Sunset Strip: from the Tome of Bill Series

by Rick Gualtieri

  I worked up a good sweat, or at least I should have. Though my eyes wanted to close, demanding sleep, my body seemed to have endless energy. By the time I was finished, my heart should have been pounding, but instead I felt nothing in my chest - not even the need to breathe harder. Maybe all those nights of dancing were finally paying off. Yeah, that had to be it.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Technically, I was supposed to be at the club by four, but I tarried a bit longer in my tasks than usual. There wasn’t any reason for it - or so I told myself - I just wanted to make sure my place was tidy.

  Finally, I risked a quick glance out my lone window. Oh dear, it seemed I’d worked until the sun had started to set. Marlene might be mad, but I could just tell her I’d felt ill during the day and had slept late. She’d understand.

  Rushing out the door and into the rapidly approaching night, I felt good - like my life was mine once again.

  I’d go to the club, dance for a few hours, then pop by Mark’s. Maybe I’d even tell him about the crazy dreams of the past day. Then we’d have a good laugh as I described how I’d become a crazed animal and killed him.

  “Here’s to a normal night,” I said, smiling as I locked the door behind me.

  Chapter 22

  *CRACK*

  Mark’s fist impacted with my jaw again and I spat more blood. Marlene’s goons had dragged Christy and me upstairs. There, she’d compelled me to plant my ass again. Apparently Marlene’s connections with the wizards in town were better than I’d have thought possible. Christy was bound to a chair with old-fashioned manacles that were aged and rusty, but not so much that the symbols carved into them weren't visible. They weren’t entirely dissimilar to the scrying wards I had painted on the walls of one of my coven’s safe houses. Considering the surprised look on Christy’s face when she saw them, it was a safe bet to assume they were designed to keep a witch like her from causing any trouble.

  I wasn’t sure what they had planned for her, but they seemed to have something in mind for me, which, at the very least, involved my former boyfriend beating me to a pulp. What can I say? I apparently have quite the talent for getting into abusive relationships.

  “You killed me, Lucinda. Killed me like a dog and just left me there.”

  “I didn’t know,” I said, once my mouth wasn’t full of fist.

  “How could you not?!” he screamed as he backhanded me.

  Ow!

  “Well, I mean...I knew I killed you,” I replied defiantly. “I just didn’t realize you had turned.”

  “Is that supposed to make me feel better? Do you know what I did when I woke up? I killed every single person in my building.” He grasped my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “Some of them were my friends.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Are you? I highly doubt that.”

  Mark was wrong on that count. He wasn’t the only one who’d lost friends that day.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  1979

  “Jeez, Lu, you’re late. Marlene’s gonna pitch a nicotine fit,” Tina, a slender brunette who danced under the stage name Bambi, said. Her tone was stern, but there wasn’t any real animosity behind it. We’d always gotten along well. Heck, I had even babysat her son on a few occasions.

  “Nah, I heard she switched to menthols,” joked Minnie, a young dancer who’d been hired around the same time as I had and who loved to share the latest gossip amongst the club.

  I gave a small smile, walked over to the mirror, and began applying my makeup. This was my normal, and I was happy to have it.

  “I know why she’s really late,” said a voice from the door. It was Betty. She was already wearing her tassels and not much else. She flipped her flaming red hair over one shoulder with a shake as she walked into the dressing room. “Seems like little Lucinda here has finally gotten with the program.”

  “Don’t be silly,” I said, concentrating on my eyeliner.

  “What do you mean, program?” Minnie asked. She was a nice girl, but a little dense at times.

  “No way. Not Lu,” Tina said. “She’s not one to turn tricks.”

  “Oh...Oh!” Minnie cried, catching on. “Really? What happened? Spill!”

  “Nothing happened,” I replied. “I just had a rough night.”

  “Oh?” Betty sauntered up. Her eyes mocked me in the mirror. “Then who was that guy you left with last night? He didn’t look like your dump of a boyfriend.”

