“Global superstar, Sandy Moss was found dead at her home yesterday morning. There have been no official details released of the cause of death although early reports suggest that foul play is suspected. Her husband, Travis Davies, and the family’s butler, Broof Hogwash, are currently in police custody.
Sandy Moss was most well-known for her roles in multiple blockbuster movies. Her career spanned two decades and included a multitude of Starlight Accolade winning performances, most notably her depiction of Clarissa, a mother desperately trying to save her dying son, in A Kind Heart, a role that saw her catapulted to fame overnight.
Sandy was also well-known for her philanthropy; funding both the Willow Creek Soup Kitchen and the charity Sims Safe At Home.
Police also continue to search for April Moss, 18, who has been missing since Sunday. Concern is growing for April who is described by those who know her as ‘vulnerable and unworldly’.
Stay tuned for updates as we receive them.”
“What are we going to do now?” Faith fell back into the chair, the news still rolling behind her. The three of them had been watching it all day as they simmered in the aftermath of the revelations. “We can hardly go out hunting in bars now everyone is looking for you.” She glared at April.
April couldn’t help staring at the television. It was so strange seeing her own face on it. She wondered where they’d got that picture. Who would describe her as ‘unworldly’? She didn’t know what it meant but it sounded very exotic. “You two can still go. You’ll have to bring mine back.”
“Like a pizza delivery?” Faith snorted. “I’m not gonna risk bringing anyone back here, not now.”
“Well what do you suggest then?” April asked.
Faith thought for a while. “We’ll have to go and hunt for hikers, I guess. Or hitchhike and see who stops. I don’t know.” Faith scratched her head. “Does the book say anything about whether we can live off animals or anything?”
April shook her head, thumbing through the tome. “It says we need to feed from humans as it maintains our… humanesque form and functions.“
“Great,” Faith murmured. “So I guess catching deer is not an option then? I don’t want to be growing antlers or shitting in the woods. Hitchhiking it is.”
Melinda laughed, “Yeah, because no psychopaths ever stop to pick up hitchhikers, do they? That’s a much safer option than a vampire ready meal.”
Faith had noticed something under the sofa, but she tried not to react. “Come on, April. Let’s go now. I’ll flag them down, you just lurk in the bushes or something. I’m going to need to borrow your tiniest skirt.”
The two of them headed upstairs. Melinda took a moment to compose herself, resolute in her decision.
She pulled her phone from her pocket, tapped the map app. She switched to satellite view and zoomed in around the local area. She was looking for anywhere she could see a good break in the trees. Anywhere she could get an unobstructed view of the stars.
It looked like there was some sort of cliff about 2 miles to the east.
That could be perfect.
Faith and April had returned and Melinda hastily stuffed her phone back into her pocket.
“You’re definitely not coming, Mel?” April had settled beside her, taken her hand. “You do realise that if you don’t go and feed you will probably just attack someone, right?”
“I know.” Melinda wasn’t great at lying but, screw it, they’d been lying to her this whole time. She tried to sound casual, “I found a guy hiking in the woods last night while you were at the club, so I drained the dork.”
“Did you… kill him?” April asked.
“Yeah, sure, why not?”
“So what will you do tonight, Mel?” April asked, her voice shaking.
“Might go find another one. Then I’ll probably watch a horror movie.” She couldn’t seem to stop herself now. “The goriest one I can find. All the guts and squishy bits. I could do with a light laugh.”
“Right.” April gently stroked Melinda’s arm. “Are you sure you’re OK?”
Another lie, why not? “I’m fine.”
As soon as they’d cleared the gate, Faith turned to April.
“What the actual hell have we done?”
April sighed. “I know. If I’d had to put money on which of us would turn out to be a murderer, I’d have bet on you, not us. I guess you’re just a rapist.”
“Oh, I’m just a rapist, what a relief.”
