Fashion Victims Season 2 Week 4

2.16
Rick sat in Grind, the warm mug in his hands shaking. Barbi sat across from him, a weak smile plastered on her face. She was waiting for him to react, to say something. What the hell could he say? He was going to be a father!
"Well?" Barbi was on the verge of tears.
"Marry me." The words just tumbled out of Rick's mouth.

2.17
Kurt sat in his office, Casey High, the hot new designer, sat across from him.
"What the hell were you thinking?" After Kurt had taken over Dollhouse's new PR branch he had found himself saying those words a lot. "You seduced the leading conservative radio host... on air?"
Casey just smiled and shrugged.

2.18
Barbi just looked on, shocked. So did the rest of the customers in the coffee shop.
"I..." She was stammering. "Okay!"
She didn't have time to question her decision. Rick was on his feet, sweeping her into his arms. He kissed her.
And to think, not that long ago she was married to his brother.

2.19
"Just think of it as free promotion." Casey was as calm as could be.
"Every Republican in Chicago wants your head! They are threatening to attack your runway show."
Casey just laughed. "Bring it on."
Kurt sighed. He could already tell that this was going to get messy.

2.20
"I have to get you a ring." Rick was beaming.
Barbi and Rick walked arm and arm down Michigan Avenue. The cool fall air felt good, although a part of her wished she could replace the city smell with the smell of burning leaves. Then the moment would have been perfect. She pulled Rick close to her. Now she just had to tell her mother. Suddenly she didn't feel so good.

Fashion Victims Season 2 Canceled

On monday I will post the remaining five episodes in one big chunk, and then Soap Sudz will go dark.  As for the future of Soap Sudz...  I'm working on something.  Lets see if it happens.

Fashion Victims ep. 2.15

Jackson stepped away from the bed, letting Annabelle talk to Derrick. He needed to make sure this was for real.
"You can never tell with coma patients." Rachel spoke softly. "He seems fine, but he needs to stay for observation. If he's repsonsive tomorrow then things are good. Just be ready."
She gently placed her hand on Jackson's shoulder.

Fashion Victims Ep. 2.12, 2.13, 2.14

2.12
Barbi sat on the exam table, her doctor sat across from her. The blood work wasn't back yet, but the doctor had done a quick urine test, and the results were almost ready.
"Well?" She felt herself kicking the metal base of the table.
The doctor handed Barbi the test. Barbi took one look at the small read-out screen and suddenly she felt ill again.
2.13
Jackson kissed Derrick's hand, the tears spilling down his cheeks. How long had he waited for this moment.
"She told me you were here almost every day." Derrick's voice was hoarse, dry. "You look like hell."
Jackson laughed, then leaned forward, finally planting a kiss on responsive lips.
2.14
Pregnant. Who knew she could even still have kids? She pulled her cellphone out of her purse, and scanned through the phone book for Rick's numbers. She was about to say the four words almost every man dreaded. "We have to talk."
How would Rick take this? What if he freaked? What if he was happy? Oh God. She found his number and hit call.

My Final Decision Should Be Coming Soon...

So, obviously after I wrote my little post about possibly canceling Fashion Victims season 2 my feed reader got cut in half.  This is not looking well.  I'm giving the series til friday to pick up.  If it doesn't I will officially cancel FV, and the next monday post the last five episodes in one big lump. 

I have to say though, it would take a drastic upswing to change my mind.

Fashion Victims Ep. 2.11

Jackson rushed into Derrick's hospital room. Rachel stood by the bed, smiling, Derrick's hand in hers.
"He's been asking for you." Rachel's voice was wet with tears.
Jackson couldn't speak. He just rushed over to the bed, kneeling next to it, so happy to finally look into Derrick's groggy, but very much awake eyes.

Fashion Victims Ep. 2.10

"Please stop saying you're sorry. I get it." Mia put her mug down on the table. Mitchell had said apologized ten times since they left the Dollhouse offices.
"I quit. At Precious Stones, the agency I worked for." He still couldn't look at her.
"Good, they were a bunch of monsters over there. I get it. Stuff like that comes with the business." She placed her hand over his, and he finally looked her in the eye.

The Future of Fashion Victims...

So, obviously this new format isn't working.  Also, while I know where the new storylines are going, sadly I just don't think they are working out.  So what does this mean? 

Well, I have two more weeks already written, and unless I see a massive upswing in readers, then I may end up posting the episodes I have, and then ending the series.  As much as I love Fashion Victims, I'm not sure I'm willing to devote the time to something that is failing.

Does that mean I'm giving up on Sudz?  No.  I may not post for a while, but if I do start writing something that I think is worth my time, then I may start up again. 

The decision is not final, not yet anyways, and I'll wait til the end of next week to decide Fashion Victims fate. 

Fashion Victims Ep. 2.9

"How long has it been?" Annabelle sat on the unmade bed, sipping a bottle of water.
"To long. Five years? Her mom sent her to boarding school." Jackson sat across from her on the floor. "I wanted her at home. Her mom wanted her freedom."
There was an awkward silence which was broken a few seconds later by Jackson's phone going off. He picked it up, and his face lit up as he read the text.

Fashion Victims Ep. 2.8

"I'm sorry." The words just tumbled out of Mitchell's mouth. "I really am sorry."
Mia didn't speak. She stepped of the pedestal and lifted the dress over her head, making sure not to scratch herself with any of the pins. Then she walked over to Mitchell and patted him on the shoulder.
"Lets grab a cup of coffee." She stepped behind a curtain before he could speak.

Fashion Victims Ep. 2.7

Annabelle sat in the small spare bedroom of Jackson's apartment. Her eyes rested on the tiny closet.
"You're moving your daughter into here?" She glanced at the tiny closet.
"What?" Jackson began unpacking a few of the knick knacks he had bought.
They were all baby doll pink.
Annabelle just shook her head and went back to shifting boxes

Fashion Victims Ep. 2.6

Mia stood on the pedistal in the center of the fitting room, one of Casey High's bizarre creations hanging on her not so thin frame. Since her scandal hit the press she had found herself giving into the temptation of food, and she was surprised to find her career still intact.
Just as the thoughts of her scandal passed through her mind none other than Mitchell Cross entered the dressing room.

Sorry! Some not so great news...

Hey guys, I apologize for missing an episode today, and I hate to say this but... I probably won't be able to get any new eps up until friday or next monday.  As much as I love soap sudz, it is still a hobby, and work comes first.  I'll keep you all posted!

Fashion Victims 2.5

            Barbi stood in front of the full length mirror on the closet door, her hair still wet from the shower. She looked like hell.
           "Go today." Rick wrapped his arms around her, kissing her neck.
             Barbi didn't say anything. She didn't want to go, because she already had an idea of what he would tell her. She didn't want to hear those words leave anyone's mouth.

Fashion Victims 2.4

Jackson kissed Derrick lightly on the forehead.
"I'll be back later." He whispered.
"I'll take care of him, don't worry." Rachel folded her hands over her chest, and nodded.
Jackson knew had to leave. He had to get ready for his daughter. She would be in town in a few days and he hadn't even started on her room yet. Blanca Levi was coming home.

Fashion Victims 2.3

        Barbi sat on the cold tile floor, her head resting on the toilet bowl. She had been getting sick a lot lately. That wasn't a good sign. For a while she could just blame it on stress, but now...          
          "Go to the doctor." Rick stood in the doorway, half dressed, and still half asleep.
          "I'll go soon." Barbi stood up slowly.

Fashion Victims 2.2

             Jackson watched as the sun started to come up over the skyline. He had spent so many mornings at that window, the sound of Derrick's heart monitor beeping behind him. It was going to be another beautiful day, and Derrick wouldn't see it.
            "You should get some rest Mr. Levi." Rachel, the morning nurse, stood in the doorway.
              Jackson just turned towards her and smiled, his eyes heavy and tired.

Fashion Victims 2.1

Barbi sat up in bed, sweat dripping down her forehead. She couldn't breath.
It was that dream again. Her and Layla as children. She tried to hold on to more, to remember what had happened, but it had already started to slip away. She rubbed her stinging sweat from her eyes and laid back down. Then she felt her stomach lurch.
She was going to be sick.

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.60

Even though half the population of Spirit Lake had suddenly departed this earth, the Hub was still packed. Julie watched as people poured in, crowding around the jukebox, or sitting at the tables, talking loudly. It was as if nothing had happened.
Julie stood behind the bar, Roxanne at her side.
Things were good. Things were okay. For now.
Still, Julie couldn't help but feel that there was something else. There was something in the air that told her that no matter what, Spirit Lake would never be a nice, normal town.


End of Season 1

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.59

Brian tied the apron around his waist, and started up the giant grill in the back. He looked around, and was tempted to pinch himself. Not once since the accident had he thought he would be working as a cook in the Hub.
He always believed he would be stuck, wandering the woods for the rest of his life. Now, while not exactly social, he was starting to get something of a life back.
He glanced up and caught his reflection in the metal backing of the grill, and the smile slowly drifted from his face. He had been robbed of so much, and now, even though he had a small piece of something normal, he still couldn't have it all.
He had one person to blame for that. His father. He couldn't have just left him alone, left him dead. No, he had to play God and bring back his favorite little blood bank.
Without warning Brian's fist collided with the hard steel of the freezer door, leaving a giant dent.
"Calm down." Julie entered the kitchen.
"Sorry..." Brian's eyes fell to the floor.
She walked up to him, slowly. She looked him in the eyes, then wrapped her arms around him squeezing him tight.
"You don't know how glad I am that I can do this again." She gave his back a firm pat. "Now get to work. What few customers we have left will be coming in soon."
She let him go, and Brian could feel a calm wash over him.
He had enough normal. Just enough. He had his sister back, and friends.
Still, he couldn't erase what he had done, what Julie had seen him do. He couldn't erase what he knew and what he had experienced. He felt his claw tighten into a fist.
He took a slow, deep breath and relaxed.
That was the past, and this was his present. Thats all he had to focus on.

