11. A New Friend & A MealMara

11

A NEW FRIEND & A MEAL

MARA

T he night was quite intriguing. I decide to shadow one of my clients and stumble upon a scene I am still mentally processing. Since the man was wearing a suit, I made sure to wear one of my finest dresses I kept stored at the club. He disappears into the dark city streets, and I lose sight of him. I wander through the night, hoping I haven't missed an opportunity to feed. I halt my search as sounds come floating towards me from a short distance away. As I approach, my muscles grow increasingly tense.

What the fuck is going on?

Screams of rage tinged with defeat pour from the alley. I run towards the piercing sound to find a girl backed against the wall by a man three times her size.

"Hey asshole. Get away from her!" I scream, running as fast as I can. The girl looks terrified. Or maybe I'm seeing things. A smile creeps across her lips. I ignore the creepy look and turn my attention to the man whose gaze is now on me. With a switchblade in his hand, I move a bit to the side so I am prepared for a strike. But I don't need to worry because he's already hypnotized by my appearance. Possibly a bit shocked that he would see someone like me in this dark corner of Philly.

"Wh-Where'd you come from?" he stutters.

"Well buddy, let me explain my reasons for being here," I smirk and tilt so my right hip is out farther. A pose that shows off my long as fuck legs in this unusual dress. I catch him in my trap as he looks down to my toes and his eyes slowly take in just how lengthy my leg is, but before I can close the distance and take him by surprise, he seems to snap out of his hypnosis state.

"Fuck off, bitch. You don't belong here," he snarls. "But if you really want to stay, I have a good use for you."

As I observe, the girl in the corner skillfully spins the man around, giving me the perfect opportunity to kick my leg up and disarm him of the knife. She seizes his face, pressing her lips against his in a passionate kiss, preventing him from speaking or breathing. I am rooted to the spot, unable to move due to my disbelief. She moved with incredible swiftness. One minute she is cowering in the shadows and the next she's making out with her attacker. Not knowing what to do and hesitant to separate him from the girl, I stand in awe as the man's skin begins to smoke and pieces of charred flesh fall off like burnt book pages. Poison courses through the man's veins, transforming his skin into a map of black rivers and pale flesh, all from a single kiss from the girl.

As I think about another woman like me existing, I feel one side of my face lift. Perhaps I'm not the only one experiencing this human nightmare. I need to seriously think about this invitation from the guild. Perhaps it will be a good thing. I'm excited to finally have the opportunity to be part of something. A group of female assassins like me. Sharing a potential bond that is as strong as family.

As the man drops, the girl stands in front of me, her lips stained with ash and a creepy smile on her face. We both seem to be fixated on the other, frozen in the moment. Forget me being the hypnotist. This young woman leaves me in a state of awe. She appears to be no more than eighteen years old. And though she looks weak, she is anything but.

"My name is Cinder," she states, the smile still plastered on her face. "You really didn't need to help, but I appreciate it. I was trying to figure out a way to get around the knife he had. So, thanks for that kick ass move you used to disarm him."

"You're welcome?" It comes out more like a question than a statement, and she chuckles. "I mean, what the fuck?!"

"Let me explain," she says. "I'm not as mousy as you might think I am. I know I look like a helpless teenager, but I'm really smart and tough. I reel them in. They all think they can get something from an innocent young girl, but I have my own tricks. And believe me, they don't like my surprises."

"I can see that." I chuckle and relax.

"So, what's your name?" She asks and her smile melts into something that resembles an easy go lucky teenage girl.

"I'm Mara," I reply. "Wanted to make sure everything was okay. Your screams were very uncomfortable to listen to. I'm surprised no one else came to your rescue." I step towards her and she stands taller.

"I know, but it's part of the illusion." She puts her head down. "Ninety-five percent of the time, no one cares. They prefer to look the other way. It's my mission to make sure I rid this world of as many bad guys as I can. Maybe we can partner up?" She looks at me, a bit shy now, and drops her head again.

"Cinder, I appreciate the thought, but I am needed here," I explain. "There is someone I am waiting for that needs to be punished for his misdeeds. If I leave, I may never coax him out of hiding."

"I understand," Cinder replies. "I can tell you, though, if we're ever in the same area again, you can count on me if you need backup."

I show my gratitude by lowering my head in thanks before she walks away and disappears from sight.

