Chapter 2
We are the dead who are never led
We are the warriors on the edge of time
We hide inside your brains we lurk inside your minds
-
Hawkwind -
After the carnage in the club, the cool city air was a welcome relief to Jericās super charged awareness. Before the night was alive, now it seemed as if it were solid with sensation, taking another hit of the white powder Jeric stalked the streets. Turning left down an alley he was a thing out of nightmare, a shadow from another time another becoming. As he strode through the filth and debris a scent reached him borne on the solid air, it told of another of his kind. Stopping Jeric sniffed the air straining his senses to the limit. The presence he detected was powerful, so powerful that it had spanned the timelines of possible futures, with a smile Jeric stepped sideways through time.
This was another London another time, the alley was the same yet subtly different, the colours somehow muddier, muted. Walking to the end of the alley he stepped on to the main road. Neon illuminated the flat starless sky with garish reds and blues; the light casting strange and twisted shadows that danced with the promise of a thousand exquisite pleasures. Sending forth his mind Jeric easily found the presence that he had detected back in his London, here it was much stronger, almost overwhelming in itās intensity; Jeric locked himself in on the presence and followed.
Walking slowly he passed shops and bizars, all offering services and pleasures beyond measure, a large group of people emerged from the doorway of one, laughing and jostling they pushed past him, the smell of blood rising from them, thick and heavy. One girl came out of the doorway slightly behind the others, her face pale and drawn her lips thin and spiteful. Jeric staring at her, saw that puncture marks decorated the smooth skin of her neck. She stopped in front of him one hand went absently to her neck whilst the other pushed down the front of her skirt
āPleaseā she moaned, and turned her head to one side exposing her much bitten neck to him.
āPleaseā She moaned again. This display of shameless need made Jeric hard as he stepped toward the girl, enfolding her thin body in his arms he pierced her neck. All the previous users of this piece of meat had stopped short of draining it completely; Jeric in his state of arousal drank deep; ejaculating into his trousers as he did so. Looking up he stared after the girlās friends as they wound their way down the street ā uncaring.
Jeric could feel the presence; it was nearer now, achingly close, thoughts swirled through his head could it be her? His nemesis after all these lonely years of searching since her last death, was it nearly time?
Drunk with destiny he stumbled along the road, no longer paying attention to the things around him. Images flashed before his inner eye, faces from the past, some serene, some taunting him with unfulfilled promise, emotions writhing in gossamer streams were choking his heart.
So caught up in his reverie Jeric nearly missed the plain wooden door set slightly back from the road, it was of heavy oak, darkened by the passage of time set in a door frame of stone, carved to resemble a man and a woman writhing in ecstasy / agony, it was the maw of a demon, a road to hell. This was the placeā¦
Jeric pushed at the door, it opened without a sound swinging inward on well-oiled hinges. A dark corridor opened up before him, the tension in the air was so strong it was palpable, it spoke of desire and danger and dreams of dark places. Taking a deep breath Jeric walked into the all-consuming darkness. As his eyes adjusted to the dark he could see that the walls were of black marble, dark veins of red ran through it like blood. Sending out his awareness Jeric could sense no end to the passageway it seemed to stretch off to an infinite night. Determined he walked on for what felt like an age before he felt hands like vices grab his elbows from behind. With his arms pinned Jeric attempted to twist around and tear the throat out of his assailant, there was no one there, hissing his anger the world went black as a leather hood came down over his head.
Disorientated Jeric felt an iron collar snap tightly around his neck as he was dragged unceremoniously forwards. Deprived of his sight Jeric heightened his senses of smell and hearing he could hear nothing but the hiss of his boot tips being dragged along the smooth floor. Smell though was different, he caught a myriad of scents on the air, perfumes exotic and dark, sweat and sex were sharp but the base note was the metallic odour of blood, it seemed to permeate the air the stone, pulsing with a life of itās own a real force.
An unexpected blow to the backs of Jericās knees sent him sprawling face down on the cold floor, instinctively he lashed out to hit only air. Swearing he felt the mask being pulled off of his head, light from a thousand candles caused him to squint as he looked around the room. A woman stood before him, around here were figures frozen in the acts of sex, unmoving they were as statues.
āWelcome Jeric, welcome to my corner of paradiseā The woman purred her voice hypnotic though barely more than a whisper. Dry mouthed Jeric looked up at her, their eyes met and locked, Jeric realised that he was in the presence of a being older and more powerful than him by far.
āWhatās the matter Jeric? Cat got your tongue?ā Her mockery stung like whips forcing himself into action, Jeric started to get to his feet.
āStay where you areā Her voiced boomed, itās volume hurting his ears
āYou do nothing unless I command you. Understand?ā Jeric deafened nodded