The serpentine priestess and leader of the cult, Samara, could sometimes be seen pulling up to the building with her armed escort of personal guards. However, the majority of the time she would rarely be seen and acted through her personal secretary who never left the premises.
The Diamond Dreams Lounge was another of Samara’s locations, which Katherine recommended that Alice avoid at all costs. Working alongside the agency, it provided entertainment for those finding themselves in the seedier areas of town. It was a highly rated strip club and considered to be one of the higher class places within the city, believe it or not.
The lounge was frequented by businessmen, lawyers and any others who could pay the larger price tags for entry, drinks and the rest. It was considered to be a great place to go for cocktails, steaks and a show or two, but it also sat atop a skeevy hive of drunken debauchery and cult worship.
Rumour had it that beneath the main stage hid the halls of the Serpent Temple. A place where ritual sacrifice was commonplace and cultists ran rampant. Those who unwittingly stumbled upon the secret temple would end up on the sacrificial altar as the next victim of the dark cult. The wise would do best to avoid it at all costs, as death was almost certain.
In the same area of town, just a block or two away lay the Last Resort bar. It provided a safe refuge for the undesirables of vampire society. They were the unwanted ones at the bottom of the food chain, with no makers to claim them. The very same vampires who were often sent out to fight the werewolves, with only a couple of them ever returning to call themselves survivors.
Those unlucky enough to survive the crusades were mentally scarred by what they had seen in the wilderness and refused to ever leave the safety of the city ever again, and Alice couldn't blame them after what she had witnessed in her vision.
The Last Resort was a cheap and rough around the edges sort of establishment, that saw more than its fair share of trouble. The atmosphere was smoky from cigarettes, musty with age and overly warm as the heating had been broken for years. Despite this, it had regular clientele and a smelly old bartender who enjoyed throwing insults around.
The bar was a little on the unpleasant side, but the regulars all seemed to like the place and would defend it with their lives. Even the most powerful vampires in the city would hesitate to go there alone, as high members of society weren't welcome and only the foolish would trespass at their own peril.
The final place that Katherine spoke of, but by no means the least important, was the Whispering Pines Motel. It was a mouldy and rotten motel at the far edge of town. Known as the cheapest place to stay in the whole city, the motel was the type of place where paying by the hour wasn't unheard of. They had a no questions asked policy and were a decent enough location for those meetings that you wanted to keep a secret.
The motel had often been used as a first stop for vampires who were new to the city and needed a place to stay until they found something better. You got exactly what you paid for in living standards, but if you couldn’t actually get sick, it really wasn't too much of a problem.
The list that Katherine provided wasn't a complete one, but it gave Alice an idea of how deep the grasp of the undead was in the city. They had their cold fingers in almost everything and controlled anything of importance to their existence.
To remove vampires from Calgary would cause the city to fall. Without them, Calgary would still be nothing but a small town, a mere shadow of what it had become under their influence. The undead existed in a symbiotic relationship with the city and one couldn't truly exist without the other. It truly was a city of the dead.
**********
A week had gone by since Alice's dream before Katherine approached her with important news. They sat on high topped stools by the the island in the kitchen, talking over glasses of warm, red liquid that had just been freshly acquired.
Katherine started by getting straight to the point. She never was one for beating around the bush.
“I've brokered a deal with our fanciful wolf friends. They want to be free of their current contract and it seems that Mr Vincent has a bone to pick with his younger brother. Something about being left out of their father's will.”
Alice took a deep sip from her drink, her attention fully on Katherine as she continued her train of thought.
“So that leaves us with one agitated sibling who's willing to side with us. Which brings me to our next subject… your continued training.”
Feeling inquisitive, Alice perked up as she rested her half empty glass on the countertop.
“What do you mean? Is something wrong?”
Katherine let out a quiet chuckle, taking a quick drink from her own glass which was still fairly full. She took a moment to grab a napkin to dab the corners of her mouth.
“No, not at all. In fact, it's quite the opposite. I think it's time to step your training up another notch. Are you ready to learn the true secret of overcoming the beast inside?”
Excited at the prospect, Alice nearly jumped out of her chair with enthusiasm.
“Yes! Really, yes. I want to learn that more than anything.”
Flashing a wicked smile, Katherine came out with the almost the exact opposite of what Alice had expected her to say.
“Don't resist it at all. Give into it wholeheartedly. It's a part of you that you cannot and should not ever deny.”
Alice was caught off guard. She always thought that she had to remain in control, not lose it and give in to the chaos.
“But… I don't want to hurt anyone anymore.”
Katherine reached across the island to rest her hand upon Alice's forearm.
“That really can't be helped, my child. You just have to learn to accept it.”
Chapter Ten: Losing yourself in the moment.
