I fight evil creatures, I don't date them (Preface)

I thought that Thomas was going to be the least of my troubles. I guess I was wrong. Staring at me through my windshield is a dirty, angry, snarling taglar. I assume it fell out of a tree and onto my car by accident. However, now that it’s seen me, it is hell bent on devouring me. A taglar looks like a badger… but bigger, about the size of a chocolate lab. And they’re mean. They live in the roots of big trees and usually eat squirrels and birds and things, but if a human gets close enough to piss it off… well, let’s just say they’re carnivores, so they aren’t picky about what they eat.

I have to either kill it or knock it out with a tranquilizer to get it from bashing in the windshield. I decide that killing it won’t be the best option because then I would have to take it somewhere to cremate it. A tranquilizer should work until morning when it can burrow back into its stupid tree. I flip open the glove compartment and rifle through it until I find a normal animal tranquilizer. The taglar is already clawing furious at the windshield and scratching up the hood of my car. I better make this quick.

I get out quickly so as not to give it time to jump on me; I need to wait until it gets a good look at me. As soon as the little beast sees fit, it lunges at me. Taglars have a tendency to go for the head so all I need to do is duck and shove the tranquilizer into its chest. It’s knocked out before it hits the ground. I grab it by its hind legs and drag it to the base of the tree. As expected, there’s a good size hole some ways off. I shove the taglar in as best as I can and cover it with a branch that fell onto my car with the angry animal.

I hate fighting mythical creatures at one o’clock in the morning.

I don’t get to my apartment soon enough. As soon as I’m inside I get to my room and hit the bed. Sleep couldn’t come soon enough.

And neither could the morning. Before I could even remember falling asleep, the sun hits my face. I wake squinting at the clock near my bed: 6:30 AM. I have been waking up at 6:30 AM for about 150 years. I stretch awake and walk to the bathroom to start my morning routine. I shower, dress, and am reading the morning paper by 7:15 as always. Of course breakfast has changed in the past 200 years, but little else.

I scan the paper for any strange happenings. I read a short headline of a wild dog that was found near the local park. It ran away before anyone could get a good look at it. Well, at least I know the taglar is safely hidden underground… not that I would have minded anyone shooting it.

I don’t have a “real world” job. Over time I found it was easier to save money instead of having to keep pretending I was 18 and looking for employment. In 1933 I earned a large inheritance – even for today’s standards – from an old woman I helped by doing odd jobs and reading to her towards the end. She never had any kids or anyone really. I’ve been living off that for years, and it’s served me well. Most of my clients pay well, though, so I don’t need a “real world” job.

I quit reading the paper, not finding anything catching my interest. I decide to get a coffee at the deli down the street from my apartment. I’d never been there before, even though I’ve lived in this district for three years. I usually stay in one place for a maximum of five years. 18 year olds living alone with no friends can get kind of suspicious, so I keep it as low key as possible. I look just a tad too old to pass for a freshman, and sometimes even a sophomore. I stay at a high school for two years – mostly to keep up my education – and then graduate.

I walk into the deli and sit down at a booth near the back – Inconspicuous enough. In a matter of seconds someone is there to take my order.

“Hi, my name is Rachel. What would you like?”

“Hi Rachel, I would like a black coffee, please.”

“Sugar or cream?” She asks.

“Black,” I say flatly.

“You sure? I mean, black coffee is kind of gross.”

“I’m quite sure, Rachel, but thank you for your concern.” The girl leaves in a huff. I find it becomes increasingly difficult for me to relate to teenagers as I get older… well, on the inside. My manner of speaking is sometimes old fashioned and often throws them off.

I pull out my notebook that I keep as a log book. It helps to keep creatures straight and keep my thoughts in order as well. I start writing when someone else comes over to give me my coffee.

“Uh, Rachel sent me with this.” I look up at one of the most beautiful teenage boys I’ve ever seen. Now, I always feel slightly perturbed when ogling boys that are supposedly “my own age” but then I silently remember that I still look much like an 18 year old. I smile a patented girl smile, the ones that you see in movies and the boy smiles back.

“She got all mad, but she was probably prying into your business. She does that.” The boy puts the coffee down and lingers for a moment.

“I’m Reese,” he said smiling. “You know, if you cared.” He shrugs and walks away.

“My name is Celeste,” I say, surprising myself. I usually go out of my way to be indifferent towards mortal teenagers… but for some reason I don’t feel I have to.

He turns around, now back pedaling behind the counter.

“Nice to meet you.” Then he’s gone. Interesting.

I kill time in a movie, something I always enjoy. I know that I won’t be able to meet with William until later tonight. Vampires have a way of… avoiding the sun, even though they don’t burn in it.

After shopping for a while in the mall next to the movie theater, I decide that a few new outfits wouldn’t hurt. I still have to keep up with the times.

I return to my apartment, shopping bags in hand. I’ve successfully spent the whole day shopping. I sit down to watch my favorite show: Jeopardy. I’ve been watching it ever since it has first aired. I’ve never missed an episode, even if I have to tape them. This one is a re-run. I yell out the answers as I hang up my clothes in my closet.

I’ve been dwelling for an unusually long time on Reese, the boy I met earlier in the deli. He was unlike any other human boys I’ve met… and I’ve met many human boys during my 200 years of life. Before I can dwell anymore, though, I hear a knock on my front door.