  “Leave Mark out of this,” I warned as my temper rose. That was surprising. Normally, I was above letting a little verbal sparring rattle me. It wasn’t like me to have a short fuse.

  “So where’d you do it?” she asked. “His room? A friend’s place...”

  “Yeah, Lu,” Minnie joined in the teasing. “Come on, tell us.”

  “Let’s just drop it.” The eyelash curler snapped in my grasp. “Goddamnit!”

  “Sounds like someone is fibbing,” Betty mocked, leaning over my shoulder. Her breasts poked me in the back, further violating my personal space.

  “Leave her alone, Bets,” Tina scolded. “She said she had a hard night.”

  “Oh, I bet she did.” She leaned close to my ear. Her breath puffed against my neck. I could smell the perfume she wore, could hear the beating of her heart. Oh no! I closed my eyes and willed it to go away. “How hard was your night, little Lucinda?”

  “Please,” I begged. Something sharp pressed against my tongue...make that two sharp somethings.

  “You’re not better than any of us,” Betty said. “And you’re certainly not too good to make a few extra bucks on the side. So tell us, how was he? He was pretty muscular. I bet he liked the rough stuff.”

  She grabbed hold of my shoulders and spun me to face her. The scent of her perfume gave way to the smell of the blood that flowed through her veins. That pushed me over the edge. The semblance of normal that I’d been grasping slipped through my fingers. I opened my eyes and grinned.

  “What the fuck?” she gasped, no doubt seeing black, soulless pits staring back at her.

  Before I knew what I was doing, I backhanded her and sent her flying across the room. Betty and I hadn’t hit it off, but I’d never wished her ill before. Now, though, I found myself oddly enjoying what was to come. She and her red hair that men would go crazy for. The fucking whore was all too willing to give them whatever they wanted for a price.

  I paused, wondering where these thoughts had come from. It was like all the repressed anger I kept locked up inside of me was loose. The girls in the room had once been my colleagues, and some of them my friends, but now they seemed so small, so insignificant. Playthings for my amusement, nothing more.

  “Oh my God!” Minnie shrieked. “What’s wrong with you, Lu?” She stepped up and slapped me across the face.

  She never was that bright. All Minnie had going for her was her body. Where would she be in a few years when age caught up to her? She had no future to speak of. This place would use her up and then spit her out.

  In some ways, I was doing her a favor.

  I reached out and grabbed the sides of her head, violently twisting it with the unnatural strength that was now at my disposal. Her vertebrae snapped like matchsticks. I held her up for a moment longer, watching the light die from her eyes. It was a fascinating thing to see. How had I never considered doing this before? It suddenly seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

  She dropped bonelessly to the floor. The sound of her heartbeat faded to nothing in my now overly-sensitive ears. Such a fragile thing was life. All too easy to snuff out, and far too tempting to resist doing so.

  Betty was slumped against the wall, stunned from my blow. She wasn’t going anywhere. That left Tina.

  She was a smart girl, far brighter than Minnie had been. Seeing what I’d become, she didn’t hesitate for more than second. Letting out a screech of horror, she turned and raced to the dressing room door.

  I was on her before she could open it more than an inch. Her screams wou
ld probably attract security, but that was okay with me. The party was just getting started, and I was anxious to greet some more guests.

  I shoved her forward, slamming the door shut and breaking her nose against it. A small voice inside of me cried out. Tina was a good person, a friend. She had a six-year-old boy, Brock, who would draw the sweetest pictures at school - pictures that she always hung up on her refrigerator.

  I laughed. As if such petty mercy meant anything to me. I wrapped an arm around Tina’s neck, cutting off her air. I began to drag her back toward where Betty still lay. Her nails scraped against my flesh in a futile attempt to break free. The pain of her fingernails digging into my arm was strangely enjoyable.

