The Sight

Max fumbled around his video store, absently wiping down already immaculate shelves. His hired help seemed proficient enough to handle the front counter while he collected his thoughts. Tonight the store was relatively quiet, with only a few customers trickling in. More than likely this will be an early night, and he will allow his assistant manager Maria to close up.



Max paced the aisles, racking his mind trying to figure out what exactly it was that he sensed from the girl earlier this evening. He knew her name – Charity, and that she came from Arkansas. That much he was able to pull that from her mind just after he broke the silly mind games his childe was playing, and before the girl so rudely shut him out. This feat was impressive, and also quite alarming. Since he turned 200 or so, no mortal has ever been able to break free so quickly. Perhaps he did not have a strong enough grasp on her. He should have done more than just inject feelings of peace and calmness into her mind.



This takes him back to the first problem. His childe, David. Did David know what he was messing with? More than likely the answer to that question is a firm NO. The boy is young and reckless, and often makes careless mistakes. The most prominent one was siring those other boys against his will so many years ago. Max has come to terms with it, and has learned to love his grandchilde’s as his own boys. Even though the boys often were impulsive and troublesome, he figured that between the four of them they should be able to muster some sort of common sense. However, despite his faults, David was learning how to be a powerful and respected leader. He will one day turn out to be an excellent Master vampire. Max just hoped it will not take another 70 years give or take.



“What was he thinking?” Max mumbled out loud to himself as he removed his glasses to rub his eyes. “Of course, either his Johnson or his stomach. Boys.” Max sighed and glanced at the time. He figured he better sit down with David and warn him to stay away from this one. But the question remains, did he go to her for a reason other than what generally drives the boys? Did his childe perhaps detect something unusual just as he did?



Close to four am, the time was dwindling. The discussion with his childe would have to wait until tomorrow evening. David must not mess this up for him. Discipline is something his childe needed when he was a fledgling, and Max would certainly not hesitate to show his dominance now. Hopefully, David would respect his authority. First, however, the question of whom or what this girl was must be answered. Max quickly decided that his only choice to find out about his suspicions would be to consult his books.



~ * ~





David collapsed on the love seat, far ahead of his boys. Wanting some time alone to collect his thoughts, he mentally instructed them that he would be back at the cave. Not like the boys cared, in fact they were probably happy to get away from their moody Sire.



David leaned down and pulled off his boots setting them next to the loveseat, carefully keeping them out of the walkway. He learned the hard way after Paul came home drunk out of his mind, tripping over his own feet, falling into them face first, and subsequently loosing his dinner inside. It took weeks to get the smell out of the leather.



David ran his fingers through his blonde mullet while leaning back into the cushions. He was still hungry after leaving the boardwalk without dinner. Briefly, he contemplated calling Marko and asking him to bring him home something, but decided against it. Instead, he leaned over and grabbed the jewel encrusted bottle, which holds blood for the pack, from the table. He pulled the cork out of the bottle and he stretched his long legs onto the table. After taking a long swig, David enjoyed the slight head rush he felt as the sweetly metallic tasting liquid caressed his tongue and throat. He set the bottle on his knee and began to mentally replay the night’s events.



First, Max had to play Fucking Florence Nightingale to his dinner. How dare he? Something must be done; David can’t have him spoiling all the boys’ fun. It is bad enough that Max banned them from his video store, stating that the boys were a “bad image for the customers.” David knew that Max simply did not want them around; for fear that people would know they were more than casual acquaintances. Max believed in keeping a very human lifestyle, blending as much as possible with the mortals. A normal lifestyle was far from David and his boys’ minds. They cared mostly about feeding, drinking, fucking, sleeping, and getting high. David did have to have a level head. however, as he is the primary decision maker of his pack. He is their leader, despite any misguided thoughts Max had. The boys rely on David to protect them. He takes that role very seriously, always on the lookout to find ways to secure his powerbase. David might certainly have his faults, but his boys respected him. David loves his boys, and also knows that despite their immediate differences, they would have his back if the situation ever called for it.



David reports to Max because he is his Sire. Max can be a pompass, irritating asshole, but he still is his Sire. Respect goes hand in hand with this bit of truth. Despite how much David loathes Max; he still must follow his rules or suffer the consequences. Max is over 200 years his senior, allowing him to gain power and skills that are enough to impress any Master vampire.





Secondly, there was the girl herself. What was her name? “Ahh yes, Charity” thought David as he pulled his thoughts back to the Boardwalk. He had managed to pull that information out of her mind before Max broke his connection. He was just about to cloud her mind long enough for him to lead her out of the crowd when he was so rudely interrupted. David smirked silently to himself as he took another swallow from the bottle. He loved to chase his prey, but chasing meant making a scene and drawing unneeded attention to himself and his boys. Paul had pulled that shit last year, during a Halloween bash on the Boardwalk. He had scared many of the locals, despite the fact it was Halloween. Max had taken unkindly to Paul’s outburst. He took the liberty to issue Paul’s punishment over David. Paul would have healed in mere hours from the beating he took, however his Grandsire doused his wounds in holy water. Max’s temperament was known to be shifty. “Asshole” muttered David as he leaned his head on the back of the love seat, closing his eyes.



David loves his childe’s, so this was the reason why Charity could be considered such a threat, or a possible asset. He smelled another pack on her – she was marked. Even though he could not tell by whom, David knew that she was marked for other reasons than being a mere blood donor. He felt her anxiety rise as she realized he was a vampire. David sensed these feelings were more out of fear of being caught, not from fear of being mauled by his fangs. The burning question however, is why? What could she possibly know? Tomorrow night, he will attempt to discuss the situation with Max.



At that last thought, the rest of the boys flew in overhead, hooting and hollering. Paul of course, being the loudest. Marko flew down first plopping himself on the floor where his sewing supplies still lay. Dwayne headed over to light the oil bins barrels used for adding extra light to the dim cave, which David had neglected to do. Paul landed on the fountain with one last shout, lighting another joint. He offered it to David, but David only shook his head, declining the offer. Paul inhaled deeply and wheezed to David, “Fine! More for me!”



“So you find your dinner?” Paul continued as he thrust his pelvis forward for good measure. David simply raised his hand, flipping Paul the bird, without turning around.



“Ooooh Touché!” Paul jeered as he plopped down on the floor next to Marko.



“Get away Paul!”



“Come on Marko! Teach me some crafty goodness!”



“Shut the fuck up, dope fiend” Dwayne muttered, as he settled down once again in a nearby chair, across from David. Turning his eyes toward his Sire with questioning eyes, “What’s going on?”



“I don’t know! Who wants to know?” Paul answered, while bursting into a fit of giggles.



Ignoring his plastered childe, David turned to Dwayne. “I am not sure. I plan to discuss with Max tomorrow. We will find out if he will let me on to what he more than likely will be trying to hide.”