[Original: Drabble] "Turning Against" [Zeke Jones, G]
Title: Turning Against
Prompt: writerverse challenge #31 why did you do it? (explaining a decision)
Word Count: 944
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original ( Zeke Jones ‘verse)
Summary: Zeke is called in by the Vampire Council to provide some answers.
Note(s): originally posted to the writerverse wv_library
Turning Against
I folded my hands on the table in front of me, careful not to fidget.
“Hezekia Jones,” said a voice from the darkness on the other side of the table. “You have killed one of your own kind. What words would you offer in your defense.”
The speaker was female and didn’t sound much older than I was- though, being a vampire, she was probably centuries older.
I sat up straighter in my chair. “This incident has already been investigate by Police Internal Affairs, Madame Councilwoman.” I had no idea if she actually was on the Vampire Council, but a little flattery couldn’t hurt, and she at least reported directly to them. “The IA declared it a good shooting. Metaphorically speaking.”
Because she was right. I had killed another vampire. He had been a rogue- their term for a vampire who went mad and broke with tradition. This one had murdered a dozen young women before Howell and I had met up with him. I hadn’t even known he was the vampire who Turned me until after he was dead.
“He was one of us,” said the woman. “Moreover, he was your Sire. You should not have been able to move against him.”
She stepped into the circle of light from the single (unnecessarily ornate) lamp above the table. Even in the harsh brightness, she was beautiful, wearing a skirt-suit of some kind of no-doubt-outrageously-expensive fabric that shimmered as she moved. Her caramel-colored skin was flawless, as was the tasteful make-up of her chocolate-brown hair and strawberry-red lips, and the crisp curls in her mocha-brown hair… and maybe I should have eaten something before they ‘requested’ my presence.
I sat up straighter again, realizing something else. There was certainly no resemblance between us, but she felt familiar to me- there was no doubt in my mind that we had both been Bitten by the same vampire, the one I had killed.
The woman rested her perfectly manicured cherry-red fingertips on the table. “Tell me what happened. Leave out no detail.”
“I can’t discuss an open police investigation with a civilian,” I said, as confidently as I could.
She scowled. “Why should we care about the deaths of random humans? I will hear every detail of your interactions with Josiah.”
“Josiah?” I repeated, thrown for a moment. “Was that his name?”
The other vampire narrowed her eyes at me. “There is much you do not know.”
“Mostly because no one will tell me,” I snapped.
She straightened, and when she started speaking again, she sounded like a teacher giving a lecture. “We vampires have been on the forefront of scientific knowledge for thousands of years. We have discovered ways to make the Turning less painful, ways to adapt human medicines to our own physiology, ways to keep our heritage and yet remain a part of the larger world. And yet, in all those centuries, no vampire has ever turned against the one who Turned her. Some have broken company with their Sires, but none have ever been able to do them harm.”
“Okay…” I said. She was clearly waiting for me to say something important, some secret to how I had done it, but I had nothing. “Um, my bad?”
“Do not feign ignorance with me, child!” the woman snapped. “You faced the vampire who Bit you. Did he not seem trustworthy to you? Did you not wish to follow him, to do as he bid?”
“I did not-” I began, but stopped so suddenly that my teeth clicked together.
“He was… compelling,” I said, at last. “When he looked at me, he seemed to be so much more handsome than he really was. And I froze.”
“Then he did have an effect on you,” she said. “Your report said you were the one who ended Josiah’s life. But was it really the werewolf who killed him?”
“No,” I snapped. I probably should have been surprised that they not only had access to my police report, but also knew about my partners ‘condition’. “Officer Howell was incapacitated by the rogue vampire. I’m the one who did the killing.”
“But how?” the woman pressed. “How did you fight against him, your own Sire?”
“I don’t know!” I cried. “The vampire- Josiah, our sire, whatever- was trying to kill my partner. If you read my report and you know Howell’s a werewolf, then you also know it was the new moon and he couldn’t transform. And I couldn’t let him die.”
The other vampire took a deep breath. “Could it be that simple?” she asked, softly. “It has always been our way to… lessen our family connections, when we are Bitten. To form new ties with the vampires of our lineage. We are too close to our Sires to turn on them, so when an elder loses himself, we must rely on another bloodline to face him for us.”
“So I’m the only vampire with non-vampire friends?” I said. “That’s nice.”
She scowled again. “You were not our choice, Hezekia. You would do well to remember that.”
I leaned back in my chair. “And I managed something no other vampire has ever done.”
“It is not the achievement you believe,” the woman told me, ice in her voice. “Honor and tradition are of highest value.”
“Yeah, they are,” I agreed. “But I prefer to define honor on my own terms.”
She stared at me for a long moment. “You are free to go. The Council would appreciate if you would remain available for further questions we might have.”
I smiled, a completely false and sarcastic smile, and got to my feet. “It’s been a pleasure, ma’am.”
