Bloodlines

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The sun set as I walked down the streets of Brooklyn. The sky turned from a dark, magenta, and rose-gold color into a black as midnight can be at this time. The clouds flew away as I held a cigarette in my hand and my rhinestone hand bag. The year 1929, and this year has been quite a page turner.

I touched my red pinned curls as I passed all the ladies wearing dresses that went down to their knees. I wore a black sequin dressed that went a little bit above my ankle, and I wore a large black coat around myself so mortals wouldn't realize that I was different. If they saw that I wasn't bothered by our harsh, freezing, and wintery weather, they would start to question and then I would have to leave town. After living over a thousand years, I was not ready to give it all up.

As I walked, a peculiar shop had caught my eye. It was fairly small; there was only one floor and barely any windows. The door was brown and nearly falling apart with a small sign on it. I walked over to the sign and ripped it off the door. I held the small sign in my hands and read it: C. Rice's Emporium. I raised my eyebrows at the sign as I threw it towards the sidewalk. This store had the weirdest name that I ever saw. It was very strange, especially in Brooklyn.

I looked at the door. It wouldn't hurt just to see what was inside. I lifted my hand and went to knock on the door. Right as I pressed my knuckle on the door, the door opened and revealed a young girl with glasses. The girl was actually very pretty. She was a fair-haired girl with deep brown eyes under the spectacles she called glasses. She wore a very modest dress that went down to her knees. Her hair was curled into a tight bun— a typical flapper hairstyle. When she the door, I had a very unusual aroma that reached my nose. It was a scent I hadn't smelled in over a century. I knew what it was, but I just couldn't place who it belonged to.

"Oh, my z-god!" The girl exclaimed, making me irritated by her perkiness. "A customer. I knew converting my home into a store would work!"

"Well congratulations!" I said, mimicking her tone. "You have a customer! May I come in?" If it were a normal store, I would've just walked in. This time, it was this girl's home; she had to invite me in. Those damn vampire rules.

"Of course!" The girl exclaimed. She walked inside her home as I followed her. I stepped through the archway and walked into her small store.

It was a very dark store; it was as dark as Marcus Salvatore's place. The lights were dimmed to the point where eyes shouldn't even be needed. There was a shabby rug on the floor, along with shelves full of weird looking objects. In the center, there was a large counter with a register on top. Behind the counter, there was a shelf full of magical artifacts. I watched as the young girl ran behind the counter, excited to take down what I wanted to buy.

"So, you're C. Rice?" I asked her. I doubted that she was a mortal. All around her shop, she had magical artifacts and weapons to kill werewolves and vampires. Why would a mortal own these things?

"Yup, I'm C. Rice!" C. Rice said, excitement in her voice. "What's your name?"

"Daisy." I lied. I was not going to tell her my real name. I walked around the store and saw a small bottle on the counter.

I walked over to the counter and picked up the small vial. It was turquoise along with studs going down the rectangular sides. The vial felt like there was liquid in there. I opened the gem top and smelled it. Right away, I felt my organs were going to burst just smelling it. I closed the vial, only for my hands to start shaking from the aroma affecting my brain. I felt a drop of the liquid touch my hand and it felt like I burned myself on a hot pan. I shrieked as I threw the bottle at the wall. My hand felt like it was being cooked in the sun. C. Rice jumped as she saw the broken vial on the floor. She looked at me, not shocked that I was just burned by that liquid. It was holy water. I knew for sure it was. This lady was a religious freak of nature.