Successor

Mystery Man

The Successor

Dracula's Reign End

Mystery Man

I trudged along the sidewalk glaring at the wet white slush covering my feet. The sidewalk was wet and icy from rain that fell just before the snow started. The sky went from a cold clear sky to a cloudy gray mess in just a few seconds. Part of me thought it was because of my shitty interview not going well. My phone fell in the water fountain as I went for a drink. I forgot my umbrella at home, when I didn't think I needed to take my car to the interview since it was such a beautiful day and I felt like walking. And it started to rain, and snow, while I walked home.

Such a fucking perfect way to end my day. My interview, for a job that I've been hoping for, went to shit once the manager found out about my rocky past with the cops in my hometown. That you, Police Records! You suck so much ass it's ridiculous. Here I was, in busy, windy New York, just a few miles from my home in Jersey, and I'm now covered in rain, ice and snow. And I didn't get the new job. Just perfect!

A good day gone to cold, teeth chattering shit can only get better with hot chocolate and donuts and just a few steps ahead of me was a Dunkin Donuts. I walked in and was greeted with warmth and the sweet smell of donuts, French vanilla coffee and enough hot chocolate to make my day ten times better than it is now.

The store was busy but not enough to make me want to leave. It was a nice huge size and I went to stand in line. A few young girls stood in front of me, couldn't be more than sixteen but dressed like they were twenty one. They glared at my wet heels, soaked black skinny jeans and parka and grotesquely turned away, surely making remarks under their breath. All the while, boys who could be my age, twenty four, at least, checked them out like hormonal teens. Men, don't even know when they're being set up to be knocked down.

I rolled my eyes at the hot-under-the-skin girls and perverted hounds and looked around. Many were sitting in empty tables, waiting out the small snow storm I suppose. A woman, her two boys sat at the window looking over the white flecks of ice. A few more families did one and the same. More groups of teens littered the tables, drinking coffee, tea and hot chocolate, eating donuts and or sandwiches before they went home to do their homework, watch the latest Real Housewives of Hell and gossip about the shit they heard from other rumors.

"You look a bit soaked," a voice said behind me, causing me to jump. I hadn't seen, or heard him come in behind me. "Are you alright?"

I looked up at him trying my damnedest to seem calm and collect by his sudden presence. "Left my umbrella in my car, in New Jersey." He was a tall man, fair skinned with shoulder length black waves. He dressed as if he had much money to spend but didn't spend it, light gray neatly pressed slack, a clean cut white button up, thick black parka and black Chelsea boots.

His eyes, as simple as they were brown, they were also hauntingly beautiful as if he's seen the world change from hell to hell fire. They were knowing yet warm. I felt compelled to look at them and nowhere else.

"Doesn't seem like a good thing to do. Did you realize that you were no longer in the confines of your home?" I could hear a hint of a British accent.

I barked laughter and pulled my hood off my head to reveal my wet messy auburn curls. "You could imagine my delight when I found that it was raining and snowing when the weather channel specifically said cold but sunny."

"You can't listen to those people all the time. It's not like their psychics or anything."

"I don't think even a psychic could tell me my day would turn out like this."

His joking smile faded and became more genuine. "Was it that bad?"

"Went on an interview for my career and my past finally caught up with me," I huffed as the line started to move. "Then I dropped my phone in a water fountain. And then it started raining and snowing."