High Stakes

Part Sixteen

Part 16

SANG:

I'm seated on Nathan's giant sectional couch watching some show called Supernatural that's on TV. It's interesting and helps me to turn my brain off for a few moments. The boys haven't come back yet, they must be trying to figure out what to do with the bodies. The bodies...

I know I should be devastated--my family was just murdered, brutally--but I can't make myself care. I know if I care, I'll break. Too much has happened to me, I don't know how much more I can take. Yes, my mother is was my tormentor for my entire life, and I was treated terribly by her, but in a way her message made it make sense to me. She said I'm evil, an abomination. I was getting what I deserved, right? And my father? Marie? Sure, they turned the other way and pretended like they didn't know how badly I was treated, and completely neglected me. But they didn't deserve that. Did anyone deserve that?

And the heart? The heart drawn out with blood? It was so... morbid. So vampire.

There's some dude in a trenchcoat on the screen, and I realize that I'm gonna need more to get my mind off the complete chaos that has become my life. I wander to the kitchen, thinking that maybe cooking or baking will help. As I check the top shelf of the cabinets for ingredient inspiration, I find a few bottles of booze: Grey Goose, Patron, Crown Royal.

My head cocks to the side as I consider. I've never drank before. I know I can. Well, I think I can. I drink water. It would help me a teensy tiny bit in between weeks of not drinking blood. Would the alcohol help me relax? Help me forget?

GABE:

Luke and I are eventually sent back to Nathan's to make sure Sang's holding up. I still can't even truly believe what I saw back there.

We've been following the Master for a while now, and his kills are sometimes pretty fucked up, but that? That was insanity. His sick obsession with Trouble is not going to end well. I have a terrible feeling, like a giant stone sits at the bottom of my stomach.

We walk through the gate and through the pool area. I give Luke a look when I hear loud bass coming from the house. Nate has a good stereo system, and it's pumping a good beat right now.

"What the fuck?" Luke mutters, and we both rush inside.

Sang's dancing on top of the coffee table in the living room. In her underwear--lacy blue panties and a matching bra. It's quite the sight.

She turns, hearing us, giving us a giant smile, holding out her arms, swiveling her hips, "Yay! Come dance with me!"

"Sang?" Luke starts, looking completely confused. "Do you want to talk about what happened?"

Jesus... I wouldn't want to talk about what happened, but maybe she needed to? I remember when I lost my family in the fire... God. Poor Sang.

"Yeah, Trouble. We're here for you, okay? Don't think you can't talk to us. We're on your side. Team Sang!" I try to lighten the mood. For myself. Not for Sang, apparently, because she's hanging out on Cloud Nine.

"I don't wanna talk. I want to dance!" To emphasize her point, she turned around and kept dancing.

I swallow and look over to Luke, who's locked on to her hips with his eyes. He looks over and catches me watching him with narrowed eyes. He grins guiltily and shrugs, giving me a look that says 'She wants to dance.'

My best friend sits down on the couch, looking up at Sang as she dances. It's a little too strip-club for me, though, so I go to the kitchen to get something to eat. I'm shocked to see three bottles of booze on the table. Each down about a quarter, as if Sang had sampled each one.