Gabriela woke as the sun dipped below the horizon and the sky turned a deep inky blue. The first hints of starlight with the gentle gleam of a crescent moon greeted her as she stirred from the rough hiding place she had found on the property away from the main house.
The garden shed had offered a promise of escape while remaining safe from the dangerous rays of the sunlight, or simple exposure while her body was inanimate, it was also a rough place to rest. Her nose wrinkled at the smell of decaying wood, mildew, and the musk of animal residents of the past.
With a sigh she looked down at her clothing, the condition left much to be desired. Smudged with streaks of dirt, dust, and mildew; Gabriela appeared as if she had crawled out of her own grave versus having slept in a storage shed.
A seeking hand to her hair told her that she hadn't fared much better there. Curls stood up in tufts while other bits of hair were nothing more than frizzy fluff from the lack of care; all ways that displayed the rough sleeping arrangements she had over the day.
Warily she looked across the unkept field between her crumbling shed and the main house. Her breath left her in terror at the idea of returning there. Gabriela knew the reality of her situation, that she needed a better exit plan than becoming a garden gnome.
She understood that there were probably no vampire shelters for those fleeing her circumstances. The shock that had buffered her through the night prior was gone and now the feelings of humiliation, horror, and disgust filled her.
The idea that someone, much less multiple people, had seen her in her disarray was humbling. The tumult of emotions surrounding the breach of her personal morals was drowned out by the pinch of personal vanity.
Callum had been kind the night prior, but she wouldn't want to impose or mistake mercy as compassion. The impulse to return to that quiet gathering place pulled at her, but not in her condition.
First things first would be to finish adapting to this world, to keep her head low and pretend like the punishment had broken her spirit, until she could figure out the best path for escape from her living situation.
Deciding on another evening of escape Gabriela started her walk across the field as her fingers worked through her mangled hair to remove bits of leaf debris, along with the sticky strands of cobwebs. She would need another shower before she did anything.
"Ooof.." The breath left her lungs as she lurched forward and fell face first onto the ground. Stalks of grass scratched and pressed against her cheeks and palms.
The ache in her ankle gave her a pinpoint of ire at the thick tuft of grass that had tripped her. The sting of the minor scratches faded quickly and as she rose her ankle pinched slightly but didn't protest her weight placed on it.
A dark chuckle sounded from behind her as she took a testing step forward and lurched again as her ankle threatened to give out. A hiss of surprise escaped Gabriela as she spun, glaring into the gloom of the early evening.
Vincent stepped forward from his hiding place against the side of the training building. A half healed gash ran across his cheek pulling his lip upwards in an exaggerated sneer.
Already a fearsome sight when not healing, he presented a true threat in the night without Bridget or others to witness their interaction.
Gabriela forced her shoulders stiff and posture into something confident no matter how tight her stomach felt, or how her heart threatened to race in fear.
"Glad you are amused." She tried to keep her tone droll but her voice came out breathy, captured in her throat as she tried to speak despite the spike of anxiety that made her aware of just how empty the world was, how far away they were from anyone who could possibly assist her.
Determined she continued to limp forward until her ankle healed enough that she could walk smoothly. Her fingers curled into fists at her sides as she attempted to storm past him.
His hand captured her arm, holding firmly along her bicep as he paused her attempt in escape. He didn't say anything as he picked out a stray leaf that she had missed in her attempt to groom herself.
"Now, I have to wonder how you got out here when I left you safely tucked away, pet." His voice slithered over her, deep and threatening. He dropped the leaf and Gabriela focused on its spiraling descent instead of looking up at him.
"Good thing you were there, wasn't it, pet? Otherwise those hunters would have had more fun with you." He let her pull away. His taunting laughter hung in the night air as she fled into the house.
Gabriela didn't pause in her flight up the stairs to the room she shared with Bridget. Her friend hadn't woken yet and the room was undisturbed from the night prior.
She wanted a shower, but no matter how badly she longed for it the idea of being naked and defenseless while Vincent was on the prowl filled her with fear.
She settled with changing into clean clothing, an ankle length skirt in variegated pink, a sleeveless white top that clung to the curves of her breasts while still shaping to the dip of her waist.
The need to wash was relieved by a quick scrub along her face with warm water and soap. She dampened her hair and worked it back into something resembling tidy. The unruly curls were pushed back with a couple of pins, at least keeping them away from her face.
Gabriela studied her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes appeared huge in her face and were red from the dust in the shed. At least the basic features hadn't changed even if her skin was now even and missing any of the blotchiness that came from living and life.
"I would take an acne outbreak anytime over this.." Gabriela had once wished for that picture perfect skin that came from meticulous grooming; something she never had time for prior. Now she would be thrilled to wake up and see the red patches and pores that magazines told her were too pronounced for the airbrushed perfection.
Dressed and groomed as much as she could be Gabriela hissed before whirling away from the mirror. She shoved her feet into her shoes before making a run for the door. Warily her gaze flicked down the hall, searching for Vincent's lurking figure.
Desperate she rushed to the car from the night prior. A grin on her lips as she found the keys she had hidden in the visor as she turned the engine and rushed down the driveway. Her headlights captured Vincent's fuming face as she turned down the road.
In a gambit of false bravado, Gabriela flashed her middle finger at the man as she drove back towards the city. The sound of familiar pop songs a background noise as she pondered over what steps she could take to start her escape.
Money, a secure place to live, and then she could work on finding her feet.
Soon enough she was close enough to the derelict mattress store that she felt comfortable making the walk. The bars were still open but the traffic had slowed down enough to give her a clue that it was either Sunday or perhaps a weekday.
Caution had her sticking with the back alley as she worked her way towards the promised haven. Vincent couldn't overtly threaten her there and surrounded by others like her, Gabriela could breathe without worry of hurting another person.
