I was pretty sure I didn’t have any envelopes, and I hadn’t seen my nice parchment in ages, but I had to have some sort of paper somewhere.
Ah ha! There it was.That’ll do.
The paper had seen better days, but a few wrinkles and splits were no big deal.
I cleared a space on the table, shoving aside everything in my way, and pried open my old jar of ink.
Then I started writing, as fast as my drunken mind would allow. My hand only wobbled a little bit, and I only spilled the ink twice.
Dear Mysterious Entity in the Mailbox,
Hello, I answered! I’m half convinced that this letter will just rot away in the mailbox, but just in case someone finds it, I sincerely hope you enjoy this glimpse at my thoughts, because I am not in a position to mess with the fates.
It’s your lucky day I guess!!! But not mine.
Are you a ghost? Are you a spirit? Are you a folk? I simply must know. I am just a regular ‘ol folk, but I would make a great ghost. I would love to haunt people. I bet nothing bad happens to ghosts, except for the dying part that makes you a ghost… I wonder if ghosts can just be born as ghosts. I need to ask someone about that.
Anyways. Hey ghost/spirit/folk, have you ever felt like screaming into the void until your voice gives out? That’s how I’m feeling right now. I have had an absolutelyTERRIBLEday. The worst day I have ever had. Or at least the second worst day. It’s hard to rank shitty days, you know.
I’m worried that my life might be ruined. I know what you’re thinking, “This person is so whiny and dramatic!” well, whoever you are, you might be right, but you must understand. My entire life has been destroyed today, and I don’t know what I’m going to do.
Thank you for reading, mysterious mailbox spirit. (if you are actually reading and this letter isn’t just going into the abyss…)
P.S. Zero alcohol went into the writing of this letter, by the way. None. Not a drop. Not even a few sips.
P.P.S. I wonder if anyone is actually going to read this.
Spilled ink seeped over the corner of the messy paper, but I didn’t have the patience to fix it. I brushed away what I could, tidying up with a stray cloth.
Proud of myself for so eloquently expressing my thoughts, I bundled up in my cloak, slipped back outside, and scamperedover to the mailbox–watching my feet carefully this time so I would stay upright.
Gods, those ciderspacked a punch. I dropped the letter in the box, made my way home, and then got myself into my bed as quickly as possible. My swirling thoughts were darkening around the edges.
Mind full of mailboxes, mysteries, and magical spirits, I slipped off into a dreamless sleep.
CHAPTER 6
Redd
Gods, I was so drained. This town was a mess! I was okay with my job–I loved working with wood and creating things with my own hands, but sometimes a vampire just needed abreak.
And I was stillso thirsty.
Maybe being shimmery wouldn’t betoobad. Could a shimmery vampire still be tough and fearsome? If my throat tightened up any more, I’d have to risk it and find out. Maybe I’d get lucky and end up with harmless temporary hoof feet, or something interesting like sunset-orange eyeballs.
The only way totrulysatisfy the thirst was to drink directly from the vein, but that practice was outdated in modern times. Apparently, it used to be extremely common when the Old Gods still roamed the realm. I didn’t understand why our elders had frowned upon drinking fresh blood. These days, blood sharing only really occurred between serious romantic partners, often mates, and we were expected to stay quiet about it.
It had been ages since I had indulged in the delicacy, but I longed for the feeling of hot, fresh blood sliding down my throat. My fangs pulsated at the thought.
Thirst tonics and supplemental critter blood just about did the trick, though. It was good enough.
I had been run ragged in the days since I had ended up in Moonvale and had Mayor Tommins put me to work wherever they needed help. Why this gods-forsaken town didn’t have a woodworking shop was a mystery to me. They certainly needed one.
All the local handyfolk had been in a frenzy trying to keep up with all the recent destruction that was being caused. Pipes had burst, homes had slid off their foundations, and fires had started. The town seemed to be falling apart.
Just like Sunhaven had been when I left…
Nobody knew exactly what was causing all this destruction. Some of it appeared to be magical, but the reasons were a mystery. The cause wasn’t any of my business, as long as I got my silver payment at the end of the day.
