Cain – A Vampire Hunters Academy Novel

Year: 2011 AD

City of Los Angeles

Cain inhaled the rich, husky sweet scent that haunted his senses for the last few months. Great. Just what he needed. He knew that this day would once again arrive. After all, he’d witnessed it time and time again. As a matter of fact, he was the very reason the Light sent a weapon of natural destruction against his kind. He sucked in another deep breath. His skin prickled and tingled as erotic chills coursed down his spine. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to be consumed by the sheer force of it. The urge to seek her out intensified. He could easily begin the seduction, convince her to resent her caretakers and turn her against her very instincts.

However, this time around, it would not be so wise to make such a bold move.

Things were different. To make a direct move on a fledgling Huntress would be suicide, and with times being so uncertain with the “end of days” quickly approaching, there was a much bigger plan at stake.

“She is strong…” Cain heard himself say. Licking his lips, his fangs crested at the mere thought of her. Soon she would become a master manipulator of the elements; her thirst for his blood would surpass his own for human; angels would bow to her command and she would lead an army that Napoleon, Nero, and Julius himself would envy. She was designed to be a masterpiece of warrior art. She would come to understand combat as she would lovemaking. Oh, to imagine her as a lover. Intense would hardly be the word to describe what she would be. Goddess of sensuality, Aphrodite, would not be able to hold a candle to her.

He had seen this in the Huntresses that came before this one, but the power that this particular Huntress emitted even at this distance was different.

“I do not know where you are sweet Huntress, but I will find you…soon…” he promised.

The Vampire Hunters Academy, the school for gifted humans and refuge for Guardians had not registered her in their books. Every Huntress born within the last two thousand years had attended that school. Those that came before that, he had to find the hard way. This only meant that the Guardians, those who were destined to protect her, had not found her yet.

Why?

Why would the Light not place her in the care of those most skilled to protect her until she could protect herself? What game was being played? The desire to hunt her, to taste her blood, to have her bend to his will became overwhelming. His gumline thickened, lengthening his fangs. Blood coursed to the baser regions of his body. Blood. That’s what he needed. Her blood. Human blood.

He chuckled at the mere thought of it all; blood is where it began for him. Blood is what he paid for his ever-growing list of sins.

His story began in blood and he held the sneaking suspicion that blood is where his story would end.

He inhaled deeply, appreciating the chill of the night air from the rooftop that overlooked the city. The city’s lights lit up the sky, while humans down below scurried about their meaningless and pointless lives. Licking his lips, he contemplated whom would be his next victim this night, while simultaneously wondering how the humans he fed on lived such short lives but the blood they provided offered him eternity? Blood, his power, his pleasure, his pain – essentially his curse – he would forever remain bound to it. For eternity he would remain a slave to his more basic desires. He was a monster among men, a living breathing plague.

And it all began with blood…the blood of his brother Abel…

Available now!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0852TFT7C

Viper Returns

Staring into the hazel brown eyes of the woman who used to fuck the man you are in love with is not fun. Had it not been for the fact that Michael is damn near comatose, I am certain that this encounter would have led to a fight to the death. Tall, lean, with a thick head of naturally curly raven hair that hung loosely past her shoulders; full cherry red lips, high cheek bones set atop a perfectly symmetrical face-yeah, I will give Michael his props. She is taller than me by almost a foot, and as she glared at me with hatred oozing from her pores, I knew this is a bad idea… Scotland is a long ways from here, and the last thing I want to do is travel abroad with a bitter bitch.

“Where is he?” She demanded, pushing past me, barely giving me time to step to the side.

“Let’s make one thing clear bitch,” I say through clenched teeth. “The only reason why you were called is because I do not know how to heal him.”

She stops mid-step and turns to face me, her expression unreadable.

“It figures vampire,” she says coolly. “What knowledge would you possess on healing Vampire Hunters? We kill your kind and have proven ourselves to be effective at doing it.”

“Yeah, well for you to be so effective I don’t see too many of you around-“

–“I don’t think it is best that you accompany us to Scotland,” she snaps coldly.

“I didn’t ask you to come here to think.”

She glares at me. “Just because you walk in the sun does not mean you cannot be killed,” she threatened, her tone menacing and filled with murderous promise.

“I have killed werewolves, vampires older than me, and monsters among men,” I warn inching closer to her, “which means I will have no problem killing you. I am trying to get this man to Scotland so he could receive the help that he needs. Now if I am willing to risk my own survival with full understanding that I will be surrounded by very old and experienced Vampire Hunters that should tell your silly ass something. “

We glare at each other in a heated stand- off that extended past just a few minutes, and it was her who decided to stand down.

“Just watch your step vampire,” she threatens, and returned her attention to Michael, whose coloring had turned to a ghastly white. “So he was bitten by a werewolf AND a vampire?” She quizzed, pulling the sheet back and examining the wound.

“No. He was bitten by a werewolf/vampire hybrid,” I say, feeling slightly annoyed at having to re-explain what had transpired prior to her arrival.

“That cannot be…” she said quietly.

“Well it is. Even vampires are experimenting in the scientific communities now.”

She replaces the covers over him. “I don’t know how we are going to be able to transport him by plane to Scotland. He is gravely ill, and one look from the flight attendants and he will be asked to leave.”

“And not to mention that he is a wanted suspect for a series of what humans refers to as murders in Florida. He would never make it past the TSA,” I add shaking my head.

“And how the hell did he end up a wanted man ? He is the most honorable man I know and he wouldn’t dream of getting caught up in the likes of …” She scans me up and down. “…in the likes of your world.”

She has one more time to cross me with another slick ass comment before this whole thing becomes a wrap. “Clearly you don’t know him as well as you wished you did,” I snap. “And if he is so honorable then why the hell haven’t you seen him in how many centuries?”

She glowers at me, before focusing her gaze on Michael. Her eyes soften at the sight of him in such a vulnerable state.

“Because we were both young and reckless at the time…and incredibly foolish. I always knew that I would come back to him at some point…”

Irritated doesn’t even begin to cover the desire to rip her head off of her shoulders. I glare at her, fangs lengthening by the second.

“Well I hate to break it to you,” I say lethally. “But he is taken.”

“By you?” She scoffs in disbelief. “What possible future could he have with you?”

“One that he clearly didn’t want with you, otherwise we wouldn’t be in this position now would we?”

Game over. She says nothing more and looks longingly at Michael before reaching into a small sack that he held tied around her waist, pulling out a handful of herbs and then gently placing them on top of the wound. Her expression was incredibly pained, and from what I could gather full of regret. I suppose in her mind Michael was the one that got away, but what she fails to understand is that the feeling is not mutual. He grimaces, and his eyes flicker open in surprise of her appearance, and then he returns back to a peaceful sleep.

“That should help draw out some of the pain,” she says softly.

