FicWad

A darkened alley sometimes creates more enlightenment than any torch or candle could ever create. As the sun set into the horizon, the orange glow that surrounded the suburban streets faded, and the city was encased in a dark blue glow.

When the last of the light disappeared, howls and screeches from the distance began to echo out into the night, and shadows began to move into open spaces. Many houses and buildings were locked and shut up for the night, and after a long time, there were no more twenty four hour shops or bars open into the early hours of the next day. This was the future, they were in the past. As the loud noises of night became more and more recognisable, boards and shutters were heard to drop in the night as people protected themselves from the dangers that surrounded their world. The night was never safe; darkness was now something to be terrified of. The figures that paced the streets paced with an emptiness, a hollowness that showed them to be nothing but existing creatures. They showed no real need to be anywhere, just a need to get by. A need to carry on fighting to live.

It was these times of night that the truth of the world showed itself, and the darkness that surrounded the earth came to life. Street lights were the only sources of light around, all lights from windows in houses had been extinguished and the lights that should be coming from cars out late night shopping or partying were no-where to be seen. Cars that were outside were misshaped and vandalised, spray paint on the windscreens and battered doors hanging onto the bodies for dear life. The roads were lined with shattered glass, the people that inhabited the roads in the daytime obviously not caring for the rubbish and mess all over their streets. A short walk down a road takes you to a small courtyard, where people had gathered into a small crowd. Their anger and hate was clear in the way their bodies stood hunched, snarls on their lips and chants being passed around the group. This scene was a usual one for times like this. You’re looking at the future, and this is standard for these times. Trying to survive.

~~~

“I want another drink.” She continued to stare into space, her eyes fixed on the cracks in the yellowed wall opposite their seats at the bar. The other woman shook her shoulder slightly, jolting her from her daydream.

“What?” Her expression seemed uninterested in whatever the other woman had said, not caring about being where she was at that moment.

“I said I want another drink, Izzy,” Izzy shook her head, fixing her eyes to the other woman.

“No. I'm bored. Let’s get out of here Mel, I don’t want to run into any hunters at this time, not now the Dandies are back. That lot make the rest of us look bad.” Mel rolled her eyes.

"You're no fun at all you know. Were you this way in New York?" Mel smirked and Izzy shook her head.

"Don't be a bitch," She muttered, before leading Mel out of the bar. The two headed down a small road, up to a row of houses opposite a little stream. Turning a corner, they saw a black car with four men standing around it. Izzy furrowed her eyebrows together then widened her eyes.

“Mel, get to the house, I’ll be there in a few minutes...” Mel looked puzzled.

“What’s up?” She turned her head to the men then made a sound of realization. “Hunters?” She whispered, and Izzy nodded. She turned into the street and headed towards their house, and the four men turned to her with weapons pointed to her. Izzy listened to what they said to her, after she held up her hands and shouted to them.

“It’s fine, I’m normal. This is my house...” They approached her and looked her up and down. One of them lowered his weapon and sighed.

“What are you doing out at this time then? It’s still two hours till sunrise,” She nodded.

“I know, I was out at Jacobs bar downtown.” They all ushered her into her driveway.

“Fine, but be careful, don’t walk around here on your own okay?” They turned to their car and she shrugged and went to walk inside. She glanced towards the end of the road where she knew Izzy was, then opened the door and walked in. Izzy sighed and looked closer at the men next to the car. One turned around and faced her way, and she gasped as she saw his face. They all then turned to face her end of the street and she realized she must have gasped a little too loudly. She looked up to the building next to her and jumped to the roof, careful to not make any more noise. She tip toed along the roof, and the men on the ground looked confused as they walked towards where she had been standing. She ran the rest of the way and landed in her garden after jumping from the roof. As she stepped into the house she recalled the face she had just seen outside.

Patrick.

~~~

“I thought you moved to New York.” Izzy rolled her eyes as Daniel appeared next to her, raising his eyebrows at her dark expression.

“I did. I came back.” He smirked slightly.

“If you came back for them, you’re wasting your time.” He indicated to the men that were leaned against a car in the street below the building they were standing on. He sighed at her lack of response.

“It’s been two years, Izzy. They aren’t going to let you back in.” She turned to face him and snarled.

“You don’t know that. Besides, what the hell makes you think I’m back for them? I could be here for the scenery. Chicago streets are pretty at night.” He scoffed.

