by Osterby
BOURBON STREET
Forget the hurricanes and the oil spills, this is what you think of when you think of New Orleans. Jazz pours like booze, out of the clubs and into the streets. A giant block party of unfettered inhibitions and unleashed libido that runs the length of the French Quarter. It’s just a great place to be that makes you feel alive…unless you’re running for your life.
A vampire runs through the crowd, past the Blood Bank and the Twice Shy Bar, though an intersection, down a street…around a corner. Even with the crowds, Perski isn’t safe. He’s too exposed on the street. Ripe for picking. He needs a place to hide, a rock to climb under.
The vampire chasing Perski Verlaine can taste his fear.
Sweetly tart, like life. And fresh cherries…
…and he wants to kill Perski.
Perski’s killed people, even before he become a vampire…he doesn’t like being on the other side.
“Please don’t.” Perski begs the vampire holding a stake with a silver winged angel handle. The vampire asks Perski to give him a reason.
The sad truth is, Perski Verlaine can’t think of one.
Thhck…Perski Verlaine gets staked.
The vampire, dressed in 18th century French clothing, retrieves his fancy stake from Perski’s goo, licks the silver handle and tells Perski…”I’ll tell you a little secret…Perski. Now that we’re friends. I quite like the pain of burning silver—it makes me feel alive…even if you’re not.”
Left behind on the ground is a black matchbook with one word in red script: Fangtasia.
Sookie Stackhouse never thought she could love anyone as much as she loved Bill Compton. But that was then…and this isn’t about love. It’s not real.
Sookie thinks…”Alcide…”
What is it about a spa-style bathroom in a fancy hotel that makes Sookie’s mind wander like that ? Not that there’s anything wrong with it. A little fantasy’s good for a girl’s state of mind, especially a girl with as much craziness in her life as Sookie.
Sookie asks aloud…”Bill?” She wipes the steam from the shower door and finds a shirtless Eric who tells Sookie, “Don’t stop on my account.”
Eric Northman is a millennia old, Nordic vampire bad boy. A lot of women find that attractive. Including Sookie…but she’s never admit it. She’d rather put needles in both her eyes and stick her hand in a light socket. Because just when you think there’s something good and noble underneath Eric’s arrogant and stoic exterior, he goes and pulls something like this.
Sookie asks Eric how he got in her room, he says the front desk gave him a key because he is paying for the room. Sookie tells Eric, “Well, the peep shows over.” Eric begins to express his thoughts when Sookie exclaims, “Bill!” as Bill vampires in threatening Eric and his unseemly presence in Sookie’s bathroom.
As a vampire who’s fed on Sookie, Bill can sense her emotions through the psychic bond they share.
“Don’t be such a prude, Bill. Why don’t you take off your clothes and join us? That’s probably what little Sookie was thinking about, anyway.” Eric says. Bill punches Eric causing Eric’s mouth to bleed. Eric grabs Bill by the neck and Sookie says, “Stop it! Both of you. This is why we’re all sleeping alone…and for the record, I was not thinking about either of you.
Out of the mouths of babes…
TWENTY MINUTES LATER
Sookie, Eric and Bill are in an elevator. Eric asks Bill to tell his girlfriend that he “…has already apologized, twice. I won’t again.” A dejected Bill replies, “She is not my girlfriend. Sookie chides Eric and Bill as they walk through the hotel lobby…”I came here as a favor. I don’t need an all expense paid trip to New Orleans. Especially with you two…” Eric explains to Sookie that she is “…here because seven vampires have been murdered in the last two weeks. Each of them killed by a mahogany stake with a silver angel head on top.” Sookie and Bill had read about the killings but neither knew anything about the stake used. Eric explains he knows information that has made this serial killer case interesting to him because he is a sheriff and Eric tells Sookie that the last victim had a Fangtasia matchbook on him and it was meant to get Eric’s attention. Bill deduces that the serial killer is a vampire. Eric tells Sookie and Bill that the serial killer is “a very dangerous vampire who is old and strong, and batshit crazy. He licks the silver angel head after each kill.” Sookie is suddenly all in. She wants to get the “creepy…tongue-burnin’ sicko..”
BON TEMPS
Merlotte’s is just what you want in a local bar—a place with a beer and a burger after a hard day at work.