“What is that?” I ask curiously.

“Hunters Bane. It is an herb that is grown in the lands of Scotland, Ireland and even in certain parts of Africa. We use it to help us heal faster.”

We watch as he sighs in relief even in his sleep, and I wonder if perhaps keeping him here would serve all of our interests. I may not have to travel all the way to Scotland after all, especially if I can locate enough Hunters Bane from one of these off the market herb stores that offer holistic alternatives that give humans a false sense of hope in the art of healing.

“We have to get him out of here,” I say out loud. “As much as I would like to keep him comfortable in this hotel room, we just raided the lair of one of the most notoriously feared vampires the world has seen, and I expect there to be an army after me.”

Rowena shoots me a quick look before returning her gaze to Michael.

“He can come with me. I have plenty of places to shelter him. Considering the fact that you are responsible for this man’s current condition, transporting him to Scotland would probably kill him. I can contact his parents and the rest of the elders and have them meet me-“

“You have got to be out of your goddamn mind if you think I am going to allow you to take him anywhere alone,” I growl between clenched fangs.

“Tread carefully vampire,” Rowena whispers with a hint of poison. “It is because of you that he is even in this predicament-“

“And it will be because of me that he lives. You are here because of me. You would have never known he was in need of help had I not reached out to you-“

Suddenly, there is a crash just beyond the hallway. Both of us key in, our sense on high alert, and I detect the disgustingly potent smell equivalent to that of a wet dog: werewolf.

She looks at me, her green eyes littered with distrust.

“We have to get out of here,” I say. “Now.”

“How are we going to transport him without us being seen?” She asks, her gaze dancing between myself and Michael.

“I can transport him through vapor. You just have to tell me where to go,” I say moving quickly towards the bed where I bundle him into the blankets.

“And where does that leave me?” She demands.

“You’re a huntress,” I say, gently lifting possibly one of the largest men in the history of the world into my arms. His pain filled groans tug at my heart, threatening my concentration. “I am sure you can handle yourself just fine. Now, where did you park?”

I can taste the shift in the electricity that saturates the air. Familiar howls, and snarls from shifting werewolves are approximately ten feet away from the hotel room in which we stand.

“Listen,” I say firmly. “We don’t have time for bullshit. We have to leave now. Where the fuck did you park so I-we can get this man to safety!”

“I am parked underground in the black Lexus truck,” she says quickly.

“Take the window. It’s about a thirty foot vertical drop. Once you hit the ground, there is a side door which leads to the underground parking structure. Meet you there in 20 seconds.” With that I dematerialize with Michael in tow.

“More like 15,” I hear Rowena whisper as she rushes to the window and takes a sprawling leap.

Traveling through the vapor, I see how we managed to leave just in time, because as soon as Rowena makes it out of the window, the double latched door goes flying off the hinges and in comes three massive wolves, fresh from transition with fangs dripping with frothy white saliva. The news of Lucas’ Barnes death clearly travels fast, and with that in mind, I move Michael and I through the airwaves and materialize in front of Rowena’s truck just as she came running into the parking structure. She unlocked the door and started hit the ignition button that is on her key chain, and I gently ease Michael into the backseat, strapping him in. Rowena is already in the front seat, and there is a brief moment in her gaze where I can tell she is debating on pulling off without me or not, however I am not about to give this bitch one second of wishful thinking because I am strapped in the passenger seat before she can complete the thought. She scowls but hits the accelerator and we speed out of the underground garage and onto the busy streets of New Orleans.

Viper Book 2 Teaser 2

Sin: Daughter of the Grim Reaper-Available September 1, 2015

Sample Chapter.

There was nothing like having his powers once again in his possession and at his command. As he sped through the atmosphere like a meteor on a mission, he blazed through the night sky plunging deep beneath the earth’s surface, opening a portal into the lower realms. Hell had recognized that the Reaper of all Reapers had returned to his full glory, and he could sense the tremors of the souls of the damned and the thousands of entities that occupied the cursed place as they realized he had returned. With his mind, he opened a secret gateway into a realm he had created specifically for the one soul who mattered most to him, and he quickly stepped inside and made sure to close the portal behind him.

He had created for her scenery mimicking that of what is found in the country of Ireland. He remembered her saying before she died that she had wanted to travel to Europe, with Ireland being at the top of the list, and so to honor her vision, he created for her a never ending landscape of lush green pastures that transitioned from a flat surface to a sloping hilltop. He made sure to filter in the sun’s natural light to give it the dreamy, early morning appearance with the bright pinks and oranges dancing about on the horizon in an abstract version of a dream world. And just beyond the hilltop, he built for her a one story home made from brick and stone. He wanted to build her a castle, but she insisted on something smaller and to his dismay he built her dream home and furnished it with everything he could imagine. He even made sure to create a small lake for her; however it broke his heart to not have the power to fill it with life. No birds could grace the sky, and no fish to fill the lake…everything was an illusion but it was the best that he could do considering what he put her through.

He could sense Sin’s distress, but he knew his daughter: she would fight until the very end. Asmodeus would die by his hand: he would rip his wings from his body, only to plunge the Scythe deep into his chest before his tore his head from his shoulders. The only thing keeping him partially sane is the fact that the Dominion could hold Asmodeus off until he arrived to unleash his wrath. Besides, from what he had picked up telepathically, the Dominion would assist her until he arrived. He needed to get the Seal first. As he inched closer to the home where Mina permanently resided, he could hear her voice filling the atmosphere with a soft melody. He could sense her anxiety and her worry for their daughter and he couldn’t blame her. He had done a piss poor job of raising her. In his grief over Mina’s demise, he had been less than nurturing or caring towards Sin’s emotional wellbeing. It was a wonder that she still developed into a semi reasonable person without the personality of a psychopath. The only thing he really taught her is how to survive, which may be the only thing that gets her through this.

He tried not to focus on the flooding memories of his time with Mina when she was alive, otherwise he would forget his purpose and remind Mina of the very special bond that they shared. He would return to her when all of this was over, and rededicate himself to her and maybe if he could prove that what they shared transcended the physical, she would be granted a second chance…stranger things have happened and even entities such as himself required a little bit of hope just to get through each day.

She must have sensed him coming because she came outside looking every bit as lovely as she always did. She wore a white, fitted robe with her hair swept up high above her head and her hazel eyes gazing at him expectantly. He hurried over to her, and without a word, took her into his arms for a long embrace. She was the first to let go and when she took a step back from him, his heart sank.

“What is going on Grim? Why would Sin send me your Scythe and a box with the Seal of the Apocalypse? And where have you been? I could sense your thoughts and when you didn’t manifest-“

“A lot has taken place my love, and I am afraid time does not allow me room to explain,” he replied sadly.

