Paula.... Paula...?
A young Paula walks to a dark room where a sick woman is lying in bed, her face illuminated with a lantern. Paula sighs before sitting down on the floor, kneeling against the bed's side. "The water is heating. It should be ready in about ten minutes."
"Good... Paula... What happens... What will happen once I'm gone? Who's gonna look out after you? This world... is one big son of a bitch... It's too much. How would you possibly handle all of that?" The woman said in a whisper, yet it's loud enough that Paula could hear it.
"Maybe you were always the reason why I'm like this." Paula said coldly. The woman responds with laughter.
"I'm too good for you. You will always be weak without me... Ughh..." Not long after, complete silence balances the darkness of the room. Paula looks at the woman as she notices her eyes are closed. She digs underneath the pillow to reveal a cigarette. She goes to a corner as she lights it up and begins smoking.
...
"Come? You? You... wanna come with me?" Paula then laughs as she nods with disbelief. "Like... You wanna hunt vampires too?"
"I... Well... I have a thing or two about wanting to get what I want when vampires are related. Look... Uuh... You don't have to pay me much. Just let me go with you." Alex said with a rather desperate tone.
"Why do you wanna go with me, though?"
"I've been fighting my whole life trying to convince people around me that I'm strong, strong enough to have responsibilities. I feel like this is my only chance to do it now. Please. I really need this." He looks straight into Paula eyes with a determined face. Paula can't help but noticing how serious he is by removing her smile.
Paula sighs before looking down and scratching her head. "Sorry, man... I've heard of that before. By a cute guy too. Last time I ever saw him is when he gets dragged by a group of vampires and all I could hear after that is blood curdling scream that came out of his mouth. Vampire Hunting is never that simple because sometimes action outweighs whatever you want to say." Paula walks away. Alex tries to respond back but as he lets out a loud "But", Paula stops him with a hand gesture.
Beep... Beep... Beep
The hospital never felt this much quieter around this time. Hugo groans unintelligibly as he notices Alex with a pitiful face standing at the door. Hugo then laughs before letting out a cough.
"Come to give your Pa one last goodbye, son?"
"Don't talk like that, you're gonna make it out. Gwen will be here soon." Alex approaches the bed as he sits on the bed holding Hugo's hand. "I promise you. I'll get you out of here."
"Aha... That's my boy. Say... You quit your job or something?" Hugo said as he points out the fact that Alex doesn't have the camera around his neck. "You always carry it around even during Christmas dinner."
"Oh... That. I feel like taking your advice. I don't wanna try too hard to prove myself anymore. I figure I could take a fresh start elsewhere." Alex said as he smiles proudly.
"That's good, son. I'm sure the Dietrich would hook you up with a nice city job. You know how your aunt never shuts up about your safety. Me, personally? I always knew you had it in you. Hugo laughs They call me irresponsible for letting you go off with this journalism career."
"Yeah... Well... I'm sure I'll do right in the city. And you'll watch me." Alex suddenly thinks about something Hugo said before fainting. But he immediately shuts it down thinking it's not worth bringing up until Gwen arrives. Alex then stands up. "You should be resting. It's late and you've been through a lot."
"Going off already? Well, I guess you need rest too. Goodnight then, son."
Alex walks back home. He begins to run as he notices it starts to rain. But before he could reach it, he passes by Paula holding a plastic bag, which makes him stop from his tracks underneath a shop canopy.
"You just went to the hospital, didn't you? I saw you going to that direction." Paula figures out since there's only one way to reach the Hospital in this town.
"Oh... Yeah, well... I'm just visiting my Papa. He'll be fine though." Alex clears his throat as he awkwardly avoids eye contact.
As the rain hardens, Paula sighs as she looks at her fur jacket. She takes it off to reveal her tank top. "Don't want to make this wet." Alex tries to look away but notices faint scars on her arm.
"That looks rough. Those scars. I'm... I don't..." Alex tries to come up with ways to talk about it but he miserably fails.
"Yeah... you don't. You don't know anything about them." Paula said, seemingly thinking Alex tries to impress her with knowledge of struggles. But to her surprise...
"Actually... I kinda do." Alex pulls his sleeve to reveal similar scars. Paula's expression is unreadable now.
"Yours look precise. You did that to yourself, huh? I... I guess all I can say is I've been there too." Alex sighs before pulling down his sleeve. Paula stands there for a moment before they finally look at each other. "My house is over there, by the way. If... If... you wanna stay until the rain stops, I guess you can. Plus, it's better than being here or having your jacket wet.
Afterwards, the two runs to Alex's place where Paula begins staring around the place after getting in. "This is one of the nicer homes in this town. Also, I don't believe we've shared our names before. Mines Paula Frisk. Yours?"
"Alex Kirby." Alex said as he puts off his shoes. He then sits on the couch as he looks at Paula standing and walking around the place.
