Reunion
They would be coming for her, she was sure of it. Star wasn’t exactly sure who they
were, as it could be anybody at this point. She didn’t know what she
had done to piss off so many people. Okay, that was lie. Still it was
hardly her fault, none of it had been done intentionally or willingly.
The crease of her elbow was itching,
fiercely. The part of her brain that scolded her for scratching it, was
silenced by the cool relief that came from the action. It would probably
start bleeding again now, although that didn’t trouble her. It would
just be inconvenient. Star closed her eyes and delighted in the
exquisite bliss. It was a temporary reprieve from the pain. No one
around her paid her any mind. To them, she was just another junkie
looking for a fix from her dealer.
Star secretly observed the people passing
her by as she pretended to rearrange her clothing. She was no longer
the gypsy girl that everyone knew. That girl had died a long time ago.
For the new Star - flowing, glittery skirts and a myriad of rings and
bangles were not only impractical, but risky. Too many knew that girl,
noticed her. It had been fine when she had been with the boys, she had
wanted to be noticed and had enjoyed the attention. Now though,
attention was a dangerous thing, especially when so many enemies knew
her face and bayed for her blood.
The new Star did her best to fit in with
the eclectic style of the locals. Her unruly ringlets were tied back in a
loose ponytail and hidden underneath a beanie hat. She didn’t dare go
as far as to dye it or have it cut. She mainly dressed in muted colours.
Her military jacket with the beaded-tasselled shoulders, had been
replaced by a combat style that had enough pockets to hide the many
weapons she kept on her person. Star missed giving her possessions that
quirky little something that made it her own. Although in a town like
Santa Carla, filled with runaways who vied to be different, it was the
perfect disguise.
Looking down, she noticed one of the
laces of her Chucks had come loose, dragging along the ground, waiting
to trip her up. It would have to wait to be fixed as she wasn’t sure if
she could bend down without causing herself more damage. Besides, she
was preoccupied with her surveillance of the crowd. There was someone
here who didn’t belong and it was imperative that she identify them.
After several minutes, she gave up. There
still didn’t seem to be anyone out of place. Be that as it may,
instinct told her to stay on the Boardwalk. It was busy tonight and she
doubted her pursuer/s would attack with so many witnesses present -
human or otherwise. However there was a small problem with her plan. She
still suffered from feral tendencies. There was no one left to teach
her how to control her urges. She’d thought that maybe with the boys
dead, her cravings would die with them. As David had once explained to
her, her urges came from the pack collective and technically there was
nothing for her to tap into.
It was a dilemma.
Stay in the crowds where it was less
likely that she would be attacked, but where her blood-lust was at its
peak. Or stick to the shadows where an attack would be imminent, but the
people of Santa Carla would be safe. At least safe from her.
She had been on the run for several weeks
now. Lack of regular sustenance and feral outbursts, coupled with grief
and the distress she had endured over the past few months, had all
taken their toll on her. Star was in no shape to fight whatever was
hunting her, however that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to try. She moved
away from the crowds and instantly felt someone following her, watching
her from the shadows.
Here we go…
She thought, refusing to pick up her
pace. She was sick of running, so if they wanted her, they could damn
well work for it. Her patience was wearing thin. Running on fumes of
pure anger, was the only thing keeping her going these days. When she
could stand it no longer, she spun on her heel - faster than a mortal
could have - and turned to face her stalker.
“Why are you following me?” She asked the darkness before her. “What do you want?”
The presence refused to answer. It was
still there, however, flaunting its malevolence at her. Star was not
impressed. She’d seen many a scary thing this last year and shadows that
refused to make themselves known, no longer frightened her.
“Who are you?” She sighed, already bored of this wait-and-see game.
“Don’t you recognise me, Star?” Asked a
familiar voice and its owner stepped out of the shadows. Of all the
things she knew were hunting her, this was the last thing she expected.
