Chapter 6, Beast

After putting on his shades, Lee walked to the door. He locked it, then pulled it closed behind him. A wicked smile formed on his lips as his fangs extended even further beyond their normal length, and his eyes glowed red with bloodlust. A low, evil laugh escaped from his throat, as he fully embraced the darkness within himself. Anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path tonight would not see the coming of dawn. With the evil in his heart boiling to the surface, he knew finding a victim through socialization would be impossible for him this time. He took a moment to consider his options. At Lake Smithnook, which was roughly ten miles to the southeast of his house near the middle of Brooksford, many young couples would walk around the lake and let the sound of the water lull them into very romantic moods. It was also a place well known for teenagers committing acts of lust in their cars in the two different parking lots on the northern and southern ends of the lake. Finding a tasty young couple there and overpowering them wouldn't be too hard, but he would have to be careful to avoid traffic, as there was a road that went around the lake on the outside of the designated sidewalks which were separated from the road by a thin field of grass.

A low growl rumbled from his throat, as he shot into the sky faster than a human eye could detect. He watched the ground pass by below with a wild grin on his face. He hadn't bothered to retract his fangs. He wouldn't need to. The first couple he encountered wouldn't know what hit them. As he flew, the sound of his coat flapping behind him was relaxing, but it couldn't quell the beast that had risen from within him. His fingernails changed and extended into razor sharp claws. It only took him a few minutes to arrive at the lake where he found the shadows of one of the large oak trees comfortable and safe. Now all he had to do was wait.

"Oh my god, no way!" The young girl shouted in-between giggles. "Beth does not have a crush on that loser! Get out!"

"It's true! Brian overheard her talking to her best friend Sue in Physics class today. I wouldn't lie to you," the young man who was walking with her around Lake Smithnook that night replied, clearly pleased with her reaction.

"What could she possibly see in Mike? He's some quiet guy who keeps to himself most of the time. He's into that gothic thing, and he's just...creepy."

"I guess she thinks he's cute or something."

"Well, its true he isn't bad looking, but he's got the personality of a bat, for God's sake," she started laughing again, and this time he laughed as well.

"Stranger things have happened, I suppose," he finally replied. He looked over at Kristy and smiled. He had been going steady with her for over a year now, and they were a very popular couple at Brooksford Senior High School. Kristy took his hand again, and they continued walking. She felt so secure with Jake. He was a football player who stood over six foot tall and weighed two hundred pounds. He was all muscle, and she knew his body quite intimately. She, herself, was a cheerleader and quite athletic in her own right. She was five foot, five inches and weighed one hundred, twenty-five pounds. Her long, blonde hair and perfect figure were the desires of many a guy at their school, but everyone knew Jake would kill them if they hit on her, so she was always admired from afar.

Lee's grin grew even more vile as he heard them approached. He was able to overhear their conversation, and he focused his senses and was able to read their thoughts. He knew this would be the last walk they took around the lake, and his smile grew even wider. He calmed himself and waited patiently as the two finally passed by his tree, laughing and giggling and just so wrapped up in each other that the world around them ceased to matter.

Lee quietly stole out, keeping to the shadows and stalking the couple. A car passed by, and he had quickly ducked out of sight. He didn't want any witnesses seeing him claim the lives of the two teenagers, and he knew he would have to be quick before anymore cars drove through. His eyes grew wide, and he silently, yet explosively rushed forward and swiped with both of his claws at Jake's back in an X pattern. The beautiful melody of his claws tearing through his tender flesh gave him chills. The young man, not even knowing what hit him, fell forward without even being able to scream. Kristy looked down and horror took hold of her features, and she opened her mouth to scream, but Lee dashed forward and put his hand over her mouth before any sound was uttered. She was forced backwards by the sheer power in the attacker's arm, and then the darkly dressed man reached around and grabbed her shirt with his other hand. He bared his fangs, and her eyes widened in terror of the beast that stood before her. He whipped her body around as if she were weightless, and then he pushed her with such a great force that her body flew through the air and crashed into the trunk of a nearby tree. Her body impacted with a sickening crunch, and Lee laughed evilly. She felt pain shoot through her entire body as her vision began to blur. The last thing she saw was the horrible monster pick up Jake by his shirt as if he were a rag doll, and then her vision went black as she faded out of consciousness.

