Forbidden Findings -- Vampire One on One

Lurk

<3	100.0%	[ 19 ]
Total Votes:			[ 19 ]

[Korrye]

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When his face started to twist, when his voice seemed to change, it all thrust upon her the idea that she was indeed hallucinating. And though she’d entertained the thought for the past week it was in that moment that she felt herself know the answer. This was not a dream. This…thing that sat at the other end of her gun was not human yet he was real. And this reassurance made her clench her teeth and her heart race in anger—a much different beat. When his chest heaved up and down she stupidly looked at her digital watch for a second, extended on the arm which held her gun. It must have been at least two minutes that they’d exchanged words, that she hadn’t seen him do that. Now she knew that he was only trying to prove her wrong. She wasn’t a detective for nothing. Thomas, her father, had always called her a walking lie detector.

“I do say, it is a lot easier to explain ones self when a gun is not threatening their life. But so be it,” He told her. She felt cold with his words. God she hated the way he spoke with that damn accent. “I heard you in the woods. When that man took off with you, I ran after him, thinking I could be of some assistance. I-” He trailed. Dahlia wasn’t dull, she felt his confidence loosen. The story hurt her. Did he really think her the fool? When she’d finally found a road she’d been miles away from her car. Not to mention that hungry look he’d had in his eyes first. His eyes hadn’t left her thoughts alone since she’d seen them. She wasn’t about to forget them. “-I killed him. I came here today to ask if I was going to go to jail for my deeds. Get your gun out of my face,” he demanded. And this was her last straw drawn.

“Bullshit. You show yourself into my car. Then you have the balls to lie to me. I’m sorry, but ******** no,” she responded with a brisk shake of her head, her index finger yanking the trigger back until the gun exploded with a loud bang. The noise point blank sent a ringing sensation through her body. Dahlia’s hand bucked up with the shot and the spray of residue reached up her arm. For a moment she couldn’t believe that she’d had the nerve. What the hell was she supposed to do with a body? But his answers! The blatant lies! There was a part of her that knew it had to be done yet what was she supposed to do with him? And while she thought of the repercussions of her actions Dahlia watched in horror as there was no carnage before her. Not a single drop of blood was present.

[[Bang Bang]]

“Bullshit. You show yourself into my car. Then you have the balls to lie to me. I’m sorry, but ******** no,” He had tried to be civil with her - he really did. His belief in free will kept him from releasing his hypnotizing stare onto her. He could have convinced her with his eyes alone. Hell, he could have made her redirect the gun towards herself and make her shoot her own leg or perhaps her head, if she was weak willed enough. There was so much he could have done and yet here he was was, trying to reason with a human. It was his mistake for believing they were the type to negotiate in the first place. They never wanted to talk. They just wanted answers. Their way - it was always their way. And now look where it lead them.

Lucas was about to open his mouth, ready to resolve to another lying technique. But he immediately closed it as he heard her heart leap into her throat. It's speed was much higher now, hinting that something was about to happen. As promised, Dahlia moved her gun back slightly then pulled the trigger without so much as a second thought. The gun exploded in the small room and Lucas could feel the bullet peck at his temple. Normally, it would have gone straight through his skull and left a nasty exit wound on the other side. Blood would have spilled every where. It would have painted the entire passenger window with his brains. But none of this happened. And it never would. It was all slow motion to Luke. The blast in his sensitive ears, then the feeling of hot metal against his skin. Lastly, a black blur which headed straight for the detectives windshield whizzed passed his peripheral view.

Lucas reached out and grabbed the tiny item before it could touch the glass. Having enough, he burned his silver eyes into the human beside him and let his fangs extend out fully. A deep beastly growl emitted from between gritted teeth while his free hand grabbed hold of the weapon she had in her hand and lowered it. If there was one thing Luke could not stand, it was guns. He hated it even more when they were fired at him. The scent of her blood was slightly coated with gun powder and heat, so his anger didn't fully cloud his judgment, but he'd be lying if he didn't admit sucking her dry was on his mind. Bringing his hand, which was balled into a fist, close to the woman's face, he spread his fingers to reveal a crumpled bullet sitting on his palm. His growling started to cease while his fangs retracted. Soon, all was quiet.