Her teeth worried over her lower lip as she worked out the logistics of her future. Threats that she didn't fully understand existed and still needed factored in complicated logistics.
"Aww pretty little thing for a blood sucker." A mocking voice came from down the alley ahead of her. Startled Gabriela looked up to see a lithe figure ahead of her.
Dressed in a bulky puffer jacket, worn jeans, and close cropped hair the man looked far different than the hunters portrayed in the movies; closer to something off Buffy.
"I don't know.." She started to speak before another body checked into hers from behind, slamming her against the brick. For the second time that night her face was scratched as her cheek slid over the rough brick.
Some instinct had her push back at the grip on her, causing the person to stumble as she tried to wrench herself free to flee. A whispered memory in the back of her mind as she forced herself away from the wall, worked to keep them in front of her as she inched back towards the partial safety of the streets.
"Don't play coy." The man she had shoved grunted. She heard a third set of feet drop on the ground behind her.
A quick look up told her how they had so easily laid in wait. The metal scaffolding of fire escapes lined the alley and from there she could see a few of the ladders extended. She stumbled slightly in her retreat as the thin sole of her shoe caught over a loose bit of asphalt.
"Aww, she is new. Hardly a challenge, Chris." The one now to her left chuckled. Gabriela didn't wait, the moment she had enough of her balance recovered she spun and ran.
A shriek remained still, caught behind her lips as panic overruled any logic. A vague memory of pain pushed at her to flee. Pushed away any thoughts of self defense as she attempted to escape only to be slammed again against the opposite wall.
This time trapped between the wall, dumpster, and the hunters she watched in horror as they pulled their silver knives and stakes from their jackets.
A whimper escaped her as her nails bit against the crumbling brick as she looked for any escape; only to watch as each of them crumpled forward before falling to the ground like puppets with their strings cut.
The alley echoed with the sounds of their bodies striking the ground. Gabriela remained frozen, her back pressed against the wall, as her mind struggled to reconcile what occurred versus what she was expecting.
"You really are troublesome." The drawled voice was thick with amusement. Callum walked down the alley, his hands tucked neatly into his pockets. His slacks neatly pressed and his dress shirt remained tucked in with the top two buttons unfastened allowing the white material to gap exposing the warm brown of his skin.
"Twice in one week. My reputation is going to be destroyed." His tone remained light, teasing, without a hint of actual ire. One eyebrow raised as Gabriela slid down the wall as her knees finally gave up on keeping her standing.
"How? You didn't even touch them." The question escaped her in a rush. Not one heartbeat, nothing stirred in the alley, as the hunters lay there dead.
Vacant bodies that she couldn't find the compassion to mourn for. Her gaze fixated on the bodies. Peaceful, lax, their bodies showed no signs of the violence they had intended to inflict on her. A shuddering sigh escaped her as they remained motionless.
"My secret." The soft scuffing of his footsteps continued closer until the drape of his slacks filled her vision.
Gabriela pressed her eyes closed, trying to erase the echoed hints of a barely remembered terror. A phantom burning of a formerly searing pain that ran along her abdomen.
Callum sank into a crouch before her. He could hear the rapid beating of her heart, feel the fear that should have passed.
His head tipped, studying the young vampire in front of him as curiosity caught his attention as much as a sense of compassion he had long since thought dead.
" Slow breaths, Gabriela." He intoned, not touching her but shielding her break of composure.
"I.. I.. Can't" She gasped. Her chest felt too tight, unflexing as she struggled to drag each breath into her lungs.
She struggled to escape the phantoms that tugged at the tattered edge of her memories. A flash of silver, the scent of stale beer and urine, they became haunting sensations that lingered in the back of her mind.
The pressure of his hand, warm and firm, against her chest released that tension. Greedily she dragged in a deep breath as his hand remained steady against her.
"There, there you go.." Callum crooned soothingly. His hand remained pressed against her, waiting for the tiny tremors to ease before guiding her to stand.
Again he was struck with just how short she was, tiny for all the lush curves that her simple outfit showcased. The top of her head barely reached his shoulder and it felt oddly right to wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her close.
The two parts of his soul warred with one wanting to see what it would take to break her fully; to see her shatter fully. The other half was compelled to protect her, to guard her close. An intriguing response and break from the odd numbness he had sunk into over the past several decades.
"Let's go inside, and get the clean up crew out here.." He spoke idly as he led her back towards the safe space.
Callum paused for a moment to whisper into a man's ear. The man's skin appeared to be melting off his frame, just barely stabilized as pond scum green eyes flashed with a grim smile of sharpened teeth.
When the creature's attention fell on Gabriela, she found her view blocked as Callum moved to stand between her and the man.
"Ghoul, remember your place." Callum's voice never raised, didn't change from the silky smooth tone. The warning snapped the creature around to lumbering out of the room, taking with him three of his compatriots skulking around the edges.
That accomplished Callum guided them both back to his usual booth. He waited for Gabriela to slip in and move to the place nearest the wall before he sat down, one finger tapping against the wood of the table.
"You are making a bad habit of this, Gabriela." Callum intoned as a member of the waitstaff sat their drinks in front of them.
A faint quirk at the edge of his lips was her only clue that he was not annoyed or put out at the inconvenience she had presented him.
"The first night was fully yours." She managed a quiet reply. A tiny smile graced her lips as he pushed the full wineglass towards her. Even the liquid within didn't dare ripple above the rim at his motion.
"Though your kindness is greatly appreciated." She took an experimental sip of the liquid. Her nose wrinkled at the coppery taste even as she took another sip; loathing the taste as much as she craved it.
No other words were needed to pass between them as they nursed their drinks in companionable silence.