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.58

Roxanne ran a wet rag across the bar, trying to get all the dried, sticky beer and booze off. She soon realized that her attempts weren't working. She didn't have Roy's magic touch. Not yet anyways.
She had time to practice. The bar was Julie's now, and Roxanne wasn't going to just leave her girlfriend like that. Julie knew a lot of things, but running a bar wasn't one of them. Roxanne on the other hand was getting to know the Hub real well.
Her girlfriend... for a little while it had been weird saying that, but now it felt natural. Julie was her girlfriend. It was different, yeah, but it felt right. A lot of things finally felt right. How long that would last? Who knew.
She walked over to the sink under the bar, turning on the faucet, and ran the rag under it again.
"Use a little lime. Gets the beer right off of there." The front door opened, and Paul poked his head in.
Brian stepped in behind her, letting his hood drop. That face was still taking her some time to get use to. Brian was a nice enough guy, but she had to supress the urge to cringe every time she saw him.
"You're in the kitchen tonight Tin Man." Roxanne reached under the bar, grabbing an apron. She handed it to Brian as he passed her, slipping into the back.
"Tin Man? Really?" Paul sat on the stool across from her.
"What? I give all my friends nicknames." She shrugged,, pulling a lime slice from the garnish trey and sprayed it on her rag.
"I don't mind." Brian poked his head out from the back room. "But it's silver, not tin." He smiled, then vanished into the kitchen.
"See, he doesn't mind." She pulled out her pack of cigarettes, lighting one up. "Don't get to comfy. You're on waitress duty tonight."
Paul groaned, and stood up.
Roxanne was kind of shocked at how normal things had gotten. Well, as normal as you could get with Frankenstein and Freddy Krueger's love child flipping burgers in the back.
She laughed quietly to herself and went back to scrubbing the bar.

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.57

Paul walked slowly down the rows of gravestones, his destination clear ahead of him. He gently shifted the flowers in his hands, trying not to break the stems in his grip. He had made this walk only yesterday, but he had to return again.
The dirt over Roy's grave was still bare. It had taken them three weeks to find his body, and Paul had to admit that some part of him wished that they would have found Roy alive. It was a stupid wish, but he couldn't help himself. He couldn't believe that Paul was dead.
He stopped, glancing down at the dirt, at the small plastic card that marked where Roy's headstone would be placed.
"You didn't have to save me." He spoke slowly, softly. He had to keep control, otherwise he would break down sobbing. "Thank you."
He glanced to his right, and could see a small stone, wilted flowers resting against it. He walked over, reading the name.
Chester Kamp.
"You take care of him."
He placed the flowers next to the small plastic card with Roy's name on it, removing one flower from the bouquet. Carefuly he placed it on Chester's tombstone.
"Take good care of him." He caught himself, his hand covering his mouth, trying to muffle the sob. The only comfort Paul had at that moment was knowing that Roy wasn't alone.
"You shouldn't be walking around alone. Who knows who you'll run into." Brian's voice made Paul turn.
Brian stood there, wearing a hoodie and a pair of jeans, the hood covering his face.
"I didn't hear you coming." Paul wiped the tears from his eyes.
"Come on. Julie needs our help the Hub." Brian motioned with his head towards the path that lead back to the parking lot.
Paul nodded, and started walking. He stopped when he realized that Brian wasn't by his side. He turned back and saw Brian standing at the foot of Roy's grave.
"You coming?" Paul yelled, his voice cracking.
Brian just nodded, and quickly joined him as they both walked towards Paul's car.

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.56

One Month Later
Julie sat in the living room of the apartment above the Hub. She had moved in not long after... not long after Roy had died. She couldn't stand to be in the mansion anymore, and she couldn't watch The Hub, Roy's pride and joy, go unattended.
She looked out the dusty window at the lake, glimmering in the last remaining sunlight of twilight. The town was just now starting to settle down. The reporters had left, and everyone else had tried to go back to their old lives.
How did a town react when half of it's population died? Julie and the others had kept the truth about the Moira and the Black Rose Society quiet, telling the news outlets that it was a cult stirred up by some crazed, wandering woman. They couldn't tell the truth.
The cavern, Moira's kingdom, had been uncovered, and most of the bodies were recovered. Those that had survived the cave in were found to have gone mad. Well, they had slipped further into maddness.
Moira sighed, stretched. She shook her head, trying to drive away the thoughts, the memories of what she had gone through. It was hard, near impossible, but if she let the memories take over she found herself paralyzed by fear.
She couldn't have that. She couldn't let her life grind to a halt. She had a bar to run, friends to care for. She had a life to build.
Out of the corner of her eye Julie could see the library. She felt the knot grow in her throat. She couldn't help it. She was living next to the biggest reminder of Carla there was.
That woman loved that damn place. Now, with Paul running it, God knows what would happen to it.
Carla would have loved that. Paul taking her place as head librarian.
She let out a laugh, which was quickly followed by a sob.
One of her best friends was dead, and she couldn't help but blame herself for it.
She collapsed into a large recliner, closing her eyes, letting the tears come. It didn't help if she just bottled it up. Then she'd just get bitter, and Carla wouldn't have been happy with that either.

Update

Just one more week of Spirit Lake and then Fashion Victims season 2 will start up.  YAY!  I have the first month written in the new five line format.  Lets see how it goes.

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.55

Brian began running. He had been to late for Roy, but he was not going to let anyone else fall prey to Moira's whims. He lept, soaring over his sister, and landed with such force on stone stage that cracks appeared under his feet.
"Brian!" Moira stood, her mouth a vile smile. "How nice of you to finally join us."
"This..." He started to speak, but Moira raised a hand, closing her eyes and began shaking her head.
"I know, I know. This ends here and all that. I've heard it a thousand times." She opened her eyes,clasping her hands together. "Do you really think you could kill me?"
Before Brian could answer William charged at him, blood drenched dagger raised above his head. He was howling like a wild animal.
With one smooth swipe of his claw Brian sliced William's face to ribbons. The man ran a few more steps, then fell to his knees, his face exploding in an erruption of blood and gore. He fell forward, onto his stomach, and in moments greedy hands from the surrounding pits pulled the lifeless body into the dark depths.
Brian turned. Moira was pissed.
"He held such promise." She crossed her arms over her chest. "So did you. At least your father had hoped so. He gave so much to bring you back, you do know that right? His life, actually." She stepped towards Brian. "How do you repay him? You spit on his name, and everything he worked for. Everything he and I ever wanted."
She swiped at his face, her finger nails scratching against his metal mask, sparks flying as the nails dug in. Before Brian could react Moira swung again, the back of her hand connecting to the side of his head. He fell to the ground.
"You're no match for me." She kicked at him, but Brian quickly rolled away.
***
Julie watched as her brother, her presumed dead, but now very much alive brother, fought Moira, Queen Bitch of the blood addicts.
The battle wasn't going well. Brian could hardly get in a shot. Moira moved so quickly that Brian was always on the defensive.
A glint of redish silver caught Julie's eye. William's dagger lay at the point where the runway met the stage. She ran for it, diving. Hands reached from the surrounding darkness, trying to grab her, to stop her, but she stayed out of their reach.
She grabbed the dagger. This was it. This was her moment to make things right, to end all of this. She had dragged all her friends into this mess, and now Carla and Roy were dead.
She stood, and when Moira had her back to her, she charged.
Moira was to busy with her brother to notice Julie, to notice the sharp blade heading for it's mark between her shoulder blades.
The blade struck, pierced, then slid into place. Julie gave the handle one hard hit with the heel of her hand, just to make sure the blade dug deep into Moira's black heart.
There was silence. Moira turned towards her, eyes wide with shock. Then something Julie had been dreading happened.
Moira began to laugh.
"Nice try little girl." She raised her hand to strike, but never got the chance.
Brian took the opening Julie had given him, and snuck up behind Moira, his metal claw gripped her jaw, and twisted. Moira shrieked.
Brian continued to twist, until Moira's head was facing him. He looked her dead in the eyes.
"Like I said, it ends now." Then with a roar Brian pulled, ripping Moira's head from her shoulders.
Moira's body stood still for a moment. Julie took this as a sign to step back. Silence, during times like these, only ment one thing. Something big was going to happen, and it was going to be messy.
She was right.
A glowing torrent of blood burst from Moira's neck, showering the entire cavern in an illuminating crimson. Julie could hear the shrieks from the pits as they were splashed and sprayed with their leaders life blood.
"We have to get out of here." Brian grabbed Julie's arm, pulling her down the runway. "Now."
Julie didn't fight. She just started moving, taking only a second to make sure that Roxanne and Paul were following her.
As they entered the tunnel at the far end of the runway she heard a loud crack, and looked back just in time to see a large piece of rock fall from the ceiling, and crash into the now exposed crowd that had occupied the surrounding pits.
Soon more pieces fell, crushing more of Moira's devoted followers. The whole room was caving in.
Julie hadn't realized she had stopped until she felt Brian pull on her arm. She pulled her eyes away from the carnaged and vanished into the darkness of the tunnel.

