[IC] Hemlock Grove (LyricsKIss and I)

[Optimist]

One morning in early July, an old Winnebago pulled into town, pulling a small trailer. It was from the eighties, and looked every decade of it's thirty years old. It snaked through the little town, past the Baptist church, the supermarket, the high school and the rows of old houses, until it was on the outskirts of town. Turning up an unpaved road, it worked it's way back into the dark woods. It did not stop until it was on an uninhabited lot, with nothing on it put a hookup for water, electricity and sewage.

A man, who only looked eighteen or so, stepped out of the passenger's side of the Winnebago. He stood a little under six feet tall and had shaggy brown hair. He wore faded blue jeans and a sleeveless t-shirt, emblazoned with an advertisement for Valvoline motor oil. His muscles were long and lean, coming more from working with his hands than working out. He had a handsome, clean shaven face.

The man hooked up the Winnebago to the hookups, as a woman emerged from the driver's seat. She was in her early forties, and had long, graying brown hair and a comfortable curves. She was wearing a long, flowing green dress and a sun hat. On her feet were sandles and on her fingers were golden rings. Her ear rings were dangling pentagrams. A dog followed her out. It was German shepherd, which she tied up to a tree. It was long and lean.

They worked together in silence, setting up a canopy and folding camp chairs. Next, the man started to build a camp fire in the existing fire pit. The dog fell asleep against the tree, after watching them for awhile.

The man's name was Shadrack and the woman was his mother. Her name was Sharon. They were gypsies, who's uncle owned the lot they were staying on. They had been on the road for two weeks now, and were glad to be settling in again. They carried their home with them, so wherever they stopped was home, but at a permanent camp site, they could start to rebuild their lives again and look for work.

As the evening came on, and darkness descended, they roasted hot dogs by the light of a quarter moon, and chatted together. An old transistor radio played classic rock tunes, warding off the sounds of the forest.

[LyricsKiss]

"GENESIS!"

The below echoed through the opulent manor home, and was answered by resounding silence. No one was in the house at the moment, well save for Maurine and the help. Genesis was situated on the edge of the property, hidden away in a decrepit greenhouse her mother had let fall into disrepair. Over the years of hiding from her mother, Genesis had made this her haven. A full computer setup hummed in the corner and a plush chair was situated in the corner. It was her own slice of heaven, and she intended on keeping it that way.

With her blonde hair tied back Genesis was tapping idly on her keyboard, flashes of surveillance cameras coming up on her high definition screen. Nothing else, but this, is what Genesis used this little set up for. Being a little spy was easy when you had everything in the city at your disposal. A small notebook lay open beside the screen, names and dates were scrawled across the page. She had so much dirt on everyone in this goddamn town. The comings and goings of every teacher and police officer had fallen under her view in the past three years since the cameras had been installed. It had won the public in favor of Jones Pharmaceuticals by promising them that it would increase their safety, and it had done so.

Every once in awhile Genesis would alert the local police chief if something horrible passed through, but to date she could count less times than she had fingers. It was late, and acrid smoke swirled through the greenhouse. She knew she would have to head back into the house soon, it was about that time for her mother to demand she eat dinner with her. Genesis groaned as she checked the time and went about shutting down her little operation, dreading heading back into the house.

[Optimist]

Shadrack woke in the morning, to the sounds of Sheba scratching at the door of the Winnebago, begging to go out. He was still dressed in slippers, pajama pants and a white t-shirt, but did not bother to change. He slipped her collar and leash on, and opened the door. "Her ya go girl." She bolted out the door, pulling him out the cigarette heavy atmosphere of his home, into the clean air of the forest. His mother already sat in a camping chair, a cigarette in her hand. She was wearing a colorful sarong and had a cigarette in one hand and a copy of People in the other.

"Morning Shad," she called, puffing on her death stick. "Morning ma," he called back, before letting the dog pull him off into the forest a few yards. She was after the scent of rabbit, and he smelled it too. He sniffed the air, and the wolf inside him approved of the scent, and wanted to run free with Sheba.

The sun was breaking over the mountains, in the distance, and trickling down into the forest, glinting off the moist maple leaves. There was wet underbrush, indicating that it had rained in the morning, and Shadrack cursed as it soaked through his slippers, thinking he should have changed. He had been sleeping and had not heard the rain though.

Once he was dressed, they were heading into town, his mother to apply at the local restaurants, and himself to study at the public library. There was a GED test coming up at the local state college, in a month, and he intended to pass it this time. He had only failed by a few points the last time he took it. After that, he could work in mechanics' shops, rather than just doing odd jobs as he could find them. That was the goal. His mother deserved better than this old beatup RV, and he planned to earn enough to buy her a new one, even if he had to build it himself.

Once the dog had calmed down, and was done with her business, he returned to the RV to get cleaned up and dressed. After two weeks of dry camping, it was good to take a real shower again. He dressed in blue jeans, high tops sneakers and a t-shirt with a British flag on it.

