I miss her. Maya Pozharsky. The way she made me feel normal. The way she made me feel special. That what I did actually mattered, and I had her support. 

Now, I’m alone in this world. No crewmates. No clan. No Maya. It’s just me and this tall lady, who will split the moment I’m no longer useful. 

I have one other person in mind. That kid, Tendy. Where is she? I’m out here with Mable, and I don’t see her. 

“Mable, where is that child…?” I say, my voice heavy from breathing. I scan around, looking for any hope for that poor kid.

I look to read Mable’s face, her eyes widening. A slight shift of hers tells me what happened. 

Before she opens her mouth, I know what she will say. “Well, I don’t know. I could’ve sworn she was with me. Maybe—.” 

“Mable, what did you do?!” I shout.

She hesitates, tugging on the buckled collar on her neck. “I didn’t do anything!” 

“So you left her,” I accuse her. 

“Me? Leaving her? I—I—Don’t talk like you’re better than me, Star!” She further yells out, “You had more than enough power- If you’re so fucking concerned, how about you turn back and grab her from that crack!?” Her words ring true. I have to act.

As I turn back at the mess of shadows and the sorts, the exit seals itself shut. Nothing. No opening for me to pull back. It’s not even visible. It’s as if it were never there.

I freeze, realizing my mistake. I now know I yelled at Mable rather than acting like the idiot I am. What was I doing? Why am I letting everyone down? 

I stand here, messied and everything from those shadow things. My breathing quickens. I struggle to keep myself composed. 

“Why-Why-Why am I like this?” I say to myself. My head tilts down. “Why did I kill that kid?” I grab my hair, holding myself in frustration. “Why did I let that child die? Why—?” 

“Shut up! Shut the fuck up!” Sable grabs my wrists. “Hold that shit in… 'Cause I don’t need you wallowing in your own guilt. You hear me?”

I look up at her for a brief moment, and our eyes lock. Hers intensifies. 

Her touch is as cold as a cooler — like a vampire. Her odor stings the air with a chemical sharpness. I never knew a person could smell like this. Her body is covered in scars and stitches, holding everything like a doll rather than a human. Her reattached arm fits with everything else.

My eyes felt something, but I had to listen to Mable. I can’t let anyone else down. I can’t let her down. I need to bottle up my feelings. It’s the only way to cope. A vampire who’s full of emotions is too dangerous.

We break as Mable lets go of me. I look down at the grassy ground as the wind brushes through it. 

I speak to break the silence, “How’s your arm?” 

A “huh” immediately leaves Mable’s mouth before she answers properly, “There’s nothing wrong with my arm. I’m a fucking reanimated corpse; if it stitches back, then it’s fine.” 

She continues, “Hey, how’s your werewolf injury?” 

“I’m fine. I took enough blood from the big lizards to heal all that.” 

“See? We’re both fine, so you don’t need to worry about shit. Other than getting food.”

We march on even if aimless. I help with hunting and cooking, while Mable helps with… pep talks? Fortunately, my bat familiar returned, so he can help alleviate morning blood consumption. 

I eventually heal any wound I’ve received from my time on Nevermore. I wonder if we’re even close to any civilization, let alone Blackwater. 

We travel for what feels like several days. I maintain my patience by thinking about reaching Dr. Wess. West. Wess. The guy Maya used to study under. It got me curious about Mable’s reasoning for finding Dr. West. 

I call out, “Mable.” 

“Sable.” 

“Do you have a reason why you’re after Dr. Wess?” I ask. 

She pauses before answering, “I thought I already mentioned it. But I have a contract to rewrite.” 

I don’t know much about law, but I hope she’ll succeed in that. I guess.

I look around as my eyes catch cloth. The wind brushes through us, a familiar breeze. No, I felt it. It’s a quick snap of the air. 

Cold metal touches the back of my neck. 

Mable’s eyes expand — her hand on her holster.

Someone’s fast enough to catch me off guard. With my experience, it’s definitely a vampire.

A stern woman’s voice booms behind me, “State your clan and intentions. Immediately!”

“I was part of the Hart clan, but I’m no longer with any clan. Look, I don’t want to get into any trouble,” I try to defuse the situation. 

I refuse to move. I can’t fight another vampire. There’s a high chance she’s fueled by human blood.

“Hart clan, huh… I heard they got ripped apart by the Van Helsings,” The vampiric stranger comments.

Mable slowly raises her hand to touch the handle of her gun.

I gesture for her to stop. I can’t have her get killed — the guilt I’d feel…

“I left before that happened. Could you at least tell us your clan?” I ask. 

