SciFi and Fantasy Stories: Mercury - Chapter 1 *Revamped

Her body’s parents didn’t appreciate their daughter going out after hours, especially in this current century.

She slipped out the window and silently slid down the drain pipe to the damp grass and paused before moving any further. She took another look at the pale sphere in the sky. It shone bright, smiling down on the sleeping world.

Alanna quickly jogged for fifteen minutes out of her neighborhood and into the nearby forest. Hurriedly, she ran to the middle of the paved walk way Then cut to the west to find her usual route. But soon took a small detour to find a tall tree. She easily climbed it and placed her sweatshirt in a nook - safe from any creature of the night and jumped down. Then she dashed as fast as possible from the tree to her favorite Turning spot. The largest in the forest, the aged oak made a perfect place for children to play and owls to scout prey.

She quickly walked to the clearing beyond the tree. Then let the moon’s light fall on her face and bare skin. She heard the popping and cracking sounds of her bones as they popped out of place. They would quickly realign to shape her body into the form of a majestic grey wolf.

Crouching to her knees, she gasped, her breath growing shallow. With a resounding howl deep from her throat, her ears grew into slivered animal shapes. Her body slowly grew a thick, silver pelt; her tail bone elongating into a bushy tail, and her teeth and claws extended. After a moment of gasping desperately, the sound grew more snarl-like and she crouched down, shaking violently.

The sounds ceased, her senses heightened to their full prowess, her form a giant grey‘s. She started at a lope toward the edge of the forest. Stopping when she burst out of the forest, then slowly approached the hill overlooking the city’s night lights.

Looking up to the moon, the long, wet grass prickled her paws and tail. Then she tipped her muzzled to the sky and let out a thunderous howl. But, kept it short and soon enough was flying through the air and landing on the wet, dirt hill. She slid down the soft upturned edge and saved two minutes of the night’s time.

The free ride finally stopped and she dashed toward the city’s downtown. Her legs and belly covered in dirt, Alanna came to the edge of the city and crossed into the city’s system of alleys. She knew the paths well and started her usual routine of walking through the most used vampire alleyways.

Half way through with her route, Alanna came to a particular cross section of the road that could easily show her in Wolf form. She usually slid away and went the back way. But tonight this path was of interest to her. Beyond the alley and across the street was a night club, allowing almost anyone, not matter the age, inside. Tonight, there was a very strong aura inside the club. An aura that could only belong to one of the Blue Mercury’s, a vampire.

She quickly changed from wolf to human. Forgetting her appearance of tattered and dirt covered clothes, stepped out onto the street and crossed it. Alanna walked up to the club’s line and paid for her ticket, then went inside. She immediately assessed the vampire’s location in the crowd, with a simple glance around the room. He was licking the last drops of blood off a meek and skinny girl’s neck and about to turn away from her. Thinking quickly, she moved toward the bar and ordered a Virgin Blood Sucker, standard Shirley Temple, remembering her mistake of long ago. She had ordered a strange drink, not knowing its contents and was drunk within two sips. Fortunately, she wasn‘t hunting that night, but planned to the next night; however that plan failed as she had a hangover the next night.

She paid for her drink and immediately took the cherry and popped it into her mouth, savoring the candied taste of sugar and red dye. Then, sipped the Virgin Blood Sucker and slowly gauged the vampire’s movements as she focused on his aura and not his form.

She couldn’t so obviously watch him in public. So she followed him with his aura instead of her eyes, waiting for him to fall in. The vampire followed through with her plan and slowly made his way toward the bar stool next to her.

Alanna ordered another Virgin Blood Sucker and the vampire ordered himself a specialty drink, then paid for both of theirs. She couldn’t resist and picked up the cherry and popped it in her mouth. The vampire noticed, picked up his and held it out to her.

”Want my cherry?” he asked.

Alanna’s cheeks grew red as she realized who this vampire was. She swished her hair to the side, covering her face from view as she blushed. They had made a pact, she wouldn’t bother him and he would stop killing humans and taking them for his fledglings. “No thanks,” she replied. He popped the cherry in his mouth. Alanna watched a drip of red candied juice slip from his mouth and slide down. He lapped it up quickly, downed his drink and left for the back door.

Alanna decided it was time to leave as there was nothing to be concerned with. She followed the vampire and headed out the back door. The doors swung open right when she was about to open them. The doors swept her back as her body's brother Jonathon entered, knocking her to the side which his drunken stagger." She held her ground, but Jonathon went tumbling to the ground. She realized who it was and bent down to help him up.

“Hey sisss, what’cha doing here? I thought ya didn’t like ma music,” Jonathon slurred.

“This isn’t your music and I should be asking you the same thing, but I already know the answer, you lush!” Alanna snapped, tired of Jonathon’s ever drunk state. She pulled him to his feet and got a good whiff of his intoxicated breath, immediately feeling sick to her stomach. Alcohol had never been a favorite drink for Alanna. Also, the fact that someone so close to her, genetically, could be drunk all the time disgusted her. She usually wouldn't have minded a family member being a drunk, but Jonathon meant more to her than just her body's sibling. He was more like the big brother she had once been very close with, since she had lived as Amery Seavers - well, he had been.

She practically dragged him out the doors and called a cab, and then they walked a block from the club. Alanna, stronger than the average fifteen year old male, held up most of Jonathon’s weight as they staggered toward their destination.

Fifteen minutes later, the cab pulled up to find two people waiting. One a female, her hair a mess and clothes in tatters, partly covered by a two sizes too big shirt. The other, a staggering drunk in need of a shave and a good hair cut, preferably one that would cut his hair to shoulder length. They piled in and the girl gave directions to an address a few blocks from the downtown hospital. Convenient for him, thought the driver. The driver’s mind wandered, thinking of an amusing sight of the drunk and girl rushing to the ER for swallowing too much of the harsh liquor that was trapped in his breath. The cab pulled up ten minutes later, only leaving the minute they were both out of the car and he was paid.

Jonathon, having near passed out by now, was no help at all in walking toward the front door or unlocking it. Thankfully, Alanna had a spare key they used to get inside. Unfortunately, they had to go upstairs to get Jonathon in bed. They slowly made their way up the stairs to the bedroom, where Jonathon instantly laid on the bed and fell asleep. Which left Alanna to take off his shoes and tuck him in. She took off her own clothes, all except her black panties and Jonathon’s shirt and piled into bed after him. She was thankful of her extra sleep from that afternoon. She was so exhausted from the pressure of staying in human form while the moon’s call was so strong and having to carry Jonathon; she instantly fell asleep herself. Alanna allowed herself one last thought, though, before drifting off, My parents will freak when they think I left again to visit Jonathon because of our fight, oh well. I’ll call in the morning. She had come to call her body’s parents her own, just for the sake of trying to forget her constant struggle to find her vampire brother.