Work was a nightmare. I no more than get to work and I am paged over the intercom to hurry up I am holding the line, peopel yelling at me and all I am trying to do is my job. I kept getting called away from my station because I needed a signiture or had to re-test something that is out in the yard with the truck backed up to it waiting on me. Once that all calmed down I finish my 3rd house and learn that production has dropped. We are only running 3 homes a day, with the 31st no production day and next week 4 homes a day. after that I haven't a clue as to where or If I will have a job.

It's scares the hell out of me because as you know Bill collectors don't give a damn if you have the money or not. So everyone pray for me, that I get the railroad positon soon, and that things start looking up.

I know that this is not my usual style of writing, but I had to get this done becuase I am going to take a break from writing for a while. I skipped the rest of Part 2 and wrote part 3 instead. This is just a rough draft, sort of what i work from when I am writing. I hope you like it.

Scene 3

" He has not forsaken you..." Beth replied.

" How can you say that when Coraline has condemned me this hell," He replied, tears staining his cheek as he turned to face her, his face determined as he continued,

"You ... you once called me you guardian angel but I have fallen so far from the light that I can never return to it.

"You are the only light in my darkness, and I won't loose you to it." He continued,

" I wont let you fall..." Beth's said, gently wiping a tear away as it slide down his cheek.

Mick kisses her passionately, caressing her with his hands.

Suddenly Mick flinches. Pulling away from her from her grasp.

What is the matter," Beth says concerned as Mick flinches again only this time the pain is obviously stronger.

Mick turns away from Beth, leaning against the balcony, "Beth..... UUUUHHHH," he cries out in pain, collapsing to his knees.

It's the cure, It's wearing off isn't it?" Beth kneels beside Mick, her right hand gently rubbing his back.

"Beth... You have to get out of here.... Please" He begs as another wave of pain overtakes him and he collapses to the floor.

" No" she says, "I'm staying here with you." She begins to roll up her sleeve determined to give him the blood he desperately needs.

Horrified Mick pushes her away, causing her to fall backwards on the balcony floor. " "No" He screams at her. His eyes are no longer the dark blue she was staring into a few moments ago but Ice blue. His teeth have lengthened and are slightly protruding below his lip. " It's to dangerous," he growls. "It's not like the desert..." Wincing in pain again " It's worse than that." His breath now coming in short burst as though he is having difficulty breathing, his control growing weaker with every moment.

Frightened, Beth paddles backwards till her back is against the short wall of the balcony.

Suddenly Lance is standing above her, his feet on either side of her head. " The first blood list can be quite over powering." He says, looking at Mick as he fights to remain in control.

The sudden sound, causes Beth to glance upward, startled as Mick luncges towards her his fangs only inches from her throat. A soft growl the only sound he makes as he sniffs the air around her.

Lance jumps down off the balcony to land a short distance from them in the entry to Mick's loft. " its strength can be so strong that many vampires have been known to kill their own family" Lance laughs menacingly as he continues, " Oh wait..... You already did that didn't you Mick." His expression now on of pity as he looked down at Beth.

"No" Beth says with courage and determination in her voice as she turns her head to look directly into Mick's ice blue eyes.

Mick growled, his sharp teeth glistening in the moonlight from above. Just as suddenly Beth felt the weight be lifted from her and realized that Mick was now stand in front of Lance, His body held in such a way as to prepare for a fight to the death if necessary. " What do you want?" Mick growled.

" Coraline" was the only response, "she has refused to pay for her sins against the family and now must be hunted down and brought back to father."

Confused by what Lance had said Mick tilted his head slightly to the left as if listening to something that only he could hear.

Seeing this confusion Lance added, " She unfortunately has escaped from my assistant and has disappeared into the darkness. You found Coraline for me once, I need you to so again. She is your sire and you know her better than anyone.

"And if I refuse?" Mick asked. Taking a step towards him.

Lance held a small container of blood towards Mick, " I wouldn't do that, unless you plan on feeding off your young friend there." Lance said," You know ... you really should keep more food around the hours, in case you have guests stop by unexpectedly."

The vial of blood was the only remaining connection to the cure he had left after Coraline was taken away by lance, now it was dangling precariously on the tips of lance's fingers. If he destroyed it, Mick would never be able to find an antidote to vampirism, he could never be human again.

"As payment for finding her for me I will return this to you."

"Mick..." Beth says softly behind him, causing him to turn towards her voice.

A sudden movement out of the corner of his eye catches his attention as Lance suddenly jumps over the edge of the balcony and out of sight. Mick turns back towards Beth taking a step towards her. She tries to back away from him frightened but the stone wall behind her prevents further movement. Mick stops, concern once again creasing his brow.

Weak, he turns, stumbling toward the doorway to his loft. The only thought running through his mind is the hunger growing within him. The kitchen he thought, He still had some blood stored in the hidden compartment behind the shelves. Leaning against the countertop as he made his way towards the supply of blood hidden there he could hear Beth cautiously following him.

He turned to see Beth standing in the doorway, concerned as he removes an IV bag of blood and began to drink its contents down as she watched.

Pt 1

Mick stared into the mirror, enjoying that many of his cuts and bruises had yet to heal from the beating he had received from Lance several days ago. The smaller cuts on his forehead and cheek were almost healed but the broken blood vessels in his left eye and the split lip remained to attest to his defeat at the hands of a very old and powerful vampire.