“Grim I have watched from afar in this beautiful haven of a prison as our daughter suffered at the hands of your duties as the Grim Reaper and because of your wishes I sat idly by and watched her struggle to live up to your legacy and-“

“Mina, I did what I thought was best. She could not be raised in the human world because she is too different. At some point when her powers started to develop the humans would have either worshiped her or killed her or she would have killed somebody. I know I haven’t always been the best parent, but Hell is no place for the weak. I cannot be in several places at once and my warriors, along with the rest of the terrors that take place would have eaten her alive!”

“Grim-“

“And I could not allow her to see you much because it hurt her when she did…a part of her hates me for what happened to you.”

Mina’s eyes filled with tears at the memory of what took place. Just hours after giving birth to Sin, a demon posed as a nurse injected her with a toxin that human doctors had yet to identify, and before Grim could do anything to save her, she died with Sin still in her arms. Grim found out the moment he sensed her death and instead of allowing her to be taken by his men to be tortured for an eternity for simply loving him, he brought her to this safe haven where she has remained ever since.

She gently touched his face, and he relished the calming sensation of her touch. She had always been good at that: calming his inner storm.

“Grim…the Seal is next to the Scythe in the master bedroom of the house. When all of this is over, come see me and we shall talk then. And bring Sin too…I need to see her…”

Grim gently placed a kiss in the center of her palm and then once more on her lips before he dematerialized into the house and retrieved his Scythe and the Seal. He tucked the Seal underneath his arm, and turned around to see Mina standing in the doorway looking at him adoringly. Throughout everything, she still loved him and that was the strength he needed to survive.

“I will return to you Mina with Sin. Stay here.”

“Where else am I going to go?” Mina chuckled.

“Right. And one more thing…”

“What is that Grim?”

“I love you Mina…”

“I love you too Grim. Now go save our daughter.”

Grim nodded and then disappeared, leaving Mina alone a world that belonged to only her and Grim. She took a seat on the bed Grim had built with his bare hands from the finest of Oak wood, with cushions stuffed with the finest of goose down and blanketed with the softest of silk, and wept.

******Coming September 1, 2015

Bad Ass Chicks

So today is the day I am inviting you (yes you, the reader) to join me in a month long series commemorating Bad Ass Chicks in fiction. And not just the lead females that us readers like to enjoy in our favorite books, but in movies, television, comics and I will take it one step further my including the Bad Ass Chicks found in mythology. I mean, I know you cannot tell me that there is nothing absolutely bad ass about Athena or even Isis for that matter.

Why am I doing this? Well, tomorrow I will unleash into the world my third book entitled Viper, and my main character is one baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad chick. First of all, she is an assassin and you can’t get any better than an assassin can you? Wait, yes you can because she is also a vampire. Doesn’t sound too original does it? Well let me break down her story line just a tad bit: 20 years ago, her family-her perfectly normal perfectly suburban family was killed by a powerful record exec by the name of Lucas Barnes. Not only did he murder them in cold blood, he made her watch as he raped her mother and then not long after that, he ordered for her 12 year old sister to be executed.

Still not interesting enough?

Well, as a parting gift to Viper, he turns her into a vampire and then leaves her to fend for herself which turned out to be a bad move on his part. A few months later, a big time street hustler by the name of Rio takes her off the streets and gives her a job, and yes you guessed it, she becomes his hired assassin, but only upon the promise of Rio’s help in aiding her in her quest to put an end to Lucas Barnes. But it gets better…

Fast forward 20 years to the present day, he calls her in for a special mission and that is to act as a personal and temporary guard for his new artist, the fallen rap star of Lucas Barnes’ record label and younger brother of the notorious mogul, Kevin Barnes. Here is how the shit gets real (and yes I curse…a lot…): Viper uncovers some hard truths that eventually link Rio in a twisted game that has plagued her entire existence. Not only has Rio played her, but her family had been under Lucas’ influence for generations…and it involves something as complicated as genetics. Of course you can’t have a heroine without some help from some trusted friends-well, individuals who owe you a favor, and as the storyline unfolds…well, Viper learns that things are not always what they seem. Something is awakened within her, but will it be enough to put an end to the very entity that destroyed her life?

Now that is all I can tell you. You have to read it.
But what makes Viper a Bad Ass Chick? Other than the fact that she is willing to go extreme lengths to avenge her family, she is intelligent, resourceful, witty…independent, daring, impulsive, strong, cunning, and overall just bad ass. I love saying that: bad ass. Anyways, July 1^st is the day I kick off the blog series. Each week, I will highlight a character (and her author if there is one) to recognize the power of the female spirit. If you are an author of a book or series with a character that is truly bad ass, email me at septembershope@gmail.com and please do so by the 10^th of July. If you are a reader interested in something new to read then check me out J. Viper will be available for your Kindle as well as a paperback. I look forward to your respomses. This is going to be fun.

Viper Character Introductions: Damien

The next individual I call is someone I wouldn’t even fuck if I was blind. The decrepit motherfucker is some sick combination of everything that could go supernaturally wrong on top of being the result of a fucked up science experiment. Damien. He is a flesh eating vampire, the only one I have ever encountered and one I would have no trouble leaving in the sun to rot. I had heard of horror stories involving victims being allergic to vampire venom and instead of transitioning from human to vampire without losing much of our original physical appearances, these victims transition from human to Igor with fangs and a penchant for human flesh. Not only will they drain a victim dry but they will pick the bones clean of flesh. They are the absolute worse and a threat to vampire survivability and their makers have to control them, otherwise civilization will cease to exist. Damien is an expert at hiding in the shadows, which makes him very difficult to locate considering that his maker was killed ten years ago by another vampire. I am not sure over what, and Damien is not much of a talker so that will always be a mystery to me. He owes me in the sense that since his maker has died, I had made it a point to check on him from time to time to make sure that he is clean with his kills, and by clean I mean that that shit does not hit the news. He will be useful in the event of a confrontation with werewolves and tracking Lucas.

Sin: Daughter of the Grim Reaper WIP #2

Father mentioned something about being some sort of conspiracy against him, and in Hell, there is always a conspiracy for a power grab. Coups are performed on an almost constant basis, alliances are always formed and agreements made. Everyone down here works for someone, with the exception of my father. He is a sort of free agent, and now that I think of it, that makes him more of a threat than anyone. Someone down here has conspired to remove Grim permanently from his position and used a human to see it through. The question is who? There are millions of demons and most of them work for the Beast. Furthermore, they do not act unless told and I doubt that the Beast has any real interest in destroying Grim considering the fact that he has a war to plan and Grim’s purpose is more beneficial to his cause than not. So that must mean it had to be one or some of Grim’s own soldiers who were responsible.

