Risen (Book #6 of the Vampire Legends). Emma Knight
Mark drove through the streets feeling energized as he knew he’d get his fix soon. It had been a few days since his last smoke, and he couldn’t wait to get his hands on more. He’d become addicted, and it was all he could think about. He knew it was illegal, but he didn’t care. Something inside him had shifted and he’d become a guy he hardly knew anymore. He was suddenly doing things that were completely out of the ordinary and hanging with types that he’d never liked before. Although, he was happy about it because it made him feel cool and like a rebel. He’d always wanted to revolt against society, but for some reason or another, felt contained in his skin and he couldn’t break free. Now, things had changed for him, and he suddenly felt free of his inner chains and able to express his real true self.
As he pulled down the back alley way of this sketchy town he’d never been to before, a cat ran in front of him, and then smoke from a pipe in the street started billowing in the air in front of him making it hard to see. He was along, and was suddenly feeling a bit creeped out by the situation. He knew he had to stay the course though, or else he wouldn’t get his pot.
He turned the corner, and then outside on an old concrete porch stood two unkempt men, standing there as if they’d been waiting all day. Mark drove by and looked at the number on the house and saw this was where his dealer lived. He slowly approached the men, looking around the perimeter to make sure this wasn’t a sting operation and making sure there were no police following him. He then rolled down his window and said, “Are you Romano?”
“What’s the code?”
“427,” Mark said, still watching his back for trouble.
“Bro, that’s not the code!” Romano said and reached into his pocket and pulled out a police badge.
Mark’s hear began to race as he watching this unfold before his eyes. He knew he should have never come here and now he was going to be arrested.
“I think I have the wrong house,” Mark said.
“I’m just messin’ with you kid!” Romano said, laughing and looking back at his friends on the porch, who were also hysterical about the whole thing.
“Listen, this was a bad idea,” Mark said. “I should have never come.”
“What do you mean, kid? You ain’t gonna buy?” Romano asked, beginning to look angry.
“No, I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Mark said.
“What do you mean?” Romano said. “Hey guys, he’s not going to buy anymore. He faked us out!”
“WHAT?” the guys said on the porch as some stood up, with their muscles showing and started swaggering over to Mark’s car.
“Come out here,” Romano said. “I’ll show you what I have. I don’t think you will be disappointed.”
Mark thought for a second and then decided he still wanted to get high, so he got out of the car to look at what they had.
“Come up here,” one of the guys on the porch said. “It’s up here.”
Mark got out of his car and headed up towards the broken down front porch with iron railings. He knew in his heart this wasn’t the best idea, but at this point he’d do anything for his weed, even if it meant entering into the lion’s den.
As he got to the top of the steps he saw more guys in the house, staring at him. He got a weird and creepy feeling about this as they all came out onto the porch to see what was going on. It was as if he’d entered the wrong side of the tracks and these guys knew it.
“Well, well, look what the cat drug in,” one of the guys said, as he came out of the front screen door.
Mark stood there, waiting for Romano to show him the weed. He didn’t want to engage with these guys, because he knew it could end badly and he didn’t want to get hurt. After all, he was a little bit out of his element. He’d never done a drug deal before.
Mark stood there waiting and silently praying that he would leave here in one piece. These guys looked like they were bad news and he was suddenly regretting his decision to get out of his car.
“Where you from, bro?” one guy asked.
“You must be from the good side of the tracks?” another guy said.
“Well? What cat got your tongue? Don’t be scared of us,” another guy asked, as he approached Mark and pushed him on the shoulder.
“Don’t touch me!” Mark said, jumping backwards and almost falling down the steps.
“What’d you say to me?” the guy retorted. “Nobody speaks to me like that.”
“I said, DON’T TOUCH ME!” Mark said, getting angry.
“You talking back to us?” another guy said, starting to approach Mark.
“Listen guys, I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to see Romano and get my stuff, then I’m going to leave and you will never see me again.”
“I think you should leave now,” the guy said.
“Maybe I should,” Mark said.
“Mark, bro, here’s the goods. Come check it out,” Romano said as he came through the front door.
“Nah, man, I’m gonna go,” Mark said, as he turned to walk back to his car.
“What do you mean?” Romano said. “I got this for you. You have to pay me.”
“This is a little too much for me,” Mark said. “I never should have come.”
“Well you came, so you have to pay up.”
Mark turned back to leave when he saw that his car was swarmed by even more guys than the ones on the porch.
“Don’t even try and leave,” Romano said.
Mark looked around and for the first time in a long time began to panic. He didn’t know what to do and he was definitely outnumbered. He felt like the guys could smell the fear oozing off of his body.
“Where’s our dough?” one of the guys said. “Don’t make us stand around and wait all day long.”
“Hand it over kid!” another guy yelled.
“I’m not giving you anything,” Mark yelled back with authority. “I don’t owe you a penny. I’m outta here!”
He turned to walk away, leaving Romano and some other guys looking dumbfounded on the porch. He could tell by the looks on their faces that they’d never been spoken to like that ever. Mark didn’t care though all he cared about was getting back to his car and leaving that sketch hood.
He started walking down the steps, feeling an intense serge of energy come over him. It was as if his adrenaline was kicking in, except its intensity was insurmountable. It was a feeling he wasn’t quite sure he knew what do to with. He could feel his body begin to shake and tremble inside as the thought of these guys ganging up on his grew into a reality.
“Let’s get him!” the guys shouted.
“Romano, who is this punk! Let’s beat him down!” the other guys said.
“Beat him to a pulp!” Romano said, looking directly into Mark’s eyes unsympathetically.
Mark could feel their range entering into his blood stream. He didn’t know how that was possible, but it was definitely entering his body. He was seething with anger and now wanted to fight them back, but he was only one guy and they were at least twenty.
Again, he began to panic and fear that he would for sure lose this battle, then he looked down at his hands and saw his finger nails turn into talons and his skin began to get little raised bumps on it. They were prickly and felt like little razor blades to the touch. Inside his mouth he began to feel his fangs protrude from his gums and as he looked around all he could