His Obsession

The first thing that Puck became fully aware of was he was running. He could feel the cool night wind blowing through his uneven hair. Puck would have remarked to himself at the incredible speed he was going when he noticed another thing.

Someone was chasing him and he was grinning about it.

Puck tried to recall the last thing he could remember. He was leaving the hospital. He got decked, hard enough that his jaw dislocated….but he healed enough to end up bantering with the man who clocked him.

Oh shit…

“What did you do now?!” Puck demanded of the Voices who he could clearly hear cheering inside his head.

It was great! You scared the crap/shit out of Luk Jiang and now he’s chasing you!

“Puck did not!” Puck glanced back over his shoulder and, sure enough, there was the hulking form of the Chinese vampire Luk Jiang pursuing him.

“Puck nicely informed Jingle Jiang’le that he wasn’t a hockey puck but then The Voices played puppet master with him.” He whined. “It’s all your fault.”

Alright it’s our fault. Care to stop and explain that to him?

“Get back here, bung goo mar so I can kick your ass!” Luk shouted at him.

“Does Puck want to know what he just called him?” he asked the Voices wryly.

Eh, it wasn’t too bad. Just an effeminate guy.

“Puck can’t help how Puck looks!” he screamed back to Jiang. “It’s all Mikel’s fault!”

Tell him Hong Kan, The Voices suggested. No no, tell him Lu chiak sai.

“What does that mean?”

Get screwed, a set of Voices replied and then another added, Eat shit.

“Puck isn’t trying to piss him off, he wants to get rid of Jingle Jiang’le!”

The Voices talked amongst themselves for a moment and then returned their attention to Puck. All of them seemed to be grinning.

Mikel Durant needs him dead.

A cold wave of ice ran down the length of Puck’s spine.

Don’t you want to help Mikel? Don’t you want revenge for Maeve?

At the mere mention of Maeve’s name, a flash of memory overtook Puck. He could see himself-Mikel and Maeve as children. His sister was laughing, spinning in circles so quickly her pigtails were standing straight out.

“Look’it me, Mikey.” She giggled. “Helicopter!”

Mikel looked up from the book he was reading and busted up laughing.

Mikel’s never going to be able to laugh like that again. The Voices told Puck, snapping him back to the present. That life can never be returned to and it’s because of them. You do remember them, right Puck? You remember that night.

“Maeve went off with Kyriak of Ephesus. His sister, Damia drank from Maeve while h-her brother hurt Maeve.”

That’s two. What about Luk, do you remember what Luk did to Mikel…to you?

“He was the look out.” Puck whispered adding a burst of speed to his already fast gait. “He insured that Sin and Damia and Kyraik wouldn’t be disturbed.”

And that’s four. The Voice said proudly. Those are the names of the people who are responsible for everything you are now. They took away your laughter, the peaceful life you once led.

“They took away Maeve!” Puck hissed. The Voices were quiet for a moment then agreed with him.

Up ahead, the site for the future Blackwater Suite loomed. Steal girders dangled three stories up and form the frame of the complex. Shaft of moonlight illuminated cement mixers and heavy bags of concrete on the ground. Shadows of bulldozers and jack hammers outlined the sparse area.

It was there Puck decided to make his stand.

Do you have any plan in mind? The Voices inquired as Puck leapt over the six foot high chain link fence. He performed a perfect mid air flip and spin, landing precisely on his feet. But his momentum sent him falling back and Puck ended up on his butt.

“Hey Jingle Jiang’le,” Puck called out as he rolled back onto his feet. “Lu chiak sai. ”

As he ran toward the construction site, the vampire wondered if he pronounced the insult correctly. The crash of the fence falling from the seething Jiang was answer enough.

You do have a plan, right Puck? The Voices asked again. Puck was racing toward the elevator that took workers up to the top of the building and didn’t answer. The unquiet dead had a bad feeling.

You don’t have a plan, do you.

Puck giggled a tad maniacally as he dove into the cage and frantically jabbed the button that would save him the vampire charging toward him.

“I have you now, asshole!” Luk growled just as Puck slammed the door shut and the elevator lifted up.

“The plan is hurt the other guy and live.” Puck said in between giggles. His mind was racing too fast to notice where the quiet laughter was coming from or his nervous pacing.

That’s a lousy plan.

“Oh fuck off.” Puck muttered anxiously jabbing the up button. “You were the ones who thought pissing off a huge Goddamn vampire was a great idea.”

It worked in the movies, the Voices argued as the cage lurched suddenly. Uh oh, Luk’s climbing up the cables.

“Uh oh is right.” Puck exclaimed pounding on the button again. “Fuck it, Puck’s high enough.”

He kicked the door of the cage, warping the mesh and knocking the door eschew. Another kick sent the door sailing down and Puck waited for a safe moment to jump out. That moment came when he saw Luk’s fingers appear over the edge. With a small prayer and a scream, Puck jumped out of the elevator.