First things first: find the human. I could terrorize the entire realm and would still find myself unsuccessful. And then I have an idea. Using the Scythe, I send out a telepathic call to every last one of my father’s soldiers to my presence. Instinctively I knew that the one or ones responsible would not make an appearance. They would be somewhere in the earth realm hiding until the time came for the seal to be broken, when my father would meet his end. The caverns vibrated a deep rumbling, creating deep splinters in its wake. Sounds of souls being tormented escalated to a deafening level; cries begging for the Almighty to come and set them free of their eternal torture. Within seconds the first few hundred of my father’s soldiers, now fully under my command are standing in front of me. Some of them sported the black winged/dark angel appearance, while others resembled gargoyles with their clawed hands and feet, stony expressions and grey scaly skin and wings like that of a bat instead of a bird. In just a few minutes I had almost an entire legion standing before me, ready for my command.

All of them stared at me in surprise, and as I mentally counted present heads, I noticed that a good fifty or so were absent-and those that were absent had been my father’s best men. As a matter of fact, those that were missing had accompanied me on several recon missions…just as I thought. They stared at me with curiosity, desperate for answers. As I surveyed these entities, I sensed the vibration of jealousy coming from a few of them, and I knew that if I did not establish myself now as the Angel of Death, I would have to deal with a possible mutiny, and Grim was no longer available for me to run to for obedience issues. I take a deep cleansing breath before speaking.

“As you all may know, Grim has been temporarily removed from his position,” I begin slowly, making eye contact with every one of the warriors that stood in front of me. “For now I will resume as the Angel of Death, fulfilling my father’s duties which is why I felt the need to call this impromptu meeting.” I wait for a response, and when there is none I continue. “Someone or, someones have stolen the Seal of the Apocalypse and somehow my father is being held responsible. When I discover just who the culprits are,” I say, my eyes blazing with rage so dark my unnaturally emerald green eyes turned completely black. “…not only will I skin them alive personally, they will die a second death. Most of you know that I survived the Abaddon Pits, and inside those pits lay a creature that has yet to be unleased onto the earth for a reason. His name is the Devourer and not only does he eat your physical body…he eats your soul. And one more thing,” I add staring beyond the legions and into the deeper pits that made Hell what it was. “I know that this may come as a shock to a lot of you. Some of you even feel that I am not qualified to assume such a prestigious position considering that I am or was half mortal. And I know that some of you feel slighted by Grim after eons of unquestionable allegiance…yet here I stand being given all of the powers of darkness at my disposal… Here is what I present to you: either you stand with me as you had my father or you stand against me and betray my father. You could try to form an alliance with the Unnamed One, but we all know how that goes…betray my father and you die, plain and simple. Have I made myself clear?”

One by one each of Grim’s warriors dropped to their knees and bowed their heads in allegiance. I nodded my approval once the last entity fell to his knee and bowed in submission. I sent them on their way shortly after and prepared to make my way to the earth realm. Dying humans were calling out to me and to quote dear old dad, time was of essence. With a wave of my hand I find myself in the middle of a hospital room, standing behind a weeping mother whose son had been fatally wounded in gun fight. I am careful not to touch her, as I observe the heartbreaking scene. Her thick mane of greying hair is pulled into a messy bun, and through her thick rimmed glasses I see tear stained and puffy eyes gazing hopelessly at her only son. She wore a nurses uniform, her brown skin ashen from grief and horror and I wish that there was something that I could do. Her son is a handsome devil, looking exactly like her with his high cheek bones and full lips and curly hair cut to a fade. 21 years old and already is having to face me. Pity. He lies in the hospital bed hooked up to monitors and a respirator, but his soul is ready to leave the body. His body is no longer habitable for his spirit and so I lean over him and his eyes open instantly. His mother begins shouting for joy believing that he will live to continue his life, but no…he has awoken because he can see me and he knows it’s time. His brown eyes fill with tears as his mother places kisses all over his face and I allow him to have this moment. I exhale deeply. Unfortunately his decisions has not only led him to a premature death but a place in the most undesirable of realms because there is no angel waiting for him by his bedside. There is only me.

I allow his mother to place one last kiss on his forehead before I reach out and gently touch him on the forehead. He exhales a final breath as I watch his soul, a mirror of his physical image, step away from his now deceased body. His mother screams for help, and we both look on with melancholy as nurses and doctors rush in to assess the situation. A kind elderly nurse escorts his mother out and into the hallway while the intelligent physician examines him. The kid looks at me with pleading eyes. “I am sorry kid,” I say grimly. “But your time has expired. Come with me.” I extend my hand for him to accept and he does so, reluctantly. He takes one last look back at his mother, then at his body and the life that he lived before, and then we are gone.

I leave him in the care of my men to escort him the rest of his journey before having to appear once more to another dying human.

This time, it’s a car accident, caused by none other than the Beast’s minions. They flee the instant that I appear, and unfortunately, the human is irreparable. Her spirit was sitting on the side of the wrecked Honda Accord, staring off at the scene. A drunk driver had side swiped her, forcing her off the road and into a fire hydrant. The airbag failed her and she ended up slamming her face into the steering wheel and she died from the impact. She glanced at me, her eyes widened in fear upon recognition. Her blue eyes filled with sadness until a white light appeared next to her. The angel did not take form, but he surely did not hesitate to send me on my way like I am some bothersome pest before taking the young woman into the heavens.

Well at least that was one soul I did not have to contend with.

I remain close by the accident scene, not even a block away, observing the rescue workers attempt to revive the already dead woman. Several witnesses were being interviewed by television personnel, while the fire department rushed to the scene to cut off the overflow of water spewing from the hydrant. Being that I did not touch her I knew next to nothing about her, and for once, I am glad I did not. It is time to go…

By the end of the day I have collected over one million souls; most of them having gone peacefully without more than a simple debate as to why I should give them a second chance (which isn’t exactly of my control), and then there were the hundred or so souls who actually attempted to escape; and one that had actually slipped out of my grasp and back into the earth realm. Mind you he happened to be a serial killer whom had finally met his doom courtesy of a little human disease called AIDS and just refused to accept the fact that his time had come. I had sent a few of my reapers after the bastard because frankly, the last thing I needed was a bunch of warrior angels pissed off at me because the ghost of a serial killer was haunting humans when I still had yet to find the seal.

I see why daddy o was grumpy all the damn time.

A few of my men returned to me with no insight on the human or the missing soldiers. One million souls from all over the globe and still no sign of the seal. I am not sure if I would be able to identify it if I came across it…father never mentioned it until it was time for me to look for it. I release a frustrated sigh while running my fingers through my locks.

