The Blood Whore

Just a Janitor

Chapter Three;;

Just a Janitor;;

Cooper started freaking out. Well, she'd obviously already been freaking out, but by this point she was surprised her heart was still beating. Great. Great. The super human, creeper, whatever he is, caught me! Um...What do I do???

She panicked. "Yes?" Why did I say that? I do not want to converse with a killer.

"Where do you think you're going?" He said in a low, menacing growl.

She played the classic trick, looking up and blinking in mock confusion. She didn't want to be the second corpse found in the cemetery the next day. "What are you talking about?"

He glowered. "You know what I mean." That voice sent chills down Cooper's spine and she wanted nothing more than to curl up in a corner and cry.

"Sir, I think you're mistaken. I don't know what you're talking about." She paused for a moment. How could she make him think she was a naïve bystander? She shouldn't even have been in the cemetery in the first place. "I'm looking for my earring actually. It's rather hard to find anything under all these leaves and in the dark."

He whispered, "How much did you see?"

An idea flickered quickly in Cooper's head and she pulled out a headphone. "I'm sorry. I'm having trouble hearing you over my iPod." She gave a fleeting pause and then suddenly said, "Would you mind looking for my earring? It's small and golden and has a blue flower."

He paused for two seconds. His face didn't betray his thoughts, he was menacing and impassive. "Are you done lying to me?" He said suddenly calm.

She opened her mouth in surprise but he cut her off before she could say anything else. "I know you can hear what I'm asking. On top of that, I know you saw something; I felt you staring." He smirked cockily as he continued."And you would have to have lost both your earrings because you don't have one on." To make a point he brushed my auburn hair behind my ear.

"And a blue flower? Really? Wouldn't match. Your shoes have pink stripes on them and I can see the pink hem of your collar." He shrugged and rose an eyebrow at me.

"Crap." I muttered. He opened his mouth, obviously to say 'how much did you see?' again but I answered before he could ask. "All I saw was you kill the guy." I gave a false smile. "No biggie, right?"

Cooper decided in that moment if she were nice to him and told him what he wanted to know, maybe he'd let her get away with her life. He growled and his lip curled. "Don't kill me!" She begged tears prickling at the back of her eyes. He glowered with those stunning blue black eyes she hadn't paid attention to before. She was finding it hard to really see him with his cutting out the light of the moon.

"There's not much else I can do." He said harshly.

Her mind was working double time - she randomly wondered why that never happened in math class. "Follow me. I don't care." She sighed realizing that would definitely get her nowhere. She decided to switch tactics again. "It's not that I have much to live for, anyway. But, there's so many things I could do. Don't you believe in a higher purpose?"

He tilted his head and peered at her, intrigued by her unusual response. Cooper felt her ramblings coming on but she couldn't stop herself now. "Anyway, I swear that I won't tell anyone. Do whatever you want to me just don't kill me! Anything!"

She abruptly stopped shriveling and twisted under him so she could meet his gaze without difficulty. She was really angry with herself now; she was angry she'd acted so pathetically. "You know what? My best friend of nine years killed my family and just about killed me. My life since then has been so pathetic I wish I had died in the fire seeing as an old man is the only friend I have left. So, I don't even care if you kill me."

He looked at her for a minute with narrowing eyes. "Strong. I like that. Too bad I have to kill you, you'd make a fun pet."

Giving her speech of bravado Cooper suddenly felt horrible. She'd always thought of Frankie as her only friend, but deep down she knew she was his only friend too. She didn't want to just take that away from him. He came down at her slowly, mocking her. She scrambled back a bit, "Wait. Please. Can I just...Can I say good bye to him? The old man?"

He eyed her suspiciously, then shrugged. "Whatever. It's not like you can get away, and anyway. I find you slightly amusing." Rising he gestured his arm towards the cemetery entrance. "Lead the way."

With a deep breathe she started back the way to school with this monster hovering behind her. She didn't try to fight with the fact he was going to kill her. In fact, a part of her was looking forward to it. Something deep inside her told her that she'd been waiting for it since her family died.

"So tell me about Frankie. And Mike." She jumped at his voice. Then she narrowed her eyes at him. How had he known about Mike, or even Frankie's name? Why would he be asking her about it? Maybe he was just heartless; she wouldn't put it past a vampire.

But then he was letting her say goodbye. Maybe he wasn't entirely heartless... "Um...well Frankie's the first friend I made out here in good 'ole Ireland, he's the school Janitor. Mike's his pet cat."

He burst out with laughter and he chuckled, "You've got to be kidding me."

They walked the rest of the way to the school in silence. She was thinking in those moments of silence if this was what her family felt like when they knew they were going to die. Had they accepted the fact? Or were they in too much pain to even think? She shook off these thoughts, they were at the tree line by the school.

With the ease of practice, Cooper slipped through the trees and found Frankie's little cottage. She easily snuck in through the window and turned on the light. Looking over her shoulder she noticed the freak had come in with her. Just great.

Frankie was getting out of bed murmuring something about sneaking out and breaking into his rooms being wrong. "Oh. You've brought a friend."He said in genuine surprise eyeing up the killer.

"Not exactly." The two grave walkers said at the same time. Cooper took a deep breath, picking Mike up from his bed cushion. She walked closer to Frankie to put more distance between her and the killer. "Look, Frankie," she stroked Mike for the confidence she needed to say this. "I'm in some trouble and I don't think I'll be seeing you again. I just wanted to say good bye."

"Trouble?" The man asked, turning to her in surprise.  "What have you got involved in now?"

Cooper couldn't ignore the company like Frankie was. She glanced at the killer as she said, "I - I can't really tell you Frankie." She held Mike closer in one arm and wrapped the other around her friend. "Good bye." With a sense of finality she handed the fat tabby over to his owner. She kissed him on the cheek and backed away from the old man.

Frankie called to her, "Is it gangs?"

Cooper couldn't help but laugh a little as she turned around. "Really, Frankie? You think a gang could handle the likes of me?"

"Kid," He said, shaking his head with disappointment. "Drugs?"

Cooper actually chuckled at that. "I'm weird enough. Trust me, it's definitely not what you're thinking." She turned her back again. "It was nice knowing you guys." Mike mewed in desolation.

"Kid," He called again. "If you're ever outta trouble I'll take you in. Hell, I'll take you in now if you want. I promise kid, I'd look after you."

She knew this must've hurt Frankie, but she couldn't say anymore. She was only there to say goodbye, if she told Frankie he'd probably die too. Without responding she climbed back out the window and hurried into the woods. The killer followed her, whistling a little tune.

Abruptly she stopped and turned on him. "Okay, you can kill me now. I'm ready."

His eyebrows arched. She stared up at him and wondered why she found him attractive all of a sudden. It didn't really matter now. It was a shame she didn't love him, then she could have quoted Shakespeare for her final words. Hadn't he written something along the lines of 'how sweet to be killed of the hands I love?'

It was revolting how it had only taken her until her final moment to realize how beautiful it was under the canopy of trees. She was about to die and she finally grew an appreciation for beauty.

"Kill you?" He asked drawing her out of her thoughts again. "I think I'm going to keep you. You entertain me." He smirked.