Exiting the RV, he found his mother already breaking out the motorbike from the trailer, the RV had pulled. It was an old Harley, in good working order, painted black. Soon they were headed into town, with him driving and his mother riding passenger. He had not been comfortable in a car, since he was fourteen, despite the fact that they were relatively safer than his motorbike. That was the year he had almost died, when his drunken father hit inadvertently committed suicide, by driving into an oak tree.

They pulled into the beautiful Pennsylvania town of Hemlock Grove. It was a little town, with three main streets and a small high school, on the edge of town. They turned on to the main street, passing a pharmacist, a bookstore, a pizza parlor and a laundromat. At the end of the street there was an old time, metal sided dinner and that was where they were headed.

[LyricsKiss]

On the other edge of the town, looming dark behind the local grocery store a mysterious building stood. Though it was a small shop, anything would have been dwarfed by the 20 story steel and black glass monstrosity owned by Jones Pharmaceuticals. Genesis hated the eyesore, but it just went to show you if you had enough money people would over look everything. Last night Genesis had managed to duck her mother, but this morning she wasn't so lucky.

"I don't understand why you can't just do as I ask."

Genesis groaned as she swept her tousled hair out of her eyes, "Because I don't need to go to college... we are richer than god..."

"Genesis! Watch your language." Maurine scolded her only daughter as she crossed her arms over a blood red blouse. Maurine was always immaculately dressed, and this morning was no exception. Her crimson blouse was complimented perfectly by her curve hugging skirt in a darker maroon. It didn't matter that it was 9 in the morning, her mother's face was perfectly made up.

As if reading her mind, her mother stalked forward. "You know..my little bird, it wouldn't hurt you to take care of yourself better...look at those bags..." her mother pointed to her face and Genesis hid it in the pillows once more. "Now, get up. You need to get your things-"

"I have to go into town today, Martha got some books in for me..." she told her mother convincingly. It wasn't that Genesis didn't like reading, it was just a lie she used to get out from under her mother's watchful eye. "We could send Jamison to do it. I mean honestly-"

"Mother, if people think we act better than them, they aren't going to see the company in a very friendly light," Genesis sighed, as if reciting something for the fifth time to a child. Just the mention of the company was enough to stop Maurine's trail of thought. "Fine, if that is your goal, keeping up appearances. Go find yourself something at that clothing store..." Her mother disappeared and soon reappeared with a $100 bill in hand. She tossed it onto the bed and patted her daughter on the head.

"Go."

Within an hour Genesis was seated in the back of a black sedan that was winding the downhill path to the city proper. Once within the city limits, the young woman had Jamison pull over and let her out. He would wait there for her for as long as she wanted. The young woman exited the car and slung her leather bag over her shoulder. Her clothes weren't as...civilized as her mother's, but her style was current. A cut off blue shirt bared her lower midriff and tight jeans hugged her hips, her blonde hair hung free and her feet were clad in an expensive pair of sneakers.

With a pause, the young woman slipped some earbuds in, rock music blaring into her ears as she strode down the sidewalk. She was hungry, and the only place in the whole town even open this early was the diner, so that's where she headed.

[Optimist]

Shadrack pulled up beside a chrome and red monstrosity of a motorbike, and got off his own humbler bike, after his mother managed to slide off without falling on her ass. Why she had to wear long skirts, while riding a motorbike, was beyond him. She had changed into her jump hunting outfit, a long, loose skirt of twirling black and a figure hugging red blouse. With her dark hair tucked up under a red kerchief, she looked like the gypsy she was.

The other vehicles in the parking lot were a mixture of pickup trucks and family cars. He looked them over with a critical eye, as they headed in, noting problems as he went. It was not that he was psychic, but that there was quite a lot he could tell just from tire wear and the state of the chassis.

The dinner itself was nothing special from the outside. A neon sign stated that it was Charlie's Dinner, but it might as well have been half a dozen other such dinners he had seen in the past year. It had a rock bed around it, and small scraggly bushes at evenly spaced intervals. As they entered, a chalk board told him that the lunch specials were the Reuben sandwhich, with fries, for $6.95 and the pork roast and sourkraut, with dumplings, for $7.95. The prices were good and he hoped that the food was as well. He wondered why they did not list breakfast specials, but knew he would have the same thing he always had, a full order of hotcakes with a side of bacon on the crispy side. His mother always teased him, saying that he could not eat that way when he hit middle age, but Shadrack was not much worried about the future of his eating habits. He lived in the here and now, when it came time to eat.

The interior was done up in pinks and blues, with swivel stools at the long, low bar and pink backed booths. Each booth had its own miniature jukebox and a larger, real one stood in one corner. A George Strait song was playing at the moment, despite the fact that they were into Yankee territory. The mountain folk of Pennsylvania were as country as any he had met, even in Kentucky.