Lee turned the trembling young man around to face him and raked his claw across the frightened teenager's chest. He was in shock and wasn't able to scream as his body was mutilated. Blood poured from his wound, and Lee hissed and grabbed him by the throat with one hand and licked the teenager's blood off of his other hand. Absolute fear filled the young man's eyes, and Lee bared fangs to him as he lifted him into the air above his head and glared up at him. Lee brought him back down to face level and then lurched forward and sank his fangs deeply into Jake's throat, and the boy's body fell limp in his grasp. He completely drained him of blood within a matter of seconds, and then ripped out a large chunk of flesh from his throat with his fangs as he drew his face back away from his neck. He then proceeded to snap the boy's neck like a tiny twig with just his one hand that gripped the boy's bloody throat. He licked his lips clean of the blood that trickled down to his chin and dripped on his coat and laughed wickedly, thoroughly enjoying the product of his handiwork Next he thrashed out Jake's stomach with his claws, and then he inserted his hand into the boy's upper stomach area and grasped his sternum. He forced his fingers through his rib cage and crushed it like paper in his hand. Using it as a type of handle, he spun around flung the boy's lifeless body about a hundred yards into the dark water of the lake as if the body weighed no more than a small rock.

A familiar glow appeared from further up ahead, and he knew a car would be coming around the corner in a matter of moments. Moving at a blinding speed, he leapt directly to the girl's body, swept her lifeless form up into his arms, and leapt high into the tree and landed on a secure branch just as the car rounded the curve. After the car passed, he hoisted her over his shoulder and took to the sky, flying higher than usual to avoid anyone seeing him in his slower, satisfied flight back home. He hadn't even bothered wiping the young man's blood from his face or from his hands. He enjoyed feeling the warm liquid slowly drying on his skin. His bloodlust had been quenched, and he knew he put the boy through more pain than he should have had to experience, but he was a predator who enjoyed slaying others when he let his darker side run rampant.

Still though, the boy's blood tasted so sweet and delicious and draining him had felt so wonderful. Words couldn't describe the taste or the feelings it evoked in him. It was an unearthly experience that he could feel in every bone in his body, and it made him shiver with pleasure just thinking about it. He was a creature from Hell who lived to kill and killed to live. How fitting for a bloody soul such as his. Throughout history, his hands had known the sticky, warm feeling of blood covering them so many times that he was more than delighted that it now sustained his existence. However, a part of him still hated to kill. He was kind hearted, and he would have preferred to avoid conflict if it were possible. There was solace now, in the fact that the souls he killed would be sent to Hell, where they could exist happily and live a life without any pain or suffering. He sighed as he returned his claws back into normal, human fingernails. He let his fangs recede back into the roof of his mouth, and his eyes returned back to their normal state. He noticed that she became a bit heavier in his grasp, but she was still very easy to carry. That meant he reached his full potential physically when his true form was revealed, but he wasn't sure why. Still though, it was something to keep in mind for future reference.

It was a splendid night, and he took time to examine the world around him. Below him houses were tiny, neatly organized objects on large, sectioned plains. The sky above him was cloudless and filled with stars that were much more apparent from this height. When looking from the ground, there was always a haze that partially obstructed the beautiful, radiating lights. He loved the stars. Throughout history, they had been one of the very few constants in his life. Such celestial bodies surely held the true secrets of the universe, but they merely chose to look down upon the earth and observe the planet's activities in silence. They formed beautiful patterns and decorated the otherwise lonely black canopy that blanketed the earth at night. The moon, being full tonight, hindered the view of several stars, but there was an endless expanse of them in all directions as far as his gifted eyes could see. All of them were beautifully unique and alluring. He could lose himself for hours on end staring at them, and at times, it was as if they had called out to him.

