TURNING POINT, 1951
It was four o'clock in the morning. She'd just arrived home. She should have been in bed a long time ago. She was just a child.
I was just arriving home, too. But at least she had a choice. She smiled at me as she walked by. Then she hurried inside. She thought I didn't know what she was, but I knew. I'd known pretty much since they arrived, her and her "˜father'. But were not father and daughter. Was I the only one who saw that? They didn't even resemble each other.
But I guess they needed a cover. They couldn't exactly go shouting it from the rooftops.
Why couldn't she sense me? I asked myself that question so many times. But I didn't have an answer.
Maybe she could and she was waiting for the right moment.
Maybe she thought a vampire living in a hotel room couldn't be too dangerous.
Maybe that was her at the door now. No sane person would knock on someone else's door at this hour.
The bellman.
"Mr."¦um." He stammered. Did I really frighten them this much? "You weren't home earlier this evening. This is your weekly account." He shoved an envelop into my hands. "˜The Hyperion Hotel' was stamped on the front. "˜217' was underneath. The bellman turned and headed for the elevator at the end of the hall, not even waiting for a tip.
"The name's Angel." I shouted after him.
"Of course, Mr. Angel." He called back. I turned to go back inside my room.
"No." I said to myself. "Just Angel."
That Slayer was going to have to watch it in this city. That's what she was. The Vampire Slayer. The man was her Watcher. It was a tough world out there. Full of demons and vampires and that girl was going to have to face them alone. I should know what it's like. I was one of the worst vampires in history. And that's not a reputation you can get easily.
They called me Angelus, the one with the angelic face. But I was anything but angelic. I was the Scourge of Europe. For over a century, I hunted with my sire, Darla. I killed, I destroyed, and I did it all for fun. I killed to feed. I killed to make more of my kind. But mainly, I killed for fun. That was until I killed the wrong girl.
She was beautiful, with long black hair the color of midnight. She tasted like heaven. Too bad she was the favorite daughter of the Kalderash, a gipsy clan. The head of the clan cursed me. And he found the worst curse imaginable for a vampire. He restored my soul.
But you guys already knew all of that, right?
So I lived like this, for the past fifty years. Traveling across the U.S. I ended up in a L.A. few months before. I got some money and I ended up living in the hotel.
The Slayer moved in a few weeks later. I never paid much attention to them at first. I thought maybe she was a prostitute. Going out at night, coming home just before dawn. Then I saw her. Fighting, killing the vampires like it was a walk in the park. She didn't see me, but I could see her and I realized what she was. The Slayer. I felt so stupid! Calling her something she wasn't. I don't know how long she's been the Slayer, but she appears to be good. I mean, wasn't dead yet. God that sounded awful. I got into bed.
I was woken at nine pm. the next night. There was a fight. It was coming from next door.
The Slayer. They were being attacked. Should I help them? She might have recognized me. Or worse, the Watcher might. Someone's screaming. That was it, decision made. The door to their room was wide open.
Vampires. I should have guessed. Living in a hotel room, no invite needed. I walked straight over the threshold. Maybe fourteen vampires. Dust on the floor. She'd killed some.
How were they going to react when the guy next door started helping them? I didn't care, I couldn't stand back and watch them get killed.
A chair was lying broken in a corner. I grabbed one of the legs and staked the nearest vamp.
One of them recognized me.
"Ange-" he started. I staked him before he could finish.
The Slayer noticed me. She looked confused. I guess she had a right to. She stalled. A vampire came at her from behind. She was too slow. I threw my stake. Direct hit.
After a few minutes, only dust remained. All the vampires were gone. Except me, that is.
Both Slayer and Watcher were staring at me. I couldn't deal with it. I had to get out of here. I turned to leave.
"Wait," the Slayer called. She put her hand on my shoulder.
"I'm sorry. I should have stayed out of this." I said with out turning to face her.
Bad idea to keep your back to the Slayer.
She forced me to face her.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"A friend." I answered.
"You knew they were vampires. How?" the girl looked even more confused.
"Yes. Well, I've had some experience with some vampires. I've never met a Slayer, though." I told her.
She backed up a few steps. "You know I'm the Slayer?"
"Yes. I watched you, out hunting. I recognize the skills. I've read about you. Well, your predecessors." The Watcher looked wary and guilty all at once.
"My name is Bethany." She held out her hand. "And you are?"
If I told them my name is Angel would they make the connection to Angelus? They were looking at me strangely.
"My name's Angel." I took her hand.
"Funny name." Bethany giggled.
"John Edison." The Watcher offered his hand. I took it.
Obviously Bethany couldn't sense me. I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
Good for me. Bad for her.
We had a brief talk, and then I excused myself and returned to my own room.
It was almost five in the morning. Again, Bethany arrived home the same time that I did. She said hello, as did I before I headed inside.
I had just poured myself a glass of blood when there was a knock on the door.
I put the blood in the cupboard and went to answer it.
Bethany stood in the hallway.
"Hi," she said to me.
"Hi," I said to her.
