Blood Rose (Completed)

Chapter 2

                                                      'Can an entire city be haunted?' – Stephen King, IT

Time always seemed to move slow in Derry, Maine. Especially in the warm, humid summer; the days felt endlessly stretched out, never ending. Then, finally the Sun went down and it would turn a bit cooler. Just to start the long torture of another day all over again.

Robert Gray had to sleep, just to keep his human body fit. He learned some time ago that sleep deprivation wasn't a good thing for a human. A waste of time for him, a necessity to keep sane while wandering around Derry in his 27 years of slumber. Just like food, sleep was a basic human need. 

A week had passed since he saw the new girl in the pub. Already, he forgot her name, but not how she smelled. Or rather, lack of smell.... It made him tick. It made him want to dissect her and find out how she worked from the inside. No human had ever crossed his path without a sense of fear in them. Even psychopaths reeked of fear when their demise was right around the corner. 

The thought of the scent of dread that filled people's hearts, made his mouth water again and Robert swiftly took a bit from his mashed potatoes that his favourite waitress (not really) put before him. The Tabasco that he had poured on them, stung his tongue and throat which made him swallow hard. Tears formed in the corner of his eyes, yet he swallowed the hot potatoes and giggled out loud. He did like this taste! It was something to almost feel your tongue burning. 

"I see you like the Tabasco – tip that I gave you," her voice came from behind him. 

His head turned slightly and a grin settled upon his lips. 

"Ah yes," he replied, his voice low and Robert Gray let his eyes travel over this mysterious creature who stood next to him. 

Her hand rested on her hip, big eyes on his face and she wobbled from one foot to another. Clearly getting uncomfortable by the way he was looking at her : like a scientist who discovered a new thing that needed investigating. 

The giggle came from deep in his chest, started as a low growl yet when it left his lips, Robert Gray giggled when his eyes met hers again. 

"Do I amuse you," the woman asked, her voice even. 

While uncomfortable, there wasn't any fear...just yet. 

"You do," he mused, his tone almost sang like his blood did while he was hunting. "I can't quite remember seeing you around Derry before....What was your name again?"

He dropped his fork, wiped his mouth clean and fully turned on his chair to face her. 

"Katherine," her reply came and she wiped her long hair to the back. "And I'm just passing through."

Robert raised a brow and shook his head slowly. 

"Nobody just passes through Derry, dear," and he saw that struck a nerve because Katherine turned her gaze towards the window. 

"You know, funeral, paperwork that comes with it, a house that needs to be sold," she said, her voice trailed off, just like her thoughts seemed to wander through the window she was looking at. "That kind of shit."

The last four words made Gray laugh out loud. He didn't expect her to curse. She seemed a polite, frail woman and the words seemed strange coming from her lips. And when Katherine looked at him, first with those big and green eyes of hers, she looked as if she would walk away from him. After a few seconds though, a faint smile broke her serious features and looked younger than she probably was. 

A hint of recognition flashed through him, but Gray couldn't place it instead he did something new. Something he had never done before; he stood up and, with a grand gesture and a small bow of his head, pulled the second chair that stood by his table back. 

He offered her a seat. 

The woman had sparked his curiosity and, unwillingly, he had hoped to see her again during the last week. 

"Please, dear," he smiled, baring his white teeth. "Least I could do is offer you something to drink after the Tabasco hint. At least, now I have some taste from my food."

Katherine seemed to doubt, glanced over her shoulder and back to him. As if she was contemplating if he was to be trusted. 

He wasn't. 

"One coffee," she replied and slid into the seat he had offered. 

When her shoulder brushed his, the scent of roses entered his nose and Robert pulled up his nose slightly. Not that he disliked the smell of those flowers, it was just...too innocent. He hated innocence. 

A few hours later, Katherine had shed off her insecurities about him and they were still talking, and laughing loudly, in the Pub about everything and nothing. The Sun was going under, and when the first rain of this long summer finally started to fall and cooled down the streets outside, the few people inside cheered. 

Katherine cheered too, laughed and even clapped his shoulder while smiling wide at him. Gray faked a grin, not at all entertained of the sudden rainfall. It just meant that summer was close to over and that Fall was about to start. And with that, his 26 years of roaming around as Robert Gray came to an end because the Losers Club defeated him in October. It meant he would officially be Gray for 27 years then. And he was sick of it. 

"Were you born here," he suddenly asked Katherine and turned to face her again. 

The woman sipped from her red wine that she ordered not too long ago and nodded. 

"Yes," she said, the smile around her lips faded and for a moment, Robert wanted to see it again. "I moved when I was around four, if I remember correctly."

"Why?"

She wobbled on her chair, her fingers nervously playing with the glass before she locked eyes with him.  "I had a sister. She died. My parents didn't want to be in Derry no more. So, we moved."

She stated it so a matter of factly , that Gray leaned back in his chair. Blue eyes scanned her again. 

"Died?"

"Murdered."

"And, tell me, dear," he leaned towards her, "when was this?"

"Almost 27 years ago," she looked away towards the heavy rain outside, her gaze clouded again. 

Robert bared his white teeth again, a menacing grin formed around his lips and he licked them. Now, murder was something that did interest him. More likely; he was probably the one who killed the sister. 

"How sad," he sung. 

When one of the other people left the Pub, the door opened, and Katherine's hair flew up a bit. Revealing her bare neck and the wind that hit his nose brought forth the scent of roses again. 

"I don't remember her," she spoke, downed her wine in two gulps and stood up. "I've got to go."

"Okay," he said and let her walk passed him. 

His gaze followed how she walked outside, went to the left and crossed the street before disappearing out of view. Not even bothered by the rain