Over a year ago Nikki Collins was attacked and left for undead. In that time she has questioned her very existence. Why was she turned? Why was she attacked? And far more importantly for her, who was the woman who turned her and then so completely abandoned her? This night as the full moon sets upon Collinport those answers arrive at an unlikely location: The Shinning Ankh Interfaith Ministries, as one woman prepares to surrender herself
The glass door of the Shining Ankh Interfaith Ministries opens as two young men in exiting pass a tall woman, who each looks at with admiring side glances. Gracefully striding across the dark carpet, the raven-haired woman in the floor length dress approaches the Intake windows ahead. If she felt any trepidation there was absolutely no outward sign as she held her head very regally and strode purposefully across the room. For a brief moment, she expected guards to suddenly race toward her – only no one seemed to notice her, except for the two young men, and they only because they had been appraising her looks.
Neffy had only moments ago taken a seat at one of intake windows. It was still business hours, owing to the Intake staying open for those working poor who may not have any other opportunity to arrive than after working hours. Intake was not something she had to do – and so she shouldn’t have even been down near the windows, but at the moment she really didn’t seem to care; and so found a ledge on one of the windows to sit upon – it was a momentary distraction considering the reports coming in from Boston.
As the tall woman approached she saw the only window unoccupied belonged to a ginger headed receptionist and a young woman with rather orange hair, and a very disgruntled look as she sat on the window ledge. Neffy looked at the raven-haired woman and thought: old school aristocracy. The woman’s voice was sultry, very sensuous as she said, “I would very much like to meet someone of the Interfaith’s highest hierarchy.” The receptionist gives a professional nod, not looking away from her computer moniter. “Someone will wish to see me of that I am certain.”
Neffy on the ledge laughs with distain.
“They have been looking for me. I am Countess Elizabeth Bathory-Nadasdy, and I wish to surrender myself to your authority.”
“I have some holy watter dipped tooth picks want one – that is about how much any one cares about seeing you.” Neffy says.
The receptionist’s fingers clicking upon the keyboard, she begins the intake file, but then looks to the purple clad woman on the ledge, “Uhmm . . . shemsi . . . ahh . . should I classify this as a councelling session?”
Elizabeth Bathroy turns slowly to the woman on the ledge, she moves almost with the grace of a professional ballerina so sure of foot, “I am sorry, but Holy Water will have little effect upon me.”
The purple girl with the shock of orange hair looks deeply inside of Eli’s eyes for a moment, then suddenly flops to an upright standing position, “Oh, sorry, should have said pure – how a corrupt christian priest could make something holy enough to give even a regular vamp a sneeze is beyond me.”. She is well aware the woman is a very powerful Vampire from the brief glance in those deep blue eyes.
Elizabeth slowly looks about the large room, her blue eyes darkening as she begins scrutinize the lobby, intake windows, and beyond, determining an exit if she needed one quickly and this went badly.
Neffy decides to take this one from the intake recpetionist and motioned to Elizabeth, “Come on -” She glances at the receptionist, “Yeah, classify this as an introductory alliance/counseling session – I will get Her Holiness Hemet Sobekenefru (ankhuadjatshem). Moving away from the window, she nods her head to Elizabeth, “Follow me.”
“Thank you.”
Elizabeth follows the girl dressed in purple with the orange hair. They take an escalator upstairs, and then back long the balcony overlooking the atrium below.
The surly looking girl leading the way seems to glower at everything and one around her. Elizabeth, as she follows the young woman in purple expects at any moment their Hunters will arrive. She will be taken down bodily, forced to submit to having herself bound, if not attacked by stake or sword, before she has an opportunity to speak. At the very least, she will be glared at, spat upon by those she passes as word spreads of her presence . . . and yet, nothing of the kind has or is happening. Is it possible they have no concept of who she is?
“Hmmm . . .”. The glowering girl tells her as she finds the person she was expecting to be in the office has stepped out and so she indicates for Elizabeth remain, “I will go find her – if you aren’t to meet with her, I will get someone k? if you need something just press the blue button on the table”
The Countess she walks into the office, her eyes, accustomed to years of predatory existence still searching for attack. The office was very tidy, with candles aglow seemingly from odd and unusual places about the room.
The girl steps closer and leans toward her, ” You can stop worrying. No one is going to do anything to you unless you actively do something threatening, so try to relax, Mrs. Bathory. I promise, I won’t stick any tooth picks with purified water in your eye sockets, or anyplace else.”
She then walks toward the door, turning, “Unless you piss me off.” She adds and then walks out of view.