"Can I come in?" the Slayer asked.
"Sorry. Of course." I stepped aside to let her enter. She came inside and sat down on my bed. "I don't have much to drink. Would you like a glass of water?" I offered her.
"No, thank you." Bethany declined. "I just came by to ask you something."
"What?"
"Angel, how did you know they were vampires?"
The question took me by surprise. "I told you. I've had a little experience with vampires."
"Yes, I know. But how? When? What happened?" she asked.
"Um, it was a long time ago." What do I tell her? "A vampire killed my family. And my friends."
"God, Angel. I'm so sorry."
"Like I said. It was a long time ago," I told her. It was the truth. She just didn't know that I was the vampire that killed them. "I was on vacation at the time."
"I know how you feel. I don't have a family either." Bethany said. "I was taken by my Watcher when I was a child."
"When were you Chosen?"
"When I was sixteen." She answered. "I'm eighteen now."
We were both silent for a few minutes.
I broke that silence.
"You said you had something to ask me?"
"I kind of need some help." Bethany said. She winced. The Slayer was hurt. "I was fighting a demon earlier, when I was hunting. After the vampires. It, the demon, it was strong. Stronger than me, Angel. I only got away by tricking it. Otherwise, I'd be dead." She lifted up her sweater. She had a huge wound in her side, blood was pouring from it heavily. I went to the bathroom and got the First Aid kit and started cleaning the wound.
"Have you told your Watcher?" I asked her. I hadn't been this close to warm, human blood in over fifty years. It was hard to resist.
Bethany shook her head. "Not yet. I came here first. Thought maybe you could help me."
"I'll try." I told her.
"I want to try and find out what this demon is by myself." Bethany said.
"If you tell me what it looks like, I'll try and sketch it. Maybe then we can figure out what it is." I got out some paper and drawing pencils. I was really into the whole drawing thing. Still am, I guess.
"That's it! That's the demon I faced." Four hours later and we were finally done. I recognized the demon.
"It's a Hardacor demon." I explained. "It can only be killed by an enchanted sword. It's incredibly strongonly reason you survived was because you're the Slayer."
"So, any ideas on where I can get myself one of these enchanted swords?" she asked. "I need to kill this thing."
"I can get one." I told her. "I know a guy who specializes in mystical objects. It'll take me a while to get it. Meet me here at midnight. In the mean time, you need to get some rest."
"Oh, my gosh. Look at the time. You must be exhausted." She said sympathetically. "I'll see you at midnight.
sorry, meant to write, to be continued!!
It was four o'clock in the morning. She'd just arrived home. She should have been in bed a long time ago. She was just a child.
I was just arriving home, too. But at least she had a choice. She smiled at me as she walked by. Then she hurried inside. She thought I didn't know what she was, but I knew. I'd known pretty much since they arrived, her and her "˜father'. But were not father and daughter. Was I the only one who saw that? They didn't even resemble each other.
But I guess they needed a cover. They couldn't exactly go shouting it from the rooftops.
Why couldn't she sense me? I asked myself that question so many times. But I didn't have an answer.
Maybe she could and she was waiting for the right moment.
Maybe she thought a vampire living in a hotel room couldn't be too dangerous.
Maybe that was her at the door now. No sane person would knock on someone else's door at this hour.
The bellman.
"Mr."¦um." He stammered. Did I really frighten them this much? "You weren't home earlier this evening. This is your weekly account." He shoved an envelop into my hands. "˜The Hyperion Hotel' was stamped on the front. "˜217' was underneath. The bellman turned and headed for the elevator at the end of the hall, not even waiting for a tip.
"The name's Angel." I shouted after him.
"Of course, Mr. Angel." He called back. I turned to go back inside my room.
"No." I said to myself. "Just Angel."
That Slayer was going to have to watch it in this city. That's what she was. The Vampire Slayer. The man was her Watcher. It was a tough world out there. Full of demons and vampires and that girl was going to have to face them alone. I should know what it's like. I was one of the worst vampires in history. And that's not a reputation you can get easily.
They called me Angelus, the one with the angelic face. But I was anything but angelic. I was the Scourge of Europe. For over a century, I hunted with my sire, Darla. I killed, I destroyed, and I did it all for fun. I killed to feed. I killed to make more of my kind. But mainly, I killed for fun. That was until I killed the wrong girl.
She was beautiful, with long black hair the color of midnight. She tasted like heaven. Too bad she was the favorite daughter of the Kalderash, a gipsy clan. The head of the clan cursed me. And he found the worst curse imaginable for a vampire. He restored my soul.
But you guys already knew all of that, right?
So I lived like this, for the past fifty years. Traveling across the U.S. I ended up in a L.A. few months before. I got some money and I ended up living in the hotel.
The Slayer moved in a few weeks later. I never paid much attention to them at first. I thought maybe she was a prostitute. Going out at night, coming home just before dawn. Then I saw her. Fighting, killing the vampires like it was a walk in the park. She didn't see me, but I could see her and I realized what she was. The Slayer. I felt so stupid! Calling her something she wasn't. I don't know how long she's been the Slayer, but she appears to be good. I mean, wasn't dead yet. God that sounded awful. I got into bed.