“I would advise you to put away your weapon,” Lucas stated calmly. He began to settle back into his seat. This time, he didn't look out the windows. He kept his eyes glued onto the girl's, reading every emotion as it came -- fear, horror, shock, disgust. He was ready for them all. “You need to calm down. I can hear your heart.” He had once more resorted to holding his breath to keep her scent hidden. Knowing no human in their sane mind would be able to calm down after what they had seen, Lucas put his anger to rest and leaned inwards. His mind went blank as he attempted to vacuum in all of the woman's control. Her heart was racing as he began. Their eyes locked and Lucas forced himself to look deeper into her eyes then he had ever tried. He wore a calm expression that could put children to ease. He started to feel her attention wrap around his mind and knew at once it was working. Her heart rate was calming dramatically.

“Don't be scared,” He cooed. “I mean you no harm. Just take deep breaths and relax. Everything's going to be okay.” His mesmerizing was working wonders for her nerves, and he could feel it. “Do you believe me?” He asked at last, while nodding a little in the process, as if to urge her on. A near smile cracked at the tip of one of his lips. It faded soon after but it was the closest he usually ever got.

[Korrye]

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
There was no civility to her. Not in the way she spoke, not in the way she fired the gun. When Dahlia wanted to be like that she could be. But this man had stolen her thoughts away and brought her down to a level she hadn’t visited since she was seventeen. So when she shot him she expected the blood, guts and gore that came with the reality of a shot being fired. Yet it did not come. Instead the bullet flew by so fast that rather quickly he displayed it to her in his palm. The growl ripped through her. Sucking in a breath she squeaked, quite literally, in panic. This thing could not be killed by a gun? The bullet just ricocheted off of his skin! When he pushed her gun away she dropped it into the center console, the coldness of his skin infiltrating. When he stared at her with his penetrating eyes she fell into them. There was little she could do but drown in whatever feeling he produced. Though he spoke she heard it as if she were in a fog, unable to even process what she had just seen.

What the ******** had just happened?

Yet the fear and anxiety of his presence melted away. Slowly her heart took on it’s regular beat. Rhythmic and soothing Dahlia sat as if in a daze. Was this really happening? Though her physical being went along with the hypnosis he imposed mentally she couldn’t help but run circles with her thoughts, trying desperately to make some sense of what she had just seen. The moment could not be pulled from her thoughts. A bullet had bounced off of his temple. Like a rubber ball, just you know tapped him and flew off like he was rubber. The melodic notes of his voice soothed her. For a moment she felt as if she were a screaming child being sung to, calmed down with a familiar lullaby. When she finally emerged from her haze she caught his last phrase--“Do you believe me?”

“I don’t know what to believe,” she murmured, turning from him to sit straight in her seat. Retrieving her car keys from her lap she shoved them into the ignition and started her vehicle. Not even bothering to put on her seat belt she removed the parking brake and shifted into gear, pulling slowly from her parking stall.

When she was little her father would always take her in the car for a drive. Even when she was ten years old and upset about something he would belt her in and take off for a journey on the road. The sensation of being in a car always calmed her. And though the man with no name had done so simply by looking straight at her she felt lost. There were so many things that were going unanswered. Surely he wasn’t from this world? Maybe he was an alien? But what was that comment he’d made? I can hear your heart? Was he….for real? No, it simply wasn’t possible!

For a long time as a kid she’d been sucked into the stories of mythological creatures and beings. One of her favorite novels at the time had been Dracula. Broker had written the tale in a way that appealed to her. Dahlia had read it cover to cover for the first time when she had been thirteen. Though young she had always been an avid reader, diving headfirst into the classics and appreciating them for their full values much later in life. Yet the character’s powers appealed to her desire for an explanation. But it couldn’t be true! This thing, was it simply a fluke? Had her gun misfired?

And though she drove it was with no general direction. Taking the highway heading west she pulled away from Ames Lake and civilization knowing that the winding road would take them further away from people, further away from the ones who demeaned and hurt her so many years ago. For a long while she remained silent, leaving the radio off, listening to the splash of the rain as it hit the windshield and the whir of the wiper blades as they made the road ahead visible. It must have been at least ten minutes later that she chose to break the silence, oddly disturbed by her trains of thought.

