Potential Rest (Open)

Sari had been driving for a while now since Colorado, and despite the odd things about her...one of them was not being able to go on with out sleep or some kind of rest. As the sun went down, Sari began to plan on where she could stop and sleep for the night. Even if it was just for a few hours. Now that she had her business up and running, even having a few clients already, Sari was able to resume her life.

Sadly Sari knew she would never have a normal life. Not until she found out what she was, or the nightmares stopped. One reason she was always tired. She couldn't sleep well from the nightmares. Nightmares she got due to what she had done just to get the money to get her business going. No demon deal or anything. Hell she didn't even kill humans, but for some reason she still got nightmares from the hunts she had done.

The light up sign caught her attention enough to pull her out of her dark and brooding thoughts to see she was coming upon St. Louis. Big city...plenty of cheap places to crash, and definitely potential monsters to run into. Sari considered passing the town for now, but then her eyes flared up in a burning sensation from sleep deprivation, and she knew she couldn't skip out. Sighing in frustration, the purple haired girl took the third exit, and headed into the city.

It took her a moment to orient herself, and fidget with her GPS system to help her find a cheap place to stay. Choosing her destination, Sari began to follow the instructions and making her way through traffic. The safety of the area didn't matter to her. One thing that had improved with her was fighting. Where it was once just natural reflexes kicking in, Sari had honed it better while still listening to those gut instincts. If anyone tried to mug her, they'd get an unpleasant surprise.

Pulling into a parking lot of a pretty sad looking building, Sari stepped out of the classic Dodge Charger, and moved to the trunk. Open it, one would see the back seat had been taken out to make a lot more room then before, and that the trunk had some modifications to it to open more more then usual to show more. All one would see at a glance is books, herbs, and a few vials of mostly harmless fluid. The scanner to get to the more deadly stuff was hidden. Security measure after her car had almost been robbed.

Reaching in, Sari grabbed the duffel bag that held her few clothes, wallet, and the like out. Slinging it over her shoulder she headed for the doors that would lead in for a room. Sunglasses blocking her eyes so that the lights of the street wouldn't irritate her already sore eyes from the lack of sleep. Sound boots making little noise on the pavement, and hip hugging pants showing off a bit of curve. Her leather jacket was closed to hide the gun underneath, and the blue shirt she wore as well. Hands in her pocket, Sari stopped half way to the door as she thought she heard something. Her head snapped up and she looked around. Trying to spot the source of the noise, and to determine it's threat level.

It had only been a week since Elliot had been kicked out of his home. The memories were still fresh in his mind. He had nightmares. The sounds were the worst. He never saw the beasts that had done it but they heard them. The howling, the snarling, and the ripping. It was worse not being able to see it. His imagination ran wild and he thought that his town was being tortured beyond belief.

The worst thing about it was that his sister was missing. What had those things done to her? Did they eat her all up entirely? Or did they take her along with them as a snack? Elliot was driving himself mad thinking about it. Sleeping in his car wasn't helping. Elliot had no real money and so he had to spend what he had on gas and food. Those were the things he needed most. Everything else could wait.

It was just his luck when that day he stumbled upon a few older people who needed their driveways shoveled. There had been a light snowstorm recently and everyone was acting like it was the end of the world. People in Missouri must not see snow much. Elliot had made eighty bucks that day and he was going to spend it all on a good room for the night.

Elliot pulled up at the slightly shady looking motel in his beat up blue Ford Focus and got out. He paid the front desk, got his key and was walking to his door when he tripped over a crack in the sidewalk and fell. His hands went out automatically to shield himself and he ended up scraping most of the skin off of his palms. His duffel bag landed in the street. He saw someone look around at the noise and looked over at them. "Sorry if I startled you"

Spotting the kid by him speaking up made it easier. Sari's brown eyes locked onto him, and seeing his youthful face caused her to relax a bit. Sari would have once relaxed completely around someone that looked like him, but after the last six month's getting her hands dirty hunting demons and who knew what else, she came to learn that just because they had a young face...didn't mean they were a threat. Sari felt as if she were always on edge now. Something she didn't particular like at all.

However Sari wasn't completely paranoid either. This young boy, for she had been approaching him as she had been thinking of how she had become, and now up close could see he was young; could really just be that...a young boy. This close up he appeared to be as young as she had been when she first started to roam. Shifting her bag on her shoulder she stopped about a foot away.

