Seraph

We've successfully caught some rats for use as test subjects. I injected half of them with the vaccines, while keeping the other half as a control group. After giving the vaccine some time to take effect, I'll expose them to the ointment. Then I'll just... wait and see how many of them die...

Sure, it may not be humane, but these are rats. And not the adorable kind you get in pets stores. These are real fucking rats. I'd be doing my neighborhood a favor if they die.

Anyway, that's not why I'm making this post. I'm making it because I received an important call earlier today while I was working. I had Paris answer for me, and after a few words, he turned to me and said "It's Sera. She wants to talk."

I paused what I was doing. Sera Phillips is a woman who I... have a history with. We hadn't spoken in a long time. Why would she be calling?

I took the phone from Paris.

"Hey," I said. "Been a while. How's things?"

"Things are... fine," came her voice from the other end.

My heart stopped briefly. It'd been so long since I'd heard her voice.

"I noticed you've started blogging," she said. "Is this the Compulsion happening?"

"Likely," I answered.

"That's odd," she said. "I thought the big guys left you alone."

"The Compulsion takes a number forms, each caused by something different," I explained. "It's entirely possible that the form of Compulsion I'm experiencing is the result of something other then Them."

"I see," she said.

There was a moment of silence. A silence I decided to break with an important question.

"So... how's the Baby?" I asked.

"Ugh," she said. "Why do you have to call it that?"

"Because it raises questions for my readers, and I take some sadistic joy in their confusion," I replied.

She let out a sigh.

"I'm keeping an eye on it," she said. "It's safe."

"That's good," I said. "So... why did you really call?"

"I want to know that you're okay," she said. "And not doing anything... you know..."

"Stupid?" I asked.

"I was gonna say 'reckless', but... yeah," she said.

"I see," I said. "I'm afraid I've been doing both."

"I was worried about that," she said. "Why didn't you just lie? It would've been a lot more comforting to me..."

"Sorry, honey," I said. "My work is important. If I have to take a few risks with it, then so be it."

Sera let out another sigh.

"Look, just... promise me you won't get yourself killed," she said.

I stayed silent for a few seconds before responding with "Okay."

There was some more silence.

"So, that Descendant you're looking for..." She said.

I perked up.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"I'm afraid of what you might do with this information," she said. "But... there's a person of interest in downtown LA."

"Where?" I asked.

"I don't know where he's staying right now," she said. "But there's a café he frequents. Has a thing for strawberry sundaes, apparently..."

"Can I get an address?" I asked.

"I'll text it to you once we hang up," she replied.

"Good," I said.

I went silent for a few more seconds.

"So...," I said hesitantly. "Was there... anything else you were wanting to talk about?"

"I... um... not really," she said. "I guess this is where we should end it."

"Wait," I said. "Sera... I... I miss you."

More silence.

"I know," she said.

She hung up.

I set the phone down. A few seconds later, I received a text with the address of the café. Nothing else. I sent her a "Thank you" and waited for a reply. Nothing. So I pelled myself together and got back to work.