[31 Aug] Hunting Vampires - Bronx (Col)

He had been to the bronx once or twice in the 40 odd years of living on the streets and in that time it had changed so much. Gone are the gun totting, smartly dressed gangsters. In their place now resides, the modern gangs with their gang colours and bravado. Col has been at the wrong end of a couple of them in his time and it has been his pleasure to put them in his place. The rest of the people haven’t changed much, the faces have, but the kind heartedness of the families have not.

Using the subway whilst eluding the station agent was mere child’s play for Col. Blending into the environment had become second nature to him in recent years. And so, whilst the poor soul was searching for him in another part of the subway, Col walked out into the New York night. Almost immediately he stepped into a doorway and nudged a pile of rags, that smelled nearly as bad as Col, with his cane. “Fiona, you awake?” The rags stir, and a black wrinkled hand pulls some clothes aside and a face as old as his appears. Her hair is dreadlocked and is as filthy as Col is and her eyes are bloodshot through drug abuse.

“Whatcha want? Wait….Is that you Col?” Her eyes widening at the sight of an old friend.
“It is indeed my sweet! How’s things been around here?”He asks, smiling a broken toothed grin at her.
“Same old same old handsome. What brings you down this neck of the woods?” Her frown makes it clear she knows he wants something.
“You ofcourse! My heart has always been wanting you” He playfully chuckles as he says this.
“Shuddup ya idiot. Come on. Spill.” She pushes herself against the wall allowing space for Col to sit down.
He duly sits beside her, making the noises an old man does when sitting down. “Sweetness. Have you heard of any people who are more active at night in this area of late? Ones who are acting more suspicious than the usual. And no i don’t mean prozzies.”He catches Fiona’s sentence before she says it.
“Hmmm i may do…….Its gonna cost ya.” She says as she snuggles up to Col.
“Alright alright. I’ll see what i can do, but i can’t promise nothing.” He reluctantly agrees.
Fiona makes a soft squeeling noise. “ Ok ill tell you what i know. From what Gary says, he’s the meth addict with one eye who roams the streets up by Bronx River Parkway, there’s odd goings on in the Zoo at night. He personally ain't ever seen nuthin, but the rumours he hears may be what ya after…” she purrs at him and nuzzles him once more.
“I may have to find this ….Gary……” His face contorts as a plan begins to form in his mind. “Hey! Hey! Cut it out you! I said i’ll see what i can do didn’t i?!” He laughs at her nuzzling. Leaning forward to lean on his cane to get up, he pats Fiona on her head as he rises. “Cheers hun. You have helped a great deal.” He winks at her before turning back onto his path.
“Hey Col. It’s good to see you….” Fiona says with a shy smile.
Col stops in his tracks and looks over his shoulder “You too Fiona.”

As he walks away his mind wander back to memories of Fiona. Since meeting her, she has always been one he can rely on. She was one of the first people he met when he made it into New York, and was one of the reasons he stayed, aside from looking for evidence of his mother. Back then she was a miscreant with a major drug problem. She would do anything to get the good stuff. Which is where her and Col bonded, not the drugs, but getting into places in particular the docks. Her searching for illegal highs and him looking for signs of the kidnappers. Back then he often thought of Fiona as a F***able woman. And she always made it clear she thought the same of him. And on more than one occasion they acted on it, as far as Col knows tho she never sired him an heir. But as time passed on after a couple of decades, they became distant. Col’s eyes never steered from searching for his mother and began to suspect Wyrm involvement. And so he moved away and got older. I'm gonna have to make more effort to see her he thought.

A few minutes later Col finds himself nearing the underpass beneath Bronx River Parkway. The brown apartment blocks had seemed never ending along with the sounds of sirens and city life that happened around him. Strays, vagabonds and those forgotten by society dwell in the dark corners of his travel but still no one fitting the description of Gary. As he enters the underpass proper his walks stutters slightly and he has to lean heavily on his cane. Then he realises what caused this stutter. Wyrms…..They are nearby…….I can sense them.He breathes in the air around him. This rage, he can feel it in his blood as it pulses throughout his body. His eyes scan his surroundings for any sign of which path to take. It's been soooo long his wolfblood whispers to him How shall i go about this? Oh yes. First. I need to scout. I had forgotten. He chuckles quietly, yet the underpass even echoes that.