Unexpected Encounters [Invite Only]

DreamingofRoses

DreamingofRoses

Rosa Indomitus
The leaves rustled through the still-green trees whose branches overhung the walls of the park the girl happened to be walking by. It was a nerve-itching sound that was surprisingly loud on the quiet street.


Oh, to be fair it was the city and the city was never really quiet. In fact, in the background at the moment Alicia could hear at least one siren and a couple of yelling matches, but this block was, fortuitously, quiet. It was a good thing, since she was walking alone from the bus stop with at least another block of identical brown-stone buildings after getting off of shift at the hospital and the quiet would at least give her a chance to hear anyone trying to sneak up behind her. She paused underneath one of the orange street lights to enjoy the breeze that was cutting through the muggy evening, lifting up her red pony-tail to enjoy the touch of fresh air on her neck.
 
The corner had been rounded and Holly momentarily held onto the streetlight. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her lungs trying to force through the tight constraints of her recent physical inactivity. The streetlight was a momentary haven for her. She leans down only to spot the sharp beam of a flashlight a few blocks back. Wheezing, she starts running again.


Holly had never gotten so close to them before or at least couldn't recall getting that close. That one time in high school maybe but now it was a whole new ballgame. She didn't even know what they even wanted with her! She probably barely was a blip. Maybe she should have registered sooner. The small support group all did and they never got chased out of parks by suits and suburbans with blacked out windows.


She ducks into an alley, hiding behind a dumpster. A beam of light cuts down close to her foot. She yanks it out of sight and the light vanishes. Only now does she exhale. A ragged, embarrassing sound. Swear to God, if she survived this she'd start working out.


Groaning, she tries to figure out how far into the city she had run. It was tempting to climb a building but even that seemed preposterous right now. No, she just had to keep moving and find a good place to hide.


She starts jogging along, looking up to the moon only to tumble headlong into the orangish light of a street lamp and an idle read headed girl.
 
Alicia jumped back as a foreign body went tumbling past her feet and into the lamp-post. It took her a moment to remember herself and to recognize the body as a younger woman's and stopped herself from kicking the body to discourage assault. Instead, she cast a wary glance around the street before kneeling, "Miss. Miss? Are you alright? That was quite a tumble."
 
Almost immediatly, Holly had withdrawn a strange identification card flashing it in tears.


"Please don't hurt me, I'm registered, I attend my classes bi weekly, I haven't even hurt an animal please don't take me!"


If there was a chance for the system to save her, she was going full throttle for it. After a few moments and realizing she wasn't being black bagged or doused with sunlight, Holly stopped shaking the ID in fear and looks over at who she had fallen on.


It seemed it was just a regular person. No underlight stealth mask, no riot gear armor, not even a creepy armband showing an officer. Just a regular human.


"Oh...oh good god I'm so sorry..." Holly scrambles to hide her ID, frantically shoving it into her purse. "I thought...I..I was being chased!"


Even in the dim light, Holly was worried about how she looked. It had been a full day and she had been keeping human hours for work. Her sunblock would be patchy and she had long ago taken out her contacts.


Her blonde hair whips in the wind, sticking in her mouth as she tries to explain. She hated it long but needed to hide her ears. The sharp points a dead giveaway sometimes. Thank God for that tailor Rick had mentioned. A coat hiding her wings from sight. Gloves did the rest.


Holly looks around, noticing the distinct lack of black SUVs. The woman she had run into must have been a non informed. This could work! They wouldn't dare take her near one!


"Can..I'm sorry, can you walk with me?" She does her best to get up and untangled.
 
Alicia gingerly helps the woman up to her feet before backing away slightly. "I'm sorry. Do you need me to call you a cab? It looks like the party you came from was rather...intense. No offense, but I don't generally walk with strange people in odd costumes at night. It's not that I think you're a mass-murderer, but you might be. Sorry, but I can call you a cab and wait with you for it to come if you'd like." She inches away from the blonde slightly, tucking her hands into her brightly-colored scrubs.
 
"Costume? Oh..right yeah. Costume party. Yeah, woo! It was a doozy. She flashes a feigned smile, sharp teeth briefly showing. "Listen, I don't really want to be alone with anyone right now and I don't trust cabs. Would you be up for coming with me at least in the cab? I'd pay your fare both ways...I'm Holly by the way." She extends a hand to shake. "Plus we both want to be back home before sunrise right?"


Holly continues to scan outside, making certain this wasn't some elaborate ploy to ensnare her.
 
Alicia's skin was creeping and that sixth sense that comes with working with people a lot was going off like a car alarm at midnight. Something wasn't right and Alicia really didn't want to wind up with some creepy person wearing her skin like a jacket. On the other hand, she had just finished her rotation on the psych floor and maaaybe had been watching too many horror movies and stories which might have made her slightly paranoid. She thought about it for a second before removing her smartphone from the pocket of her scrubs and locating a number for a local taxi service.


I could call the cops. But there should be a camera in the taxi, at least there will be a third person there. Plus, she's an unaccompanied woman who's possibly being chased. Although that sounds more like a reason to call the cops than not to. But I'm probably just being paranoid.