“What do you want?” she asked—her voice peaceful while she stared blankly out of the windshield. Dahlia refused to turn and face him, fearing his penetrating hypnotic gaze. “Why are you here?” she added, clenching the steering wheel tighter. “What do I call you, a name would be nice. I’m Dahlia Verra but you probably know that." After that she left it open hoping that he wouldn't lie. It might set her off again.

[[Bang Bang]]

The detective calmed with little effort from Luke. He wasn't as interested as evaporating her fears so much as he was with making her relax. She could be as scared as she wanted -- he had no place to interfere with that. Her pounding heart, however, served as a problem. He could feel the heat radiating off of her body with every second that passed. Now, she was back down to normal and processing fine from what he could tell. Lucas expected them to remain in the parking lot, talking over whatever questions she dared ask. It was to his surprise when the woman reached over and stuck her keys in the ignition then started the truck up. The rumble from the hood made Luke's attention split. He could hear the fire burning inside as well as the drip of gasoline from within the engine. Then the woman pulled out of the parking space and they drove off. Lucas felt uneasy in the truck. It moved at a faster pace then a human could make yet it was slower then a turtle on dial up internet to him. But the detective's heart rate remained at a perfect rhythm while they drove so Lucas didn't make room to complain.

They both sat silent. If it weren't for the occasional movement from the truck, Lucas would have been still like a painting. The sounds around him were enough to keep his attention busy. Mostly, he focused on all the scenery moving past them. The more they drove, the more bland it became.

“What do you want?” The woman finally asked, interrupting the quiet. Lucas thought carefully on how to answer her question. He didn't want to overwhelm her after he just managed to settle her down. In the time it took for him to think, she mustered up another inquiry. “Why are you here?” That was an easier question for him. But her curiosity didn't stop there. “What do I call you, a name would be nice. I’m Dahlia Verra but you probably know that." She must have been making a list of questions in her head while they drove. Lucas didn't mind. The woman, who he could now identify as Dahlia Verra, wanted to know his name. It had been ages since he even needed it. Remembering perfectly took him almost a minute.

“My name is Lucas Rowle.” He stated clearly. Rowle. His last name was always the hardest to recall. After his death, his family line ceased to exist. “I am sorry we have to meet under these conditions, Dahlia Verra.” What Lucas was really trying to say was that he was sorry they had to meet at all. His presence would ultimately be her death. Human's couldn't know about vampires until their final hours. Lucas was aware he had only answered two out of her three questions. He was hoping her anxious mind would lead her into more curiosity and forget about why he was there. At least for a little bit.

“Pull your vehicle over here, please.” He asked politely. They were already in the middle of nowhere. Sitting in the moving clunk of metal felt useless. And some fresh air would allow him to breathe - he had made a habit out of it over the years. “Forgive me, but I believe it would be wiser if I didn't get too close to you.” Dahlia slowly pulled her truck to the side of the narrow road and parked it. Lucas was out before she could even pull her keys out of the ignition. In the air, he smelled moisture and plantation. Pine trees, mostly. The soil was wet which made it's scent more potent. The road was still warm from when the sun had peaked out an hour before. With just one sniffle, he was able to get a better understanding of everything around him. Including the human. She was calm still. He assumed it was the way he talked to her. Humans seemed to get really uncomfortable when there was too much silence in the air. Lucas never felt a need to communicate every thought he came across. “Do you live here, Detective?” When he said here, he was of course referring to Ames Lake. Not the empty road.

[Korrye]

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The hypnosis caught her again. Suddenly Dahlia found her foot easing up on the gas pedal and slowing drifting towards the side of the road. When she braked the car she turned to suddenly view her passenger seat as vacant. "What the hell?" she thought before pulling the keys from the ignition and leaping out onto the side of the road.

Had she just dreamed this all up?

And the answer was no. Panic rose in her chest once again as she pivoted to face him. Dahlia found herself staring at him oddly, like a person would at an animal. Curiosity was visible in her face but nothing more came to mind. Then he asked her a question.
“Do you live in here, Detective?”

