Count to Six and Die by Crystal Part 1. ~I've got an angel in the lobby He's waiting to put me in line But I won't ask forgiveness For my faith has gone dry~ Count to six and Die - M. Manson. Nothing seemed to matter to Shaina anymore. She had completely lost any will to even bother making an effort. She hated her life so much. Even being a witch wasn't fun anymore. It never had been. She wanted to find somewhere she belonged. Surely there must be somewhere. Even the Night World didn't seem to have a home for her. She cried out in her deepest parts for somewhere to belong, someone to belong to. It was a nice thought, but highly unlikely. Nobodies like her didn't have a place. As far as her family was concerned, the sooner she graduated and went off to college the sooner they could get rid of her. All that mattered to her parents was her little sister Katie and nobody else. The thought of murder crossed her mind constantly. Ideas on how she would like to dispose of all those who were mean to her, cruel. Of course, they were just her twisted fantasies, an escape from harsh reality. She had never actually killed anyone. Until one night. One night where everything changed. Where everything began. And ended at the same time. * * * Caresse stood on her balcony, gazing over the grounds of her family's huge mansion. She wondered what it would be like if she threw herself over. Her head would crack on the stone paving around the pool below. Her blood would spill.but would it actually kill her? She didn't know. She thought only wood killed vampires. But would vampire injury resistance heal jumping off a three story balcony? As interesting as the thought was to Caresse she wasn't going to try it. She sighed heavily, gazing up at the star studied sky. ~What's wrong with me?~ she thought moodily. ~I have everything I could ever want, and yet I'm just not satisfied.~ She turned back into her bedroom and flopped on the king size bed, burying her face in the mounds of pink satin pillows. Her blonde hair spilled over the satin sheets like a waterfall. Maybe getting what she wanted all the time was the problem. Where was the challenge? The excitement? She'd lost any excitement she had in her rich life style long ago. She wanted something new. Even her perfect boyfriend Dellon was becoming boring now. No amount of sexual games, toys, anything could cheer her up. She was becoming more and more morbid and pathetic by the minute. She wanted some sort of change in her life. And the day she met Shaina King, was the day her wish was granted. The change she got wasn't the one she'd expected at all. It wasn't what either one of them had expected. The murder had been her fault really, but at the time Caresse hadn't even been thinking about it. The beginning and the end of everything. * * * Part 2 Shaina scowled as she stalked into school the following Monday morning. She hated Mondays. It was the worst day of the week, reminding her she had to go to school and be ignored rather than stay at home. She hatred walking down the hall, being faced with watching other people talking to their friends, gabbing what a fun weekend they had. She wanted to be a part of them, sometimes. She wanted to have friends of her own to talk about. Somebody to understand what she went through. But this was her life. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. But she didn't have a choice. She had to stick with it and make the most of it. She slammed into her seat in her homeroom. Make the most of it.ha! ~Look at the bright side, she told herself. ~You only have one more year left. One more year. Then it's college and you can say to hell with this piece of shit.~ Well, it was better than being stuck at home doing nothing. Today, however, Shaina was getting a strange feeling. She didn't understand it and didn't really wanted to. It almost felt like a premonition. She hadn't had a premonition in a long time. Nobody ever listened to her premonitions, so normally she just kept them to herself. But this.this was.she didn't know how to describe it. It was telling her.something.something was going to happen. Something big. And then it was gone. Shaina looked around. Everything looked exactly the same. So what the hell was the matter with her? Why was she feeling as if things were different? She began to wonder if she really wanted to know the answer. * * * "Have you guys noticed something's bugging Caresse a lot lately?" Ianthe Mandrill said as she and her friend Aliya Redfern walked down the hall. Aliya nodded as they stopped at their locker, smiling at the crowd of well wishers and wannabes that hung around them daily. Sometimes popularity could be a real pain, but neither girl would change it for anything. They were Night People after all, so much better than the humans. They deserved it. "Yeah, I noticed," Aliya said with a frown as she opened her locker. "She's moody and snappy and it's just not like her." Ianthe took out the books she needed for the morning's classes. "We need to do something to make her feel better." Aliya didn't understand what the matter with Caresse was at the moment. Caresse had everything just like they did. So what was the problem? She didn't talk to them or anything about what was the matter. Maybe if she just opened up and talked she'd feel better. "Well, maybe we could try talking to her, she walked around all last week like a zombie." Ianthe brightened. "We should have a party. That'll brighten her up." That made Aliya smile. Parties were always the best solution. * * * Caresse's eyes rolled in utter disbelief. She just couldn't believe it. Her friends were getting even more pathetic than she was. Did they really believe that a party would cheer her up. She shook her head as she headed down the halls, ignoring the usual glances of admiration and longing, hatred and jealousy. It was frankly rather boring. Caresse sighed as she reached her home room. She felt as if she didn't fit in here anymore. She wanted there to be someone she could talk to. Someone who would understand how she felt. None of her friends would understand. They would think she was crazy. Caresse was staring to think she was crazy herself. What had brought on these feelings of dispair she was having. After homeroom it was English. They were going to be paired up for class projects today. She dreaded to think who she would get stuck with. Knowing her luck at present it wasn't going to be someone she particularly liked. "Caresse Naylei, and Shaina King." Caresse winced, looking over at Shaina. Shaina was the local weird girl. The freak. She only dressed in black with scary and twisted designs on her tops. Her messy dark hair was streaked with silver. Her eyes were strange, one was green, the other violet. If she was deliberately trying to look weird she was doing a very good job of it. As seats were shifted and assignments handed out Shaina moved to sit beside Caresse. As she joined her, Caresse's skin was tingling. She didn't understand it, but the sensation, and it wasn't an unpleasant one. As they sat their looking at each other a strange thought past through Caresse. This just might be the change she was so desperately calling out for. A good thing or bad? That was what she wanted to find out. * * * Part 3 ~You were my Mechanical Bride You were phenobarbidoll A manniqueen of depression With the face of a dead star And I was a hand grenade That never stopped exploding. You were automatic and hollow as the o in god.