I suppose I should put up a fresh cut for August before August is over! This fresh cut is from the newly finished “Chains”, a story about two people trying to find a little bit of good in a bad situation. Please note that like most fresh cuts, this is:

UNEDITED

CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE

Enjoy!

She came, as always, in the dark. But this time she wasn’t alone. “I have a surprise for you, Max.” Sandra stepped aside to reveal a young woman, shivering and hugging herself. “This is Emma. She’s new to the family.”

Max sat up on the bed, frowning. “Where is she from?” There weren’t many ways to acquire new members, especially for someone like Sandra. Was the girl an Outsider? Sandra couldn’t have taken her from one of the other groups without risking war.

“She’s from New York. Francis lost a bet with me.” Sandra grinned. “She was one of his favorites. I turned her because I knew he wouldn’t like it.”

He clenched his teeth. “You’re such a fucking bitch, Sandra.”

She laughed. The woman said nothing, only clutched at herself and kept her gaze on the floor. “Aren’t you going to ask what I brought her here for?” Sandra asked.

Games. Always fucking games. “What did you bring her here for?”

Her fangs flashed as she grinned. “You’re going to give her her first taste of magic user.”

His eyes shifted from Sandra’s sharp smile to the shivering woman beside her. A newly turned vampire. Max went cold. “You’re going to let her kill me.”

Sandra laughed again. “No! Well … I am leaving that as a possibility. I wouldn’t want to lose you, but you could be replaced.” If he hadn’t known her so well, he wouldn’t have noticed the slight uncertainty in her tone. She wasn’t sure he was replaceable. “Anyway, she’s been properly fed, but I made sure she has room for dessert.”