The Corruption Within

The Corruption Within Chapter 6

The sun had set recently, and I could still see the fading rays, like a pressure behind the eyes. One thing I was thankful for, the legends of vampires not being able to go out in sunlight was false, I could still see the sunrise and sunset, so long as I was careful. The only danger was full direct exposure to bare skin.

What surprised me was how the streets were still filled with cars and people, even if this neighborhood was mostly abandoned. Seattle was a place that never slept, the fact it was the coffee capital of the world might have been part of this.

I made my way to the nearest gas station, a small privately-owned place at the first intersection I came across. The gas prices were horrible, over four dollars a gallon, good thing I didn't have a car. As a human I'd mostly used public travel such as buses, trains and taxis. As a vampire however, my speed enabled me to go faster than most vehicles known to man. I made a mental note to test just how fast I could go by racing an expensive sports car.

Walking inside, I made my way to the register, noting the look of suspicion the cashier gave me. The man was a small stick thin individual who reminded me of a half-starved weasel.

Moving his hand beneath the counter slowly, I could hear the distinct click of a firearm safety being disengaged. I suppose someone as big as myself walking into a gas station wearing the clothing Sally had given me at this late hour would cause suspicion. Trying to give the man my most friendly smile, I stopped a few feet away, trying not to scare him.

"Hi, I'm a bit lost. Could you tell me where the Pleasant Dreams motel is?"

The Cashier's hand moved slightly beneath the counter and I could imagine him gripping a shotgun or a sidearm. He cautiously nodded and used his free arm to point out to the left of the store. "Six blocks that way, take a right, then a left and another right and it's just beyond the freeway overpass." I tried to devote the information to memory and gave him another smile, the cashier seeming to relax a bit at this.

"Thanks." I turned around and made my way out the door, a little bell tingling I hadn't noticed on my way in.

I raised the collar of my jacket up and crammed my hands into the deep pockets, moving along the street. After about an hour, I finally came upon the motel. The place was run down and dirt cheap. Part of the reason I had paid for a room there was no one would suspect it, that and I had little to no money that hadn't burned up when I was lit on fire.

I sighed, walking towards my room and realized I didn't have my key on me, they were in my other clothes which I had forgotten at Sally and Alexandre's place. I was about to make my way to the reception when I noticed the door was already open, a slight sliver of light coming from within. I moved to the side of the room and looked through the crack carefully. Listening intently and watching as the occasional shadow blocked the light, I could tell that someone was already inside the room.

I carefully nudged the door aside with my boot, just enough to enter the room, and slid in slowly. Stepping to the side of the door, I crossed my arms over my chest and kicked the door closed, leaning up against the wall.

A figure jumped up from behind the bed where they had been sorting through the end table drawers and let out a startled gasp. I couldn't stop the look of surprise on my face, it was Cassy. The beautiful red head looked flustered and she was staring at me with a mixture of emotions ranging from relief, terror and apprehension.

I tried to smile but it didn't seem to work as she reached behind her back to pull a small six shooter snub nose pistol out of the back pocket of her jeans. I raised my arms in the universal gesture of surrender.