"I am so tangled in my sins that I cannot escape..."
"I was born into
this
Everything turns to shit
The boy that you loved is the man that you fear"
(Marilyn Manson)
Arlene was lucky that she could still remember his cellphone number...
There were a few mortals in this city, a very select group of people, who could help out a vampire in the midst of an emergency. Some of them ghouls, some of them in the process of becoming ghouls... all of them bound. Not to her alone, but to all...
"Sam, I need a favor..."
Sam had quickly learned that when Arlene De La Rosa called, he was expected to tend to her, and within minutes they had met at a hole-in-the-wall-pub, away from the Elysium. He sat at her table, noticed the look in her eyes, and tried hard not to recoil--the Hunger was taking hold of her.
He tried to make light of the situation, "Hey, Ally... what's going on? You look like a junkie with withdrawal pangs..."
She stared ahead; not at him, not at anything in particular. "I need a drink, Sammy..."
He knew exactly what that meant, and he didn't like the sound of it. "Hey sweetness, you know almost every bartender in this area can get you a special bottle, just for you..." He tried to steer her away from what he didn't want to hear...
"No, I need... something... warm..."
His practiced smile faded completely. Instinctively, more out of fear than respect, he switched to a more formal tone, "Votre éminence..." he began, in perfect french.
Her instincts were so finely attuned at this point that she could sense the terror he was trying to disguise.
"No, Sammy, not you dearest... what would I do without you? You're the one who's going to fix me up, sweetie..." finally smiling at Sam's huge sigh of relief. "Look, just get me something... you know where I'll be..." And not even waiting for his response, she headed toward a back room.
She wasn't in any real need of sustenance, and Sam knew it. There was still some color in her face. That Hunger was a mixture of obsession, desperation, lust, greed... the woman was breaking apart, and Sam didn't want to be anywhere near if/when it happens. But of course, there would be no place safe in this city... especially for him, especially if he failed to comply... no, best to get her what she needs... and soon...