The two waitresses were both middle aged, tired looking and wearing powder blue uniforms. By their name tags, he could tell that the fake redhead was named Florence and that the brunette was Bridgette. The clientele ran to good old boys, truckers and an occasional business man. Florence walked up to them and spoke. Her voice was gravelly, like his mother's, meaning she probably smoked too. "Hey ya honey. Just the two of you?" She looked past him to his mother.

Soon they were seated at a booth, sipping coffee with cream, and waiting for their orders. His weight conscious mother was always trying to loose weight and had ordered the grapefruit with egg beaters and a paper application. She was working on the application and humming to herself. Shadrack found himself staring out the window, as a blonde girl approached the door of the dinner. He could not help put appreciate her trim waist and swaying hips, as she almost danced along with music from an ipod. He turned his head to get a look at the view of her southern half, as she went by.

[LyricsKiss]

A little bell chimed as Genesis entered the diner. Most of the locals looked up in interest, some of them murmuring about the latest escapade the daughter of the Jones family had gotten into. About a month ago she had been caught with the son of a local Catholic Minister, as if that hadn't been bad enough, it had been during mass in one of the confessionals. True it hadn't been very tasteful, but it wasn't against the law, so no one confronted the girl about it. Instead they were happy to gossip amongst themselves.

Genesis could feel their eyes on her as she swayed into the diner, her headphones still in and blaring so she couldn't hear their annoying buzzing. A handful of stools at the counter were free and Genesis slid into one, her feet swinging playfully as she flipped through the plastic menu. It didn't take her long to decide on something and pop a headphone out.

"Hey Bridgette, orange juice and... steak and eggs..." she smirked as she leaned forward on the counter and closed the flimsy menu.

"How do ya want ya steak cooked?" Bridgette had been behind the counter, tending to the two gruff looking guys down at the end of the counter. Two seat separated her from the men. As the brunette whipped out her little notepad, Genesis thought for a moment.

"Uh...rare." she nodded, garnering her looks from the two men.

Growing up in the Jones house, rare meat was the norm. Her mother refused to consume anything that wasn't still bleeding, and Genesis didn't know why, but it had rubbed off on her. After spending most of her teen years trying to insist she was 'vegan' her mother wouldn't have any part of it, and if Genesis was being honest it never satiated her. No matter how much rabbit food and quinoa she consumed, nothing tasted as good as a bloody steak.

"Here's ya juice." Bridgette placed the cold glass before her and Genesis smiled, nodding her thanks.

The waitress nodded and wrote up the rest of her order, sticking it to an old fashioned spinning order wheel, the cook went to work straight away on her food. For all their gossiping, it was obvious Genesis wouldn't wait long for anything she asked in this place. Bridgette knew better than to keep the Genesis waiting, the sooner she got her food, the sooner the girl would be out of there. And not to mention the big tip she left, almost always a $100 bill was left for even the smallest of tabs, so no one on the staff would be caught gossiping and screw that up.

Without a second thought, the young woman popped her ear bud back in and went back to nodding her head to the beat.

[Optimist]

Sharon had finished filling out the application, by the time their food came. After all, she was an old pro. The waitress offered to take it, but she declined, stating that she wanted to give it to the manager herself. There was a good chance she have the job, before Shadrack was on to his third cup of coffee. Sharon was an expert at getting jobs in dinners. It was as if she were born for the role.

She watched her son watching a blonde girl, as he ate his pancakes, one giant bite after another. She had seen that look on his face before, and knew that it usually meant trouble. She told him getting involved with locals was always a bad idea; especially local girls. When it was time to marry, he needed to go to a gathering and find a nice gypsy girl, who was born to the lifestyle. Still, he rarely listened to her any more.

"So, can you taste those pancakes, or are you just inhaling them?" He did not answer her right away, but eventually glanced at her. It was one small victory, which was short lived.

"Uh, what?" He had a dazed expression on his face. Over in the corner, someone had just put If I Dye Young, but The Band Perry, on the jukebox.

"I said, are you enjoying your pancakes?" She poured artificial sweetener over her grapefruit and then started taking bites out of it.

"Uh, ya..." He was looking at the girl again. She turned slightly to get a better look at whoever this girl was. She looked rich, and she looked liked trouble they did not need.

Just then, a fat man waddled over to the table. He had a bad comb over, and thick black framed spectacles. "I'm Ralph, the manager. Flo said you were looking for work?" He was staring at her discretely revealing neckline. She could tell, and did not like it much. Still, it would hurt her chances to call him on it. "Yes Ralph, i'm Sharon. Nice to meet you." She held out her hand, and he took it in his clammy one. Ralph shook it, holding on to it just a little too long. "Well scoot over, and we can have a look at your application. Just had a waitress quite on me last week and Flo's been bitching about the extra hours."

Soon she was trapped in a booth with the man, answering questions about her past jobs, and dodging his clumsy attempts at flirting. It was obvious she would get the job, if she did not shoot him down to hard. It went with the territory. Men were pigs, and little men in their little kingdoms were the biggest pigs of all.

