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Epidemic ((Dampylle&Retro))

What he saw on her face gave him the first clue as to how he would break her. Even through her fear and trepidation there was a fierce curiosity and that he was sure could be twisted to other designs given the proper time and stimulus. It was the perfect avenue to slowly twist her perception. True it would not be as fast as repressed desires unleashed but in many ways it would be a better final result... unleashed desires true enough were part of both situations but playing that curiosity to do it would make it so much more natural to her thoughts and in doing so retain the fire she seemed to possess.

He chuckled a bit into the phone as he spoke, "I take it you do not know the older parts of town. There are plenty of graveyards to be sure I will give you that... but only two or three near old parks and only the one with a house standing in between unused all these years. But if you need a bit more you will need to go down through the historic district and then just outside it down old main street... you will see the house and the graveyard on the hill off to the right... the park is just beyond that and bleeds into the old swamps. People think the place is haunted and give it a wide berth due to old stories of voodoo and people disappearing."

He of course left out that it was not voodoo that had been worked their but rather a rather ancient form of necromancy... and of course the disappearances were often linked to his antics but that was also something she did not need to know. It was enough that she could find the place and that perhaps she would be on edge enough that her defenses would waver at the little things like the sounds of the old house and the wind in the trees... but most importantly it was a place where he could easily use the full weight of his gaze and voice without worrying about being disturbed.
 
Maria wasn't familiar with the old part of the city. In truth she had heard some rumors about it from other students. It was haunted. Girls were dragged there to be raped and left for dead. Whoever wandered into the old city limits was never seen from again. Every place had such ghost stories and superstitions. At least that is what her research had lead her to believe but, now, she felt so unsure. The hairs on the back of her arms stood on end.

"You make it sound like such a charming local," she muttered. The blonde stretched out against the wall and her back cracked, making her grunt into the receiver. "It sounds more like an old black and white cheese fest of a horror movie than an actual place but I'll be there."

There was nothing left to say. Making small conversation was not something she excelled and, under the circumstances, anything else that came out of her mouth was going to be awkward. Without so much as a goodbye she pressed the button on her phone that ended the call. She stuffed the cell back into the pocket and headed over to her car. This was stupid. Her parents were going to get a call in a week or two from the police about her dead body. A grimace took over her features.

Nothing gained, nothing earned.

Getting into her junk heap, she drove towards the old town.
 
Mythrand could not help but smirk at the sound of her grunting when she cracked her back. It was not quite what he wanted to hear from her but it held its hints. He did not bother to respond before she hung up and once she did he walked over and poured a glass of water. Then he removed the sim from the burn phone and snapped it in half before dropping it in the water. The battery and then finally the phone itself followed suit before he made his way over to the exit of his own office. He moved with nary a sound made in his passing and down to an underground lair of sorts... a veritable hidden penthouse.

Once down there he changed into a simple black outfit and then added a long coat and made his way out a separate subterranean exit. IT lead through a tunnel to a large garage of sorts which he made use of to pic one of several luxury cars before hitting what seemed to be a remote switch. That in turn opened a heavy door above a ramp that lead to a sliding wall and exited into a simple nondescript parking structures "private" parking area. Since the private area was off in a corner and cordoned off there was no chance of anyone seeing his exit... and then the heavy metal grating rose to allow him into the main parking structure and closed behind him.

But he did not make his way along main street as he had described to Maria. Instead he took the back roads near the swamp and made his way towards an old tunnel access in the hill. It lead to what was strangely enough another underground lair from the look of it. This one however had exits both in the cemetery and the manor house itself. So between a speed that was more than humanly possible and not having to wrestle with the outside gates Mythrand found himself in the dark and empty house waiting for Maria to arrive.
 
Finding the place in the dark and limited amounts of sleep was a chore. Nerves had made her miss some details. A few times she had circled around the same street and found nothing. The old city wasn't very big, however, and so she continued on her quest until she managed to stumble upon the place that fit the mysterious man's description. She stopped her car in front of it, taking in a steady breath. Why didn't she stop by her place to pick up her pepper spray? Now, as she stared at the looming, rusted gate of the cemetery, it seemed like a horrible idea.