They sparkled, like Lucy's eyes, and he smiled as his thoughts turned to his Lady. She, too, loved the stars. She hated God with a passion, but she could never deny the beauty that dwelled within in His creation. Though, she couldn't see the stars from Hell, she emulated her own in her kingdom. Still though, they never compared to the radiance of the stars that existed so brightly and predominately in the sky of this isolated planet eternally beyond man's reach. He already missed Lucy, as pathetic as it sounded. He wished she could be with him now, but he knew it would be centuries before he would be able to see her again. He sighed, and looked up into the skies at the heavens as he flew.

Unfortunately, he lost himself in his own thoughts as he stared at the stars, and then it occurred to him that he had flown past his house. "Oh fuck me!" he swore. He stopped a moment to try to figure out just where in the hell he ended up at. "God dammit, why does this shit always happen to me?" He muttered. Thankfully, the young woman he was carrying was still unconscious, and he could hear her heart beating still, so he knew she was alive. "Well, Lee, you screwed up big time. You're the oldest soul in the world, yet you get lost in the skies above your city. Isn't that lovely? And now you're talking to yourself. Does it get any better?" He almost found the irony in his words funny...almost. He quickly took note of the position of the moon, and he figured he would have to turn around 180 degrees and fly south again to get back to an area he knew, and then figure out his way home from there. "I should buy a compass," he complained.

Finally, after an additional half hour, he arrived home. He quietly entered the house and carefully shut the door hoping to not wake Gabby. He brought Baby's meal into the bedroom and stealthily dug through various dresser drawers until he found a roll of duct tape. He proceeded to tape her feet and hands together and then he taped her mouth shut, but he was careful to keep her nose unblocked so she could breathe. After all, who would want to drink dead blood or the smell of her dead body in the house if she died before Baby woke up? He gently placed her in a sitting position, and taped her arms to a large, heavy makeup stand that belonged to his mother. Satisfied that his victim couldn't move, he stole out of the bedroom and into the den and plopped down in his recliner. It didn't bother him that the house was completely dark because he could see perfectly as if it were day. He cut his arm with his fingernail and his blood rush over him and clean him, and then he watched intently as his blood returned to his arm. He felt satisfied, and he knew it'd be a while for he would have to feed again. He looked up to the ceiling and let his mind wander.

What was it that the world had been created for? Had it merely been an ant farm for God to look at to cure His boredom? The world seemed a dilapidated playground of God's children, but why is it that He wanted to control them so? Perhaps He felt like a parent often does, and He wanted to control all of His children as a parent would supervise their children, especially in their younger years, because they think they know what's best for them. Life was something that was so easy to take, but it was difficult to give. God was the only one with the power to create, and he supposed He was the one with the ultimate power to destroy. Lucy feared and hated God for what he was. He hated God as well, but he respected the fact that none of them would be in existence if it weren't for Him. He was the Father of everything, including Lucy and himself. In the end, the only conclusion he could reach about life is that it was precious, and it wasn't something one should throw away no matter where it came from. He knew Lee was wrong for killing himself, and he knew Lee had known that at the time as well. It was hard to think of Lee as a separate identity, but Lee was dead. Just another one of his lives on this forsaken planet. Though Lee's memories were dominant in his mind, he was far more intelligent than Lee, but Lee had a subtle understanding of the world that had been lost to him. He was Cain, after all, even though he took the name Lee out of respect. Lee's insights into the world came from him, but they were driven by the information age and so much time spent in solitude just pondering. Lee had thoughts he never even voiced to himself, and Cain would never know what they were, or how Lee's mind truly worked.

