First chapter of many- Hopefully

Life was letting Bailey Atten down. The particular spot was a small patch of carpet in her living room. Surrounded by bills and student loan statements she felt dizzy. Life promised her a job after graduation and money to pay the expenses a broke student built up.

Dorm. Food. Clothes. Most of those things she didn't even have anymore. Her hall mates were gone, all that greasy late night 'study food' was sitting in an extra ten pounds she wasn't proud of and the clothes fit just a little too snug.

Nothing to show for four some odd years but a degree and bills she couldn't pay.

“Why not go to grad school and avoid the loans for another few years?” Katherine's voice came from the kitchen. She was piddling around making dinner and keeping Bailey from losing her mind.

“I'm not sure I can afford rent next month. I don't see how I can manage relocating.” History was her passion but no one was hiring on the merits of passion and she'd rather shove a number two pencil in her temple than teach.

Katherine kicked a pile of credit card statements to the side and sat down next to Bailey's slumped body. She took the piping hot cup of cocoa gratefully and drank it down like ice water. Kat often wondered how her friend could do that in Las Vegas.

Bailey was a life long resident just like Katherine but she seemed have blood a little colder than everyone else. She was the only person, local or not, who never complained of the heat.

“You should probably start smoking.” Katherine reached for her own pack and Bailey silently pointed towards the sliding glass door on the opposite side of her living room.

“On the balcony. You'll not pollute my home with carcinogens, woman.” She was smiling and not entirely paying attention to her, fixated as she was on the papers in front of her.

Her friend laughed and walked over to the door. The latch was rusted and the door struggled gallantly to open. Among the commotion she called out again.

“Why not do something out of you're career field, yet lucrative?”

Without looking up she said,” I don't quite have the physique for exotic dancing.”

“God. Will I ever live that down? It was a week, and I needed tuition.” She was laughing into her cigarette and her breath shortened when she spoke.

“Although the irony of a prude shaking her ass for money is not lost on me I was talking about office work. Or, you could get into my business. There are plenty of haggard CEO's who need an assistant as smart and detail orientated as you are.”

Katherine smiled and looked around her friends apartment. Despite the fact that it was a rundown relic from the sixties in down town Vegas she kept the place spotless and even attempted to brighten it with a new coat of paint.

She wondered how she avoided break ins too. She didn't have an alarm and her dead bolt was questionable. Still, when nine out of ten neighbors suffered burglary not so much as a missionary knocked on her door.

“ I don't think my back could take bending down twelve times a day to pick up the same stapler.” Her tone was dry, recalling Kat's horror stories of working with randy CPA's.

“It's not all like that, and you could always quite once you saved enough for grad school. I'll make a call tomorrow and see if I can you something.” Her tone was final. Bailey sighed and collapsed onto her mounting expenses.

“Fine. But if so much as a-”, Bailey cut off mid sentence and put hand to forehead. She sat up and curled into a little ball on the floor.

“Christ, not again!” Katherine tossed her cigarette over the rail and ran to her friend. The girls chest shook and rattled as she wrapped her arms around her.

“Shhh, it's ok Bails, it's fine. Just let it pass, it'll go away in a few minutes.”

But Bailey wasn't in that room, she was above the city watching as the strip glittered and cars passed like streaks of lightning below her. The world moved in fast-forward and the sun passed by every ten seconds, days blurred together and she quickly lost count.

Then, beginning at the base of sunrise mountain a wave of darkness passed as lights died and the entire valley became nothing but veins of dim light as cars slowed.

She tried to move but her astral body was frozen as one by one, voices rose, screaming into the night.

She must have blacked out again because when she came to, shaking and choking on her own terror a thin trickle of blood came from her nose and she was staring up at Kat's concerned face.

“Oh God, that one seemed longer than the last.”

“You have no idea.”

. . .

He stared at his computer screen, blue and then black. When he was alive a certain vein popped on the side of his neck when he was this angry.

“Rebecca! Rebecca what is this thing doing now!?” His secretary seemed to slither into his office, oozing sex and smiling it that flirtatious way that added just a little bit more annoyance to the current situation.

She leaned down a little too close in her blouse that was cut a little too low. He watched as she alt control deleted and nothing happened. Of course. It probably short circuited or stopped working out of spite. A year ago he wouldn't have had this problem.

A year ago he wouldn't of had a lot of problems.

“I don't know Mister Hunt, hope you backed up the hard drive, 'cause I don't think it's going to work ever again.”

She hadn't moved yet and he couldn't help but listen to the blood slipping through her veins. Her neck was so close...

“Ok, get out. Now.”

Rebecca left with a huff and went to answer the ringing phone. Just her luck, her boss was gorgeous, single and the biggest jackass she'd ever met. Most men fell over themselves for her red hair and drop dead body. He must be gay, that was the only explanation.

She picked up the phone and her blood froze. It was that woman, her voice made Rebecca wish she still went to church. It was silly, but there was something just not right about her. Even over the phone.

“H-hello Miss. Applegate. I'll patch you right into Mr. Hunt's office.”

“Thank you dear, keep up the good work.” She pictured the woman smiling and then thought of a snake pit.

“It's Applegate on line one!” She called back and gratefully hung up the phone.

“What the hell do you want?”, he greeted her cheerily. Idle, he wondered how long before the line cut out and static assaulted his ears.

“Don't sound so shy, love, say what's really on you're mind.” She laughed. Everything he did was hilarious.

“Speak.” He was irritable and had no patience for her cheek. Although he should more respectful, the woman was the author of his misery.

“I need those reports and you seem to have dropped the merger. You're our representative but as much as we need you I don't recall putting you on the pay roll to systematically destroy every electronic you touch.”

He caught sight of his reflection in the high gloss on his desk. That would never change, his skin would look as flawless and pale, his hair would always be sandy brown and no matter how much he smiled lines wouldn't etch themselves on his face. The newness of eternal youth had just about faded.

“I never asked to work for you, Zilla.” His teeth clenched, aware of Rebecca in the other room with the door ajar.

His maker's voice dropped. It sounded like something caged and hungry.

“Regret warps the memory, child. Find someone who can operate a computer or I'll write you're resignation.” Then the line went dead. Perfect timing.

“Rebecca!”

Once more, the lithe woman in green and black stood in his office.

“Yes?”

“Find me a personal assistant. Computer literate, must work nights.”

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