Blood in Blood out

Introduction

The eighteenth century, the century of enlightenment, the century of the people!
The world is waiting for the new time; some people have started to feel its effects. Revolution is at the door, yet as man makes new discoveries, others remain hidden.
The eighteenth century is one of change and revolution, of science and philosophy, but nonetheless it still holds mystery and wonder, tales of creatures born in darkness. Only but a few knows the truths of this other world, this world of darkness.

It is the year of our Lord 1737, in the harbour town of Plymouth. People come people go, it is a town of bustling life. Ships and goods arrive everyday and Plymouth is the connection to the new world, America. As immigration and emigration is very usual, the city’s inhabitants constantly change and new people mix with each and another. It is a city filled with individual fighting spirits, spirits of men and women who desperately tries to reach their goals. In this time of change anything is possible; anything can be achieved if your mind and soul is strong enough.

Kevin’s tale, chapter one

1737 August 21

In the mild, late summer’s night two people were walking down the street arm in arm, as couples of this time and age usually did.
The woman who seemed to be in her forties was laughing and seemingly enjoying herself. Her demeanour and clothing told of riches and good status. She was a well breed aristocrat, if but a tad bit too noisy, too erratic and a bit immature.
Her escort, a handsome young man, was smiling warmly, gently leading her down the street. His steps were light and elegant and he had a certain aura about him, something that made you want to get to know him, something that made you trust him.

The youngling and the lady were holding a conversation and suddenly the woman answered him quite aloud.

“Oh Mr. Hayden you are to kind, an old woman like me could never interest you”

At this statement he laughed a little, but within the frame of a perfect gentleman.

“On the contrary Mrs. Huntington, a woman of your beauty and elegance is rare to come across. Your mere presence instantly light up a room and only a fool or a blind man would fail to see that” His smile was a shining and alluring one.

Mrs. Huntington, as was the lady’s name, giggled happily.

“You couldn’t possibly mean that Mr. Hayden” she giggled.

“Please” Mr Hayden said and stopped in his tracks, while lifting her hand.
“Call me Kevin”

As he said this he kissed her hand, with an elegance and etiquette that held no flaws.

Mrs Huntington’s face turned completely red and she giggled like a maniac.
His eyes met hers and she looked as if she did not know what to do.

“With this I bid you adieu” Kevin said with a graceful bow.

They had arrived at a rather wealthy house; apparently this was where Mrs. Huntington resided.

“Oh we have arrived already” Mrs Huntington said with a rather disappointed voice. “Will I see you again?”

“Anytime you are in need of my services” Kevin replied, once again with a graceful bow. “You know where I live, even though it is not much to brag about, you are always welcome”

Mrs Huntington looked at the ground with a shy expression on her face, much like the one you can see on a schoolgirl who is faced with the one her heart desires. She started digging in her purse and pulled out a couple of coins.

“Here” she said with a shy voice. “You are in more need of this than I am”

“I couldn’t possibly accept madam” Kevin said with an acted reluctance.

“No, no, please take it” she said. “And promise me that I will see you again.”

“Anytime you would like Mrs. Huntington,” Kevin said, accepting the money.

“It makes me feel so old when you say Mrs. Huntington, please call me Caroline,” Caroline said with a face still blushing.

“Then I wish you a good-night, Caroline, in the hopes that I will see you again soon,” Kevin said affectionately and leaned forward, giving her blushed cheek a soft kiss.

“Oh my!” Caroline lowly exclaimed.

“G-good n-night,” she managed to stutter out and she turned around, quickly walking inside while blushing wildly.

Kevin stood in front of her house for a while, smiling.

“Works every time,” he thought as he walked away. “I think they know what’s going on, but they just don’t want to think about it. Either way I’m happy, they are happy, it’s a win-win. Those aristocratic men must be utterly boring.”

He walked across the muddy worn streets, passing dark alleys, sometimes hearing people getting their wits kicked out of them. There were bullies everywhere and the guards were actually a great part of them.
The keepers of justice were many times the cause of many of the injustices, how ironic.

“One day I’ll leave this dump” Kevin said to himself, as he walked past a rat eating of what looked to be a dead man.

“I need a beer”

With that he headed for the Tavern.

Before long he reached the popular tavern “the Brig of Bounty”. It was a nice place owned by a trustworthy, honourable man, known by the name of Fred. It might not have been the fanciest of places, but it definitely was a good place nonetheless. The beer was good, the service was fine and the prices were excellent!

When Kevin arrived people had already started to take their leave and it was growing ever darker outside. The guests who still remained spoke in hushed voices of the dangers of the night; everyone knew that it was dangerous to brave the darkness, especially alone.

Kevin stepped into the tavern with a slight sigh, one beer and then he would head home.

“Hi Fred, one beer please,” Kevin said as he seated himself at the bar.

Fred gave him a short nod and then turned to answer the man he had been talking to.

"Pfft! ‘At's pure nonsense! There's nothing prowling the streets in Plymouth at night, ‘cept maybe the odd drunkard…" Fred said dismissively, to the bum sitting across the bar counter.  

"No I've seen it meself, t'was a shadow, quick as lightning it was!" The bum replied gesturing in his excitement.

"Friend, if it had been quick as lightning you'd have missed it..." Fred said rather flatly.

"I WASN'T DRUNK AT TH'TIME DAMN IT!" The bum exclaimed angrily, as the crowd in the bar were laughing at him.

Fred wiped another glass clean with a smug look on his face.

"Still, can't hurt ta be careful." Another man said and cast a glimpse out the windows. It's was moonless night, so there was hardly any light at all.

Agreeing murmurs could be heard from the other guests of the bar.

