The tinkle of the overhead bell and the distinctive smell was something she was getting used  to.  It was a close, oily smell with a faint undertone of something burnt.  It was the smell of a gun shop.  She removed her hat but left her sun glasses on.  Unfortunately, gun shops were not open during her hours of choice!  To utilize their services, she had to brave the sunlight.  Well, it was late afternoon and cloudy, but it was still uncomfortably bright for her.

"Afternoon, ma'am," the man behind the counter said.  "You'd be looking for a little self protection?"  He smiled, pleased with his selection.  This was the third shop she'd visited and his selection did seem better than the others.  He was polite, too, and that was more than that man at the first shop had been.  He'd talked down to her and tried to sell her something that would not have served her needs.  She'd done her homework before starting this effort, and by now, she was quite familiar with what was available.   What she didn't feel comfortable with was practical application.  It's one thing to read about muzzle velocity, ft lbs. of impact energy, recoil, caliber and another to really grasp what that means.  She wanted someone to talk intelligently to her about her needs and what was available.

"Yes, please.  I do want to be able to defend myself.  I work a late night shift and I've been reading what's been happening.  What would you recommend?"

The man looked intently at her and held out his hand.  "Squeeze my hand.  I want to see what sort of grip you have."  Eliza reached out and took his hand.  She did squeeze but carefully watched his face to gauge his reaction.  She was beginning to understand her strength and didn't want to break him.  When his face registered surprise, she pretended to be squeezing as tightly as she could.  "Wow! You must lift weights or something.  You almost hurt me."

She grinned.  "No, it just comes natural.  I must have good genes."

He gave a low whistle.  "Lady if you ever do lift, you'll be setting world records. But that's not why you're here.  You know, it's illegal to carry a gun on the streets, right?"

Eliza nodded. "Look, the other night . . ."

The man raised his hand.  "I just wanted to make sure you understand.  Ok, You want something you can conceal, so that means it can't be too big.  You want something that will stop a man, so that means it can't be too small."  He looked at her again and took her hand and turned it this way and that.  "You have a small hand but good strength."  He paused and then walked back to a cabinet and brought out a weapon.  "This is a .380.  It's a knock off on the Colt .45 and will hold eight rounds.  It's reliable and easy to handle.  Loaded with hollow point ammunition, you can stop a very large man with one well placed shot and anyone alive with three."  He chuckled.  "Want to try it?"

Eliza wasn't sure but she felt excited by the thought.  "I'd love to!"

The man grinned at her enthusiasm.  "Come on back.  I've got a trial range in back, here."  They went into a back room that was long and narrow.  The light was dimmer than she'd have expected, but with her vision, that was not the problem.  Then the man turned the lights on and she was instantly blinded.  She let out a little yelp of pain and covered her eyes.  The man seemed to realize instantly what the problem was and killed the lights.  "You ok, he asked with concern?  I can see why you work at night and are wearing dark glasses.  I have a cousin with sensitive eyes.  It's a real problem!"

Once the lights were off, she could remove her glasses with comfort and he showed her how to load and charge the chamber.  As she aimed the live weapon at the target, she realized her hands were shaking and her heart was beating like a trip hammer.  She jerked the trigger and the strength of the discharge, even through the ear protectors he'd made her wear was surprising.  "Oh my!  I wasn't quite expecting that."

"Relax.  Squeeze the trigger, don't jerk it."

Eliza pouted and sighed.  "I know!  It sounds a lot easier that it is."

Laughing, the man quickly agreed.  "Yes, but a little practice and you'll be fine."

Eliza concentrated and carefully formed a good sight picture the way she'd read she should.  Taking a deep breath, she let it part of the way out and took off the slack in the trigger and then gently squeezed.  The explosion surprised her and the light shining through the silhouette's heart showed where the bullet had penetrated.  Three more times, intently concentrating, she fired and three more times the bullets went into the heart-shaped area, touching each other, in fact.