“Maybe because you don’t think anything is pretty anymore. Maybe because you can’t stop staring at him. Maybe because your body language tells me you’re desperate to go there. Maybe because you were outside their house earlier. Or maybe it’s just because I can read minds Izzy, and I know all you’re thinking about is them.” She rolled her eyes and stared down at the ground forty feet below them.

“Spare me. All I want to do is see them, okay? Not talk to them or let them know I’m here. Just, see them.” Daniel sighed again.

“Just, don’t let yourself in again. You don’t need them anymore, and they don’t need you. You’ll just get you or someone else hurt.” She sighed to herself and nodded.

“I know.” She turned to face him. “You can go now.” He snarled slightly before shaking his head.

"Just be careful Izzy... especially when the equinox comes. They’ll be out in the day too and you know if they see you you’re done for,” Her face resumed its previous angry expression and stared up at him.

“Dan, you can go now,” She repeated her earlier statement, and he rolled his eyes and snarled, before turning and disappearing into the night. Izzy looked back over the view of the small courtyard, and saw the four men patrolling slightly. She smirked to herself. They never really did do much patrolling. Just stood around and talked. She cursed at herself for reminiscing about them, and stretched as she got ready to go back to her house to go to sleep. She heard some muffled noises, then realised she had just yawned and stretched, very obviously, in front of the men below, who were now rustling around looking for their weapons. She widened her eyes and stepped backwards out of sight of the men, ready to run across the rooftop. She turned around and gasped, a gasp which was met by a similar gasp from a man behind her. He must’ve jumped up here when she yawned, she realised.

“Oh, god,” She mumbled, and he widened his jet black eyes to the face he could see.

“Izzy?” He questioned, and she gulped slightly.

“Pete... what,” She looked him up and down and gulped again. “You got turned...” He glared slightly and snarled.

“Well done miss observant, maybe if you had stuck around you would’ve known...” She snarled back at him, and walked closer to him, making him step back slightly at the evil in her eyes.

“Fuck you Pete. I left for you guys, I left to protect all of you, so don’t give me that bullshit, I don’t need it,” He let his features soften.

“What are you talking about? How did you get ba-” He was cut off by shouts up the stairwell, where the other three men were running up to the roof. Pete turned to shout back to them, and when he faced back to Izzy, she was gone. He ran to the ledge and peered over the side, but she was no-where to be seen. He sighed, and faced the men that were now on the rooftop watching him carefully.

“Well? What was it?” One of the men approached Pete and he winced slightly.

“Patrick, you don’t want to know.” Patrick creased his eyebrows and stood in front of Pete as he tried to walk away.

“What is that supposed to mean? Was it a Dandy...? William even?” Pete snarled at Patrick making him jump out of the way.

“No-one. It was no-one.” He sighed to himself as he walked towards the stairwell. I can’t let Patrick get hurt again, it took way too much of a toll on him last time when she left. Shouts came from behind him and he slowed down to let them catch up.

“Dude it must’ve been someone, we saw them walk away from the ledge,” Pete turned around.

“Leave it Joe. Just, leave it.” He growled under his breath and the men knew he meant it. They walked in silence all the way to the car before Pete turned suddenly just before opening the car door. The three men flinched at the sudden movement and stared at Pete.

“You’d want me to protect you guys right?” Pete asked, and stared at the bewildered men.

“What’s that supposed to mean, Pete?” Joe asked, and Pete stared at him.

“You’d want me to protect you guys,” He repeated. “From dangers. Stuff like that. Protect you from things that could hurt you. People that could hurt you. Right?” They widened their eyes and looked at each other.

“Pete we don’t know what you-” The other man was cut off as Pete couldn’t hold what he had just seen in any longer.

“It was Izzy.” Pete winced at his own lack of self-control and watched as Patrick widened his eyes.

“What?” He murmured, and Pete gave the most sympathetic look he could muster. He watched as Patrick’s defences broke down and ushered them into the car as quickly as he could. The other man stopped him before he climbed in.

“You really saw her? Just now? On the rooftop?” Pete nodded and sighed.

“Yeah, Andy I did. I didn’t want to tell Patrick but he would’ve gotten it out of me eventually. Besides, she disappeared before I could talk to her properly,” Andy sighed.

“But she’s back? For good, in Chicago I mean?” Pete shrugged as he climbed into the car.

“I don’t know, I just know we need to keep our eyes open for her.” Andy nodded.

“Yeah, we will.” Pete looked in the rear-view mirror at Patrick who was staring into space. Pete sighed and started the engine, thinking about the old acquaintance he had just met on the rooftop.

Izzy.