The sun was high in the sky as KatieMurdock was walking up to the downtown Detroit apartment building. It was Octavian's birthday, and he was no where to be found for his big birthday bash in Detroit. She walks into the building, already knowing quite well where she is going. She walked through the double doors leading to the stairs. "Why does he have to live at the top..." she thinks to herself as she begins ascending the stairs to Octavian's apartment. After a while of climbing seemingly endless stairs, she reaches the top floor, and his apartment. The door is cracked open, so she waltzes inside. She sees Octavian passed out on the couch clutching a large bottle of rum, which by now is over half empty.

Octavian...

He tosses and turns in his sleep. "Why is the rum gone...?" he mumbles in his sleep.

Octavian!

Wha-whozattt!?

Octavian shakes awake, and stares around in a daze.

Only you would sleep through your birthday, Octavian...

Shit...you're right...what am I supposed to be doing today?

Katie sighs, and facepalms.

We have to get you to the big shindig to celebrate your birthday...now come on let's go.

It takes Octavian about a half hour to get ready, and Katie paces around impatiently around his living room. Finally, he comes out still carrying the half empty bottle of rum. He takes a swig and looks in the mirror. With an approving nod, he turns to Katie. "Hot huh?" he says. Katie rolls her eyes, but can't help but laugh and smile. He offers his arm, and she takes it as they descend the stairs to the waiting vehicle on the street.

As they travel through downtown, Octavian can't help but gape at the marvels of Detroit. He has been here for quite a while, but the city still amazes him. They finally near the festivities, as a man steps out into the road. It turned out to be one of Octavian's bodyguards.

Sorry sir, street's closed. I can't let you through.

Octavian rolls down his window and sticks his head out. The bodyguard sees, and quickly runs out of the way, with a shout of "Sorry boss!" Octavian shakes his head and chuckles at the new guy. They finally arrive at the festivities, and Octavian looks around in amazement. He expected something grand, but this was way too much. It was like a carnival. He had always loved carnivals when he was a kid. He takes a step out of the car, and offers his hand to Katie. She takes it, and gracefully exits the vehicle before it drives away. There is booths with carnival games, like a dunk tank, and many other things. There is also booths with carnival foods, like funnel cakes, corn dogs etc.

Octavian takes a stroll down the street taking in all the glory of his birthday bash. He never thought turning 22 would be so exciting, but he apparently has awesome friends who took it upon themselves to make it special. He approaches a podium, that was obviously there for him to make a speech. He approaches, not knowing what to say in the slightest. He stands up and notices all eyes on him.

Friends...family...members of the mob community. I would like to thank you all for coming out to celebrate my birthday. I wish i could stay this young forever...Where's a vampire when you need him eh? Octavian chuckles. I don't really know what to say, since this whole thing was kind of sprung on me. But I can say I hope you all enjoy the day. Since it's my party I'm sure there is plenty of alcohol running around here. So eat, drink, play some games, have fun.

Octavian takes a swig out of his ever present rum bottle and makes his way back down to the street.

She knew something was off, no, that something was seriously wrong. It wasn't just the feeling of losing a week, which she had some how. When Katie woke up, eyes fluttering open as she gathered her surroundings. Right in front of her a night stand with an alarm clock, table lamp and calendar on the wall behind it. It was suppose to be the 2nd, February the second, not over a week later.

Katie played through her mind, which was foggy from all the alcohol she drank last night...last night. The last thing she could remember was partying all night with Octavian at his birthday. No, that wasn't the last thing, but her own mind had thrown up walls to block out the last thing she remembered. It hurt to try to think about it, Katie decided she needed some water and to figure out where exactly she was.

Her suspicions were correct, she was laying in a bed. Her bed? No. She tried sitting up, her whole body felt heavy. Katie succumbed to this artificial weight and laid back down, the pillow beneath her head. She twisted her body to the side to look behind her. A person, a body, lay next to her. Thick dark hair rolled heavily over shoulders, she could see part of a chin. Woman, Katana? Was she at Katana's house? No. Katie reached a hand out to the girl, but stopped short. Wait, was she breathing?