Everything in his life had gone insane. Not only had his body changed so much, but now he had another person to deal with in his life. He liked living alone, and he would be happier if Gabriella wasn't here, or so he thought, but as much as he told himself that, it was nice to have a companion in his home. It was nice to have a friend. He knew he could trust her, but there was still much she knew that he didn't, and that gave her a distinct advantage over him that he didn't appreciate in the least. Still though, it couldn't be helped. He was sure that, in time, he would come to understand more about her and the secrets she held. He was also sure that he would learn to reach his full potential much more quickly with her around. Though Lee would never have admitted it to himself, he had been lonely. Cain was too, and with Gabriella there, he didn't feel nearly as lonely as he once had. He couldn't say he really cared for her, but he did value her as a friend for what that was worth. If she lived or died wasn't of any consequence to him, and if she was wrong about Baby, and his dog died, he would drain every drop of blood from her body and dispose of her corpse as he would any other victim.

He knew he was a rather cruel person, and he didn't hide that fact. Yet, he couldn't deny the fact that he was kind, either. He felt pangs and whims to help people, and he would when he could. It was rewarding to be told thank you and given a smile after a good deed. Lucy had mentioned he would have the power to heal, but so far, all he saw within himself was the power to destroy. When would he tap into his potential to heal? Did it even exist? His thoughts interrupted by the sound of faint whimpering from within his former bedroom. He focused on the sound and realized that his victim had woken up. With a sigh, he rose to his feet and followed the pathetic noise. He would more than likely have to hit a pressure point behind her head to knock her out again, and he hated that idea. Believe it or not, he detested the thought of hitting women. In fact, Lee had broken one man's arm after he saw him strike a woman, and the man never reported him because he knew Lee would probably have killed him, which wasn't far from the truth. He chuckled to himself. Lee was quiet, yet strong, even if he was lazy. He had trained in various martial arts over the years, and he had retained enough knowledge to still be quite deadly if he felt so moved to fight, but Lee had always avoided conflict as if it were the plague. It was only when he saw a woman being struck or abused that he stepped in. Always the gentleman, the gentleman who had never even once kissed a woman, for his heart was never capable of love.

"Shh," he spoke to the whimpering girl who was fully restrained on the floor. He could see her clearly, and he saw the tears running from her eyes. He reached down and gently wiped them away with his finger. "Shh, it's okay." She only mumbled something incomprehensive due to the tape across her mouth, but he was sure she was begging him to let her go. He bent down and assumed the position that baseball catchers had always taken. He wiped away more of her tears with his finger. Her nose had become a bit clogged, and she sniffed. He stood up and fetched her some tissue paper from the bathroom and placed it against her nose. "Blow," he instructed softly. She did as she was told, and he folded up the cloth in his hand and tossed it into the wastebasket across the room.

"You know...you're a beautiful young woman, and I can't tell you how sorry I am that this had to happen to you." He could see the fear in her eyes, and he sighed. However, he wouldn't lie to her. He had killed her boyfriend and destroyed her life, so the least he could do was to be honest with her. "Yes, I know you're uncomfortable, but you won't be soon. You see, I have the blood of Satan in me...and to exist, I drink the blood of living things." She looked at him as if he were crazy, and he found himself sighing once again. "Look at my eyes, young one." He removed his sunglasses, and he allowed his true form to surface. His eyes turned red, and his fangs extended, and her eyes widened in absolute terror. "No, no, shh." He wiped away he tears and returned to his normal, human state. He knew her vision had to be severely limited, but with the full moon out, he was sure she had been able to at least make out his fangs and the slight glow in his red eyes.

"I know there's nothing I can do to compensate you for this. Tomorrow, my dog that I embraced should wake up, and I brought you here so she could feast on your blood. All I can do is tell you that it won't be painful, and that you're going to go to a wonderful kingdom where there is no pain, or suffering, and you'll be able to see Jake again there." She was trembling and looking at him in disbelief. "I know it might be hard to believe, but I have been to the kingdom you'll be visiting many times. You can be happy there, and when you and Jake are ready, you'll be reborn, and you'll forget all about this life and the horrible things you've had to see." He wiped away more of her tears and ran his fingers through her hair.

