Sylvie

Present

Intrigued by the events unfolding, Sylvie smiled and held up her hand. “Alan, since we have a few minutes I have to get the special stock in the back to make you a Bloody Madelyn.”  She chuckled, “I will give you a point for originality.”

“Who says our kind can’t have a sense of humor?”  Alan winked and took a steady slow breath. “Make it heavy on the Bloody Madelyn mix, please.”  He flickered his eyes across the bar at the patrons who were filing in. “We have enough issues without me getting overly hungry.”

Opening the swing door to the bar, Sylvie headed back to her office and jerked a couple bottles of blood out of a milk crate and headed back to the bar to deal with Alan. 

“Hey, who’s the brown-eyed nibbler I saw you talking to, Sylvie?” Veronica stopped Sylvie by tugging on her arm and peeking around her mistress to look at the gentleman. “Please tell me he’s a friend of yours.”

Thinking about her watch, Sylvie noticed it read 10:07.  “Veronica, do me a favor and turn the television to channel ten.”  She looked at her quivering blood bunny. “Yes, he’s a friend.  I do believe he’s about to show me something important.” Sylvie licked her lips, “I don’t think his arrival is a good thing, Veronica?” Laughing quietly after seeing the sparkle in her bunnies’ eyes, Sylvie playfully gushed, “I think he’s single too.”

“Really?”  Veronica hopped lightly on her feet and smiled wide. “Can you ask?”  Veronica nervously nibbled on her lip.

Nodding and then pointing to the television once more, “I will.  Please get the channel to ten.”  Sylvie watched her friend nearly dance off with delight.  Having returned to the bar, Sylvie pulled a frosty mug from a cooler and mixed a bit of vodka with a splash of tomato juice then filled the rest of the glass with real blood. “One Bloody Madelyn.”  She stuck a peach on the side and winked. “In case you need to emulate biting.”

Laughing, Alan pulled a napkin from the bar and set it down for Sylvie. “Cute.  I see your sense of humor hasn’t left you.”  He pointed to the screen. “It’s coming up, and it’s one heck of a story.”

“Alright, Alan.”  Sylvie shook her head and looked up at the screen, “You are really excited for some reason.”

-“Welcome back to 14 News at 10.  We are currently tracking a tragedy out of Emporia concerning an unidentified college student from Southside Vocational Academy.  Reporter Haley Grant is on scene with the details”-

 Sylvie looked strangely at Alan, “College student does something stupid?  How is this a problem?”

Pulling a small tug from his bloody drink, Alan wiped his lips. “Just give her a chance.  The feed is about to start.”  He pointed back to the television.

-“Roughly three hours ago, police and emergency units were called in response to a young man found not breathing and unconscious in a common room.  When I inquired, I was told officially that the room is meant for small gatherings and a place to discuss items to be improved or duties for the dorms.  However, that isn’t the whole story.  The room also happens to have the best Wi-Fi spot on campus and a vast majority of students come here to play video games.”-

Watching as the reporter scanned the empty room, Sylvie saw all of the makeshift places for kids to sit, as well as wires sticking out of the walls.  “Alan, I am not technical enough here, that was Kody’s flair.  Why me?”  Sylvie rolled her half-moon eyes lightly when Alan once again raised his finger and the reporter continued.

-“Confirmed by multiple students, who wanted to remain anonymous, they all agreed that the young man had been playing a new game that was released five days ago.  Described as an endurance and first-person shooting game, there is also a substantial reward for being the first to complete the game.  In questioning, I came to the conclusion that the student hadn’t stopped playing since its release.  What that ultimately means, is left for the medical examiner to decide.  The student’s name and pictures are being held by police until the family has been contacted.”-

Tipping the leftover bottle of blood she’d used in Alan’s mixed drink, Sylvie relished the cool feeling against the burn of her throat before speaking. “What does this have to do with me, Alan?  Sounds like the kid just played a game too long.”