“That’s still a bad thing to be, Faith.” April said, once again missing the sarcasm. “Who’d have thought that she’d become so brutal, so heartless? What are we going to do with her?”
“I think we should let her leave us.”
“No! She’s mine. She’ll go to Lilith.”
“If that’s where she wants to go, fine. She’s not Mel anymore. She’s miserable and cold and running wild. She can’t keep killing random men, April. Whether Lilith helps her or turns her into a pie, the problem is solved.”
“I’m not letting her go!” April stamped her foot. “We can give her more time to come to her senses! We should go and see if we can find that guy she had last night. Do you think she dumped him in the same place she dumped Paul?”
Faith ran her hands down her face. “Bloody hell! The ravine will be full of them at this rate.”
Melinda watched the two of them from the window as they headed towards the path that took them to the main road. Then she felt around under the sofa for where she’d hidden her backpack.
She would go to that cliff. She would see the stars.
She wouldn’t come back.
–
Five glasses in and it was starting to have an effect on her empty, animated corpse. Lilith had only gone to the bar to see if she could find her brother, but Joe, the bartender, had a great way of tempting her to spill her secrets and that way was called absinthe.
He poured her a fresh one. “Bad day at the surgery, Doc?”
“Or has this got something to do with your wayward brother?”
“It always has!” Fred, the local drunk, laughed. “Do you know what you need, Lily?”
“I’m sure you’ll tell me.”
“You need to go get yourself a man!”
Perhaps I do. “Are you offering, Fred?” Lilith asked, only half-joking.
Fred laughed, “Forty years ago, I might. I’m way too old for you now, darlin’. I’m not like that creep, Will, fondling teenagers under the table.” He thumbed across the room at no-one in particular.
“You got teenagers to come in here?” Lilith asked, surprised.
“Yeah,” Joe said, “Three girls! Guess we’re getting trendy! I don’t think they were quite old enough to be in here, mind, but I only served them lemonade, even when Will started trying to get them drunk.”
“The slimy git.” Fred hiccuped.
Joe chuckled. “I charged him through the nose for the shots of water he was plying them with. They didn’t seem to notice it wasn’t alcohol. Thought if I kept them clear-headed they’d avoid him like the disease he is. I feel for his poor missus. Not been two months since she gave him a son and he’s already screwing around, again.”
“Females! They just don’t know what’s good for ’em,” Fred said, cradling his beer sadly, “Letting themselves be taken in by the likes of that sack of shit. Pardon my language, Lily.”
“He hasn’t been in since and he’s usually in every night. Maybe Beth finally chucked him out,” Joe mused.
Lilith was probably the only woman within a ten mile radius that Will hadn’t managed to lure into his truck. Not for lack of trying on his part. She’d often been tempted… but only to drain the smug smile off his face.
She had an inkling which teenager might have left with Will. She hoped Faith had drained the rat.
“Some people need to realise when it’s a lost cause,” Fred said. “Like you, Lily. It’s none of my business, but,” Fred started and Lilith rolled her eyes, “now Caleb’s got his girl, you should probably back off a bit, love. Leave the poor guy to his life.”
“His girl?”
“Yeah. He was in here the other night, necking that green stuff, talking about ‘the most beautiful girl in the world’. Said he’d completely effed up.”
Lilith emptied her glass and held it out for a refill. “Did he now,” she stated, dispassionately.
“I told him to go see her, smooth it over. Take her a gift, you know you ladies like that kind of stuff.” Fred nodded, wisely. “‘Bout time he found a nice girl, if you ask me. Good-looking fella, your Caleb, despite his strange hair. He can’t live with you forever.”
Clearly not.
“Hit me again, Joe.”
“I think you’ve had enough, Doc.”
“I’ll know when I’ve had enough.”
Joe sighed and reached back towards the bar. Lilith could hear his thoughts as he rued her drunkenness; could hear Fred’s as he fantasised about those exact girls who he was ‘way too old for’. She tried to focus on sounds that were actually there, the commentary from the television. Sport, as usual.
