Classified: Chapter One

“Please Vantes! Give me that eternal kiss. I don’t want to die...” the old woman’s voice trailed off with weakness caused by her emotions. She lay in the hospital bed hooked up to the sorts of machinery that gives one borrowed time. Tears brimmed her dark eyes as she pleaded. “I have done everything you ever asked!!”

The handsome vampire with long red hair who sat at the edge of the dying woman’s bed simply shook his head softly. He took her warm hands into his, feeling the warmth seeping into them for a moment heating his body and soul. As soon as he let them go the cold took over once again and he looked down at her without emotion.

“That was never a part of the contract. In return for your services I have given you everything that was promised. Now, die in peace my dear one. I shall make a book of your memory. Forget me and sleep until the angels sweep down. For because of my decision they will greet you at death’s door rather than the devils who wait to torment me. Don’t fuss, it only causes you pain. Forget Georgetta, forget.” With that the young man brushed a small piece of fuzz from his black duster coat and bowed gracefully before leaving the older woman alone with her thoughts of her inevitable fate.

“Forget? But you were my life...you were...my husband.”

transition

Stacey Haret was your average twenty-three year old. She was struggling in her fifth year of college and didn’t have a care in the world. That is until she received some disturbing news from her mother one day.

“Stace, your father and I have had enough. If you don’t graduate this next semester for heaven’s sake we’re cutting you off. I mean it this time. We’ve already canceled your card and if you want money you’ll either have to get a job or ask for it directly from us. Do you understand?” her mother’s all too cool voice spoke through the earpiece of the young woman’s cell phone.

Shocked beyond belief, but still hoping that this was yet another warning she replied calmly, “Have no fear mother. I shall graduate by the next full moon.”

Silence answered her. Stacey’s hazel eyes widened and she brushed a lock of dark brown bang from her eye. She nearly cried out in relief when her mother finally spoke.

“That’s part of the problem right there. I’m always one to encourage imagination, but you just take it too far! This is reality darling and I’m afraid there is no other way for you to face it. Your father gives all his love and I’ll talk to you later. Goodbye.”

“But mom!! You can’t be serious!!”

“I said goodbye.”

Dial tone.

Stacey stared at the blinking number on her phone’s screen mouth gaped open. This wasn’t happening. She looked around outside of the supermarket empty handed thanks to the denied card in her hands, the whole purpose of her phone call to her mother. The tears welled up in her eyes and with a single blink found the freedom of rolling down her cheek. The fall sun was a warm welcome in the cool autumn air, the cold breeze whipping her long hair around her face and shoulders. The uncaring shoppers of the store walked by her going in and out without so much as a glance to the now silently weeping woman.

Shaking her head, Stacey reached into her small black purse and pulled out just enough change for a paper. If she was cut off, she needed a job fast. She grabbed hold of the paper firmly careful not to let any of it blow away in the wind and unlocked the door to her car. Once inside Stacey let her emotions of panic get to her and she cried a little more loudly while unfolding the awkward sheets of paper searching for the classifieds. With a sniffle she carelessly tossed the rest of the paper into her clean backseat and closed her eyes a moment with the ads spread out on her lap. Another small, single tear dropped from her wet lashes and rolled down her cheek. It soon was falling in the air and landed with a soft noise on the paper. She looked down at the small paragraph.

WANTED: Young female for full-time

position. Must be single. Great pay

and benefits. Please call...

Her heart leaped into her throat. Perhaps this was a good omen. She was single and most certainly female and far as she knew those were the only important requirements. She tightened her lips as she awkwardly read the number dialing it into her phone. Long distance, she might have to move. Then again, what could it hurt to call?She took a deep breath when the ringer came over the earpiece.

Ring. Ring.

“Pick up! Come on, come on!” she urged it.

Ring. Ring.

“Hello, if you are calling in regards to the ad, please leave your name and number and I shall try to get back to you. Please remember there are a lot of responses, so do be patient. Thank you.”

Stacey sat a moment as she listened to the answering machine. She was surprised to hear a young man’s voice speak so professionally. She smiled softly. He had a nice voice, one that could put you to sleep on a stormy night...Shaking her head Stacey remembered her silence and laughed nervously.

“Haha. Um, my name is Stacey and my number is...” she finished quickly with the eleven digit number and hung up. Her hands shook. She’d never had a job before and even just the phone call left her nerves shot.

She looked over the other classifieds to see if anything else suited her. Though there were a few others she had circled with a pen she found under her seat, Stacey’s mind still wandered to that handsome voice. Would she work with him? If so did his looks match his voice and demeanor? She shook her head keeping her grip on the pen in her mouth firm as her eyes skimmed through the black and white letters. Reading the last ad Stacey shook her head doubtfully and folded up the paper placing it in the passenger’s seat. She stuck the key in the ignition and spit the pen out letting it roll carelessly in her floor board once again. After letting the engine warm up in the cool fall weather, Stacey started home with a heavy heart.

transition

A month had passed since that fateful day and Stacey found herself quickly employed at a locally owned restaurant with a high turnover rate. She was quick to find out why. It was towards the end of her shift and her arms were sore with carrying the heavy trays throughout her section. She grimaced at how little she had made that night and shook her head, tresses of dark hair falling from her ponytail. She let out a loud sigh in the kitchen as she waited for the cook to finish up the order she was about to take out.

