The Tome of Bill Compendium Vol. 1 (Books 1-4) (104 page)

“I will,” I replied, absentmindedly sticking it into my own shirt pocket. That could wait until later. No way was I wasting a moment of our time together staring at a stupid business card.

We stood there in awkward silence for a few moments. Could it have been that she was as nervous as I was? Nah, not the way she looked. She was probably just thinking of a way to escape from my...

“You know, it’s weird running into you here.”

“Yeah, I know. The whole work from home thing...”

“No. It’s just that...this is going to sound a little bizarre, but I had the strangest dream about you the other night.”

“Really?” (
please let it be a sex dream
)

“Yeah. You were in the woods and these things were
chasing
you. Weird huh?”

I blinked stupidly at that for a moment. “Uh yeah...weird.” Holy crap, hadn't I dreamt of her too just a few nights back? Well, okay, I tended to dream about her all the time. Still, maybe this was the sign I was looking for, the one that proved we were connected by fate. Yeah, I liked that. Worked for me.

“So, anyway,” she continued, “were you on your way out?”

“Um, yeah...just popped by to see Jim.”

“Well then I guess luck is with me twice today (
it was?
). That was my last meeting. Maybe you can walk me to the train.”

Maybe?
Maybe
!? If Alex, Turd, and Francois all appeared and said that I could do so, but only if I fought them all first, I’d dive right into that shit without a second thought.

So of course, I answered, “Okay, I guess so.”

* * *

Someone pinch me. I must’ve been having a dream. No, fuck that! Don’t pinch me, because I didn’t want to wake up. The walk to the train didn’t end there. We kept talking and laughing...and, well, just kept going. Eventually it turned into me walking her home. Holy fantastic fantasies, Batman.

Along the way, I learned a few things. Sheila’s little efficiency operation wasn’t quite so little. Hopskotchgames was just one of her clients. In a short time, she had used her contacts to get a foot in the door at several other companies all across SoHo. She now had a small staff and had even managed to secure a modest amount of venture financing.

“...and it’s mostly because of you,” she finished as we neared her apartment. We had been walking for a while, taking the scenic route so to speak. The sky was fully dark by the time we approached her stoop.

“Me? Yeah, I doubt that.”

“Don’t.” She stopped and looked me in the eye, serious. “You said it yourself. Sometimes we just need someone else to believe in us before we can believe in ourselves. You’re the one who gave me that push.”

“You would have gotten there yourself...”

“That’s just the thing,” she interrupted, “I don’t know that. My other friends, my family...” she trailed off. “It’s hard to explain, but I know what I believe.”

“Oh,” I replied stupidly, coming up with absolutely zilch as way of answer.

“I just wanted to say...thank you,” she whispered, stepping closer, now edging into my personal space. Every
wuss
instinct in my body (
of which there were quite a few
) screamed at me to run.

No! I wouldn’t do that this time. There might never be another opportunity like this (
especially if we all wound up enslaved by Bigfoot
).

“You’re welcome,” I said, leaning in closer - barely believing I was doing so.

This was it. Time to go for the kill, figuratively of course.

Our faces began to approach one another (
Oh, yeah, T-minus seven to kissy face!
). I looked deep into her eyes. I still couldn’t believe how much she had changed since last I had seen her. Everything about her was different, more confident: her demeanor, her attitude, her clothes, even her eyes seemed to have changed. Gone was the subtle grey they had been. Now they seemed to sparkle, almost like silver.

Our lips were about to touch (
YES! This was it!
)...

Wait a second...
silver eyes
!?

*
KER-BLAM!!!
*

One second I felt all tingly, almost like I was on fire. The next, I actually
was
on fire.

An explosion of white flame flared around me and I was catapulted backwards. The next thing I knew, I was lying in a pile of trash all the way across the street. Flames covered the front of my body, but through them, I could see her. She stood there, in shock but completely unhurt. A soft white glow surrounded her body. No fucking way!

Unfortunately, it wasn’t over for me. My body subconsciously reacted to the pain. I felt my eyes blacken against my will. My fangs and claws both extended as she started crossing the street toward me. But, I wasn’t finished yet.

Oh, no! Not now!

Whatever dark power flows through a Freewill such as myself began to assert itself. I could feel the beast inside me pushing its way out. I was starting to change.

“Stay back!” I warned.

But, Sheila just stood there, a mixture of confusion and fear upon her face.

“What are you?” was the last thing I heard her say before I stood and ran like my life depended on it. Both of ours may have.

* * *

“What the fuck happened to you?” Sally asked, taking the cucumber slices off her eyes long enough to give me the once over.

The worst of the damage had already healed, but I was covered in soot and my clothes were charred tatters. Fortunately, the change had subsided before fully taking hold. Getting away from Sheila had apparently been the key to that.

“She’s the Icon!” I shouted, near hysterics.

“Alfonzo, can you leave us for a moment?”

The effeminate little douche made a sniffing noise, but did as told. He walked from Sally’s office and shut the door behind him. Once we were alone, she sat up and gave me her full attention. “Now say that again.”

“Sheila is the Icon.”

“Who?”

“That girl I like.”

“Oh, her,” she replied offhandedly. “How do you know?”

I gestured down at myself. “She blew me across the street.”

“She blew you on the street?”

“
Across!
”

“That
is
a bit different. Well how did it happen?”

“I tried to kiss her.”

“Really? You dog you.”