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.54

The tunnel opened up into a large chamber. The ceiling stretched so high that it was hidden in the shadows. Julie couldn't believe something so giant could be hidden under Spirit Lake. Obviously the town held plenty of secrets, this cave system being one of them.
Julie stopped at the mouth of the tunnel, letting there guide get a few steps ahead of them. He walked quickly down a long runway that lead to a small, circuler stage made of stone. In the center of that stage was a throne. Moira's throne. They had officially entered her kingdom.
"Keep moving." The man's voice was little more than a grunt. A few days ago he had been a civil, kind man. Now he was nothing more than a huffing, puffing, grunting monster who took orders from his blood craving queen.
Julie took Roxanne's hand and they made their way down the runway, Paul and Roy a few steps ahead of them. Although the ground to the side of the runway was dark, Julie could hear the voices, the moans of people. She could feel their eyes watching them.
"Welcome guests!" Moira stood in front of her throne, William at her side, his head down, looking at the floor, his hands behind his back. "I'm sorry for the unpleasent nature of this visit, but it couldn't be avoided."
Julie was pretty sure this was the first time she had seen Moira in clothes.
The second the thought past her mind Moira dropped her robe, exposing her naked flesh once more.
"This looks like something out of a bad Italian horror film." Roxanne's voice was a welcome reminder that Julie wasn't alone.
"Lets keep thinking that. This is only a bad horror film. Maybe it'll come true." Julie regretted the snarky comment the second it left her lips.
"William, greet our guests." Moira looked at William, her hand gently resting on his shoulder.
William raised his head, and suddenly Julie felt ill.
He was smiling. The son of a bitch was smiling.
The man stopped, halting the entire group. They were only five feet from the stone stage.
"William and I had a little talk, and as you know I can be very persuasive." Moira stepped back. "Aren't I William."
He just nodded.
"Welcome to the family." She kissed her fingers and gently pressed them to William's cheek.
The whole scene playing out in front of Julie made her sick. What had that sick bitch done to William? What had she done to win him over? The first idea that came to her mind was to twisted to even entertain, and yet, after everything, it wasn't that far of a stretch.
Suddenly William revealed his right hand. In it was clutched a plain, but very sharp and very long dagger. Then, without warning her charged. Their guide lept from the runway into the pit, and William was heading straight for Paul.
"The weak shall perish first." William let out a loud laugh, and thrust the dagger forward.
"No!" Julie couldn't control herself, she screamed. Then everything seemed to move in slow motion.
Roy pushed Paul back, sending him into Roxanne's arms. The blade in William's hand found a mark. The blade sunk into the center of Roy's back, the long blade breaking through Roy's torso and bursting through his stomach.
Julie couldn't move.
William pulled the blade free, and Roy fell to his knees, his eyes filled with shock, and then, for a brief moment they found something to focus on. Paul.
"Your sacrifice will be appreciated." Moira laughed, sitting in her throne, throwing her arms up.
William stood behind Roy. He grabbed Roy's hair, pulling his head back, exposing his throat. Then in one quick motion he sliced.
Julie could feel the hot spray of Roy's blood on her face. She stumbled back, to shocked to speak, to scream, to do anything.
"Roy." Paul's voice was a series of broken sobs. He reached out for Roy, tried to grab him, but it was to late.
Roy's body tumbled off of the runway, into the pit.
"Who's next?" Moira clapped her hands in glee.
Julie watched as Roxanne ran to Paul's side, pulling him to his feet.
"No more Moira." A deep, masculine voice filled the cavern.
Julie turned just in time to see a man, his body a mess of silver and flesh, emurge from the tunnel at the far end of the runway.
"Brian?" She sucked in a deep breath. The face, the remaining flesh part of the face, was her brother.

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.53

Roy sat in a cell so dark that the only way he could tell that others were with him was by the sound of their breathing. He pressed his back against the wall and felt cold, wet stone. They were underground. He felt a hand touch his and jumped.
"It's just me." Paul's voice was soft, a whisper.
The hand reached out again and he took it. Paul's skin was warm, a comfort. He slid, using the wall as a guide, until his shoulder pressed against Paul's.
"Are you okay?" Roy leaned close, letting his lips touch Paul's ear as he spoke.
"Yeah. I guess." Paul's grip tightened. "What have we gotten ourselves into?"
"Who knows." Roy sighed, letting his head rest against the wall.
This was a mess, a big one. It was one that he wasn't so sure they could all get out of. He knew one thing though. Paul would get out. He would make damn sure of that. He couldn't sit idly by and watch another person he cared about... a person that he loved, die. He had done it with Chester. What could he have done then? Now he had some power, some control, even if it was just a tiny bit.
"I wish it hadn't taken so long for us to..." Roy spoke into the darkness, not caring if the others around him heard.
"That was my fault." Paul moved closer. "I'm sorry."
"At least it finally happened." Roy laughed. "Even if it did take an insane cult of blood thirsty maniacs to do it."
Suddenly there was the sound of a door opening, squeeling on it's hinges, followed by the bright light of a torch.
Roy shielded his eyes, waiting for them to adjust to the light.
"You'll come with us now." An older man, in his forties, stood in the doorway. He was the owner of the grocery store.
Next to him was a younger man, probably in his late teens. His son. Roy had seen those two thousands of times. He'd talked to them, laughed with them. Now they were willing to slit his throat for what? Some lie Moira had told them?
Roy went to help Paul up. In the light he could get a good look at him. Paul was pale, his eyes watery. He had been crying. He was covered in dirt and sweat, and pretty much looked like death warmed over.
The young man, seeing Roy move, pulled a machette from his belt, pointing it at Roy's face.
"No funny business faggot." The boy's voice was high. He hadn't even hit puberty yet.
"He's wounded." Roy ignored the blade and continued to help Paul up.
The boy didn't take being ignored well, because he raised the blade, aimed, but before he could stop his father lashed out, bashing the base of the torch into the back of the boys head.
The boy crumpled to the ground, but the act had caused Roy to stop.
"Are you an idiot? She said bring them to her alive." The man reached down, pulling his son to his feet, and flung him back through the doorway. "I can handle them. Go back with the others."
Roy watched Julie and Roxanne stand. It seemed to be agreed that they would play along. Fighting back now, in such a confined space, would probably only end with them all getting hurt, or worse, killed.
The man motioned his head towards the door and started walking. Roy threw Paul's arm over his shoulder, helping his boyfriend to his feet. Slowly, carefully the four of them made there way into the dark tunnel, making sure to stay close behind the man. If they lost the light who knew what would happen.

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.52

Moira walked down the long, stone path towards her throne. She had been disappointed that it had been so easy for her. She had wanted a struggle, a battle, and yet they had fallen at her fingertips so easily.
Now she could do anything she wanted with them, and she planned to have a little fun.
"My robe!" Her voice echoed through the cavernous room, and on command a woman entered, naked except for a few rags still dangling from her form, dried blood crusted to her skin.
The woman knelt, handing Moira a long black robe.
For what she had planned it was best to be modest.
"I want you to bring William to me." She sat crossing her legs at the knee. She leaned back shaking her hair free of the robe, letting it fall across her shoulders.
The woman, her servant, ran from her presence.
Even though these people, these weaklings, craved immortality they still clung to normal, human emotions. Fear most of all it seemed. How pointless. Fear would hold them back. No god could fear anything, and only gods could be immortal. After she was done with her recent batch of trouble makers she would clean house, weed out the weak.
"Let go of me you bitch!" William's voice was raspy. He had been crying.
Moira cringed. Her last remaining relative was in her presence, and yet he was just as weak as the others.
"Such language William." She stood, pulling the robe tight. Her body would not help her now. "I would have hoped your mother would have raised you better."
The servant threw William at Moira's feet. He didn't look up at her.
"Don't talk about my mother." He tried to stand.
Moira gently placed her hand on William's shoulder. Then carefuly she placed her fingers under his chin, lifting his face towards hers.
"We have much to talk about." She smiled.

Format Change

So, because of time constraints, and for the sake of trying new things, I'm going to be trying a new format for the second season of Fashion Victims. 

The new episode format will be condensed little bits.  Each episode will only be five typed lines long.  No more, no less.  Why do this?  Well, I need to find a way to streamline the writing, and so far this is what is working.  This also means that seasons will not have a set number of weeks, as they did before.  The series will run for as long as I see fit. 

If this doesn't work then I will go back to the old style, but I'm going to give it a try.  The new season starts after Spirit Lake ends.

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.51

Brian stepped out of the shadows and into the foyer of the hell hole he once called a home. He had sworn to himself that he would never set foot back into the Kramer mansion, but tonight he had no choice.
He could see Carla's eyes watching him as he walked. She tensed, let out a whimper. She had already lost so much blood. Her skin was starting to take on a grey hue. Her hair was matted in the cooling, red liquid.
He held his good hand, his whole hand, to his lips and made a gentle shooshing noise. He knew that the very sight was something less than pleasent, and after what Moira had done to her... he didn't want to imagine what Carla thought of him.
"No." Her voice was weak. She tried to turn, to crawl away from him. She didn't have the strength.
"Carla, I won't hurt you." He gently laid his good hand on her arm.
She looked back at him, and he could see that she recognized him now. His face had been damaged, and then later replaced with molded silver. The mask, although he could never take it off, covered the right side of his face, stopping just above his jaw. The mask's maker had gotten creative, mangling what was supposed to be his image into that of a monsters, with high arched eyebrows, and a deep set eye socket.
Still, underneath the monsterous face he was forced to wear, Carla could see him.
"Does it hurt?" His voice was soft.
She nodded, letting out a faint whimper. She had become to weak to speak.
Brian pulled her close, cradeling her.
She coughed a few times, and then she went still.
"I'm so sorry." He leaned down, gently kissing her forehead before picking her up, lying her on the bottom stair.
Moira would pay. He would make sure of that.

