Blood Ink

Chapter seven

Issei sensed an irregularity as he casually glanced over to the woman on his left. Her bright red hair falling lavishly in a waterfall of curls. She gave him a seductive smile but he wasn't phased. Her bittersweet flowery scented aroma, made his nose twitch. She clung to his arm, while resting her head on his shoulder. He could smell the drug that was coursing it's way through her system. The smell of mundane sweat made the room reek - how they rubbed their bodies against each other when they danced.
He looked around the room, music pulsing loudly. The colors of the room being a means for distraction. Voices being heard for a moment through the pounding beats coming from speakers. He noticed his target enter the room, he felt how the atmosphere changed ever so slightly. Issei clicked his tongue, a small glimmer of a smirk forming on his lips.

Issei stood up leaving the woman behind. His target was in his sight, as he approached removing a sliver dagger from his pocket hidden under his shirt. Issei's eyes changed, and flickered and pulsed appearing almost like they had been replaced with kaleidoscopes. They glowed gold, against the multicolors of the room. His approach was casual, and easy going no malicious intent could be detected from his movements. He put an arm around the man, as if they had been pals for most of their lives.

The man, (his target) who was well dressed in a freshly ironed suit. He had pure gold rings on his fingers, some bling, and a ton of gold hung around his neck. He reeked of aftershave and hair gel. The mans hair was greased back as he turned to greet Issei, unsuspecting him to be one of the faces of thousands among his mundane crowd of followers.

His face paled in a moments notice as he was greeted by Issei's pleasant and warm killer smile. His expression clearly displaying a drive of bloodlust.
The target turned to look at the crowd of people surrounding him, talking amongst themselves. The man frantically searched for an escape, though he was unprotected. The mans guards where too far away at the corners of the room.
Issei had moved from being directly behind him to standing in front of him. A small plea of mercy flashed inside the mans eyes.

He felt a slice to his gut followed by a piercing pain. The mans eyes widened, as he looked down at the dagger lodged in his gut. The sudden gush of blood that stained the mans white button down shirt, within moments the mans body morphed and spasmed. The man hadn't even had the chance to scream before the blade had been removed, and lodged into his throat. Animalistic choking was heard, blood was spilling out everywhere the once ambient feel of the music was now reeking of fear and horror. Women screamed men threw up, and Issei was no where to be found amongst the shrieking chaos.

The only thing left behind, was a hand crafted silver blade discarded on the ground and stained with blood.

..............

I gasped feeling as if something had been lodged into my throat. A cold sweat had made itself at home on my skin. Cole was attentively sitting on my rug, watching television. (which I'd left on for him at a low volume since he'd asked.) I twisted in my covers as nausea rose in the pit of my stomach. The image of a bloody man burned into my subconscious. I tumbled slightly as I ran to my bathroom, l left door open, I didn't bother to shut it, as I threw up the contents of my dinner into the toilet bowl.

"Mel?" Cole's voice rang through my bathroom. I'd forgotten about him for a moment. My left hand was curled in a fist clutching at my tank top. I was too busy throwing up again, to answer.

"Mel, I'm coming into the bathroom." Cole spoke up again.

Cole was squeamish when he was alive, so had he actually been here... he probably would have thrown up in the sink with me. Dead Cole on the other-hand, didn't react at the sight of his older sister throwing up in the bathroom.
When I regained control of myself I leaned back against the wall of the bathroom. It's cool bumpy texture seemed to relax me slightly..

"Sorry.. you had to see that." I mumbled.

"Gross." He mumbled obnoxiously. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just had a really twisted vivid dream." I smiled at him reassuringly. It felt natural to play this role, normalcy seemed to settle over me in relief. The hole that had formed in his absence seemed to patch itself with the ability to sister him, even as a ghost.

"Are you sure, you're okay?" He asked again.

"Yes, Cole." I answered. "Don't worry about me so much."

He didn't seem convinced, but let it go. I stood up after checking my stomach and throat for any wounds. The image of the dead man, surfacing after a small pause. The spasms, the thrashing, were all too vividly felt for my liking. I stood up, and flushed the contents of my dinner.

Cole moved out of the way, probably out of habit .. since I could just walk right through him. I turned the knobs to my rusty faucet, and splashed cold water on my face.

That was one freakish dream. Note to self: have a pep talk with subconscious about odd dreams.

Cole stared intently at me as I went through this process. It was almost as if he was trying to make sense of 'why' I did such things. He seemed unfamiliar with my choice in movement. He studied me as I brushed my teeth, removing the taste of bile that lingered on my tongue. Once all of that was finished, I slowly crawled back under my covers - shivering at the slight chill resting on my exposed shoulders.

"Don't you feel cold?" I asked Cole.

"Um... no?" He hesitated. "I think temperatures are more of a mundane thing.. you know for like.. the living."

Cole settled into his spot on the rug with ease. I glanced down at him, feeling comfort in his presence. I didn't give much thought to his comment about temperatures... A wave of sudden exhaustion, seemed to slowly pour out of me as my gaze lingered on him.

Cole was back home. He was safely resting in my room. Things are normal again.

Those statements repeated themselves inside my mind as I closed my growing heavy eyelids. I watched as Cole's gaze fixed itself back onto the television. I felt my mind fall into a blurred haze, the soft noise of the tv droning on in the background. Everything was peaceful again, Cole was here with me.

Nothing will take my little brother away from me again..