Turning to lean on her car, despite how wet it was she stared across the vacant highway into the trees. "I did once, I'm in Tacoma now. You? she responded, licking her lips before looking at her hands, tracing the scabs on one palm with the fingers of the other. They were thick and dry, blistered in parts still. It was painful when she allowed herself to focus on it. Who knew that a tree root could cause so much damage.

"I don't get why you're here," she muttered, leaving the air open for him to speak now. Maybe he'd say something after his little show with the gun and bullet. The feral growl he had made resonated in her ears. It wouldn't leave her be.

[[Bang Bang]]

Lucas took more steps then he needed to after getting out of the car. His cold bare feet absorbed the texture of the dirt beneath him. He was now closer to the sea of trees then he was to the vacant road. The scent of pine grew stronger with every step he took. Dahlia, which was the name of the woman he had just come to terms with, moved around the truck to face him. He didn't need to have his eyes on her to know her exact position. In the mean time, tiny droplets of rain sprinkled down on them lightly. The drizzle was as soft as it was light but it was still enough to distract Luke. Every raindrop within range made a noise after it made contact with something and Lucas could hear every single one. He started to tune out his sense of hearing entirely when he made eye contact with the human. She didn't just stare. At least not in a way he was used to. It scrambled his emotions, making him confused about what exactly he was feeling.

"I did once, I'm in Tacoma now. You?" She asked, nonchalantly. As if he were just one of her casual friends, asking her about her weekend. Lucas tried to fill his mind with thoughts to break his concentration. He had nearly forgotten of the possibility that she was still being mesmerized. "I don't get why you're here," She added in a lower tone that Lucas heard clearly. There were obviously many more questions looming in her mind.

“So if you are not from here, then you weren't the one assigned to the homicide case. How could this be, if you were investigating the crime scene?” He asked, ignoring her question completely. His living quarters were irrelevant. Her answer, however, intrigued him. Why was she in the woods, if not for her job?

[Korrye]

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If she sounded friendly it wasn't of her own accord. Mentally she was shaken, spinning webs with her own thoughts and rationalizations. If she seemed cordial with this man it was the fact that she couldn't shake his hypnosis from her physical being. Like being drunk, the way she sounded was involuntary. If Dahlia had her way she'd be the vehement sailor of a detective she was known to become when interrogating suspects.

“So if you are not from here, then you weren't the one assigned to the homicide case. How could this be, if you were investigating the crime scene?”” he responded. And with this comment her forehead creased and she brought her forehead to her hands to rub her temples. Then looking up into the open, straight at him she answered. The motion was a failed attempt to bring forth the answer she had been telling herself for the past twenty-four hours.

"I am heading a case in the Tacoma area out of my precinct. The murders follow a very distinct pattern. So far I've had ten bodies pile up drained of blood and ripped to pieces. My mum knows the details and she mentioned them to a friend. When he found those girls he phoned me."

Due to her position she was never supposed to give out any information. In the times before, however, her mother was a good person to repeat the facts to. Now she was beginning to doubt that and think that her mother used the facts as a boast around town, even though there truly weren't that many people to tell.

What got to her now, however, was not the fact that her mother had spilled the case facts to a former friend. Instead it was that this stranger--an assumption that is--was here because of her position on the case.

"Why are you asking me about my case anyways?" she asked, folding her arms tightly around her chest. Thankfully the rain was lightened up. Soaked, though, her hair was sticking to the corners of her cheeks. The cool air was also causing her cheeks to flush.

[[Bang Bang]]

Lucas gave his full attention to the human, but was hating himself for it. Even with his distance, he could see her jugular pulsing with every heart beat. Certain veins in her body stuck out as if they were traced with ink. Her heart beat, although muffled by the sprinkling, played a beat to her voice. Breathing was no better. Blood mixed with warm wet asphalt tickled his nostrils. Lucas took one step forward but quickly stopped. He refused to listen to his instincts which urged him to get closer.

