Foreboding

Chapter 4

"What can I do for you?" The assistant manager asked, her voice high and sweet.

Shuffling a pack of cigarettes, condoms, and a box-cutter in her hands, Hail smiled as pleasantly as she was capable, and dropped the items on the counter, "Just the three, thanks."

The assistant manager: perky, blonde, and as petite as a skeleton, nodded swiftly several times and scanned the items, then stuffing them into the grey plastic bag, she announced, "That'll be thirty-."

"THIRTY? ARE YOU FUCKING-" Hail growled, rummaging through her pockets, she pulled out an extra ten dollars and slapped it on the counter, "Here." Feeling the need to swear or strike the innocent looking little brat, Hail was more than eager to get out of that place, she didn't need any more humans watching her with frightened eyes.

The girl tried a smile, her blue eyes as wide as tennis balls, "Th- thank you for shopping at-"

"Oh go fuck yourself." Hail grunted a rude interruption as she stormed out of the corner shop, back onto the road. The night was still young; the crescent moon poised itself in the center of the sky, thin strings of clouds drifting past. The air was damp and cold, as it usually was in London at night. There was something about London that meant mischief, it always had, since there was so much history here, so many bad people who walked this land, it was almost strange to see some proper English people now. It was run-down and mucky, just like it had been in the 17-1800s.

Several nights had passed since Hail had last spoken to Michael, and he certainly didn't seem content with contacting her again any time soon. Vaguely- but only vaguely- did Hail consider the thought that all her kind had turned against her, thinking her pathetic and weak for wanting to be cured, somehow, but the thought did not last long, instead it disappeared into the factory of other thoughts that meant nothing. Hail was a saint, a goddess to the vampire world and (as they thought) she would soon be a saint in the eyes of human's, too. If told she was searching for a cure, would they believe it?

The party wasn't too far away, walking distance from the shop. Hosted by one of Hail's many old friends, fifty-or-so other clans were expected to be there amongst a banshee or two, perhaps even more, it all depended on what arrangements had been made. Never really getting caught in the loop of social things, Hail never really knew what to expect and, ultimately, didn't care either.

Down the street, at the end of a the cul-de-sac, stood an approximately 324 meter high mansion that looked something like a Tim Burton creation. The brick walls were as black as coal, with no windows. Two living gargoyles, snarling and gnashing their teeth together as Hail ascended the stone steps, guarded the entrance to the palace-like place. "Evening Boggy and Borg!" She exclaimed, looking down at the two gnarled, scaly creatures like ugly, miniature, unflying dragons with the teeth of a saber tooth tiger. The two creatures shuffled aside and the door opened with a creak, from the outside not a sound could be heard, nothing but Hail's shallow breathing and the gargoyle's claws scraping across the stone floor. Heels clicking, she walked inside, not bothering to shut the door behind her. Even inside, the sound of laughter and gossip was distant. In the gigantic foyer of the mansion, Hail thought she was alone, but only for so long. The hissing and scattering along the walls was a promising, she was being watched by the Basilisk in the walls.

"What's in the bag, ma'am?" A little girl asked, Hail's excessive amount of knowledge noted her this wasn't an ordinary, boring little girl wearing a floral dress, in fact, it was the ghost of the girl who had been murdered in this house sometime in the mid 1800s, she was delicate and porcelain looking, to Hail, she appeared as normal as any other human.

Smiling sweetly, Hail replied, "Nothing to bother yourself with darling, now where's Marcus? Are the other's here yet?"

The little girl shook her head, her blonde curls bouncing, "No ma'am, only Marcus and Verity are here, they're upstairs with the new boy."