Puck knew the moment he leapt out, the distance between him and the nearest girder was too far. The force of his mad leap would have sent him straight off the edge had not a rope left for the workers’ protection been dangling just where the vampire needed it. As he shot past, Puck latched onto the rope and swung down to safety.

The Voices were cheering and exclaimed amongst each other delighted commentary.

He pulled a Tarzan!

Ha ha! Puck of the Urban Jungle, avenger of the dead, protector of innocents.

“Holy shit, Puck swore he was gonna die.” He cried giggling madly. Puck looked up and saw Luk glaring at him from the elevator. He gave him a little wave and the bird.

Remind us when this is over to teach you some martial arts, the Voices told as Puck began to run. Your duty to us would be much easier if you knew how to fight people like Jiang.

“Puck wishes he knew how right now.” He gingerly slid around a support beam. “’ Cause the only thing Puck can do now is run and hide.”

He made it around and leaned against the beam to catch his breath.

Find a weapon, the Voices ordered. Someone left a welder not too far. Go get it.

“And do what?” Puck asked. “Spark him to death?”

Would you rather not have a weapon? You can’t depend on luck forever.

“Where is it?” he asked wearily.

Above you. Oh and Puck?

Puck only got around to opening his mouth before he got a boot to the head. The vampire didn’t need to hear the rest of what the Voices had to say. Luk Jiang lifted his heavily booted foot up and drove it straight toward his head.

There was a time, Puck recalled, where Maeve had talked Mikel into taking a gymnastics class with her. They were no more than six at the time and he was the only boy there. Puck recalled Maeve used the excuse ‘I don’t know anybody there’ to get him to go and later the excuse ‘You look cute in a leotard’ to get him to stay.

Oh was Puck glad Mikel stayed.

He rolled backward onto his hand, executing a beautiful backwards flip that snapped his feet right under Luk’s chin with enough force to stun him. He landed flawless back on his feet and dove between Luk’s legs, effortlessly swinging back around the support beam. Then he ran back to the rope that saved him and climbed.

Oh that was nice, where’d you learn to swing around poles like that?

“Mikel saw a striper on TV do that. Figured since you were getting ideas from movies, Puck ought to try the same.”

Puck also recalled that Mikel couldn’t climb a tree let alone a rope as he was effortlessly doing now. Something about a fear of heights… Puck looked down when he felt the rope wiggle.

“When I get hold of you..” Luk threatened from the bottom of the cord. Puck climbed faster.

To your left, the Voice told him as he made it up to the top. The welder’s to your left. About twenty steps away.

“In less than a minute Jingle Jiang’le is going to get to the top of that rope and he’s not going to be very happy with Puck.” He told them as he ran toward the weapon.

Then spark him to death.

“Oh come on! Puck can’t…” Puck exclaimed. “That’s it, Puck hates his job.”

What are you going to do? The Voices asked with obvious humor. Hand in your two week’s notice?

“Shut up, you’re not helping.”

And then the most unhelpful thing occurred. He found the welder…tripped over it….and knocked off the side of the building.

Puck watched it vanish into the darkness below with a petulant pout. He felt like laughing, it was rather comical to him. It was like he was in a movie or a story written by a yaoi obsessed fan girl that needed him to get into the stickiest situations.

Mikel nor Puck understood why Maeve was such a fan of those stories.

He wonders right about the time a fist is crushed into his face if maybe, this wasn’t such a good idea. A kick is delivered to his stomach and Puck goes down before him.

“Finally got you,” Luk growled hauling the nearly unconscious Puck up by his shirt. “I’ll give you this: For a bat shit crazy, you’re pretty tough.”

“Fuck off.” The battered vampire spat. Luk pulled him close with a smirk.

“You said that before, child. Right before you died.”

Puck, hold on. The Voices urged. Stay awake and stall him. We have an idea.

“Okay dokey.” He replied. “So what happened next, Jingle Jiang’le?”

Luk frowned at the playful tone in the other vampire’s voice, “Kyriak put something around you neck, took off his coat and put it over you. Said something about not wanting just anyone to see such a beautiful body.”

Stay calm, the Voices ordered sensing Puck’s rising emotion. This happened to Mikel, not to Puck. You are our champion, the one chosen to avenge those wronged and bring peace to those who have been left behind.

Puck began shivering as he felt the incriminating evidence of his true identity against his flesh. Kyriak’s medallion.

“Evil its.” He hissed and Luk laughed.

“Yes, I am evil and this evil is going to kill you.” Luk told Puck. He dropped the younger vampire at his feet and hauled him back up by his hair. “Any last words?”

Almost, almost time! The Voice screamed. Puck looked up and saw what the Voices had been waiting for. He began to shake harder as fearful images built in his mind.

What the hell were they thinking!? And then a peaceful calm settled over him, the Voices work no doubt. Puck smiled as a sliver of ice settled over his heart. What the hell…

“Let the sun shine in.” Puck said and burst into a fit of laughter. Luk’s cocky smile faded around the edges as he finally noticed the lightening of the sky. He turned and watched helplessly as the sun crest above the horizon and struck him fully in the face.

