I can’t believe this is the last PP of the year. Everything has gone by so quickly. I will say, we saved one of the best for last, since the prompt made me laugh. Oh and I instantly thought of Shay and Josie for the prompt. Hope you all enjoy. And, as always, the prompt will be in bold type.

Shay settled her backpack more securely and worked her way up the small rise. The forest was quiet around them as the last rays of the sun were visible through the trees. As a child, her mother had always told her to trust her instincts and that’s exactly what she was doing. Which was good, since she didn’t have a clue. They needed help so she was going to use a spell from one of her great grandmother’s grimoires. It was called The Spell of Calling and was only to be used in a dire situation and only as a last resort. Well demon things lose in the world and eating people was pretty much a huge emergency.

As she reached the highest point of the hiking path, Josie staggered up and dropped to the ground.

“This is my life now,” Josie said, trying to catch her breath. “I have climbed this hill and now, I will die upon it.”

Shay rolled her eyes. “Shut up. We’ve only been hiking for twenty minutes.”

“You shut up, stupid face.”

Shay shook her head. “You need to shut up more. And, we’re supposed to utilize the training facilities to stay in shape. Aren’t you doing that?”

“Hey, I’m the brains of this operation not the brawn.”

“Are you done screwing around? We have to get to the spot before the full moon rises.”

Josie forced herself to her feet. “I’m not screwing around. I’m exhausted and sweaty. Oh, and scared, let’s not forget scared.”

Shay put her hand on Josie’s arm. “Me too, but if I can get this right, we’ll have help.”

“Then let’s get this done.”

They set off again, but the walk was definitely easier. The ground was flat and it hadn’t rained recently so there was no mud. Also, it looked as though they were on an established walking trail. Shay only hoped that if they strayed into the forest, she could lead them out. Of course, she didn’t say that to Josie. The girl was already flipped out, no need to add more to her plate.

She led them down a small incline then veered off to the left and over a fallen tree. She broke into a trot as the pull became stronger. She pushed her way through heavy brush and found herself in a clearing containing a small mound. Shay gently put her foot on the ground and found it solid. Then she climbed to the top and dropped her pack.

“Should I stay down here?” Josie asked.

“Yes, thanks.”

Shay knelt on the ground and began to pull items from her pack. Her great grandmother’s small cauldron, her grandmother’s wand, and herbs from her mother’s garden. Then she pulled out stones from her own collection. Pieces she’d collected over the years. None of them were particularly spectacular, but they’d spoken to her. Lastly, she pulled her great grandmother’s spell book from the bag and opened it to the spell she wanted.

Shay took a deep breath. Then another. She opened her senses to the forest. She could hear the wind rustling the trees and night birds calling. When she was ready, she picked up the wand and cast a circle. Settling on the ground she began to add the herbs and stones to the cauldron. Though she had the book she didn’t need it. She knew what she had to do.

Finally, she placed her hands, palm down, over the cauldron and pushed all her need, fear and want into it. At the last moment she said, “Send me who we need.”

The contents of the cauldron lit up and began to glow. Shay pulled her hands away in time as a beam of pure radiant light shot up from the cauldron into the sky. Then it shot into the mound she sat on. The earth vibrated under her for about thirty seconds then everything went dark. She sat for a long moment then glanced up to find Josie staring at her wide-eyed.

“Okay, that was freaky as shit,” her best friend declared.

“Yeah, but I don’t see any help appearing out of the forest. Do you?”

Josie looked around. “Maybe it will take a few minutes.”

Shay really didn’t think so, but began the process of cleaning up and closing the circle. She was exhausted though. She felt the same way she had in college after taking a huge final. Empty and fuzzy headed as if every ounce of knowledge had been drained from her.

The two of them waited around for another half an hour when Shay had to admit to herself and Josie. “Okay, that was a fucking waste of time.”

Josie rubbed her eyes. “You don’t know that. And before you say anything, true, no one appeared out of the woods and declared he or she was here to help, but maybe it’ll take time. Maybe this person will be waiting for us back at our apartment.”

Shay nodded. “You’re right. I need to stay positive.”

As they hiked out of the woods, Shay tried to keep that thought alive, but deep down she knew she had royally screwed up.

Bronwyn Green      Jessica Jarman

Welcome!! Our prompt this month is awesome. I’ve been waiting for it very impatiently. Instead of it being dialogue or a few lines, it’s actually a situation we’re writing to. The prompt says: You’re in an interrogation room. A man walks in and throws a bunch of photographs on the table in front of you. The photos are old and taken at different points in history. You’re in each one. He demands to know who you are.

So, here we go:

Detective Jason Davis walked into the interrogation room and stared hard at the man sitting at the table. He didn’t know his name, but he certainly knew his face. High cheek bones, up-tilted eyes, long patrician nose, and full lips. Shit, no, not full lips. Couldn’t think of him like that. He was a suspect . . . or something. Jason just didn’t know quite what yet.

