Gabe had been craving it for over a week, but had held off since the only restaurant was on the bad side of town. While he wasn't normally a nervous sort, even he knew that walking around downtown after dark was a bad idea. Better to wait until morning, pick it up and reheat it for dinner. When the craving struck at ten o'clock at night, though. . .well, it wasn't as though the restaurant was on campus, and he didn't want to wait until morning.
He'd almost called Mera to have her come with; he didn't know whether she'd ever had Thai before, but he was sure she'd enjoy it. The place closed in half an hour, though, and he didn't think he'd have time to wait for her. If he had. . .
. . .well, it could've gone better, or worse. Gabe wasn't going to think about that. Too many variables.
He was almost to the restaurant when he heard the woman scream. It was faint and far off, and seemed to be coming from the lower level of a parking garage. The intelligent part of his brain told him to keep walking, to pretend he hadn't heard the noise, to hurry and get his tom yam soup and spicy noodles. The deeper, more emotional part of made him stop in his tracks. No matter what culinary pleasures he might miss, he had to at least go down there and make sure everything was all right. Maybe he could help. Maybe she'd just seen a rat..
A big rat. The two-legged version.
He ran down into the garage and saw her pressed against the wall, eyes wide, staring at the menacing man across from her, terrified. Gabe didn't even think, didn't even consider that he could walk away and get to the restaurant before it closed.
He'd never been a football star, but he knew enough about the game to affect a decent tackle. He came in hard at the guys knees, knocking him aside. The woman, suddenly released from her paralyzing fear, ran up and out of the garage as the man grabbed Gabe by the collar and threw him several feet away into the concrete wall.
The impact winded him; he was sure he felt at least two of his ribs crack, and it hurt worse than anything he'd ever felt in his life. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the woman running up the stairs; she was far enough now. She was safe.
He wasn't.
The man loomed over him, fire blazing in his eyes, a faint smile of amusement growing on his face. Gabe struggled for breath as the man raised him up one handed.
"She got away," the man said, voice almost reasonable. "I suppose that means you did a good job. It'll be the last good thing you'll ever do."
Gabe swallowed hard and supressed the urge to break down crying. It wouldn't help. The man's grip was like steel, and there was no chance of running away. He looked the man in the eyes and forced himself to take a shuddering breath. "You gonna kill me?"
The response was laughter, dark and manic, filling the garage with a sense of dread. "Yes, I suppose I am. . .but you'll get over it. You'll be like me." He grinned, revealing long, pointed fangs. "That will be your despair as I take you, and you fall into darkness."
In one blurred motion, the man jerked his head forward and bit into Gabe's neck. The pain inspired a terror greater than anything he'd ever experienced in his life; it was raw, powerful, primal. It seemed to be radiating from the man in front of him, filling his mind, taking him over. He drew breath and tried to scream, but found that all he could manage was a wet, gurgling noise.
It was over quickly. Gabe found himself slumped on the ground, vision gradually growing dim. Suddenly, a wrist was pressed to his lips, and blood like hot spiced wine was falling into his mouth. He could barely think, but he could tell the blood was a bad thing. He tried to spit it out, but didn't have the strength. A hand cupped his nose, blocked it, and the blood filled his mouth. His lungs screaming for air, Gabe finally swallowed it, felt it burning through him, all the way down, filling him with a fiery heat. His mouth filled again, and again, and he swallowed, desperate for air.
Suddenly, even the air he got wasn't enough; it felt as though his entire body was on fire, and like a heavy weight was crushing his chest. His head fell to the ground, cheek resting against the cool concrete, and his vision faded to a nothingness that seemed infinite. The last thing he heard was the stranger's laugh, echoing against the walls and following him into death.
Gabe had been craving it for over a week, but had held off since the only restaurant was on the bad side of town. While he wasn't normally a nervous sort, even he knew that walking around downtown after dark was a bad idea. Better to wait until morning, pick it up and reheat it for dinner. When the craving struck at ten o'clock at night, though. . .well, it wasn't as though the restaurant was on campus, and he didn't want to wait until morning.
He'd almost called Mera to have her come with; he didn't know whether she'd ever had Thai before, but he was sure she'd enjoy it. The place closed in half an hour, though, and he didn't think he'd have time to wait for her. If he had. . .
. . .well, it could've gone better, or worse. Gabe wasn't going to think about that. Too many variables.
He was almost to the restaurant when he heard the woman scream. It was faint and far off, and seemed to be coming from the lower level of a parking garage. The intelligent part of his brain told him to keep walking, to pretend he hadn't heard the noise, to hurry and get his tom yam soup and spicy noodles. The deeper, more emotional part of made him stop in his tracks. No matter what culinary pleasures he might miss, he had to at least go down there and make sure everything was all right. Maybe he could help. Maybe she'd just seen a rat..
A big rat. The two-legged version.
He ran down into the garage and saw her pressed against the wall, eyes wide, staring at the menacing man across from her, terrified. Gabe didn't even think, didn't even consider that he could walk away and get to the restaurant before it closed.
He'd never been a football star, but he knew enough about the game to affect a decent tackle. He came in hard at the guys knees, knocking him aside. The woman, suddenly released from her paralyzing fear, ran up and out of the garage as the man grabbed Gabe by the collar and threw him several feet away into the concrete wall.
The impact winded him; he was sure he felt at least two of his ribs crack, and it hurt worse than anything he'd ever felt in his life. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the woman running up the stairs; she was far enough now. She was safe.
He wasn't.
The man loomed over him, fire blazing in his eyes, a faint smile of amusement growing on his face. Gabe struggled for breath as the man raised him up one handed.
"She got away," the man said, voice almost reasonable. "I suppose that means you did a good job. It'll be the last good thing you'll ever do."
Gabe swallowed hard and supressed the urge to break down crying. It wouldn't help. The man's grip was like steel, and there was no chance of running away. He looked the man in the eyes and forced himself to take a shuddering breath. "You gonna kill me?"
The response was laughter, dark and manic, filling the garage with a sense of dread. "Yes, I suppose I am. . .but you'll get over it. You'll be like me." He grinned, revealing long, pointed fangs. "That will be your despair as I take you, and you fall into darkness."
In one blurred motion, the man jerked his head forward and bit into Gabe's neck. The pain inspired a terror greater than anything he'd ever experienced in his life; it was raw, powerful, primal. It seemed to be radiating from the man in front of him, filling his mind, taking him over. He drew breath and tried to scream, but found that all he could manage was a wet, gurgling noise.
It was over quickly. Gabe found himself slumped on the ground, vision gradually growing dim. Suddenly, a wrist was pressed to his lips, and blood like hot spiced wine was falling into his mouth. He could barely think, but he could tell the blood was a bad thing. He tried to spit it out, but didn't have the strength. A hand cupped his nose, blocked it, and the blood filled his mouth. His lungs screaming for air, Gabe finally swallowed it, felt it burning through him, all the way down, filling him with a fiery heat. His mouth filled again, and again, and he swallowed, desperate for air.
Suddenly, even the air he got wasn't enough; it felt as though his entire body was on fire, and like a heavy weight was crushing his chest. His head fell to the ground, cheek resting against the cool concrete, and his vision faded to a nothingness that seemed infinite. The last thing he heard was the stranger's laugh, echoing against the walls and following him into death.
posted by Gabe at 12:35 PM
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