~ M. Manson - Mechanical Animals. Shaina felt like screaming. Someone up there must really hate her, particularly to pair her with a snotty stuck up bitch like Caresse Naylei. She remembered her pleas for someone who would understand her, and Caresse seemed like the least likely person who would fit that description. Caresse was everybody's perfect Malibu Barbie. Yet something seemed to be hovering in the air between them. Looking at Caresse's obvious surprise, Shaina realised she could see it too. What the hell was it? They were just sitting there looking at each other and not getting much work done. Shaina tore her eyes away from Caresse's impossibly deep blue ones. She had never realised how pretty they were. She shook her head, disgusted with herself. What was happening to her? She vaguely recalled her premonition. The idea that before the end of the day everything was going to change dramatically. It couldn't mean.oh no. Shaina didn't even want to think about where that thought was going to lead her. "I guess we'd better get started," she said finally. She winced as she looked at the tasks. "God, I hate Shakespeare." Caresse snorted. "Me too. I don't see what the point of studying all this boring crap is anyway. It's not like we're gonna need it in the future." Shaina was surprised. She had expected Caresse to be the type who loved this type of studying. Maybe Caresse wasn't who Shaina thought she was. Maybe it was really something that someone like Caresse had the power to surprise Shaina. But even if they both hated the subject, the stupid project had to be done. By the time they actually managed to get some ideas organised, the period was over. "I guess we can meet later to get this over and done with," Shaina said grudgingly. Caresse sighed. "I guess. The sooner the better." Shaina frowned, remembering she was supposed to baby-sit the brat from hell after she finished school. "We'll have to do it at my house." She made a face. "I'm supposed to watch my pain-in-the-ass sister later." An odd shiver ran through Shaina as she left the classroom, leaving the fine airs on the back of her neck standing on end. * * * Part 4 ~Some Children died the other Day We feed machines and then we pray Look up and down in morbid faith You should have seen the ratings that day~ M. Manson - The Nobodies. Caresse didn't really know what she was expecting when she and Shaina met after school. She knew Shaina lived in what was considered the bad part of town, or that was what she'd heard, anyway. They picked up Shaina's irritating little sister on the way home. Barely ten minutes later and Caresse wanted to drain the little bitch. No wonder Shaina was so moody all the time. She remembered wanting a sister of her own, to have some company at home, but now, the thought of having to put up with this on a daily basis was not a particularly pleasant one. The project, at least, never mind how boring it was, was giving her the chance to spend some more time with Shaina. She doubted they would end up as friends afterwards. And for some reason, she felt rather bad about that. She didn't know what it was about Shaina that was starting to fascinate her. The feeling she'd had when they'd first met in English that morning had been hovering around her all day. Not knowing what it was was driving her nuts. She wondered if she should actually talk to Shaina about it, or maybe if she did Shaina would think she was insane. Caresse was starting to feel like that anyway. She and Shaina sat together in the dining room, books and papers spread out as they tired to work. The door to the lounge was open. Katie was bouncing up and down on the couch, flipping through the TV channels, the volume annoying loud, worse, competing with the even more irritating Brittany CD blasting out of one stereo, and Christina coming from a portable one with speakers. Shaina was cursing under her breath. She looked mad enough to strange the brat. "Turn it OFF!" she shouted. "Have one or the other on, not all three!" "Oh get bent!" came Katie's irritating sing-song from the lounge. "How the hell can she put up with all that crap?" Caresse muttered. Shaina shook her head. "God knows. It's bad enough as it is, without her making it worse." She rolled her eyes. "Welcome to my nightmare." Caresse chuckled dryly without humour. "I can relate." Finally, unable to take any more of the awful music she came up with a solution to dealing with the problem. "Look at the bright side," she said. "We can change the project into the best hundred ways to torture, kill and maim Brittany and Christina?" Shaina said, brightening. Caresse snorted. "If only. This is what we do." She walked into the lounge and turned off the stereo. She yanked the TV plug out the socket, and turned off the portable CD player. "Hey! Whatcha doing! Don't do that!" Katie shrieked, big blue eyes filling with tears. Caresse glared, her dark eyes flashing dangerously. She took the two CDS out, and snapped them in half. She smiled at Shaina. "That's what you do." Shaina was trying hard not to smirk. "Why didn't I think of that?" Katie was trying to pummel Caresse's arm. "You're gonna pay for that! Those were mine! I'm gonna tell on you! You're gonna be in so much trouble - " Caresse grabbed the stupid kid by the scruff of the collar and yanked her off her feat. The kid started to scream as Caresse's fangs grew, her eyes began to glow. Without thinking about it, she sank her teeth into the girl's neck. The blood that flowed into her mouth was the most satisfying thing she'd tasted in ages. She tossed the body to one side. "Problem solved," she said coldly. * * * Part 5 ~Burn all the good things in the Eden eye We were too dumb to run, too dead to die ~ M. Manson - Coma Black. Shaina just stared at the dead body, her surprise obvious. She should probably hate Caresse. She should feel guilty, or scared, or something. But all Shaina felt was contempt. The brat deserved what she got. Caresse was just looking at her. Something.whatever had been there when they'd first been stuck together in the English room was there again now. Shimmering on the air, throwing the whole scene totally out of perspective. She knew Caresse could see it as well. Caresse didn't know what it was anymore than she did. "Why'd you kill her?" she said, finally finding her voice. Caresse shrugged. "She was pissing me off." Shaina snorted. Ask a stupid question. "Katie pissed off a lot of people." She just stood there looking at the body. She had wanted a way to solve the problem of Katie for a long time. Murder had always been her fantasy, but she had never even actually considered doing it. Now they were stuck with a new problem of disposing of the body and tying to come up with a way to explain this to her parents. They were going to kill her. Shaina sighed heavily. "I hate my life," she said moodily. Caresse's head tilted. "I can relate," she muttered. Shaina looked at her, surprised. "How come?" Caresse shrugged her slender shoulders. "I'm tired of always getting what I want. It sucks. It's boring. I'm not what everyone thinks I am. The only thing people see about me is a pretty face, and as long as I keep up the Malibu Barbie image," a deliberate glance at Shaina "everyone's happy." "But you're not." Caresse shook her head and wandered over to the window, looking out into the growing darkness. Even Shaina had to admit she was surprised. She was supposed to feel sorry for Caresse, the poor little rich girl? The surprising thing, was that she did. Like her Caresse longed for something different, something new, some excitement to spice up a dull life. A change. A challenge. It now looked like they'd gotten more than they'd bargained for. Caresse was looking at her. "What's wrong with your life?" Shaina snorted in contempt and gestured around the room. Everything was little kid bright and happy. All of Katie's drawing and star test papers were pinned on the fridge, the only pictures around were ones of Katie. There was nothing to say that Shaina even existed in the house. "It's my house, and it's as if I don't belong here. My parents have done everything they can to sweep me under the rug. As soon as I go off to college they can forget about me. I'm blamed for everything that goes wrong. I'm never noticed. And I'm sick of it." She felt surprisingly better now she'd actually said it out loud. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She'd just never imaged Caresse Naylei would be the person she would confess to. She glanced down at the body. "We've got to do something with that. What?" * * * Part 6 ~Take your hatred out on me Make your victim in my head You never believed in me I am your tourniquet.~ M. Manson - Tourniquet. Caresse frowned. She had never thought of the problems that this would cause for Shaina. She had just wanted to get rid of the irritating brat. She had done, and it had presented them both with a new challenge. Maybe this was what they both needed, something to draw them both together. They were so much more alike that she would have ever imagined. "We bury it in the woods," she said slowly. "We can just say we went out to grab a burger or something, Katie was hungry for junk food but didn't want to come with us because she was watching the TV. We thought she'd be fine for ten minutes. The neighbours were within screaming distance if anything should happen. We came back to find the place a mess and Katie gone." Shaina smiled slightly. "So we mess up the house." Caresse smiled, and let her anger take over. She smiled radiantly as she let out, smashing things, ripping them, breaking them, throwing things. Something she could never have done in her own perfect home. When the anger drained, the house looked like a bomb had exploded in it. Like someone had broken in and snatched the stupid dumb kid. Shaina went into the garage and came back with a large roll of black garbage bags. They carefully wrapped the body and put it in the trunk of Caresse's car. Shaina made a stop at a local hardware store and with a glamour spell to hide her appearance went in and bought a couple of shovels. Caresse waited in the car, drumming her fingers against the steering wheel. Her nerves were screaming an irritating high note, her heart was beating hard inside her chest. Part of her was convinced they were going to be caught before they could finish with their task. Another part of her was worried about what would happen to Shaina when she got home. Shaina got back in the car. "Let's go." The drive to the woods surrounding their town was silent. Tension was heavy in the air between them. It took a long time to dig the grave. Caresse almost wished she could rest in it herself. She didn't feel anything once they were done and disposed of the body and shovel. She was dirty, messy and tired. But at least it was over and done with. Caresse drove Shaina home. Shaina's glamour should help cover her up. She wasn't so sure about herself. As for what happened next.She didn't know. * * * Shaina was silent. She couldn't really think of anything to say. She could feel how nervous Caresse was, and couldn't blame her really. Caresse parked a few yards away from Shaina's house. Her parents' car was in the driveway. "We never actually did do much work on the project," she said finally. Caresse stared at her for several minutes, then they both burst out laughing. It was kind of morbid really. The situation wasn't funny at all. But then again, neither of them were exactly normal at the moment. "Screw the project," Caresse snorted. Shaina chuckled. "Don't we wish." There was an awkward pause as they sat there looking at each other, that shimmery thing hovering between them. It glowed slightly silver in the gloom of Caresse's car. Shaina was dreading going inside, facing her parents and the police and hoping that Caresse's cover story would work. Caresse reached into the glove box and pulled out a small card out which had two numbers on. One must be her home number, the other her cell phone. She handed the card to Shaina. Shaina took it. She had never in her life imagined she would be accepting a card from Caresse. Never imagined they would be sitting here like this. "You can call me anytime, day or night." Caresse's voice was soft. Shaina nodded. "Thanks." Caresse reached out, her fingers brushing lightly against Shaina's. Shaina found herself bringing her hand to touch Caresse's. As their fingers met sparks seemed to shoot from the skin-to-skin contact. Shaina had never felt anything like it. The next thing she knew Caresse had moved forward, pulled her closer and was kissing her deeply. And the strangest thing was Shaina found she liked it. A wonderful white light was blooming between them, linking them together. The shimmery thing that had been there ever since they'd first met had wrapped around them, shining fully silver now. ~Soulmates~ Caresse's voice whispered in her mind. ~It's really true.~ Shaina was content just to rest in Caresse's arms, feel her gentle hands stroking her hair. She had never believed in soulmates before. It had always been a faint dream, the idea that there was someone who would understand her and be there for her. Be her one true love. She just hadn't believed it would actually happen to her. And she found herself so glad that it actually happened. When she needed somebody the most, it had sparked. "I have to go some time," she muttered. Caresse was reluctant to let her go. Shaina didn't want to leave. She felt safe with Caresse. But she had to go. She pulled away and got out of the car. She took a deep breath and went to face the music. * * * Part 7 ~Hey, and our mommies are lost now Hey, daddy's someone else Hey, we love the abuse Because it makes us feel like we are needed now I wanna disappear~ M. Manson - I wanna disappear. When Shaina went into the house she could see yellow crime scene tape marking certain spots. Her parents were sat in the lounge. Her mother was crying. "What's going on?" she asked, pretending to not know more than she actually did. She was more than a little angry when her father stood up, walked over to her and slapped her, hard. Shaina just stared in disbelief, raising a hand to her cheek as pain exploded behind her head. "Don't be so stupid," her father hissed at her. "We know you've done something." Shaina glared. "Did what?" she snapped. Her mother held up the two broken CDs. Shaina just stared at them. She kept her face natural, not wanting to give anything anyway. "Just because something's happened doesn't mean I did it," she snapped. Well, she knew she did do it, but they didn't need to know that. "Who were you talking to outside?" her mother demanded harshly. A sudden bolt of panic shot through Shaina. The last thing she needed was for them to find out about her and Caresse. It was shocking enough for her to deal with. "A friend," she said briefly. "How can you be so insensitive?" her mother screamed at her. "Hanging around with your evil friends while something terrible's happening to your poor baby sister!" She began sobbing noisily. Shaina bit the inside of her cheek, trying to hold her fury in check. What if it had been something happening to her? There wouldn't be this scene right now. They'd just accuse her of faking it for attention. "I hate living here," she muttered. "I'm not allowed friends of my own?" Which just earned her another blow from her father. She stumbled, falling back into the overturned coffee table. The broken glass sliced her hand. "Get up," her father hissed, grabbing the lapels of her leather jacket, dragging her to her feet. "What did you to do your sister?" Shaina jerked free. She could feel heat welling up inside her with the anger. A blast of energy shot out from her palm before she could control it. Striking her father. If she hadn't been so angry, with the anger fast turning to fear she might have been smug. She didn't really feel much after that. When she woke up she had been dumped on the floor of her room. She stood up, her entire body throbbing with pain. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, wincing at the bruises. She didn't make a pretty picture. Surprisingly, she found she didn't care anymore as she collapsed on her bed. She had her soulmate. That was enough to take the pain away for now. * * * As Caresse drove home guilt finally started settling in. But it wasn't guilt over the murder of Katie King. It was guilt settling in over having left Shaina alone to deal with her parents. Through their now activated soulmate connection she could feel, if only faintly, the pain Shaina was going through. She cursed herself for leaving her alone like that. She should have gone in with her. Then Shaina at least would have had someone to back up her story. There wasn't anything she could do about it now. When she arrived at her mansion she was surprised to see a sleek red Ferrari in the driveway. Oh shit. She really didn't feel like dealing with Dellon right now. She stopped in a downstairs bathroom to wash the dirt off her face and hands. She ran a brush through her hair, making sure she looked a little presentable. She headed up the wide marble staircase, her bare feet gliding over the soft red carpeting as she headed to her room. There weren't any lights on. But once inside she could see Dellon's profile, the little glow of the cigarette as he inhaled and blew out a mouthful of smoke. She didn't bother turning on any lights. "Where have you been?" he demanded. Caresse studied him, his messy blond hair, his expensive designer clothing emphasised with his vampire good looks, his ever changing eyes showing his Redfern genes. How could she have ever liked boys? Now she knew who her soulmate really was. It made more sense to her that her soulmate should be another girl. Another girl would understand her so much better. She dumped her purse on the arm chair. "None of your business," she snapped. She hated the way he was so possessive of her. Always insisting to know where she was, what she'd been doing, who she had been with. Nobody needed to deal with that. And she wasn't going to put up with him any more. Dellon moved forward faster than she could blink and in an iron like grip grabbed her chin. "It is my business. You belong to me." Caresse jerked free and pushed him away from him. What a bastard. "Not anymore," she hissed. "As of now, we are broken up." She gestured to the door. "Go away Dellon. Get the hell out of my house, and out of my life." Dellon was staring at her as if she'd just slapped him. Caresse didn't care. She felt nothing for him, and now realised never had. He'd only used her for his trophy. She didn't want him anymore. Dellon threw his cigarette at her. Caresse caught it in midair before the burning end could strike her and set her alight. She snuffed it out and threw it in the bin. "You're gonna regret this," Dellon snapped at her as he passed. Caresse snorted. "Hardly." She smirked as she watched him leave. A week ago she would never have even considered dumping him. Maybe this soulmate thing with Shaina was helping her see straight after all. So she had her soulmate. So it made her feel better. So what? The were still problems to deal with, and she and Shaina needed to do something about them. But what? * * * Part 8 ~When you want it It goes away When you hate it It always seems to last But just remember when you think You're free The crack inside your fucking heart is me.~ M. Manson - The Speed of Pain. When Shaina came around again it was early in the morning. Her digital clock read 4.am. She knew she wasn't going to get back to sleep. She moaned in pain as she sat up again. Glancing at her reflection again she looked worse than when she had first woken. She turned away, refusing to let herself cry. She'd never cried when her parents had beaten her up before. She wasn't going to start now. She needed comfort. Before she had always had to deal with the stark truth - there was no comfort to be had. But that had all changed now. She took out the small card Caresse had given her. Caresse would make her feel better. Caresse would make everything okay. She found her phone and dialled the number. "What is it?" Caresse's voice was concerned. She must have known it was Shaina calling her. "I don't want to be alone right now," she whispered. A coughing fit struck her. She grabbed a tissue and spat into it, not surprised to see blood. Caresse was silent for a minute. "Sneak and go to the Motel 6, just up the highway, off route 29. Ask for room 13. I'll meet you there." "Sure. Thanks." Shaina hung up and stumbled to her feet. She headed into the bathroom and took a couple of pain killers. She cleaned up some of the dried blood. There wasn't a whole lot she could do about the bruises. Her powers were too weak even for something as simple as glamour. She shook her head miserably. The damn fucking energy blast had been her own fault. She had been stupid and careless. She should have controlled herself. She changed into a black turtleneck and a clean pair of jeans and crept to her door. Opening it she peered out into the hallway. Silent. The door to her parent's room was closed. Good. She went back inside her own room and locked the door from the inside. She headed over to the window, slid it open and dropped gracefully to the ground. She headed into the garage and into the kitchen where she grabbed her car keys and wallet. The she went back into the garage, as silent as she could, and started the engine. She floored the gas pedal, speeding off as fast as she could towards the motel. She didn't care about speed limits, and considering the early hour, there was hardly anyone out on the streets. The receptionist gave her a strange look when she appeared, asking for the room. She gave a false name, and took the room Caresse had told her to get. Number 13. Shaina smiled a little. She sat on the bed and waited. * * * Dellon sat outside Caresse's house, watching her window. The light was on, and he could see her silhouette moving. The little bitch was going to pay for dumping him. No one broke up with him and lived to brag about it. He knew she was up to something no good as well. Normal people didn't hang around with freaks like Shaina Whatshername. They didn't go off and do something in the woods. What they had actually been doing was unclear to him. He'd seen them leaving school together and at once had become suspicious. He liked to know what his girlfriends got up to when he wasn't around, so he could punish them if they did something he didn't like. He watched Caresse hurrying out the door, her blonde hair flying, glinting