Lafayette is burning burgers to order and Sam is pissed. A bartending Tara prescribes a beer for Sam because he knows what Sam is really pissed off about: Sookie going to NOLA with two vampires. A disgruntled husband enter Merlotte’s gunning for Jason because “This son-of-a-bitch slept…” with his wife and “…someone needs to teach him a lesson.” A female hand grabs his arm and deflects the gunshot from harming anyone. “Men always shoot too soon…that’s why I like girls.”
The crowd stands numb with surprise at the sudden appearance of Pam, Eric’s second-in-command at Fangtasia—a predatory vampire with a penchant for pink.
Pam asks the husband if he knows what pegging is…because that is what she intends to do. Lala pipes up that he knows. Jason wants to know. Pam suggests that husband would leave and leave his gun. The husband leaves and suggests to Pam that “You Blooodsicles really need to work on your manners.” Sam assumes Pam is looking for Eric and Tara gets in Pam’s face. Pam flirts with Tara but she really there for Lala.
PARIS 1793
(Be still my heart.) Eric in his 18th century fashions, complete with powdered wig, knee breeches and hose, races across a candle lit French salon yelling “Godric.” Eric bends over to learn Godric’s pride is hurt but he is not, “most of this is his blood.” Eric tells Godric that the “Monstrous bastard -!-for injuring you, his death will be unfathomably more painful.” Godric says, “Eric, he is too strong. Too old, I think. You see what he did to me. We must fight together. Promise me you will not attempt it without me. Promise!”
Eric? Eric…!
Perski Verlaine’s house in Treme—A low income area of New Orleans, even before Katrina and home to a lot of musicians and artists. In recent years, it’s become the go-to neighborhood for local vampires.
Sookie apprehensively holds Eric’s arm when she and Eric enter the house because she feels they are entering a crime scene. Eric explains to Sookie, “I told you, this is a vampire matter. My jurisdiction trumps the New Orleans police. As long as you are with me, you’re safe. Bill holding a pill vial interrupts: “I believe we are looking for clues.” Eric asks if Bill found vitamin D pills. A dumbstruck Bill asks Eric, “How did you know that?” Sookie wonders why a vampire would take vitamins. Bill explains that “Some vampires take it to alleviate symptoms from Hep-D. To keep their energy up.” Eric tells Sookie and Bill “That is what I needed to find. To know if it was true.”
Hep-D is a form of Hepatitis that only effects vampires. Hep-D infected blood weakens a vampire and makes him more susceptible to harm.
Eric tells Sookie and Bill “The killer only targets vampires afflicted with Hep-D. It’s part of his M.O. I don’t know if the disease has some meaning for him.” Sookie wants to know why they are there if Eric already knew this. Eric tells them he had to be sure. Bill suspects Eric “…you know more than you are telling, Eric. I insist you bring us into your confidence before we endanger ourselves any further.” Sookie says, “I’m with Bill.” And Eric remarks, “Of course you are, Sookie.” Sookie tells Bill, it’s unfair to expect her to fight a psycho vampire without knowing the full story. And Bill tells Sookie that he needs to know if these are isolated cases of Hep-D or a full scale epidemic. He wants to know if the outbreak spurred the killer or is the killer responsible. Eric tells Bill, “I don’t know if they’re linked, Bill. Truly, if not, someone is poisoning the local community.” Bill tells Eric, “One problem at a time, tell us about the killer.” Eric tells Sookie and Bill the killer is “…Guerra…Godric and I encountered him in Paris, in 1793. It was an exciting time of…ideas. Until Guerra started killing. Forty-seven vampires died, before Godric stopped him. At least I thought he did. If Guerra is still alive-and I now believe his is-he harbours a deep hatred of me and anyone who cares about me. Although Sookie might think that’s a short list…” Sookie says, “That’s not true.” Sookie hears someone’s thoughts, “…about time…waiting all day…find a…not hiding…”
Sookie can read minds, human minds, not vampire. It comes in handy. When she was younger, Sookie used to think her secret power was a curse…but now she’s come to regard it as a special part of herself.
Sookie knows that person she is hearing is in the house and finds him on the back porch. She calls for Eric and Bill. The stranger greets them, asks if he can help them. Bill wants to know why the stranger is sitting on the porch in the dark. The stranger says he’s paying his respects and asks the trio if they are friends of Perski’s. Eric says, “Who the fuck are you? You have two seconds…” The stranger says he’s “…KKKKCH – Killian West…and you are very fast.” Bill asks, “Do you smell that?” Sookie says, “Wait! Eric. No. Don’t. He’s –”
We’ll never know what Sookie heard…Kaboooommm…As a bomb explodes under the house.
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