She almost did not notice when her son left the booth and went up to talk with the girl. She would have stopped him, but tubby was in the way. He was probably delivering his usually pickup line. She almost nodded, when she saw him sit down next to the girl and order another cup of coffee. He was a clumsy with women as his old man, not that she had minded much. His old man had been just as handsome as Shadrack.

[LyricsKiss]

If I die young...bury me in satin...

The lines of the song washed over Genesis without her hearing them, hard rock music full of screaming and drums pounded to the beat of her heart. Her eyes were closed as her feet swung and tapped to the beat. Oblivious to the noise she was making, Genesis didn't see the guy settle beside her and order a coffee. It wasn't until Bridgette set down a large T-bone steak and over easy eggs before her. The steak was easily the size of Genesis' palm, and blood seemed to be pooling beneath it and seeping towards her no doubt perfectly cooked eggs.

The sharp knife of a short life, oh well
I've had just enough time

Only once her food arrived did the young woman pull both ear buds out of her ears and wrapped the cord around her miniscule music player. As she had turned her head to remove her left earbud there had been a new addition to the counter. It was only a short moment, but she flashed him a perfectly white smile before she turned her attention back to her meal.

"Ya need anything else, hun?" The brunette server smiled at her but Genesis shook her head before cutting into her bloody steak. It took her no time to shovel the first mouthful between her lips. An appreciative sort of sound come from the young woman as she chewed, the taste making her happier than anything she could possibly think of, well at the moment anyways. The guy beside her was new, a traveler she could guess, maybe he was the one who had drove the old RV through town last night. Thoughts of what she'd seen on her large surveillance screens last night made her nod to herself before she cut another piece of steak and forked it into her mouth.

...Lay me down on a bed of roses
Sink me in the river at dawn
Send me away with the words of a love song...

The song was so depressing, Genesis rolled her eyes as she chewed.

[Optimist]

The sharp knife of a short life.

The song reminded Shadrack of his father, every time he heard it. Despite his father's drinking, and general abuse when he was drunk, Shadrack missed him. He did not cry, or break down, but he felt pain in the pit of his stomach and looked back over at his mother for a moment. She was staring at him knowing, while the fat manager drone on and on about something.

Shadrack was painfully aware of the blonde to his left, and working on what to say to her. His philosophy was to hit on every attractive girl he saw. Sure, he usually got shot down, but occasionally he did not. He figured he had a ten percent chance, which was good enough for a try.

The jukebox fell silent for a moment, and a trucker limped over to it and took out a quarter. Soon Dolly Parton's dulcet tones filled the dinner.

If I should stay I would only be in your way.

Shadrack hated that song. In fact he hated most country music. He listened to old British rock bands, like the Who. Still, country music was a part of so many of the small towns they passed through that he had gotten used to it, to some extent.

Florence came by and refilled the coffee mug he had brought with him from the table. He put in three creamers and four sugars, before stirring it around. The coffee changed color as he did so. He took a long drink, and decided on his line of attack. The girl was eating the bloodiest steak he had ever seen. In general, he liked his steak rare, but not quite that rare. The wolf inside him did not like it if the steak was not a bit bloody.

"Hey, you take your steak the same way I do; with a fighting chance at recovery." He knew it was a lame line, as most of his were, but if she was at all interested it would not matter. He shrugged mentally. He was used to being shot down and did not care much if this was one of those times. There would be other pretty girls in this little town, though this one certainly was a knockout.

[LyricsKiss]

The song finally ended and she was glad for it, the sad tone had been doing something to her mood. A bite of her eggs sent the yellow yolk pooling into the blood from the steak, and Genesis swirled her fork through it before cutting herself another bite sized bit of steak. The comment from the boy beside her made her snicker as she chewed, and she didn't turn to look at him until she had swallowed and taken a sip of her juice.

"Well, I like for them to show it the oven, let it quake in fear and bring it out to me."

She sent him a playful smirk as she captured a piece of egg on her fork and shoveled it into her mouth and taking her time chewing. The waitress placed her bill face down next to the faded white plate and Genesis nodded her thanks to the woman, who smiled kindly at her. Her attention turned to the cute boy beside her once more, "You're new to town, right?" Of course she knew she right, no one moved into this town or moved around without the Jones' knowing. No one really knew how they managed it, or more how Genesis managed it, but no one dared ask. No one knew she had spent most of her days, when her mother thought she was in school, in that little green house. Hours upon hours of drugged haze and cigarette smoke had made Genesis knowledgeable in the comings and goings of Hemlock Grove. It had helped Maurine more times than she knew with public relations in the city, and Genesis liked having her own little secret. It wasn't that hard with a mother like Maurine, but those thoughts never lingered long, for Genesis, there were other things much more interesting to think about...

Like the cute guy beside her obviously trying to chat her up.

"I'm Genesis..." she smiled sweetly at him as she held out her hand to him, her wrist flexed as if she almost expected him to kiss it.

