The Death Thief

First Rule

"You...you are going to be killed?" I swallowed hard. The weight of that decision was not mine to bear, yet I still felt it pressing down on my shoulders.

"It'd be far less risky if she'd chosen possession first," said Dean in a flat, stiff monotone. "Vehicles always have an easier time converting to a ghost than someone who hasn't served a ghost. Violet, I still think..."

"Enough Dean," said Will in a low growl. "Violet has her reasons and we need to respect that."

I turned to see Dean and Will share a glance between them. Will bore firm, pinched lips, but sympathetic eyes. Dean returned it with a pleading gaze which eventually melted into resignation.

"I'm sorry Violet. I can't seem to follow the first rule, can I?" he said with a sigh.

"First rule?" I asked.

"We try to maintain a bit of our own society amongst the Bodies," said Will with a lofty tone. "We have only a few rules, but they are important ones."

"Most of it is about not interfering with another Body's attempt at getting a sponsor," added Dean. "There shouldn't be any competition between us."

"But the first rule is the most important one," said Will. "We do not ask about each other's first life. If someone wants to share, then that's fine, but no one has the right to pester another about where they came from or why they're here."

"That in turn often reflects in the reasons we choose to go down one path or the other," said Dean. "We just don't question people's motivations around here." He paused and shifted his weight, before taking a deep breath and continuing. "I mean this is all our second chance at life. Very few people get to have that. We're essentially starting with a clean slate with so many unimaginable possibilities before us. It's just not right to try to influence someone when it comes to such a gift."

I hadn't really seen it as a gift. There was still a small voice in the back of my head reminding me that for now, I'm just getting settled and presenting an appearance of acceptance. Then, when they least expect it, I run. But, then there was another voice that asked to where exactly I would run. The prisoner mentality was getting quieter every day. I wondered if in four months, I would think it all a gift like Dean did. However, when I looked back to Violet, who poked at her oatmeal, I wondered if perhaps not all of them saw it that way.

"Well, at least we'll soon know what Gregory has been up to," said Will with a bright voice, determined to shift the tone to something lighter.

"What do you mean?" I asked, turning back to face the two men.

"Greg has been going on and on today about how he'll be making his sponsorship announcement tomorrow night," said Dean with some dramatic hand gestures and an exaggerated eye roll.

"Conversion," corrected Will.

"Sure, whatever," replied Dean with a shrug. "My money is on zombie."

"Why a zombie?" I asked, my mouth slightly agape. "They don't have enough food as it is. They'd really accept another in when they've just had a new zombie thrust upon them?"

"Been here two days and already up on the politics," said Will with an amused grin.

"I mean, I was kind of there for the whole Calista thing, so I've seen my fair share of zombie politics."

"Well," said Dean with a wave of his hand, "we may not pester people about their choices and we don't try to disturb them on their journey, but..." He drew out that last word and leaned in with a conspiratorial glint in his eye. "The favorite past time of a small town is gossip and so we've been speculating for awhile what the good doctor has been up too."

"Oh?" Without thinking, I followed Dean's lead and shifted my weight so that I sat closer to the two men.

"You see," he continued, "we don't think he wanted to be a zombie. We think the plan has always been vampire, but now that Calista is a zombie, he's jumping ship."

"What? Why would he care what Calista is?"

"Not that we know anything for certain," said Dean as his eyebrows climbed up his forehead, "but those two have spent an awful lot of time together in Greg's room. They think they've been secretive, but..."

"It's a small town," I said, finishing his sentence for him.

"It's a small hallway," corrected Will. "It's also an old building. Hard not to hear people slipping in and out of rooms."

"Do you..." I paused, my brain trying to wrap around what I was hearing. I wasn't sure I even trusted my ears anymore. Didn't I just hear Calista confidently profess her heart to Matias? "Do you think they are in love?"

"It's just speculation," said Dean with a shrug as he leaned back into the sofa. "Why else would they be stealing away into each others' rooms?"

I didn't have an answer for him. That certainly seemed like the obvious conclusion to me too. If that was true, if Calista and Gregory were an item, then was she using Matias to become a vampire because Antonov wasn't an option for conversion? But, like the guys said, Bernadette apparently converted all the time. Of course, she'd have to wait it out for a few years as a feeder, but maybe they were on a time limit. Maybe Gregory had no other options for waiting it out after his contract was up. If that were true, maybe Matias really did kill Calista, but not because Bernadette compelled him, but because he found out about Gregory and got angry. It certainly seemed like a possibility.

However, there were just too many possibilities, too many love connections, and too many secrets floating around this town. Every time I thought I figured out who killed Calista, another possibility presented itself. What I needed to do was sit down and write out all the parts of the formula before I could finally solve for that missing factor.

"Where is Gregory?" I asked, my words a bit airy as I tried to pull my thoughts back to the ground. "I need him to check my bandages."

"He's the last room on the right," answered Will. "Room number 105."

"Calling it a day?" asked Dean as I rose up from my seat.

"Yes, it's been a long one. I think it best I get some rest."

"Well, have a good one. It was nice to finally meet you."

They all, including Violet, wished me a good night and I headed for the hallway designated for humans, hopeful a decent night's sleep would quiet the suspicions churning inside my head.