Mystery in the Making

What started out as a normal day in the life of Josef Koston, ended up changing everything. I'm currently working on Chapter two, should be up some time tomorrow.

Josef was staring at spreadsheets when Mick charged into the room.

"Josef, I've got a favor to ask," Mick began.

"Do tell," Josef replied gazing at him over steepled fingers.

Mick turned and whispered, "Come here."

A young woman stepped forward without a word. Average height, a rather womanly figure, and a thick cascade of hair such a light brown that the sun would certainly render it blonde. None of these were the most obvious trait: she was newly turned and she had already assumed a vampiric pallor.

"Mick, tell me you didn't!" Josef accused, looking into her wide blue eyes.

"I didn't," Mick replied, incensed. "I found her this way, but Josef, I've never sired another vampire. I can't possibly adequately train her. And Beth and I are supposed to leave town tomorrow on a case. You have to do this for me."

Josef's features changed in anger instantaneously as he replied, "I believe you are grossly mistaken in assuming that there is anything I have to do."

The forgotten girl chose exactly this moment to dart across the room and attack Josef, growling all the while.

Josef easily overpowered her and holding her arms down in a parody of a bear hug from behind her, he asked in a soothing voice, "What's your name?"

"Charlie. It's short for Charlotte," she whispered.

"Charlie, why did you do that just now?" Josef asked.

"You looked like him," she replied, venom leaking into her last word.

"Yes, the man who attacked you was a vampire, as am I, as are you. Do you understand?"

"I'm... you mean... but..." she said, between deep, ragged breaths.

She didn't need to breathe, but of course she didn't know that, and the exhaustion and shock were causing her to hyperventilate.

Josef slowly turned her body to face him. Speaking quietly, he said, "Just relax. We won't let any harm come to you. You are completely safe here."

She just nodded and began to lose the fight to stay conscious. Her eyes fluttered shut as she went limp in his arms and murmured, "I'm so very warm."

"Charlie," Josef purred, "I want to introduce you to your new best friend: the freezer."

Josef continued murmuring gently, as he walked her back to his freezer room. She was deeply unconscious by the time he set her down to remove her blood soaked clothes. He put one of his button downs on her, and laid her in his freezer.

After Charlie was settled enough for him to feel comfortable leaving her, Josef returned to finish his discussion with Mick.

"Once you are back from this case, she moves in with you," Josef said sternly.

"Yeah, Beth would love that," Mick replied.

"It's not my fault that you are unable to refuse a stray," Josef glared.

"You saw her, she's practically a child, and she didn't ask for this. If she'd gone rogue, could you have taken her head?" Mick demanded.

"I do what I must, a lesson you would do well to learn," Josef said with absolute finality.

The next night, Josef was waiting outside the freezer when Charlie woke up. She smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry I acted so crazy last night. I have no idea what got into me."

"You had a very good reason to act out. I prefer a frontal attack to someone quietly going into shock any day," Josef said.

"Oh god, I did, didn't I? I attacked you. Well, I certainly had an eventful night," she said, sitting next to him on the couch just a few feet from the freezer.

"Yes, indeed. Now, do you remember what I said to you? You found it upsetting," Josef prodded.

Charlie took a deep breath before saying, in a calm, rational voice, "I am a vampire. I am not really clear as to what that means, but I am one."

"I can help you with that. Answer whatever questions you have, but why don't we start with what you already know."

"Well," she began hesitantly, "it must be a secret, or I would have already known vampires exist." She waited for him to confirm.

Josef nodded, "Supreme law of vampirism, keep the secret at all costs. Go on."

"The one who attacked me was after blood, so that part of the legend is true," she said looking down.

"Hey," Josef said, tilting her chin up, "that is in no way standard operating procedure. We have other ways to procure blood for sustenance. What happened to you is a very serious offense in our world. Speaking of which you're probably very hungry right now," he said, biting his own arm and offering it to her.

Her eyes got very wide, and her fangs started to protrude but she held back in fear.

Josef moved his arm closer, and said, "I'm willing, this is one of the ways we feed, soon you'll need human blood, but I'll do for now."

She put her hands on his arm and leaned her head forward. Her eyes rolled back at the smell. Very gingerly, she traced one of the puncture wounds with her tongue.

Almost immediately, Josef was glad to see her close her mouth over the wounds and begin to feed in earnest. Well, we don't have to worry about another Mick, now do we? He thought with some pleasure.

As erotic as it was to watch her, after a few moments he began to pull back, but Charlie held fast to his arm. He leaned away, and she leaned forward until he was laying back on the couch with her on top of him. He couldn't lose any more blood without feeding, so he finally said, almost shouting, "Charlie, that's enough!"

Immediately, she pulled back, looking dazed.

He cradled her as he moved them back into a sitting position with her in his lap. "It's nothing to worry about. You got a little carried away, but that's why you have me to practice on," he said.

"You taste like hot chocolate on a cold night. Warm and... comforting," she said licking her lips, her eyes still closed.

"Thank you," he smirked. "I've never heard that before."

"No thank you. My pawpaw always said life looks better with a full stomach" she said smiling.

"He sounds like a wise man. And in our case, it is easier to control one's self around humans when we are well fed. And we are going out tonight."

Mystery in the Making by Eli Young Band (A/N: the first verse works with the first half of the chapter, the chorus, and the second verse is for the second half.)

The nighttime air is like a baptism
And the way I'm feeling right now is strange
I think it's time we make some changes
Cause right now my outlook has changed...

Take away the mundane
Calling on a new campaign
Starting over now has got a real good ring
And under this circumstance
It's given me a second chance
Gonna trade a little peace for the suspense
I'll let it fall, forever it will take me
A mystery in the making

If I knew how long I'd be living
I'd rearrange a few habits of mine
But tonight there's a full moon above me
A set of rules that tonight I can't abide.