Midnight Snack (Motionless In White/Ricky Horror) *COMPLETED*

Chapter Seven

ROSE

I found myself sharing a love seat with Josh, while Chris and Angelo sat next to each other on another sofa, leaving Ville and Lauri the armchairs. Chris and Angelo were surprised at how quickly Josh and I had bonded and Josh jokes that coffee and death would do that to a person. I was nervous as hell to find out more about what I was capable of, I wasn't telling Chris the whole truth but maybe Ville could give me an explanation that made me feel like a less awful human being.

"So tell me, Rose, what do you know about death sense?"

I shrug my shoulders at Ville's question, I didn't know much.

"Not much, just that I woke up one morning and when I looked at people I could see exactly how and when they were going to die."

Vile nods, if he knew I was lying he didn't say anything and no one else piped up that I wasn't being truthful.

"Death sense is the power to sense the coming of death and the actual act of dying. It's a sub-power of precognition, being able to perceive future events before they happen. But it's not to be confused with death perception, the ability to perceive the death of all things. It can also be called death prediction, death vision or shinigami eyes."

I knew this much, but it was interesting to hear the other names. Chris taps his fingers on the arm of the chair and clears his throat.

"What exactly can she do Ville?"

"Well, Chris with death sense, unlike other abilities that can be taught and trained it's a bit more unpredictable. I'll explain the associations and potential strains Rose might develop, but know that this ability has more to do with the personality of the person."

I sink back in the chair not liking what I was hearing. Ville all but said I couldn't be trained or taught. If I was a bad person it would reflect in the development, I didn't want to develop the ability negatively. Then again there was nothing positive about dealing with death. Josh nudges my side and shoots me a weak smile; at least if everything went south I'd have one vampire on my side.

"Lay it on me Ville."

"You don't have to know Rose."

I scoff, "Chris you brought him here to tell us what he knew. I need to know what I'm capable of."

Chris sighs and bows his head, I know he cared about me but I wasn't some fragile human he needed to protect from the whole world. I turn my attention back to Ville who actually looked torn between doing what I asked and what Chris asked.

"Okay, then class, the person with death sense has the capability to sense the coming of death. As well as being able to determine when someone is dead or dying, or if others have died in the same location or circumstances. Sometimes this extends to being able to see the names and lifespan of the person in question, dead or alive."

So what Ville was saying, I would have the best career in a morgue or a job that involved investigating a death. But it would be both interesting and daunting to see someone's whole life after they'd died; I quite liked the idea of distancing myself from death.

"Surely the ability comes with limitations."

Ville nods and snaps his fingers together.

"You're very right Rose. Death sense may have a limited range depending on the user's innate talent, or nature of power itself."

"So pretty much it depends on the kind of person again as to what the strength of the ability is?"

I was surprised Angelo was speaking up; I didn't think he'd want to give Ville the satisfaction of knowing he'd peaked the younger vampires' interest. Ville grins but keeps quiet, I didn't fancy a full-on vampire fight breaking out while I was in the same room.

"It's a pretty hefty list of limitations children so I'll simply list them all and then we can discuss further. The ability is always on, it can't work on the users' own death, it only works on being capable of dying and those who have a soul. Death sense can only see natural death, so you wouldn't be able to see someone's death if they were killed by magic or the supernatural. Deaths will always happen despite the user's actions, but from what I've heard you're not tempting fate just yet Rose."

I nod taking all the new information in. But it still didn't explain what I'd done before running away. Everyone else in the room was absorbing the information while I tried to avoid eye contact with Ville and Lauri who it looked like had conned on to my lack of honesty.

"You said there were strains Ville, a chance for the ability to enhance. What are they?"

The vampire never once takes his eyes off me, but two could play at that game so I stare back.

"Death sense has two known strains. The first is danger intuition, allowing the user to sense incoming danger and threats. And the second and most dangerous is death manipulation Rose, the power to not only decide death but determine and manipulate a person's death."

The breath catches in my throat. I'd already dabbled in death manipulation, even if I didn't know what it was called at the time. I was supposed to develop it, but it looked like it was already inside of me which made me fear that I was a lot more powerful and dangerous than I first thought.

"Did you guys hear that?"

Josh pipes up next to me snapping me out of my thoughts. Chris and Angelo stand up as does Josh and the three of them leave the room.

"Don't move Rose."

I roll my eyes at Chris's mocking tone. He thought I was safer in a room with two vampires who were older than him and more dangerous, then I would be with the three of them. Sometimes Chris's logic confused me, but I didn't have super hearing so had to take their word that something or someone was making a noise somewhere in the house.

"Okay now the three of them have gone spill the beans, Rose. Your breath hitched, your face went pale and your heartbeat increased when I mentioned death manipulation."

I shake my head and chew my lip which was a nervous habit of mine.

"Can someone have death manipulation without developing it Ville? Like it's already inside them and triggers at the same time as death sense."

"It's possible and very rare Rose. What did you do?"

"Ville leave the poor girl alone she looks terrified. If she's done something related to death manipulation I'm sure she'll tell everyone in her own time."

I couldn't help but smirk and feel some weight taken off my shoulder as Lauri scolded Ville. This was a lot to take in, and when I was ready for the truth to come out then I'd tell people.