Ripley the Vampire Slayer

Meeting Amity

Ripley had spent two days helping her mother unpack the rest of their belongings. Trying to settle herself into the new house. Her bedroom was set to how she liked it and now, Ripley found herself arranging the living room with her mother still attempting to unbox her own sleeping quarters.

Ripley placed their 98" flat screen against the wall facing towards the living room window. It was spacious enough for their cornered couch, polished wooden coffee table and the entertainment system to pair with their obnoxiously large TV. Part of the living room there was a door leading outside to the porch that would lead you to the other side of the house, in front of the white church.

"At least we can always find an escape." Ripley's mother hollared as though she has been reading her thoughts.
"Is there an exit that takes me directly back to Cali?" Ripley asked rolling her eyes.
"Har har."
Ripley managed to plug in all the cables that needed to be plugged in. The TV, the speakers, the PS5, the wifi router, and a few of the lamps that stood beside the couch in each of the corners of the room.

"How's it looking in there?"
"Everything that has a place is where they shall stay." Ripley answered, taking a step back to admire her handiwork.
In the middle of her admiration, Ripley's mom walked in.
"So I was thinking, I can do the rest if you wanted to go explore the town."
Ripley turned and faced her mother with a strong grimace expression.
"Serious?"
"I'm just saying it will do you some good to go and see how the town looks. Maybe find a spot for whenever you need to do your brooding." She answered.
"It's reflecting, mom." Ripley scolded.
"Either way, go get out of the house."

Ripley walked alone the side of the paved road way, kicking up rocks that were in her way. It was quiet except for the breeze that tangled her hair. The sound of an eerie speaker echoing music from the square made Richland sound like the page out of a horror movie.
"What's so great about Richland?"
"Oh nothing. But it is quaint don't ya think?"
The voice came from nowhere and Ripley paused to give a look around for the source.
"Hey, over here."

She looked to see a boarded up white house and a black haired girl waving from the top window.
"Hi! You new around here, ain't ya?" The girl asked.
"Ain't isn't even a word." Ripley growled but found herself walking up to the house with her curiosity intrigued despite her 'put off' tone.
"Oh you'll get used to the country lingo here. My name's Amity." The girl hollared down.
"Amity?"
"Yeah, my mom had an obsession with the crystal amethyst but she couldn't bring herself to name her own child after a crystal so, she created the name Amity."

In the midst of Amity introducing herself, it was then Ripley remembered something crucial.
"You forgot to ask me my pronouns." Ripley replied.
Amity looked at Ripley confused, "Pronouns? Like the literary term that refers to a person, place, or a thing?" She asked.

The question caused Ripley to slap her forehead, "No. Pronoun as in how someone wants to be identified when speaking in third person. Such as my pronouns are she, her, and Xirself."
The look of puzzlement on Amity's face was all Ripley needed to know that she was in a place where problems were going to rise fairly quickly.
"That sounds silly." Amity smiled, "I think I'm gonna like you new kid."
"The name is Ripley and my pronouns aren't silly." Ripley scolded.
"Hey, stay there. I'll be right down."
Ripley sighed and crossed her arms over her chest hearing loud thuds and bangs coming from inside. It was then Amity emerged from the house through a small window of the basement.
Amity had a dark skin complexion with black hair. But a single thick line of purple ran through her bangs that cut the same length of her eyebrows.

"Please tell me you don't live here." Ripley commented.
"Here? Naw, this is sort of like my club house. There isn't much to do here other than the playground, the endless acres of fields and forest plus the bar." Amity shared .
"What's the nearest city?" Ripley questioned.
"Well, you have Fairfield, which is like a 20 minute drive. Or 15 depending on how fast you drive I guess. But the cops are thick out here. There is Ottumwa but that's an hour drive from here and Iowa City but that's definitely a two hour drive."
Ripley groaned hearing this. She has hoped she could escape the small town bummers to the familiar streets of a city.

"That's just great."
"Where are you from anyway?"
"California. My mom was born and raised in Sunnydale and I was born in Exeter."
Amity smiled and nodded her head, "Makes sense now. I always heard of you California kids being so pompous with your identity and specific words to use on yourselves."
Ripley stared at Amity with a blank glare hoping she would stop talking.
"Wait, Sunnydale? Isn't that the place that was bombed by terrorists some years ago?" Amity asked curiously.
Ripley shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. My mom was in labor with me at the time."

Ripley sighed and decided she had enough socializing and started to walk back to her place, "Well, it was convenient to be meeting one of the town locals but I'm going to go back home."
"Yeah sure, see ya around new kid." Amity smiled.
"Ripley."
"What's up?"
Ripley cleared her throat just as she corrected Amity again, "My name's Ripley."