Touching Deep

Chapter One

Music pounded through the club, the mass of bodies colliding in the center of the nightclub. Club Fangz was a popular hang out for the local Goths and wanna-be vampires with the occasional true vampire stopping in. The club was full almost every night with people hoping to catch a glimpse of one of those rare ones...to be the person that actually meets one of these 'creatures of the night' was supposedly an honor.

Abrams black eyes scanned this crowd; mentally picking out which group each person belonged to. His gaze stalled on one girl with a different style then most. Her skin was fair, not pale; her hair long natural-looking auburn, not bottle black or purple-red. Her choice of clothing was a pair of jeans and a plain, faded black t-shirt; both looked well worn. From mid-upper arm to her wrist there was a sheer fabric, and her hands were covered in what seemed to be leather gloves.

He rolled his eyes, simply brushing her off as another Goth. The still living that frequented Fangs idolized the vampiric style of life. Abram, being new to the non-life, had nothing but contempt for them. He had to find out the hard way that being a vampire, the ones of the Night and Rot, was not about blood sucking and seduction. Not by a long shot.

As much as Abram hated to admit it, he kept looking back to the girl. There was something...different about her. He could tell she wasn't a vampire but; she just didn't hold right with him. Abram barely staved off a laugh when one of the Goths, labeled the Player by the vampires for his habit with girls, tried to make a move on her.

The girls' eyes, body language, tone all should have warned the Player off. But he kept coming. Abram shook his head, gently closing his eyes with a smirk as he saw the guy reach to touch her cheek. When Abram opened his eyes again, the boy was no longer standing. He was slumped on the ground, one arm barely holding him up in an awkward sitting position because of the chair that had been near him.

Abram pushed off the bar, keeping track of where the girl went as she exited the club. She was a bit shaky but not looking around to see if she was being followed, making it easier for Abram. Heading down a particularly deserted street, he had to grin. This girl had guts. She wasn't worried about someone attacking her.

"Not a word." Abram had his hand over her mouth, pressing her against a wall. He made sure she couldn't counterattack him, figuring she would probably try something if she could. The girl nodded, eyes wide with fear and something else...Excitement?

"What happened back there, at the club?" Abram's voice was soft, unaccusatory. In increments he released her, hand sliding off her mouth.

"He had too much to drink, is all." Her voice was quiet, a bit of defiance but not so much someone would think her overstepping any bounds.

"Is that it?" He ran a hand through his short, brown hair. He had a feeling he wouldn't get anywhere with this girl. "What's your name?"

The girl paused a beat; hazel-green eyes regarding him carefully, unsure whether to answer truthfully. "Adrah. My name's Adrah." She said the words slowly; still not sure she made the right decision.

Abram stepped back a few more paces, giving Adrah back her personal space again. "Why not say what happened? Surely it can't hurt anyone."

"I don't tell people my secrets that easily. He had to much to drink." With her personal space intact, Adrah sounded a bit more confident and the last sentence was emphasized. She was still nervous, but not so much anymore.

"Is there any way I can get you to trust me?"

"No, but I need to get home."

He nodded slowly, "Alright." Abram turned on his feet, heading back in the direction of the club. Once Adrah was sufficiently sure he was gone, she headed to her home.

--------------

Abram watched the car, sheltered by bushes. His friend, Reese, was making too much noise for them to be considered stealthy by any stretch of the imagination.

"Now, remind me why we're following this girl when I could be back at Fangz?" Reese's tone was anything but pleasant.

He was one of the newer vampires, like Abram, but unlike his friend he didn't exactly blend in among the other vampires. He was half-Indian, half-Italian so he had a tan that would probably stay for many years even without exposure to the sun. His hair was the same black as his eyes, reaching just below his shoulders. That alone didn't set him apart- it was his other additions. He had more then a few piercings, not only in his ears. The oddest one was his naval piercing, which was basically a silver bar. The older vampires could barely look at him without flinching.

"This girl made a guy faint without so much as lifting a finger."

"Oh, duh." Reese pretended to slap himself on the forehead, "I forgot. Those dangerous girls are ever so sexy."

Abram shoved his friend over none to gently. He should have known better then to think Reese would help. Then he began muttering under his breath, "What was she doing at a club when she's living in a car?"

"I don't know. Now please let me go back to Fangz? Rat was going to teach me some stuff."

"I need you to go talk to her. If Adrah saw me again, she'd probably flip like a coin."

"You know Abe? You get cornier by the day. Please never use that phrase again."

"Just get to it."

"What am I supposed to say?"

"I don't know. You're a smart one. Think of something." Abram pushed a grumbling Reese out of the bushes. He caught himself, straightened to his full height of 5'8 and went to find Adrah...

--------------

A/N: Here's a list of all of Reese's piercings: Right lobe, hoop; left cartalige, hoop; right eyebrow, bar; chin, stud (ball); naval, bar; right nipple, hoop. That's about it I believe. My vampires aren't quite like the stereotypical ones...I'll post a guide of sorts to them soon....

Cheers,

Pet