dully gold in the early morning light. He frowned as she got in her car and sped off. At a discreet enough distance, he followed her. She was heading towards the freeway. Where the hell was she going? His expression darkened into a scowl as he watched her take the off ramp at route 29 and head for the cheap Motel 6. Slut. Already meeting someone else. That someone else was going to be so dead when he got his hands on them. A thought struck him as he thought about what she had been doing with weirdo freak Shaina. She couldn't. No. He laughed at the thought. Caresse wouldn't know the first thing about what to do in bed with another girl. She barely knew what to do with him. She always moaned when he played dominant. Didn't matter. Dellon was still going to kill whoever the asshole was. And then she.he.it.and Caresse could burn in hell where she belonged. * * * Part 9 ~Use me like I was a whore Relationships are such a bore Delete the ones that you've fucked User friendly dope star obscene Will you die when you're high You'd never die for me She says "I'm not in love with you, But I'm gonna fuck you until somebody comes along."~ M. Manson - User Friendly. Caresse glanced over her shoulder, an uncomfortable prickling at the back of her neck telling her something was up. She didn't know what it was, and couldn't actually see anyone behind her. She put the feelings out her mind, all that mattered to her right now was getting to Shaina, making sure her soulmate was okay. She hated herself for letting Shaina get hurt. She should have gone in with her, she should have. Couldn't do anything about it now. Couldn't change the past. Shame. She and Shaina should have just run together the minute they'd killed the damn kid. Buried the body and skipped town. Hid somewhere new where they could be together without abusive parents or boyfriends hunting them down, loving to hurt them. She sped up the freeway and was at the motel in less than fifteen minutes. Shaina was waiting for her. Caresse drew in a sharp breath at the state of her soulmate. She couldn't believe it. Without needing words she pulled Shaina into her arms and stroked her hair gently as Shaina cried on her shoulder. "Shh, it's okay now," she muttered. "Shh." She didn't know if everything was going to be okay or not, but for now it seemed as long as they were together nothing else mattered. * * * Shaina had promised herself she wouldn't cry, but now she couldn't help it. She clung to Caresse as the hot tears coursed down her cheeks. She didn't care hoe pathetic she felt anymore. She had someone who loved her and that was all she needed. She had something to believe in now. Someone finally cared. The shimmery silver cord was back, shining around them, pulling them close together so they could never be apart again. Shaina's eyes closed as she felt Caresse's fingers slip underneath her turtleneck pulling it over her head. Caresse's gentle hands carefully removing her clothes sent shivers of pleasure's run through her. She reached out, her own fingers moving over Caresse's body, unbuttoning the designer blouse. She wore no bra under the shirt. Shaina's lips moved to the perfect breasts, lips touching each nipple, feeling them growing hard as her tongue flicked over them. She moaned, feeling Caresse kissing her cuts and bruises, making everything better again. When there were no more clothes they moved over to the bed, clinging to each other as if there would be no tomorrow. "Do you have any idea what to do?" Caresse whispered, nibbling Shaina's ear gently. Shaina shook her head, smiling slightly. "Not a fucking clue. Let's just do whatever we feel like." * * * Part 10 ~I'd live to give in I'd love to live this lie I've been to black and black I've whited out my name A lack of pain, a lack of hope A lack of anything, to say There is no cure for what's killing me I'm on my way down I've looked around and saw a World that's dead I guess that I am too.~ M. Manson - The Minute of Decay When Shaina woke the following morning, snuggled in Caresse's arms she felt warm and safe for the first time in.well, probably since she was six and that pain in the ass brat of a sister of hers had come along. Caresse woke, her beautiful blue eyes shining brightly. They kissed softly. "Feeling better?" she whispered. Shaina nodded. "Much." She rested her head on Caresse's shoulder, content. She didn't want to get up. Glancing over at the room's clock-radio she saw it was after five p.m. She doubted anyone knew she wasn't there yet. She didn't want to leave. But they couldn't stay here. They both knew that. Shaina sighed heavily. "I really don't want to go home," she said, her mood darkening. Caresse held her tighter. "Don't go home," she said. "We'll just leave. Run away together." Shaina snorted. "It's a nice thought, but where would be go? It's not like I've got much money or anything." Caresse's head tilted, her golden locks spilling of Shaina's shoulder. "I do," she offered. "We can change our looks, our names, you're a witch, you can do that with glamour." Shaina lay back against the pillows, considering the option. Was it something they could actually do? Considering the situation they were both in, maybe it worth taking the risk. * * * Dellon yawned, getting annoyed and hungry. Caresse and her floosey had been in that fucking motel room all day. They hadn't come out. And not knowing who she was actually in there with was driving him insane. He couldn't actually see into the room to get a decent profile of who she might be with. Once he knew, he could decide how best to torture them. What was the fun of a quick and easy death? Caresse deserved to suffer for being such an ungrateful bitch. So did whoever had taken her away from him. He knew it was one of the biggest cliché's of all time, but he didn't care. If he couldn't have caresse, then no one else could either. He stiffened, seeing her come out of the motel room. His mouth dropped open in disbelief as he watched Shaina Whatshername following her out. They were holding hands. Dellon had been prepared to beat the shit out of another guy. He had dismissed the idea that there was something going on between Shaina and Caresse but. From the looks of it, someone had done a pretty good job of kicking the shit out of Shaina anyway. He smirked. Unless she and Caresse were into S+M. He snickered at the images that came into his head at the thought. Despite that, anger quickly took over. It was humiliating enough to be dumped by a bimbo like Caresse Naylei, and even worse.how was everyone going to act when they learned he'd been dumped for another girl?. It just made him hate them more. They both needed to die. And fast. * * * Part 11 ~If you die when no one's watching And your ratings drop If they kill you on their TV You're a moral in the lamb of god.