by GersGal1      
Mon, 18 Sep 2000 
                 The Lady in Black

                       ~part one~

Janette's eyelids fluttered and her fingers twitched slightly. She was
beginning to awake from her dreamless slumber. Outside the sun was
sinking below the horizon, and darkness was enveloping the entire city.
Jeanette licked her lips and slretched, then yawned. She sat slowly
upright, and gazed thru her sliding doors, past her terrace, and into
the night.

She rose from her bed, walked out onto the terrace, and stood
overlooking the city. She was due at her nightclub soon, but she was not
in a hurry. She was growing bored with the same patrons, same scenario,
night after night, week after week, month after month, year after year.
Perhaps she may put her club up for sale soon and move on, leaving this
city, and everyone in it, including Nicholi, behind. She felt an urge
deep inside. The wanderlust was tugging at her again. She must roam
tonight. But first, she must call the club and notify her bartender that
she would not be in tonight.

After calling The Raven, Janette drew herself a warm bubble bath and
stepped into the bathtub and sat down, letting the bubbles carress and
tickle her. She laid back in the tub to relax for a few minutes. No
matter how steamy she  made her bath, it somehow could not take the
chill from deep inside her. The chill seemed to lie within her very
soul. But Janette had learned to live with it. She had lived with it
for 801 years now. Such was the life of a vampiress.

Janette stepped out of the tub, put on a thick terrycloth robe and went
into her bedroom and surveyed her closet for something to wear. She
removed the long, slinky black velvet dress from it's padded hanger and
slipped it on. She piled her hair atop her head leaving wisps of hair
trailing down her neck seductively. She slowly ran the tube of ruby
lipstick over her lips.

She slipped her feet into her black high heels, and picked up the bottle
of citrus scented au de touilette that Nicholi liked so well. She sat it
back down on her dresser again. She picked up the cut crystal glass
bottle of French perfume that was her favorite, and dabbed it behind
both ears and on this insides of her wrists. She put on her black velvet
cloak. She pulled the hood up over her head. She was ready. Janette
stepped out of her townhouse and into the night. She would not take
conventional transportation tonight. She would walk.

A tiny smile played at the corner of Janette's garnet colored lips. She
felt mischievious. And free. Totally free. One by one, she surveyed the
mortals she passed by on the street. The night air was cool, and felt
good on her face. She felt as if the world was hers and hers alone.
Jeannette did not glance into any of the storefront windows she passed.
She had long ago grown tired of that. She already had more than a woman
could ever want, as she had amassed great fortunes during the eight
centuries she had lived. Janette was far more interested in mortal
merchandise, this night.

      
                         ~part two~

Janette smiled politely at the gentlemen passing her along the street.
She surveyed them one by one, but found none of them to be to her
liking. She proceeded walking along the concrete path, her hips swaying
gently from side to side. She could sense that men were turning their
heads and watching her from behind. A tiny smile played at the corner of
her lips.

Janette looked up and saw  the full moon hovering in the black sky. She
felt as a young child would venturing out on the evening of All Hallowed
Saints. She felt the wanderlust utterly irresistable, and quickly
banished any thought of attempting to shrug it off. The wanderlust
thrilled her to the bone, giving her the sense that the entire world was
her oyster and she had an eternity to enjoy it. And, being a vampiress,
indeed she did. Janette couldn't help the chuckle that escaped from her
pale throat. No wonder so many children and adult mortals alike dressed
up like vampires on All Hallowed Saints evening. They were making their
feeble attempts at capturing what every vampire already possessed.
Immortality and that delicious thrill of the wanderlust.

She stopped abruptly. Janette suddenly realized she was standing in
front of the city morgue. Janette stood in front of the rather plain
brick building and thought of Natalie Lambert, the local forensic
pathologist, and Nick's current plaything. She found herself slowly
ascending the broad staircase that led to the front door. Janette's
hand reached out and grasped the door handle. It was locked. With a
single effort, Janette pulled the door open, almost pulling it from
it's hinges. She walked slowly down the long, dark corridor until she
came to an office with a light filtering from underneath it's door. She
sensed a mortal inside. Janette knocked softly on the office door.
"Come in", said a female voice.

Janette opened the door and stepped inside the office. Natalie Lambert
looked up from her bookwork and almost gasped when she saw her
unexpected visitor.

"Janette?", Natalie exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

"Please excuse the intrusion", Janette said as she walked over and sat
down in the chair in front of Natalie's desk, crossing her legs, "I know
I should have telephoned first, but I couldn't help thinking what a
shame it is that you and I have not had the chance to get to know one
another better,...to become, how do you mortals put it, fast friends".

"Nick hasn't been here today, Janette, if that is who you are looking
for", Natalie answered Janette in a tart manner.

"I am not here to seek Nicholi's company, Natalie, I am here to mend
broken fences. Isn't that the expression you mortals use for making
up?", asked Janette.

Natalie's tone softened, "I'm sorry, Janette, I didn't mean to be rude,
I'm just suspicious by nature. Comes with the territory, I guess".

"Suspicion makes a fine pathologist" Janette agreed, "But don't fret, I
thought nothing of it. So, tell me, shall we start over by going out for
a couple of drinks together?"

"To the Raven? What if we run into Nick there? Could he stand the shock
of seeing us together?", laughed Natalie.

"Actually, I had another place in mind", Janette said, "A quiet little
establishment across town called Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves, but do not
be misled by it's name. It is an upper class establishment. The owner is
a good friend of mine. She is a bit eccentric, hence her establishment's
name".

Natalie smiled sweetly at Janette, "I'd love to get out for a while.
It will do me good. How is it outside? Shall I get my coat?"