  Little Lucinda had been my nickname amongst them, a playful jest upon my size. That girl was gone now. In her place stood a creature of stature. Try as Tina might, I didn’t loosen my grip for even a moment. Within a minute, her struggles weakened. I found myself somewhat disappointed it was ending so soon. I was almost tempted to let up just enough for her to take a gulp of air...almost.

  Her life force slipped away and I dropped the useless bag of meat left behind. I smiled and licked my lips. Only Betty remained, and sadly for her, my little display had worked up a bit of a thirst in me.

  I’d given her enough time to recover, though. She blinked and her eyes began to clear. She kicked out her left leg and hit me in the shin. It was a pathetic blow - I barely felt it - but it ruined my balance and I went down to one knee. Nice! I’d underestimated her. She was a bit of a survivor after all.

  She began scrambling backward, away from me. She’d picked the wrong direction, though. Rather than head toward the door, all that was behind her was wall. I grabbed her foot before she could escape my reach and dragged her toward me.

  A flash of wicked inspiration hit me. I grabbed at the cheap skirt she wore and ripped it away, revealing her g-string - the one that, on any other night, would be full of bills in just a few hours hence. A lucky customer might even find himself buying a chance to remove it, if he produced enough money.

  I shoved her legs apart and she let out a wail.

  “What’s the matter, Betty?” I asked, innocently. “I thought this was right up your alley.” I opened my mouth and bit down on her inner thigh. My nose guided me to the blood - a major artery. I tore open her flesh and began to devour her very essence. She fought back, hands tearing at my hair and beating down on my neck and shoulders. It just made me want her more. Oh God, I had never felt so turned on before.

  She continued to shriek as I drank and became drenched in the torrent that flowed from her. I reached up and grabbed one arm that was entangled in my hair, playfully snapping her wrist in the process.

  I lost myself in her. Her fear and struggles added to the incredible taste. It was as if a fine chef had seasoned her, turning what would have otherwise been a gourmet meal into a feast fit for a queen.

  I became dimly aware that the blood slackened along with her will to fight. That was okay. I would allow her the peace that death...

  Rough hands grabbed my arms and dragged me away, interrupting my intimate moment. I was pulled to my feet and spun around. The granite-like visage of Colt, our chief bouncer, met mine. I snarled and threw a punch, wondering how it would feel to rip through his muscular chest and tear his still-beating heart out.

  Imagine my surprise when he caught my fist in his meaty hand. I tried to pull away, but his grip was like a vise. It was impossible. I’d torn through people - my friends - like they’d been made of tissue paper. There was no way he should have been able to...

  That’s when his eyes turned black and he flashed fangs of his own. There were more like me? He was one, too? Had Jeff infected others at the club?

  Sadly, answers weren’t forthcoming. The next thing I knew, Colt’s fist slammed into my jaw, sending me spiraling down into the comforting darkness of oblivion.

  Chapter 23

  *CRACK*

  Mark clocked me in the face again. It was starting to get tiresome. Compulsion would be useless against him. Sure, I’d turned him, which would give me an edge, but our closeness in age would mean he’d be able to fight back and quite possibly shake me off.

  I decided to try talking instead. If I could get him to start yammering, at least I wouldn't be force-fed knuckle sandwiches. “Are we gonna keep up this foreplay for much longer, or are we going to finally get to the point?”

  “I’d heard that you’d grown up. That the little girl I loved was now a big bad woman calling the shots. Not calling anything now, though, are you?”

  Oh he didn’t just say the L word, did he? I really hoped that all this bullshit wasn’t because he was still smitten with me. That would kind of suck for him. He’d been a nice guy, but I’d gotten over him a long time ago.

  At least, I was fairly sure I had.

  “Wait,” said Christy. “This is the guy you were telling me about? He’s the man you were dating back when you were still...”

  “Say the word ‘human’, witch,” Mark replied, his claws extending, “and I will cut your unborn child right out of your stomach.”

  Christy’s gaze carried with it a look of pure unadulterated murder, but she immediately clammed up. I could see why. He had meant every word. I wasn’t the only one who’d grown up.