"Maria you can't turn back on this now," she told herself. "If he tries anything, just go strait for his junk."

How strong could a rapist be if his man bits were all out of sorts?

Her white pile of junk gave a hiccup as she turned off the engine. The poor vehicle was going to die soon and, really, it wasn't entirely safe to drive. Her father had begged her to get something different but she said no. The Beetle with bits of silver showing through and leaks and a small hole rusting in the floor of the passenger seat was her first car and she loved it too much to let it go.

She stepped out of it and began to head towards the manor. The gates were a chore to get open and made her think that whoever called her had been playing around. If he was there then she shouldn't have had so much trouble getting the wrought iron doors to move. As it was, the rust crunched loudly and a squealing sound from the nearly useless hinges made her believe that no one had used that way to gain entry in a very, very long time.

The orange dust would not wipe off of her hands and she sighed, continuing on to the door. When she was there, she simply knocked and waited. Her nerves would allow her to do no more.
 
It was a simple matter to arrange things so that things would proceed in a suitable fashion. After all none of his kind would come here because they knew it was a place that belonged to him. Granted none of them knew why the place was taboo beyond stories of dark magic, none of them knew of the labyrinthine lair that lay hidden beneath the manor. Of course the very stories of dark magic they did know of also were the method with which this place was protected. But it was an old stronghold and one he had not used for quite some time and thus was simply unknown. Even know he had made sure the doors were fully secured and hidden before he proceeded.

When all was safely hidden he prepared a few simple tricks to play up the theatrics for when she arrived. He managed to finish them and duck out of site just in time for her to knock. So as the sound of her knocking still echoed through the old house he tugged on a simple wire system, one that had been hidden in the walls and frames ahead of time for such meetings, so that the door swung open revealing to her the dark halls and a dimly lit room at the far end of the hall. He meanwhile looped swiftly through a side hall to reach the room at the far end of the hall, and sat beside the simple Coleman electric lantern where it rested upon a table to await her arrival.

It was a simple bit of theatrics when all was said and done. But the end effect was exactly what he had hoped for. It made it seem as if the door swung open either from the force of her knock or of its own accord so swiftly after. Then the dim light at the end of the hall that suggested where he was waiting, light generated by that simple electric lantern. Finally there was the flicker of shadows as he moved, in this case entering the room, that cast long shadows through the doorway showing there was someone waiting for her as well as adding to the simple yet eerie air that filled that hallway.

All that was left was to wait for her to walk the length of that hall and meet him.
 
The door swung open from the force of her knock. It had to be from her knuckles rapping against the old wood, which was likely swollen from sweating all of the years and already open a crack. That is what she was telling herself, anyway. The whole atmosphere was causing chills to go up and down her arms. Her spine tingled. Her mind screamed danger. Swallowing harshly she entered the manor.

A dim light shone at the end of a rather dark hallway. The place was seemingly made of dust and cobwebs, every step inside made puffs rise up and she fell into a sneezing fit. Her eyes watered. Ugh! This guy couldn't have picked a place that was at least not carpeted with gunk that made her allergies act up? She scowled when she had finished and she wiped her nose against her hand, the bit of orange on her hands finally coming off to streak beneath her lip.

"Anyone here?" she called out towards the light. It was a stupid question. Of course someone was there. Who brought the lantern? She chastised herself and pressed onward. All of the alarms in her head were blaring but her curiosity and thirst for knowledge pushed her onward. "I'm Maria... the woman you contacted."
 
He heard her enter with the simple footfalls once the door was open. Then a short time later the sound of sneezing which suggested that the dust was not to her liking. He of course did not bother to clean this place as the entire point of his design was to make the house seem abandoned. It was after all the simplest way, combined with all the stories, to ensure that the place remained as it was and thus was given a wide berth by both the living and the undead.

He waited a few moments after she had called out before he actually responded though in those same velvety mesmerizing tones though he put a bit more of his charm into them now that he had her here in person, "Of course, I have been waiting for you... come a bit closer and we can talk." It was as if this time those tones held an allure all their own likened unto the sort of dulcet tones one might dream of on warm nights with thoughts of a less than innocent nature.