"Are you ok?" Sari asked not wanting to leave him helpless against the things that go bump in the night if he was seriously harmed. Ok so she wouldn't leave him defenseless period. This kid didn't appear to have a scar on him. Then again most of him was covered up. Being winter and all. In their current location, the light from a near by street lamp fell on them enough that it would be revealed that her hair was purple instead of a normal tone.

Then she gave a pleasant smile to him, "You didn't happen to book the last room did you?" she teased as she noticed that with the position of his body it was most likely he had just come from the place she was planning on booking in. If he had she'd find another place. It wasn't a major deal. Now that she was closer she was also able to get a better look at him.

He looked haggard like he hadn't seen a good meal, or a good sleep in a while. That despite being so young and what appeared to be innocent, he might have seen something horrible. Gang shoot out maybe? "Christo, are you ok?" Sari asked now full of concern in his appearance. Fitting in the name of God's true name worked out as most people just thought she was saying Christ funny instead of testing them out for possession.

If it was a Gang thing, Sari was sure to find out quick enough. If it was something more...well...so much for a good rest in this place. She wouldn't feel right about leaving a monster in a city before moving on. She'd just have to figure out how to get the information with out being blunt. Being subtle wasn't exactly something she was good at.

Elliot sat up as the person he had called out to walked closer to him. He strained to see who it was in the dark. There were definitely feminine features and when the person moved into the light he saw wild purple hair. His only thought was that he had never seen a woman with purple hair before. His next thought was that it looked really cool even though it probably was a fake color.

The woman looked to be in her twenties or so. That meant she could be anywhere from five to ten years older than Elliot. He felt a little awkward talking to a woman that age since he only ever said 'hello' and 'how much is this going to cost?' to a person in the last five days. He learned quickly that gas attendants did not want to hear your life story.

He found it odd that she seemed to care so much about him. Most strangers in a place like this wouldn't look twice if he got shot here. Big cities were like that. But after that first thought he let it slip to the back of his mind. Elliot was not only trusting but he was very naive. It was no wonder her had been picked on so much in school with that attitude. He looked at his bleeding, stinging palms. "I'm okay. It's nothing a little disinfectant and some band aids can't fix."

He looked at her a little closely. So she was staying here too huh? Was she on vacation? Was she visiting someone in town? Or did she have some sort of music gig or convention? She seemed like that type. It was fun to imagine what this normal person's life may have been like. "I'm not sure if I have the last room or not. He didn't say."

Sari watched as the kid got up, explained he was fine, and he wasn't sure about the room thing. She'll find out, and took a quick glance at the sign. It still said there were vacancies according to the sign. There was still some hope. Looking back to the kid she tried to think of a subtle way to ask what had happened to him, but couldn't. She just wasn't the subtle type.

"I didn't really mean just your hands. Your appearance makes it look like you've had it really rough the last couple days, or however long. It show's in your face and eyes pretty obviously," Sari told him, and grinned a bit to take any sting, or negative emotions out of her words, "So...are you ok? Need any help with anything?"

That should make it clear on what she meant. She didn't particularly like being more blunt than that and breaking the news to a kid about the things that go bump in the night, but if she had to...she just might with this kid with how harried he looked. Adjust her bag on her shoulder, she tucked a strand of purple hair behind her ear and waited. Her eyes darting around now and then as if she were sure there was going to be something that would pop out on them any second now. Her eyes always returning to him for a few minutes.

Then she realized she hadn't introduced herself yet. Wow, no wonder she probably seemed as odd. A hand shot out to him, open for a handshake, and seemed a bit sheepish. "I'm Sari. Sorry for being a space cadet on that," she said for an introduction. Making sure to offer him her non-gun hand. Just in case you know.

Elliot wasn't paying attention to the woman in front of him. He didn't think she mattered that much in the grand scheme of things. He was more worried about his hands. It would probably be a pain to drive tomorrow if he couldn't use his palms. There was only so much that first aid kits could do and they definitely couldn't regrow all of his skin. He picked some pieces of gravel out of the wounds, his eyebrows furrowed and his mouth slightly open.