[Optimist]

Genesis was quite an unusual name, but then Shadrack was used to unusual names. Gypsy children were often saddled with weird monikers. He had a cousin named Jedi. He took the offered hand, noting how soft it was. This was obviously not a farm girl, since this hand had never seen a days work, judging from its lack of callouses.

"I'm Shadrack, but call me Shad. Nice to meet you." He tried to ignore his mother, knowing she was probably giving him the look. It would be convenient if she was not here at all, but he was not so lucky. He released her hand and took another sip of his coffee. He bet she was a smoker at well, from the yellowing of her finger tips. He did not mind. His mother smoked a lot, and he smoked to be social, though never without a reason. It was not that he did not like cigarettes, but that he had never developed the addiction most people develop. He wondered if it had something to do with his wolf, because he did not seem to become addicted to anything he tried, and between his mother and her lovers, he had tried quite a bit.

"Ya, I just pulled in last night." He did not add that he was lived in an RV, or that he lived with his mother. None of that seemed terribly important at the moment. "Got a place just out of town. Your a regular here?" If she was, he planned to be too.

[LyricsKiss]

Genesis nodded as he confirmed her suspicions, she had watched his RV wind through the town and out into the woods, and she wondered if those woods were the ones that abutted the Jones' family land. She guessed it was something that she would have to research. When he asked if she was a regular the two waitress' exchanged a knowing glance. This boy was in way over his head and he had no clue.

"Yeah, I like to come here when I come into town." The young woman nodded as she ate a few more bites of her food. At the end of the block the black car still sat that had dropped her off. An aging man was leaning against the hood, his chauffer's cap tilted over his wrinkled face, he seemed to be taking a nap. Genesis had glanced back briefly, glad to find Jamison wasn't watching her. If he had, Shad's mother wouldn't be the only one having words with their child.

Half of the steak was gone and the eggs had disappeared before Genesis placed her knife and fork onto her plate to signal she was done. The waitress' gave each other a look, and exchanged silent daring glances at one another before Bridgette moved and took up the plate before ferrying it back into the kitchen. The bill still beside her, the young woman pulled the hundred out of her pocket and plopped it down before pushing it forward to the now waiting Bridgette. Genesis turned her seat to face Shad as she sipped on what remained of her juice through a striped straw, as if she hadn't just made it rain in the little diner.

"So, what brings you to Hemlock Grove?" she asked, now genuinely curious to his intentions.

Her bright eyes lingered on his for a moment before her glance roamed back out to the street, she could see the bookstore and Martha as she waddled out and turned the sign to open. A small chalk sandwich board was placed outside proclaiming the New Harlequin Romance novels had arrived and would be this month's book club book. Genesis rolled her eyes as she read the sign and turned her attention back to Shad.

[Optimist]

Shadrack almost flipped out when she laid a hundred dollar tip down. That was a solid
day's pay and she was throwing it at some waitresses. He was unsure if she was some
sort of saint for doing so, or just so rich that it hardly mattered to her. Either
way, it was something all right. He would have been wise to remember that potentially
rich daughters generally have rich parents, that do not approve of gypsy boys wooing
their daughters, but then he had never been the wisest guy around.

His mother was done negotiating with the manager, and walked over to him. "Shad, I'm
going to stay and work a shift, O.K.? They are short handed today." She did not need
to tell him her opinion of his breakfast companion. Her distaste was in her eyes.
"Come back and get me at four, when my shift ends." Just like that, she had and her
job, and Florence was already taking off her apron and heading out the door, to rejoin
what was left of what was supposed to be her regular day off.

Shad nodded and took another sip of his coffee, wishing his mother was not going to be
hovering over his conversation with the girl, asking if he wanted more coffee and
such. He knew her only to well. As it was, girl or no girl, he was going to blow the
dinner and get to the library, rather than waiting around for his mother's little
show.

"My ma," he mumbled, drinking up the last of his coffee. "I'm here to get work. I'm
a mechanic, but I got to get my GED out of the way first." He knew his mother would
already have negotiated their meals into the deal, so there was nothing to pay for.
Florence was already gone, meaning he did not need to leave a tip. The only thing
keeping him there, and it was big draw, was the girl.

[LyricsKiss]

Genesis watched silently as Shad and who she learned to be his mother spoke about her new job. The diner had been short handed for a little while and she knew the place would be glad for the help. After Shad explained his reasons for being in Hemlock grove, the young woman stood and smiled. "Well, hopefully I'll see you around." She told him as she picked up her purse and tucked her MP3 player and headphones into it.

With a little wave she turned heel and was out of the diner once more, striding down the sidewalk as if she owned it. The boy had seemed fun, but the longer she sat there enjoying chatting with him, the larger the chance that a nosy Jamison would catch a peak. No, the bookstore was on her agenda. Books about hacking and a few other nefarious titles were among what she was set to pick up today. Martha, the bookshop owner had to be, by far, one of Genesis' favorite people. She never judged but thrived on the small town gossip. Most of said gossip was usually about Genesis, and Martha had come to love grilling the girl about the truth in the things she'd heard. Genesis didn't even mind it so much, and the woman never questioned her orders.

