Heroes Dawn

Carmilla

Carmilla had to tell her. She just had to. She really liked her. Maybe she even loved her. And she knew the other girl felt the same. They had been together for months now. She could trust her, she wouldn’t judge.

She had fallen into Carmilla’s arms just like an angel, just when she needed her the most. Dropping out from college, returning home, alone, and then the robbing. It wasn’t that she had a god complex or a death wish or even something to prove. But the feeling of justice, of doing the right thing that day. It clingled to her and she couldn’t shake it. And, oh, she had tried. She was never much of a team player. She never really cared. Why would she care now? Maybe that’s why she felt…alone.

A year later Carmilla had met her. And she had fallen for her. Right after the first time she made her first official appearance as NightShadow. And now she was going to tell her. She thought about all this as she paced across the room until she finally had the guts to grab her hands and kneel right in front of her, as she was sitting on the sofa.

“So...you know how I’m always here until late writing?” The other girl nodded. “Well…sometimes I’m not.”

She took a deep breath. Her hands were shaking a bit, she could feel them. But she kept going.

“Have you heard about this woman who his going around in a mask, hmm, helping…I guess?”

“I’ve heard she kills.”

That felt like a stone, dropping on her stomach. Did she really think that?

“Once. And only because it was absolutely necessary.”

She blurted out almost immediately, realizing that she had just made an incredibly stupid choice of words. But now the other girls eyes were glued on her, widened, looking for anything that would erase what Carmilla had just said to her.

“What are you saying Carmilla?”

“You know what I’m saying”

She was looking at the floor now. And she realized something. She was ashamed of herself.

“Say it! I want to hear it!”

There was something weird in her voice. Something Carmilla had never heard before. This made her head spin with rage, why was she like that? That wasn’t supposed to happen. She was supposed to understand. She always understands. This is not happening.

“I’m her! There. I’m her. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you but I wanted to protect you-“

“You’re a murderer.”

Carmilla felt her chest heavy and everything collapsing. The rage on the other girl’s voice and something very close to disgust in her eyes.

She was getting up and crossing the run and Carmilla was petrified, glued to the floor.

What was she thinking? Why would she think that this was a good idea? But then she was running up the stairs and screaming.

“Ell! ELL! Wait!! Let’s talk about this!” She caught up with her by the door.

“You are a murderer and that’s all you’re ever going to be Carmilla!” She freed herself from Carmilla’s grip “Don’t ever touch me again! Don’t even try to come after me! I don’t want to see you or be near any of this sickness you have!”

Sickness? Carmilla felt like she was suffocating. Her vocal chords felt stuck. She couldn’t move. Why couldn’t she move??

“No wonder you turned up like this” She wanted to scream but nothing came out. “A murderer. Just like your mother”

And then everything was dissolving and there was only darkness. Cold, quiet, creeping. And she was suffocating. Drowning. Alone. She tried to move one last time before her body started to feel very light, but it was hopeless. She let go.

Carmilla woke up soaking wet, her baggie t-shirt glued to her back and chest. She took a deep breath trying to understand her surroundings.

How long had it been since she breath?

She grabbed firmly to the sheets. Her bed. She was in her bed. At her home. It had just been a nightmare. Just a nightmare.

Her hands were shaking but her breathing was getting even. In through the nose, out through the mouth. You can do this Karnstein, just breath.

“Jesus Christ…” She let out with a sigh.

And then she was dropping her head heavily on her pillow.

How long until this fucking nightmares go away? She gazed at the ceiling, not daring to close her eyes for a second because she did not want to fall asleep again.

Laura

You [6:30 PM]: Hey! Soooo, I’ve got this thing I really have to do before heading home...and I have no idea how much time it’s going to take me, so maybe…you don’t have to wait?

Carmilla K. [6:36 PM]: I’ll wait.

You [6:37 PM]: I really don’t know how much time it’s going to take...

Carmilla K. [6:38 PM]: I have time.

Laura sighed.

Me [6:39 PM]: You could be writing, you know? Putting your time to a better use than just waiting for me?

Carmilla K [6:40 PM]: I’ll be waiting, cupcake.

Laura rolled her eyes but smiled at the phone. The nicknames. She had found them annoying in the begining. But now...they kind of grew on her.

She threw her cell back in her computer backpack and headed out of work.

It had been like this for two weeks now. She would get out of work and walk to the little coffee shop where Carmilla would be waiting. They would talk…well, she would do most of the talking to be honest, but Carmilla would pitch in now and then, even when she insisted that the topic was boring or “just not mind challenging enough, cupcake”. I was nice feeling like she had a friend again

***

Since the incident with the bicycle Laura would walk to work everyday in the morning.