Puck stopped laughing the moment Luk started screaming. It had to do more with Luk yanking out a tuft of his hair than Puck actually feeling sorry for him. He doubted anyone felt bad about seeing him go, the Voices certainly didn’t.

The first thing to go was Luk’s eyes. The second sunlight struck his face, his eyes exploded and blood poured down his blackened face. Luk shielding his charred features brought his hands and arms into the light, which immediately darkened from a creamy peach to ink darkness and began to smoke.

Burn baby burn! A few of the Voices cackled. Finally got you back for killin’ me back in the war.

Bloody shame it took so long, around ten Voices added while another group joyfully shouted, Die Chink!

A wave of fatigue overcame Puck as the sunlight struck him. His knees buckled and it took a half second for the Voices to gain control of their hero. His confusion and the millions of questions in his mind were fuzzy around the edges as the sun rose in the sky.

With a final scream, Luk was overcame by his sun-induced injuries and died. Puck looked over at his body wearily and slumped down on the girder.

“Why isn’t Puck dead too.” He asked, his words slurring together.

Because you are one of the rare vampires who are immune to sunlight, a set of Voices informed him. We took a risk and presumed that you were immune when we spoke to some of the Others- dead vampires. Those few with immunity to the sun can pass easily as a human, they can eat food..

“Puck threw everything but Miss Felissia shroom soup up.”

They can’t eat a lot of human foods, now if it’s laced with…that certain thing which we can’t mention to you, then they can fill up on it. Another indicator was you sleep. Luk Jiang nor Felissia Gray actually fall asleep like you do. They close their eyes and go into a stasis, not slumber. In other words all bodily functions stop when vampires do this and they don’t like doing it often.

“Why?”

Why do they not like falling to a state of stasis? Because they’re defenseless and unaware of their surroundings. Ever wonder how those stories of vampires sleeping in graves came about? They wanted to have some measure of protection when they ‘slept’. The same Voices replied. Any more questions?

“Yes.” Puck said indistinctly “Would you happen to have been professors when you were alive?”

All the Voices laughed, Once an academic, always an academic.

“That’s nice.” He sighed.

Puck watched the dawn for a moment more, absorbing its warm healing rays before wearily climbing to his feet. He felt his vampire healing mend his broken cheek bone and fractured ribs as he walked to the elevator and pressed the button for the bottom floor.

Puck?

“Yes?”

Go to room 113 at the hospital where you were born. Someone you thought was lost needs peace.

Puck rested his head back against the wall as the doors slid shut and the elevator began its descent. Yellow rays of light and dark shadows danced across his face as he sighed.

“Room 113, Hospital of St Mercy’s. Puck will give peace.”

Puck?

“Yes?”

...Nothing. Sorry for nothing.

The fatigued vampire let his questions drift away with the puzzling murmurs of the Voices. As he stumbled out of the elevator and dragged his lethargic body out and began walking to the hospital a single question still remained: Sorry for nothing?

Room 113 was in the intensive care unit of the hospital, a place Puck had slipped into many times before but the room he stepped into was a stranger to him.

But not the person within.

Her brown hair had grown past her shoulders and was woven in a braid that slipped nearly to her elbows. Her pale skin was nearly translucent, an event never occurring in all her sun filled days outside.

Tears filled Puck’s eyes at the sight of her skeletal body. His heart broke the moment he saw the scars crisscrossing her neck and arms.

His every nightmare from the moment he could remember featured the young woman lying in that bed. But also his warmest and fondest dreams seemingly from another life were filled her laughing face and eyes.

A single word fell from Puck’s lips. A name full of sorrow, love and pain.

“Maeve.”

A monitor to her right flickered and Puck rushed to take her cool hand into his own. Something stirred within him and heart filled words from nowhere poured from his mouth.

“Maeve, it’s me. Come on and wake up. Please open your eyes, it’s okay. Everything alright, I’m here now.”

Another monitor, one that made a consistent beep every second, stuttered and tears streaked down Puck’s face.

Puck…

“No.” he sobbed gripping the small hand tighter. His knees buckled as her heart faltered again. He rubbed Maeve’s hand against his cheek.

“No! Not now. Please…”

She waited long enough, the Voices told him as the room was suddenly filled with a drawn out tone. She stayed long enough to hear your voice. Maeve missed you very much.

“Maeve, come back.” He whispered.

Puck…

“Stop it. Bring her back. Mikel needs Maeve.” He cried and said faster. “Puck wants Maeve.”

The Voices sighed and they quieted enough that a single peal of laughter could be heard. Happy, joyful laughing bursting with promises of Maeve’s brand of devious glee. Puck listened for a moment more before the unrestful dead raised their voices again.

Are you sure you want her back? She’s happy…

“Maeve is happy?”

Yes. And you have a job to complete.

Puck gently placed Maeve’s hand down and slowly rose to his feet.

To help those wronged and bring peace to those who have been left behind. The Voices said.

As he slipped away, Puck drew his lips up in a dark smile.

“And if there is a little revenge involved, that’s fine with Puck.”

“After all, it is what they are owed.”