"Morning Martha! I got your email about my books..." the young woman voiced as she entered the small, but pack bookshop. Every possible wall was covered in shelves full of books you'd never really want to read. Genesis had once spent hours in this place, flipping through different titles, but mostly just finding random books tucked into nooks and crannies. It was like an adventure every time you entered. The portly woman emerged from behind a stack of books and smiled kindly at Genesis.

"Yep! Got 'em all here for ya. Shall I just put it on your tab?" Martha voiced as she limped around and collected a stack of about 5 books from various shelves.

Genesis nodded before tucking a strand of platinum blond hair behind her ear. "Yes please. I'll probably have another order for you next week...and some trades." The older woman nodded appreciatively before disappearing once more. Genesis smiled and headed for the exit, her arms full of books she couldn't wait to read.

[Optimist]

Shadrack shot back a response. "Ya, see ya around." He was disappointed that the conversation was over, but at least she had not shot him down, or brushed him off. He still had a chance with her. His mother had vanished, probably to change into her new uniform. She was a standard size, if a bit plump, so was not hard to fit. Before she could emerge wearing power blue, he was out the door and on his Harley. With a roar, he headed off, down the street, to the library.

The library was an old, red brick building at the corner of Main and Hawthorne. It was built in the fifties, and expanded in the eighties, to include a second floor. A coffee shop had been put in downstairs, along with a computer lab. Out front were flag poles flying Old Glory and the blue flag of Pennsylvania.

Shadrack pulled up outside and got off his motorbike. There were only a few cars parked around the library, despite it being a Saturday. He would have expected more, but then again it was early. He headed up the stone stairs, book ended at the top and bottom by stone lions. The door was a heavy, safety glass one, leading directly to the front desk.

At the front desk was a tall, rather thin woman wearing an unflattering shade of pink. Her hair auburn hair was done up in a do which would have worked for her, the year when the library was built, but was now an anachronism. She looked in her eighties and had a name tag with the name Mrs. Summers.

Shadrack approached her and asked to get a library card. She looked down her long nose at him, and asked. "Do you live in this county?" Her voice was full of doubt. He explained that they had just moved in, and was told that he would have to wait until he could show them a rent voucher, a pay check receipt, or some other proof of residence. Shadrack sighed. This meant he could not just take out the books and study at home. He was going to be tied to the library for the morning. At lunch he would go back to the dinner and get a burger.

Soon he was lost in the stacks of the non-fiction section, looking for a biology text book or two. It was his least favorite subject, but it was also his weakness. He was sure that if he had been a bit more prepared in that regard, he would not have failed the GED test the first time.

A bespectacled girl of sixteen or seventeen bumped into him, as he bent over to grab a book. She had rather limp brown hair and a thin, almost emaciated body. He apologized and let her pass, without talking to her further. Soon she was gone, and Shadrack had his text book.

He went down to the coffee shop, with the book, and ordered a coffee. With the book propped open to a map of the human body, he started in on his fourth cup of the day.

[LyricsKiss]

Genesis heard the loud roar of a motorcycle tear down the street and lifted her head to watch Shad ride past. He looked even cuter on a motorcycle and in that moment Genesis made up her mind about him. He would be her newest conquest, and she would enjoy every moment of the coy flirting and batting of eyelashes. A soft chuckle escaped her as she strode down the sidewalk and headed towards the black town car still waiting for her. Jamison opened the door and closed it behind his young charge before opening his own door and settling into the driver's side.

"Where to Miss Genesis?"

"Home, the field entrance." She told him absentmindedly as she cracked open one of the three hardback books. A giddy smile came to her lips as she began to consume the knowledge the book held, this one in particular about programming. It had taken a few weeks for Genesis to encounter an issue when she had first set up her screens. It had taken another few weeks to figure out how to fix the problem and start writing her own code. This book was the next step in teaching herself and she couldn't wait to finish it.

Stubborn as always, Genesis would never tell her mother that school was an exciting prospect for her. Well, college. She hadn't done well with the high school crowd, especially with the way she looked. With her share of fun, Genesis had slept with quite a few guys from her class, but had soon after dropped out. Her behaviors always made people view her as a trouble maker, but no one knew the real Genesis and the girl preferred it that way. Of the mind that she didn't need to explain or justify her actions to anyone, she never had too many friends, so books became her world.

The large library in the Jones' manor was filled with everything from the classics to ancient texts she was sure belonged in a museum to books on the human genome. Either way, none of those subjects interested Genesis. As Jamison pulled up to a rear driveway, Genesis marked her page and closed the book. Gathering them up, she moved out of the now open door of the car and took off across the empty field. When asked by her mother why she insisted on walking across the grass, Genesis made up something about getting in touch with nature that bored Maurine sufficiently to cease her questioning on the subject. It was enough to keep her little tech operation in the greenhouse a secret.