"I realize none of this is much comfort to you, but there's nothing else I can do." She turned away from him, and he pulled his hand back. "Jake is dead, and I am sorry for your loss. I really wish I could do something to help you, but I can't. I know you think it's odd that I would even talk to you like this, but I do at least owe you the truth. I am an evil monster, Kristy, but I can still feel. Your death will be far less painful than mine was. I sliced my wrist, and I can tell you that it hurt like hell. However, Lucy, or Satan as you know her, saw it fit to bestow upon me this power, and she baptized me in her blood. I kill to live, and I live to kill. I won't lie to you. I do take pleasure in killing, but I also must admit that I don't like it. However, I can't allow myself to give into my kindness. I can't be that weak. You can't be weak either." On a whim, he sliced through the tape that held her arms to the makeup stand. Then, he scooped her up into his arms gently, and he carried her through his house and out the backdoor. "It's still night out, but dawn isn't far off. We don't have too much time, but I'll let you experience something that no human has before." He felt her trembling in his arms, and he felt badly for her. Mentally, he scolded himself for being so kind and taking a risk, but he needed to do this.

He ascended into the sky at relatively slow pace until his house became a small smudge on a distant canvas. He held Kristy in his arms tightly and protectively and let her look at the world below her. He smiled as her eyes filled with wonder and amazement. For a few moments, she was able to forget that she was in the arms of the man who was to be her killer. He flew around the area and let her experience what it was like to be a bird. He didn't speak, for he feared that his voice would ruin the experience for her. After some time had passed he noted that the sky was lightening in the horizon and that the stars were starting to recede. He let her have one last circle around the neighborhood and the small, nearby lake before returning her to his backyard. He carried her back in the house and locked the door behind him. He cautiously sat her down on the couch. "I will let you sit here where you can be more comfortable if you don't try to move, okay?" She nodded, and he released her from his grasp. "I know that flight doesn't make up for anything that you're going through, but there's really nothing else I can do. Well, except, are you hungry?" He cursed at himself for even asking her that, and as he expected, she shook her head no. How would anyone be hungry after going through what she had? "Well, would you like something to drink? Or do you have to use the restroom?" She nodded twice, indicating that the answer was yes to both.

Carefully, he cut the duct tape that bound her legs to her hands with his fingernail, but he was careful not to free her hands. He did, however, free her legs so that she could walk. He stood her up, but she fell back down. "What's wrong? If you need to go, then come on. I promise I won't hurt you." She mumbled something, and he stood her up again, and then he realized the problem as she fell back down once again. Her legs were like jell-o, and realization crept over him. "You can't walk, can you? I guess the impact with the tree broke your back." He sighed sorrowfully. "I'm sorry. I honestly didn't mean to throw you with such force, but I didn't quite realize how strong I was." He frowned, and then lifted her up in his arms and cradled her like a baby. She didn't fight him, and he carried her to the restroom.. Once inside, he sighed. "I'm sorry for this, I really am, but I assure you I have no ill intentions." He sat her down on the toilet seat and then proceeded to pull off her pants and panties. She did what she needed to do, and then he realized he had yet another problem. She couldn't wipe herself, and he didn't want to let her sit in her own waste. He studied her for a moment and saw hate in her eyes for him. He felt a bit saddened, but it was quite inevitable. "I'm sorry for this as well." He rolled off several sheets of toilet paper and held the sheets in his hand as he reached his hand between her legs. She squirmed and tried her best to speak, though it was completely muffled, but he ignored her. He wiped her clean and flushed the toilet. He pulled up her pants and panties, and in the process she tried hitting him with her arms which were still quite moble. He let her hammer his back with her two fists that were taped together at her wrists, and he just ignored it. She wasn't able to him hard enough to hurt him, and if it helped her vent some of her frustrations, it was bound to be a good thing.

