<span style="font-weight: bold">Dr. Julien Summerfield’s office </span><br/><br/>“But where’s the fun in appointments Dr. Summerfield?” an animated, if not, challenging voice spoke out. This piqued the Lurker’s interest.<br/><br/>He narrowed his eyes slightly. The ghost of a smile resonating somewhat upon his face.<br/><br/>It was a girl talking to him. A voice that was youthful and vivacious in nature, but one that appeared to allow free reign of shifting back into business.<br/><br/>"Surely you can handle a walk-in now and then? Makes for variety- spice of life that is, don'cha know? You like my moves that much, maybe we can hit the gym together sometime? Plans you say- care to share? Or are you going to stress client confidentiality? 'Cause doctor, doctor, have to say, you've not been treating your client too well so far. Pretty sure an invasive mental examination, against the client's own will violates the Hippocratic Oath and the law for practitioners generally. You've heard of the Hippocratic Oath yes? Or did you take the Hypocritic Oath instead?"<br/><br/>Turning half circle, he cast his gaze towards the upper limit of his office. From where he was standing, it appeared he was simply staring through one of the window panels within the chequered layout of the transparent décor. He scratched his chin with interest whilst leaning his elbow against the other arm that was wrapped around his own torso.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">‘Talk more.’</span>Julien thought sombrely<span style="font-style: italic">‘I will find you.’</span><br/><br/>“So, you<span style="font-weight: bold">do</span>have a voice?” Julien congratulated mockingly. Theatrically opening out his hands. Revealing the 3rd eye within the left palm of his hand “that’s always a start, my dear.”<br/><br/>Julien considered the situation and what the hidden being had just said. For someone to sneak up on him, know his name and assault him without detection was making the appraisal of this foe imprecise. He hadn’t been caught off guard or even wounded like that since when he first crossed into this world. Ravenous, weak, and lead by his vampiric instincts to satisfy his strength. It took years to unhinge the basic instinct that controlled him and rendered him careless.<br/><br/>Now that she had his undivided attention, however, he would be sure to look out for any more quick shots.<br/>“As for sharing my plans…” Julien turned around and paced to other side of the room. Towards Carly<br/>“…perhaps, I would ‘care to share’ something.” He made inverted commas with his fingers.<br/><br/>He looked down at his patient, standing straight with his hands on his hips. Tutting and shaking his head at her as if she was a badly behaved child.<br/><br/>“There’s so many…<span style="font-style: italic">special</span>people out here. In this world,” Julien explained with a delighted tone, ominous and ambivalent “this girl is one of them.”<br/><br/>The opportunity for reply was cut short. As Julien spoke quickly.<br/><br/>“I wonder what words of comfort were offered to this girl when she lost her parents to Lurkers. What possible explanations were fabricated to stop tearing her well-being and soul asunder. All the while her own parents knew what she really was…”<br/><br/>“And that she was too<span style="font-style: italic">different.</span>” Julien addressed the unconscious Carly as if she had a disease.<br/>The amythest coloured creature took a rebreather. Before extending his arm to grab the swivel chair towards him to sit back in. Crossing his legs, he sat back and smiled as he picked up a rubix cube off his desk and began to turn the multiple coloured squares around.<br/><br/>“Which is why… I’m here to help her,” Julien lied through his teeth. Turning the rubix cube some more.<br/><br/>“That’s the plan.” He added non-chalantly, expecting Jess not to buy it.<br/>He took a break from turning the rubix cube. A face of the cube all red and nearly solved, bar a lone green square that was stuck in the corner.<br/><br/>“In any case, Carly’s session is up now. I guess I have time for a walk in. So, why don’t you present yourself, my dear?” Julien’s eye rose inquisitively, before falling into a dogmatic frown “or do we have a case of agoraphobia here?”<br/><br/>_________________________________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">LA city streets </span><br/><br/>Declan staggered and stumbled through the streets. The aches, sting, and dull throbbing ache beginning to flare up in his wounds. Particularly his left upper forearm, which had deep crimson cuts and the blood loss was beginning to make him a bit woozy.<br/><br/>He was following the blood trail which belonged to the creature that had attacked him earlier.<br/><br/>The shades of black from the skies upon the city streets were beginning to lighten to shades of indigo and midnight blue. A sign that the morning would be here in an hour or so. He should’ve been in bed hours ago. Resting. Acquiring a fresh, stimulated and quick mind for the profession he was in.<br/><br/>He’d wished he’d listened to that panda girl earlier in the florist. The girl apologising for acting like a ‘know-it-all’. How ironic that her motherly warnings would’ve served him good if he listened.<br/><br/>However, a scream had been heard, Athena went missing, blood was found at the end of the peer with no signs of where it may have come from, and he got attacked by some kind of animal earlier.