Of course she is unaware that her statement to Elizabeth sparks a remembrance of Patricia laughing as she watched as the little girl slowly inserts the icepick into her left eye — regeneration being a wonderful gift to give to a sadist who loves to torture, and oh how they had loved to torture her.
Elizabeth walks over to the long, very neatly kept desk, and sits down, aware that the candles are putting out something in the air that is affecting her, slowing her down —
A flood of memories from her time with Patricia and her horrid little protege fills her, the humiliations, the abuse, the vile tortures they devised — as if retribution for her past sins, she had paid in pain with interest. But her aristocratic baring would not allow them to see her memory of the pain, the anguish they had inflicted upon her.
Sitting very still, she waited at least ten minutes before a very proudly, postured woman enters the room. The woman walked over to her desk, smiled, and sat down. This was far too polite — for someone they surely had to have high on their most wanted list Elizabeth thought.
“Please excuse the candles. Eppeus like to put them in arbitrary places on the floor -” The strikingly beautiful woman said, “The effects should be rather mild. He does it to annoy Night Walkers and uses it as a form of security, but there isn’t enough to do any permanent damage.”
Elizabeth looked at her, “Quite alright, over the centuries they have used just about everything on me one time or other.”
“So, how can I help you?”
“To begin, are you aware of who I am?” Elizabeth asks.
“Certainly,” Sobekenefru replies with a slight, mischievous, crooked smile.
Ah, there is the dangerous look she had expected. “Excellent — then we don’t have to go through a lot of ancient history. There is no reason for us to be anything other than frank — at the time of the trial of those deemed my ‘accomplices,’ it was ascribed to me that more than 650 young women’s corpses were found, and that I daily bathed in the blood of virgins — as if one could find a virgin daily in the small and isolated villages around Castle Csejthez. False accusations and mythological lies. Did I torture those who needed it, yes . . . Did I hand out my share of abuse to those who deserved it, yes. Did I kill? Well that was for a court to decide and I was never brought to trial as it was all a political farce to begin with . . .
Sobekenefru sat looking at her, “Yes, however, I’m quite busy and if you don’t mind getting to the point I would appreciate it.”
“To say I am a saint is a lie and to say I am a devil is a half-truth. I have killed — and found pleasure in it.” Elizabeth continued.
“If you want to make a confession – I can call one of our counselors in.” Sobekenefru told her.
“I was once considered a Ripper.”
“Not to be rude, but I am not concerned with your past – I am mostly concerned with today, precisely . . . now, this moment, this instant that brings you here.” Sobekenefru’s tone is not harsh, but rather as if she is trying to sooth Elizabeth’s anxiety.
Elizabeth crossed her legs and placed her hands in her lap, “I am not sure what the protocol for this is, Madam. I understand that there are those here who Hunt and kill my kind for having killed. Is that correct?”
“Certainly we do – and assassins to go after people like Hitler.”
Aware of the woman’s attempt to use a practiced soothing tone of voice, Elizabeth tells her bluntly, “Do not be concerned — I am not at all anxious about this meeting — I made up my mind to accept whatever happens long before
I ever entered the door . . . I just do not know the proper — procedure.”
“It is not ‘what you are’ its who you choose to be.”
“With all due respect, it has is said that I have killed untold thousands — a number far too high in my calculation — and so, if you have assassins, then I am certain I am on someone’s list.”
“Why don’t you start by letting me know why you are here,” Sobekenefru replied evenly, “We aren’t going to kill people in our community center – especially someone who has not done anything wrong – yet. Now, had you come in and ate my receptionist, then more than likely you would be on the assassination list and we would not be having this conversation.”
Elizabeth smiled coldly, “Oh, well thank you, I know now what not to do.”
“So, now that is all out of the way, what can I do for you?”
“In order to explain, I do have to related a bit of history, if you will bare with me, I assume you aware of my Cousin — Vlad, he is known as Dracula, here in America.”
Interrupting, the woman in the clashing orange and purple poked her head in* “Hey, we got some fresh donations – you want some Eli?”
“Yes, we are aware.” Sobekenefru answers.
Neffy leaning in the doorway, continues, ” In a bag or cup? Its still warm ! ”
“So, I will be brief.” Elizabeth continued even as she turned to look at the clashing head, aware of how unfashionable she appeared. “He had a group of women that were shall we say devoted to him. This trinity of sisters, discovered a certain painting of me, which has certain magical properties in that whomever possesses it has total control over her. They used this to extract their unmeasured amount of revenge, a seemingly endless ritual of abuse and torture, as well as to force me to do their bidding.”
Still in the door, Neffy waves a pint bag of blood, “Let me know before it clots !”