Not least because, as far as she knew, the owner of that voice was
decomposing six-feet-under in Grandpa Emerson’s backyard. If her heart
could beat, it would have pounded its way out of her chest.
“David…?” She barely managed to get the name out, completely bewildered by the sight before her.
“Not who you were expecting?” He quirked an eyebrow at her and smirked.
“No…I-I…how…are you?” It was a stupid
question, although her mind didn’t seem to be able form an intelligent
thought. Star was convinced that she had fallen asleep and her
subconscious was delighting in new ways to torment her. The David before
her widened his eyes slightly and then considered her question
carefully.
“Not sure how to answer that…alive?”
Without warning, she leapt into his arms
and peppered his face with kisses. She didn’t care if this was a dream.
It was the happiest she’d felt in a long time and she intended to savour
every second. His touch, his smell, the look of astonishment in his
cerulean blues, it all felt so real.
This was not the reaction that David was
expecting. He’d expected her to flee, scream, possibly attack him, but
certainly not with kisses. He pushed her away with a scowl, taking
pleasure in the disappointment that had appeared on her face.
“You think this makes up for what you did?”
“What I did? I didn’t—”
“—Save it.” He interrupted, before
knocking her out. He wasn’t in the mood for banter, at least not here in
the open. He’d take her to more familiar turf, and there she would have
to answer for her crimes. A tiny spark hidden deep within, hoped that
there would be a good reason for her betrayal. However, he doubted that
anything she could say would ignite that spark into the flame that once
was.
oOo
When Star awoke, she discovered that her
arms were chained painfully behind her back. It was like being back at
the Emersons, although she didn’t remember that room ever smelling so
damp or musty. After struggling for a while, she managed to free her
left arm. She was just working on the right, when she heard footsteps
approaching. She hid her freed arm behind her back, just as Marko
appeared before her.
“Marko?! Will you please tell me what is going on?”
He couldn’t bear to look at her. David
had warned him to stay away, nevertheless he just had to see her for
himself. She’d been like a sister to him. He’d felt close to her and
thought she’d felt the same way considering their similar upbringings.
He just wanted an explanation.
“Marko? Please? Help me.”
“Why would I help you? You didn’t help me.” He replied, still refusing to look in her eyes. He was sure if he did, he’d lose it.
“I know, I’m sorry.” She mumbled and he looked up.
“What was that?” He asked, getting
closer. Did she really just try to apologise? He could feel the anger
bubbling up inside of him. He didn’t want to hear how sorry she was, he
wanted to know why, hell, he’d settle for how. What the fuck had she
been thinking? What was so bad that she couldn’t even talk to them
about? What comfort had she found with Michael that she couldn’t get
from her own pack?! He needed to know.
“I said…”
Star lunged at him and with her free arm,
she grabbed him in a choke hold. Once she had freed her right hand, she
reached into one of the hidden pockets in her jacket and retrieved a
syringe. Star pointed it at Marko’s throat, allowing the sharp point to
graze his skin, and whispered into his ear.
“Get David in here. Now!”
Within hardly any time at all, David appeared in front of her, flanked on either side by Paul and Dwayne.
“Ha!” Star laughed when she saw them. “The whole gang’s here.”
“Let him go, Star!” David commanded. His voice was even, however there was a fury burning beneath his tone.
“Erm, no. I don’t think I will and as I
seem to have the advantage here, I’ll ask the questions.” They all
stared at her in disbelief.
“Advantage? You’re one against three.”
“Do you have any idea what is in this?”
She said, gesturing to the syringe. “Allium Extract, Argenti Nitrate and
Sancta Trinitas. That’s garlic, silver and Holy Water.”
David faltered slightly.
“It really burns, especially when it’s going down your throat, just ask Paul…”
“You bitch!” Paul snarled at her, while Dwayne held him back.
“Like I said, I’ll be the one asking the questions.” She smiled coldly at each of them in turn.
“Let’s start with a nice, easy one. Who the fuck are you?!”Next Chapter
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