“Joe, put something else on,” she said, her face still resting on the bar.
Joe set down the drink he’d poured and changed the channel. The reporter announced the story of the day.
“Holy hell,” Lilith gasped.
“Hey!” Fred called, pointing at the screen, “She was in here the other night! The blonde girl!”
“Are you sure?” Joe squinted at the screen. “You know, I think you’re right! Should we tell the police?”
“No!” Lilith shouted. “I mean, no point, right? They’re probably miles away by now.”
“Yeah, suppose. Plus they were in here on Saturday and the report says she went missing on Sunday. You don’t think Will had something to do with it, do you?”
“Nah. They’ll find her soon enough, Joe,” Fred said. “Look at her. Movie-star good looks. She’s not going to be able to hide out with us common muck for long.”
Joe looked back at the screen. “Eighteen… I could’ve served her after all.”
Lilith watched the images on the television flash before her eyes. She tried to focus on the conversation around her and not on the burning rage that was threatening to release ten levels of hell.
The fact that Caleb had, once again, brought disaster right to her doorstep in the form of a pretty face.
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Almost Eternal 
Oh dear, what a mess. I think Broof is probably the highest risk at the moment, he knows too much. We don’t really know anything about his personality or motivations, but given that he was having an affair with Sandy, he may want to get some vengeance. Unless of course his affair was all for show. Oh if only we knew what broof was thinking.
I see you had fun with Sandy’s film career and philantropy 😀 Kind heart indeed.
I will ignore the parts with the cliff and stars until I have more information.
I’m surprised April and Faith are buying Melinda’s personality chanhes so easily. But then, I’m also not.
The Lilith bar scene was hilarious. It’s kind of nice that she (and Caleb) are known regulars in the bar, I would have thought they keep to themselves. Good on them to still be maintaining some human contact (apart from of course the necessity of Lilith’s surgeon work)
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If only we did…
The bullshit was strong in Sandy.
Next chapter.
I don’t think they would have, if they hadn’t found Paul in the state he was in. Plus, panic is setting in, it can make people react rather irrationally.
Glad you liked it. Lilith has such a great face. She just kept looking at me during that whole scene like ‘seriously, Snuffy. What are you doing to me?’
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I’m going to stick with the positive interpretation here, of Melinda wanting a view of the stars to think about what she wants to do with her life, and leaving the terrible experiences she’s had with Faith and April so far behind. The alternative is heartbreaking and I don’t want to go there without more evidence of her intentions.
But it’s so telling how her two lifelong friends don’t think, even for a second, that Melinda isn’t telling the truth. They don’t listen. Not to nonverbal signs, either. Either Melinda has never had to hide something from them in her life, or they never really paid attention to her at all. I’m leaning towards the latter, seeing how in the flashback you showed her pushing herself to the background so Faith would be happy. I can see her doing that all the time, and Faith/April (with how self-centered they are) just never caring enough to notice when Melinda is struggling.
Faith surprises me here more than April, though. We know that April is jealous, possessive and extremely insecure, holding on to friends like they are her possessions – but Faith being willing to let her die at Lilith’s hands, just like that, is the real shocker to me. “The problem is solved” – that line is chilling. They’re panicked, I understand that – but Melinda was their friend for years. That is stone cold. And I mean that in the worst way. 0.o
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I know it seems like a hopeless pile of shit at the moment, but perhaps someone is more aware than she’s letting on.
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Oooh are we getting a surprise heart-to-heart soon? I hope so! I’m still lowkey shipping Melinda and Lilith, so, *fingers crossed*
Also, I’m super invested and totally going into analysis mode from your characters, but I really enjoy the story!
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Analyse away, heck knows I have. 😉
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I really liked this section. You have chosen some really expressive pictures of your main characters.
Now the murder of Sandy Moss has ended up on the News and spread all over the world.