"You are one quick study, lady!  I am truly impressed."  They went back out front, into the empty store.  He told her the price and she was again surprised.  It was much lower than the other stores, even lower than her net research indicated she might pay.  She agreed quickly, wrote him a check and thanked him again.  "I'm going to do something I shouldn't but I've got a feeling you really need this."  He loaded the magazine, jacked a round into the chamber, and made a point of putting the weapon on half cock.  Handing it to her he said, "Half cock, like I showed you, no safety.  Put that in your purse and here."  He reached under the counter and got a box of .380 ammunition.  "Sure hope you don't need all of this, but better safe than sorry!"

Eliza realized the risk he was taking and felt a rush of gratitude.  He had been really good to her: honest, helpful and fair.  She stammered her thanks and he replied by saying, "You just be careful now.  I don't want to be reading about you in the paper."  He showed her how to hold her purse so that she could actually reach in and fire the gun without removing it, if necessary.  He also reminded her that it would ruin the purse and also may spoil the shot so that was a technique of last resort.

She left the shop and walked out into the ending day.  Storm clouds were gathering and she was quite comfortable with her cape and sunglasses.  Late afternoon quickly faded to evening and the temperature plummeted.  She looked at dark, evil looking clouds and grinned.  She loved it.  The night and storm had become her ally.

She was entering a seedier part of town, a commercial area that may have seen its better days.  There were a couple of pawn shops visible, a book store that had skin magazines on display in the window and several bars advertising "live" entertainment.  She briefly wondered if those that didn't advertise that way featured "dead" entertainment.  She snickered and figured she could help there.

She leaned against the wall outside of one bar and relaxed, listening to the music.  It was a live performance and a single performer playing some fairly good jazz guitar.  Low and easy progressions, featuring diminished and ninths.  She liked it.  A gruff voice broke her reverie.  "Look lady, you can’t work here.  The bar don't allow it."

She looked up at one of the biggest men she'd ever seen.  "Uh, I'm not 'working.'  I was just resting and listening to the music," she stammered.

He snorted.  "You want to listen to the music, sit at the bar, pay for drinks and listen.  The guy in there don't play for free, you know."

"Ah . . .  Yes, I can see that."  She straightened up and went into the dim bar.  There was a musty smell, and other than the bartender and the musician, she was the only one there.  She walked to the rear of the bar, where it was darkest, took off her glasses and listened to the simple yet pleasant cords of the guitar.  The guy was surprisingly good.  She looked at him and wondered what he was doing in a dive like this.  Then a wry grin formed on her face.  What was she doing in a dive like this?  After sitting at the bar and throughly enjoying the music for what seemed like a rather long time, the bartender came over.

"What are you drinking, sweet thing?"  He busily wiped the clean bar in front of her.

"Plum brandy would be nice."

"K.  Be right back."

Her first sip of the plum brandy was not the taste treat she'd hoped.  It was raw and astringent, not like in the restaurant, but it did have a nice color and the burn to her belly was nice.  She drifted, sipped, and enjoyed the music.  She shrugged her cape back.  It seemed to be rather warm in the bar, a little warmer than she'd have liked.  The bartender had returned, offering her a refill.  She looked and realized that her drink glass really was empty.  After the first sip or two, that stuff hadn't been that bad.  As he poured, he seemed distracted.  When he left, she realized he'd been staring at her.  She glanced down and quickly pulled her shirt front shut.  She didn't remember opening that many buttons and the bartender had gotten a good show.  She looked at the drink with new respect and wondered just how strong it was.  Taking another sip, she realized it was tasting better and better.  Again losing herself in the music, she dimly became aware of someone entering the bar.  He took a chair at a table midway across the room, a little distance from Eliza.
 
 
 

Not really paying much attention to him, she continued swinging her foot in time to the music and a faint smile played across her face.  She looked as if she were half-asleep or almost totally intoxicated.  Looking through half-closed eyes, she saw him rise from his table and walk toward the bar.  Studying him closely, without him being aware of it, she saw he was blond and very good-looking.  She caught him taking side glances at her and smiled inwardly.  She was feeling quite good, not intoxicated at all.  Watching through her lashes, she noticed with his fair skin the healthy blood running through him.  Not totally in need of feeding, but maybe a little snack would be nice.

