Free Endlessly by C.V. Hunt

took another drag off his
cigarette.
    I continued to stare at the
floor. I couldn’t tell him the truth. What I’d done with Ash was
inappropriate. I couldn’t take it back though, and I didn’t want
to. Ash was the girl I’d been looking for, someone who could share
in my miserable life, someone who could relate to who and what I
was. Yet I knew it was impossible. Maybe I
should give up on finding anyone like me, I
thought. Start looking for a human and ask
the Quatre for permission to make her a partner. I just wish it
could be Ash.
    “Well?” Jason nudged me again. He
craved the juicy sex story. He was such a vulgar jerk, yet he had a
chance with her and I didn’t. I felt like punching him in his smug
little face.
    If they wound up together I would move
away from here. I would have to. It would be like salt on a wound.
I knew I should give up any thought of Ash. But right at that
moment Jason wanted the story, so I told him:
    “I went to Dayton and picked up two
girls at a goth club. They were staying in a rundown house. I had a
three-way with them and drank them dry. I dumped their bodies in
two different alleys. That’ll give the police something to do.” I
smiled to myself. That would keep Jason’s mind busy.
    He giggled like a schoolgirl. “You are
a twisted bastard. You talk about it the same way humans would talk
about going to the store to buy groceries.”
    “That’s what it is,” I said, “going to
the grocery store.”
    Jason always loved the gory details. I
didn’t feel one way or another about them. I wasn’t sure what was
worse, me not caring about the people I killed, or him enjoying the
recap.
    “I’m going to take a nap before we open
the store,” I said, getting up from the couch.
    “Yeah I would be tired too if I’d
tapped two chicks in one night. Lucky bastard. Wish I had control
over peoples’ minds. I would be getting all kinds of ass up in
here.” He leaned back into the couch, propping his feet up on the
coffee table.
    I walked to my room, my head lowered to
hide my anger. Once I’d shut my bedroom door I leaned back against
it, looked at the four-poster bed, then saw my reflection. I was a
crazed monster.
    That is when I realized I could never
let Jason have her. He only wanted to get laid. He didn’t care for
her, and never would. Jason was incapable of ever having the rooted
feelings I had for her. All he saw was a pretty face on an
incarnate. He would never want anything deeper than that. I didn’t
care about the law. I wanted her, and I would not let her fall into
Jason’s hands.
    I stared at myself, hands trembling,
and fingers curled into white knuckled fists.
    I would do whatever it took. You know
the saying: All is fair…

Chapter 8
    EVADING HOPE
     
    On Saturday I woke up early. Jessica
had briefed me about what I might need, so I gathered those items I
had, putting them in my worn black backpack.
    Chris came in early. “Hey, I seen you
were up early. Ready to go blow up some shit?”
    I’d forgotten about target practice.
“Shit!” I said. “I completely blanked it out, dude. I had something
come up last minute. If you’re not busy tomorrow I can go. Jason
can come with us. He’s itching to use that horrendous
gun.”
    “Why, what’s up today?” He
asked.
    “Just some stuff.” I
answered.
    “What kind of stuff? Come on man, just
blow it off. You can do it later.”
    Through the open door to the apartment,
Jason overheard our conversation. He poked his head out and cried:
“It’s a giiirrllll wooooo!”
    “Shut up jackass!” I snapped. “No one
asked you!” I picked up a pen and threw it at his head. He ducked
back into the apartment.
    Chris laughed. I was lucky that he
wasn’t paying much attention. With my vampire strength I’d pierced
the door with the pen. My sensitive ears caught Jason’s mutterings
about how I’d almost killed him. Chris didn’t notice any of
it.
    “Augh man, a girl?” Chris jeered. “Come
on, blow her off.