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.50

Julie watched as Moira paced in front of them, her eyes moving from captive to captive. She stopped at Julie, smiling. She reached down, gently gliding her fingers across Julie's jaw.
"You know, this really is all your fault." She tapped Julie on the nose. "If you all had left well enough alone you would have been spared... for a short while at least."
Moira resumed pacing, and Julie suddenly felt sick to her stomach. She knew this couldn't have been avoided. Moira and her followers would have attacked at some point. Hell, the whole town had no idea what she had planned. This night was just one small battle in Moira's grande scheme. Still, she couldn't supress the guilt. If she had just left then everyone would have been safe. They wouldn't be stuck here, in this hell house, surrounded by blood thirsty cult members and their ancient, nudist leader.
"My mother..." Julie spit the words through swollen lips. The man who had hit her had done a number on her face.
"A sacrifice." Moira looked away, admiring her surroundings. "Not so willing though. She fought me to the bitter end. A quick end though. You take after her."
Julie fought back the tears. Her worst fear was just made a reality. Her mother was dead.
Moira turned, clasping her hands together, a wide smile on her face. She looked like some perverse version of a grade school teacher.
"We're all going to go on a little trip."
She sounded like one to.
"We're not going anywhere you crazy bitch." Carla struggled, tried to stand, but one of Moira's followers pushed her back down to her knees.
"Such language." Moira stepped towards Carla, looking down at her, her face changing, becoming darker. The smile vanished, and then, without warning she back handed Carla, sending the woman sprawling on the hard marble floor.
"Don't touch her!" William screamed, tried to get to Carla, but it was no use. He was held back.
"Don't question me boy." Moira's head snapped towards him. "We share blood. Show some respect."
Julie reached out, her left hand touching William's. She knew that if he began to freak out, things would only get worse. She looked to her right, towards Paul and Roy, and they nodded in agreement. It was in everyone's best interest to play along.
Julie watched as Moira advanced on Carla, but the woman stopped short, looking back at one of her followers. She nodded, and the follower approached, handing Moira something. Something shiny. Something that seemed to catch the moonlight, and glow in Moira's hand. Something sharp.
"Such a waste, but I can't have you drawing attention to us, now can I?" Moira raised the knife. "I mean, with a mouth as big as yours you'd wake the whole town."
Julie could see the terror in Carla's eyes.
"No!" William screamed, tried to break free again, but it was to late.
Moira brought the knife down, burying it in Carla's chest. A crimson river began to seep down Carla's torso.
Julie held back her scream. She had a feeling that if she expressed any kind of grief it would only make things worse.
Moira yanked the knife out, a spray of blood splashing out onto the marble floor. Carla fell back, still breathing, but her skin was slowly getting whiter.
"Leave her." Moira turned towards her circling minions. "We have the others."
Moira's followers nodded, then Julie felt herself being pulled to her feet.
"To my kingdom." Moira licked the knife in her hand, then closed her eyes. She seemed to vibrate with the pleasurable taste she had just experienced.
Julie felt like she was going to vomit.
The front door was thrown open, and Julie and her surviving friends were ushered out into the dark night.

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.49

Roy felt his arms wrap tighter around Paul. The sounds coming from the rest of the house had woken him up. He was pretty sure he had heard a scream, a man, maybe a woman. A scream, with everything that had been going on so far, was a bad sign.
"Roy, you're hurting me." Paul pulled Roy's arm away. "Stay calm."
"Calm?" Roy just looked at him, unable to even process the word.
"Bad choice of words, I know." Paul stood up, scanning the room.
The moonlight illuminated almost everything, and it was obvious they were alone, that much Roy could tell. For how long? That one was up in the air. Roy stood, slowly walking over to the fire place at the far end of the room, trying to make as little noise as possible. He was pretty sure that the Black Rose members already knew where everyone was in the house, but he didn't want to help them. He carefuly picked up a fire poker. If he was going to get attacked he was going to be armed.
"Good idea." Paul's voice was a loud whisper. Loud enough to make both of them suddenly hold their breaths.
There was silence, only the sounds of the woods around the mansion occasionally breaking through. Roy knew the silence was misleading. It was only a matter of time before someone attacked.
As if on que the window next to Paul exploded into a shower of glass shards. Paul covered his face, falling back onto the couch. Roy was over to him in a second. Paul still wasn't in the best shape after his accident, and if left on his own he probably wouldn't fair so well.
Roy didn't even bother to look back. He just threw Paul's arm over his shoulder and bolted for the foyer. As he ran he could hear footsteps keeping in time with his, almost perfect pace. Occasionally he would hear a quiet laugh, distinctly female.
"You'll never get away." The woman's voice was perfectly calm.
Roy on the other hand was winded. Paul was heavy, and the hallway from the family room to the foyer seemed longer than ever. He knew he needed to loose some weight, but if he didn't get his act together then he'd never get the chance.
When Roy finally did get to the foyer he skidded to a stop, his jaw falling slack. That woman was right. He never would get away.
Standing in the center of the foyer, naked as the day she was born, was Moira Clawson. In front of her, on their knees, were his friends, knives held to their throats. Roxanne looked half awake, a trickle of blood dripping down her forhead, and Julie's face was pretty bruised, but for the most part they all seemed to be alive and well. For now.
"Welcome to the party." Moira held out her hands, gesturing to the loved ones whose lives she know controled.
Roy felt the wind get knocked out of him, Paul falling from his grip, as the woman who had been chasing him collided with his spine.
"Now we can get started." Moira laughed, her eyes seeming to burn holes into Roy. He looked away.
He had run Paul right into her trap.

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.48

Carla sat up in bed, her head swimming. She looked around the moonlight room, a sense of panic rising up inside of her. She took a deep breath, then another, and she could slowly feel her heart rate dropping back to normal. She was pretty sure that when all of this was done with she would be having panic attacks for the next twenty years.
"You okay?" William's voice was still groggy with sleep.
"As good as good be." She smiled, looking down at him.
His pale skin seemed to glow silver in the moonlight, his eyes were just small little blips of reflected light in the semi-darkness of the room. She reached down and ran her hands through his hair, kissing his forehead.
"You don't have to be scared. I'm here." He laughed, pulling her close.
She enjoyed the feeling of his warmth, his strength. It did make her feel safer, if only a little bit. The reality was that William was human, just like she was. He could be hurt, he could bleed, and he could die, just like she could. He could also fail her and abandon her, just like so many people had before him.
She pushed those thoughts aside. They weren't going to do her any good. Not now. She had to focus on one thing, and one thing only, getting the hell away from the Black Rose Society.
"Where'd ya go?" He looked her in the eyes.
"Nowhere important." She kissed the tip of his nose.
The sound of something shuffling, moving across the floor stopped Carla cold. Her body locked up.
"What was..." William wasn't allowed to finish his sentence. Carla placed her hand over his mouth quickly.
She was half tempted to pull the covers up, to cover herself like she did when she was a little kid. The monster under the bed couldn't get you under the covers. Sadly, this monster could.
Her eyes glanced around the room. What she could see was just empty space, but there were so many shadows that she couldn't be sure. Then she heard it again. The shuffling sound, this time moving closer to the bed.
She moved quickly, reaching over to the nightstand, flipping on the lamp, filling the room with light.
She got a brief view of her attacker, an older woman, probably in her late sixties, with grey hair and a creased face. Her mouth was open, but not in a scream. No, the woman was laughing, a raspy, dry, horrible laugh. The woman lept at the bed.
William shouted, kicking out, his foot connecting with the woman's stomach. She let out a gasp of air, her dentures flying from between her lips and splattering onto the hard wood floor. The woman collapsed on the mattress, her hands around her stomach. She was rocking back and forth.
"You bastard." The woman's voice gave away years of smoking. "She'll get you. She'll get both of you."
William looked at her, and then kicked out again, the heel of his foot connecting with the woman's head. She flew off the bed, landing hard on the floor, her skull connecting with the wood with a loud crack.
Carla got up, glancing over the edge of the bed.
"I think you killed her." She could see that the old woman wasn't moving, and a small pool of blood was forming by the side of her head.
"Come on." William grabbed her arm, yanking her off of the bed, towards the doorway that led to the hall.
William flung open the bedroom door and froze. Carla's gaze was still focused on the old woman, not moving, and from what she could see, not breathing. She finally looked at the door when she felt William's hand squeeze hers.
Carla turned her head, and screamed. Standing there in nothing but a black robe was the woman she had seen in so many pictures, in the library, and now in the doorway to the bedroom. There was Moira Clawson.
Carla didn't have time to do do much else. There was a shriek, and Carla felt something collide with the back of her head, and then the room went dark.

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.46 and 1.47

1.46
Detective Stephen Roberts had never thought he would ever have to deal with something like this. A conspiracy in his own town. He almost laughed that the absurdity of it all. He knew that the group holed up in the Kramer mansion was probably a bit crazy, but he had to admit, Spirit Lake seemed to be losing it's damn mind.
He slowly made his way down the long driveway towards the cruiser parked out front. The sun had set, and he could see the flashing red and blue lights bouncing off the woods surrounding the grounds through the gate.
He took in a deep breath, feeling the warm night air rush through his lungs. He could smell the lake, the trees, the whole world came to life in that one gulp of air. He couldn't help himself, he smiled. A brief moment of peace in a world that seemed to be exploding around him.
Then the image of Harvey Ridge, body hanging from in front of the library, splashed across his mind, and his smile vanished. Whoever they were dealing with, cult or not, they were some sick bastards, stringing that kid up like that.
"Ridge, Clove, you guys okay out here?" He yelled out towards the cruiser.
There wasn't an answer.
He felt a chill creep up his spine.
Stephen began to run, his legs pumping across the blacktop of the driveway. He didn't like silence, especially not now. When he got to the cruiser he froze.
Officer Daniel Ridge hung partially out of the driver's side window, his neck cut. His throat had been cut open, spilling his precious blood on to the ground. Standing next to the corpse was Officer Michael Clove. The man was cupping the spilling blood, then rubbing it against his skin.
"It feels so good Detective." Michael looked at him. "I can feel his life seeping into me. My skin absorbs it, you know it."
Stephen pulled his gun, aiming it at Michael's head.
"Don't move." His voice cracked, exposing his fear.
Michael just smiled.
"That won't do you any good." He took a step forward.
Before Stephen could shoot he felt something colide with the middle of his back. He went sprawling, landing on his stomach, the wind knocked out of him. He coughed, and tried to push himself up, but a foot stomped on his spine, flattening him out on the driveway. He felt two hands grab him, flip him over, and Stephen found himself looking up into the eyes of a stranger. It was a man he had seen around town many times, probably his whole life, but he had never learned his name. He was older, with salt and pepper hair and a slightly wrinkled face. His clothes were nice, neat if a bit plain. He looked like your average neighbor.
In the man's hand was a knife, still stained with what had to be Officer Ridge's blood.
The man smiled, and then raised the knife over his head.
"Your sacrifice will not go unappreciated." The man closed his eyes, nodded, and then brought the knife down, cutting into Stephen's chest.
Stephen howled in pain as the knife was yanked out, then driven back in, now just below his rip cage.
As Stephen's blood drained from his body he watched as the two men knelt down next to him, smearing their hands in the crimson pools forming at Stephen's sides. He watched as they began to rub the blood on their faces, then on their arms. They began ripping at their clothes, exposing more skin, covering themselves.
Then, slowly, the lights began to fade, and Stephen felt as if he was falling away, into a darkness, away from the acts of depravity that surrounded him.
Then there was nothing.