[Optimist]

Sharon had had as bad a morning as she had expected. The manager, Ralph, was as 'hands on'' as possible, brushing up against her at every opportunity, as he 'showed her the job' . She had slept with managers in the past, when they intrigued her, but this one was disgusting and stupid. She assumed that he was someone's nephew and that was how he maintained his position. She knew he was not the owner, for he had admitted as much, when she asked. She made it a practice to make friends with owners of restaurants, since they trumped managers when it came to firing. Sharon only left a job when she was ready to do so, if she could help it.

As it was, her feet were already sore, when it was about time for her son to show up, looking for grub. When it became one o'clock and he still had not made an appearance, she was slightly put out. She had been looking forward to seeing him, even if they would not have much of a conversation. Still, he was a grown man now, and she was not to concerned.

Someone did come into the dinner that she found interesting though. It was a businessman, with a chiseled chin, dark brown hair trimmed just so and a rich blue business suit. He was yummy, and had a wedding band to boot. She usually took up with married men for two reasons. The first was that they did not expect anything from her except sex, possibly conversation and maybe a quick cuddle. They were generally not looking for marriage or a long term girlfriend. The second was that they were already broken in for her, by another female. She hated having to break a man, just to get a good fuck.

She unbuttoned her top button, and put a knowing sway into her hips, as she walked over to where he was waiting at the bar. "What can I do for you sugar?"

---

Sheena had bumped into the cute boy boy without meaning to, but once she had was glad that it had happened. There had been a warmth, and electricity where their bodies touched. Her face crimson, she had rounded the end of the stacks, and then started to spy on him. She watched as he selected books on biology, went to the coffee shop and ordered his coffee. Obviously he was intelligent, as well as cute, given his choice of reading material. She haunted the romance section, watching him through the glass divider for hours. Around lunch time, he looked like he was winding up his studies, and getting ready to leave. Finally she worked up her nerve to walk into the coffee shop, order a coffee with almond milk, and ask if he minded if she sat with him.

He had looked up at her with dreamy, almost black eyes. "Sure, have a seat. I'm Shadrack." He offered her his hand, and again the electricity was there when they touched. She took a seat, conscious of her own appearance. She was always conscious of it, and that was why she vomited up some many of her meals. Her doctor called it bulimia, but she knew he was full of shit. She was fat, compared to the pretty models in the magazines. Hopefully this boy could look beyond her weight issues.

"Like in the Bible, with Shadrack, Meshack and Abedenego, right?" She smoothed out her brown blouse self consciously.

"Uh, ya, I guess. And what's your name?"

"Shenna. Shenna McKenzie. Pleased to met you." She almost reached out her hand again, and then pulled it back.

He looked distracted, and was still looking at the pages in his book. She blushed when she saw what the pictures displayed. Maybe he was not reading them for the reasons she assumed? She did not care, as long as he paid attention to her. "So, your new around here. I could show you around, you know. I'm friends with basically everyone." It was a lie. She was a bit of a loner, and did not generally get along well with others. Still, it was a harmless fiction.

He seemed to hesitate before he answered, which she took as a good sign. "I'm not sure Sheena. I'm pretty busy studying. Maybe another time."

She felt a desperation come over her. He was the first boy that had been nice to her in along time. He could not be rejecting her now. "I didn't mean now silly!" She laughed, touching his arm with her fingertips. "I just mean when you are ready. I've a lot to get done myself. I've got papers to write for school and friends who I'm getting together with later." His next words relieved her stress.

"Sure, maybe sometime." He smiled at her again, and it was like the sun rising on the blooming flowers. He would be hers! She could just feel it.

[LyricsKiss]

"I don't care about the cut in funding, it was an unavoidable measure to keep this place afloat!" Muarine's strangely accented voice yelled angrily at the slim smartphone in her hand. "Take less pay, hire less interns, find a way to continue with the project. End of discussion!" The last line was bellowed as the dark haired woman held the phone aloft and stabbed angrily at the screen. Genesis could have laughed, but she held the snicker behind her lips. Her mother was angry enough, best not to anger her wrath further. The young woman turned and began to head the opposite direction across the polished wood floor.

"What is it, Genesis?" Her mother's tone was full of frustration, and even without looking at her, Genesis could feel the anger literally vibrating through the air.

The teen winced as she turned and shrugged, "I was just wondering if you could pay my book tab...at Martha's...wasn't sure if Jamison relayed the message."

"Of course he did, and you listen to me." Her mother held out an accusing finger as she stalked towards her daughter, anger at her for now apparent reason,"I will continue to indulge your ridiculous fancies, but you will be ready tomorrow morning, EARLY, and you will go to that college and put in your application and you will sign up for your classes and you WILL ATTEND THEM." She roared as Genesis raised an eyebrow.

"Sure."

