Author's Note: Decided to go ahead and post this right now. Hrm, nothing much to say except there's another cliff to perch on at the end. Don't kill me…just yet. ]

Linea sighed as she slowly made her way down the ladder. She didn't like going first but as weird as Devi was, she wasn't stupid enough to think Linea would stick around if she went second.

Surprisingly the sewer was odorless...which might have just been a little less comforting than the sickening smell she had long-since associated with sewers. It was cold too. She shivered as she moved to the side of the ladder and waited for her stalker to come down.

"There, see? Not so bad."

"It's pitch black down here and it's freezing."

She heard a swooshing sound and felt Devi place a trench coat on her shoulders. She looked up in the direction of where she assumed the other woman was. At least she was a polite creepy stalker.

"Is that better?"

"Well, as better as it's going to be, all things considered."

"Cheer up. Nothing bad is going to happen to you...I don't think anyway."

"How delightfully reassuring. Out of morbid curiosity, just how are we going to find our way to where ever it is that we're going?"

"I can see in the dark. And...well, don't freak out, but I live down here...most of the time."

Linea didn't freak out, she just sighed. So this was how she was going to die. Freezing to death in an odorless sewer with a weird serial killer stalker gone Phantom of the Opera. And even this was still worlds better than staying for dinner with her parents.

She yelped as something touched her hand.

"Honestly, girl. I was just touching your hand. You don't want to get lost down here, do you?"

"I'm sure I could find my way back out," Linea said sighing as Devi gripped her wrist tightly and began gently but insistently tugging her through some tunnel.

"Watch you head. And trust me, I'm the least of your problems down here."

It grew a bit warmer as they walked down what seemed like endless string of tunnels. She was surprised that the taller woman could go so quickly and was rather irritated that she herself was constantly banging into the pipes overhead.

After awhile, the trail of pipes ended and they seemed to be going through empty rooms with columns. Faint light came in from the ceiling but it wasn't really enough to see. Eventually they could walk side by side which Linea liked only slightly better than being dragged behind like a disobedient child.

"Are we almost done or are you lost?"

"Hush. We're fine."

"Stop telling me to hush."

"Stop making so much noise."

"Stop telling me what to—"

"Am I going to have to kiss you to shut you up?"

Linea shut up.

"Thank you."

"Look, we're not alone down here, so just stay with me."

"What else is down here?" Linea said quietly through clenched teeth.

"More of my kind."

"And that would be?" Linea hissed.

"The only way you'd believe is if I showed you and I'd rather not have to carry you the rest of the way."

"Oh really. Could have fooled me."

"Very funny. And stop hissing like a snake. You can talk just keep it down."

Linea sighed as they continued walking but then she noticed the dim light up ahead. Well, maybe that was a good sign. Maybe there was some way out of this hell.

She was surprised to see that there were two stern-looking men standing in front of what seemed to be an entrance made of two broken columns joined in a triangle. They nodded to Devi, glanced at Linea suspiciously. Or so she assumed. They also were wearing mirrored sunglasses.

It must not be so bad then…at least Devi wasn't a serial killer. Maybe she was a spy or something. Though what some underground spy ring would want with Linea was beyond her. She certainly was not spy material.

She was amazed to see that this was kind of like an underground city. Well, if hovels made of cardboard and tin could be considered houses. She noticed that most of the people seemed to have eyes like Devi which was just a tad spooky. What were they and how could they willingly choose to live like this?

But noting all the stern-looking women and men dressed similarly to Devi scattered throughout the place she was beginning to think they might not have had one at all.

The layout of the houses was particularly chaotic. They seemed divided, blocked off from each other by at least 20 feet of open space. The ceiling was literally covered in cobwebs that made Linea shiver and grip Devi's hand before she noticed what she was doing and scowled.

She couldn't think of anything to say as they continued past other people who scuttled out of their way and glared at her as though she was some sort of insect under glass…or more like she utterly disgusted them. She bit back retorts. They were pretty disgusting themselves in their worn, torn clothing.

There seemed to be endless rooms like this though thankfully, she wasn't led into any more of them but to another entrance with two women standing in front of it. One offered Devi a rather toothy smile—Wait, was that an actual fang? — as they moved out of the way. Devi nodded woodenly before pulling Linea along.

Linea blinked as they entered a rather well lit room…well, more of a temple or a throne room than just a room. The throne was rather plain and ancient looking. An extremely tall woman was sitting on it. Her long pale hair was pulled back in a tight bun and she looked extremely regal though rather sadistic. Or maybe that was just due to the poor boy chained to her throne.

She didn't seem human at all though she wasn't dressed that peculiarly. Nothing was that unusual about a white dress, after all. Something about her seemed amazingly otherworldly. There was elaborate web on the ceiling, Linea noted.

Linea stared up at the woman. Right, so they weren't spies. Were they vampires? Was this some sort of Satanic cult? What the hell was going on anyway?

She looked over at Devi who was doing an amazing imitation of a stone-faced guard at Buckingham Palace and opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by the woman they had evidently come to see.

"Ah, so you have arrived. I suppose you're curious as to why you were led here." The voice was thick, silky and alluring. She turned her attention towards to woman who moved away from her throne and down the steps towards them.

The people here were amazingly fast. Linea hadn't even time to blink before she found herself staring straight up at the woman.

"Well…it was more like forced here, but…I am a bit curious."

Linea tried not to stare at the woman's eyes that were blank, beady like some lifeless teddy bear. There was nothing soft, warm or cuddly about this woman who smiled though her eyes showed no emotion whatsoever. She clearly had fangs…and…either she had amazing stones inserted into her skull or there was an additional row of eyes on her forehead.

The woman moved back and chuckled. It might have been a beautiful, reassuring laugh but no one else seemed to partake in it. Everyone else seemed utterly miserable and uncomfortable.

"Maybe I should start by explaining to you what we are."

Linea nodded meekly and waited for the woman to continue.

tbc