Mandy’s advice

You awoke from a strange and feverish dream. Visions of writhing horrors in a vast dark ocean, all them calling out to you in a thousand voices of pure malevolence. You felt your blood turn to ice, the air leave your lungs and bile rise in your throat. They creatures reached out to you with obsidian black claws ready to pull you down in the depths of perdition. But when you awoke, all was fine.

You lay in an unfamiliar bed, the sheets soaked with sweat. It was still dark, though from between the blinds on the window you suspected that sunrise was perhaps a half hour away. Confusion took hold, but you were so exhausted and it was all you could do to keep your eyes open.

Running a hand through your hair, you let out a shaky breath. “Fuuck.”

“Morning.”

You were so startled by the voice that you turned and fell from the bed, hitting the floor with a groan. When you opened your eyes you were graced by the sight of Mandy peering across at you from the floor, a slight smile on her face.

“Bad dream?” She asked mildly. “You were moaning and muttering a bit through the night.”

It came back to you, where you were and what happened last night. That clarity of mind didn’t make you feel any better. “Bad dreams,” you agreed, rubbing your head. “Monsters trying to eat me….yeah, I slept like shit.”

There might have been a flash of…something you thought could have been sympathy in those dark eyes. She crawled over until she atop you and gave a surprisingly chaste kiss on the lips. “Dreams are just dreams.”

She felt pleasant, pressed against you, and very warm. The scent of vanilla hung in the air about her. You reached and brushed a lock of her hair, feeling how tangible and real it was. Though the two of you had fucked each hours earlier, it was only now with her so close and in such an intimate position that you felt she was truly flesh and blood. It made her seem far less of a monster.

“You said this place was a… nest?”

Mandy hummed, leant her head against your chest as if to listen to your heart. “Yes, the owners are away. Vacation or something. It’s serviceable enough, don’t you think?”

“ What will you do when they get back?” You were almost afraid to ask.

“Depends,” she said into your chest. “If they’re attractive, I play with them for a while. If they’re boring, I move on,” she looked up at you. “I don’t leave unnecessary corpses around. Created too much attention.”

Practically rather than morality, but still the answer made you feel relieved. Another question sprung to mind, and you felt strangely awkward asking it. “You don’t have anywhere permanent? A …family home or some place you grew up?”

“Michael,” she said, her dark eyes big and observant. “Have you already forgotten what I am? My sire is one of the beings from the other side. The woman who birthed me died shortly after the fact. It’s only my power and preternatural maturation that allowed me to survive in this realm,” she considered a beat, “ and the internet of course. Your public libraries were a shelter and education both.”

“But still,” you insisted, “do you really just inhabit people’s homes while they’re away? You’d be moving around all the time.”

She shrugged. “It’s fine.”

“I don’t have the first idea how I’m going to explain you to my mom or…literally anyone in my social life, but I’ll try and find you some place permanent to stay.”

Mandy considered that with a smile, then let out a little sigh. “There are too many eyes around town right now, we’d best served keeping a low profile. Our enemies can’t know about our alliance. They’ll be extra vigilant in the coming weeks.”

“They’re going to kill a girl this Friday,” you said.

“Probably others after that,” Mandy said mildly. “Little rituals to build up to their grand sacrifice.”

“We can do? I feel like I’m running in circles.”

Her eyes grew distant. “I’ve tried to observe them as best I can,” her mouth pressed into a thin line,”though it’s been difficult of late with how wary they’ve been….still, I’ve noted that some members of their order are fraying. It only takes one weak link to break the chain. I’ll give you a name and a location.”

You blinked and there was a slip of paper within her hand which she passed to you. ALBERT JOHNSON, BARKER DRIVE. Frowning at the name, you tried to search your memory for any hint of recognition, some face to go with it. None turned up.

“Who is?”

Mandy sighed. “A higher ranking member who has been feuding with this town’s mayor. If you can break him, he’ll sing such sweet music…”

That stirred a newfound enthusiasm. You sat up, feeling energised. You had a goal, you had a target. You could work with this.

“Just remember,” Mandy said, putting her hand on your cheek, “you need to get him to talk,” her eyes darkened. “By any means necessary…”