Time to go topside. The human is out there somewhere, and maybe I should spend a little time learning about the Seal’s history before retracing its steps upon abduction; and there is someone there that could help me. Just as I summon the Scythe back into my possession Hell literally breaks out once more. The Harpies were at it again but this time with some scavenger demons. I am so not in the mood for this bullshit, but they are under my charge and so in a flash I materialize to the upper level where all of the commotion is taking place, and send out a black electrical charge from the Scythe and into the bloodied fight taking place. Several harpies (which are bird like creatures with feathers and everything, with human faces) were wounded after being attacked by several of the scavenger demons. I blasted both parties with my Scythe, startling the scavengers and infuriating the Harpies. “I don’t have time for this shit!” I holler at them as the scavengers scamper away into the darkness; their three legs moving with great difficulty, while the Harpies flew down into the deeper pits.

I need to free my dad ASAP.

Hopefully as I prepare to depart this time, there are no more…disturbances. At least not until I return.

Sin: Daughter of the Grim Reaper (WIP)

Chapter 1

There is nothing neither simple nor easy about being the daughter of the Grim Reaper: a descendent of death. My father is a terrifying son of a bitch with a penchant for pain that is out of this world. I should know, he trained me in everything that I know. Growing up in the pits of hell was never pleasant. You get to see horrific shit that you don’t want to see and come to understand truths that will rip into the very fabric of your soul. Humans are stupid. I have come to understand that as well, especially the ones who refuse to believe in the concepts of both Heaven and Hell. I have been to Heaven, once with my father. He asked me to accompany him on his tour through the pearly gates. Of course, being what we are, we were only allowed into the first realm before quickly being escorted out by the Warrior Angels. I was told by a messenger angel once that once the war was over, when humans were set free of the spiritual chains that sent them to my father’s doorstep, we would be allowed entry. But until then, Hell is where it is.

My name is Sin and I am named after the curse inflicted upon mankind for his disobedience. My father is the Grim Reaper, also known as the Angel of Death, and the most feared and revered of all of the spiritual entities that hide behind the veil that separates the living from the dead. As of right now, I play many roles on my father’s behalf and one of those roles is that similar to what humans call a bounty hunter. For instance, every once and a while some schmo attempts to cheat my father of his due by going to a strong witch and after paying a hefty fee (his soul usually) she turns him into a thing of the night: zombie, vampire, etc… When that happens, my job along with a few other trained killers is to come up and bring that entity down where he belongs: in hell. I also go after witches, warlocks, and anyone else that tries to tamper with the natural order of things. Occasionally, I am sent up as a hired assassin by my father. Sometimes humans get a little beside themselves and decide that it is a great idea to use science to eradicate the entire human populations or a select group emerges from the cesspool of science and tries to play God by tampering with DNA in hopes of creating something that would ultimately destroy the human race. I am what one would consider the last resort before God decides to move his hand, and trust me, He is pretty close to doing it again. Of course, He did send His Son a couple of thousand years ago, which ultimately stalled out everything out, but the Big War is coming and what I do is try to keep humans from inadvertently starting it at least before the pregame show.

In human years, I am around thirty years old. I am actually half human. My father was roaming the earth as usual; seeking out those whose number had been called and had not been allowed entrance into Heaven when he stumbled upon my mother, who was a successful lounge singer at the time. And so the story unfolds in the same manner as any story where a nonhuman entity falls for a human: he disguised himself as a human, seduced her and nine months later I was born. She did not survive the birth however, and my father in a rare moment of guilt did not send her to hell. He placed her in a realm that is neither Heaven nor Hell where she would remain comfortably until the end of the Big War. As for me, he took me away from human hands and raised me in Hell where I have remained ever since. I do not get to see my mother much because good old Grim thinks that would activate my human side too strongly and he needed me to free from human emotions.

Thanks dad. You are the absolute greatest…not!

I spend most of my days sparring with demons who envy me with a passion. They are at the command of a being I really want nothing to do with while I maintain my free will…oh and it does hurt their feelings a little bit that I have an actual physical body. They have to utilize abilities such as possession and even soul snatching in order to manifest fully among the living. There are very few of them that managed to maintain their original solid forms, but those who were capable were of stronger angelic breeding prior to the fall. Most of the time, outside of the sparring, they don’t bother me. Every once in a blue moon do I encounter one whose attitude needs an adjustment, but other than that I have no worries.

Being the daughter of the Grim Reaper has its perks as well as its downside. My father can be a real prick sometimes with his rules and zero tolerance for disobedience. For instance when I was sixteen, I decided to sneak out through a half opened portal that one of the lesser demons left behind in hopes of creating a path of my own. I had barely stepped out of the veil and into a small town in southern Mississippi when good old dad comes charging out of night sky on a chariot made completely of brimstone and fire. Not only did he destroy the entire town with a level five tornado but he snatched me by my robing with his cold, bony hand and dragged my ass back to hell and locked me deep in the Abaddon pits (which is the deepest, darkest pit in all of hell and where pure evil thrives) for an entire year. For 365 days I had to fight for survival using every technique I had learned from daddy’s private lessons. By the time Grim had remembered where he had placed his black and beating heart and released me, I was half starved, gravelly wounded and longing for revenge.

I still owe him one for that.

There was also the time when I turned 21 and I had fallen for one of his demon warriors. The guy was well over six feet, built like a brick house with massive black wings that extended to a full eight feet when spread. Long raven dark hair fell in waves across his shoulders, while his eyes burned with a red hot heat that I simply could not resist. We had been on several missions together and one night temptation reared its ugly head and I gave up my maidenhood to one of my father’s best men, thankfully not in Hell but on an island somewhere inside the Bermuda Triangle. It was the best night of my life, but I should have known better. I have lived in a realm where someone is always watching, and being that I am daughter of the Grim Reaper did not leave me the exception. I am willing to bet it was one of those holier than thou angels that take their guardianship over the humans a little too seriously because not even 24 hours after I cried out to the heavens (multiple times) word had gotten back to my father and he had his best warrior executed. The poor guy is still being tormented somewhere in one of the many levels of Hell. As for me? I was banished from visiting the earth realm; stripped entirely of my position as head bounty hunter, and left to wander around the various levels until I either went mad from pure boredom or died from the mundanity of it all.

Of course Grim came to his senses after six months when one of the Hell Hounds broke loose and I am the only one capable of bringing them back without having to harm them. And then shortly after that, a small civil war broke out between succubae and the harpies and who has the diplomacy to work that out? You guessed it, me. And then not even a month later, a very brave soul of a former rapist and serial killer managed to escape his chains and stole Grim’s Scythe before returning to the human world to wreak pure havoc. Again it was me whom my father sent to go after the bastard and clean up whatever mess he made. The founder and creator of Hell showed absolutely no gratitude whatsoever, he just blew me off without so much as a thank you, but dad was pretty happy. Well, as happy as an Angel of Death could possibly be. I was fully reinstated back to head bounty hunter and was given my freedom and now here I am.