It now becomes obvious to Elizabeth that Neffy is referring to her . . . and calling her Eli.
“Oh, thank you, that is most kind — do you have a glass?”
Sobekenefru put her elbows on the table and peered intently at Elizabeth, “Do they still have it?”
“No, it was aboard a ship, which was attacked; and, the ship was sunk.”
Neffy walks in, goes over to the cupboard and gets out a pretty crystal flute – hangs the unused portion up and hands the flute to Elizabeth.
“It was recently salvaged by an american secret paranormal group know as Delta Green.” Elizabeth accepting the glass and can detect the fresh heady scent. She is amazed that this group is far more civilized that she had heard – particularly with someone of her reputation, ” I have since stolen it back.”
“You want us to sever its connection to you?” Neffy asked “that sounds a bit to dangerous to have lying around.”
Elizabeth takes a sip, “Ah, very nice, AB positive, I do so love AB it has such a lovely aftertaste.” But looking at the young woman, she shakes her head to her suggestion, “No, the painting was a curse by a fellow countryman, a powerful sorcerer, and I am afraid that would be too dangerous. I have the painting secured.”
To Sobekenefru, sitting back in her chair, Elizabeth continues, “But, with this painting they forced me to do things — I killed people at their direction. One of which is why I am here. I was ordered to kill a young woman, Nicole Collins.” she says this with not emotion visible at all, so practiced at being guarded.
Neffy rolls her eyes at Elizabeth, “I know what that thing is, its not impossible to deactivate – it just takes an OCD meticulous person to do the hekau/ritual correctly, and lets face it Eli, most people who would try it are morons.”
“Hmmm Nikki – I think Eppeus was giving me a report on her progress today as a matter of fact.” Sobekenefru nods.
“Yes, I am aware you have been giving her assistance, and I am thankful for that.”
“Speaking of progress NefretNubti, shouldn’t you be going to Boston in your capacity as Temple Singer?” Sobekenefru raised her eyebrows and again offered the small wry smile.
Neffy nods, “Idunwana” and shuffles out of the room.
Elizabeth now leans forward, once the young woman has left, “This young woman — there is nothing for it but to say it . . . even as odd as it may be. I once had a daughter, Ursula, who died when she was seven. She was — my pride, she lit up my life.”
Sobekenefu now turns her entire attention to Elizabeth.
“When she died, I went, let’s say a bit crazy.” Elizabeth looks down into the thick red liquid in her crystal flute, “Of the things I am guilty of, it began when she lay and pleaded with me not to die and I could not save her.”
“That is a normal response.”
“God did not save her.” Elizabeth said and her eyes turned once again a darker blue, “I have warred with God every since.”
“That sounds rather pointless, if you don’t mind me saying so.”
Elizabeth lifted her jaw and her expression seemed to say she had come to the same conclusion. “In Paris, on a narrow side-street, late one night, I was supposed to kill Nicole Collins. I stalker her, followed her to the ballet, but in so doing I suddenly recognized that she was what my daughter would have been if she had lived to be her age — they so look alike.”
“Hmmmm could be your daughter reincarnated.”
“I don’t know, it could very well be. I want to find out.”
“You were to kill her?”
“Yes, she was about to bleed to death and at that point, her life ebbing, I had one second in which I was free to turn her.”
Sobekenefru looked at Elizabeth,”That is very inventive – you had to kill her, but at the same time you saved her – quite poetic.”
“But, those who had control over me . . . Not only did they even more severely punished me for not killing her — they kept me from being in contact with her — but, as they have been defeated, and I have the painting I am free to see her now.”
Sobekenfru nods.
“I am here because I want to see my blood daughter. I want to be with her. I know to do so, in this place, i need to recant my old life.”
“Confession, recant, may be something you feel the need to do. What we ask is that you accept the blood donation in lieu of killing people and take the lessons from Eppeus on changing your feeding techniques so there is no more need for you to kill your food source.”
Elizabeth still believing there had to be something more she needed to do, owing to the long list of sins she had committed in her war against God told Sobekenefru, “I can offer you my services. I can Hunt for you if you need me to — but if I am on a list I would like to be removed so that I can be here in Collinsport with Nikki. I will sign anything necessary. Do I need to sign something, in blood?”
“Not really -”
“You are not at all what I expected, I must say . . . For your reputation.”
Sobekenefru tries not to laugh. “We… don’t use such archaic methods. You should be old enough to know that people are always forming preconceived notions about people and things whether they are entirely valid or not.”
“I mean I am not innocent — I have done things — I have done what warm mortals would call repulsive.”