"I am heading a case in the Tacoma area out of my precinct. The murders follow a very distinct pattern. So far I've had ten bodies pile up drained of blood and ripped to pieces. My mum knows the details and she mentioned them to a friend. When he found those girls he phoned me." She explained. Lucas understood immediately who he was standing in front of. She was the detective who wanted to put all the puzzle pieces together. There was always one - at least - who would not settle for a cold case. Even if an entire team of researchers took up the homicides, with no evidence, it'd quickly be deemed as "cold". Lucas stirred his ideas together, attempting to come up with one quick solution which would solve everything at once. In a last attempt effort, he decided to try something he, technically, wasn't supposed to do.

"Why are you asking me about my case anyways?" She wondered. Once again, her question was ignored. Lucas remained in deep thought while he weighed the consequences of his idea. Before he could come to a solid conclusion, he settled and spoke.

“Are you a quitter, Dahlia?” Luke asked clearly. He blinked a few times and started to close the gap between them so that they were face to face instead of a distance apart. “Can you walk away from something when it's unfinished or must you complete the job?” His words starting to grab hold of a familiar topic that he was trying to get across. “What I am asking is, what are the chances that you can return to your home in Tacoma and forget about the last week of your life? Quit your job. Maybe even move. And start a new life. Never talk about me or what you saw.” He knew it was a stretch. From the very beginning, he knew the chances were slim to none. But if she backed down now, she could disappear and he would be able to forget about her.

Of course, if she said no, there wouldd be other consequences. She would become more useful to him, he'd have to admit. But ultimately, her life would be cut short by several years. In fact, her life beyond a month would become very hazy.

[Korrye]

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For a moment the detective stood squarely, staring at him openly. The distance between them was a comfort. Yet when she opened her eyes and looked at him, Dahlia was latched onto his gaze, his beautiful face.

“Are you a quitter, Dahlia?” he asked. Visibly her lip twitched at the comment, her hand balling into fists at that word. "I used to be," she thought mildly, putting it off as the invincible man approached her, standing so close to her that she felt her heart leap uncontrollably. Fear rippled through her still and she had every right to be scared.

“Can you walk away from something when it's unfinished or must you complete the job? What I am asking is, what are the chances that you can return to your home in Tacoma and forget about the last week of your life? Quit your job. Maybe even move. And start a new life. Never talk about me or what you saw” He asked her.

"I've done that once in my life. I packed up and left. I won't do that again, I won't put myself through that." she responded. Exhaling deeply she brought her hand up to her cheek to brush away wet strands of hair from her skin. "So the answer is no, Lucas. What do you say to that?" And with that response she felt her personality ooze into what she said.

Dahlia found herself looking through him, despite how glued she seemed to his being. Part of her wanted to stay with him. Something so beautiful, so strong, had to be protection. That's what she felt when she saw him. Yet the better part of her looked at him with fear. Physically she couldn't help but rippled and twitch with an elevated heart beat. Something associated him with this string of murders. The chief of her precinct had been horrified at what he had seen at the first murder site. Men and women alike called it the re-birth of Jack the Ripper. For that very reason Dahlia was put onto the case, having solved many hard cases before. Her aversion to allowing something to turn cold was what made her successful.

[[Bang Bang]]

Her reaction wasn't what he expected. He was already assuming there would be a 'no' in her reply, but the way she went about it was entirely different. She almost seemed mad. As if his question was insulting to her. He looked at her balled fists yet felt no threat whatsoever from her. Humans were docile creatures to him, no matter how violent they tried to be. They didn't know the extent of what fear was. After all, it was Lucas' job to keep it hidden from them. When he approached her, he knew immediately when " too close " had arrived. Her heart's uneven patterns started up once more. If Luke had a heartbeat, he imagined it'd be at about the same pace as her. Her warm blood was radiating off of her own skin. He was beginning to feel intoxicated by the scent. His eyes dilated at the thought of giving into his thirst.

"I've done that once in my life. I packed up and left. I won't do that again, I won't put myself through that." She replied.

'Futile.' It was all he could think. Her minuscule issue with whatever her past contained was what she now deemed as a road block to her path of existence. With over a hundred years of living, Lucas could hardly feel sympathy for her stubbornness. Why didn't he just hypnotize her. Make her forget. He could have easily done so. Yet, something forced him to shove aside the option from his mind. Whether it was his subconscious or his primeval instincts, he was allowing for her to say no. Almost as if a part of him wanted her to die in the end.