Hell is in an uproar again. Humans are still being stupid and my father has gotten himself into a world of trouble. A human has gotten ahold of the first seal of the Apocalypse and the Warrior Angels think it is my father who is responsible. My father’s fate rests solely in my hands as does the rest of the world, so I have been released into the earth realm to not only find the seal and return it to the powers that be and drag the foolish soul down to hell where he belongs. My name is Sin, and I am the Grim Reaper’s daughter, and this is my story.

Book Blurb: Viper (Coming July 1, 2015)

She is the reason why the gangsters, the murderers, and drug dealers fear the night…Working as a hired assassin for drug dealer turned record label founder, Rio Mendez, Viper is on a high stakes mission to bring down one of the biggest music industry moguls in the world-Lucas Barnes, the man responsible for turning her into a vampire and murdering her entire family right before her eyes twenty years ago. Relying on her wit and will power and with the help of some unlikely friends, Viper must uncover some hard truths before facing the entity that stripped away everything that she once loved.

“I have more than nine lives you son of a bitch. I am coming for you.”-Viper

I failed you mommy. I failed you Lindsay. Daddy you can still kiss my ass. Kevin, I am sorry. I welcome the darkness that surrounds me, and I hope that I am not awakened to the fiery pits of hell and brimstone. — I failed you mommy.
I failed you Lindsay.
Daddy you can still kiss my ass.
Kevin, I am sorry.
I welcome the darkness that surrounds me, and I hope that I am not awakened to the fiery pits of hell and brimstone.

Another Excerpt of Viper ( 3 More Chapters to go)

We make it to the inside of my warehouse successfully. However, I am drained to the point of exhaustion, leaving Michael responsible for loading her into her tank. She had started to wake up and slowly begun to uncoil herself, when Michael without any real effort tossed her over into the Olympic sized pool, large enough to make Shamu and his friends happy. I peered over into the glass and she seemed a bit confused as she thrashed about and swam in circles, and when she neared the glass, staring at me through the Plexiglass with idle curiosity. Her large black eyes staring straight through me before she opened her mouth to introduce me to a wide set of knifes for teeth. Forty feet of raw muscle is now swimming around in my holding pool. I am not worried about her slithering out, for with push of a button I can seal the top of the pool off.

I remain stretched out on the concrete flooring of the warehouse: 20,000 sq. feet of what used to be a metal processing plant. It cost me damn near a million dollars to renovate this place to my liking: a double level dungeon of pain and suffering and a habitat for my snake babies. Michael stands over me, surveying my version of paradise. “What the hell Viper? How many snakes do you have in here?” In row after row of snake tanks, varying in size and shape and placed on shelves specifically built for that purpose. “I don’t know…like 200 maybe?” I mumble, my brain trying to calculate exactly how many I have in my collection. “What the fuck did I get myself in to?” “Let’s see, I own a couple of King Cobras, a few water Moccasin’s also known as Cotton Mouths, uh.. a dozen diamond backs, a Boom Slang-which was quite difficult to acquire…a spitting cobra, I think three Taipan’s…about five or six Bush Master’s, ten Black Mambas’…” I continue to name what I could remember in my collection all to Michael’s dismay.

There is still a lot of daylight left surprisingly, and I have completely worn myself out. Too tired to feed or do much of anything else I pass out right in the middle of my warehouse. I awake to the vibration of my phone a few hours later. Damien had done his job and now I owed him. Michael has 300 years’ experience in warfare, bloodshed, and mayhem. But I can hope that his stomach is strong enough for what is about to take place next.

Michael offers me his vein and I accept it-from his wrist of course- and I do not take long to take what I need. He is always watching me with a quiet yearning, and as I can take him I can taste it in his blood. His blood is powerful, rich and laced with something that fuels every cell in my being. Flashes of memories from a past too distant for record, and in the mix of all of that, I see his face. I cannot wait for this conversation, to know about more about the man who kneels before me, offering me than just his vein, but his life. I owe him more than what he desires, and when all of this is said and done, I can rebuild a life that I had dedicated to darkness, into something guarded by the sun-with him…maybe. I seal his wound and close off all thoughts of a happy ending with Michael. I have work to do.

The sun has set, and after a few silent moments of both of us engaged in our own thoughts, there is a loud bang on the metal door, and of course screams of terror. I can recognize those screams anywhere. It’s Rio’s bitch ass, and he is not happy. I quickly slipped on a pair of black denim that I had brought along for the trip before opening the heavy door. In comes Damien, his mouth dripping with blood and flesh, dragging a very panicked Rio. His arms were tightly bound behind his back, as were his feet. Blood dripped from a huge gash on his forehead, his mouth swollen and his face bruised. His eyes widened when I came into view. “Hello there Rio,” I say calmly. “Long time no see. Did you like the renovations I made to your house?” “You stupid bitch! That is why I ordered you dead-“-“And you see how far that has gotten you. I am still here. So how have you been? Heard from C-Dollas?” He gasped at the realization that it is I whom was responsible. “You’re a muthafuckin’ psycho you know that?” “And you are a lying bitch of a man,” I say without emotion. Damien dumped him in the middle of the concrete floor, directly in front of the holding pool where Rosa swam around anxiously. She approached the side of the glass facing us, staring at Rio whose face grew paler by the minute. “What the fuck is that?” He stammered. “Oh,” I say casually piling my braids into a big bun. “I know how much you miss your homelands in Brazil, so I thought I would bring a little bit of that luster to you…That is Rosa. She is the legendary anaconda of the Amazon that is in fact the largest ever discovered. And guess what? She is all mine.” I smile, flashing my perfect pearly whites and Rio screams again in terror. “You are a sick bitch!” “Yes I am,” I declare proudly. “And you should have known better than to fuck with me Rio. How could you? You have been lying to me for twenty years! I trusted you-you of all people I trusted after everything that happened to me. I trusted you, I did all of your dirty work without question, often times with minimum pay…I killed your enemies, protected you…I am the reason why the streets feared you…and all this time you were under the thumb of the one vampire you pretended to hate so much.” “Vipe-Viper it wasn’t like that,” he stuttererd, struggling against the rope that held him tied. “It wasn’t like that…-“ “Well what was it like? Because your little friend C-Dollas told me everything-“ “C-Dollas was lying!” “Now, the man was many things, especially a liar, but I can smell a lie a million miles away. He didn’t lie. But even as death stares you straight in the face you still lie.” I turn to Damien whom was nervously pulling at what remaining skin he had on his hands and asked him to grab a chair from the back of the warehouse. Michael had disappeared and I could not blame him. This is going to be a long night.

