A Nice Walk
By Katrinka
Faction: Knighties
Note: Screed used with Permission
Time: Sometime after sunset. An hour after "Two Ships Passing in the Knight”

"Tell me again, why we're taking a walk at night." Maria asked Katrinka.

"Because I have doctor's orders to walk everyday." Katrinka reminded her.

"I think your doctor would change his mind if he saw this neighborhood."
Maria fingered the mace that she kept on her key chain.

Katrinka looked around; they had strolled into what looked like a very
seedy neighborhood. Maria had been right; they had walked to far. "We'll go
back to the loft."

"Finally!"

Katrinka and Maria turned; they began to walk towards the loft. After
walking six blocks, it was pretty obvious they were lost. They hadn't
passed an all night Stop-and-Shop store. They walked to the side of the
store.

"What should we do?" Maria asked.

"I'll call the loft." Katrinka felt for her cell phone then realized she
hadn't brought it. She felt for some change, and realized she hadn't
brought that either. "Do you have some money?"

Maria handed Katrinka a dollar coin. "I'll go inside and ask for
directions. Why don't you call the loft?"

Katrinka watched Maria walk into the store, and then she went to the pay
phone. The light near the phone had burnt out, meaning that she had to walk
part of the way in near dark. She walked towards the phone quickly. As her
fingers touched the phone, she heard a rustling. A hand clamped on her
shoulder.

The Knightie fought down panic. *I'm being mugged, I'm being mugged. * She
thought.

Then the person turned Katrinka around. The person was a vampire! The
Knightie breathed a sigh of relief, the vampire was Screed. At least she
was safe around him; his being a carouche meant that he didn't want to
drain her blood.

"Hello Screed." Katrinka calmly.

"You are Katrinka, head of the Knighties?" Screed's voice was smoother; no
longer talked in Cockney although it was Screed's voice.

"Acting Leader." She corrected. "I'm just running the day to day stuff."

"Look at me." He commanded.

"I am looking at you."

Screed took her chin in his hand. She couldn't help it; she looked into his
eyes. "You will do as I say,"

"I will do as you say." She echoed.

"Yes! I still have it!" Screed said in triumph. "Now listen very carefully,
I will say this only once...."

*********************

After getting directions, Maria left the Stop-And-Shop. She could see
Katrinka talking to someone. She couldn't tell whom in the half-light.

"Katrinka!" Maria said loudly.

The someone turned and disappeared into the darkness. Maria rushed over to
her fellow Knightie. "Who was that?"

"Who was who?" The Knightie leader asked puzzled.

"You were talking to someone."

"I was trying to make a phone call. Nick's line was busy."

"But who were you talking to?" Maria repeated.

"No one, I couldn't get through to anyone."

Maria decided not to argue with her. "I got directions to the loft, it's
only four blocks away."

"Let's get going then." Katrinka said.