"Don't fight me, Kristy, and I swear to you that you won't have to feel anymore pain." She was only going to wear herself out and/or hurt herself at this point. "Now calm down and relax. I know you hate me, but at least let me try to make you comfortable instead of harming you. I would prefer to not have to strike you to subdue you." She finally seemed to settle down, though her hatred still burned like a wildfire in her eyes. He carried her back to the couch, and then he went into the main bedroom and fetched the roll of duct tape. Next, he stopped in the kitchen and took a glass from one of the cabinets. He filled it with water from the tap, and he took it into the living room. Rather than ripping the tape off of her mouth and hurting her, he used his fingernail to cut through it and create an opening for her to drink. He widened the cut enough so she would be able to sip the water without it spilling all over her, and he put the edge of the glass to the entrance of her mouth.

"You bastard..." She managed to choke out hoarsely before he carefully poured a bit of the cool liquid into her mouth. She sipped and swallowed it eagerly.

"Yes, I am a bastard and a monster," he confirmed matter-of-factly.

"I hate you, and I wish you were dead." She proclaimed weakly. Her hoarse voice could barely reach a note above a whisper, and if it weren't for his adept hearing, he probably wouldn't have been able to make out what she was saying.

"You'll be happy to know that my heart has ceased to beat for a while now. I'm already dead, so your wish has already been granted," he spoke blandly and shrugged. He gave her another sip of water. "Do you want anymore?"

"No," she emphasized the point by shaking her head.

"Sorry, but I've got to re-tape your mouth shut now." He tore off a small piece and placed it over the hole he had cut in her tape. She squirmed and struggled, but he easily managed to slip it on her. She glared daggers at him, and he smiled at her. "Well, it looks like there's going to be a beautiful sunrise. It will be your last, so you might as well enjoy it." Her eyes burned into him with pure hatred seeping through. Her fear had faded away, partly because of his kind nature toward her, but mainly because her hatred was replacing it. "Oh, and Gabriella will be up soon. If you're in any sort of pain, I'm sure she could somehow find a way to ease it and make you more comfortable."

He walked over to his recliner and sat down. "Would you like to watch television?" She made no move to answer him, and he groaned slightly. "Okay, well, I was never one to enjoy it, but it can be a decent distraction. Therefore, I'll turn it on for you." He looked for the remote control and quickly realized it was nowhere to be found. "Damn remote. I'll find it when I least expect to, or when I don't need it at all." He ambled over to the television and manually turned it on. "I don't suppose there's anything in particular that you would like to watch?" Again, she made no move to answer him, and he shrugged. The news was on as the contraption flared to life, and he figured that was as good of a program to watch as any. There was something on about rising gas prices, and he was suddenly glad he didn't have a car. He'd always walked to get where he needed to go, or he would hitch a ride from one of his few friends or his mom. After all, he was only a mile away from his college. "Hmm, speaking of gas, do you have a car?" She was motionless at first, but after a while under his gaze, she nodded. Just great, he left behind evidence. "Does Jake have one as well?" She nodded again. "Ah, I see. Did you both take your cars to the lake last night?" She shook her head no. At least that was one good thing. "Hmm, what color is the one at the lake?" He started listing off colors, and when she nodded on yellow, he knew she was lying, but he also knew she had lied when she shook her head no on red.

"Any dents or scratches?" She shook her head no, and again, he knew she was lying. "What model?" He listed off all the name brands he knew of, and he was happy to discover she was lying when she shook her head no to a Chevrolet. So, there had been a red Chevrolet at the lake with some signs of physical damage on it. "Is the one at the lake yours?" She shook her head no, and he knew she was lying. That was perfect. He stalked over to her person and started rummaging through her pockets. "I'm sorry about this, but I need to borrow your car keys." He found them in her left, front pocket despite her struggling and trying to hit him with her fists. Her purse, if she carried one, would more than likely be in her car as well. He needed to get rid of the car tonight if it hadn't already been discovered to be abandoned and towed away. Hmm, it was only dawn now, but he knew better than to risk a flight at that time in the morning. Too many people would be rising and getting ready for work, and if he was seen airborne, it wouldn't be good. His ears perked as he heard the distant sound of a toilet flush. So Gabriella had finally risen from her slumber.