When Rio is strapped in the leather office recliner, facing the holding pool where Rosa remained submerged in, it was time for some unanswered questions. “Rio, you are going to die in some shape or form tonight, “ I say standing in front of him and gazing deep into his eyes. His bald head had become glazed over in sweat, and the purple robe that Damien had drug him in apparently was his only article of clothing. Rio must have been entertaining a female guest when Damien burst in on him. What a surprise. “But how you die, depends on your level of truthfulness. Understand?” He nodded as a single tear slid down his cheek. “Now, let’s begin. I know that you have been working for Lucas for as long as I have been working with you, which means when we met you knew all there was to know about me before I told you. I know all about the Immortal Gene, what it means and now that it is activated, a part of me wishes to use you as a messenger to Lucas….” His eyes widened in surprise at the mention of the gene being activated. “How?” He asks, squirming in his seat. “Not going to tell you, but trust me I have done the research.” I continue. “Why did you leave town when I brought Kevin back after the attack in Miami?” Before he opens his mouth to answer I answer for him, slowly putting together the pieces. “Wait, let me guess: you were supposed to bring Kevin and I on a silver platter to Lucas. But you ended up having to hand only Kevin over, right?” He nods. He is telling the truth, good. “That was the whole purpose of my stint in Miami.” He nods again. “That night when we” (referring to Damien, Michael and myself), “attacked the hotel I had a brief encounter with Kevin and your sorry ass turned him into a werewolf. Why?” Rio took several deep breaths before answering. “Why Rio? If Kevin was supposed to be made vampire to act as Lucas’ second in command and you are under Lucas’ wing, why did you turn him into the one thing that vampires hate?” When he didn’t answer, I beckoned for Damien to come and the zombie-vamp’s eyes lit with excitement. Rio, in a fit of terror, spilled the beans on everything. “Lucas is trying to create a new breed of vampires. Since he couldn’t access the Immortal Gene he went with another option-werewolves. Kevin is to be the first of the experiments being done. He wants the ability to walk in the sun. Vampires can’t turn into werewolves if bitten, but if vampire saliva enters the blood stream of a werewolf, something happens-“ “What happens?” I demand, having some sort of a clue. I instantly remember the white werewolf with the blood dripping from its fangs. “They become vampire wolves, with all of the perks and abilities of both species, including the ability to walk in the sun. He is creating a serum that fuses both to inject in himself.” Now everything made sense. “And with you, C-Dollas, and whatever Lucas had going on with your record labels, it was all a plan to recruit new guinea pigs for this experiment. How successful has he been so far?’ “Viper please, let me walk away,” he pleaded. I can’t stand the sight of traitorous men who think it is fair that they beg for their lives when they have ruined the lives of many. “Let’s not do this Rio. You and I both know that cannot happen. You betrayed me, tried to have me killed in the Everglades by two werewolves, and you sent someone to my house-“ –“I didn’t send anyone to your house! I thought you were dead!” Well if he didn’t send someone, who the fuck did? “Since you won’t tell me how far he is in to his research, tell me this: where does Lucas lay his head?” “Why the fuck do you think I would know something like that?” “Because you know everything about everyone. Every mission you sent me on, you knew the victim’s address, telephone numbers, work numbers, the wife’s cell phone number, where their kids if they had any went to school, how much was in their bank accounts, and even the side bitches they were fucking when their wives or girlfriends were getting their hair and nails done! Don’t fucking play with me Rio! Where does Lucas Barnes lay his head?!” Without thinking I punch Rio hard in the jaw, cracking the bone and snapping his head back.

His head bobbles around in a daze, his mouth swelling even more. Michael appears out of nowhere looking like a million bucks as always and I really could do without his presence right now. Rio mumbles something unintelligible and I grab him by the shoulders and force him to look at me. “Rio, tell me where Lucas’ lair is.” “Lucas…Louisiana,” he struggles to spit out from a useless jaw. Louisiana! That makes sense. The fucker has a soft spot for the state and that is where my adoptive family’s originates and where all of this bullshit started. “Where in Louisiana?” I demand. “He has a mansion, near the swamps and the mausoleum. That is all I know.” I know exactly where that is. My father used to visit Louisiana quite often and he often spoke of one his private client’s estates-the mansion, and now I know which client and why.

I take once last look at Rio, and regret ever thinking for one second that he was my friend-or something close enough to it. His head slumps to the side, his mouth agape and drooling uncontrollably. “You have two options,” I say stooping down to his eye level. “Option number one: I feed you to Ms. Rosa over there. She is starving and let’s just say she had a rough travel.” He struggled against the rope in a desperate attempt to escape, and Damien and I look on in amused delight. “Option number two,” I continue, “You have already met Damien.” I point to Damien, whom is standing next to me with a huge toothy grin, fangs fully extended and dripping with saliva. “Damien has been quite lonely for some time now since his maker met his unfortunate demise, and upon meeting you at the Hotel in Miami, Damien has taken an extreme liking to you.” Rio takes one look at Damien and releases an ear piercing scream. “Well that is no way to treat someone who has a crush on you,” I scold making it clear that I am enjoying every second of this. “Viper please!” He begins to sob. Huge drops of tears stream down his faces as he begin praying in his foreign tongue. “Prayer is not going to save you Rio. So what will it be? You can spend the rest of your life as his bitch –“ I say pointing to Damien whom is rubbing his hands together greedily. “Or you can find yourself in Rosa’s starving belly. Now what will it be?” Rio continued to sob, and I almost felt bad for him. Almost. “You have ten seconds Rio otherwise I will decide for you…10, 9…” “You said you would give me the mate of my choosing and I choose him!” Damien exclaimed excitedly. Fuck it. I will have to find Rosa something else to eat before I send her back home. “Well, Rio consider this your lucky night. You will not find yourself in the pit of Rosa’s stomach, although personally that would have been my first choice. However, do not get too excited. When I turn you and you don’t transition into a zombie-vamp as Damien had become, you will still find yourself as Rosa’s date and Damien will be out of luck.” I turn to face Damien whom is prancing around with joy. “I cannot wait to taste your sweet dick in my mouth,” he coos, forcing Rio to dry heave over the side of where he was strapped. “Seriously Damien, I do not need to know about your plans. Whatever goes on between you two love birds is none of my business.” “Well before you turn him,” Damien said stroking himself through his torn scrubs. Michael frowns with disgust. “Fuck dude, take that shit elsewhere.” Rio fights against the robe to no avail. “You know what?” I say stretching. “I will leave you two alone. Hopefully, Damien doesn’t forget about how badly he wants you as a mate and kills you in the process.” I motion for Michael to follow me. “No! Wait!! Viper!! Nooooo!” Rio shrieks; his eye wide with terror as Damien continues to pleasure himself in front of him. Michael pushes the metal door, holding it open for me to walk through like the gentleman he is. I don’t even bother to face Rio. I simply call out behind me, “It won’t hurt so much if you actually allow yourself to enjoy it.” With that, Michael closes the door behind us, and thankfully my warehouse is sound proof. I had grown tired of listening to Rio scream.