The young woman turned and headed towards one of the sweeping staircases and out of sight of Maurine. She wasn't going to fight, she was just going to get fucked up and sneak out. With a shrug the girl slammed the door to her room and within minutes had music blaring through the opulent room. Her bathroom was steaming up as she filled a large tub with scalding hot water. A few joints had been rolled and set beside tub as well as a few razor blades and a few lines of white powder. She smirked, tonight she would up her stash and forget about her crazy ass mother.

[Optimist]

Shadrack had felt bad for the girl in the library. She obviously liked him, and he did not have the heart to shoot her down. She was... odd though. Maybe he would hang out with her, to make her feel better. After all, he did not have any other friends yet, and did not really care to make to many of them. They would not last, once it got around that he was a gypsy. Even here, in the States, they were looked down on. It was all bullshit of course. Everyone though that they would trick you, or do shoddy work. Bullshit.

He ran through the forest with his dog, dodging branches and leaping over underbrush, as only a lycanthrope could. He had not turned, but simply decided to run. His long strides and leaps kept him up with his German shepherd easily. They ran for miles, through the dark evening, running up and down hills and between the trees. Eventually, they hit the highway on the outskirts of town.

Shadrik paused, and called his dog to him. She was panting, but happy. He was wearing nothing more than garage sale running shoes and a cheap pair of running shorts. If he decided to turn, he did not want to leave valuable clothing behind. Besides, his mother was used to him showing up at the RV needing clothing, after one of his late night runs.

"What do you think girl?" She cocked her head at him. "I agree." He ditched the shorts and shoes alongside the highway, and headed back into the woods. Standing among the trees, his flesh started to warp and change. His bones started to mold into new shapes and shrink. Fur started to grow along his back, his limbs and even his face, as his nose and mouth started to elongate. He was covered in sweat as the transformation happened, and then he was simply not himself any more. In his place, stood a lean wolf with black fur. He turned to Sheba, and they started off together, crossing the highway at a dead run.

Their run took them into the woods again, and then across the lawn of some of the older, nicer houses in town. They were mere shadows as they moved, with little regards for anything but their running. The next thing you knew, they had a scent. It was rabbit. Both of them tore after the scent excitedly. The blood of rabbits was an excellent way to cap off their run.

[LyricsKiss]

Well, the crooks are out
And the streets are gray
You know I wouldn't have it
Any other way

Her hips swayed to the music echoing loudly through the greenhouse. Speakers had been her newest addition to the little space, and being so far out on the grounds no one could hear anything. A wicked smile graced Genesis' lips as she took another hit from her joint. The entire greenhouse glowed with a hazy gray light, illuminating the smoke in the air as it swirled above her. Maurine had left for some conference, and had made sure to threaten her daughter enough to make sure Genesis would be going to sign up for classes.

Your mother's words
They're ringing still
But your mother don't
Pay our bills

So what was she going to do tonight? Well it began with another foray into town to pick up some 'supplies', high as a kite, Jamison had chauffeured her around to different locations. She was invited to more than one party, but declined and escaped back to her house, soon escaping to her little green house. Lines of blow had been done some hours ago and now she had retired to alcohol and pot. She was so high, she felt like the music was speaking to her. Her hands wound through the smoke above her head as the music pounded on. Her sheer shirt showed hints of a black bra beneath, trashy and matched with a pair of tiny black shorts, the outfit had accentuated her slim figure. The clothing alone had made her a talk of the parties she had made an appearance at. No one in the two had anything else better to do than gossip anyways.

A sinister kid is a kid who
Runs to meet his Maker
A drop dead sprint from the day he's born
Straight into his Maker's arms
And that's me, that's me
The boy with the broken halo
That's me, that's me
The devil won't let me be

A giggle escaped her lips as she leaned over her desk, screens of the cameras around town cycling through. Another screen had been added alongside the main monitor, this was in charge of the music and whatever else tickled Genesis at the time. The still smoldering joint was perched between her pointer and middle finger as she clicked around the internet idly. Bent over the desk her hips still swung sensually to the beat, a smirk on her lips. Something about this song spoke to her, even when she wasn't in her current altered state.

I got a tortured mind
And my blade is sharp
A bad combination
In the dark

If I kill a man
In the first degree
Baby would you
Flee with me?

Genesis stood back up and with another hit of her joint, stubbed it out in a beautiful crystal ashtray. It was the sort of ashtray used as a paperweight in most fancy homes, one that cost enough money for most people to never think about actually think about using it for it's intended purpose. A sigh escaped her lips as she closed her eyes and let the music take her again. The beat made her want to be touched, and she suddenly wished she had been smart enough to stay at one of the parties she had been invited to.

[center]A sinister kid is a kid who
Runs to meet his Maker
A drop dead sprint from the day he's born
Straight into his Maker's arms
And that's me, that's me
The boy with the broken halo
That's me, that's me[center]

"The devil won't le me be..." Genesis belted out as the song came to an end.