Something close let out a high pitch squeal of terror, but then Katie found herself rolled off the bed and coming to terms that the sound came from her. She had some how found some strength and picked herself up off the floor to peer back onto the bed, that's when she noticed the blood. So much blood. Could smell the blood even though it was a dark crimson color that only stained the sheets, it was old and most of it had dried up. The smell, it infiltrated her nose and sneaked itself some where into her head. Katie reached her hand towards it, but quickly became sick. She rushed out of the room and fortunately into the bathroom. Falling onto her knees, Katie's thoughts flitted to the bruises she'd have in a few hours. She clutched the edge of the toilet and dry heaved into the porcelain bowl.

What's....what's going on...

She asked herself through tearless sobs. A deep rumble came from the pit of her stomach. Katie wasn't hungry, but their was a gnawing feeling inside of her. Blood... A swift wave of stomach clenching rawness passed over her and her mind shot back to the bed where the red used to be a puddle on that mattress and it hadn't all soaked in. No, the gnawing felt better then, when she was...with the body....and the red.....But before the thought could finish itself her head was back in the toilet, but her mouth was strangely dry. Katie soothed herself as much as she could and eventually drifted off to blackness, curled up small on the cold hard floor.

Katie dreamed awful dreams. She woke abruptly after she tossed her elbow into the edge of the tub which caused a searing pain shoot up her arm and explode in her head. What a great way to wake yourself up, Katie thought to herself sarcastically. She hadn't yet opened her eyes, wanted to swim in the pain for a little while longer, it distracted her from her dreams. Which weren't dreams, that was executed as soon as she did open those eyes of hers.

Octavi...

Her voice trailed off as her eyes closed again. There was a blurry image of a man in front of her, it burned itself into the back off her eye lids. It couldn't have been Octavian. She shivered at the sight of this man, but a twing of familiar pulsed through her. Katie braved herself and opened up her eyes again. He was shirtless, blood smeared across his chest. His skin was an odd grayish color. As if the dark rain clouds sucked him in and spit him back out with the rest of the filth of the world. Katie focused on her own hand in front of her for a quick moment. Yellow. A sick color of yellow. A color that made her want to lean up on the toilet again. Just then the man let out a low moan, he sat hunched on his hind legs, staring deep into her soul, past it and peering into the tub. What was in the tub?

Something chimed. The man's eyes flashed away from the tub, away from her and towards the bedroom. Katie could put this together, a door bell. The man jumped to his feet and scrambled out of the bathroom. Her eyes grew wide unknowing what to do as well. Knocks pounded on the other side, the bright side. Katie stood, on wobbly weak legs and trudged out of the room, into the next and then the next. Once in the foyer the door creaked open, Katie noticed the man and as her eyes focused better now she could tell it was Octavian. He grinned wickedly at her, staying in the shadows behind the door.

Someone was still pounding on the door, the wood creaking under each thunder rumble, but then i swung open. Praeceps stood in the open door way all that laid ahead of him was the darkness. Katie took in the sight of him, rays of light streamed past his body silhouetting him and his skin looked fine, normal, sweeeet. Katie sniffed the air, he smelled like sunshine, fresh grass, new life. Life. Katie licked her lips.

Timothy, having been living across the street from Katie, was outside walking up to the mailbox to get the morning paper.  Humming to himslef obliviously, he had made it half way to his chosen destination when he found himself stopped dead in his tracks, his gaze falling squarely on Katie's open door and the man laying facedown in it.

Well that's not something you see everyday.  Timothy said to himself as he crossed the street.  Did Katie have another party?  Looks like this one was a blast! He chuckles to himself as he continues on his path.

I wonder who it is this time?  I know that Mr. Pickles can get a bit carried away when Rum is involved, or could it be Premeir....naw that couldn't be him...much too tall.  Thoughts and geusstimations swim about in the man's head as makes his way to the door.

My god!!

Timothy stops suddenly when he sees Praeceps lying in a pool of blood on the floor. 

Not letting another second go to waste, Timothy readies his revolver and runs into the house, ready to take on any intruders that lie within.