(I think it’s a cool way you show the TV screen)
I also think it’s pretty funny that Sandy’s most famous role is in the movie “A Kind Heart” since we all know she was far from a kind heart when she was alive.
April and Faith are so panicked and the only thing they seem to agree on is that Melinda is the biggest monster of them all. I think it’s hilarious
Lilith seems somewhat desperate and discouraged … I mean she’s trying to escape the realities by pouring endless amounts of drinks at a bar.
It looks like she’s getting sober right away when she hears the news and Fred tells her that Caleb is in love.
As a headless chicken, Caleb has once again created problems for Lilith and himself.
To me, it almost looks like everyone is buckling headless round at the moment. It’s tragically comic.
I hope Melinda meets Lilith again as they may be the only two who have yet retained a little bit of common sense.
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Yep, the secret is out. Even the run-down bar in the middle of nowhere isn’t safe now.
Certainly everyone has lost their heads. Hopefully the comic elements continue drag you successfully through the tragedy.
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Well, that was an ominous comment by Mel. Hopefully, she is really going to see the stars with her dad or maybe going to see Lilith. But why the cliff? That doesn’t sound good.
Hmm, Faith’s lack of sympathy for Mel brings up a lot of questions. I have a bunch of theories. Either Faith is completely heartless and doesn’t care or even notice. Maybe she does care, and she knows that Mel will leave and that is the best thing for Mel. Or she is afraid that Mel will murder more people and wants her out of the house so she doesn’t draw suspicion to the house. Or Faith is hiding something and Mel will eventually find out and Faith wants Mel out of the house so she doesn’t reveal Faith’s secret (this might be totally out there, but this is what my mind does, runs wild with crazy theories, lol).
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Why the cliff indeed? It’ll become clearer, eventually.
One of those theories is correct and another is correct-ish, which you will now know as I see you have already read Hot Poison. 🙂
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I have learned a lot about my morals reading this story lol. I’m like: you left Broof alive!
Lilith is a queen, but man did she enable Caleb and his nonsense. She isn’t responsible for him, and clearly all the years of taking care of him didn’t count for anything once he got distracted by April.
Speaking of which, this is my regular: “Caleb is trash” posting.
Okay, good, moving on: Fred, all women do not need men.
Travis, why did you let the media think April is missing? How is she supposed to start over? Like, can’t you ever take the blame for a crime you didn’t commit right?
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I think you’re the first person who wanted Broof to die! Hurrah!
Well, Caleb does have the materialistic trait. And as far as humans go, April is quite new and shiny.
All women DO need men. And we all demand gifts to superficially resolve any conflicts in our relationships. Fred is wise. Hence why he’s painfully, woefully single and cradling his flat beer.
Travis didn’t even check that his aunt was alive before sending his precious daughter to her. I don’t think he’s gonna be winning any awards for his intelligence, parenting or lawyering (is that a word? It hasn’t come up red, so I’ll go with yes) any time soon.
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I am super bloodthirsty lol.
Thank you for explain Fred’s “wisdom.” If only he were 40 years younger ::sigh::
But seriously, eff Broof. That dude has to go.
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Your comments crack me up. 😂
Yep, definitely his age that’s working against him and not… literally everything else. Can’t all be as attractive as Will, can they?
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Haha thank you, this story is killing me. I was trying to only read a few chapters a week to make it last. But now that I know the second one is out, I will be binging!
Gosh, Will, what a class act.
I have noticed that I only want the men in this story to suffer. April is terrible but I’m like: she’s fine, she’ll grow out of it. Girls will be girls!
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Noooooo! They arrested Broof! 😭
Uh-oh. I think Mel’s gonna see something else not just stars at the cliff. It must be where Faith and April dumped Paul’s body. Poor girl. How is she going to live with herself?
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Maybe she’ll think ‘oh, he’s dead now, I’ll have a nibble’
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Duh. I just can’t, how little those two dumb bitches care for their supposed friend.