"So the answer is no, Lucas. What do you say to that?" She added. Lucas' eyebrows furrowed. He removed his glance from hers and stared out at the asphalt. He looked troubled or pained, like her answer was personally hurting him. Then his eyes glazed over with a coldness he used very well. She was only a human. One of billions.

“Very well. I say it's about time you return. Your guardians will have noticed you've gone by now.” Without making any more eye contact, he turned and started to walk back out towards the trees. Dahlia's scent, still strong, lessened the pain on his nerves. He wasn't done with the girl just yet, but she couldn't be out in random places so long as her city had a watch on her. Lucas would have to mention that to her, when he saw her again. “We'll see each other again, Dahlia,” He promised. Then he turned towards the woods and ran. It didn't take long before the sound of her heartbeat died and all he could sense was a faint hint of her blood.

[Korrye]

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Quicker than she would have thought--or even hoped--he told her good-bye. For a moment she was still, listening to the sounds of the woods and the rain. Then she lost her balance and shuffled sideways awkwardly, lashing her left arm out to catch herself on the door-handle of her truck. So she wasn't dead. He hadn't even attacked her. Now she had a name, Lucas Rowle. Creasing her eyebrows she took in a choked breath of humid air and stepped into her truck.

The drive back was shorter than she had thought it would be, maybe twenty minutes at the most. It felt long and quiet. Regrettably she'd kept the radio off. The rain eased itself off which was a nice compliment to an ever growing silence. Though it didn't help to calm her thoughts which continued to pick a part what had just happened.

A bullet had ricocheted, point blank, off of his temple. Lucas had growled at her in response. Then there was the way he spoke, with his accent of all sorts as well as the way he didn't breath for what seemed like hours. Was he some sort of government experiment gone rogue?

Pulling into the driveway of her parents home Dahlia groaned at the sight of her parent's jeep wrangler. The door flew open to the house before she was even outside, her mother trotting down the front steps with a worried glare plastered on her face.

"Dahlia Ferrara Verra! Where have you been?!" she shouted.
"Thanks mum, nice to see you too. By the way I'm not seventeen. Last I checked I was twenty-seven. Quit hovering."

Brushing past her mother, not even bothering to give into so much as a hug, Dahlia pulled herself up the cedar steps to the porch and inside. Greeting her father with a curt nod she slid out of her hiking boots and made her way upstairs. Though she'd spent as long as she had in the truck she was still wet and in desperate need of a shower.

It was a short shower. Dressed in a plain navy t-shirt and cargo pants Dahlia stood in front of the mirror in her bedroom brushing out her thick long hair. The locks were somewhat wavy because of the humidity, something she hadn't missed after moving. Though she was staring at herself physically, mentally she was back in front of Lucas. The look in his eyes when she'd responded to his question, the more she thought about it the more she figured he was annoyed with her. Maybe she was making him out that way now or she was on track. Why would he be angry with her answer? It was just...the reasons she had left home weren't in the open. The real reasons anyways. And it pained her to think about it, even in her short life. Was she making something big out of something small? Sighing she set the brush down on the dresser and turned to grab her blackberry from the nightstand where she'd left it to charge while she cleaned up. Hitting speed dial six with her thumb she pulled the phone to her ear, anxious to find something.

"Pacha! How are you," she greeted. "This is Dahlia Verra calling. I need a favor."


x x x


Six days later nothing had been found. Lucas Rowle didn't exist. There had been at least ten phone calls in the past seventy-two hours. The detective had exhausted her extensive list of contacts only to come up with nothing. The only conclusion she could come up with was that the man had given her a false name. Leaving her phone in her room Dahlia made her way downstairs, holding herself at the bottom to listen for any sign of parents--people she had blatantly ignored given how quickly they were chaining her down again. Silence met her ears, something she was growing accustomed to. They had to have gone into work.