Alice stood alone in the middle of the dance floor, fully engulfed by the crowds of nameless people. She didn't know any of them, nor did she wish to. They were merely food dancing away their petty little lives, waiting to grow old and die. Humans had acclimated to living as cattle, which is exactly what most vampires saw them as. The city was one big ranch with plenty of food to go around.
As Alice walked forwards through the masses, they parted to make way for her, their subconscious sensing the predator in their midst. Reaching out to her sides with both arms, she brushed her hands lightly against random people as she passed them by. They were unaware of her touch as they continued to jump and dance around, lost in their own little worlds as she had once been. Katherine had since opened her eyes and drastically altered her perception of reality. All Alice saw now were a means to an end, with no emotional attachment to them at all. She had done as she was told, giving in to the beast that dwelled inside her and now it controlled her every action.
Every time Alice's fingers touched bare skin, she saw flashing images of the person's life. Their birth, their childhood, their strongest memories, both good and bad. Every important bit of their lives up until that very moment were condensed into little more than a slide show.
Katherine was overjoyed as Alice had learned how to use her gift to see more than just small glimpses of the future. She could now discover everything about a person if she probed their mind for long enough. It was an overwhelming power that corrupted her own mind with the dark thoughts of others as much as it served in finding out the truth. It didn't work quite as well on the undead, but the mortal mind could be read like an open book.
Nearing the edge of the crowd, the final few stragglers stepped out of Alice's way without even thinking, giving her the opportunity to use the other skills that Katherine had taught her. She reached out with her mind, sending waves of energy outwards in all directions. The incessant beat of the deafening music was drowned out by her silent call that acted like a siren luring sailors towards the rocks at sea. It was an irresistible song that drew the attention of those with little willpower to resist.
All those who had been unaware of Alice until now, suddenly turned to stare in her direction.
She no longer had to actively stalk her prey, as they would now come right to her. All she needed was someone with self confidence who was brave or stupid enough to approach.
“Who is she?”
Danny found that he couldn't stop staring at the blonde girl in the flowery dress who was standing there alone at the side of the dance floor looking lost. He watched her from his perch near the bar as she played with her hair, forgetting all about the drink he had only just paid for.
Nudging his buddy in the ribs, Danny leant over to talk, not noticing that he too was bewitched by the same woman.
“Bro, I think I'm in love.”
It took a moment or two before his friend even realised that he had said something.
“Huh? You say somethin’?”
Danny didn't take his eyes off her for a second, standing up slowly from his stool as he took the time to adjust his over styled hairdo.
“I’m calling dibs. Don't wait up, man.”
No other words were exchanged between the two as Danny strutted over like a seventies disco reject, the top two buttons of his shirt undone to show what little chest hair he had to put on display. He was certain that he was God's gift to women, popping up his collar and adopting a swagger that showed how much of an alpha male he thought he was. He had gone to the club that night with the aim of adding another notch to his bed post, but he had never felt so strongly about someone before. Whoever the girl was, he had to be with her.
Showing off some of his best dance moves as he twirled and sidestepped his way through the colourful spotlights that lit his path, Danny did his very best to get the mysterious girl's attention. As soon as she looked in his direction, the rest of the clubs clientele returned to dancing, talking and enjoying themselves as if nothing happened and the girl didn't even exist.
Danny thought nothing of it as he still felt her irresistible magnetism. He was caught on her hook and being reeled in, but had no want or need to try and break free, as he was too distracted by her seemingly endless legs.
He couldn't remember ever seeing someone quite so beautiful before, with kaleidoscope eyes that seemed to sparkle, even in the darkness of the club. She was clearly pleased to see him too, as a captivating smile spread across her face. It was the signal he was waiting for. The game was on. Even though the night was only just beginning, he was already sure that it would be one to remember.
Alice couldn't believe how easy things had gotten now she had these new tricks up her sleeve. A pretty boy, jock type of guy approached from the direction of the bar. He looked like the type of person who loved himself more than he could anyone else. He was making a fool of himself by busting out some dance moves that he had likely seen on a music video somewhere online.
The guy reminded her of the type of person that used to pick on her at school and his obvious desperation in that moment was extremely pathetic. She had no attraction to him, but would have to fake it to seal the deal.
This was merely stage one of the hunt. The next stage was more complicated, as removing her target from their environment and taking them somewhere quiet without drawing any unwanted attention usually required a little extra finesse.
The sly grin plastered across the man's face as he ran a hand through his slicked back hair was disgusting, but Alice somehow managed to force a smile. He spoke with a frat boy sort of confidence that let her know that this wasn't his first attempt at picking up women.
“Hey, I'm Danny. You look like you could use a drink.”
Alice fought back a shudder, trying her best to actually appear interested in whatever he had to say.
"No, I'm not thirsty, but we can go somewhere a little quieter if you want?"
The surprise on Danny's face showed that he wasn't expecting her to be quite so forward in her response.