Natalie stood and walked over to where her coat was hanging on the wall.
Janette stood and walked over to Natalie. "No coat needed. It is a
beautiful night tonight. The weather is perfect. Just a touch of
lipstick and we can be on our way", Jannette said.

"What's the matter with me? Thank you for reminding me, Janette",
Natalie said in a slightly excited manner, "I should put on a little
makeup".

Natalie went over to her desk and opened a drawer and pulled out a
makeup bag. Then she walked over to a large oval mirror on the wall and
began to apply makeup.

"Allow me", Janette told Natalie as she reached and retrieved Natalie's
brush and hairpins from inside the makeup bag and began brushing
Natalie's hair and pinning it atop Natalie's head, leaving wisps of hair
cascading down the back of Natalie's neck.

"Be my guest", Natalie told Janette.

Janette noticed Natalie's carotid arteries pulsing, gorged with blood
due to the excitement of the possibility of a night out on the town.

"I believe I will", Jeanette replied, then with lightening speed she
pulled Natalie's head backward and sank her fangs into Natalie's right
carotid artery. Janette drank her fill, but was careful to leave enough 
blood to bring Natalie across. Then she allowed Natalie's limp form to 
slide through her hands and onto the cold floor of the lab.

Across town, Nick looked up suddenly from His desk at the pricinct. He
had just felt the strangest feeling, then abruptly shrugged it off and
returned to His work. Janette walked over to Natalie's desk and sat
down and began to mindlessly flip thru the pathologist's journals,
occassionally letting her eyes drift to the form lying on the floor, and
then back to the journals.

Friday, September 9th, 2000, one entry read, A male white caucasian
brought into the morgue with multiple gunshot wounds. Cause of death:
Hemorrage due to gunshot wound to great femoral artery. Name of
decedent: Mark McAlester. Next of Kin: None known. Janette flipped the
page. The next entry was a female brought in. Name: Renee Darius. Date:
September 2nd, 2000. Cause of death:  Multiple stab wounds to left
carotid artery. Location of body when found: Behind The Raven, a local
business. Person reporting death: Lucien LaCroix.Next of kin: Teri
Whassernam. Janette remembered the article in the newspaper about this
body being brought into the morgue and disappearing the next night.

Janette tried hard to stifle her laughter. The missing body was now a
regular at her club and an upstanding member of the vampire community.
In fact, Lady Renee, as Lucien affectionately called her, and LaCroix,
were quite an item. The next entry concerned a male transient brought
in. His cause of death was listed as multiple snakebites. His name was
listed as Stephen LaMont. Janette giggled. She remembered this man! He
had been a patron at the Raven one dark and rainy night. LaCroix had
invited the man into his private dwelling located at the back of the
Raven to sample his collection of fine vintage  wines, and the man was
never seen nor heard from again. Silly mortals, Janette thought to herself, 
snakebites, indeed!

Natalie groaned and sat upright, rubbing the right side of her neck,
then pulled herself up onto her feet. She turned and faced Janette,
her hand dropped from her neck, and a smile played upon her cherry lips.

"Well, what are we waiting for?", she inquired of Janette, "Let's blow
this joint!"

Janette smiled broadly. Then she and her new companion exited the grim
and dreary office, and went out into the warm moonlit night.
Natalie hailed a cab, and both vampiresses slid into the back seat,
"1497 Rouge Boulevard, East", Janette told the driver, "We are going to
a friend's club for drinks".

"I know that place", the driver told the two ladies, "It's Gypsies,
Tramps, and Thieves, the new hot spot in town for the upper crust. I take 
quite a few fares there. Big tippers, the lot of them are!"

Janette paid the man no mind. She busied herself staring up at the full
moon. Natalie was intently listening to the cab driver's every word and
studying him intently. She leaned forward and brushed her shoulder
length hair to one side..."Pull over", Natalie told the cab driver.

"Pardon me, ma'am, but this isn't the safest place in the city", the
cabbie told Natalie.

"Pull over, handsome", Natalie repeated herself, "And be sure you choose 
a spot where no one will see us".

The cab driver pulled into the alley behind a local business called The
Raven. Janette excused herself and disappeared inside. Natalie climbed
over the front seat and run her fingers thru the cab driver's hair.

"Would you like to kiss me?", Natalie asked the confused cabbie.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I would", the man smiled. He leaned forward
to kiss Natalie and Natalie sank her fangs deeply into the man's carotid
artery. The man groaned, and minutes later, slumped forward with his
head on the steering wheel. Natalie pushed him aside and got behind the
wheel of the cab. She drove to the local bridge and positioned the man
behind the wheel of his taxi. Natalie got out of the cab and reachd back
inside and placed the man's foot on the accelerator. The taxi, and the
driver inside, plunged over the bridge and into the dark, murky waters
below, and sank to the bottom of the lake.

Natalie took to the sky and rejoined Janette at the Raven. Inside,
LaCroix was dancing cheek to cheek  with his constant companion, Renee.
Renee was whispering something into LaCroix's ear. Something that made
Lucien smile. Then the two disappeared into LaCroix's private retreat at
the rear of the Raven.

Janette handed Natalie a handkerchief with which to wipe the drop of
blood from the corner of her lips.

"We have to leave, as the bartender said Nicholi called and is on His
way over", Janette told Natalie, "Tomorrow I will sell the Raven to
LaCroix. He has been wanting to buy it from me for quite some time now.
Then we will take a plane to Paris, and take up residence there".

Both women walked outside into the night and started walking in the
direction of Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves. Natalie looked up at the full
moon that was looking back down at her, and she couldn't help smiling to
herself. Deep inside she could feel a strange stirring. A stirring that
made her feel as if the world was her oyster. "I am going to like this
new life", Natalie thought to herself, "I am going to like it very much,
indeed!"

~fini~