  “What happened to you?” I asked, truthfully wanting to know.

  “What happened to me? What happened to me?! After you murdered me, I had nothing. I had no idea who I was. What I was. Unlike you, I didn’t have the fancy clothes or high-rise apartments. I didn’t live the high life and sure as shit didn’t have fate drop our legendary savior right into my lap. You’ve been given everything. I, on the other hand, went underground, surviving off of rats and any derelicts I could catch. I lived that way for years. During those dark times, I used to pray that you’d come back. That you’d explain what had happened and offer me a way for salvation. Together, we could have done it.” His voice started to crack. If he began crying, I was seriously going to consider asking that he stake me and get it over with. I really wasn’t in the mood for a sob story.

  “Let me guess. Eventually, Marlene found you.”

  “Yes. Where you failed me, she was my angel. She pulled me from the pits of despair and offered me a new option. She took me under her wing and showed me that not only could I live again, but I could be better than I ever was before. I could have all those things you had, and more.”

  “So where does Kara come into this?” Christy asked, unable to keep her mouth shut.

  It was a mistake. Mark backhanded her without his gaze leaving me. Her head rocked back and she went limp. I could hear her taking ragged breaths, which was good, but she was out for the count.

  “Yeah,” I added, making sure his attention remained on me lest he decide to follow up on his earlier threat. “If, as you said, you had it all, then why bother with her? Why come all the way across the country to pick up some ditzy teenager from Jersey?”

  “It’s simple,” Marlene’s voice replied from the second floor landing onto which she’d just stepped. “It’s because you fucked us all.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  1979

  “WAKE UP!!”

  Instantly, my eyes popped open. One moment I was in unthinking darkness, and the next I was wide awake. I blinked a few times and looked around. Large hands grasped me on either side, holding me upright. Colt’s I guessed. We stood in the main room, next to the stage. Marlene was there, glaring at me.

  I looked past her and my breath caught in my throat. Behind her was Uncle Colin, but that wasn’t who’d caught my attention. Jeff stood there, too. The smug look upon his face told me he was well aware of what he’d done.

  The urges that had taken hold of me in the dressing room had subsided, which meant I had no desire to see him take any other victims.

  “Watch out, Uncle Colin! He’s a...”

  “A what?” Marlene's eyes turned momentarily black. She was one of them?! Oh God!
“Do you even have the faintest clue of who you are or what you’ve done? NOW SIT DOWN AND BEHAVE!!”

  All at once, my mind became all cloudy. I opened my mouth to cry out, but had no voice. My throat had sealed itself shut. It was as if I was plunged into a dream. Marlene’s words were...overpowering, the word of God himself. I couldn’t resist and had no desire to.

  “That’s a good girl.” She reached out and gently caressed my cheek, tracing a line down my jaw and neck with one finger. Her face shone with disappointment. “Such a waste.”

  I became vaguely aware of Colt’s hands letting go of me. Rather than run, which was what I should have done, I calmly walked over to the bar and sat on a stool.

  Marlene turned around. “Now, Colin, let’s have a little chat.”

  Colin? Uncle Colin? Oh no! I found the strength to fight and the mist cleared from my head a bit. Jeff, Colt, and now Marlene? All of them were those...things. I wouldn’t let them take Uncle Colin, too.

  “Run!” I shouted, finding my voice again. “They’re monsters! Save yourself!”

  Marlene turned back to me, a look of both disgust and pity upon her face. She opened her mouth, perhaps to command me again, but Uncle Colin put a hand upon her shoulder. What was he doing? Didn’t he realize the danger?

  “I’ll handle this, Marlene, my dear,” he said smoothly. Something in his voice had changed. Gone was the paternal tone he’d used so often with me. In its place, arrogance had seeped in. “After all, I do feel this is partially my fault.”

  “Partially?” she growled. Her eyes turned black once more.