“Hey! Stacey, those people at table twelve are still waiting for their drink order missy.” a gruff short man shouted at her from the open doorway. She frowned but bit her tongue. Just because he had problems at home didn’t mean he had to take them out on her. She faked a smile and put the food on the large tray, the sore muscles in her arms at work again. “And this time don’t spill it, you got it?” He mumbled numerous things to himself as he walked out of the kitchen. Stacey and the cook both stuck out their tongues in unison and laughed amongst themselves. She smiled at the greasy but somewhat good-looking cook and eased her way out into the restaurant. The rest of the shift went fairly smooth but she was more than happy to be making that victorious walk to her car. Victorious because she fought the urge to “accidentally” dumphot soup all over her manager and get fired in a horribly dramatic scene.

She smirked at the thought and jumped when she felt the vibration of her cell phone in her pocket and seconds after the happy little tune came on for a ringer. Fumbling with her purse and keys, Stacey managed to grab the small phone and flip it open.

“Hello?” she answered a bit exasperated.

“Hello. I presume I’m speaking with Stacey.”

She slowed her walk and felt her heart race. It was that voice. He had called her back! She smiled answering.

“Yes.”

“I’m going to ask you a series of random questions and I want you to answer them honestly. Trust me, it’s for the better if you just do.”

Taken aback by the last statement Stacey nodded. He certainly got to the point. Realizing that the man on the other end couldn’t see her nod, she finally answered.

“Alright.”

“Easter or Christmas?”

“Neither, Halloween.”

A small chuckle came from the other side. She smiled. Good, she had at least made him laugh a little, one small point in her favor.

“Favorite color?”

She thought a moment. “I don’t have one. But if I absolutely had to choose, I suppose it would be red.”

“How old are you?”

Well that was easy enough.

“Twenty-three years old.”

“Boots or tennis shoes.”

“Be more specific.” She reached her car and stopped, leaning on it for support as she held the phone. She watched the traffic go by as the memorizing voice questioned her.

“What do you mean?”

She cocked a brow at his tone. He seemed genuinely shocked that she questioned him.

“Well that’s just silly. Boots or tennis shoes? That easily means would one choose comfort over fashion wouldn’t it? Or vice versa? Well, certainly most people would choose the fashion if they could. But rather if they couldn’t then of course only an intelligent person would choose comfort. It really depends on the situation in which I am put in before I could easily decide between boots or shoes.”

She was answered by the brief moment of silence.

“Dragons or unicorns?”

“Dragons.”

She wondered if he somehow knew her obsession with fantasy novels. She narrowed her hazel eyes at the passing cars. Realizing she might offend someone she turned around and faced the restaurant, where the glare was much deserved.

“Three or four?”

Stacey bit her lip.

“Three.”

“Soft drink or fruit punch?”

“Fruit punch.”

“Alright, I do thank you for your time. I will compare your results to the others and if you made it expect a call back from me in a week.”

Dial tone.

Stacey shut the phone and slipped it into her pocket as she stared blankly at the restaurant. It was one of the strangest things ever to happen to her really. With a shrug and much doubt he’ll call her back, the young woman got into her car and drove off into the night to her small and dank apartment alone.

transition

One week later on the dot, Stacey woke up to her phone ringing next to her bed on the rickety night stand. For once she had managed to get to bed early and now someone was calling her. Grumpy as she could be she picked up the phone and looked at the caller id.

PRIVATE NUMBER

She popped upright remembering that was what had come up when the young man had called. She looked at the time and the day on her calendar. Yes, one week exactly. A chill went up her back as the heater kicked off behind her. She flipped open the small shiny phone and answered softly.

“Hello?”

“Hello again, Stacey. I would like for you to come down here for a live interview if you wouldn’t mind.”

“O-of course not. Where is down here?”

“Well, I’m so happeningly in town on business. So I’m down town in that little restaurant across from the loop.”

Her heart jumped up and down at once. He was here! And wanting an interview no less–but why did he have to meet her in the place of her work?

“Sure thing. Give me a moment and I’ll be right there.”

“Don’t dress up too much, I want you quick as possible.”

Strange request.

“Ok.”

After hanging up with him, the man whom she only knew by his voice, Stacey hopped out of bed and put on only the essentials--being a bra with a shirt and her way towards the door she grabbed her keys and purse slipping on some house shoes and a jacket for the chilly night air.

She peeled into the parking lot quickly and did a halfway decent job of parking. Stacey got out of the car and dropped her keys in her hurry and nearly forgot to lock the doors. Bending over to pick them up she made sure to lock the doors. Straightening up she slammed the door shut quickly and jogged to the door looking a horrible mess. She attempted to fix her hair a bit with the reflection of the glass from the door before she pulled on it and let herself in. The restaurant was quite crowded for that time of night, but it was one of the few that stayed open until midnight and so it was no shock to her. She looked around realizing she didn’t bother to ask how she would know him.

She caught movement out of the corner of her eye as one of her work buddies sidled up next to her.

“Stace, who is that guy? I mean wow...”

Stacey’s hazel eyes searched the main dining room again. “Who? Where is he?”

Her friend laughed and tugged on her lightly leading the way. She lead Stacey off into one of the private dining areas and gently shoved her through the door. The room was dim with just candle light coming from the set table. One side had a gourmet meal steaming and fresh while the other simply had a glass of red wine in the center. The occupant of the room however, wasn’t seen until he spoke.

“Stacey, that was, I must say, excellent timing.”

A/N: I apologize for the "transition"s throughout, but for some reason I can't get it to format so that you would know it's another scene using stars or even simply extra spacing. Thanks for you time.