Danyel's Story Ch.2. Fisher
Fisher
The green illuminated numbers of the digital alarm clock hung in the darkness, a bitter reminder to Shame that he couldn't sleep. According to the clock it was 3:21 am.
Yesterday hadn't been an exceptionally rough day, nothing too unusual about the case, just another rouge Vampire, and yet, something still bothered him about the case. . .
" It was too easy. . ." He thought."It was almost like he had been waiting for me to catch him."
The answer, of course, was that Shame was simply over thinking it, he tended to do that a lot when it came to supernatural cases. He'd had an increasing amount of those since leaving the force two years ago. Shame just figured that dealing with the weirder side of things was a part of the package that came with being a private eye.
Thinking about yesterday wasn't going to help him sleep. Shame needed company, and the only person he knew that could help was Lexi. She was one of the few constants in his life, her and Thorn. Thorn was Shames room-mate, friend, and most trusted advisor. He was a 200 lbs. white bundle of fur and dog-slobber who's favorite chew toy was the Louisville Slugger behind the door, which was ironic because it was that same bat that almost ended Thorns life as a puppy.
"Hello?" Lexi's voice. Constant.
"Hey Lexi"
"Shouldn't you be asleep?"
"Can't"
"Want some company?"
"You busy?"
"I'm never too busy for you Shame."
"Then I'd love the company."
"Be there in twenty."
"Always there when I need you Lexi. . ." Shame thought to himself as he tossed his cell on the couch.
Lexi was the only person he knew who slept less than he did. In fact Same didn't think she ever slept.
Twenty minutes was just enough time to throw on a pot of fresh coffee, the toxic filth that was doing a good job of pretending to be a coffee-like substance was unacceptable. It was also enough time for Shame to realize, and amend, the fact that he was still wearing most of the suit he wore to court yesterday, and it smelled like Leary's Pub. The mix of stale cigarettes and cheap whiskey just wouldn't do, Lexi hated that smell. . . She said It made her feel like a college girl at a frat party.
" Not enough time for a shower. . ." He thought as the coffee pot, which thorn was watching intently, sputtered out the last of it's sweet, bitter nectar.
Shame heard the knock at the door from the kitchen.
"Lexi", He thought with a slight smile. "Running late as usual."
Shame walked to the door, his bare feet shuffling slightly on the new carpet. He could hear Lexi's voice in the hall.
"Shame. . . Open the fucking door!" She was being careful not to wake Mrs. Baker, The nosy old women across the hall. " I can't get to my key."
"Her hands must be full," he thought. "What'd she bring this time?"
Lexi was always bringing things over. Every time it was something different, that's how Thorn got there. Shame always silently hoped she wouldn't bring him another dog.
"I'm coming." Shame stated as he reached the door." Gotta unlock it."
The six large locks on shames door could be unlocked with a single key from the central lock on the hallway side and locked with the throw of a lever on the inside,however, they had to be unlocked individually from the inside. It took about 30 seconds, but it was worth the effort if someone was trying to break in.
The last lock slid out of it's cradle in the door frame and Shame opened the the door into the dimly lit hall.
Lexi had burdened herself down with three over sized paper-bags from the grocery store down the street, Shame could barely see the top of her head. Her hair was a sickly sort of bubble-gum pink this week, Shame wondered what color it it would be next.
"You look like you could use a hand," He said in a joking tone.
"Take these if you want to keep you're balls in place;" Forever threatening his manhood.
Shame took the bags of groceries out of Lexi's arms and started backing into the apartment until he felt his overly furry companion pressed against the back of his legs.
"Lexi, would you get him to move please?"
"THORN!" Trying to sound tough."Move your furry white ass!" She exclaimed while grasping his collar and slipping quickly passed Shame. "I swear you're gonna get someone killed one of these days."
It was never hard for Lexi to get Thorn out of the way, it was keeping him out of the way that was the problem. Lexi held onto him as long as she could, which was just long enough for Shame to get to the kitchen table.
Thorn loved bags, it was something Shame could never quite figure out. He never tried to eat what was in them, he just wanted the bags. Shame figured it was just another Dog-Quirk he had to live with.
Thorn was strong, even for his size,and very quick especially for a dog whose exercise routine consisted of daily attempts to knock Shame off the couch and the eating marathon that was feeding time. Thorn went for walks, they mostly involved giant piles of dog shit and sniffing at anything female. Shame was certain that Thorn didn't know how to run.
It took less than a second for Thorn to close the 15 foot gap between himself and the bags, almost knocking Shame to the floor. Once on the table Thorn began quickly emptying the bags onto the floor. Plastic jars and cans clattered through Shames kitchen.
"It's a good thing I never bring you anything breakable." Lexi stated with a smile.
"THORN!" Shame raised his voice. It had always frightened Lexi a little every time he did that.
"DOWN!" He stated, making eye contact with the slobbering white monster on the table.
With a snap of Shames fingers thorn hopped off the table with his tail between his legs looking a little more than dejected, and sat at his feet.
"So tell me Shame," Lexi said as she bent to look into his fridge.
"How is it that you never have anything in your fridge, but you always have a fresh pot of coffee brewed when I come over?"
" I only do it so you'll bend over and look in my fridge."
Lexi stood slightly so she could see him over the top of the avocado-green refrigerator door.
"You're such a pig."
"I know you like 'em dirty." Shame said with a smile.
It's just the way they were, always flirting but never more than that. They knew better. Even in the most desperate of times they knew the consequences of that particular decision.
"Well. . . I could use a spanking ya' know," Lexi said, her smile widening , revealing her slightly elongated Canine teeth.
