Lonely Monsters

eleven

Ravis looked at his pocket watch,in front of the house of his target. It was dark as he silently made his way inside. He heard no heartbeats, no soft sounds of sleep, anywhere in the house. He saw a trio of cats watching him from their perches on the couch. One of them growled lowly at him before settling back for sleep. 

Ravis frowned, thinking himself cheated of their deal but heard shuffling from upstairs. At first he thought it was the attic, but found Meela outside on the roof. She was perched on the patio roof, a ladder the only access to the flat area. 

 He climbed up, finding Meela on a blanket ontop of the snow. She had a thin looking sweater, and a pair of black leggings with boots that had no heels on them. She was staring up at the sky, thin wisps of warm steam coming out of her mouth.

"....I take it you didn't find them?" He asked, his voice soft and calm.

 Ravis had seen the wounds inflicted on Usha. Concussion, gashes on her leg, and bruises all over her back. Her hands were riddled with broken bones and her face would be black and blue for a few days. 

"Nah." Meela said, her voice hoarse. "Found her." 

"That's good." Ravis said, but his tone did not indicate relief or compassion. It was laced with calm and understanding. "It's how come Jared sniffed me out." 

Meela tilted her head back, guzzling what looked like red wine from a bottle. Ravis walked closer and saw that wasn't her only, or first bottle. She offered him the dark green bottle, but he declined. 

"Because my mate isn't here to claim me." 

 "Most people go years without finding their soulmate." Ravis said softly. 

He reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, but she pulled away. Her head swiveled to glare in his face. The angry look she held, crumbled and was replaced with miserable look. 

"It's not fair. It wasn't fair." she said, Meela held his gaze. Ravis gently tapped her shoulder and she scooted over so he could sit with her. She put the bottle to her mouth and drank. "....Were you going to tell me anytime soon? Or just let me die thinking I was never going to find my other half?"

 Ravis gently pried the bottle from her fingers.She gave a bit of a fight, but he gauged her took drunk to function. Or too forlorn to fight anymore. 

 "You were smart enough to figure it out on your own." Ravis recorked the bottle. That was enough for one night. He pulled his knife from his belt, resting it between them as it sat in its sheath. 

 "Didn't even have a chance did I?" 

 "Not even a small one." 

"Twenty-eight days....I had my birthday a week ago. Twenty-three years old." Her head swiveled like a party favor to look at him. "And the one wish was that I could stay... and see my sister graduate this summer." 

 Meela breathed slowly, her eyes trailed from his face to his weapon, then out at the dark neighborhood. 

"....Her name was Genevieve." she said, the smallest note of pain in her voice. "She was my best friend... we didn't actually meet... but... like... we talked all the time in high school." 

 Ravis looked at her from the corner of his eye, then looked ahead. "Long distance relationship?" 

"Yeah. We told eachother everything." Meela said softly, sounding in awe and her voice full of love. "She loved photography, writing, nature, science, reading, animals even though she had wicked allergies-- and she died." She sucked in a breath, her lower lip quivering. "Veeve was hanging out with some friends... and she had this thing, it was like.... narcolepsy or epilepsy or something... if she didn't have enough calories, or sleep, she would randomly faint....Well, one time, she had a few drinks after work. Barely even any. She fainted...." Ravis saw her shoulders shaking, and her head bowed. A strangled, dejected voice came out with her next breath. "She never woke up." 

"I'm sorry to hear that." he replied. 

 "You wanna know the worse part?" Meela lifted her head, eyes wet with large crocodile tears she had been fighting for a bit. Ravis turned to look at her, giving her his full attention while she fought down the sobs. "I was on the phone with her when it happened." 

Tears fell, hot and salty. Onto her clothes, onto the snow, onto her hands and legs. "Genenvieve died and I never got to say sorry. I never got to see her in person or hug her and tell her how much she meant to me." she sobbed, body rocking harshly to the point Ravis had to reach over and pull her away from the edge for fear she would cry herself off the roof and down a twenty foot drop. 

"I loved her so much and she died!" she reached up, grabbing fistfuls of her own hair. Ravis saw her mouth open, absolute agony written all over her features, but no sound came out. "Ah-and this.... Christmas. Keenan got sick. He almost died too!" She shook hard rubbing her eyes, smearing tears on her face only to freeze there moments later. 

 She sniffled, giant salty tears falling down her cheeks to plop on the snow covered roof. They froze solid seconds later, small. "And me... I prayed so hard she wouldn't die... And I made those same prayers when Keenan got sick..." 

She sniffled loudly, then breathed out a thick cloud of vapor into the icy air. Ravis's finger tips touched the handle of his knife. Meela's eyes were drawn to the movement. Her gaze moved up to his face, then crumbled further. 

"I'm ready," her cracked as she spoke. 

 Ravis' hand left the handle of his blade and went to his jacket. He slid out a metal cigarette case and a slender lighter. She watched as he pulled out a black cigarette. He offered it to her. 

 "It'll make things easier." he said simply. "I don't want any broken bones like Miss Kapoor." 

"Ah." Meela mumbled, setting to work in lighting up and taking a drag. She took a small puff, closing her eyes. 

 "Guess I'll be just like I was before. Lonely little girl." Meela said, eyes shut. "Just upgraded... A Lonely Little Monster." 

 Ravis picked up the blade, tucking it away in his jacket. He stood up, lighting up a normal cigarette to enjoy. Nicotine and menthol were weak to someone like him, but he liked the taste.Meela looked up at him when she was more then halfway through. She frowned at it, then up at him. 

 "This doesn't... This isn't Ink Bud." she said slowly, eyes somewhat dull. Meela leaned forward, one hand on the ledge between her legs to keep her upright. 

 "You're correct. It's Ash Bloom." Ravis crouched, snuffing out his cigarette on the roof. He grinned, showing off a double set of fangs. Meela grit her teeth, and found her tongue difficult to move. She pushed herself up, and swayed on unstable legs. 

"What?" 

 "Things that go bump in the night, they're hunted either by humans who have been in the business for decades, or people like me." He stood up, a gust of icy wind whipping his lengthy hair around his face. "Who are monsters themselves. Are you going to make this easy for both of us, or are you going to make this difficult?" 

 He was expecting a fight, but Meela brought the last of the Ash Bloom to her mouth. She took the last hit, and there was barely anything left to snuff out. 

"What's gonna happen?" she sighed, looking and sounding very resigned.Ravis clicked his fingers, mainly to draw her attention. By the look of her, her vision was starting to go. She put her hand over her mouth, coughing up a viscous fluid. She spat and waved it away onto the roof. 

 "What happens when I die?" she slurred, eyes trying to look at him. "Will I see Veeve?" 

 Ravis held out his hand. He smiled at her, and she collapsed into him.He shifted his grip, one arm behind her back, the other cradling her legs. From a house down, someone was stepping out to throw out some trash. Ravis made eye contact with the man, then disappeared from sight.