I was woken at nine pm. the next night. There was a fight. It was coming from next door.
The Slayer. They were being attacked. Should I help them? She might have recognized me. Or worse, the Watcher might. Someone's screaming. That was it, decision made. The door to their room was wide open.
Vampires. I should have guessed. Living in a hotel room, no invite needed. I walked straight over the threshold. Maybe fourteen vampires. Dust on the floor. She'd killed some.
How were they going to react when the guy next door started helping them? I didn't care, I couldn't stand back and watch them get killed.
A chair was lying broken in a corner. I grabbed one of the legs and staked the nearest vamp.
One of them recognized me.
"Ange-" he started. I staked him before he could finish.
The Slayer noticed me. She looked confused. I guess she had a right to. She stalled. A vampire came at her from behind. She was too slow. I threw my stake. Direct hit.
After a few minutes, only dust remained. All the vampires were gone. Except me, that is.
Both Slayer and Watcher were staring at me. I couldn't deal with it. I had to get out of here. I turned to leave.
"Wait," the Slayer called. She put her hand on my shoulder.
"I'm sorry. I should have stayed out of this." I said with out turning to face her.
Bad idea to keep your back to the Slayer.
She forced me to face her.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"A friend." I answered.
"You knew they were vampires. How?" the girl looked even more confused.
"Yes. Well, I've had some experience with some vampires. I've never met a Slayer, though." I told her.
She backed up a few steps. "You know I'm the Slayer?"
"Yes. I watched you, out hunting. I recognize the skills. I've read about you. Well, your predecessors." The Watcher looked wary and guilty all at once.
"My name is Bethany." She held out her hand. "And you are?"
If I told them my name is Angel would they make the connection to Angelus? They were looking at me strangely.
"My name's Angel." I took her hand.
"Funny name." Bethany giggled.
"John Edison." The Watcher offered his hand. I took it.
Obviously Bethany couldn't sense me. I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
Good for me. Bad for her.
We had a brief talk, and then I excused myself and returned to my own room.
It was almost five in the morning. Again, Bethany arrived home the same time that I did. She said hello, as did I before I headed inside.
I had just poured myself a glass of blood when there was a knock on the door.
I put the blood in the cupboard and went to answer it.
Bethany stood in the hallway.
"Hi," she said to me.
"Hi," I said to her.
"Can I come in?" the Slayer asked.
"Sorry. Of course." I stepped aside to let her enter. She came inside and sat down on my bed. "I don't have much to drink. Would you like a glass of water?" I offered her.
"No, thank you." Bethany declined. "I just came by to ask you something."
"What?"
"Angel, how did you know they were vampires?"
The question took me by surprise. "I told you. I've had a little experience with vampires."
"Yes, I know. But how? When? What happened?" she asked.
"Um, it was a long time ago." What do I tell her? "A vampire killed my family. And my friends."
"God, Angel. I'm so sorry."
"Like I said. It was a long time ago," I told her. It was the truth. She just didn't know that I was the vampire that killed them. "I was on vacation at the time."
"I know how you feel. I don't have a family either." Bethany said. "I was taken by my Watcher when I was a child."
"When were you Chosen?"
"When I was sixteen." She answered. "I'm eighteen now."
We were both silent for a few minutes.
I broke that silence.
"You said you had something to ask me?"
"I kind of need some help." Bethany said. She winced. The Slayer was hurt. "I was fighting a demon earlier, when I was hunting. After the vampires. It, the demon, it was strong. Stronger than me, Angel. I only got away by tricking it. Otherwise, I'd be dead." She lifted up her sweater. She had a huge wound in her side, blood was pouring from it heavily. I went to the bathroom and got the First Aid kit and started cleaning the wound.
"Have you told your Watcher?" I asked her. I hadn't been this close to warm, human blood in over fifty years. It was hard to resist.
Bethany shook her head. "Not yet. I came here first. Thought maybe you could help me."
"I'll try." I told her.
"I want to try and find out what this demon is by myself." Bethany said.
"If you tell me what it looks like, I'll try and sketch it. Maybe then we can figure out what it is." I got out some paper and drawing pencils. I was really into the whole drawing thing. Still am, I guess.
"That's it! That's the demon I faced." Four hours later and we were finally done. I recognized the demon.
"It's a Hardacor demon." I explained. "It can only be killed by an enchanted sword. It's incredibly strongonly reason you survived was because you're the Slayer."
"So, any ideas on where I can get myself one of these enchanted swords?" she asked. "I need to kill this thing."
"I can get one." I told her. "I know a guy who specializes in mystical objects. It'll take me a while to get it. Meet me here at midnight. In the mean time, you need to get some rest."
"Oh, my gosh. Look at the time. You must be exhausted." She said sympathetically. "I'll see you at midnight.
sorry, meant to write, to be continued!!