The day after Carmilla had driven her home, she came back from work prepared to walk all the distance back home but as she walked in front of the coffee shop she saw her. She was not sitting on the same spot as the day before. No, she was at the window, facing her way. Was she waiting-?

She really didn’t have to finish that thought because Carmilla saw her and, smiling, made a slight sign with her head as to say “Join me”.

“So…is this going to be a thing?” Laura said smiling playfully and sitting down in front of Carmilla. “Because I’ve got to say, as stalkers go you are not the creepiest I’ve known.”

The other girl let a small laugh out and closed the book she apparently had been reading.

“Don’t flatter yourself cupcake, I’m here on business.” She stopped for a couple of seconds before continuing. “Do you want some coffee?”

Laura refused, she had already reached her quota for the day.

Now she was curious, looking at the other girl who drank her coffee slowly before she continued.

“I just thought I could offer you a deal.”

Okay, that was…weird?

“And what kind of deal are we talking about?” Laura replied apprehensively.

Carmilla stared at her seriously for a moment before talking. She could tell the girl wasn’t totally sure, there was a slight hesitation to her. Still, her tone masked all of that as she spoke with confidence (but the eyes, the eyes never lie)

“I need information you have and you…” She smirked “…are in desperate need of a ride home.”

Laura sighed.

“It is true that walking is not my preferred method of transportation but you should know I am not fond of sharing any type of information about my work with just anybody.” Laura said seriously, her face muscles tense.

“Oh ouch buttercup…”

Carmilla clasped her chest, grabbing dramatically her black t-shirt. Laura felt herself relaxing as a shy smile appeared on her face.

She could she Carmilla smiling back at her, her face victorious for conquering this one. Why was it that she could feel so at ease with someone she barely knew?

“Besides…you don’t even know what I’m going to ask” She said.

“It’s NightShadow isn’t it?”

Laura looked at the table and started tracing small circles on the edge of it. She could feel Carmilla’s inquisitive eyes on her but she didn’t take her eyes of the table.

“I don’t know if it is a good idea Carmilla. Besides, why do you even care about her?”

She finally faced her but now the black haired girl was looking out the window, her eyes chasing the cars that went by on the street.

“It’s not about her, it’s about these heroes or superheroes or whatever it is you call them” She scoffed “These lunatics who go around getting their ass kicked for nothing. It’s all for a book I’m writing. Actually it was Perry’s idea. Broadening the horizons and all that.”

You’re a bad liar Camilla Karnstein.

“Look, I’m not too happy about it either, cupcake, so will you give me a help or what?”

“Okay, so what you’re telling me is you need some insight on NightShadow so you can write about a superhero? So, this is research and that’s it.” Laura questioned her and Carmilla leaned on the table and nodded.

This is going to get you in trouble Hollis. You know, you can feel it creeping out right behind you. But you do owe her already. She did save you yesterday. Damn it.

“Let’s say I agree to do this-“

“You’re worried about me spilling the beans.” Carmilla interrupted and caught her by surprise.

She was taking a piece of paper from the middle of her book and a pen

“This is a confidentiality agreement. If I spill the beans I go to jail and have to pay you an exuberant amount of money I’m sure surpasses what I own.” She said while signing her name at the end of the paper “And that’s saying something.”

Laura was static looking at the paper that was now laying in front of her. This was not what she was thinking. She was just worried. Not about what she was going to write. About what she would find. About this. About her.

“I guess you’ve really set your mind on this haven’t you.” Her eyes were wide open, she wasn’t used to the feeling of surprise.

“I’m not hearing a no.”

And then she was looking at the other girl who was tapping her fingers on the table and waiting for her to make up her mind.

“Fiiiiine.”

She relaxed into her chair while she saw Carmilla pursuing her lips to try to hide the victory smile and failing.

***

So it was weird the first couple of times they hang out together. 

She had taken Carmilla’s offer, not because she needed ride home. In fact, she had told the girl she would still walk home and she tried, but Carmilla followed her on the bike, slowing up traffic and not giving a damn about the alarming quantity of cars that were pilling up behind her and honking furiously. So she just took the ride that day...and all the other days.

Laura did tell her almost everything that she had been investigating has a journalist since she arrived to the city but she also got to know Carmilla and…it wasn’t so bad.

She learned that she had a brother, Will, who was away at college and deduced she lived alone since she never mentioned her parents.