The man looked up and raised one eye brow. Green. The man had pure green eyes. The pictures hadn’t shown that. It also hadn’t shown the bronze skin and white gold hair. Worn longer, Jason thought, unlike the pictures.

“So, are you going to tell me why I’m here or am I supposed the guess?”

The man’s rich baritone filled the room and it took everything in Jason to stop the shiver. Gritting his teeth, he tossed the small stack of images on the table so they spilled across the surface. The man didn’t look at them, but continued to watch Jason.

“Would you care to explain?” Jason asked.

Carefully, the man spread the images out so he could, presumably, study each one. He didn’t betray anything as he looked each picture over then calmly moved it aside. He did this until all eleven pictures were back in a small stack.

“They’re old photos.”

Jason wondered if the accent he had was fake. If almost sounded like the Wakandan accent from Black Panther, but he wouldn’t swear to it. Instead of asking, Jason sat across from the man who had captured his interest almost a year ago. Was it legal for him to bring the guy into interrogation? Probably not. Jason really didn’t have any proof he’d committed a crime. He just knew something was off. Way off.

“The first photo was taken about 1842,” Jason said. “The last about twenty years ago. So, Mr. Jackson, can you explain to me, how you’re in every single picture.”

“Kael,” he finally spoke. “My name is Kael.”

“I don’t see that in any records I have.:

Jason shuffled through the paperwork in front of him, knowing that name wasn’t in any of it. He knew because he had done extensive research on the man across from him. Extensive? Okay, obsessive. He’d done obsessive research. It was as if he couldn’t stop himself. There was something about the man that Jason found compelling. Every time he told himself to stop. To put it away. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t. No matter what, Jason had to know, to understand.

Kael folded his massive arms and leaned back in the chair. The piece of furniture groaned audibly, but the man sitting in it didn’t seem to notice or care.

“You have nothing to hold me,” he finally spoke. “I haven’t committed a crime.”

He rose to go, but Jason shot his hand out to grip the man’s wrist. The first thing he noticed was the jolt he received from touching Kael. Jason knew it wasn’t physical, per se, like a lightning strike, but emotional. He immediately got hard. And that never happened. He was an adult male and had control over his body. This man though . . .

Looking down he saw his dark skin next to Kael’s much lighter bronze hue and wondered if he was that color all over. Fuck, he had to stop.

Kael didn’t shake his arm off. Instead, he placed his hand over Jason’s and it was as if Kael had grabbed his cock. Shit, it took everything he had not to moan.

Kael smiled and retook his seat. Jason wasn’t sure what the man had seen . . . sensed, whatever, but Jason was glad he stayed. Because he was right. Jason didn’t have a damn thing to hold him. Hell, if anyone found out he’d asked this man to come in and used the interrogation room he’d probably be fired.

“The pictures,” Kael said. “How did you find them?”

“This one is from my mom’s side of the family.” Saying this, Jason pulled an image from 1885 out of the stack. He knew all about it. He’d studied it as for years. The picture had hung from his grandmother’s wall and Jason was captivated the first time he’d seen it. The image wasn’t anything special, just four white men standing in place dressed in suits. Jason’s grandfather was the second from the left. An unassuming man in a suit. He wasn’t who captured Jason’s attention. It was the man at the far right. The tall, built man with the cheekbones and mouth who had captured his attention. His imagination. His daydreams and, as a boy, wet dreams. Now, here he sat, bigger than life.

“I wanted to know who the men were,” Jason finally said. “So, I did research. And the more I dug, the more I wanted to know. It took me about ten years, but I found all the pictures and now here you are. In the flesh.”

Kael smiled. “Here I am. And you’re curious?”

“Yes.”

“No one will believe anything I tell you.”

“I don’t care. I don’t care about anyone else.”

Kael leaned forward and grasped Jason’s wrists in his hands. “There are things in this world that you’re safer not knowing. Though, since you made it this far, I can assume you won’t stop.”

Jason didn’t say anything, but just watched Kael and waited. He had to know.

Finally, Kael nodded. “For millennium, evil has tried to gain an advantage on this planet. It wants humans, needs humans. And, for millennium, those of us who oppose the dark fight. Not all the time. In fact, the last major battle was perhaps four or five thousand years ago. After that have been skirmishes, but nothing major. That’s changed. Evil is rising.”

“That still doesn’t explain the pictures. You.”

Kael nodded. “Yes, it does. I’m a vampire and I have lived for thousands of years fighting the dark.” Saying this, the man opened his mouth and his incisors grew into fangs. Jason blinked his eyes and tried to pull away, but Kael held him.

“Evil is coming Jason. My sire is rising and all I can think about is how delicious you smell. And how very much I want to drink from your vein and fuck you.”

Bronwyn     Jessica    Kris    Siobhan