THE END
Current Mood:
festive
Prompt: writerverse challenge #31 why did you do it? (explaining a decision)
Word Count: 944
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original ( Zeke Jones ‘verse)
Summary: Zeke is called in by the Vampire Council to provide some answers.
Note(s): originally posted to the writerverse wv_library
Turning Against
I folded my hands on the table in front of me, careful not to fidget.
“Hezekia Jones,” said a voice from the darkness on the other side of the table. “You have killed one of your own kind. What words would you offer in your defense.”
The speaker was female and didn’t sound much older than I was- though, being a vampire, she was probably centuries older.
I sat up straighter in my chair. “This incident has already been investigate by Police Internal Affairs, Madame Councilwoman.” I had no idea if she actually was on the Vampire Council, but a little flattery couldn’t hurt, and she at least reported directly to them. “The IA declared it a good shooting. Metaphorically speaking.”
Because she was right. I had killed another vampire. He had been a rogue- their term for a vampire who went mad and broke with tradition. This one had murdered a dozen young women before Howell and I had met up with him. I hadn’t even known he was the vampire who Turned me until after he was dead.
“He was one of us,” said the woman. “Moreover, he was your Sire. You should not have been able to move against him.”
She stepped into the circle of light from the single (unnecessarily ornate) lamp above the table. Even in the harsh brightness, she was beautiful, wearing a skirt-suit of some kind of no-doubt-outrageously-expensive fabric that shimmered as she moved. Her caramel-colored skin was flawless, as was the tasteful make-up of her chocolate-brown hair and strawberry-red lips, and the crisp curls in her mocha-brown hair… and maybe I should have eaten something before they ‘requested’ my presence.
I sat up straighter again, realizing something else. There was certainly no resemblance between us, but she felt familiar to me- there was no doubt in my mind that we had both been Bitten by the same vampire, the one I had killed.
The woman rested her perfectly manicured cherry-red fingertips on the table. “Tell me what happened. Leave out no detail.”
“I can’t discuss an open police investigation with a civilian,” I said, as confidently as I could.
She scowled. “Why should we care about the deaths of random humans? I will hear every detail of your interactions with Josiah.”
“Josiah?” I repeated, thrown for a moment. “Was that his name?”
The other vampire narrowed her eyes at me. “There is much you do not know.”
“Mostly because no one will tell me,” I snapped.
She straightened, and when she started speaking again, she sounded like a teacher giving a lecture. “We vampires have been on the forefront of scientific knowledge for thousands of years. We have discovered ways to make the Turning less painful, ways to adapt human medicines to our own physiology, ways to keep our heritage and yet remain a part of the larger world. And yet, in all those centuries, no vampire has ever turned against the one who Turned her. Some have broken company with their Sires, but none have ever been able to do them harm.”
“Okay…” I said. She was clearly waiting for me to say something important, some secret to how I had done it, but I had nothing. “Um, my bad?”
“Do not feign ignorance with me, child!” the woman snapped. “You faced the vampire who Bit you. Did he not seem trustworthy to you? Did you not wish to follow him, to do as he bid?”
“I did not-” I began, but stopped so suddenly that my teeth clicked together.
“He was… compelling,” I said, at last. “When he looked at me, he seemed to be so much more handsome than he really was. And I froze.”
“Then he did have an effect on you,” she said. “Your report said you were the one who ended Josiah’s life. But was it really the werewolf who killed him?”
“No,” I snapped. I probably should have been surprised that they not only had access to my police report, but also knew about my partners ‘condition’. “Officer Howell was incapacitated by the rogue vampire. I’m the one who did the killing.”
“But how?” the woman pressed. “How did you fight against him, your own Sire?”
“I don’t know!” I cried. “The vampire- Josiah, our sire, whatever- was trying to kill my partner. If you read my report and you know Howell’s a werewolf, then you also know it was the new moon and he couldn’t transform. And I couldn’t let him die.”
The other vampire took a deep breath. “Could it be that simple?” she asked, softly. “It has always been our way to… lessen our family connections, when we are Bitten. To form new ties with the vampires of our lineage. We are too close to our Sires to turn on them, so when an elder loses himself, we must rely on another bloodline to face him for us.”
“So I’m the only vampire with non-vampire friends?” I said. “That’s nice.”
She scowled again. “You were not our choice, Hezekia. You would do well to remember that.”
I leaned back in my chair. “And I managed something no other vampire has ever done.”
“It is not the achievement you believe,” the woman told me, ice in her voice. “Honor and tradition are of highest value.”
“Yeah, they are,” I agreed. “But I prefer to define honor on my own terms.”
She stared at me for a long moment. “You are free to go. The Council would appreciate if you would remain available for further questions we might have.”
I smiled, a completely false and sarcastic smile, and got to my feet. “It’s been a pleasure, ma’am.”
THE END
Current Mood:
festive