• We walked up to her old house, barely looking up the entire time. Juniper rang the doorbell and we heard people shuffling against the hardwood floor. Juniper’s father opened the door and nearly dropped his cigar. Lifting her arm up slightly, she gave him a little wave as she took my arm off her shoulder. Her father put out his cigar and wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug.
    “Junie, Junie I’m so happy to see you!” He said in a stuttering voice.
    “I’m happy to see you too Daddy,” She said half-heartedly. Then her mother walked to the door and dropped her tea cup. Lucius and I looked at each other then looked back. Her mother had joined in on the hugging and now kissing. Then they both stopped and looked up at us menacingly.
    “You stole our baby girl from us. Our only daughter,” her father growled. Louis and I looked at each other, and I sighed.
    "Mon dieu," I said under my breath. Lucius decided he would explain, for I didn't have the patience to deal with this.
    "We didn't steal her, she cames with us," Lucius explained. "We would never take her for our own selfish needs." Strong emphasis on the last four words. Her mother held Juniper tighter, practically crushing her ribcage. She tried to drag Juniper inside with her, but she stood as still as a rock, Juniper.
    "Junie let's go, I am calling the police and you are coming inside with me." Juniper looked back at me fearfully, and I stood there staring at her through my purple sunglasses. Her mother pulled tighter as her eyes started to plead and beg. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. I'm no good with calm as it seems. I reached out and snatched Junie's other arm, making her mother stop and trip a little bit. Juniper tried to pull away, but her mother held tighter. I growled under my breath, and then Lucius grabbed the arm I was holding as well.
    "Let go of my baby or I will..." Her mother hesitated as she looked around the room.
    "Will what?" I asked carelessly. "Hit me with a tire iron? Call the police? No, no madam, I'll be gone before they even arrive." I flashed her a cruel grin and she recoiled a bit. Then her father joined her mother on her arm and pulled tighter. I could see the tears welling in Juniper's eyes as she was stretched this way and that. Then, I pulled Lucius off her arm.
    "Lucius, go to the car with Junie," I said with one final jerk, pulling her towards us. Juniper covered her face with her hands as the tears flowed faster. Lucius put his arm around her and slowly lead her back to the car.
    "Why do you want our daughter!" Her mother screeched with anger. I smiled and leaned against the door way.
    "Who knows?" I asked frivolously. "Maybe I want a young wife, maybe I want her as my personal slave. Or, maybe, I want her as a snack," I said with a grin.
    "A snack? What are you!" Her mother said as she began to cry.
    "What am I?" I asked mockingly as I started to float up. Her parents gasped. "I, madam, am Nicholai Saint Clair, and what I am just wouldn't comprehend to your oh-so-logical minds."

    I could hear Juniper's screams from the car as I dropped her mother's lifeless corps onto her father. Guilt wasn't reaching me now, and I don't think it would till I got back to the car, seeing her beautiful face twisted into an expression of and fear and anger, streaked with tears.
    "Well Madam, Monsieur, I hope you have a good evening," I laughed as I kicked the bodies inside the door, closing it lightly. "Lord knows I will." Boy, was I wrong. As I walked back to the car, I saw Lucius holding a sobbing Juniper tight to his chest, stroking her hair and trying to soothe her. I took off my sunglasses, cleaned them on my coat, and put them back on, trying to stall and think of something to say. Lucius looked at me, his eyes filled with caution.
    "Oh, aidez-moi Saint Juan Diego. Permettez-lui pardonner mon âme démon, qu'elle soit passé, ce. Qu'elle le voir dans le cœur de son ange à pardonner à un pécheur comme I. (Oh, help me Saint Juan Diego. Let her forgive my demon soul, let her be past this. Let her see it in her angel's heart to forgive a sinner like I.)" I whispered as I walked to the car door. I opened the car door, listening to Juniper's sobs grow louder and less muffled as it opened. She looked up quickly when she heard the door open, the street lights aluminating her tear streaked face.
    "Junie, Cheri," I said gently as I sat in the back seat with them.
    "Why?" She asked, sniveling after. "Why did you kill them," in between sobs. I looked at Lucius, and he shrugged, telling me he didn't know what to say.
    "Cheri, dolly dear, all things happen for a reason," I told her in a calm voice, "and it was bound to happen, if not me, then a bus or a crazed burgular." Lucius looked at me wide-eyed, and in his thoughts, he said I sounded just like that fellow on stage at a theater in Europe. I didn't know him, but I knew the theater, and that made me shudder. She looked up at me, confused and sad. I hugged her gently and kissed her smooth cheeks, tasting the salty tears from her on my lips. She pushed me away, turning back to Lucius and crying in his chest. I sat there, straight-faced and deep in subconscious thoughts that I can't remember. I was afraid, afraid I was losing her like my other fledglings, the ones I cared so dearly for like I do her.


    I walked down the street, walking as Lucius did before Michelle was born, thinking about my darling Juniper. It seemed she was never going to forgive me, the look on her face when she pushed me away made me want to cry. Drop after drop of rain spilled from the sky and onto my head. I wished I had ridden home with Lucius and Juniper now. People who were closing the windows or doors on the balconies, looked down and stared at me as I walked by. I found a tall building in the distance and decided to go there.
    Steadying myself on the brick, I climbed up the wall and to the top, sixty-four stories up. I stood on the ledge and looked down at the illuminated town and people frantically trying to get out of the streets. I took a deep breath and yelled as loud as I possibly could: "Do you see what I am! I am a monster! Killer of dreams, taker of lives! I am Gentleman Death in silk and lace, come to put out the candles. The canker in the heart of the rose." Half the city stopped in their tracks, terrified and interested as they stared up at the blonde haired nut case on the tallest building in the city.
    "Quoth Lestat de Lioncourt, 'The Vampire Lestat,'" I said quietly. I took a few steps back, then ran up to the ledge and jumped onto the next roof, making a loud thud. When I got onto the next roof, I collapsed, no doubt scaring the people in the room below.