"Come to the club tomorrow and I'll give you one you'll never forget." Shames response was exactly what she had expected.
"Now come on shame," Lexi said as she let the fridge close behind her and stepped toward him.
"You know better than to tempt my . . . What did you call it?" Lexi slid her her hand up his bare chest and dug her slightly sharpened nails into his skin. "Oh yeah, Animal side."
Shame grabbed her wrist, he was faster than she remembered, and pulled her hand away from his chest.
"You've gotten faster. . ." Lexi said playfully." Now let's go watch the movie I brought."
Shame let go of Lexi's wrist and gave her a smile. "Need to clean up this mess first."
It was bad Sci-Fi, it always was. It was a sort of tradition they had. When Shame couldn't sleep Lexi would bring food and a B-movie, they would eat and watch whatever horrible movie she brought, laughing at the way people reacted to the giant, twelve legged, slimy, alien spider-creature. This time was no different, they laughed there asses off watching a group of teen-aged bimbos run screaming from mutant zombies and then an ax-wielding monster, while wearing next to nothing. It was good fun, and exactly what Shame needed. By the middle of the second movie he was asleep.
When Shame woke he found himself in his bed, it must have been sometime before dawn, but it couldn't be. It was almost 5 when he fell asleep.
"I must have slept all day," He thought "I wonder if Lexi stayed. . ."
Shame sat up and pulled himself out of bed, looking around in the dark for his jeans.
"Fuck it," He thought, and reached for the bed-side lamp. "What the. . ?" The lamp wasn't there.
There was an audible pop as Shames foot came down on something round and glass. Pieces of the Light bulb were still in his foot when he got to the bathroom and turned on the light. Blood flowed from the wound like a faucet pooling on the floor under his foot as he tried to pull out the light-bulb shards.
"Damn it!" He thought. "How the hell did the lamp get on the fl. . . Oh Shit!!"
Shame suddenly realized that something horrible had happened while he was sleeping. He couldn't remember waking up from his long sleep, maybe he hadn't, he must have, he woke up in his room. Thoughts of all the possible chains of events were filling Shames head as he forced the last piece of the light-bulb from his foot.
The normal Friday night sounds of the fourth floor hallway of Shames apartment building were suddenly muted, it was noticeable. A sudden, violent pounding at the re-enforced door tore Shame from his thoughts, and suddenly he realized that he couldn't hear Thorn. He was never quiet when strangers knocked. Shame stopped caring about his foot and bolted for the night-stand, his Colt 1911 was there as always. Shame pulled back the slide, the clean, smooth pull let him know that no-one had fucked with it. There was just enough light cast into the room from the bathroom to see that the old nail-driver was loaded. He could still hear the pounding at the door, it was getting louder and more violent. Shame moved quietly, crouched at the side of the bedroom door and slid out into the hall . His hand slid across the carpet just outside his bedroom and found the seam.
Shame pulled up a 4 by 4 section of carpet and groped at the hardwood door underneath. "Shit, " He said to himself. He needed his keys. He couldn't remember where he had left them, and if he couldn't find them before the door gave way he'd have to fight his way out. He needed a plan. As Shame paused to think, and plan the door gave a thunderous crack.
"Fuck it!" Shame said, if it was out loud he couldn't tell. He moved quickly to the breaker box on the hallway wall and threw the switch marked ARMAGEDDON. The building on the corner of 121st and Saint street suddenly went dark except for a small frosted glass window on the forth floor. Another six steps and Shame was flipping another switch. The motion sensor U.V. flood lights in the corner of the living-room were a nice touch, Just in case. Twelve steps around the furniture to the other side of the spacious living-room. Shame pulled his Glock 32 out from behind the stereo, checked the load and tapped the power button on the stereo itself. Usually it was hard rock or heavy metal in the CD player, but Shame had forgotten to change out the disc.
"If I ever leave this world Alive. . ." Blasted from two sets of 18 inch speakers. Pure bliss that pulsed violently with with the Base line. One last crash and the door would be done for, Shame still didn't know where his keys were. He stood as still as any man could as the door to apartment 4c gave way revealing a slimly built man in a trench coat and shiny leather pants.
"Great," Shame thought, "Another Neo-Vamp who thinks he's a bad-ass."
". . .I'll be here when it all gets weird. . ." Shame raised the old Nail-Driver, snapped the safety off, and squeezed the trigger.
"Bang."
The shot rang through the building waking even the most sound of sleepers. On the other side of town the 911 dispatcher shouted into a microphone to all officers in the area that someone had been shot.
Shame hadn't missed, He never did. The Vampire fell to the floor and blood was starting to pool on Shames new carpet. "Oh, for fucks sake!" He exclaimed. He knew what would happen if the vampire got back up. Shame wasn't strong enough to take one of these boys on alone in a fist fight. As he stared down at the bleeding corps in his living room Shame heard a slight whimper from the coat closet. In an instant he knew what had happened to Thorn.
"Fucking Suck-Head!" He shouted as he kicked the vampire and moved toward the closet. "Mind fucking MY dog! You're ass'll be lucky if I kill you, you son of a bitch!" Shame found Thorn cowering behind the coats with his tail tucked.
"It's okay boy, come on. " Shame was pissed, but not at Thorn, who moved slowly out of the closet growling low at the corps on the floor. It was one thing to go around feeding on humans and doing the whole "OBEY ME" thing, but it was completely different when it came to Thorn.
Shame heard the police sirens wailing as if they were bad children screaming to get what they want. The echo of it must have woken up the whole city. He could hear it all outside his living-room window which, he suddenly realized, was broken.