"Well tis true, there's enough violence out there to scare away any monster dumb enough to try its luck here..." Fred replied. "By the way did anyone hear what happened to Shane?"

There was no reply, just shrugs and shaking heads. Either no one knew or they didn’t wish to speak about it. Kevin guessed it was the latter.

"Ah he'll manage, I suppose" Fred said, continuing to wipe his glass.

Kevin had listened to Fred’s and the bum’s conversation, with a mild interest and as it ended Fred sent a beer over to him.

As Kevin was drinking, he looked across the bar and to his great dismay he noticed Ken sitting on the other end of it.
Filthy, good for nothing cat burglar!

Ken always annoyed Kevin. Kevin didn’t know why, but there was something about him that made Kevin dislike him, a lot. Ken’s actual name was Kenaniah; it was a stupid name in Kevin’s opinion.
Kenaniah’s hobbies consisted of three simple pleasures. Firstly, robbing people; it didn’t matter if they were rich or poor, as long as they had something Kenaniah wanted, which was anything of value. Secondly, killing people; also here Kenaniah wasn’t very picky; he really wasn’t the picky sort of man. Finally, having sex, a lot of sex, preferably with whores, female whores, although a young lad here and there wasn’t necessarily bad. So in the end it wasn’t such a mystery that Kevin disliked the man to the extent he did. But somehow it was like there was something else more than the apparent flaws of that scum that made Kevin feel contempt against him. Either way it was something that Kevin had yet to admit to himself.

On this most “joyous” night Kenaniah actually looked worse than usual. Kevin could only guess what he had been up to. It was probably something that was filthy, despicable and if anything, barely legal.

Kevin smiled to himself at the sight of the filth.

“Hey Ken” he said with a laugh and smile that hinted on a smirk. “Where have you been? You look like you’ve been rolling around more than usual in the dirt. Playing with the rats again? You look even more filthy than usual; I didn’t think that was even possible.”

Kenaniah lifted his head at the remark and let out a sigh, as if he had encountered something that really wasn’t worth his energy and effort.

"Perhaps I did, what's that to ya? And how many old skanks have ya been shaggin' to earn some beggar's money eh? Ya gonna end up dead some day I'm tellin' ya boy."

Just as Kevin was about to give his opinion on Kenaniah’s very fitting remark, a girl appeared at the bottom of the staircase behind the bar. She stood there with a blank expression, only dressed in her nightgown. And by the looks of it, it could fall any second. Her face was beautiful even if it was expressionless and her hair fell like silky curls on her chest. It shone by the light of the candles that lit up the bar, giving her an almost eerie glow.

She stood there without moving and Kevin stared at her, his hazelnut coloured eyes marked with curiosity, she didn’t seem to notice, but then again everybody was staring. Kevin could see her sway slightly where she stood, she seemed to be a bit faint. He suddenly became worried that the girl would fall, she didn’t seem too far away from doing just so.

Fred then noticed her standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Eh girl are ye feeling better?"

He waled over and showed her in behind the bar, offering her a place to sit.

"Sit down, ye best not be walkin about." He said."Besides, we're closing real soon, do ye want something warm to drink?"

He didn’t really wait for an answer instead he pulled out a mug, looked over at the counter and stared for a while at the bottles of spirits and ale. Then he shook his head and took out a kettle instead.

"Maybe some tea." he said and put the kettle over the fire.

The girl who was sitting on the small chair just stared at Fred’s back with a blank expression.

"There is nothing wrong with me. It was not required of you to do that. I am fine..." she said barely audiable.

Fred didn’t seem to hear her, but then again he had been working at this tavern for years and it wasn’t the most quiet of places.

"Last order now, then the bar's closed." He then shouted out to the bar’s customers as he straightened up again.

Kevin let his gaze leave the odd girl and looked out the window into the dark.

He let out a sigh, there's was no choice but to brave the darkness. It was a dangerous thing to do, but luck usually was on his side. Getting home would hopefully not prove to be a hard task.

Kevin gulped down the rest of the beer and left some money on the counter.

"Good night Fred" He says as he stood up.

"Good night young miss" he said turned to the girl, as he inclines his head.

"And Ken" Kevin said walking towards the door, looking back with a smirk. "Take a bath"

Kevin wasn’t one to let a comment slide and so he once again made sure he got the last word, call it pride or whatever, Kevin didn’t care. In this town and this time of age, pride could serve one quite well in many ways.

He stepped out on to the street feeling a chilly northwind hit him and ruffle his raven hair with its cold touch. The street was pitchblack and only lit up by the flickering streetlights.

Kevin felt the creeping chill of the night, it wasn’t like the northwind, it was colder and more threatening. It was the darkness that lurked in every corner, in every room and in every heart. It was the feeling of murderous intent, of downright despair and of unspoken hatred. This was the true nature of the chilly nights, and the true nature of Plymouth. Kevin once again felt the longing of leaving this godforsaken place, but he couldn’t. He wasn’t powerful enough, he wasn’t rich enough and he wasn’t brave enough, not yet, maybe never.

Suddenly a high pitch scream of utter fright and terror cut through the night. It came from behind him, not too far away. The screach chilled him to the bone and left him unable to move, and there it was again. No, his legs started to move, faster and faster, heading toward the docks, heading home. Kevin ran as fast as he could through the streets of Plymouth, never stopping and never looking back. It felt as if something was breathing down his neck coming closer with promises of the cold embrace of death. Kevin didn’t want to know anything of it and ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He wasn’t ready to face the cold grip of death and deep down he wondered if he ever would be.

He was breathing heavilly when he finally arrived outside his house, which he shared with his friend Alden. He was dreanched in sweat, but he was unharmed. He leaned heavilly on the door as he fumbled to get his keys out. Kevin opened the door and so he was safe, at least for tonight.