~ M. Manson - Lamb of God. Shaina drove home trying to think up an excuse for being out of the house all day. She dreaded to think what her parents would do to her if the school had called and said she hadn't been there. Maybe she could brainwash the teachers tomorrow into thinking she'd been there, then she wouldn't get into trouble. The thought brought a wry smile to her lips. As she pulled into her street she saw the police cars and another car she didn't recognise, but with a strange licence place, the first letters NW. Night World detectives. Someone must have realised it had been a vampire killing and they'd been sent to investigate. Shit. Her mouth went dry. Keeping her self composed and calm she parked her car and headed inside. She headed into the lounge, seeing people gathered in there. Her mother was sitting on the couch sobbing nosily. Her father was staring ahead blank-faced. Two uniformed cops were in the room along with a woman in a black business suit. "What's going on?" she asked. She found she actually wanted to know. They could always be there for a totally different reason than she thought. It was unlikely, but it could always happen. The woman in the suit looked up. Her eyes shifted colour from moment to moment like the lights in a glacier. Redfern. She was a vampire. "Your sister was reported missing yesterday," the detective woman said. "A body was found in a shallow grave in the woods this afternoon." ~The official story is that the girl's throat was slashed, but the coroner noticed she'd been drained, it's a vampire killing~ The female detective's voice was in Shaina's mind, so to avoid being overheard by the human cops. Shaina wished she had vampiric telepathy, but she didn't. Her parents wouldn't look at her. "See?" she snorted at them. "I told you I didn't do it but you wouldn't believe me." The human cops were looking at her, clearly seeing the bruises covering her face. Shaina debated on telling them the truth, but in a straight battle against her ill-conceived parents she knew she'd never win. "What happened to you?" one of them asked. Shaina shrugged dismissively. "I got in a little fight," she said. "No big deal." She left the lounge and headed back to her own room. She felt a wave of relief that she hadn't been caught yet. But her relief was almost immediately interrupted and replaced. She watched the cops talking to her parents and then leaving. Glancing out a hall window she saw a fourth car she hadn't noticed before. A sleek red Ferrari, shining dimly in the gathering night. She frowned. Whose car was that, and why did it look vaguely familiar? And why was she getting a sense of dread making her blood run cold? * * * Dellon tried to get as close as he could to the freak-girl's house without getting noticed by the coos. With a window down he tried to pick up on the conversation, and putting two and two together wasn't all that hard. He allowed a satisfied smirk to swim to the surface of his face as he came up with his plan. He got out of his car and headed over to the house with an almost cocky swagger. He knocked on the door. * * * Shaina frowned, hearing the knock on the door. Before she count answer it her father had beaten her there. She scowled, trying to get a glimpse of the young man who stood there without being too obvious about it. Something about this guy sent shivers down her spine. "I'm a private detective with the Joint Council, I'm Dellon Redfern and I've been sent to investigate the murder of your daughter." He followed her father into the lounge. Dellon Redfern. Shaina was sure she'd heard that name somewhere before. "We've been suspicious about your other daughter, Shaina, for some time now." That part got Shaina's attention. She'd never heard such bullshit. What had she ever done to break the law - human or Night World - up until now? "Little bitch, I knew she was responsible!" Shaina's mother shrieked. "We know she had help in the murder, as it was a vampire killing," the "Council's P.D" went on. Something about the manner of his tone was particularly disturbing. It was almost.smug. "Do you know who the vampire is? Send your best hunter after them. Whatever it costs, we'll pay." Her father's voice was harsh and filled with bitterness and hatred. For her or the vampire, Shaina wasn't sure. She crept closer, trying to see this Dellon Redfern. She put her eye to the keyhole in the lounge door. She reeled back in surprise. Dellon fucking Redfern was no Joint Council private detective! The bastard was the local high school jock. That was where she'd seen him. He had had something going with Caresse. Caresse must have dumped him and he wanted revenge. Asshole. And now he was worming his way into her parent's mind, convincing them to pay him to hunt her and Caresse down, and kill them. "I followed your daughter yesterday when she left school, she was with a vampire named Caresse Naylei." "She said She was with a 'friend' when we questioned her about Katie's disappearance yesterday," her father said. The anger in his voice was barely concealed. "What are you planning on doing about this?" "Killing them. They killed someone they shouldn't have, they should pay for it." It was taking every ounce of Shaina's control not to rush out there and stake that lying sack of shit. He had no connections with the Council whatsoever. And he had convinced her parents. What kind of parents would allow some rogue vampire to hunt down their own child? ~Face it,~ she told herself moodily. ~You've been absent from their life ever since that little bitch came along.~ That didn't mean she had to be hunted down by some jealous idiot. She hurried back to her room, and grabbed a small travel bag, stuffing some clothes and essential items into it. Fuck it. She wasn't staying here. She had decided to take Caresse's suggestion after all. They were going run. Part 12 ~Before the bullets Before the flies Before authorities take out my eyes The hold is smiling on the dolls I make But she was plastic So are your brains~ M. Manson - GodeatGod. Caresse lay on her bed, flipping through the TV channels. Restless and bored she didn't know what else to do. There was an uncomfortable sensation at the back of her neck telling her something was wrong. It was the soulmate connection, telling her something was up. It was the same thing she'd been experiencing when Shaina was being beaten the night before. ".this tragedy was discovered late this afternoon by a man walking his dog. The body of ten year old Katie King was buried in a shallow grave with the throat cut." Caresse's attention turned to the TV news channel, hearing the reporters voice. It was soon drowned out by the rush of white noise filling her ears. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Panic attack. They'd found the fucking body. Would they find her and Shaina? Night World had special investigator services to discuss things like this. If they did an autopsy anyone could see she'd drained the body before hand. A knocking nearly made her jump out her skin. She turned around frantically, thinking irrational thoughts. She was caught. The cops were coming to take her away. The Night World were going to put her on trail and murder her horribly. The knock came again, and then Caresse realised it was the balcony doors. She hurried over and let Shaina in. "What's wrong?" she asked instantly. "Your asshole of a boyfriend has been spying on us. He's convinced my parents to pay him to hunt us down." Shaina's voice was blunt and angry. Caresse stared at her for several minutes before anger hit. She grabbed the glass of water on the bedside table and hurled it at the wall. The glass shattered into tiny pieces, the water trickling down the wall. For a vivid and violent moment she imagined it was Dellon's head, mashing into a bloody pulp, his eyes wide open with terror as his brains splattered out on the wall, the drops of blood staining the delicate pink wallpaper. "What are we going to do?" she said finally, pulling herself together. "We're leaving. Grab some stuff and then we'll run." Caresse grabbed a leather backpack from her closet and began carelessly throwing things in. She and Shaina stepped out onto the balcony. They climbed down and