Escape: Coming 12/31/2015

I awoke with a start to the sounds of an engine roaring to life. I shivered in the chill of the early morning, the sky had not yet been greeted by the first rays of light, and though every muscle and bone ached with a vengeance, I knew I had to get up, otherwise it would have been well into the afternoon before I would have returned to my bleak reality, and I definitely did not want to miss my opportunity to shower and regain a sense of normalcy. My eyes burn with fatigue and my corneas feel as if they are being scratched by sand paper, and as I stretched and yawned and tried to regain my bearings I cannot figure out how I managed to sleep for so long in such uncomfortable conditions.

I am begging my aunt to let me stay with her, even if I have to drop to my knees to do it.

I folded my ratty blanket and double check that my only three outfits which included two pairs of faded blue jeans, two bras, three pairs of colorful panties that my former social worker bought for me three years ago, a couple of pair of black socks, two hoodies, a matted ball of Scrunchies, half a bar of soap, an old tooth brush and a comb that was missing half of its teeth, a couple of sanitary napkins (thank goodness my cycle is irregular), my ID, my social and birth certificate, and three crew necks. That was all that I had to my name. Tying my hair back and smoothing my edges down as best I could, I pull my dingy hot pink hoodie over my head, slip on my beat up grey and white Nikes, hook my duffle bag over my shoulder and prepare to walk the fifteen or so blocks to the mission and I send up a silent prayer that all will go as planned. I believe that someone upstairs owes me for the life of pain that I have had to unfairly deal with; and just maybe, today, my life was going to turn around for the better.

I made it to the mission in less than 45 minutes. The local vagabonds that walked the city streets nodded in my direction before returning to their daily routines towards survival. A man whose path I have crossed many a time since I opted to remain in the downtown area screamed violently at the invisible offender; cursing and flailing his skinny and frail arms about, while blank black eyes stared in my direction. He looked as if he had not had a bath in years, and judging by the yellow and thick callous that covered his bare feet, he had not. I used to wonder if he had a family that was somewhere out there looking for him, but then, I remembered that I once had a family and they stopped caring to look for me. I reckon that is what happened to him too.

Bums, vagabonds, homeless folk, society’s failures, whatever you want to call us make up our own society-our own community. One would never understand the struggle to simply achieve the basic of necessities unless one walked in those shoes. And what wearisome shoes they become. The crazy thing about me being homeless is that I often have felt like I was right where I needed to be: I could disappear into the shadows of the streets, away from…

A nun greets me at the door, and welcomes me with a warm smile. She is familiar with me and my situation and has offered several times to let me stay in the nunnery, but I quickly got the impression that she was hoping to recruit, and I have to face it, my situation is too fucked up to even want to dedicate my life to a being that never showed He cared about me in the first place. No, I am not an atheist; I do believe in God, but I think the Lord and I have some unresolved issues that we have to work out before I give one prayer of thanksgiving.

The nun goes by the name Sister Mary; she is barely five feet tall, with peachy toned aging skin, stringy blonde hair and welcoming brown eyes. Dressed in the typical head to toe black and white nun garb with a gold cross hanging from her neck, she guided me inside the Cathedral where row after row of sporadically filled pews of sinful parishioners sought penance for whatever sins they committed. The colored glass windows with varying depictions of the Madonna and her child graced the walls of the massive church. The melodious melancholy hum of the organ playing in the background reminded me of my mother’s funeral, and as the nun quickly guided me into the hallway that led past the cafeteria where they fed what they could to the starving masses of people that greeted them day in and day out, I fought back the surge of emotions threatening to break free. I did not cry for neither of my parents…not even my mother when I found her lying in a pool of her own wastes, and I was not about to start now.

Sister Mary and I engaged in the usual small talk. You know, the “how are ya’s”, and “Why wont you come stay in the Mission” to “God is merciful and forgiving”, etc… I don’t see why I need to be forgiven for dead parents who happened to be drug addicts, but I let her go on with her attempt at laying on the guilt trip on me in hopes that I will see that my sinful nature is the reason why I am living on the streets. I suppose she is under the impression that I am involved in some sort of prostitution ring, which is the only reason in the world why a young woman such as myself would be destitute and living on the streets. For someone who claimed to love God and took pride in doing God’s work, she never once asked me why and what led me up to this point. She already had in mind my history and everything was my fault. Typical.

We bypassed a row of occupied rooms and continued down the stretch of the corridor until we finally reached the last door in which she removed a heavy bundle of assorted keys and opened the door. Flipping on the light, inside the tiny space was a cot with several blankets laid on top of it, a full length mirror that leaned against the plastered wall, and there was a single window that overlooked the parking lot that was saturated with last night’s festivities: used needles, used condoms, and shattered glass. What a view. “I just need a shower, some food and I promise I will be out of the way,” I say, struggling to find that balance between sounding grateful yet firmly against what was being offered to me at the same time. “And where will you go?” Sister Mary pushed with a frown that deepened the lines in her face. “Back to your pimp?” “Um excuse me?” I say feeling slightly offended. “You are too young to throw your life away to the streets,” she scolded. “Stay here. If anyone comes looking for you trust me you will be safe.” “I don’t have a pimp Sister Mary,” I say dropping my duffle on the ground. “I am not a prostitute. I am more of a runaway than anything, and like I said I just need food and a shower and then I will be on my way.” “A run away? Good heavens child! What could you possibly be running away from?” Her normally even toned voice hit a higher pitch and before could say or do anything more she ushered me out of the room and into the room next door where I was greeted by several shower stalls and a couple of unoccupied toilets. “In the long cabinet to your left is soap, clean towels and some shampoo. When You are done I need for you to head to the cafeteria where a hot meal will be waiting for you.” “But-“ “But nothing young lady! It has been placed in my spirit that I am supposed to look after you. Do you know how many times I have thought about you since our last few encounters and I swore to the Almighty that the next time you walk through those door I was not letting you go on in the manner that you are. No woman should be on the street. So shower, and please do something with your hair. I know dread locks are a form of cultural expression but you do need to wash them!” And with that she slammed the door behind her.

I hope that my aunt forgives me. I do not think that my destiny begins and ends in this Cathedral.

I lock the door even though the room was meant to accommodate multiple people, but even on sacred ground one could never be too careful. I choose the larger shower stall which was built to accommodate the handicapped, turn the water on to as hot as I could stand it, grabbed the soap and shampoo and let the hot water transform me into a new person with a new beginning. But, even with a shower, freshly washed hair and a new attitude, nothing was going to change the fact that Fate definitely played a hand in what I was to become: and most importantly, what I am to remember.

Miss Jenkins Books

Where Magic and Melanin are One

Category: Urban Fantasy