"Say, Alex... Why the scars?" She said as she sits down facing Alex on a similar couch.
"Don't know... how to make of it. I'm just... sad sometimes... They probably don't think of it, but I always felt like I could be more. And when nobody bats an eye on how I feel... It hurts. It hurts a lot."
Paula looks down with a saddened expression. Reflecting relatability with Alex's struggle. "I... did it because... back in high school, a girl picked up on me. Telling me all things like I should kill myself. I tried and my brother caught me. The next few days, for once in my life, I actually fought back from the girl and they all thought I did it first and that's when I got expelled and ended up here."
"Sorry to hear." The two goes silent as the two tries to come up ways to continue their talk. "Vampire hunting... How does it feel? Is it exciting or does it always put you in a state of anxiety knowing each mission could end your life?"
"We operate in a not so official business when it comes to vampire hunting. We have our ways to gain money. Even moreso being handed out commissions by officers even if we don't have the license or title to do so. But alas, vampire hunting can either be simple or yeah... life threatening. Sometimes when I did something... like kill one of them... I feel like I can have all the cigarettes in the world. Haha... But yeah. I mostly take group missions where we're likely to die. There's this one personal case of mine though..."
Paula grabs the note from Alex that she took as she shows it to Alex. "Wouldn't it be nice if we accept the things that don't make sense...?"
"Got a clue on whatever the hell this means?" Alex would respond with a nodding negative.
"Thought so. This here is not the only one. It has similar handwriting as the ones I collected. I've collected four so far but it's in my apartment. But yes, I have a feeling this here is done by the same person. And I think... just a personal theory of mine... This here is a very special vampire."
"Special? How so?" Alex said as he looks closely at the note. Paula smirks in response.
"Vampires typically have similar human conscience with... well... regular human beings. They understand us, they know we're hostile against them and of course... they're afraid of the sun. But this guy here... I think we have a vampire wanting to be acknowledged of his crimes. I found all four of the notes in killing sites. I think this fella here wants to be a serial killer. Who knows...? If we capture them and show em to the DGA(Detective Guild Agency), we might get ourselves special leverage. And I happen to know where they might be..."
"I'm curious about one thing though, Paula."
"Hmm? And what's that?"
"What do the other notes say?"
...
"Mmmph!! Mmmph!!! Mmhhh!!" A man's desperate muffle cries out as he watches in horror what's standing in front of him."
"In those moments, I hear thunder roaring ahead of me. As if to call me the moment it destroys everything around me. In such tragedy, would i hold it up on myself of the bloods in my hand. In these memories, I hide my fear with the promised wrath the voices are telling. In potluck, I accept the burdens I say no to. So... Wouldn't it be nice if we accept the things that don't make any goddamn sense, Commissioner." A threatening voice is let out in the cold room with moonlight bathing the the two. The mysterious man takes off the tied up commissioner's tape. "What do you think, commissioner? Ready to confess?"
"I-i don't know what you're talking about. All this necklace bullshit! Please, you gotta let me go, man. I'm just a regular guy! Hell if I know anything that has something to do with the GDA!" Before he could say another word, the man tapes his mouth back. He then laughs menacingly.
"You think I can't tell liars when I see one? Man, you are one loyal soldier! But too bad, being a man in the front always costs you your life once it's ready to be taken. Besides, I don't think I need you anymore." The man said as he viciously bites the commissioner's neck. The commissioner struggles with loud muffled scream before it fades out. The man then stands up as he wipes the blood off his mouth. "I think I already know the place I'm looking for."
The Next Day...
"I thought we're going with Nigel and the others? What are we doing, Paula?" Kai asked as he looks at Paula putting guns behind the seats. He then looks at Alex. "And who's this new kid? What would Julian think if you're ditching him with this new kid."
"I'm not ditching anybody. Plus, both Julian and him aren't going to be a thing. I'm eyeing on something bigger. You know what I'm working with, right?" Paula comes out of the car before giving the keys to Kai.
"The serial killer stuff? Man, I thought you're over with that. And what if we don't get anything off of this?"
"Would be just as likely as your moron friends with those so called Jackpot of yours. I'd like to remind you what happened three weeks ago. Now come on, drive." Paula then hops on the backseat as she looks at Alex gesturing him to come in. Alex then smiles and waves at Kai before getting inside. Kai groans in annoyance before getting into the driver seat.
"You think the GDA is gonna buy all of this? Serial killer vampires? How would you even get in touch with them." Kai said as he starts the engine.
"Actually... My cousin is one of the members of GDA." Alex said as he slightly raises his hand, with Paula looking at him with peak interest.
"Oh, yeah? Then who would that be? Some cubicle caged doing paper works 24/7?"
"It's... Gwendolyn Dietrich." As Alex said that, both Kai and Paula looked at Alex with a silent shock.