A Chronicle of Charlotte

Two

"We are very sorry sir, but we are closed for the night. The cooks have left for the night and we have no more food prepared."

The Asian woman gently motioned to the restaurant around them, trying to make Stone aware that there were no other patrons. Her hands trembled slightly, more from fear than from any age-related condition. Stone placed his hands on the lacquered wooden counter and leaned forward.

"You weren't closed when we first walked in. Me and my girl, we just want sesame chicken." He nodded to Kuri, who was currently occupied with a fancy koi pool. "I'll tell you what. Get us the food, and we'll take it with us so you can close your store."

He gave the woman a thin smile and turned on the charm, provoking an immediate reaction. Her cheeks flushed beyond the gaudy rouge she had painted on, and she looked away from his eyes. She grabbed the order slip from the counter and hurried towards the kitchen.

Stone eased over to stand closer to Kuri. The pool was an open stone basin overrun with fake plants and an artificial waterfall. Seven large koi languished in the water, each marked with white and orange-red coloring. Kuri was watching the waters intently, sliding her finger across the surface. Every so often, each of the fish would open their mouths above the water, making slight sucking noises in unison. It unnerved him out to watch her play with animals.

Kuri was the closest thing he had left to a sister. They had been traveling for seven years now, learning to rely on and work with one another. She was Asian, although she had taken to keeping her hair dyed mandarin orange. It fit well with the black leather and fishnet stocking. Kuri noticed his attention and turned to look into his eyes for a moment, before focusing her gaze over his shoulder.

"The manager."

Stone turned and watched as an exasperated Asian man, likely the first woman's husband, stalked out of the kitchen. He was already speaking a defiant mixture of Korean and English.

"Sorry, we closed for the night. You come back tomorrow."

Behind him, Stone could hear the splashing of the water as the koi became agitated. He knew it was Kuri's doing. The manager noticed as well, stepping past Stone and up to Kuri.

"You do not touch fish. Sign says no touch fish!" In his excited state, he rattled off a few sentences in Korean. Stone wondered if Kuri could understand the man's words. Kuri ignored the man, staring once again at Stone. No words escaped her lips, but he knew the question she asked. She never needed his permission before she killed, but it was a kind notion. He nodded and watched with eagerness.

Kuri lashed out, striking the man's face with the hand she had kept in the water. Droplets of water and blood flew out from her fingers, which now ended in sharp talons. The man cried out in agony, clutching the bleeding ruins of his face. Stone focused on the deep redness of his blood, feeling the thirst rising in his chest. The manager attempted to take a step back, but Kuri was extremely fast, grabbing his black shirt with both clawed hands. He was hefted off of his feet and into the koi pool, where he began to thrash for his life.

Stone had already started across the restaurant as the Asian woman screamed. She didn't run from him, still strangely drawn to his presence, but she was horrified by the attack on her husband. Stone ended her initial screams with a powerful blow from his fists. The woman flew backwards ten feet, careening into the kitchen door. He didn't have talons like Kuri, but his strength more than made up for it. Before she could rise, Stone pinned her to the floor. She opened her mouth to scream again, but he silenced her by crushing the bones in her face with his open hand. Blood had started to trickle from the woman's ears, and it was too much for Stone to resist. He growled, exposing his fangs, and plunged them into her neck.

The blood exploded from her ravaged throat in a coppery geyser, rivulets of arterial spray running down Stone's chin and onto his chest as he feasted. He drank steadily for minutes as her excited heart pumped the vitae into his eager mouth. He could taste a myriad of flavors - all of the food and medicines that tainted a person's blood. Sometimes a Cainite like himself could get a high from a mortal under the influence of alcohol or drugs. For Stone, the blood was pleasure enough.

All too soon, the flow had ended and he was satiated. He left her crumpled form on the floor and walked back to where Kuri was casually drinking from the manager's neck. She held him cradled in her arms like a wet animal until she had finished, then she gently lowered his body to the floor. Kuri looked up at Stone with the newfound blush to her cheeks. She stood and moved a hand to his lips, at which Stone flinched until he saw that her talons had retracted. After brushing his lips with a finger, she returned it to her own mouth, savoring the taste of his meal.

"You're right," she said with a naughty smile, "I was in the mood for oriental."

B.Mooney