The air tightens around me. 

“The Cyrus clan. I left as well,” she responds.

The cold steel remains as I try to think of what to say next. 

“I’ve never heard of it. What was it like?” I ask.  

I need to de-escalate this. 

“It was nice. I had friends. The kind of people whom I would call siblings,” She answers. 

I think we’re getting somewhere, I hope.

“Well, it was nice until some jackass… Never mind that,” the sword-wielding woman continues.

I tense up upon what I hear next: “I can’t have you around any longer. I don’t mind your Rubenstein-looking friend, but you… You were part of the Hart clan.” 

Mable grabs her gun, almost ready to draw it out. Sweat pours from my face. How do I prevent my own undoing? How am I going to confront Maya if I’m dead?

“Val, stop! They’re terrified of you,” A much softer woman’s voice shouts over. 

My tall guide stops herself from drawing. My shoulders relax. 

“This is a precaution, I can’t let him hurt you-.” 

“The man’s sweating, and he hasn’t moved since you got here!” The softer woman yells. 

The metal leaves, allowing me space to look.

I turn to see two women bickering. 

The vampire stands about my height, wearing a trench coat that reaches her knees. Her attire shows tears and cuts from — I assume — past encounters. Her skin is as pale as most of my own “kind” with brown hair tied into a bun with those pointed ears. She sheathes the blade she was using. 

The human stands the shortest among all four of us. She wears a somewhat complicated pale dress with fancy designs. Her blonde hair curls much nicer than my own. Very onion ring-shaped compared to my more fluffier curls.

“What did I tell you about trying to kill strangers who look in my direction?” The blonde woman asks. 

“You know how dangerous people can be, Melody. Especially vampires,” my fellow vampire responds.

I look back at Mable, who lets out a sigh. I feel somewhat calmer — although if that other woman didn’t stop her…

“Val, please. They’re right here. We can’t be having this conversation now,” the well-dressed woman says. 

“Fine, okay. Sure, we can be friends with these freaks,” the trenchcoat lady replies. 

“I’m begging you not to insult these folks,” the human says. She then turns to us. “I—I’m sorry. My girlfriend isn’t sociable.” 

Mable comments, “Yeah, I can tell.” 

The vampire opens her mouth as her eyes narrow. 

The human gestures at her, stopping her partner. 

The blonde woman greets us, “My name is Melody, and this is Valeria.”

I open my mouth.

My tall guide speaks up first, “I’m Sable. This guy is Star.”

“Oh—! Alliteration. That’s cute!” Mallory excitedly exclaims. 

We all pause there for a second.

“You know where Blackwater is? We’ve been looking around for that town,” Mable asks.

Valorant points in a direction. “It’s over there. I don’t know why you two would like to go there, though. Personally, I would never go there.” 

“But the bowling alley there— AH! With the rental shoes and their crinkle-cut fries — Ooo!” The blonde human exclaims, barely holding onto her excitement. 

“We can head there if you want, Mel,” her partner responds.

The four of us agree to walk there. 

Although Valorant is no longer hostile to me, I notice that her eyes shift around us as if she’s on alert. Her Blackwater made me think about what to expect from that town.

Mallory converses with Mable, both on different wavelengths, about what to expect from Blackwater. Mable talks about the ‘bare essentials’, while Mallory excitedly dreams of the tourist traps.

Arriving there, we split. 

Valorant and Mallory remind me of my time with Maya. I miss her — I miss her so much that I need to find her. She’s always reassured me of my decisions. I haven’t felt her warm touch in so long.

Mable and I enter Blackwater on our own, catching the eyes of the hundreds. Their cold sights beam on us. Their awful expressions remind me of who I am. A monster. One that doesn’t belong in human society.

It’s typical for me to experience this; people always look at me like I killed their families. Why shouldn’t they fear someone capable of mass destruction? I could never fit in with the populace. My time with the Hart clan tainted me as a being, even after spending those years on the Red Reaver. 

My time with the Red Reavers has been somewhat pleasant, although I always kept myself somewhat distant. Half of them treated me as if I never turned into a creature of the night. While the other half knows full well that I can at any moment slaughter them if the worst conditions are met. I never intend to hurt people, yet it feels inevitable. That is my curse.

I take deep breaths, trying to remind myself to keep marching. To not break apart. Because I need to see my love and make things right — I have to. What kind of person am I if I fail and lose everything?

Mable glares at me for a moment before turning to the side. A man, hunched and losing balance, bumps into me. His shoulders collide with me. 