headed for Shaina's black Jeep. "Any idea where we're going to go?" she asked once they were speeding past city limits. Shaina shrugged. "Let's just keep driving and see where we get to." Part 13 ~You said you wanted evolution The ape with the great big hit You said you wanted revolution, man . And I say that you're full of shit~ M. Manson - Disposable Teens. Dellon smirked as he headed to Shaina's room. After calling the Council and informing them on the situation, they'd given him permission to hunt the bitches and kill them. The story he'd told the witch's parents was pretty much the truth. They didn't need to know he was no private detective. It was surprising what a little amount of brainwashing could do. He slammed the door open, but the smirk on his face died. The room had been abandoned. The window was open and Shaina was nowhere in sighed. "Fuck," he muttered under his breath. She'd skipped. She'd run. "Well?" The girl's father had appeared behind him. His eyes narrowed in rage when he saw the abandoned room. "Little bitch has run." Dellon calmed himself down. He had to think clearly. It didn't take a genius to figure out where she was going. "I know where she'll be. She'll pay." He jogged out the door and jumped in his car. By the time he got to Caresse's mansion he knew he was already too late. Her parents were freaking out, obviously having just discovered the truth about their daughter. Someone had to know where they would run. As far as he knew Shaina didn't have anywhere else where she could go. But Caresse had various family and cousins in places where they could hide. He drove to Ianthe's house. Ianthe was Caresse's best friend. He should be able to force some information out of her. Ianthe didn't seem particularly pleased to see him. Aliya was there too. "What are you doing here?" she asked, annoyed. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" Dellon glared at them. "Shut up and listen." He told them everything he'd just learned about Caresse and Shaina, and what they'd done. Ianthe and Aliya just stared at him in utter disbelief. They didn't believe a word. "But Caresse would never do anything like that" Aliya cried, clearly stunned. "We knew there was something bothering her, but.That freak witch must have brainwashed her or something." Ianthe snorted. "They were stuck together for that English project. I saw Caresse's face. She had that goofy, dreamy look all day afterwards. It was no brainwashing. Caresse has lost it." Dellon frowned. They weren't exactly being very helpful. Most of this crap he already knew. "I followed them. They went to a motel together. They stayed there all day and most of the night." Ianthe and Aliya exchanged glances. Neither of them could deny the fact that both Shaina and Caresse had been absent yesterday. Dellon remained silent as the truth of his words finally sunk in. "They killed that kid," Aliya whispered. "They really did it." Ianthe remained silent. Dellon had been hoping to get more of a reaction from her. But she was irritatingly blank. Their eyes met, and at that moment he knew she'd help him do whatever it took to find Caresse. "I'm assuming you have a plan?" she asked. Dellon smirked again. "Of course I do." "And what's that?" Aliya asked, clearly not happy. "Hunt them down and kill them, what else?" Ianthe snorted. "And you want to know where she'd go." She sighed. "Caresse has a cousin, Rose Blackthorn, a renegade vampire who doesn't abide by Night World laws. She does whatever wants, when she wants, and doesn't give a shit what anyone thinks. She lives somewhere in Vegas. That's where Caresse would go." "Then that's where I'm going." And with that he left. If he put his foot down, he might even get there before Caresse and Shaina. They'd get a nasty surprise when they arrived. And an equally nasty death. Part 14 ~I can choke and diet on Coke I'm spun and I know That I'm stoned and rolling Lifelike and posable Hopeless and disposable.~ M. Manson - New Model no 15. Shaina woke to sunlight blinding her. She winced, stretching and yawning. She was in the passenger seat of her Jeep. Looking around she didn't recognise any of the desert area they were in. Caresse had stopped for gas. There was a diner next door. Shaina hadn't realised how hungry she was. She'd barely eaten in the last two days. She leaned over the door. "I need food. You got much cash?" Caresse frowned, checking her wallet. There was a fairly large amount of bills there. "We got cash." After paying for the gas they headed into the almost empty diner. Shaina yawned. "What time is it?" she asked. Caresse checked her D+G watch. "Just after Seven." Shaina groaned. She was beginning to wish she could just crawl into a hole and die. She wanted to just close her eyes and when she woke up the nightmare would be over. She knew she wasn't going to be that lucky. She didn't care how much of a pig she appeared to be. She was so hungry she just ordered everything she possibly could eat. She noticed Caresse looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "What?" she asked innocently. "You got ketchup all around your mouth," Caresse said with a little smile. If they were alone together Shaina would have been more than happy for Caresse to lick the ketchup off. She could pretend it was blood. Her pussy was still slightly sore from where Caresse's fangs had been the other day. But since there were people in the diner, she was forced to use a napkin. She and Caresse needed to stay as low key as possible until they had some idea of where to go. "So." "We can go to my cousin Rose," Caresse said, reading her mind. "She's a renegade, doesn't believe in rules and restrictions. She believes in doing whatever the hell you want. She lives in trailer in Vegas. We can stay with her. She won't care." Shaina nodded. For some reason she found herself rather reluctant to agree. She didn't know why she was getting a bad feeling about it. * * * The drive to Vegas took most of the day. It was a happening city Shaina had always wished she could see. And she was with her soulmate. So why wasn't she happier? They couldn't hide her for long. If Caresse's cousin Rose was a renegade, then surely the Council would be looking for her too. They arrived at the trailer shortly before sunset. A reddish pinky was starting to spread across the sky in the west. There were one or two other scattered trailers around by Rose's. She seemed surprised to see Caresse. Rose was tall and slender, with purple hair streaked with black cascading to her waste. She was dressed in black shorts and a midriff black top with a flaming crucifix design. "You know the Council are looking for you guys?" she said as Shaina and Caresse came inside. Caresse nodded. "We need a place to hide." Rose shrugged. "Make yourselves at home. I'm going hunting." And with that she left. Shaina's eyebrow raised. Okay. "We still need a plan," she said as she and Caresse found a bedroom. Caresse pulled her close and kissed her deeply, her finger undoing the zipper on Shaina's jeans and slipping past her panties. "Plan later. Sex now." Shaina's eyes rolled. "Is that all you think about?" Caresse grinned. "It beats reality." Shaina shrugged. "Got that right." Part 15 ~ All simple monkeys with alien babies Amphetamines for boys Crucifixes for ladies Sampled and soulless Worldwide and webbed You sell all the living For more safer dead~ M. Manson - Rock is Dead. The sun was just rising by the time Dellon arrived in Las Vegas. He already knew they would here by now. He