1.47
Roxanne sat up at the sound of the scream. She reached over, grabbing her clothes, holding them against her exposed body.
"Did you hear that?" She looked down at Julie.
Julie just nodded, then slowly stood, grabbing her clothes off of the deck in the process. When Roxanne began to speak again Julie placed her finger over Roxanne's lips.
Quickly, and as quietly as they could, both women began to get dressed.
Looking back on it, having a wild, passionate romp under the stars wasn't such a good idea all things considered.
"We need to get inside. Now." Julie's voice was a harsh whisper.
Roxanne nodded and tried to finish buttoning up her shirt. It wasn't an easy task under such stressful situations. Eventually she just gave up. She had her bra on, so the important bits were covered. She would deal with the rest once she was inside, safe.
Both women paused at the sound of a twig snapping.
It was probably nothing, thought Roxanne, just a squirrel. Oh God, let it be a squirrel.
There was a giggle, followed by more snaps and the sound of someone's feet running.
It wasn't a squirrel.
"Oh God." Roxanne's voice came out louder than expected. She sucked in a gulp of air, and turned, ready to run. The sound of two feet landing on the hard wood of the deck. She looked up and could see Julie's eyes locked on the other end of the deck. Roxanne didn't want to, but she turned.
Standing there, with her hand behind her back, was the woman they had seen outside of The Hub. The one who had been with her boyfriend. The one who had been holding the black rose. She was standing there, smiling at them.
"Leaving so soon?" The woman took a step forward.
Roxanne felt Julie's arm press against her chest, trying to protect her. It was a nice jesture, but it probably wasn't going to do much.
"Run!" Julie screamed, pushing Roxanne back towards the house.
They both turned and started for the back door, but the woman's boyfriend was already there.
"I don't think so." He smiled, then swung, his fist connecting with Julie's face, knocking her to the ground.
Roxanne took a step back, and then man matched her step. She was stuck, trapped.
She didn't even see the girl behind her, or the bat she had in her hand. She only felt the thick wood connect with the back of her skull, and then there was darkness.

Double Episodes tomorrow!

Hey guys, because of the holiday and all of that, I will be doing double episodes tomorrow!  YAY!  Now go enjoy the rest of your Labor Day!

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.45

Moira stood at the front gates, her cloak fluttering behind her glorious naked form. Her hood fell back, freeing her hair, letting the long black mane flutter in the wind.
She could sense the passion, the heat that the house gave off. She would let them have their fun for now, but once the clock struck midnight she had her followers would strike.
"What are you going to do to them?" A male voice emanated from the shadows.
"Brian, what are you doing out here?" She turned, seeing only Brian’s silhoutte. "You know you can show yourself to me."
"I would rather not." He didn’t move. "What are you going to do to them?"
She smiled, her red lips glittering in the moonlight. "I’m going to do what I have to. I have to protect the society. You know that." She walked towards him, her hand moving up to stroke his cheek.
He pulled away.
"Julie will understand when she sees you. Just as your mother did." Moira closed her cloak, pulling up her hood. "Your mother’s sacrifice was a noble one. I hope your sister’s will be as well."
"Leave Julie alone." Brian lunged at her, but before he could touch her, she was gone.
The moonlight fell on his arm, a mess of silver and flesh. His hand resembled a gargoyles claw, all twisted metal and sharp edges.
He pulled his arm back, holding it against his chest.
His eyes fell on the house, taking only a brief mental picture before running into the thick forest that surrounded the estate.

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.44

Paul hobbled his way into the family room, his side giving him little reminders to take his time as he walked. He seemed like he had stepped into his past when he saw the room, magazines strewn all over the floor, Carla laughing as she flipped the pages. William sat there, watching her, his eyes lighting up every time she smiled. He was a new edition to their group, but he seemed as if he had always been there.
"You two kids behaving?" He found his way to the large couch and sat down, his body groaning as he sat.
"What’s it to you?" Carla looked back at him, a mischievous look in her eye. "You’re not going to start the whole devoted, protective husband act this late in the game are you?"
He laughed, not even the pain in his side stopping the joyous noise from escaping his lips.
"When are you two finalizing that divorce any ways?" William leaned back on his hands, his eyes moving from Carla to Paul.
"Soon." Paul glanced around the room, his eyes falling on the old stereo, a stack of CD’s sitting next to it. "Why? You planning on making the moves on my wife?"
"With your permission of course." William laughed, looking at Carla.
She gave him a scowl and tossed a magazine at William’s head, just missing by an inch.
Paul stood, making his way towards the stereo. He hit the power button, and was glad to see the thing come to life. He hit play, and Bonnie Raitt’s sweet, raspy voice filled the room.
"You guys listened to this stuff?" William laid back.
For a few seconds they he almost looked like a teenage version of himself.
He didn’t know why, but that image made him choke up a bit. He was suddenly realizing how much time he had waisted in that room, out on the docks, in the lake. He was so scared that he had never let anything really happen between him and Roy. He had spent so many years afraid that he had denied himself the only thing that seemed to give him strength lately.
Still, there was one memory he had held on to from those days, the one perfect moment he had experienced in his life before reality crashed through, and everything hit the fan.
It had been the end of summer leading into his senior year. He, Julie, Roy, Carla and Brian had spent the day down on the dock, swimming in the lake, listening to music, and of course getting drunk.
Julie’s father had been out of town, so they had actually been able to spend some time in the house. The sun had set, and everyone, buzzed, had decided they needed food. He and Roy had slipped off while everyone was cooking.
At first they had just talked, and then Roy had decided that they needed some music.
It was the same song as they were listening to now.
They had just sat there, in the dark, the music flowing out of the speakers. They didn’t say a word, just sat there. Paul didn’t know why he had gotten up, but he had. He took Roy’s hand in his, and they just stood there, swaying, holding on to each other.
At the time Paul had blamed the beer, but looking back on it, he knew the truth. He knew then that in that moment he had been completely and totally at peace. There was no conflict, no pressure. He had just let go, and been happy for five minutes.
"Hey, Paul, you should take it easy."
Roy’s voice snapped him back to the present.
Paul didn’t speak, he just walked over to Roy, taking his hand, leading him to the middle of the room. Then, letting Roy take the lead, they repeated that same gentle sway they had all those years ago.
"Well, isn’t that sweet." Carla laughed.
"Don’t make fun." William stood, holding out his hand. "Care to dance?"
Paul looked over, and could see Carla smiling. She had never smiled that way for him, and he knew why. They had been together because it was convenient.
Nothing in any of their lives was convenient anymore, but necessary, and Paul knew that this moment, this bit of peaceful, perfect bliss, was what they needed to build themselves up. It united them, connected them, and made them stronger against whatever force was building up against them.
He closed his eyes, leaning his head against Roy’s shoulder.
"You remembered." Roy’s voice was a soft whisper in his ear.
Paul answered by gently kissing Roy’s neck, pulling him closer, letting their bodies touch so close, in a way he had been afraid of back in high school.
The song ended, but they didn’t stop.
When Paul opened his eyes he could see that Roy and he were alone.
"Where’d they go?" He wrapped his arms around Roy’s waist.
"Don’t know." Roy smiled, leading Paul towards the couch.
They lay down, their bodies resting against each other, finding peace in the warmth.
The reality of their current situation suddenly hit Paul like a hammer to the head. This could be their last perfect moment. Some cult was about to steal the chance for more of this, more of life away from them.
He leaned his back against Roy’s chest, taking Roy’s hand in his. He kissed the palm, then let it rest on his chest. He closed his eyes, letting the sound of Roy’s heartbeat lull him to sleep.
-*-
Carla led William up the main staircase, towards the small guest room she had claimed for herself earlier.
Once inside she didn’t know what took over, but she threw herself, full force at William.
The next few moments seemed a blur of flying clothes and bare flesh.
As she and William made love she let go. She gave into him completely, and let him take over. For her that was the greatest sacrifice she had ever made for anyone, but for William it seemed right. She felt safe, strong.
For once everything felt right.
-*-
Julie had let a small peck grow, deepen, until she and Roxanne found themselves lost in their kiss. It had shocked Julie how easy it was to let Roxanne in.
Roxanne took a step back, breaking there embrace. Her face was flushed, her lipstick smeared.
"I’ve never done this before." Her voice shook, but not from fear.
Julie could see the want, the need in Roxanne’s eyes. It had been so long since she had seen that look in another woman’s eyes. Her last girlfriend had been cold, distant. They had stayed together out of sheer need for the status of a relationship, nothing more. They had seemed to drift apart slowly, and soon she found herself single again without even realizing it.
"It’s okay." Julie held back the urge to grab Roxanne. She would let her make the next move. "You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to."
Julie watched Roxanne struggle with her thoughts for a few seconds, and then, without warning, they were locked at the lips again.
Their hands began to wander, explore each other.
They lay on the deck, connected. They were one unified body, moving in perfect rhythm to the signals that their bodies gave off.
Julie felt her shirt come off, then her bra. The cool night’s air felt amazing against her skin. As it mixed with the heat of Roxanne pressing against her she felt every nerve go on high alert.
Sex, making love, had never been like this before. It had always seemed to lack passion. There was attraction, but at that moment Julie finally felt fully connected to her partner.
When they had finished they just lay there, naked underneath the stars.