Looking up slowly, she made eye contact with him. His blue eyes widened, and he slowly made his way toward her. He had a slightly bemused expression on his face, but smiled at her.  "I haven’t seen you here before," he said.  Quickly slapping a hand to his forehead, he blushed.  "Oh, that sounds like such a lame opening line," he apologized.  "I didn’t mean it to sound like a come-on, even thought it is true," he said.

Smiling, Eliza told him that it was true, she hadn’t been there before, but had heard the music and had come in to listen.

"Ah, you like jazz too?" he asked.

"Very much so, he’s quite good, seems to be wasted in an almost empty bar," she replied.  They spoke quietly together and as strangers do, exchanged first names.  "It makes it easier to talk, and isn’t as in-depth as a formal introduction.  My name is James," he told Eliza.  Smiling, she told him hers was Eliza.

"Nice to meet you, Eliza," he grinned.

"Nice to meet you, James," she grinned back.

They both lapsed into silence, turning to listen to the music that was being played.  Unable to not keep time with the beat, both of their feet tapping.

"Almost closing time folks," the bartender announced.  The lights came up and then dimmed again.  "Last call for drinks."

"Nothing for me thanks," Eliza said.  She quickly picked up the plum brandy left in her glass and finished it.  There had been just a swallow left.  "I’ll pass also," James called.

"That’s it Lady and Gent," the bartender called.

The lights came up full and Eliza and James saw it was 2a.m.

Helping Eliza with her cape, James asked if she had far to go and if her car was parked nearby.  Explaining that she had walked here and that she would call a cab to take her home, Eliza started for the front of the bar.  She had seen a payphone there and would call the cab from there.

"There’s no need to call a cab, Eliza, if you trust me enough to take you home.  I know we’ve just met, but I’m harmless," he said.  "Ah, but are you safe from me, James," she asked jokingly.
"I’d appreciate the ride home, if it wouldn’t be too far out of your way" she said.  After telling him her address, they realized they lived only two blocks down and one over from each other.

During the drive, they exchanged more information about themselves and talked of many things, both personal and everyday happenings.  When they pulled up in front of Eliza’s building, they both felt the drive had been too short.

Turning in her seat, Eliza looked full into his eyes.  As he stared back at her, his eyes slowly took on a glassy look.  Wondering what was happening to him, Eliza closed her eyes and shook her head.  When the eye-contact ended, James roused and shook his head.  Slowly, she raised her eyes to his again, seeing that glazed look come over his face.  Looking deep into his eyes, she realized he was staring helplessly at her, not able to move.  Her eyes took on that flashing of yellow to red and back again appearance.

Leaning toward him, but not breaking eye contact, she thought to herself, "you can’t move, but I won’t hurt you, much.  You won’t remember this, but I am going to have some fun."  Feeling again that sensation of her canine teeth elongating, becoming fangs, she knew she was going to drink.  "I’m not blood lusting, but I need a drink of life’s elixir."

"You cannot, will not move.  I will not hurt you," she thought.  Tracing her now, long, blood red nail along the side of his neck, she chose the spot and quickly leaned in and sank her fangs into his neck.

Drinking deep, she savored the sweet nectar of his life.  Being care to not drink too quickly, she pulled back and released his neck.  Flicking her tongue over the small punctures, she watched them close, until there were only small marks, which would disappear without a trace.  How she knew this she wasn’t sure, but knew it she did.

Again looking into his eyes, she slowly diminished the intensity.  Her eyes taking on their normal coloration as he began to stir.  Licking her lips quickly, she made sure there was nothing on her mouth to betray what she had done.

He smiled as Eliza thanked him for the ride home.  He said, "he hoped they would or could see each other again sometime.  It had been very enjoyable."  With a secretive smile, Eliza agreed.

She got out of the car and walked to her door, thinking, "Oh yes my dear man, we shall meet again and again and again.  For me at least it will be VERY enjoyable."

With a wave she disappeared inside.  She watched as he waved, smiled and drove off into the night.