“All of our Hunters have one or more partners, so we would have to find one suitable for you- but you don’t have to worry, you don’t have to hunt your own kind if you don’t want to. Though we will ask you to check in the community center and offer your time to help with thier projects – we usually need more help with mundane things.
Elizabeth looks over the top of her glass as she finishes a sip, ‘Oh, I would like to. I am good at it.”
“As long as its what you like — gives you purpose.”
“So, may I ask a few questions?” Elizabeth’s forefinger touching away a bit of blood from the corner of her mouth.
“Certainly!” Sobekenefru leans back comfortably in her chair while eating a cinnamon rice cake.
Suddenly, Eppeus runs in, over to the chessboard at the end of the desk. He moves one piece and runs back out of the office.
“I understand the oath regarding killing — is it acceptable to take blood from a willing participant?” Elizabeth asks, “Not to kill, but a small offering”
“Oh that is how Eppeus teaches people to feed. He has several people he pulls from – never the same one in a month and usually three each night.” Sobekenefru answers and smiles, “That black and white blur at the chessboard, that was Eppeus.”
Sobekenefru gazes intently at the chessboard.
“If I may I would like at some point to speak to him, he is the one who has been helping Nicole, correct?”
“Yes, he is the ‘trainer’ I suppose you could say.” Still looking at the board and his latest move, “If I can pin him down – he does move fast!”
“Yes, I would like to thank him.”
Outside the office, he whizzes past, running down the hallway screaming as Nichi chases him with sword drawn.
“Also, is it acceptable to bite in order to enthrall or glamour?” Elizabeth returns to her questions.
“Oh dear, they are going to irritate chiyo, uhmm.” Sobekenefru remarks looking out her door.
“In many instances it is for survival.” Elizabeth explains, “Chiyo?”
“Isn’t that a bit to much like enslavement?” She looks over at her, “Something you should know a little about?”
Both of them now hear a woman’s voice speaking quickly in japanese berating the two men, the overly large sword has been thrown and lands in the hallway outside the office’s glass partition.
“Ah, that voice you hear now. That is Chiyo.”
Eppeus runs back into the room and tries to hide behind Sobekenefru.
Elizabeth looks at him and raises and eyebrow, “I understand she too has been of help with my daughter.”
“Oh, yes, Chiyo rather likes the girl.”
“Lastly, I have enemies, which means my daughter has enemies of which she is unaware — is it permissible if necessary to kill in self-defense?”
Hmm well, if there is something you need,”. Sobekenefru distracted by Eppeus begins, “Like a guard, we have security agents – I suppose it depends on what you need. But we completely believe in self- defense.”
Nichi in search of Eppeus stalks into the room, then his eyes go suddenly wide, he bows on one knee, head down in front of Sobekenefur’s desk, “Your Holiness (aus) I apologize deeply for barging in, if you will excuse me, please feel free to maim that irreverent fool hiding behind you.”
Sobekenefru instead makes a move on the chessboard, to which Eppeus snakes a hand up to the board and moves a piece, uttering a muffled “CHECKMATE.”
Frowning at his move mutters “Damn.” and then says, “But do try not to kill misguided people if possible.
“Then I think I have no more questions — ” Elizabeth says aware there is more to their group than their antics seeks to hide, “Do you have any of me?”
A remarkable woman enters, Elizabeth knows immediately this is Chiyo as she says loudly, “WILL YOU STOP ANTAGONIZING HIM !?!?! HE is surely going to burst a blood vessel IN HIS BRAIN !!!!”
Sobekenefur’s mouth quivers as she is trying not to laugh, “Eppeus, Chiyo, the nice lady would like to speak to you.
Elizabeth turns her head with a mixture of grace and languidness, it all seems so surreal to her for there has been little comedic in her life starting with being raped by her husband at fifteen. “Madam Chiyo — I would like to take a moment to thank you for your kindnesses to my daughter, Nikki.”
Chiyo looks at Elizabeth – “mmh Nice lady?” (Elizabeth suspects the first hint that someone is aware that she has not been a nice lady) and then gives some looks at Sobekenefru, “Yeah, hmm, sure Eli, I like the kid.”
She stands for a second and glowers in the general direction of Eppeus and then walks out of the room. Eppeus pokes his eyes over the counter of the desk, looking all the world very childlike, but suddenly he sniffs. He looks over the glass surface of the desk at Elizabeth Bathory:
“Nikki has your smell.” He slowly stands up, “Nikki’s MOMMMYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY,” and quickly rushes over to pull her up fro then chair to give her a quite undignified hug. “oh yeah have to warn you Nikki is in that teenage phase where she kinda hates you right now.