“Not funny, Sally.”

“Sorry,” she held up her hands in a placating manner. “Well, it could have been worse.”

“Worse?”

“Yeah, you could have been banging her.”

“Not helping,” I growled. I got up and started to pace, scores of thoughts racing through my head, none of them good. “It’s all coming true.”

“The prophecies?”

“Yes! Me leading our armies in battle, and now this. Despite what I said to Christy, I actually did it. I created the Icon!”

“I’m sure you didn’t create her.”

I trudged over and explained everything. How I had believed in Sheila and how that had somehow sunk in and caused a chain reaction. At last Sally’s eyebrows raised in surprise.

“I take it back. You did create her. Damn.”

“Damn is right.”

“I’m so sorry, Bill,” she said, losing the attitude.

“So am I.”

“No, I mean I’m
really
sorry.”

“Why?”

“You have a thing for her, don’t you?”

“You have no idea,” I sighed.

“Well, I’ve been doing a little digging. After that whole situation with Decker and Gan, I had Colin send me any information in the archives about this.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Sorry I didn’t tell you, but it all seemed like bad fairy tale bullshit.”

“What did?”

“The Freewill and the Icon...you’re arch-enemies.”

“Historically, yeah. I know that.”

“No,
eternally
,” she said, dead serious. “There are more prophecies about this than you know...hell, probably lots more than I could uncover. But, they all say the same thing. You’re either going to kill the Icon, or the Icon is going to kill you.”

“Are you sure?”

She just nodded in reply.

I had no answer to that, not even a clue. I leaned forward on her desk and lowered my head, not wanting to think about it. As I did, something slipped out of the remains of my vest pocket. It fluttered down to the desk.

It was Sheila’s card, somehow undamaged. Perhaps enough of her aura had remained to protect it. Either way, Sally picked it up and read it.

“No fucking way.”

“What?” I asked despondently.

She flipped over the card so I could read it too. I knew she was talking about the title, but the tagline did it for me. It confirmed what I already knew; that this was entirely my fault. I had done it. In trying to be supportive of my dream girl, I had somehow turned her into my greatest nightmare.

Iconic Efficiencies

We believe you can do better

-Sheila O’Connell, CEO

No fucking way, indeed.

I sank back down in the chair opposite Sally. Sometimes when life decides to shit all over you, it takes a mega-dump. I had seen some dark moments since becoming a vampire, but this was the first time when I could see absolutely no hope on the horizon. Damn. To say that it sucked to be me would be the understatement of a lifetime.

“I have no idea what to do.”

“Same here,” she said, sitting across from me. After a moment, she added, “But we’ll figure out something.”

“We?”

“Of course. Partners forever, right?”

“Seriously?”

“One-hundred percent.”

To my surprise, I actually smiled at that. “You know, Sally, for all the times you’re a complete bitch, I could really hug you right now.”

“You could try,” she replied with a smirk. “But I’d kick your ass.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. It was a good feeling. I decided to enjoy it because it would most likely be the last real laugh I was going to have for quite some time.

THE END

The Tome of Bill

Part IV

They say that man is the ultimate predator. Should he not also make the ultimate prey? It’s a thrilling concept. Imagine taking that to the next level...hunting a predator that’s even higher on the food chain. There’s a fitting reason it’s called the most dangerous game.

Running through the thick forest, I felt truly alive. The woods were pitch-black, but that wasn’t enough to slow me down. My supernaturally attuned eyes cut through all but the darkest gloom as I sought out my target. She thought she could evade me, perhaps even turn the tables and win. She would soon find out how wrong she was.

As I pursued her through the forest primordial, a small voice reminded me to be cautious. She was far more dangerous than the others. I indulged myself in memories of the ones already dispatched - two humans, frail and weak. In another life they had meant something, but not out here. The one called Ed had been the first to fall. She had seen to that. Tom was next, by my own hand. I had sensed his impending betrayal and been the first to act. He had begged for mercy, but received none - such is the way of my kind.

I stopped and got my bearings. Sounds, sights, and scents filled my very being. It was tempting to throw back my head and howl primal defiance at the moon, but that would be foolish. She might be listening. Though I felt no fear at facing her, I had no intention of giving her any edge.

There...a scent,
hers
. It was intoxicating - awakening a deep need - but I pushed those thoughts away. I was here to hunt and would not be distracted quite so easily. Her smell played out across my hyper-sensitive nostrils for a moment before I bounded off into the darkness once more.

I savored the feel of the weapon in my hand. It would do nicely. She would never see it coming. It would be quick and clean...if I wanted it to be. But I didn’t. She needed to know who had hunted her down. The look upon her face as she realized who had vanquished her would be too much of a prize to turn down. I smiled in anticipation and quickened my pace.

Victory was mine for the taking, as was fitting. Even amongst predators, I am at the very apex. My name is Bill Ryder and I’m a vampire, an immortal beast of the night - but that’s not all. I am the legendary Freewill of vampire lore. The others speak of me and my coming in hushed tones. A great destiny has been foretold for me. Much honor and glory shall be laid at my feet one day.

Feh! Let them keep their prophecies. I do not exist for them or the future they proclaim for me. No, I live only in the here and now...and right now I was closing in on my prey.

* * *

There! A lesser being might have missed it, but not me. The fabric of her jacket peeked through the foliage. She was lying in wait, hoping for an ambush. She was a smart girl, but sadly not smart enough.