At three-thirty in the afternoon the weather was brisk. The house was cold. Given that it was an ancient dwelling the only heating provided was primitive at best. Settling for a fire in the living room Dahlia yanked on a black sweater close to the door and headed outside to grab some wood. Tarped and covered on the west side of the house were a series of fat logs that were yet to be cut. Normally at this time of year her father cheaped out and bought wood from the neighbors or paid their sixteen year old son to do the job for him. Obviously he hadn't gotten to it yet. Chilled she shrugged and headed to the shed where she found a small hatchet leaned up against it. Grabbing a hold of it she turned to head back to the pile of wood.

[[Bang Bang]]

Lucas was torn. When Dahlia was at a distance, all he wanted was to get a better smell of her blood, as if it'd lower his temptation. When he was close up to her, he felt like running. It was almost unfair for him to be faced with her existance. She needed to be alive in order for him to draw out the other vampires in the woods. Her blood could make his job a hell of a lot easier. And yet, the same bait he was using on his enemies was effecting him as well. All he wanted to do was travel to the moment where he could simply gorge himself in her blood. Maybe even devour parts of her limbs -- certain vampires were known for eating humans as well as drinking their blood. Their flesh took longer to digest, keeping them full for longer.

For nearly another week, Lucas kept himself at a distance. His metallic eyes had become fully dilated so that the silver was just a thin outline of his iris. Human blood became easier to smell. He could have given Dahlia another mile between them and he'd still be able to smell her clearly. Even her guardians (who Lucas was presuming to be her parents) were starting to smell better. Typically younger humans tasted more pleasant. Healthy blood had more nutrients to sustain a vampire's needs. And yet, Luke refused to quench his drying thirst. It was near to impossible to starve a vampire but the longer one waited, the more painful it became. Mostly, Lucas stayed in trees or hidden in the thick cover the forest provided. He had many thoughts to sort through and plans to form. He didn't want his targets to travel too far without him but he couldn't go running after them without absolute certainty that he'd be able to fend himself.

In a rare event, Lucas noticed Dahlia exit her house. He knew this by the way her scent strengthened with the open air. Luke leaped off of the tree he had been perched on. Whatever she was doing, it didn't seem like she was going to return back into her house quickly. He used this opportunity to make his third appearance. After a quick ten second run, he found himself only yards away from Dahlia. From his limited view (the ending trees were blocking bits and pieces of her yard) he could assume she was heading for the shed outside of her parents house. Lucas stopped exactly where the trees stopped. Any closer and her smell would be unbearable. They had about seven meters between them. He didn't speak at first. Simply watched her, curious over what she was doing. She hadn't left her house for very many reasons. Immediately a sharp splitting axe came into his view, bringing his attention to a high alert. Not for himself, but for the fact that sharp things brought on blood.

“Dahlia Verra,” He addressed her. Full names were a common use in his day. As well as accents that were no longer existent in the United States.

[Korrye]

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For a moment she felt as if she were being watched. Then she gasped at the sound of his voice, his form of welcome.

"I guess that by now I shouldn't expect a hello from you," she told him, not even bothering to turn around. Tightening her grip on the hatchet Dahlia continued striding towards the wood pile. In three short steps she slammed the ax into the stump of a tree. Heading back over to the stack of wood she pulled back the tarp further revealing a tall stack at least ten layers high of logs. Pulling three from the top of the pile she brought them to where the hatchet was, dropping them to her left before setting one standing up on the base of the tree. "Come to tell me to pack up and take off again?"

Yanking the hatchet out of the base she held it tightly in one hand before turning to face the stranger. Today it seemed as if he kept himself further away from her. The proximity change was something she welcomed. Though she knew his voice by now, despite how little he had addressed her, Dahlia wanted to know that it was actually him.

"So, according to my people you don't exist," she started, returning to her work. Swinging the hatchet with two hands over her shoulder she brought the blade down the center of the log. Halfway split she raised it and slammed the log and hatchet against the base two more times until it split, two pieces falling down either side. Stacking them together on the right Dahlia pulled the next log onto the base. The exercise was warming up her limbs. A cold sweat started to form lightly on her forehead.

[[Bang Bang]]

Lucas could hear her intake of air. It almost excited his primeval side. A part of him still saw her as prey. And there was nothing more riveting then when one's target was scared. But Lucas quickly turned that point of view aside. He needed to stay calm.