A few minutes later, as he predicted, she gracefully walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. "Leelee, mind if I make some coffee? She asked from around the corner.

"Gabby, I told you that you could help yourself to anything in my home, so no, I don't mind at all. Help yourself." A few moments later Gabby emerged from the kitchen, and she gasped in surprise.

"Oh, I didn't know we had a guest. Hello, Miss." She curtsied politely, and Lee chuckled.

"A guest against her will, I'm afraid."

"A guest is a guest all the same. Though, she looks to be quite uncomfortable."

"You would be too if you were bound up with duct tape," he replied sarcastically. Gabby approached the girl and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Hmm, she has dried blood on the back of her head. Sheesh, did you have to be so rough with her?" Gabby asked nonchalantly.

"I didn't mean to send her flying into that tree quite as hard as I did, if that's what you mean, but I really didn't know the limitations of my own strength."

"I see. Do try to be more careful. She doesn't need to suffer before she dies." She put her hand over her mouth. "Oops, I didn't mean to say that out right."

"It's alright. I explained everything to her already."

"You did, but why?"

"I felt as if she needed to know. I mean, I killed her boyfriend in a rather brutal way, and I did take her here and bind her up like this, so I figured the least I could do was to tell her the truth. I can't atone for the things I've done to her, but I have tried to make her last moments on this earth as comfortable as humanly possible."

"I see. Well, let's start by removing her duct tape," Gabby started chanting another incantation in that strange tongue as she crossed her hands in front of her chest with her two index fingers extended upwards again..

"Hey! Wait a minute. If you undo her binds, she'll never stop trying to get free." Gabby didn't stop, and Lee sighed. Kristy just looked on with a very confused expression on her face. Lee buried his face in his hands. Gabby would do as she pleased, he realized. Then again, she wasn't exactly born yesterday, so he would just have to trust her.

As she finished her incantation, the duct tape around Kristy's limbs and mouth lost all of its adhesiveness and began to fall off of her in small chunks and ultimately disintegrate entirely. Kristy was clearly shocked and amazed at Gabriella's abilities. "Don't worry, Leelee, I cast another spell that binds her to that couch. She won't be able to move off of it. As if she was cued, Kristy tried to struggle and move, but her paralysis below the waste made it very difficult. She tried to pull herself forward and off of the couch with her hands, but she wasn't able to. Gabby walked over to her and positioned the scared young woman in a laying position on her back so she could rest.

"Please....I don't want to die," Kristy's hoarse voice pleaded to Gabriella, and the dark-haired woman shook her head sadly.

"It'll be alright, cutie. Just relax. I promise you won't feel any pain, and life after death is so much more peaceful and wonderful than it is in this toxic sewer dump of a world." She could see the fear in the girl's eyes, and it pulled at her heart strings. "Here, let me clean you up. And, I'll even repair your back, that Lee broke." Gabby turned to give him an evil eye, and he shrunk back into his chair and looked away, suddenly finding the current show on television to be extremely fascinating.

Gabby held her left hand over the girl and brought her right hand to her chest in the position she always held her hands in to cast a spell. She slowly moved her left hand back and forth above the girl's body, keeping her hand perfectly level and steady as she did so. She closed her eyes and began chanting in her ancient tongue. Lee turned his attention back to her with interest as a light blue aura fell over Kristy, who remained completely still, other than trembling slightly. "Woah..." Lee whispered. He saw the blood from the back of the girl's head fade away, and the dirt on her clothes vanished as well. He saw her legs twitch, and he realized that the damage he had done to her spinal cord had been reversed, or at least greatly reduced.