cursed himself for not getting there sooner. Still.no worries. He had Rose's address, dug out from a Night World database. They'd been most helpful in his search. A bonus for him if he could pick off the renegade. They'd been spying on her as well. He snorted in disgust at the stupidity of these people. They really thought they could get away with almost anything. They deserved what they got. With any luck, all three of them, Rose, Caresse, Shaina, would all be dead by the end of the day. He was getting pretty bored of chasing them. They should know they wouldn't be able to escape. Women, he thought, shaking his head as he parked outside a Goth club, a few miles from the trailer Rose was supposed to be hiding in. It was one of the places where she was normally found. And as luck would have it, there she was, coming out the door. Dellon slipped out, following her home. He noticed her walk was slightly unsteady. He shuddered at the thought of an all nighter in a place like this. He frowned in distaste, and followed the girl at a distance. Despite the early hour the girl wasn't as stupid as she appeared. Dellon came to a halt. He waited. He sighed heavily and within the blink of an eye, the girl had come up behind him, knocked him down and knelt on his back, her knees digging painfully into his flesh. Dellon had to admit he was vaguely impressed. Her speed had taken him completely by surprise. "Mind telling me who you are and why you're following me?" Her tone was annoyingly pleasant. Without warning Dellon bucked like a wild bull, knocking her to the side. She kicked him painfully. They wrestled around for several minutes. Dellon panted, grunting as she tried to knee him in the groin. The little bitch fought dirty. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her head, sitting on her legs. "Now there's no need for that." He studied her as her violet eyes glared at him. "Move or scream, and I'll cause you some serious pain." "Who are you?" she growled at him. Dellon smiled. "Wouldn't you like to know. Now tell me what I want to know, and maybe you'll live." * * * Caresse woke to the sunlight streaming in brightly through the trailer windows. Shaina wasn't beside her, so she must be up already. She sat up, stretching. Looking around, she wondered what they were going to do today. They needed to come up with some sort of definite solution, and fast. A slight tingling to her skin was telling her something was wrong. They both knew they were being hunted down, and as Rose was a renegade, the council would have a field day if Dellon got all three of them. Maybe this idea of running away wasn't so hot after all. Caresse sighed as she dressed. She would have killed for a long hot shower, but a quick wash in the tiny bathroom was all she could manage. Shaina was sitting in the tiny kitchen, playing with a fork, a frown marring her features. She smiled slightly as Caresse sat down opposite from her. "We need a plan," Shaina said, sounding tired. Caresse nodded. "That's pretty much a given." So they knew they needed a plan. Figuring out what that plan actually was seemed to be coming to a dead end. They sat there in uncomfortable silence for several minutes. The sound of a knock on the door startled them both. Shaina stood up, but Caresse grabbed her arm, pulling her out of view from the window. ~Are you out your fucking mind?~ she hissed mentally. ~We don't know who that is.~ Shaina glared, but remained silent and crouching low. Caresse peered around the curtains, but couldn't actually see anything. She frowned. After waiting a few more minutes, she opened the trailer door. And screamed. Rose's dead and mutilated body lay at the foot of the trailer door. And Dellon stood behind it. "Miss me?" * * * Part 16 ~I know it's the last day on Earth We'll be together while the planet dies I know it's the last day on Earth We'll never say goodbye.~ M. Manson - The Last Day on Earth This time Shaina didn't bother trying to control her anger. She let the energy blast out, as powerful as she could make it. She hurled it at Dellon with a satisfied smirk. The blast took him by surprise, sending him flying backwards. She grabbed Caresse's hand and pulled her out the door. The jumped into Shaina's jeep. Shaina pressed her foot down hard. Dirt and gravel made a screeching sound as Shaina shot out of the trailer park. "Where am I going?" she asked, speeding down the road. "Who cares? Just drive!" * * * Dellon picked himself up, kicking the dust savagely. Fuck. He should have expected something like this. He knew the bitches were both stubborn, they weren't likely to just submit without a fight. What was the fun of a hunt with out a little challenge? Racing for his car, within seconds he was hot on their trail. * * * Shaina wove her way in and out of the early morning traffic heading into Vegas. She drummed her fingers impatiently as she and Caresse were stuck in a jam over the Hoover Dam. She knew Dellon was close behind. They just needed out of the city. The sooner they were out of the traffic she could speed.and. And what? "Come on, move!" Caresse snapped, annoyed. Shaina glared. "I can't!" Caresse's eyes rolled. "Not you, the fucking traffic. This is so unfair." Shaina shook her head. "Life's a bitch." She had to bite her lip on a shriek of joy when they finally started moving again. Another ten minutes and they were on a desert highway. Shaina turned down an unmarked road, without a clue where she was going. Maybe somewhere in the wide Grand Canyon, they could loose Dellon. "Is this a good idea?" Caresse asked doubtfully. * * * Dellon scowled at the black Jeep as it shot down the highway, turning stupidly into unmarked territory and desert land. They really thought they could lose him that way? Proved how stupid they were. He slammed his foot down on the breaks, noticing the jeep had stopped. Now what? * * * Shaina pulled the jeep up short. The unexpected cliff edge had come out of nowhere. She glanced over her shoulder. Dellon had stopped his car and was getting out. He was going to drown in that smirk of his before long. "GIVE UP! YOU'RE FUCKED!" Caresse turned to Shaina, her blue eyes brimming with tears. "He's right. We can't go any further." Shaina sat back in the jeep, realising much to her dismay, that Caresse was right. But giving in.it just seemed.after all they'd been through. "We can't just give up like this," she whispered. Caresse glanced around. "We could get out and just run for it." Shaina shook her head. Even if they went in separate directions, she knew she would never be the same without Caresse. If Dellon caught her and killed her, Shaina would never forgive herself. She looked over at the chasm below them. A long, long way down. She turned to Caresse. "I have an idea." * * * Well, maybe they weren't that stupid after all. Dellon watched the two girls, smirking at their expressions as they realised they'd lost. There was nothing they could do now. * * * Caresse met Shaina's gaze and realised instantly what her soulmate was thinking. She wasn't particularly thrilled with the idea. But it was so much more appealing then just giving into assholes like Dellon. She nodded. * * * Shaina smiled, pulled Caresse close and kissed her deeply. The white light of their soulmate connection sparked, warming her through. ~I love you,~ Caresse's voice said in her head. ~I love you too,~ Shaina thought back. She turned the key in the ignition of the jeep. Then she floored the gas pedal and the car shot forward over the cliff. THE END.