Favorite color: obsviously black since most of her clothes were of that same color.

Laura tried asking about her writing but she would always change subject.

She was almost certain she was nocturnal, I mean, the girl was pale as a vampire for God sake! Besides, once, she told Laura it had been “a very complicated morning of sleep”. I mean, who says that?

And she was prone to disaster because every couple days she would have a new bruise. The last one was at her kitchen counter. Apparently it had “attacked her” leaving a nasty scratch on her side, right below her ribs.

Note so self: buy this girl an armor and maybe tell her to baby proof the house.

She would show her deep disapproval of Laura’s choice of entertainment, which meant every TV series and movies Laura watched, but she knows the other girl has been watching Doctor Who because she would catch the raven haired girl making subtle remarks on the characters and choice of historical events.

She would always try to sound as disaffected as she could at mostly anything.

It was like putting together piece by piece a never ending puzzle.

She found herself curious about the girl and started warming up to her. Yes, she was a mystery wrapped on a puzzle, wrapped on a weird amount of layers and holy Hufflepuff! She really got on Laura’s nerves sometimes.

Yet, she kind of wanted to know what was under those layers.

Most of the times there was this sassy, “I don’t give an absolute fuck” thing going on (and it was charming, and she knew it, damn it!) but there was more. There was something dark behind those eyes. She could tell she suffered. She could tell because she knew that look. She saw it everyday on the mirror. Still, there was something of a light in her.

Laura sighed.

This was not the plan, Hollis. Getting caught up in other people’s lives. That always leads to feelings, and feelings lead to pain, and pain leads to-. She stopped herself in front of the police station, looking at the stairs and sighed.

Too late to go back now.

Although she didn’t know if she was thinking about Carmilla or this.

Well, here goes nothing.

Perry

It had been exactly 20 minutes since she arrived and was watching LaFontaine struggle to measure what it seemed to be a liquid of some sort into a tube.

They were humming with discontent.They had their back turned to her so they hadn’t even noticed her.

6h40 PM.

She cleaned her watch’s screen for the fourth time.

LaFontaine had given her that watch last Christmas.

She caressed the bracelet and sighed silently.

It was a surprise really, because LaFontaine would always give her more practical gifts. Mainly because she asked. It was nice to have everything in order.

That Christmas, LaFontaine had given her what she asked but then she gave her another, small package with this watch.

“I noticed you cracked the screen on yours the other day and I know how much you hate looking at the time on you phone so. Besides,  I guess, you can remember me when you wear it... since you're the one who keeps me from always being late for everything!" They were scratching the back of their head and smiling "Merry Christmas Perr!”

Just remembering how nervous and shy they looked made her smile dearly.

6h50 PM

“Gotcha!” She heard them saying has they took notes on whatever subject they were studying.

She gave a little cough not to scare them and walked towards them. They still jolted and turned to face her, an immediate smile on their lips.

This made Perry look away for a second and smile back, a warm feeling settling on her chest.

She settled the tupperware she was carrying on the counter and sat on one of the stools right in front of LaFontaine.

“Eat. I bet you haven’t even seen anything besides that since lunch”

She was pointing at the counter and then she saw them blush and scowled.

“You didn’t even lunch did you?!”She could feel her own voice getting on a higher pitch.

LaFontaine was pouting and looking at the fresh cinnamon rolls she had baked for them.

“You hear me now LaFontaine, if you don’t start eating your meals, and I mean all your meals I will revoke your late night snacks privileges around the house!”

She knew LaFontaine would take this seriously, they had been living together for some years now but ever since they were kids LaFontaine would wake up in the middle of the night to eat. Perry wasn’t quite sure how was it that they always managed to find the snacks, even the ones she hid on the first nights at their new home, but they did. Always.

“You wouldn’t dare!”

They were now with a horrified expression while they stretched a hand to grab the first cinnamon roll, which Perry slapped smoothly and gave them a stern look.

“But Perrrrrr…Science!” They were pouting again, pointing at the tubes and several papers around the counter.

But then they gave in, sitting on the stool right next to Perry, slouching their shoulders.

“Fine, I promise to be more careful. Can I have one now?“

They turned to Perry but she was already holding a cinnamon roll in front of her. They smiled playfully at her and took a huge bite from it directly from her hand.

“I swear to God if you bite me!!”

But she felt a giggle brewing on her throat as she looked at LaFontaine, whose nose was now brown from sprinkled cinnamon. They were looking at her, a confused look on their face while they ate, and that only made her giggle storm out of throat.

