Supernaturals Anonymous

Chapter 2 - Hi, My name is 7 . . .

I'm going to tell you a little secret.  No one has it harder at these meetings than us vampires. Everybody else comes in and cries and talks about their pain and whines about temptation - but vampires - we have to walk into the den of temptation just to get the guilt off our chest.

So I like to play a little game I call, "Sussing out the New Kids". It keeps me busy and tonight I have an A-1 target.

Look at this guy! He's so upset about this comedy massacre he just committed! And yeah, I feel for him. It's hard not to - he's all hairy and snivelling.
Hazel, ever the professional, steps up and pats the werewolf on his shoulder,  "We feel your pain, GLEN. Thank you for sharing with us - I know that was hard.  Let's take a break.  Everyone we have coffee, tea and donuts.  Let's meet back in 10." 
She says the same thing to everyone at 9:45. She's like clockwork that witch. And now my least favorite part, the living beings buffet.  Everyone mills around the refreshments table chowing down on semi-stale grocery store donuts and drinking instant coffee. Me? I hold an empty cup listlessly and try not to think about drinking their blood. Like the big hairy sad guy - lots and lots of blood in him . . . I shake it off and decide to make some conversation and perhaps "investigate" a little. - it'll make the break go faster.
"I don't know why they bother . . . " I sigh.
Big hairy guy puts his game face back on and blandly comments, "I think it's a pretty nice spread," he picks up a donut, "Everybody likes donuts, don't they?"
I do enjoy this part. I smile, revealing my recently white-stripped fangs, and say, "Some of us have different tastes .  . . "
He shivers and backs away, "Just humans right? You only go after humans?"
He's backing up pretty quickly for a guy that could tear my teeth out on a warm summer night with the right lunar cycle. I call him back, "I'm reformed.  2 years without any bloodsucking - but I still don't eat donuts." I take off my red silk glove and reach out my hand. He lurches forward and I reach out my hand hoping for a little "insight" but  he goes for a donut.
I guess I'll have to be a little sneakier to get the inside scoop. I'm of a breed of Russian Vampire that possesses psychic insights when we have "connecting touch" with someone. It's a huge pain in the ass when you're sucking blood - kind of like watching a unending stream of Geico commercials while you're having a four-course gourmet meal - but when you're curious it's useful. Of course, it does have it's side effects. I shift my position so that I won't hit my head on the table when the visions knock me over.
"I'm Seven - my name - not my age. Actually I'm over 300 years old . . . but let's not talk about that, " I pour some coffee, "Pass me the sugar." 
He is picking up the sugar shaker, "Sure . . . Seven . . . I'm Glen."
He passes me  the sugar and our hands touch. I feel the visions washing over me and hear my own shriek distantly through the waves.  I see it - the mom, no dad, the teasing, the laughing, the dingy Jersey City apartment, the pizza delivery job, the comedy club, the massacre, the elf, the ring, the death. The what?? The visions recede and I feel my body being rocked back and forth and smell sweat-soaked werewolf fur.
"Oh, not again."
"This happens to you a lot? Here I'll get you a chair."
I sit and try to collect my thoughts. I feel worried for this guy. I don't know why but I do. I need to tell just enough truth to help him rather than frighten him.
"It's nothing. I faint sometimes, now. It's . . . blood-withdrawal. It's all part of the curse of the vampire. Without steady infusions of fresh blood, I'm a little wobbly."
" Sounds awful. But good for you - fighting the good fight. Between that and not being able to go outside in the daytime - Wait - how are you here?"
I laugh. It feels better to be back on familiar ground, "Oh, that old rule. That's not even true anymore. With the advances in sunscreen technology, we vampires can go out in the daytime just about every day.  Do I want to go to a Southern California beach at noon, no . . . but a cloudy June day in Washington - I'm cool. "
" Wow, what SPF?"
"500," he stares at me unbelieving, "What?  I get it from Amazon."
He nods unsure. I wonder if he would believe me if I told him about "Vampire Twitter."
"So why do you want to give up being a vampire?"
I decide to go with story "A", it's the simplest to remember, "I'm in love with a human - I know it will never work out  but it just makes me want to be a better vampire. Less of a vampire. . . "
"Hey, I'm in love with a human too!"
This could be the key to his untimely death, I might be a little too interested, "Which human?"