I need to go home and choose whether to accept the guild invitation. Leaving the alley without feeding, I head for my truck around the corner. Intending to head straight home, another situation down the street catches my eye. As I watch a man dragging a woman down a dark side street, the sound of my hunger roars in my ears. I pursue the dead man.

Sneaking up to the side street entrance, I witness an older man dragging an unconscious teenager down the path covered in trees. Observing from the shadows, I realize he must have carefully orchestrated this. He pauses to survey his surroundings, while I press myself against the side of a tree. He slips into an outbuilding that has partially caved in, leaving the door slightly open.

Entering the dim structure, I slip through the gap between the frame and the door. My hearing becomes enhanced as my ears shift into their demonic points. I detect muted sounds emanating from the back of the room, so I crouch and make my way towards them. I come across the girl, bound to a chair, and am caught off guard as the man attempts to strike me with a two by four. I jump back and my body explodes into my deadly side.

Horrified, the man's khaki pants darken in the crotch. He tries to flee out the broken window behind the unconscious girl, but as he jumps for his freedom I reach out and snatch his leg with my claws. He screams as his calf becomes shredded meat. Blood pours from him and he moans as I pull his body into mine.

"Looks like I'll have time to eat after all," I lick the side of his sweet, slick cheek. "Mmm, you taste like sin."

"P-Please, lady," he stutters and then pauses to take a sideways glance at me. In a state of shock, his eyes bulge and he loses consciousness. Lifeless in my arms, I check to see that the girl is still passed out before I proceed with my meal.

I know I don't have much time to play with my food, so I rub against his comatose body until his cock hardens. As I take off his dirty pants, I shudder at the urine on his skin. While looking for something to clean him with, I come across a watering can that's partially full and a bag of old rags. I grab three of the old shirts and pour half of the water from the can directly onto his groin. I then wipe away the water with one of the ripped shirts, keeping his cock firm, and discard the wet rag in the opposite corners. I continue going through the process until I determine his skin is clean enough for me to touch. Lastly, I dry it off with the final rag before rising up on my knees to lower myself down on his twitching length. Time is running out, I have to be fast before he dies from excessive bleeding.

There are no signs of the man regaining consciousness as I ride him. I am relentless as I try to coax his orgasm in his state. But I feel him stiffen just the smallest amount and that's when I feed before removing myself and stealing his unclean soul for Samael as he dies. Just to make myself feel better, I jam my fist into his chest cavity and rip out his still heart.

While arranging my outfit to cover up my lady bits, I notice a groan coming from the chair behind me. The girl is beginning to wake up. I hurry to free her from the rope binding her limbs. Before she fully regains consciousness, I carefully place one of her arms around my neck and successfully guide her out onto the well-lit street.

"What happened?" the girl asks, sounding drunk. My intention was to conceal the near-miss incident from her, but I did want her to grasp the streets' level of danger.

"I found you passed out." My tone was stern and clear. "You're lucky no one kidnapped, raped or killed you. It's essential to stay vigilant and pay attention to your surroundings, particularly at night.

The girl tears up at my words. "You're right. I'm not sure what I was thinking or how I allowed myself to get into this mess, but thank you."

"Do you have a place to go?" I occupied the space next to her on the curb.

"Yes, my house is around the corner and down two blocks." She stands and wipes off the front and back of her pants.

"That's perfect." I stand next to her and gesture for her to start walking with me in the direction of her house. "It's on my way home." Admittedly, I do fib occasionally, but I would rather guarantee her safety than come across news of her death in the newspaper.

"Thanks," she pauses. "What's that on your hand?"

I twist my wrist to glance at the pinky side of my hand, where I notice dried blood from when I ripped out the man's heart. I had thought I wiped it all off on the man's shirt, but apparently I missed some.

"Nothing, I must have cut my hand somehow."

I stop and crouch down to wipe my hand across the dying grass. The rusty blood meshed into the yellowish brown blades. No one would see the stains. "See." I showed her my clean skin. "All better." Without a word, the girl shrugs, and we proceed around the corner to her block.

She thanks me again and promises to be more careful from now on before closing her door to the dangers of the streets. I hope she takes tonight as a learning opportunity and avoids making the same choices.

I make my way back to my truck. Hopping onto the seat, I start the engine as I shut the door and head towards my home. Thoughts of the guild invitation bouncing around in my head.