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.43

Roxanne stepped out onto the porch, being careful not to disturb Julie. The woman seemed so at peace, so relaxed, while she, herself, was a total mess. Her little freak out at the bar had probably nearly gotten her slapped. She wasn’t hysterical now, but she wasn’t calm either.
"How do you do it?" Roxanne crossed her arms over her chest. Her voice still had that moist sound from all her crying. "How do you stay so calm?"
Julie looked at her, face flat, but Roxanne could see the caring in her eyes.
"I don’t know." She turned, leaning her back against the railing. "I mean, I have my moments. Trust me, I have had some major freak outs. I guess, now, knowing that there is no real escape, I have just kind of let it all go."
"You’re giving up?" Roxanne’s voice went up an octave. She took a step towards Julie, her arms flinging to her sides, fists clenched.
"No." Julie smiled. "I’m going to fight."
She could feel her body relax a bit. Julie was right. There was no escape. It was either fight and survive or give up and let those sick bastards cut you up like they did that Harvey kid.
Julie took a step towards Roxanne, her hand gently stroking Roxanne’s cheek. Their eyes met.
"I know you’re scared, but you’re not alone in this." Julie hugged Roxanne, her arms holding her tight.
In all her life she had never felt as safe in someone’s arms as she did at that moment. Roxanne could actually feel her mind relaxing, and her heart rate slowing. She hugged Julie back.
The let each other go, and for a brief moment they looked into each other’s eyes, then Roxanne leaned forward, gently kissing Julie’s lips.
Before Julie could even relax Roxanne backed up, her eyes on her feet, her hands behind her back, as if she was ready to be scolded.
She had never done something that bold before, at least not with another woman. With men it was easy. She felt nothing, and so there was no risk in getting involved. With Julie it was different. She couldn’t explain it, but at that moment a whole new fear took over. She feared that she had damaged whatever they had been forming between them over the last couple of days with one simple kiss.
Then she felt Julie’s hands on her shoulders, pulling her close. She looked up and their lips met. Roxanne’s eyes closed tight, and she seemed to vanish into the kiss. For the moment their lips were joined the world and all it’s problems didn’t exist.
It was one of the few perfect moments in Roxanne’s life

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.42

William found Carla sitting in the family room, curled up on a sheet covered couch, a magazine in her lap. She seemed perfectly at ease, the complete opposite of what he felt at the moment.
He was two seconds away from loosing his mind and running into the woods, praying that the Black Rose Society forgot all about his existence.
He took a deep breath, and sat in the chair across from her.
"What you reading?" He crossed his legs, his fingers tapping the padded arms of the dusty chair.
She held up the magazine, and he nearly burst out laughing. It was a teen pop mag from back when they were in high school.
"I found a whole stack of them in a box over there." She flipped the page, but didn’t look up at him.
"You must have spent a lot of time here back then." He looked over his shoulder, out the large bay windows that looked out into the woods, and then the lake. "I mean, you and Julie were really close."
"Not so much in the house. More like around the house." Carla looked up, throwing the magazine to the floor. "Julie’s dad didn’t really like company."
She stood and started fishing through a large cardboard box. William could hear the sound of objects shifting, clouds of dust billowing out with every move. The particles seemed to dance in the fading sunlight.
"What did I do Carla?" William stood, his hands held out, palms up. He was physically, and emotionally opening himself to her, and he was half ready for her to strike.
"Nothing." She looked back at him, confused. "Why?"
"It’s just... I thought maybe we had something starting up, but now you’re acting kind of..." His mouth was moving, but he couldn’t think of a word that wouldn’t make her angry.
She walked over to him, and he felt his muscles tightened. He was half expecting a slap, but what he got shocked him. Her lips pressed against his, her hand gently moving through his hair, then resting on his neck, pulling his face gently towards hers.
When she finally let him go he knew he looked like a complete idiot. He could feel the large smile on his face, and his cheeks burning as the blood rushed to them, probably making him as red as a beet.
"William, if this is going to work, then you have to understand that I’m not always the warmest person." She smiled, walking back towards the box. "You should get the crash course from Paul. Our marriage may have been a shame, but he did know me backwards and forwards."
"I think I want to learn through my own experience." He walked up behind her wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her body close to his. "I learn best through experience."
She turned, gave him a light kiss, then stepped back. "That was cute, and so cheesy at the same time."
She laughed, then returned to her box.
"Help me find something to read." She knelt down on the floor, tipping the box over. "Kind of need a distraction, and the teenage hunks of 2003 just aren’t doing it right now."
William joined her, fishing through the dusty magazines and creased paperbacks. It was like looking at a time capsule. He had been older than Carla and her friends, so he hadn’t really been into the same things as them, but he was surprised by how many memories this stuff recalled.
"Makes you feel old, doesn’t it?" He picked up a small young adult novel, a picture of a young girl’s ghost floating over some guy’s bed. The title was written in a bright red foil, the font seemed to be dripping off the page.
"A little." She looked at him. " I’m only twenty six, not eighty."
He nodded.
They sat there for the next hour, not speaking much, but just enjoying the memories that the boxes contents brought back. Memories of a simpler, safer time.

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.41

Julie sat in her bedroom, the sound of people moving about the house an oddity to her ears. She had gotten so use to being alone, with only her memories to keep her company. Now there were people, actually living beings invading her space. It was an odd feeling. Part of her wanted to run into the hallway and scream for them to all leave, to leave her alone with her past. The other part took comfort in knowing that life surrounded her once more, and not just the ghosts of the dead.
She heard a knock at her door.
"It’s open." She looked up, her mind still in a slight daze.
Roy peaked his head inside the room, hesitant to enter. She nodded, and he stepped in.
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay." He sat on the end of her bed next to her, his hands folded in his lap, his eyes taking in the familiar surroundings.
"I’m fine." She laid back, letting out a loud sigh. "How are you holding up? Heard the nurse gave you a pretty good beating."
"I’ll live." He grew silent, his eyes falling on her dresser.
She sat up, and saw that he was looking at Brian’s picture.
"You miss him?" His voice shook a little as he spoke.
"Yeah." She walked to the dresser, picking up the picture. She handed it to her cousin.
"It feels like a lifetime ago, doesn’t it?" His eyes were glued to Brian’s face. "You weren’t there were you?" He looked up. "When it happened?"
She shook her head.
She had stayed on the dock, sunbathing with Carla when the guys took out the boat. At the time she hadn’t had a great feeling about letting Brian go, but how many other times had they all followed that same routine? Almost every weekend during the warm months it was hanging out on the dock or taking out the boat. Brian had practically grown up on that speedboat.
Julie sat down, taking the picture back.
"How did it happen?" Her fingers traced Brian’s face over the smooth glass.
"I don’t know." Roy looked towards the window, then the door, but never at her. "We were just hanging out, talking. Then Brian was at the front of the boat. We were moving, and I guess we must have hit a wave or something, because the next second he was gone." Roy paused, his hand gripping the bed spread. "Then the next thing we saw was a red cloud forming in the water behind the boat."
Julie knew the rest. She had seen Roy and Paul diving off of the boat, searching for Brian. She could remember the fear twisting in her gut as she watched, waited for her brother to break the surface, okay. He didn’t.
Paul had been the one to pull him from the water, and the first thing Julie had noticed was that her brother’s right arm didn’t look right. It seemed, from the elbow down, to just be a tangled, red mess of flesh. There was no hand, just this stringy flesh.
His head had been hit as well. The doctors said that was what had killed him. They had retraced his actions before dying for her parents, and she had been unlucky enough to overhear.
Brian had tried to block the propeller with his hand, but it hadn’t worked, and he had been pulled into the swirling blades, one of them connecting with his skull, cutting off the left half of his scalp and cracking his skull.
Roy stood, not looking at her.
"I’m sorry." His voice gave away the fact that he was crying.
"For what?" Julie reached out, placing her hand on his.
"I should have been watching him." He looked down at her, his face streaked with tears, his lips trembling. "I should have kept him from going out on the front of the boat. I was... I was to caught up in Paul. I wasn’t paying attention."
"Brian knew what he was doing. He wasn’t a little kid Roy. He was a teenager." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "So were you. It was an accident."
Roy nodded, but he couldn’t speak. He leaned down and kissed Julie on the forehead, then left the room, leaving her alone with the vivid memory of her brother’s death now newly refreshed in her memory.
She stood, placing the picture back on the dresser. She couldn’t take her eyes off of her brother’s face. The picture had been taken a year before he had died. He was only fifteen, she was seventeen. Still, he looked older. He had gotten so tall over the past year, and his face had seemed to fill out more, loosing the softness of childhood, replaced by the refined edges of a growing man. His brown hair had been long, falling in front of his face in strands, blocking his left eye from the camera’s view.
She left her room. It suddenly felt to small. She needed space, life.
She rushed to the main staircase, through the kitchen, and out onto the back porch.
The lake air hit her, and she realized she had been holding her breath. She let the cool, slightly humid breeze enter her, fill her lungs. Instantly she felt calm. The sounds of the lake, the birds and frogs, blocked out her thoughts.
She leaned against the wooden railing, closed her eyes, and let herself vanish into the dusk that surrounded her.

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.40

William sat on Paul’s bed, examining his patient’s wound. He was glad to find that it hadn’t gotten infected, but it wasn’t healing as fast as he had hoped either.
"It still hurt?" William began applying a new bandage to Paul’s side.
"Not to bad." Paul looked out the bedroom door and into the living room where Roy was talking to Carla and Stephen.
"You need to keep physical activity to a minimum." William pulled Paul’s shirt back over the wound. "That includes sex."
Paul glanced at him, and gave a weak smile.
"We couldn’t help ourselves." Slowly he sat up, leaning his back against the large wooden headboard on the bed. "What are they talking about?"
"We’re all getting moved into Julie’s house, at least for the time being." William picked his black leather bag off the floor and started loading his equipment into it. "I’m going to get an ambulance to take you over there."
"Roy is coming?" Paul couldn’t take his eyes off his boyfriend, and the way Stephen kept touching his shoulder, or the looks he would give him. It made Paul’s skin crawl.
"Of course. He wouldn’t let you out of his sight for two seconds." William glanced over at the three people talking in the living room. "You’re going to hate this part though. Stephen’s coming to."
"Why?" Paul tried to lean over quickly, but was greeted instead by a stabbing pain.
"Take it easy! He’s just there for protection." William gently helped Paul get into a normal seated position.
Paul hated that he was in such bad shape. They were all stuck in a life or death situation, and at the moment he was of no use to anyone. God forbid they had to run from anything.
He knew Roy would be there for him, but after what he had put Roy through over the years he refused to be the one who got him killed.
"Great, we’ve got Johnny Wad protecting us." Paul crossed his arms over his chest, sighing. "I feel safer already."
"Jealous?" William smiled, his right eyebrow arching.
"Of Stephen? Of course not!" Paul tried to laugh, but he knew how forced it sounded. "It’s just... I led him around for so long, and I mean, yeah, now I want to make this a serious relationship, but..."
"Roy doesn’t love Stephen. He loves you." William patted Paul on the leg and stood up. "He has for years. Why do you think he put up with you for so long?"
"William," Paul looked the doctor right in the eyes. "Take care of Carla. Watch out for her. She’s strong, but not as strong as she thinks, and she’s stubborn, but she’s a good woman. Protect her."
"I will." William looked at Carla. "They’ll have to kill me first before they get to her."
"Don’t say that. They just might."
Paul and William’s eyes met, and they both knew they had to be ready to either die for the ones they loved, or watch them die. Paul was not ready to die, but he wasn’t going to let Roy go. Not now.
-*-
Julie opened the main gate and led the small procession of cars up the long drive towards the front door. She parked, and got out of her car.
She could see the sky changing from blue to a light orange and pink. It would be night soon, and she had a feeling that this night in particular was not going to be an easy one.
She opened the front door and let everyone in. She watched as Roy helped Paul up the stairs, his hand around his waist, taking each step slowly. Carla brushed past them, William right behind her.
Roxanne stood at her side. Her one small, bright red duffel bag slung over her shoulder.
"Never thought I’d get to sleep in a mansion." She looked around the foyer. "This place is huge."
"Tonight that may not be a good thing." Julie closed the front door.
Stephen would stop by in an hour after he set some stuff up at the station. Until then, the whole group was on their own.
She motioned towards the stairs.
"Go find a room."
Roxanne slowly started towards the stairs.
"Just not the last room on the left. It’s... it was my brother’s room."
Roxanne looked back at her and nodded, then made her way up the staircase.
Julie crossed her arms, her eyes closed. She sighed, rolling her neck.
She was sure this was going to be another long, sleepless night.
They were going to need coffee.