"It was a joke. You know that book Twilight and . . . "
"That book is like 10 years old, dude. Maybe the werewolf thing is not the ONLY thing holding you back from -". A grubby little hand thrusts rudely past my face and pulls a donut from the pile.
"Whoa, donuts! I got the cruller!"
Puck. Puck is so incredibly obnoxious. All elves are really. Elves! He's an elf! Maybe the elf who kills this big mangy guy. Why am I worried about this?
"Sorry about those werewolf problems, big guy."
"Thanks - I'm working on it, " he takes another donut. Can werewolves get diabetes?
"Just take it one day at a time," I try to edge back into the conversation. This seems like an abnormally long donut break. Where is Hazel when you need her? I scan the room.  She's talking to another newbie - looks like another witch. She must be thrilled to have more of her kind here. I know I wish there were a few other vampires. The elf is still talking.
"Yeah, or you could just cure it altogether."
"Yeah, right, " I snort.
"You know, with the "Hunger Ring". It cures all your supernatural problems."
I know nothing of this "Hunger Ring" thing. But I do know one thing, I do not trust this elf as far as I can throw him - and contrary to popular belief, vampires do not have super strength - so it would not be very far. The big hairy guy is intrigued though. He almost chokes on his donut with excitement.
"What did you say? A Spunger String???" he splutters through the donut.
"The HUNGER RING," Puck repeats with emphasis and then, in case we missed it, "You know - the one that cures Supernaturals of their supernatural problems."
"A cure????" Werewolf is rapt with excitement.
"Yup, takes away their powers and everything  - makes 'em 'norrrrrmallllll',"  Puck is piling donut after donut onto his plate and backing away slowly as if no one will notice an elf walking backwards through the room with 15 donuts on his plate, "And you know, today is the Summer Solstice  - "
"So what?" I ask and knock the top two donuts back onto the table.
Puck glares at me and reaches for them, continuing, "Soooo, it's the only day of the year where the Lake of Avalon freezes over and well, just for the twilight hour  -"
"We only have an hour?" Werewolf is practically out the door already.
Puck starts laughing,"We? Ohhhhh! No, no, no, no.  The Hunger Ring only cures the wearer of the ring," he leans toward the Werewolf, "THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE."
It seems like the perfect moment to get some "insight", I remove my glove and reach toward Puck.
Elves must have excellent peripheral vision because he jumps back three feet in the air, "Hey, don't touch me, weirdo!  Do they have any jelly donuts here?" He looks around - probably scanning for the exits, "I'm gonna go ask the one of the witches - see ya later . . .".
We stare after him. What is that guy up to? There's no such thing as the "Hunger Ring", right? I've lived for over 300 years and today is the first day I've heard of it?  I wish I had managed to touch his hand then I would know more. And I can't put my finger on it but I have a strange feeling about this -  it's  like an itch at the back of my brain that I can't scratch.
"Did you just hear what I . . .? I only have an hour to find the ring! I've got to go!" his voice echoes distantly through my thoughts.
"NOOOOO!" my voice roars involuntarily. Everyone turns and stares at me. "Sorry!" I chirp. Where is that elf?
Werewolf is trying to talk me down, "Look, I know that you probably want to be normal too - but I really need this okay?"
He stares at me trying to will me to say that everything is okay, to say that the ring is real and that's it's his and that he'll get there in time and that he'll never have to worry about a full moon again.
That is NOT what I'm going to say ,"Isn't there going to be a full moon tonight?  Is that safe?"
"I'll have the Hunger Ring before it rises and I'll be cured."
"It's that simple?" I squint at him skeptically to make sure he knows that I think he's crazy.
"I'd like to think so."
Clearly he did not sense my subtext. I've always heard Werewolves were kind of dumb but I didn't want to believe foolish stereotypes. People tend to think that all vampires are evil and that's totally not true. This guy is walking into trouble and I think I'm the only one who can help.  
"I will help you." He looks surprised, "If we find the ring - it's mine - get it?"
"I don't want the ring."
"You don't?"
" The elf - he said he was going to talk to the witches." I nod toward them.  I start to whisper a plan to bring it up to them subtly and discreetly but Wolfie rushes over to Hazel and her new witch pals.
So much for subtletly.