She leaned in to clean the tip of their nose with a tissue, still with a smile on her face and gazing at her eyes. That warm feeling was clinging to her chest again. She could see LaFontaine glancing quickly at her lips and blushing slightly.

She knew what was going in their mind and kept looking deeply into their eyes. She could read their soul. They were scared of something, that’s why they wouldn’t say anything. Perry would wait. She has been waiting for sometime now, but she has time. She isn’t going anywhere. LaFontaine is definitely worth it. Sometimes it feels like it has been a lifetime, and maybe it has. I had been hard for her to finally come to terms with her feelings for them. How can you be friends for so long and not realize that you’re not just friends anymore?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a snarky voice at the door.

“Making out with your girlfriend, Susan?” said a skinny officer and three other were already grinning behind him. But as soon as they saw the look on Perry’s face they disappeared.

How dare they? I will burn them to the ground!

And then she was getting up like lightning and when she felt her hand being held delicately.

“Not worth it Perr” Lafontaine said trying to hide her sadness behind a small smile. She was still looking at the door but sat back on the stool. LaFontaine’s thumb was tracing circles on her palm and the tingling sensation was enough to settle her rage.

“This has to stop LaFontaine.”

“And it will. Just not like that.” She could feel them looking at her so she turned to face them. “Although I am sure you could kick their ass!” They smiled proudly.

“Of course I could.”

That answer seemed to make LaFontaine laugh and it was contagious because soon Perry was laughing too.

“Am I bothering?”

She looked towards the door of the laboratory and there was a brunette’s head popping at it’s side. Oh, it was that tiny journalist LaFontaine had talked about, the one who had done the piece of NightShadow and the one she had introduced to- oh boy.

She was smiling and looking between Lafontaine and Perry. LaFontaine was still trying to control her laughter so Perry took matters into her own hands approaching the tiny girl with her right hand held in front of her.

“Hello! You must be Laura” The girl took her hand and gave it and enthusiastic shake, that made Perry smile, and nodded “I’m Perry, Carmilla’s agent.”

“I know, I saw you the other day at the bar and Carmilla has mentioned you a couple of times” She had a friendly smile and honest eyes.

“She also talked about you sometimes”

“It’s pretty much all she’s been yapping about lately” Said a muffled voice from behind Perry, who was now glaring at them, making them widen their eyes quickly. It's okay, it’s okay, we can still salvage this.

“She is very methodical about her work Laura, that’s why she went to you.”

This seemed to stop the inquisitive look that was forming on the brunette’s face as she walked to sit on a stool in front of LaFontaine.

“That’s actually why I’m here. I need to ask you something LaF” She was looking a little nervous. Perry saw her breath in heavily “I know you can get in trouble just by taking to me but I could really use an insight on what the police recovered from the scenes four days ago when NightShadow stopped that shooting at the-“

“Ooooookay, let me stop you right there Hollis!”

LaFontained had gotten up but she didn’t seem mad. No, she was actually smiling. Perry knows that smile. There’s something going on. Is she going to give her-?

“Look, I can put in a good word with the chief but you know how he feels about your crow friends”

“I’m not going to publish anything, it’s just to establish behavioral patterns and…” The girl seemed to stop and think for a little “I’m not like them, you know that right? And I would never put your job at risk to publish a story. I promise you I won’t publish anything.”

LaFontaine nodded and got up stripping out her lab coat and dressing her coat. They then grabbed Perry’s arm driving her outside. What is she doing?

“Well, I really, really have to get some coffee and fresh air. Perr, will you come with me?”

They were walking past the brunette which had a distraught look on her face when the scientist winked at them.

“It’ll do me good and I think it’s safe to leave the files alone for five minutes.”

And then LaFontaine was dragging her again, literally pulling her out the room to the coffee machine at the end of the hall and that’s when she could finally breathe properly and speak.

“What were you thinking LaFontaine? You can lose your job!” She said quietly looking around to make sure no one was listening to them.

“You don’t even know her that well-“

“Perr, relax. Remember what Carmilla was telling me yesterday?”

***

She had got to Carmilla’s house and they were talking, well it was a heated conversation to be honest because she could hear it from the door.

“Give her anything she wants.”

They were on the kitchen and LaFontaine was changing the bandages on Carmilla’s side, where a bullet had grazed her at the shooting.

“I can lose my job Carmilla”

She had been lucky.

“She won’t publish it.”

A couple of inches to the left and…well, she prefered not to think about it.

But Lafontaine sounded really worried.

“How can you be so sure?”

“This is bigger than that. She is holding something and I want to find out why. And I will.”