Double Episodes Today

I'm posting episode 1.39 today due to the fact that because of a commitment at work I won't be able to post it tomorrow.  Yay for double episodes!  Posting will resume its regular schedule friday.

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.39

Roxanne stood at the sink, the water running hot. She could see little wisps of steam evaporate over the small plastic basin. She couldn’t seem to focus. Her eyes never seemed to stay on just one thing, and when they did the whole world seemed to just stop, vanishing into a cloud of white.
She shook her head, trying to snap back into reality, but it wasn’t happening. She was to tired, to frightened and to hung over to deal with any of this.
She looked in the mirror and frowned. Her make-up was smeared, and she had a nice sized bruise forming on her right cheek from her little fight with Harvey.
She was guessing that Moira hadn’t liked that Harvey had lost that round.
She closed her eyes, her hands gripping the side of the sink. The sobs started again, but the tears were few and far between. She just didn’t have anything left in her. She was so drained.
She had dealt with so much in Chicago, but nothing compared to this. She had seen violence, but nothing this brutal. She was in over her head, and all she wanted was out.
She took a deep breath, tried to calm herself down. If she didn’t get a hold on things she would go insane. She could feel her mind right on the edge, getting ready to let go.
She turned the water to cold, and waited for it to cool before taking a handful and splashing it against her face.
Blindly she reached, her hand grabbing for a paper towel. Instead she found her hand resting on a bare, human shoulder.
"Welcome to Spirit Lake, Roxanne." The voice was a whisper. "I hope you enjoy your stay."
Her eyes snapped open and she screamed. She expected someone, something to come at her, but all she saw was empty space.
She was alone.
She checked the stalls, but no one was there.
She couldn’t stay in that room, alone, for one second longer. Even though she could see no one, she could still feel something. She rushed to the door, grabbing the handle and froze.
A soft, warm breath hit the back of her neck, followed by a small sigh.
It was as if an electric bolt had shot up Roxanne’s spine. She pulled the door open, rushing into the bar.
She saw Julie doing the same thing at the front door.
Their eyes met, but they said nothing. They just walked back to their table and sat down. She could feel Julie’s hand grab hers, then give it a squeeze.
"I don’t really feel like being alone right now, do you?" Julie’s voice shook as she spoke.
"Not really."
"Good."

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.38

Stephen had told Julie the plan, his eyes begging her to go along with it. She couldn’t argue that it was a good idea, but she had to wonder if the Kramer Mansion was the best place for everyone.
Still, she agreed.
The storm was coming, Moira had told her that much, and after seeing what she had done to Harvey, and what Nurse Fitch had tried to do to her cousin, she knew Moira was making good on her promise. It would better if they were all together to face it, then divided and vulnerable.
Once Stephen had finished talking to her, she sat at the same center table they had all been around last night. Roxanne sat there, chewing on her nails, her face pale, her eyes bloodshot.
"You guys will be safe up there." She didn’t look at Julie as she spoke, and her words were mumbled because of the fingernail she had locked between her teeth.
"You’re coming to." Julie closed her eyes as the front door opened. The bright sunlight was making her hangover worse. "You’re part of this. Harvey made sure of that."
Roxanne looked at her, eyes wide. She shook her head, her brown hair swinging from side to side. For a brief moment she looked like a child.
"I didn’t sign up for this. Julie, I’m not from here. I got no ties here." Tears were welling in Roxanne’s eyes. "Why’d he have to come after me?"
"For those very same reasons you just listed. You have no ties. No one would think twice if you vanished." Julie didn’t know what to do to console her new found comrade.
Truthfully she was just as big a wreck as Roxanne was, at least on the inside. Her throbbing head and sour stomach just made it harder for her to express it.
"I could just leave." She pulled her finger from her mouth, the gnawed nail starting to bleed, and crossed her arms over her torso. "I could just pack up my things, and get the hell out of here."
"You know to much, and you know that. Moira would never let you go." Julie was starting to get frustrated. "Listen, you’re going to get yourself killed unless you calm down."
"Calm down?" Roxanne stood, the chair she was sitting in crashing to the floor. She pointed towards the window, right at the view of the library, where two police officers were taking pictures of Harvey’s body. "I don’t want to end up like that Julie. I don’t want to end with my guts wrapped around my neck, hung from some building, naked. I just want to leave."
Julie stood, not sure what to do. She grabbed Roxanne wrapped her arms around her.
Roxanne burst into tears, her body shaking. Julie gently ran her hand up and down Roxanne’s back, trying to calm her like a mother would calm her baby. It wasn’t working.
"I’m so scared." Roxanne’s voice was moist mess.
Julie sat her down, but kept her hand on Roxanne’s shoulder. The contact seemed to be working, but not quick enough. She was still a hysterical mess.
"We’re all scared." Julie’s voice was soft, sweet.
Roxanne looked out the window at Harvey’s body one last time, and then stood, walking towards the bathroom.
"You okay?" Julie stood, ready to run after her.
"I’m going to be sick." Roxanne didn’t look back as she spoke. She just pushed open the door to the lady’s room, and vanished from Julie’s view.
She collapsed on her chair, her head swimming. She could feel the alcohol sweating from her body. She wanted a hot cup of coffee and a shower so badly, but she was stuck in the Hub until the police said it was okay.
She needed fresh air. The bar was getting stuffy, and a few of the officers had lit up cigarettes, making the air near unbearable. She pushed past the door, letting the officer know she would just be outside. He gave her a look, but let her through.
She leaned against the worn wood side of the bar, the black paint was warm, absorbing the heat from the sun.
Main St. Was mostly empty, but it was still early. She was pretty sure that by noon the place would be packed. Harvey’s body would be gone, and all that would be left would be idle town gossip.
She looked out over the lake. The way the light reflected off of the slight ripples made it look kind of like tin foil. The trees surrounding the shore were bright green, lush. It all looked so peaceful, so beautiful.
She knew better.
A young couple walking by glanced her way, and at first she thought nothing of it, but then they kept watching her. The young man pulled a flower from his pocket and handed it to the girl. She sniffed it, and as the blossom touched her nose Julie felt her stomach knot up.
The young girl was holding a black rose. They both smiled at her, then kept on their way.
Suddenly she didn’t feel like she needed any more air.

A Call To Writers (Sorry About the Cheesy Title)

So, here is my little call to writers.  All you writers out there, I want you to start your own serial web novels.  Why?  So many talented writers go by never having anyone read their work.

Web comics have been doing this for years, and it is time for those of us who have writing talent to take a risk and jump into the deep waters that are blog publishing.

The other reason I want more people to attempt to write web serials... I want to see what you guys can come up with.  I would love to find a series out there and get hooked on it.  I would love to see the community grow, because I want to see what comes of it. 

So, my call to all you writers out there.  Create a serial web novel.  Do it however you want, about whatever you want.  Put it out there, and see if people react.  Stick with it.  Complete it.  Give it a try.

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.37

Carla now found herself tucked in the back office of the Hub, a blanket around her, and cops milling about. Stephen Roberts sat in front of her, a concerned look on his face.

"Three murders in two days. What the hell is going on here?" He rubbed his mustache, his eyes on the floor.

"You wouldn’t believe me if I told you." She couldn’t look at him. She closed her eyes, wrapping the blanket tighter around her body.

"Try me." He stood and began pacing. "Carla, if you guys are in some kind of trouble let me know. I can help you. I want to help you."

He placed his hand on her shoulder, attempting to comfort her, but she could only pull away. She didn’t want to be touched, to even be looked at. She just wanted to curl up into a little ball and vanish.

"You can’t help us," she snapped. "This... thing that Harvey had gotten himself caught up in is powerful. More powerful than some small town police force." She stood up, pushing past Stephen, and out into the bar where the cops were questioning the rest of her friends.

He grabbed her arm, stopping her. She turned and slapped him.

"Don’t touch me!" Her voice was a shrill shriek.

"Tell me what you know Carla. This town is going crazy pretty damn fast, and I need to know what’s causing it." He was screaming now, his face red.

Carla was shocked. Stephen looked genuinely scared. She was guessing he didn’t get many mutilated bodies in Spirit Lake. She stopped, then motioned her head towards the office.

Stephen followed her, closing the door behind him, locking them away from the rest of the world.

She had known Stephen for most of her life, but at that moment she wasn’t sure she could trust him. She knew how old the Black Rose Society was, and how deep its roots were, but right now she had to take a risk.