"Erm. Sure. Just--just stand over there. Please. No offense."


She bit her lip for a second, wobbling over her final decision before finally just dialing the taxi service, keeping a wary eye on the blonde. "Hello? Yeah, I'd like to get a cab on J street near...Oak, I think. Yeah, across from the park. Okay, thanks." Alicia pressed the end button and tucked her phone back into her pocket, "They say they'll be here in about 5 minutes." She tucked her hands back into her pockets and shifted position to her default 'standing for a long time position' feeling the weight of the day in the throb of her feet.
 
"Five minutes huh...We should be good" Her hand sinks back beside her body, feeling particularly unshaken. This girl was suspicious already and it had only been like three minutes. Holly had to really work at her 'end of day' disguise, her innate laziness was killing her. She leans against the wall behind her, trying desperately to look non threatening. "So...over here good? Don't think I'd be able to mass murder anyone from here." She quickly regrets the way she worded that. "Sorry, I was coming home from the call center. Are...you a doctor? Nurse?"
 
Hnkmph. Alicia covered her mouth and attempted to keep a straight face at the woman's comment.


"Sorry. City plus evening plus strangers out of nowhere doesn't usually have a good ending for women. Caution is usually for the best. And I'm a nurse, actually. OR." She stopped there, content to let the awkward silence between them stretched on as she stared at the street, keeping a watch on the woman out of the corner of her eye.
 
Holly feels the closest thing to silence that the city had to offer fall upon the pair. Talk about a girl that couldn't shut her gob. Ha ha.


If there was something she couldn't stand it was silence. Holly clears her throat and drags out her first word. "Sooo... Nurse. Operating room stuff. Good fun? Like that 'Scrubs' show?" She bites her tongue, looking awkward just as lights fall on the pair from the taxi.


"Rides here! Shotgun!" She is obviously kidding but steps up and slides into the car, patting the seat beside her.
 



  • A roll of her eyes indicated what the nurse thought of the comment about "Scrubs". She sighed in relief as the cab pulled up to the curb and followed Holly's lead, offering a relieved sigh as she got off of her feet and closed the door. Alicia took a brief moment to look over the inside of the cab and the cabbie before responding to the slightly impatient clearing of his throat.


    "1821 Charles Avenue, please."


    She sat back into the seat, the smell of the cab positively mild compared with what she was normally exposed to. Alicia could almost feel Holly twitching in the seat next to her as the cabby pulled off and felt a small amount of pity for the woman. "So, um, are there going to be any friends coming after you? Anyone you have to worry about coming after you?"


 



  • "Friends?" She seems confused by the wording at first before getting it. "Ohhh you mean sarcastically. No, I mean, if I get home today I should be fine. I'm just out past 'normal' curfew but to be honest I had applied for the permit-" Holly catches herself blabbing things she shouldn't. "What I meant was no, I don't think anyone will be coming after me."


    A pained smile on her face, She taps the glass divider of the cab, trying to convince the cabbie to hurry up in exchange for a few extra dollars.


 
The cabbie glances back at Holly through the mirror and smiles, the glint of fangs obvious just to her, taking her cash.


Alicia stares at Holly for a second before looking out the window at the passing street lights, "You sure are jumpy for someone whose only issue is being out after curfew."
 
Oh Jesus a vampire. Of course it had to be one of those creepy freaks. Parading around at night, saying stuff like 'Darkness falls' or 'Death unto Eternity'. Hate that stuff. Hate hate hate! And of course I get lumped in to that group. Creatures of the night my slightly flabbed ass.


Even worse, Vampires worked with the Registration men from time to time. Beads of sweat form and it was all I could do to wipe them off.


"S...s...so what's 1821 Charles Avenue. Home? Apartment? I'm not sure which bit of the city it is in. That one across the bay?
 
"I'm sorry, but are you on something?" Alicia scoots as close to the door as possible. "I know that was super rude, but you're twitchy, you're sweating like mad, and you're trying to follow me home. None of these things are encouraging signs." She taps the divider. "I'm sorry, but could you pull over, please? " She turns her attention back to Holly as the cab begins to pull up to the sidewalk. "Listen, I am a nurse but I don't have any drugs at home and the only thing I have of value is a laptop that's a couple of years old anyway, so you wouldn't get anything for it. I have no cash on me and nothing on my debit card for the rest of this month." Her hand darts to the handle of the door as soon as the cab slows down.
 
"Why would I..No I don't use drugs! Listen!"


Holly catches a glimpse of the vampire again. How the hell do you end up a vampire cab driver anyways?! Doesn't matter. What mattered was not letting this woman run off before Holly got home.


"Listen. Just. Let me take a deep breath and try to explain. I'm reasonably certain that some people are after me and if you leave I won't end up at home. I can't really say much more but I really really reallllly don't want to be alone right now. I'm sorry, I'm just scared okay? I'm not a junkie and I barely even drink."


She gives a weak, whimper of a smile. Holly was visibly upset. For both dragging this woman into this and for the situation in general. She shifts uncomfortably in her seat, face dropping into her hands.
 
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