"Errrm... Hell yeah! Let's go!"
His stuttered and excited reply only added to her distaste, but she pressed on with her plan nonetheless.
Taking Danny's hand, Alice led him towards the main door as he pivoted back to face his similarly styled friend who stuck his thumb up in approval. Perhaps finesse wasn't required after all.
Alice could feel the guy's breath on her neck as he tried to talk over the volume of the crowd.
“I didn't catch your name.”
Half smiling, Alice looked Danny right in the eye.
“No... You didn't.”
He didn't need to know anything about her as they weren't about to become friends or lovers. It wasn't personal, she was just hungry and he was nothing more than a late night meal.
Alice knew that she would soon be able to feast, which caused the beast inside to stir. In that moment she felt that she had become a pretty little monster. She wasn't the same innocent girl that she used to be, she was a beautiful liar. The mythic succubus.
**********
As Alice regained control, she found herself surrounded by a familiar sight that instantly filled her with a feeling of dread.
Blood was everywhere. Splattered up the walls and drenching the sheets as it pooled, dripping off the bed and onto the floor. Alice was reminded of the bathroom incident at the diner in Birchfield, as the body lying in front of her was near identical to that of the Mayor's son. However, this time she knew without a doubt that the man was dead. The thing that made her feel worse was that she couldn't even recall his name, as if he had meant nothing to her.
Alice felt that she had lost so much of herself that she no longer showed concern for the lives of strangers. Her actions had caused the death of someone who didn't deserve it and it seemed that she no longer even cared. Alice's first kill was a sobering experience that gave her one long, hard look at herself, and she didn't like what she saw. She didn't like it one bit.
It took a moment or two before Alice realised where she had taken her victim. The tacky, brown wallpaper that was original to the room and the suspicious stains on the carpet were the biggest clues. Not many places still had both pay phones and phone books on the bedside table or bars protecting the windows.
Alice had apparently driven to the edge town, ending up at the seediest motel within the city's limits. The Whispering Pines Motel. This meant that her identity would remain anonymous for now, at least until a maid discovered the shredded corpse that was now acting as the rooms focal point and centrepiece.
Alice knew right away that she had to somehow hide the evidence and cover her tracks. In this type of situation there was only one person that she knew to call and who could help her out, for the right price. Mr Shine, the cleaner.
With no pockets in her clothing to hold her cell phone or change for the phone in the room, Alice knew that she couldn't go outside to retrieve money from her car either. At least not while wearing her bloodied dress. The only choice she had was to root through the dead man's pants for any loose coins that she could use.
Alice felt bad going through the man's pockets, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and he wouldn't be needing the cash anymore. It took a little longer than she would have wanted, but she managed to dig out just enough money for a short conversation.
Flicking through the pages of the phonebook until she found the right number, Alice proceeded to dial once the money had been inserted into the coin slot. It barely rang once before the infamous voice on the other end answered.
“Mr Shine's Cleaning Service. We turn your grime back into shine! How can we be of assistance on this fine night?”
Breathing a sigh of relief, Alice gripped the phone tightly with both hands.
“Hello. Umm… I need a clean up as soon as possible…”
The man's voice didn't seem phased at all, having likely dealt with similar situations hundreds or possibly even thousands of times.
“That's not a problem, we’ll clean every inch of the place. What's your location?”
“The Whispering Pines…”
There was a slight pause before the reply.
“Ah... I see. We’ll bring the big mop and buck
et.”
**********
There weren't usually any Baptist churches open during Alice's waking hours, so she had to compromise and had been attending services at St Mary's Cathedral for months. It was a large, Roman Catholic church founded in 1887 and located within the south western suburbs of the city.
Catholics were seemingly more focused on feelings of guilt and repentance than Alice was used to, but these days it was exactly the type of atmosphere that she needed. She already knew that she was going to hell, but it didn't stop her from wanting to pray to God for forgiveness. She wasn't quite ready to give up on religion like she had given up on herself.
Alice usually attended the midnight mass, but this time she had come specifically for confession.
“Forgive me, father, for I have sinned. I know it has been many days since my last confession.”
The priest on the other side of the screen was Father Solomon, the oldest known vampire in the city, who had devoted hundreds of years of his life to serving the Vatican in Rome.
“You are welcome here in the house of God, my child. If you repent, our Lord and Saviour alone has the power to forgive your sins.”
Kneeling down on the floor inside the enclosed cubicle, Alice made the sign of the cross before she clasped her hands together in prayer.
“I have done the unthinkable and taken a life, two nights past. What's worse is that I think I may have actually enjoyed it…”
It didn't take as long as she expected for Father Solomon to reply.
“Do you regret the act?”
“I do now I've had time to dwell on it. I'm just worried that it could happen again. What if I don't feel so bad about it next time?”
The Beast Inside Page 17