“Come on, Sylvie.  When was the last time you read or saw something about a game killing a person?”  Alan finished off his drink and smiled. “Another?”  He waited until Sylvie had pulled out another mug and began mixing another before continuing, “There’s more to it.  One of the EMTs on site is a thrall of mine…”

Dropping the twisted and long bar spoon, Sylvie faced her friend. “Naturally you left out the important part.”  She waved at the television. “So what did your thrall have to say about it?”

“He tells me that the kid in question was dehydrated.  Now how the hell does a college student get dehydrated to death playing a video game?”  Alan nodded his head when the second Bloody Madelyn reached his hands. “My thanks.”

“EMT is not a doctor.  How the hell does your thrall know that was the case?”  Sylvie folded her arms and raised one of her eyebrows. “I am still confused about what this has to do with me.”  She pointed to the drinks. “That will be twenty.”

“Steep price for a friend, only two drinks.”  He wiggled his brown eyebrows playfully and dropped the cash on the bar. “Fine, no he’s not a doctor.  He mentioned the kid being pale almost like he’d been drained, but not..”  Alan whispered, “...one of us.”

Tapping a few things on the screen, Sylvie rang up the twin drinks and added the money to the cash drawer before closing it with her hip. “Special ingredients cost more.”  She held up a finger, “That was the friend's price.  If you’d been a stranger I wouldn’t have bothered, or charged triple.”  She winked and leaned on the bar so she was closer to Alan. “Alright, I concede that it is odd.  What does it have to do with me?  Emporia is about twenty miles south of Petersburg.  So it wouldn’t be connected to anything that I can recollect.”

Alan pulled off all of the silver items he was wearing and shoved it to Sylvie. “I am trying to gain favor to be on the reforming Regional Council, Sylvie.”  He pointed to the television, “Solving things like that or looking into them before they are a problem makes me look proactive and helpful to the others around here, I mean we do have to hold an informal vote, if you recall.”  He poked at the pile of jewelry, “Use that to cover what expenses you incur.”  He shrugged, “It’s useless to me at this point.”

“I was told the meeting is over the weekend, and in the Phas building, which I am not fond of.”  She patted Alan on the arm, “I have said before that going back in there is a risk.  Police are still poking all over the place.  Going there and slipping in for a little drink and voting is a bad plan.”

“What could happen?  I mean you own the building, right?”  Alan took a sip of his drink.

Flashes of the last time she’d been in the building flowed from her memory and Sylvie shook her head defiantly. “Yes, I am the last owner on the deed that is … alive.”  Her eyes black as new moons bore into Alan. “I have no trespassing signs up all over the place.  That still doesn’t mean a thing.  If we go poking around in there looking for surveillance, then whoever is watching will know that someone has returned.”  Knocking nervously on the bar, Sylvie protested further, “I have been working for six months to demolish the building.”  She raised her eyebrows high, “I haven’t had a single company want the work.  They all are wildly superstitious, like they think the place is haunted or sits on some burial mound thanks to the fucking bones found during the so-called investigation.”

Holding up both his hands, Alan gave in to Sylvie’s stern yet cool rant. “Very well.  We will pick one of the undergrounds for the meeting.  I don’t foresee many of the brethren showing up.  I mean the area was wiped clean after that attack, right?”

Noticing that they were getting off track, Sylvie sighed and debriefed her friend. “Initially, yes.  There were only thralls without any power.  Things worked out for a little while, they worked and earned on the manor grounds.”  Sylvie’s eyes shifted to small crescents, “After a while, most of them wanted that rush and power back.  Got themselves turned into us.  We have a flock of younglings in the area.”  She poked Alan’s nice suit, “That is who you are trying to impress.”

“Fine, so what if I am?  I have the only troupe in the area and the region needs another council.”  Alan picked up the mug and downed the remaining contents. “We need coverage damned near to DC, and Richmond is getting worse by the day.”  He straightened his jacket, “I have enough experience and time to know most of what’s going on around here…”  He held up a finger, “...I also have people in places that keep me informed.”

Drawing little circles on her bar with her finger, Sylvie responded, “What does this have to do with me?  You have a troupe, you have the resources.  I am only running a tiny bar and barely keeping a few blood bunnies happy.”

“Honestly, Sylvie?”  Alan posed and laughed. “Technically this is still your mess to clean up.”