1996, San Diego
Power.
India Cohen, the Vampire Slayer treasured this power.
The vampire, Zeke, came for her once more.
“When’re you gonna learn Zeke?” India asked. “I’m the one in charge here.”
Zeke flew at her, trying to knock her down. India unleashed an awesome combo which sent Zeke tumbling back.
“In charge,” Zeke said. “You aint in charge when you get home are you? I run this damn town and it weren’t no vampire of mine that gave you them bruises.”
India walked towards him, daring him to say more.
“It was your pop!”
India kicked Zeke in the jaw and he rolled over before leaping back to his feet.
“What’s that Dee? Don’t like home truths now do we.”
India snapped a branch off of the streets single tree and inched towards Zeke.
She used her left hand to punch him to the floor and her right foot to snap his ribs.
“Hey now Dee. Calm down. We’re just playing.”
“Playing. Is that what you told Kit while you were breaking his legs and trying to rip his throat out?” India asked.
“C’mon kid. Bothwell was just an accident,” Zeke pleaded.
“Bothwell, was my watcher.”
“He is a little more than that from what I hear kid. Seems he has a thing for little girls.”
“Don’t you dare talk about Kit like that!”
“All I’m saying is that he followed your family to Japan, bought you that stupid mutt, Mustard-”
“Mariposa!”
“Whatever. It just seems that the Slayer/Watcher relationship is being taken to the extreme. I’m not sure the Watchers Council will look that kindly on your little affair.”
“Our relationship is professional.”
“Sure it is. That’s why you visit him every day at the hospital.”
India had had enough so she pulled Zeke to his feet and got back to business.
“Last chance Zeke. Who killed my mom? And before you make any more witty comments. No answer. No Zeke.”
Zeke looked around for some goons to help him. No one came. “I-I-I don’t know.
“Wrong answer Zeke.”
India pulled the stake up and drove it into Zeke’s heart.
“O kid, what did you do?”
Then he exploded into dust.
India began the long lonely walk home.
India tried to sneak through the front door of her fathers San Diego house. It was a fairly large house so it was likely that her father wouldn’t notice here. Something would get her to her bedroom unnoticed.
Either my Slayer-stealth or his vodka, India thought.
When India reached her bedroom she undressed and cleaned her wounds.
India put on her night dress and crawled into her warm inviting bed and for the third night in a row she cried herself to sleep.
Images of her mother and Kit in danger, dying flashed across her mind.
Her dreams became further clouded with images of her father, turning into a beast and coming for her.
India went, as with every day, to San Diego High School. It was a tall building full of regular kids.
And not so regular ones.
It contained all the usual cliques; the nerds, the jocks, the gays, the junkies, the “witches” and those who defied classification.
India and her “friends” were those who defied classification. They kept themselves to themselves and got good grades. Except India.
India barely spoke and her grades sucked.
Her friends hung around wither mainly because she was one of the schools hard ones. She wasn’t a bully but she sure as hell could fight back.
India could, and would, help her friends just so she wouldn’t be alone here too.
After two lessons India was bored and went to is it Kit at the hospital. She went up the three flights of stairs to his room. As she went in she smiled as Kit turned to face her.
“Hey,” India said with a smile.
“India you should be in school. What would your father say?”
“He wouldn’t say anything. All I want is to be with you.
“India, I’m your watcher.”
“And that’s why we should be together more often. I’m the Slayer. I should be out fighting evil and slaying demons. Not sitting in Mr Wood’s history class being bored out of my skull.” The look on Kit’s face told her that she needed to expand on the argument. “C’mon Kit, even Zeke knew about us.”
“You saw Zeke. Did he hurt you? What did he say?”
“He said,” India trailed off, “he said you liked little girls.”
India looked away and Kit felt physically sick.
“What did you do?” Kit asked.
“Shoved a stake through his heart.”
Kit took this in and sat further into his bed. “India, I have something that I need to tell you.”
She sat down and softly held his hand.
“What?”
As Kit was about to start talking the window behind him and India exploded.
Through the smoke came a giant demon that looked like an overgrown Mummy. “India Cohen. I am the Gatherer of Water, I have come to take you to my master.”
India looked at Kit, terror and recognition filled his eyes.
“India. Run.” Kit shouted.
Instead India faced the Gatherer, determined to defend Kit, she ran at it.
She unleashed a powerful punch-kick combo at the demon but it simply blocked her and knocked her across the room.
“India,” Kit screamed loudly.
India tried to stand but she blacked out and dropped back to the floor.
Kit reached under his bed and retrieved his emergency bag. In it he found a tome and began a Latin incantation.
The Gatherer roared in pain and turned before dissipating into thin air.
Kit turned and saw India standing, she looked fine, despite having a gash across her left eye.
Kit sat in his bed and watched the nurses run in and check everything. He felt totally useless.
At about three o’clock India and the police woman pulled up outside her house.
“Thanks,” India said, “for the ride.”
“It wasn’t a ride Ms Cohen. You’re a minor, I’ve got to inform your dad what happened.”
India thought about arguing but knew it would do no good.
The police woman rung the doorbell and her father, drunk again, answered the door.
How can you let people see you like this? India thought.
“What?” Her father said gruffly. “Why aren’t you in school? What’ve you done?”
“Mr Cohen,” the police woman said, “India was involved in an incident at the general hospital today. She was assaulted but an unknown intruder. India seems to have recovered quickly from her injuries but I need to talk to you about some of the bruises on your daughter.”
Mr Cohen straightened up and India saw a bit of the old sea captain in her father for the first time in ages.
Mr Cohen turned to India. “I told you not to visit that guy at the hospital didn’t I?”
India pushed passed her father and made her way to her room. She let the interfering officer and her father talk for as long as they wanted at the door.
When she reached her room she picked up a phone and dialled Kits bed-phone at the hospital.
“Kit, dad looks a little pissed off.”
“Oh God India. Just stand your ground. If he lays a single finger on you-”
Her bedroom door burst open and her father stormed in. He pointed to the phone in her hands.
“Is that him?” Her father asked.
Her father stole the phone from her. He dropped it to the floor but didn’t hang up.
“I told you to stay away from him and what do you do? You deliberately ignore me? You skip school and go and see him.”
India clenched her fists waiting for her father to make the first move.
“If you’d never met him everything would be all right. I wouldn’t be drinking, you’d be doin’ good in school. And…and…and-”
“Just say it dad. Say it like always.”
“Your mother would still be alive!”
“Kit didn’t even meet, let alone kill mum. He tried to save her when Zeke set his vampires after the both of them.”
“You’re right. Kit didn’t kill her, your lifestyle did!”
“What lifestyle?”
“Goin’ out all night doin’ god only knows what. I was a sea captain my whole life and I saw men do exactly as you do. They all died.”
“Dad, please.”
“Y’know, maybe it wasn’t him. Maybe it was your fault!”
India screamed. “NO!”
“Don’t scream Dee,” her father whispered, “if you scream, I’ll hit you.”
“Go on then dad. Make it all better. Violence. That’s how you solve things isn’t it.”
From his hospital bed-phone, Kit Bothwell heard India Cohen taunt her father followed by a series of crashes.
Kit closed his eyes and prayed…
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