<br/><br/>What was it anyway? A wolf? A bear… panther?!<br/><br/>He’d have to get his wounds biopsied and investigated. Perhaps some keratinised nail tissue had been left behind from the scratches.<br/>Declan’s head lolled to one side. Exhausted and pale, his blurry vision made out an athromorphic, youthful looking cat. Running in the night. Right across the street. Some creature chasing him… maybe a pet dog?<br/><br/>Even in his current condition, Declan figured the way he was running wasn’t for fun.<br/><br/>“Hey wait… WAIT!” Declan called out. His voice thin and raspy. He coughed violently, grabbing onto a lamp  post for support.<br/><br/>He winced, covering his mouth as his coughs went into remission.<br/><br/>Once he recovered, he rubbed his eyes to focus on the nearest shop. Lights still on.<br/>The record store.<br/><br/>That reminded him of something.<br/>Declan forked out something he found on the peer.<br/>An executive membership card for records. It was a black card with the name of the member studded in silver. A skull and cross bones logo in the top left hand corner.<br/><br/>Maybe whoever this belonged to is linked to the blood he saw on the peer?<br/><br/>He’d have to check out the record store tomorrow and ask some questions. Now wasn’t a good time, however.<br/><br/>The wounded fox took a deep breath, before pushing himself off the lamp post and carrying on forwards. Each step becoming agonising.<br/>He’d hoped whatever it was that attacked him hadn’t got to Athena.<br/><br/>___________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">Elsewhere LA streets </span><br/><br/>Athena nodded to Olive’s cautioning. She seemed more calm and collected than she did. It really had been a while since Athena had wielded a gun. She had had so many practice sessions in police training. But virtual reality wouldn’t quite hone your preparation, skills and special abilities compared to actual reality.<br/><br/>They hadn’t quite crossed the end of the peer. Olive was pulling her in a different direction. Athena had a fleeting thought about the wounded drunk man at the end of the peer. Even if they weren’t going back right now, would Declan have really gone there or hung around?<br/><br/>Olive wrinkled her nose. The smell from the blood trail was mentally suffocating. Yet, she could sense the purple aura. Getting closer the more herself and Athena followed it. And yet… her heart was sinking. Declan must’ve been attacked by a Lurker.<br/><br/>Athena was lost in her own thoughts.<br/>She looked around her. They were passing through a park now. The black sky beginning to lighten somewhat to dark and midtones of cerulean. Some of the earliest birds were heard chirpping. Embracing a new day despite a long night.<br/><span style="font-style: italic">Was it really almost morning?’</span>she thought.<br/><br/>A rustling sound could be heard from a nearby bush. Some irregular snapping of twigs as well as some grunts.<br/>Athena stood dead still. Only manoeuvre rendered being from her right arm as she reached out for her revolver. Slowly… slowly … aiming for the brush. Leaves rustling which amplified in her own ears.<br/><br/>Shaking nervously… closing her eyes… slowly pulling the trigger.<br/><br/>“…Athena…?” a voice called out. Blue body staggering from the brush towards her. Wounds crimson, purple and blue. His face had fallen 5 shades down from his usual youthful glow. Now he looked withered.<br/><br/>“…hey… flower girl is here too!” Declan joked- referring to Olive. Eyes shutting as he smiled. His hair blowing lightly in the wind, before he allowed the rest of his body to collapse upon the park pavement. A somewhat pained expression on his face. Shivering, before falling unconscious.<br/><br/>__________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"> Red light district </span><br/><br/>Zach frowned. Drumming his fingers against his folded elbows as he leaned against the brick wall.<br/>He checked his watch.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">4AM.</span><br/><br/>One hour to go. Thank god!<br/><br/>He reflected on the night. Nothing new. Got abused by pimps and sluts, watched all sorts of skunky drunk moments, talked to Clyde, noticed a new face in the club. Pointed out by Clyde.<br/><br/>Silly rat.<br/><br/>A taxi had driven past earlier. The new face in town appeared to be fighting off a drunkard skimpy Lolita. Even giving her some dollar notes so that she’d get off his back.<br/><br/>As the taxi passed by, Zach managed to get a good look at the passenger’s face.<br/><br/>Those eyes and that expression. Cold enough to make an ice storm look warm. So dark and foreboding.<br/><br/>The light reflecting off the window pane as the taxi drove on around the corner with its passenger couldn’t have passed by sooner.<br/>Zach was irked. He almost felt like he had looked into the face of death.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">‘That girl must’ve really pushed his buttons…’</span>he thought to himself.<br/><br/>He checked his watch again.<br/><br/>55 minutes to go.<br/><br/>Soon he’d makes his way back to the apartment in the city centre. He only hoped he wouldn’t bump into his annoying neighbour who loved to hit the gym at 5AM in the morning. Boasted of parkour, skateboarding, spin cycling, zumba... and all that.<br/>The loud, bubbly, social, full-on Jess. Got too excited way too easily.<br/><br/>How he resented her passion for<span style="font-style: italic">life</span>.