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First off, sorry for the accidental double post last chapter. It was the first time the site lagged for me while posting. OwO I´ll know not to now.
…and apparently, I´m most interested in all the details of vampire lore. (Nothing new, as I said, I adore worldbuilding.) So the first thing that catches my attention is that apparently, the book thinks something really weird would happen with vampires if they fed off animals. That, too, opens lots of possibilities is correct.
Melinda makes me totally mimic her facepalm. Psychopaths, really? That what worries you? I mean as long as they´re human you should be just fine. Besides if you do manage to find that sort, you probably don´t have to feel bad about draining them dry. Sounds kinda ideal to me. PX Except for the hiding the corpse problem, of course…
On the topic of Faith and April not noticing or caring about Mel… Faith did notice something under the sofa. And she looked back at Mel really weird just before they left. I still think Faith is a friend. April on the other hand… “she´s mine.” Yep. Now I´m totally convinced it´s the blood bond talking.
Otherwise… I´m very much not missing Will, but do wonder if he´s okay. It would be good to know how well the vamps are doing on the “no permanent damage” front. Fred is just a bitter looser, apparently. Though… his comments do hit a little. Why /are/ the bad boys always so much more interesting?
And lastly, Lilith and her drinking. Again, it makes me wonder most about the technicalities. Is she actually drunk or just emotional? Seemed to get her bearing awfully quick at the bad news. She did think it was starting to have an effect on her, but five glasses… I guess vampires get pretty resistant to the stuff. Just how resistant, though… so many interesting unknowns. The fact it might indeed be good for her to stop mothering her brother and get /some/ kind of her own life… well, that goes without saying, doesn´t it?
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What double post? 😉 It’s probably lagging because I’m trying to upload about a million pictures.
Ooh, I know! If that’s true then I wonder what happened to those ‘vampires of old’ Lilith mentioned who fed off cattle.
Yes, as long as the psychopaths are human, everything will be fine.
So observant. 😁 I shall say no more.
I could launch into a whole psychological essay here about why exactly bad boys are so interesting… but there might be a better point in the story for that so I shall refrain. Fred and I do not usually see eye-to-eye on anything, but we shared a silent nod of mutual agreement over the idea that Lilith needed her own life.
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=^.^= Maybe.
Hmm… hard to say. Maybe it depends on how much you feed on animals and if you do mix humans in there sometimes or not at all?
(Can´t tell if you´re being sarcastic or not.) I mean, as a vampire, one could expect to be stronger and faster than a human. But you don´t want to bet on it too much, of course. Then again, April has her wriggles. She /would/ be okay.
Heheh, I´m not even sure if I´m cheating here or not. Can´t exactly remember if I was suspicious the first time ´round here. Guess we´ll see later! (I´m definitely stubborn, though. Takes a lot to convince me to change opinions once I make them.)
*laughs hard* There probably shall be a better time for that. I might just say it´s probably some remnants of our deep past. You know, when we had no modern comforts and safety and a pregnant woman /did/ need protecting against whatever might want to eat her.
See, exception happen! 😀 There is very few rules without any.
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Haha! It’s safe to assume that most of the time I am either being sarcastic or not entirely serious, so please read absolutely everything I write with tongue firmly in cheek, unless I explicitly state otherwise. 😉 I know sometimes this can come off as offensive, but that’s never my intention.
What if the thing that wanted to eat her *was* the bad boy?
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Hihi, don´t worry. Not taking anything the bad way, here. 😀 Just, explaining myself a little more.
*snickers* Well, now wouldn´t that be a problem.
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Well either the camp book or April is lying about what happens when u drink from animals. History tells me it’s April. I’m hoping Mel can get away. Having that loon as my vamp “boss” would be like checking into an asylum.
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Vamp book. Stupid autocorrect
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A camp book might have more answers than this one. 😁
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