Chapter 1 Blind Rain
Standing motionless on an unlit corner, he listens. The rain dampens his vision like static. He focuses hard, cutting through the sound. His nonexistent world springs to life. White, silver, and blue form a sketched out map in the void. He lets out a sigh of relief. Navigating blind is dangerous.
A few people brush past him with umbrellas and a newspaper for coverage. He barely registers the top edge of an umbrella forming into view in time to maneuver out of the way. Now fully focused, he traverses across the street to an unassuming shop that feels warm to his face even at a distance.
The tiny bell rings, blinding his senses for a moment as he enters. He pauses, getting his bearings before continuing deeper inside. A few people look him up and down, uncertain of his presence. He ignores them and continues. A man at the counter who reaks of death recognizes him and welcomes him to the back.
They are quiet until they are well out of earshot of the customers.
"It's been a while. I have what you requested." The shop owner enthuses. "And! I have what you need. As usual, of course. Kept it fresh despite your delay."
The shop owner picks up a thick but small suitcase and slaps it on the small table between them. He opens it, revealing a tiny object. He's buzzing with pride. He then grabs another small item from a cabinet nearby and whisks it over to the man.
"Good. You have my thanks. It's always a pleasure doing business with you." He opens his jacket to pull out an envelope filled with cash from the inner breast pocket. "I believe this is the agreed upon amount." He hands it over to the excited shop owner.
"Oh yes!" He counts it quickly. "And then some. I'll put that as a credit toward your next visit."
A smile reaches across his face. "Of course, I always value your honesty."
He picks the item out of the suitcase swiftly and pockets it in place of the cash. His fingers brush over his usual item. It's cold and textured like milled steel with glass windows he could never hope to see inside. With a deep breath to prepare himself, he picks it up firmly and tenses as he presses it against his neck. His thumb plunges a stiff button on the end, injecting seven needles into him. He stands as still as possible while his spare hand trembles. The substance slowly enters his body with a whiring noise. A faint sound of air escaping the tube tells him the procedure is finished. Releasing the trigger, the needles retract from his skin as he makes a small grunt. He sighs and rolls his shoulders, handing the syringe back to the shop owner.
"I envy you for your dedication to that stuff. Most have switched to other methods." The shop owner admits.
"I don't engage in methods that involve harming others." The man says clearly.
"Oh no! There are other ways now. You know I haven't harmed anyone in a very long time." He reassures.
"I'll stick with what I know for now. I'll let you know if I change my mind." He excuses himself.
Back out in the rain, he reorients himself. Leaving the store behind, he gets an odd feeling and feels out for anything immediately nearby. Nothing. Perturbed, he frowns and continues. A little while later, he senses it again, only stronger. He pushes out his mental map again. Nothing immediate, but something still feels wrong. He is not in danger. But someone else might be. He steps into an alley and carefully follows it as he searches the area in his mind. A couple of people linger nearby. Their hearts are normal. A little farther. Two people. A woman, her heart is normal but elevated. A man, attacking her. His heart rate is almost nonexistent. One beat per minute.
He cleches his fists. He had not planned on getting involved in anything tonight. Technically, he shouldn't. But he didn't ask for what he is now. Before he even fully decides, he moves like a wraith towards the two. He stops only five feet from the scene. The woman is pressed against the wall, her shirt torn. Despite the creature before her with teeth bared, she just manages to keep him out of reach of her flesh.
"Leave her!" The man demands coldly.
Angrily, the creature looks at him. "Stay out of this! She's mine! You have no right to intervene!"
The woman screams as she loses strength, the creature's teeth closing the distance. The man wraiths over to them and throws the creature off of her. She collapses to her knees, desperately trying to close her shirt.
"I said leave!" He booms.
The creature skulks down in fear and takes a few steps back. It pauses for a moment, contemplating fighting back. Ultimately, it decides it isn't worth it and is gone in a flash. The man stands for a moment, staring after it.
"Are you alright?" He turns to the woman, reaching his hands down to help her up.
She takes them, looking up at her rescuer's face. She fights the urge to recoil when she sees the heavy raised scars trailing out from behind his heavy shades. "Y-yes. Thanks to you."
He helps her up effortlessly. He ignores her obvious hesitation. He's used to it. "Your voice is familiar."
"Oh, I used to be a journalist for The GrayWater News."
She still fiddles with her shirt. He notices and pulls off his coat, covering her.
"I see. Abigail, right? I remember now. Try to be more careful, especially at night. I'll walk you to the street." He motions for her to follow.
She opens her mouth to respond but decides against it and follows obediently. The walk is fairly short. Once they get to the street, she is relieved that he was true to his word. She has so many questions for this strange man but has a strong feeling he may not be willing to answer. He does not acknowledge her interest and simply turns away. He leaves her there on the curb, waiting for a cab, secretly watching her from a distance. He waits until she is safely inside before retreating.
Back at his apartment, he reaches for his coat to pull his new item from the inner breast pocket and freezes. His coat is no longer with him, and neither is his object. That woman has them both.