"I'm sorry, precious, but I can't fully heal your back. However, at least now you'll be able to feel your legs, and there shouldn't be anymore pain or discomfort in your back." The girl nodded with a look of awe and appreciation in her eyes. Lee decided he would leave the two alone, since Gabriella seemed to be much more adept at comforting the girl than he.

"I'm going to go take a stroll around the neighborhood," he rose to his feet and walked away without another word being spoken. Gabby saw the hate that filled the young woman's eyes as Lee spoke, but then as he left, she calmed down.

"Lee's not that bad, but I know how you must feel," Gabby spoke softly.

"I...hate him. I wish he would die a horrible death. He ripped my boyfriend apart with his fingernails," the girl muttered hoarsely, but Gabby could understand her well enough. She was well practiced in dealing with the sick, and through experience she learned to understand all but the most difficult utterings of the sick.

"Well, he is already dead, essentially. The blood of a dark being inhabits his body."

"So he told me."

"Well, what's your name, precious?"

"Kristy," she managed to croak.

"I'm Gabriella, but you can just call me Gabby."

"Why are you both treating me this nicely after all that's been done?"

"Lee is a kind man, though you wouldn't understand that about him after what you've seen. It is true he has a dark side that would make his 'Lady' proud, he can also be a very kind, gentle person." Kristy detected a hint of bitterness in Gabby's voice as she said the word, lady, but she decided to ignore it. Besides, she had far more important things to worry about.

"Can you let me go? I don't want to die, and I swear to God I won't tell anyone about you or him. I just want to live..." tears welled up in her eyes and began to roll down her cheeks freely as she began to quietly sob. Gabby bent down an stroked her hair and kissed her forehead.

"I can't, cutie. I'm so sorry this happened to you." Kristy knew she should be angry and trying to escape. If she bit the woman's face, it would certainly catch her off guard, but she couldn't do it. The woman was so kind and warm, and her presence was so calming and tranquil. She sighed and allowed herself to sink deeper into the couch cushion. "That's right, precious. Try to sleep. I'll be here beside you."

"You love him, don't you?" Gabby looked at her questioningly, but then it dawned on her what the young woman meant.

"Yes, and though you might not believe me...I have loved him for centuries. I've seen his soul live many different lives, but I never met him, because I knew if I were with him, that his inevitable deaths would tear me apart. You see, he was mortal, but though I'm human like you, I will never age." Kristy looked up into the dark-haired woman's eyes. They were such a pretty shade of blue, and they sparkled when she talked of Lee. What could a wonderful person like her see in such a monster?

"I'm sorry," Kristy spoke, her voice growing even weaker.

"It's okay. I know he doesn't love me, but I'm happy just being here with him." She smiled warmly. "Kristy, close your eyes and get some sleep. She touched the girl's forehead, and her eyes closed. Her breathing grew slower and more relaxed, and she slipped off into a dreamless slumber.

"I'm sorry too," Gabby spoke with sadness in her voice. "But it's better if you sleep and not have to worry about the future. You'll never again wake up, but you'll be completely at peace this way." She stood up and searched the linen closet for a sheet to cover the slumbering girl. She smiled at the look of peace that had fallen over the girl's face, and then she went to fetch a cup of coffee. She had a long day of cleaning and chores ahead of her.

Author's notes: Well, what do you guys think of my story so far? Send reviews please??? ;_; Lee should hopefully be considered a complex character by now, but if not, there are still more aspects of his personality to explore. Maybe I'm just being too hopeful. Writing is starting to feel more natural to me now. I'm still working on building up the plot here, and I'm not sure how much longer it'll take to get to the main conflicts of the story. It is true that I didn't write this story to receive reviews, as I started writing solely for my enjoyment, but reviews are the reason I posted this story. Send a few my way, please? 3 Thanks for reading, everyone. I hope you're all enjoying the story, or well, at least mildly enjoying it. ^^; Eek, and I've rambled enough. See you all next chapter, whenever it comes. ^_^