So she told him everything, every last detail. He sat there in stunned silence as she went on about the messages, and Charles Kramer’s diary, and seeing Harvey with Moira in the library.

He didn’t speak for a few moments, and she was afraid he was going to laugh, to tell her to knock it all off. She didn’t know what she would do if that happened. If Stephen didn’t believe her after what he had seen, then no one would.

"I don’t know what to do with that." His fingers went back to rubbing his mustache, his eyes darting around the room. "You’re serious."

"Do you think I would joke about this Stephen?" She leaned forward, looking right in his eyes, and when she spoke her voice was a low whisper, almost a growl. "Three people are dead. One of those people tried to rape Roxanne last night, and another one tried to take out Paul and Roy. I would not joke about this."

He met her gaze, but could only hold it for a few seconds. He stood, turning his back to her, his hands running through his hair, over his face. He turned, and she could sense his fear.

"Do you know where they are? Like, a headquarters or something?"

"I doubt they would advertise it, and it probably isn’t a good idea to tail Moira Clawson, considering she’s a psychotic, murderous witch." She could feel her face growing hot with anger. She knew the police would be useless.

"Then you all need to stay together. If she comes after you, you’ll be better in a group than alone." He glanced out the office door, into the bar. "Maybe you guys could stay here."

"I am not living in a bar for the rest of my life. Roy and Paul may be able to put up with it, but I can’t." She leaned back in her chair.

"Then what about Julie’s house. It’s big enough, and it’s gated." He looked back at her. "I could stay with you guys for tonight, maybe tomorrow, and we can have a police guard around you at all times." He sat down, closing his eyes, his fingers rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I can’t believe I’m actually believing all of this. If it was anyone else telling me this... fantasy, I would have them committed. You, on the other hand..."

"Stephen, it’s not just me and my friends. It’s the whole town." She leaned forward, placing her hand on his knee.

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.36

Carla had been the first one to see Harvey’s body. He had been strung up, his intestines used as a noose. He was dangling in front of the library, his swaying body blocking the big glass doors that led into the main lobby.

She didn’t know why she screamed when she saw him. He was a monster, in league with the enemy. Yet, he was still a kid, and what they had done to him.

His torso had been completely torn open, his insides spilling out. His face was cut, bloody. He hardly looked like himself.

Worst of all they had stripped him, exposing the twisted flesh that had once been a twenty year old college kid who had just gotten involved with the wrong people.

After she had screamed she had stood there, frozen in place, unable to run, to call the police. She was in shock. If they would do that to one of their own, what would they do to her? To her friends?

When she finally could move she ran back into the Hub and had thrown up. At first her friends had thought it was just a hang over, but then they saw what had gotten to her. Most of them followed her lead, and spilled the acidic contents of the last night’s drinking binge.

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.35

Julie pulled into the parking lot of the Hub, and was surprised to find it deserted. The place was usually packed every night, tonight the whole town seemed to be dead.

She pushed open the door and found William, Carla and Roxanne all sitting around the center table of the bar, a bucket filled with ice and beer in the middle of them.

"You all look like hell." Julie pulled up a chair and sat down, pulling a beer from the bucket and twisting off the cap.

The cold, bitter liquid was exactly what she needed. She leaned back in her seat and looked her friends over.

"Well, we’ve been through it, so I guess that’s appropriate." Roxanne was the only one at the table smoking, her cigarette shaking between unstable fingers.

"She got attacked." Carla pretended to read the label on her bottle, avoiding taking a drink. "So did Paul and Roy. Nurse went crazy at the hospital."

"Is everyone okay?" Julie sat up, shocked at what she was hearing.

"No. A friend of mine was killed." William put his beer down, and began to rub his eyes. "This isn’t going to just go away, is it?"

"I don’t think so." Julie looked around but she couldn’t find Paul or Roy.

"They’re upstairs. Both of them are in pretty bad shape." Carla stood, heading over to the jukebox. "How about something happy? We could all use a change of mood, right?"

"Please." Roxanne took a long drag.

"I met your great-grandmother." Julie looked at William. "She looks mighty hot for her age, and she doesn’t seem to really like clothes."

Carla stopped dead in her tracks. She looked at Julie.

"Tall, long black hair, big boobs?"

Julie nodded.

"And bright red lipstick." Julie took a swig from her beer. "Moira Clawson is very much alive."

William sat up straight, nearly choking on his beer. His eyes met Carla’s, and Julie could sense that they knew exactly who they were talking about.

"The woman with Harvey." Carla’s hand went to her mouth, her eyes wide. "That was your great grandmother."

"I think I’m going to be sick." William got up from the table quickly and rushed towards the bathroom.

"What’s his problem? And what about Harvey?" Julie turned around to look at Carla.

Carla sat back down at the table, but she still seemed dazed.

"She was the woman we saw with Harvey in the library."

"You mean William watched his great grandmother getting it on with some twenty year old?" Roxanne stuck out her tongue, her face contorting in disgust. "That’s disgusting."

"So, creepy family moments aside, what do we do now?" Julie put her beer down on the table, and pulled one of Roxanne’s cigarettes out of the pack.

William walked back towards them, his face sheet white. He sat down, and followed Julie’s example, grabbing a cigarette.

"You know doc, those things are bad for you, right?" Roxanne slipped her pack off the table and dropped it in her purse.

"I got turned on by my great grandmother performing some twisted blood ritual in the public library last night. I think I deserve one cigarette." He lit up and took a small drag.

"We get ready to fight." Carla stood, walking behind the bar and grabbed a bottle of whiskey. She poured her self a rather large glass, and tipped it back to, not stopping once to everyone’s amazement.

"I thought you didn’t drink?" Julie was starting to feel a little worried about her friend’s state of mind.

"I’m going to need a little liquid courage to do something as stupid as fight some ancient nymphomaniac who seems to like young men’s blood and the cool night’s wind between her legs." She poured herself another glass.

Julie walked to the bar and grabbed the glass from Carla before she could take a drink.

"Give me that." Carla reached for it, and Julie stepped back.

"Hell no. We all need a clear head." She looked at Carla, then downed the glass herself. She had to struggle to keep the whiskey down, but once it settled she slammed the glass on the bar. "So tonight we can relax, but once the sun rises, we need to get our act together."

"Aye aye Captain." Roxanne gave Julie a salute, then finished off her beer. "I’m going to need something stronger than this."

"I think we all do." William stood, walking over to the bar. "Hand me that bottle of Vodka."

"Try whiskey, it’ll put some hair on your chest." Carla handed him the whiskey bottle.

William shrugged.

"It’ll get me drunk, won’t it?"

Carla nodded, and William took the bottle, popping off the little serving cap, and took a big swig.

Roxanne was at his side.

"Save some for me."

Julie sat at the bar, watching her friends drink away their pain. Right now it felt like the only thing they could do. If they didn’t forget, at least for a few hours, she knew they wouldn’t be able to handle what knew Moira had coming.

-*-

Moira sat on her throne, Harvey at her feet. He was naked, quivering, huddled in a ball and crying. She couldn’t understand what he was saying, and every time he opened his mouth, a thick pool of blood would push past his lips and dribble down his chin.

He was pitiful.

She stood, kneeling next to Harvey, her hand gently stroking his back.

"It’ll be okay baby. Let me make you feel all better."

She took his head in her hands and rested it against her bare breasts. She could feel his warm blood dripping onto her skin, and his young, strong life force entering her body.

Harvey had failed her, true, but he would prove useful to her in other ways.

Her hand moved to his chest and gently stroked the smooth, hairless flesh.

"Yes, all better." She curled her nails, pushing them against the center of Harvey’s chest.

He howled as her fingers broke the skin and began to dig into his flesh. He tried to get away, but she grabbed his hair, yanking his head back.

She looked into those wide, terrified eyes, and smiled. He was crying, and yet, she could see that he was still excited by her touch.

"Just think, you are sacrificing yourself for me. What greater honor is there, really?" She yanked her nails down, ripping his chest open.

The blood sprayed out, covering her body. She dropped the twitching body that had once been Harvey Ridge, and stood, feeling his youth enter her, empower her.

Her followers watched, then when she turned, walking back to her throne, the pounced, surrounding Harvey’s lifeless body, getting what little of his life blood they could.

Moira sat back in her throne, her legs crossed, her body now bloodless. Her skin had absorbed every last drop.

Both her minions had failed tonight, but it had gotten the point across. Julie and her little friends now knew that the Black Rose Society meant business.

She closed her eyes, feeling her skin becoming taught, her muscles gaining strength. Oh how she loved being young and beautiful, and luckily she knew how to stay that way forever.

She laughed, the sound echoing through her crypt place

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.34

Roy walked into his bedroom, trying the best he could to be quiet. He could hear the soft sound of Paul snoring. He slipped into the bathroom, turning on the light once the door was closed.

He glanced into the mirror and nearly screamed. He looked horrible. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his skin was pale. He quickly took off the shirt the hospital had given him. The one he had been wearing was covered in blood, and had a nice sized cut on the side. Then he turned on the shower, not even waiting for the water to completely warm up before he slipped inside.

He scrubbed as hard as he could, washing away every bit of the night from his skin.

When he was done he turned off the light and tip-toed into the bedroom.

His body didn’t relax until he laid down, feeling Paul’s warmth next to him. He gently put his arm over Paul’s waist, curling up behind him. He felt Paul gently squeeze his hand.

"You’re home." Paul rolled over so they were face to face.

"I didn’t want to wake you up." Roy gently touched Paul’s cheek. "You settling in okay?"

"Of course. How many nights have I spent in this bed?" He could feel Paul’s hand on his side. "It was just odd not having you next to me."

They kissed, their bodies pressing against each other. He could feel Paul’s hand moving up his chest, stopping, carefully playing with his chest hair.

"I don’t think you’re in much shape for..." Roy felt Paul’s finger press against his lips.

"I think I’ll be okay."

They kissed again, their hands exploring each other’s bodies with care. It was almost as if they were making love for the first time.

For the time he and Paul were in bed, it seemed like the horrors that had transpired earlier that night hadn’t even happened.

When they were finished they both drifted off to sleep, still wrapped in each other’s arms.