"I guess that by now I shouldn't expect a hello from you," She said from behind her back. Lucas was more then intrigued with her response. She always had a way of ruining his predictions of her.

“Hello,” He said lowly in attempt to recover from what she was expecting of him. For some reason, this was part of what he had been waiting for. Her personality, still a mystery to him, seeped out little by little. He knew nothing of what kind of person she was -- only that she was sane. Actually interacting with her was giving him plenty to work with. Lucas watched as Dahlia carried three logs toward the tree base with a hatchet in her other hand. Mostly, he was looking at the axe in her hand. If she made even the slightest mistake, he could correct it before it had time to happen. Dahlia aligned one of the logs onto the stump and brought her focus onto the axe.

"Come to tell me to pack up and take off again?" She asked while turning towards him. Lucas stared at her, but once again felt like he was staring at a moving blood bank instead of a person.

“No, not again.” He replied. Obviously his questions had left a mark on her. She wouldn't have to worry about that again though. He wouldn't try it again. Her days were limited now.

"So, according to my people you don't exist," Dahlia said. Lucas looked up, with slight surprise.

“You're investigating me?” He asked, without belief. He shouldn't have been so surprised. She was a detective and he did give her his first and last name as well as six days to herself. The only thing that didn't surprise him was that she couldn't find any information on him. Lucas currently had three other identities he could have went by. Mostly, they were for the use of a passport or dealing with authorities. All of his other IDs were fakes and had to be renewed when the lifespan of said identities expired. Or should have. The hatchet came down on the block of wood and stopped halfway. Lucas watched Dahlia take another swing. Once again, it shredded the block a little more but didn't split it. By her third try, it had fallen into two pieces. The sound of her heart quickened after that point. Luke could smell her perspiration. Gulping back the pools of venom forming in his mouth, he tried to pretend he couldn't notice.

“You know that isn't true, though. Here I stand, before you. Clearly, I am existent. But I suppose that isn't what you were really looking for, yes?” Lucas watched as Dahlia chopped yet another block to pieces. Her heart played a song in Lucas' ears. “I could help you with that,” He offered. Anything to stop her dancing heart would be in his best interests.

[Korrye]

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Was it surprise that she sense in his voice? The idea of her looking into who he was was in her nature. Hell she'd looked up the backgrounds of her neighbors once only to realize that she was surrounded by people she didn't belong with. That was when she moved into her second apartment in Tacoma. Since then she really allowed herself to do so, especially after she moved downtown. Yet she couldn't help but smile to herself when it came to his response. Did he really think that she would let him keep so much about himself unknown? He had reflected a point blank shot from her revolver! Like hell she would take silence for an answer.

“You know that isn't true, though. Here I stand, before you. Clearly, I am existent. But I suppose that isn't what you were really looking for, yes?" he told her. By then she was hacking through the second log. After three rhythmic swings it split and she bent over to add them to her other two.

"At the rate that you come and go I would have thought that I was crazy before thinking that you're real," smiling, she held the end of the hatchet handle tightly as her fingers perspired. It slipped slightly in her grasp.

“I could help you with that,” he offered. She chuckled at his response and shook her head. Why she laughed Dahlia couldn't say. Maybe it was because most men, humans mind you, would have given anything to stand and watch a women like her bust her a** to chop a few logs into firewood. "Are you in a rush to go somewhere?" she asked, brushing her bangs from her face and stepping forward. Holding the ax up she let the handle slide through her grip until the head of the hatchet was cold against her skin. Swiveling the blade away from her wrist she held out the handle for him to grab. "Enough for a small fire in the fireplace, okay? My Dad needs something to do next weekend aside from bury me like he wants to," she joked, speaking sarcastically at the end.

The frustration her parents felt with her at the moment was undeniable. Their daughter had come home not for them but for a case in which they had only come to find her frantic, drunk, passed out, drenched or bleeding. Because they had missed the end of her teenage years they still treated her as such. Though it had never gotten old in the past this time around she knew that it had to end. And for her parents to come to that she was putting them through hell. It was hard to explain, really. But she knew that they were angry with her and that they really thought she was some lunatic drug addict because of life in the city. Lovely.