Elizabeth is unprepared the for hug, she hold her glass and looks awkward at the embrace. She is not unprepared to hear that Nikki hates her – something she has feared.
“I mean Im sure it will eventually pass…. but you know, kids these days.”. Releasing her from the hug.
“I do so anticipate our meeting will not go well.”
Eppeus leans back against the desk* It’s all in the presentation… there is a way to do it, just have to figure it out.”
Elizabeth shakes her head, “I was unable to be with her after her turning– and so I know she will resent the abandonment — but that was not of my choosing.”
Eppeus sits on the glass topped desk and leans back toward Sobekenefru, “Do we have any leverage that will make Nikki less pissed?”
“None that i aware of. You have been with her — is she — has she accepted her transformation?”
“She is like anyone else – the unwanted epiphanies, struggling with what they have become, not sure where they are going, kinda emo about it at first, but she is coming along very well.”
Elizabeth eager to talk to someone who has been close to Nicole tells him her darkest fear: “She only knows me from lying there dying, the woman who cut her throat and stood there watching her bleed to death . . . While the horror of it is I was ordered to kill her. And could only watch her approach death helpless. She has no idea of the suffering I endured because I turned her at the only second I had.”
“You are putting a butt print on my desk!” Sobekenefru says while swatting him with a folder.
The old Bathory for a moment wants to ignite in a flash fire as she is in pain for what she did and they do not seem to even see it, instead she extinguishes the spark, she must maintain control. “I also understand she has made a good friend in a Mr. de’Annar. I do not think he will be as accepting of me as you.”
“Oooooooooooooh,” Eppe says leaning forward toward Elizabeth, “Give me a couple of nights, we may be able to pull this off without teenage girl hysterics – don’t get me wrong, Nikki is a good kid and I like her.”
Elizabeth is now giving voice to her concerns, “And of course she will not understand, as she will still think of her birth mother as her mother, unaware that none of HER blood remains in her, she is entirely of my blood.”
She stands and takes a drink of the wonderful blood, “I do intend to meet him before I see her, I want him to understand – as he is a good friend to her.”
Eppeus rubs his chin, “I do think I can savage the situation – look, why don’t you rest a bit in the complex – which is the safest place for you – no one will be able to hurt you there – and you can decide if you want to live in one of the apartments or get a house and fiddle with where you want to stay while I soften Nikki up.”
“Nikki is more important one in this matter,” Sobekenefru says.
“I currently have an old house that I am staying in at the moment, but let me consider your offer, as I said I have enemies and they will be looking for me shortly, I fear.”
Sobekenefru looks at Elizabeth, understands her concerns, but thinks she should see Nikki before seeing others, “There are a few things that Nikki doesn’t understand and it will take a few days for it to sink in, when it finally does, I think she needs your emotional support, and it would hurt her if you went to someone else first.”
“So,” Sobekhousing continues, “Our housing district in CollinsPort has security agents, so that would be safe as well. ”
Elizabeth’s confusion is evident, “Well, Nikki is of the upmost importance. Whatever you think, she is my daughter. So whatever is best.”
Eppeus is now mostly draped on the desk feet dangling over the side Sobenefru is sitting, his body across the glass and his head dangling over the side closest to Elizabeth.
Sobekenefru, “I rather agree with you” says as she pokes Eppeus’ exposed belly button with a pen, “To have had such a reaction from you that you are here. If you would like I could have one of our head mer priest take a look, determine if she has been reincarnated.”
Eppeus giggles like the Pillsbury dough boy.
“Very well — then I will acquiesce to your advice, I will return here after I gather a few things and stay — and let Eppeus speak to her first. Perhaps arrange for us to meet.”
Eppeus leaned on an elbow, “Give me a few days? and I will let you know, and yeah I would rather arrange things and such. I am hopping I can get her to want to meet with you in a positive way.
“I do not think she even knows who turned her, as my connection to her had been blocked and I have not tried to connect in fear it would be too shocking to communicate that way for the first time. So, Eppeus, if I may be so informal. Thank you. Could you see her tonight?”
“I see every night. As she doesn’t know at all about who turned her and why – I suggest letting her know and let her deal with that and then look to arranging a meet, so you just worry about getting settled in.
“Perhaps somewhere she feels safe, that teahouse of Mr. de’Annar.”
“Or Chiyo’s house.” Sobekenefru suggest.
Epeus giggles: “Of course that couldn’t possibly be comfortable for most people.
“But Nikki trusts Chiyo – anyone who knows her does.” Sobekenefru argues.
“I will leave now and gather my things and return.’ Elizabeth takes a long last drink from her glass. “And thank you so much for your many kindnesses.”
Cue Music End Of Episode