He sat there in the only lit room, the one down at the end of the hall with the simple and steady light thrown off by the Coleman electric lantern. Its light was steady and even with just the barest hint of flicker due to the use of the fluorescent bulbs. For his part he simply sat there on an old chair with the lamp on the table beside him waiting for her to arrive so that they could have their little talk... and so that perhaps he could start in earnest the true nature of his little game.
 
A sharp intake of breath shot through her nose at the sound of the voice. Over the phone it had been little more than a seductive purr to her; a tone used to attempt to get woman in a tizzy. Now that she heard it in real life, there was something else about the sound. Goosebumps rose on her skin and she rubbed at her arms for the sudden chill. Even through the layers of her scrubs, she still felt a wee bit cold.

This was becoming creepier by the second and she almost did not go down the hall to meet him. Almost. Even when sense told her to hightail it back in the direction she came, Maria could not do so. Over and over again she told herself to be brave. This man could easily have been pulling her leg, true. He also could have known the truth of the Epidemic, too. Strengthening her resolve,

So she moved towards him and was shocked to see him casually sitting down beside the lamp. Dust did not seem to bother this man as he was sitting down in a chair practically coated in it. He was... different. She could tell that just by looking at him and it wasn't just his striking good looks either. Inwardly she chastised herself for thinking that he was attractive. Ted Bundy was plenty attractive and charming and charismatic, too.

"The epidemic?" she questioned instantly, cutting straight to the point. "Tell me what you know."
 
He had of course arranged all this and so was very much at ease waiting there for her. It was a striking contrast to see the house in its state of run down disarray and then this man of such exquisite features sitting there with his hair pulled back so elegantly into a tail. But most striking of all it seemed were those hypnotic lavender eyes. Pools of vibrant purple that seemed to not simply draw ones gaze, but to actually draw one into their pools in a way that could only be called mesmerizing. It was like a seductive pull akin to a sort of gravity that drew one ever deeper and matched those melodic and velvety tones so perfectly.

Speaking of those dulcet and mesmerizing tones it was those very tones that now seemed to resonate as they drifted so softly and perfectly into the young woman's ears. Flowing so smoothly and elegantly that it was almost as if they simply slipped their way into her own thoughts as the man before her spoke once more, "It is a rather... difficult tale to believe. The cause is not strictly speaking a natural one you see. Your curiosity is drawing you into a rather hidden world, one that is darker and more primal than what lurks on the surface... and your passion for the topic seems to be driving you in even deeper before you can understand what your world is becoming.

Even as he spoke his eyes seemed to draw her into a realm where that voice resonated with such strength and allure that it was difficult if not impossible to resist. A darkly seductive tone that had quite literally seemed to promise a dark world full of a more primal sensation even as it then spoke of her own passion. It was with that neigh irresistible draw and that seductive mesmerizing tone that he now gave a throaty chuckle that in of itself seemed to stir or imply things more carnal even as he spoke, "such passion and curiosity... it is enough to make one wonder if you share those traits in all things... even those of a more.. personal nature... if they are in their own way as primal as the realm you wish to enter into."
 
A strange, fuzzy feeling enveloped Maria and for a moment her mind was clouded for it. With a shake of her head she was able to rid herself of the warm haze that had settled over her. Yes. She had been right the moment her eyes had fallen on him: there was something very unsettling about that man. What sort of man went through all of the trouble to get in through a different entrance (that gate hadn't been budged for years, she was sure of it) and set it up so he was sitting in the middle of a dusty room with a flickering lantern? She personally hadn't met anyone who would do that.

Then came his eyes. Were eyes naturally that shade of lavender? They seemed too pale but in the low light she could not tell if he was wearing contacts or not. Not only that but staring into them for too long brought that strange, nearly hypnotic feeling back and her mind had to be sharp for this. So she simply looked too the ceiling and avoided his line of sight altogether.

Every part of her was screaming to run in the other direction. "Shut up, stupid instincts." she thought to herself.

It took a lot of energy to not go back into the false sense of security as he spoke. There was something about his tone that made it very difficult not to look at him or not to become completely ensnared.

She scowled openly at him and rolled her eyes.