Mick brushed a dark strand of hair from his face and examined more closely the rough and rugged appearance of the human reflecting back at him. The lean and muscular body, now broken and bruised, had proven no match for the incredible strength with which Lance had used to eliminate any threat he might have posed towards him. As a vampire he would have been on equal ground with the man, but Coraline had changed the equation when she had given him the cure for vampirism earlier that evening. He had enjoyed the sensation of warmth slowly spreading throughout his body as the cure entered his bloodstream, but that was short lived. He was quickly reminded of the frailty of human life and the pain associated with. A smile slowly touched his dark gray eyes as he stared at the human standing before him.

Mick glanced toward the door to his apartment, unsure he had even heard the faint knocking sound, but before he could open the door he heard a second, softer knock. Whoever it was seemed to be unsure of whether to proceed or leave before the apartment occupants could bear down on them. Mick hoped it wasn't the Jehovah witnesses come to preach the gospel to him. In the past he only had glare at them, and they would leave without hesitation now he wasn't so sure he could get rid of them.

It wasn't a Jehovah witness, it was Beth. Mick hadn't seen her since Josh's funeral several days ago when he had told her that Coraline was gone, their relationship never meant to be. Her own relationship having come into question when she learned that Josh was going to propose marriage to her shortly before his death at the hands of Tajada, a ruthless drug dealer he was trying to prosecute.

Mick could tell that she wasn't handling thing well since the funeral.," Beth... Are you OK ?"

Mick had been amazed at the amount of inner strength, she had obviously shown during the terrifying events of the past month. He assumed which is what had initially drawn him towards her, of course it didn't hurt that beauty, and smarts along with a great sense of humor were part of the package either. None of which were evident at this moment.

She was dressed in a simple pair of blue jeans and white t-shirt, her blond hair was pulled back into a hastily constructed ponytail, small strand escaping where the band failed to capture them. Dark circles beneath her eyes attested to the fact that the past several days had been both emotionally and physically exhausting to her as she tried to come to terms with the sudden death of her fiancé and her emerging feelings for the man standing before her.

"Come here." Mick spoke softly as he embraced her in his arms. She cried quietly into his shoulder as he gently rocked her back and forth as if she was once again the young, terrified child, he had rescued twenty-five years ago.

Pt. 2

The pale stonework of the imposing buildings surrounding Mick served to retain the concentrated heat of the desert air making the city appear to shimmer in the light of day. It's glass canyon walls echoing with the sounds of life coming from the city streets far below, while the buildings appearing to dance and sway to the melody, as if steel and concrete structures were themselves alive.

Over the years he had stood in the shadows and watched as the city, and it's occupants continued to transform around him. The buildings of his childhood were slowly being replaced by the sleek modern structures that now stood monument to the advances in technology and marked the evolution of the human race. The juxtaposition of the traditional stone buildings now standing in the shadows of its newer, and much larger steel cousins, symbolize the constant state of decay and rebirth that many cities have experienced in recent years as its residents fought to preserve the past while it continued to look towards the future.

The large balcony where Mick now stood over looking the city, was not except from the changing world around it, the large expanse of stonework pitted by the hand of time as the art deco carvings of a long forgotten era served to age the exterior of the building beyond its recent years.

A tranquil breeze blowing in from the Pacific Ocean played with the dark strands of his hair as Mick stood on the balcony to his apartment watching the ebb and flow of life around him. The sun's gentle warmth against his skin served to remind him of how much he had lost when he was turned into a monster by his ex-wife Coraline.

Mick leaned against the stonework of his balcony railings, enjoying the sensation of heat flowing into his hands and body, as Beth suddenly appeared at his side handing him a glass of red wine. " I thought you might be thirsty." She said, brushing his hand softly with her own when he took the glass from her .

"Thanks," he replied, smiling back at her. Suddenly become aware of her subtle change in her appearance "Feeling Better?" he continued.

Embarrassed at her recent behavior she looked down and softly laughing replied, "Yea, ... I'm sorry about that , I just needed to... "

"It's Ok, you have been through a lot in recent months and its bound to catch up to you sooner or later." Mick replied, taking a sip from his wineglass as she looked up at him, her light blue eyes' reflecting the deep hews of the early summer sky above them. Suddenly, self-conscious, he turned to lean against the low wall of the balcony watching as the city lights flicker into life around them.

"It is funny, it has taken Josh's death to make realize just how fragile human life can be." Beth said, her voice catching in her throat.

"Beth, it's not your fault that Josh is gone." Mick said, concern for her well being shown in his face as he turned his head to look at her in the soft light of the setting sun.

"I know that now, ...It's just hard to believe that he is gone." She replied, her mind replaying the horrific events of that day in the park when Josh was shot by the ruthless killers' of the drug lord Tajada. Their vicious attack had left Josh with multiple life threatening injuries to his abdomen, throat and leg, resulting in a large amount of blood loss, and it was only through the heroic efforts of the man standing before her that he was able to cling to life for as long as he had. Fearful of loosing him forever, she had foolishly pleaded with Mick to turn him into what he was, a vampire. At the time she hadn't fully understood the consequences of such a request, aware only of the increasing fear and guilt she felt over the thought of Josh slipping away from her forever.

She had experienced this fear only once before, when she thought Mick had been murdered in the desert trying to save a young woman named Leni, a witness Josh had hired him to find and bring back to Los Angeles. The intense sunlight and heat of the desert had taken a heavy toll on Mick's body, causing his body temperature to rise dangerously high, he needed blood to cool the fever growing within him.