His mind was slightly occupied when she started talking to him and he seemed disinterested until she mentioned how haggard he looked. He looked at her with his eyes wide and his mouth slightly open. He couldn't believe her. Not just that she was so concerned that she flat out asked him what was wrong with him. It was also that he hadn't even noticed that he was wearing his pain and sorrow on his face.

Had it really been that obvious? He thought he was keeping his thoughts well under control. Had every grocery store clerk and gas station cashier seen this too? But maybe it wasn't that obvious. He could read minds. Maybe he wasn't the only one. After all, she seemed different than everyone else. He didn't want to do this because he felt it would bring him closer to Hell but he just had to know who she was. He hesitated but then sent out the tendrils of his mind to spy on her surface thoughts.

"I just haven't been sleeping well. Been on the road. Road trip you know." He tried to stand up but without using his hands he lost his balance and fell back on the sidewalk on his bottom. He was frowning. He hated lying and even omitting everything that was the truth was getting to him. "I'm Elliot. I would shake your hand but I don't want to get it all bloody." He grinned apologetically at her.

((You get to pick what surface thoughts he hears.))

Sari grinned at his offer of a handshake, but didn't want to bloody her hand up. So Sari offered him a hand, "I'm not squimish. You'll be fine, and you look like you could use some help up," Sari said in a light voice that held a hint of teasing to ease the kid a bit. Sari was also unaware that her mind was currently being read.

'He looks more haggard for a road trip. What did he see...encounter?' came one thought to his mind as Sari kept her neutral but pleasant look on her face. 'Was it here in town? How do I ask with out being obvious and looking like a nut case?' was another thought that came up. There was also in one corner of her mind that he might pick up was like a static noise. Like she herself was blocking something out.

From that spot, indistinct whispers would escape now and then, but never clear enough to be understandable. At least right now. "Well? Going to accept my help or sit around on the damp curb all night?" she teased lightly again as she wanted to help the boy up. The thoughts of how to ask what she wanted still running through her mind, and it was all odd questions. Like if he's smelled sulfur anywhere lately, or odd sounds. If he witnessed an attack or something bizarre that the cops wouldn't believe. However she never did vocalize them just yet.

His hands weren't actually that bloody but he really was just being polite. His parents had taught him his manners and he would never forget them. All men he met were called sir and all women he met were called ma'am until he knew their names and even then he still slipped back into calling them that. But she said she didn't mind and he didn't want to be rude by just sitting there and refusing to shake her hand. So he stuck out the one that looked less bloody and shook her hand, letting her help him up.

His eyes unfocused on her as he listened to the thoughts in her mind. He let his own mind go blank and the thoughts just kept rolling in. After he cut himself off from her, he blinked ten times in a split second and shook his head a little. He hated that the feeling hit him so strongly that others could notice. He would have to work on that. Her thoughts confused him. She seemed to be thinking about how to ask him about an encounter. What kind of an encounter? Was she an undercover cop? No, it would be something that would make her look like a nut case. He knew the feeling.

Elliot didn't know whether or not to trust this woman. She seemed to be very helpful but he had no idea why. She could just as easily be a monster because that static noise he heard didn't seem to be anything human. But...he always trusted his gut. And his gut right now was telling him that she might understand. "Who...what are you? And what did you want to as me about?" He may have messed up there a little bit by asking her that second question but he wasn't thinking about it too much.

Sari grinned more when he took her hand, and she helped him up. He felt light, then again with the career she's following one had to be tough or they wouldn't last long. "See...not so bad," Sari reassured him, and she pulled out a worn rag that looked like it' had seen better days. She wiped her hands clean, and then shoved it back into her pocket. "I'd offer you one but I don't think I have anything that would be sanitary enough for your hands," she confessed to him once he was on his feet again.

Then he asked two simple questions. Well perhaps simple for most people, but it caused her to eye him more carefully. Her brown eyes seemed to become sharper, and her body tensed. "I'm just a normal girl...and how did you know I wanted to ask you something?[/color]" Sari asked him puzzled, "Wait...are you a psychic?" Sari asked with a tone of someone like she couldn't believe it.

Sari had heard about them, but she had yet to meet one. Which was shocking considering some of the places she had been to. If he was a psychic though...he couldn't possibly be shaken up on seeing a monster...what ever kind it was. 'He would know about them by now...unless he's a new one. Then he wouldn't know about the monsters,' she thought off the top of her head.