"Was this just an elaborate way to hit on me?" she asked. The annoyance in her voice was sharp. "Do you have any information on the epidemic whatsoever? I am pretty sure of the world I am getting myself into, however. A reporter's duty is to bring whatever need be to the light. Its a dangerous sort of occupation and one I don't plan on taking lightly."
 
Again that rich and throaty laugh that seemed to stir images so lewd and passionate from the depths of the subconscious. As she looked away he simply flexed a bit of metaphysical might... a raw thrumming energy that seemed to perfectly in tune with that voice and that strange gaze. like the final instrument joining a truly hypnotic and mesmerizing symphony that swirling throughout that room filling it with something unseen and yet so alluring as to be nigh irresistible.

With that sudden charge to the air, that rhythmic and hypnotic thrum he began to speak once more. His velvet tones once more seemingly like the most natural thing for them to be to do was to slip in and mingle and mix with her own thoughts as if they were simply the same thing, "Oh far from it though I will not deny that you are quite lovely and it does make one wonder if your fire and curiosity extend to the physical, do they match the lovely body you parade around."

Again there was that throaty chuckle and it had almost a soft growl to the last note which seemed primal and somehow passionate even in a sound of mirth. His gaze never wavering from her as it seemed to try and draw her in like the force of gravity itself and all the while promising the very dark world he spoke of as he continued, "I have all the information and I have but alluded to what you are stumbling into so that you know what lay ahead of you. So that you know you are stepping into a darker and more primal world of your own will... that you choose to enter into and embrace that darkness. It is not what you think after all at least not in a rational sense. But perhaps in your more primal instances, your flights of fancy fueled by that passion and curiosity... you may just imagine the image as you glimpse the edges. The cause of this epidemic is no germ, no virus, no simple bug... it is something more intelligent and yet more sinister with hungers and passions all to much like your own. What you seek is the stuff of fantasy and I simply wish to prepare you for what you will learn."
 
Maria was shocked by his laughter. Pink splotches appeared on her cheeks. Being asked out was something that she had been used to in her first year at college. Some of the boys even went through some elaborate games just to get her to say yes to a dinner. Eventually interest waned in her as she refused every guy and buried herself deeper into her studies. That and the constant wearing of scrubs deterred a lot of fellows. To know that her assumptions were wrong, well, made her feel ashamed and embarrassed.

She rolled his eyes at his flattery but felt completely off her guard now. Her heart beat in her chest and she found it harder and harder not to look in his eyes. Those eyes! It was not fair that such eyes belonged to a man. A man didn't need that shade of lavender. He could have her green eyes, flecked with gold.

The more he spoke, the weaker she felt. Her knees pressed together and she felt hazier as he went on.

"You're speaking in riddles," she whispered softly. For some reason her voice would not lift any higher than that. "What do you mean?"

Maria's mind felt numb and her deductive reason was heavily muddled. All she was aware of was the man's voice and his eyes. Her own gaze became heavily hooded.
 
Those eyes continued to draw her in as they gazed upon her. There was no denying the beauty of the young woman even though she seemed so adamant to hide it behind less than flattering attire. Such tactics might work on normal men but the figure before her was a hunter among hunters. For him something as simple as the shifting caused by her hips while she walked told little tidbits about the figure she hid. The way she rolled her eyes only added to his desire to tame her since it was all to easy to break and enthrall a woman who was eager or who easily gave into her desires but a challenge had a certain appeal all its own.

He also did not miss the way her knees pressed together or the way her voice dropped to but a whisper. He flashed a charming and handsome smile before he continued once more in those velvety and hypnotic tones that seemed as though it was only proper for them to slip into her thoughts or when he gave those throaty chuckles to stir her passions by their simple implications of what could happen, "Not riddles so much as with a certain vagueness. The sort I thought might appeal to your curiosity... just as a slinky dress appeals to men as much by what it hides as by what it shows. It is that curiosity and what the mind wanders to which is half the fun after all."

Of course even that response was subtly shifted towards the carnal in a way that he hoped would bait her own curiosities not only about the case but about more carnal pursuits as well. He noted the way her eyelids began to droop and so gave another of those throaty chuckles that stirred thoughts of carnal pursuits before he continued, "As for what I mean... suffice to say the source of this epidemic is far more dark and seductive than anything so simple as a germ. Your fantasies are closer to the truth than you know."