“Ey, asshole!” the poorly dressed human spouts out at me as he almost falls off. He grabs my collar. The man pulls something from his pocket — a pocket-knife.

My mouth loosens as my eyes now burden themselves with the sad sight. I can’t help but pity this man, thinking he’s got some everyday human in his clutches. Someone vulnerable to validate his anger on. He’s not sober enough to comprehend the horrors of what I am. 

“So, lemme at ‘em—” The pathetic man attempts to threaten me. 

My tall guide knocks him out with a single push. “You’re too fucking close for my liking.” 

I hold out my hand, hoping he’s okay. 

“Let’s get going, Star,” Mable commands as she walks on. 

I wish she weren’t so rough with the guy. I know her strength is proportional to that of a human, but he was only intoxicated.

We pass by the many eyes of the town. As we tread, we catch the sign of a nearby building. 

“Know Know Know Inn.,” mutters Mable. 

I hear mumblings around as we approach. 

“The vampires are invading this town.” 

“We'd better keep our distance.” 

“Some vamp bastard killed my brother.”

We set foot inside, still receiving odd looks from others. I don’t particularly know why Mable decided this was the best place to go first. It’s not as if we have much choice, but still, we’re invading human space. I feel dirty being here. My tall guide marches on with confidence despite everything.

“Welcome to Know Know Know Inn., My name is Susan Know,” the lady behind the counter greets us. 

She appears to be in her thirties. She wears a tired yet gentle expression. Her hat rests above her blonde, tied-in bun hair. The hat displays the same logo we saw on the building earlier. This welcome is unexpected, although I wouldn’t complain.

Mable scans the room before stepping closer. She shifts, scratching her nose. She looks at me with a twist of her lower lip, a glimpse of skepticism in her face.

She turns to respond, “Yeah, we’re getting two rooms.” 

“I don’t have anything to pay with,” I say out loud. 

“I’m paying,” Mable says.

I really don’t have anything on me. My pockets were emptied that day when we crashed on Nevermore. I appreciate Mable covering for me, but I get the feeling she was a bit too eager to do something this nice.

“Two rooms, how long do you two plan to stay?” Sudan asks. 

“I dunno, however long it takes to get what we need,” Mable answers without consulting me first. 

“Oh? What are you two looking for exactly?” The clerk inquires. 

“We’re looking for Dr. West,” I answer. 

“D-Don’t tell her that,” Mable barks. 

“Why? She asked us a question, and I answered,” I respond.

Mable scratches her nose as she sighs. 

“Well, I can figure something out. Names?” The woman behind the counter asks us. 

“You can put me down as Sable, and you put this guy down as uhhh,” Mable says before looking around the room. “Ringo!” 

“That’s not my name,” I mumble to myself.

The clerk starts writing down in a notebook. “Does any of you want to sign up for our membership?” 

“No!” Mable immediately shuts it down. 

“So, how’s everyone’s day?” asks Sudan. 

“Awful. How much do I gotta pay?”

The clerk vents to us either way, “Well, my day could’ve been better. My husband hasn’t shown up all day, so I’m covering his shift. I had a nasty argument with my son.”

Mable slams down a stack of dollar bills before taking the elevator. “This better pay enough for two rooms for a while.”  

Sudan turns to me to ask, “So, Ringo… How’s your day?” 

“Could be better,” I responded. 

I look at the merchandise display behind her.

I can’t help but think about getting that cute hat I’m staring at. It’s got that vibe of the captain’s hat I used to wear. The one that The Captain passed down to me. The one I lost. I wish that I hadn’t lost it. I wish I remembered his name, too, so that I can stop calling him “The Captain”.

“You must really like that merch, huh?” The woman asks. 

I guess I made it too obvious. “Yeah, but I’m broke,” I respond. 

“You can have it. It’s on the house,” she replies with a smile. She passes it over to me before also handing over the keys to Mable's and my rooms. She exclaims, “Stay safe!”

Taking the items from her hand, I head to the elevator. I turn back to say, “Thank you.” 

She waves me before the elevator arrives. 

I enter inside. The whole thing closes. I exhale the cold air from inside me. I loosen myself, leaning against the wall as I think about everything.

I slip on the hat given to me for free. I think about what I’m doing here. I’m not used to these kinds of spaces. For so long, I have hidden myself from humanity. With the Red Reavers, I usually stay inside the ship while everyone else handles the businesses below. Now, I’m on my own. Well, there is also Mable, but we only share one objective.

After that, I’ll see her again. Maya.