Blood & Magick [Ch 19: Jenn- When all else Fails, Visit a Graveyard]-New Verson/Edited-

I made my way out the door quietly, locking and slipping the keys under it. My head was spinning and my emotions were off character. I needed a place to talk, to get out these horrid emotions that threatened to break me. My car was broken, so I took a cab. It was expensive, but no busses ran near where I wanted to go, and I wasn’t in the mood to walk. The nippy air was horrid for the lungs.1

I waited till the cab rolled up and got into the back, giving him directions to where I wanted to go. Then I leaned back and watched the city rush by, feeling more down then I had in a while. What if I did kill that man? What if Demore’s wrong…I felt bile rise up in my throat and fought it back down. I hadn’t eaten anything and probably would have thrown up if I had. I had to stop thinking like this, that was why I was going to her.2

The gates were cast iron and painted black, they were spiked at the top, and the gate itself was the same iron, twisting into swirls and symbols I couldn’t recognize. I ran a hand over its cold and bumpy surface before making my way into the graveyard, which was mostly dug out forest with a small church on top, rows of grave stones packed together. I took a path that lead closer to the church, the gravestones becoming more old and few and few between.3

I stopped in front of a small concrete grave stone. It was simple and held the name year of birth to death and a small scripture I had chose myself. 4

Samantha Lee Shales, 5

1989-20046

She wanted forever and he gave it to her, forever in Darkness.7

I could feel the tears well up, tear I had sworn away the day she died. I had fought tooth and nail to become the hardest Detective I could be, not letting stupid emotions get in the way. I tracked down and hauled in ever bad guy I could. I had built a wall around myself, became cold and hard. I didn’t regret it but sometimes, even I felt pain. I didn’t like to show it though; I didn’t want to be weak.8

My sister was really the only one to ever see me truly break down, I guess even as a kid I was pretty closed off, not that I had a bad childhood, I love my parents, they were kind. I really don’t remember the true reason why when I was a kid, only what I lied o myself, but my sisters death had been a blow I never recovered from, she was my baby sister, killed in cold blood by a heartless man she choose to love.9

I shuddered and let the tears fall down my cheeks, falling onto my knees at her grave, feeling cold and empty. I wanted Demore to be right so badly, but I still had the pang of guilt that maybe she was wrong, I fit the character, she said so herself. It was a horribly scary notion, but I was prepared to pay the consequences, no killer would get away on my watch, even if it was me. Talk about taking your job seriously.10

I walked down the ally way, moping over the loss of my car, feeling a little defeated by the fact I had to get saved by Demore as well, it made me feel bad. It really was stupid, but so was my hate for her, not that I’d admit that to anyone. I went to turn a left onto the street leading to my house when arms grabbed me from no where. I reacted instantly, ready for a fight. But the arms were strong and manly.11

I brought my elbow up to jab him in the side, but he twisted, avoiding my blow, instead I connected with concrete behind me. I winced and tried to throw my weight one way or the other, ready to scream if needed. Instead a hand clamped over my mouth, a cloth in his hands that smelled funny, funny like chloroform. I stopped breathing, refusing to suck in its gas and struggled harder, but my attacks got weaker as less air entered my blood stream.12

I finally had to gasp for breaths, big breaths of air. The chloroform worked fast, hitting me hard and knocking my knees out from under me as I became drowsy, then tiered, and finally I blacked out. 13

I blinked at the memory, I had been attacked, and I didn’t remember that attack. I closed my eyes and tried to picture more of that night.14

I was on the surface of conciseness, but wasn’t able to force my eyes open, they were heavy and I felt so tiered, but something inside me told me I had to stay awake. There were sounds, as my hearing started to work. It was screaming, a man was screaming bloody murder. I forced my eyes open in shock, but I still couldn’t see anything, my sight was blurry. Another voice could be heard over the screaming.15

“Now, now, such a big man can’t be such a big baby.”16

It was a female voice, and the blur was standing over another blue. Demore had been right, it was a female doing the killings. I shivered and tried to sit up, but a hand grabbed me from behind, pulling me back down. 17

“We have a slight problem, looks like she woke up.”18

That voice was a males, he was speaking to he female, a partner…19

“Dose she see us? If she can see us we will have to kill her.”20

I could feel the hands tilt my head upwards, to make me look at him. He was still a blur, I couldn’t make anything out. I cursed myself and tried to look harder, but once again I felt tiered.21

“Nope, she’s way out of it. I’ll knock her out again don’t worry.”22

I could feel him reach for something, and that something connected with my head, rendering me unconcise. 23

I gasped looking at my sister’s grave, Demore had been right, I didn’t kill him, and more to the point, I knew more about the ones who actually did it. It was a male and a female, working together, well. This changed everything. I stood up fast, wiping the tears from my eyes as I grabbed my cell phone, dialling as cab. I gave them my address and ran for the entrance, dialling Dylan’s phone number.24

“Hey Dylan, I’m on my way over, I need to talk to you.”25

I closed it before he could reply and waited for the cab.26

***27

The cab stopped in front of his house, and I made my way to the door. Dylan stood on the door step, like he was waiting for me. I felt a pang of heat rise inside me through that icy cold feeling. I shook the feeling off and walked behind him as he opened the door. I slipped off my shoes and sat down on the couch beside him, my eyes fiery with the juicy news I had in my claws. 28

“I had some flash backs about that night.” I watched him give me his full attention. “I was taken from the ally, someone used chloroform on me.”29

He stood up straighter. “Go on, do you remember any more?”30

I nodded.31

“I woke up half way through to hear a man screaming, I couldn’t see anything but I heard two sets of voiced, one male and one female, neither of them belonged to the screaming victim.” 32

“We are working with two serial killers, a male and a female.” He breathed, leaning back in the chair.33

I nodded once more.34

“That’s right.” I smiled. “We should call Demore, let her in on this. I say its about time we start acting like detectives.”35

Dylan chuckled and shook his head.36

“You really are a strange one Jenn.”37

I blinked.38

“Is that a bad thing?”39

It was out of my character to ask that, and it had caught him off guard.40

“No, I think it makes you who you are, its not a bad thing at all.”41

I don’t know why I did it, why I moved closer, why I moved to lean over him. All I know was, the kiss felt good. His lips were warm against mine. At first he was stiff beneath me, and I was going to pull back, but instead he put a hand behind my head, holding me there was he started to kiss back. I knew this was wrong, he was my partner, and wasn’t I the one to boast about boundaries? But God, it felt good to kiss him.42

I relaxed a bit, letting myself get closer to him as we deepened the kiss. It was passionate and deep, and it melted me from the inside out, my heart felt like it was actually beating, my body tingled and time passed by slowly. It was clichéd and I didn’t care, I wanted to open up to him. To feel again, I missed this feeling. 43

We broke a part, breathing heavily, looking each other deep in the eyes; neither of us talking. I see him reach for his cell phone and stop him, intertwining my fingers with his.44

“Forget what I said, can we not call her. She has a lot to deal with, let’s not involve her today.”45

“Jenn…” 46

He looked at me and pulled me back down into him, restarting the kiss. He grabbed my other hand, coping what our first hands were doing and I held them above his head, deepening the kiss, feeling butterflies in my stomach, I liked this feeling. I never wanted the kiss to stop. I shrugged off my coat, letting it fall across my shoulders, not wanting to untangle our fingers; I wanted to be as close to him as possible. I was breaking the rules, and damn. It felt good.47