He stood and as he did the air seemed to thrum more intensely so that it reverberated with each word he said. He moved with such a fluid grace even as he was simply stretching and in doing so causing his shirt to pull snug and hint at the muscled physique so thinly veiled by the elegant and expensive cloth. For now he simple stood there but an arms reach away and waited for her reply.
 
Even through the haze she knew what he implied and she could not help but snicker in response. As if vampires were actually real: she found their legends to be particularly silly. It was not something she'd eagerly classify as one of her fantasies. Not even now as blood pumped quickly through her body and seemed to pound especially hard at the spot between her legs.

"Pull yourself together Maria!" her mind managed to scream out at her. "A creepy guy talking about vampires is not a reason to get hot and bothered! He's just playing with you!"

That seemed to help a bit and she blinked a few times. Her hand came up to press against her temple and the contact seemed to help her steady herself a great deal. When she turned her eyes back towards him, he was standing. A loud gasp issued from her and she careened back a few paces. Perhaps it was good that he scared the living daylights out of her. The haze receded to the corners of her mind. The sensation did not fully go away, however.

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!" she exclaimed. "Do you do that to everyone?!"
 
By now it was as if the air that filled the room pulsed and thrummed with that strange unseen power, that sheer force of presence that radiated from this man and in doing so seemed to draw in those who saw him... to both entice and ensnare. He stood there and simply flashed a smile that in normal lighting was the sort that would make women swoon as their knees grew weak. Then there was the fact that his gaze was on her once more, that magnetic and mesmerizing gaze that seemed to simply pull her into those vibrant lavender pools. It was with those eyes now staring directly into her own that he spoke once more in that rich and hypnotic velvety voice, "Do I do what? I am simply stretching a bit... I did not have time to after my workout earlier. One must always make sure to stretch after a good workout... and I do enjoy my workouts."

Of course he made no effort to hide his sleek yet muscled physique as he stood there. It was along with his striking visage and those enchanting eyes among the things that made him seem like something out of a fantasy novel meant to ensnare the interest of women in general. It was quite the contrast to see such a beautiful specimen of man in such a dingy and decrepit local. But as he stood there his eyes never left hers and it seemed almost as if those violet pools offered some sort of silent siren's call even as he spoke once more, "But as I was saying, the truth is a bit more dark and seductive than most are willing to believe... though I imagine there are some who would very much like to believe."

He again flashed that smile that would leave most women swooning. As he waited and watched for her reaction, those strikingly beautiful eyes never leaving hers, he casually leaned against the wall. Every movement though seemed so graceful and fluid as to simply add to the beauty and allure of this mysterious stranger. It was as if he was in stark contrast to the situation and the surroundings. As if he was a beacon that drew attention and stirred a certain heat and passion in those who gazed upon him and that fact was simply that much more severe contrasted by the dark and dingy surroundings.
 
Maria had watched him like a mouse did a cat whenever he was cornered. With her thoughts as muddled as they were and the shock of his abrupt standing, the blonde was on as much of an edge she was able to muster. The guy was dangerous. Too dangerous. When he stretched every muscle seemed to ripple; he'd certainly win Charles Atlas' seal of approval that was for damned sure. She had to fight the urge to cow in a nearby corner and she clutched her fists so tight her nails dug into her palm.

"I don't mean that," she said. There was an edge to her voice as she fought against that haze again. Her whole body quivered with the effort of fighting the weirdness off. "I mean do you always like to scare people?"

She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes to attempt to steady herself again. Normally she would find that line cheap and cheesy. To her the move of him stretching and claiming to have forgotten to after a workout was eye roll worthy. Then why was she feeling like she was going to swoon at any moment? Another question was why the hell did she feel like that in the first place? Maria did not go gaga over boys or men. Her studies had always been more important.

When she opened her eyes he was still looking at her and she wondered if he ever blinked. As she stared into those unnatural eyes her mind clouded again and she felt all at once very light headed. Ugh. This was not good. She practically swayed and she gripped the chair for support.

"Vampires then?" she replied meekly, an odd sound coming from her lips. "Can I just go home? You're wasting my time."
 
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