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hdsheadphones · 2 months ago

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first discover weekly of 2025

it's the first monday of 2025! for most people, this sentence is not deserving of an exclamation point. for most people, today means back to work. back to school. away from home. but today is a very important day for avid discover weekly listeners like myself. one of my new years resolutions is one i make every year: to listen to every single discover weekly of the year and try to add at least 100 new songs to my library a week. i was nervous for this one. i had been neglecting my discover weekly for the last month amid all of the holiday craziness and my desire to listen to justin bieber's under the mistletoe album on repeat in order to feel any ounce of christmas spirit. but this first discover weekly of the year has been one of the best in a while. in order to keep myself accountable, i am going to make weekly posts about the songs in my discover weekly and talk about the ones i enjoyed, the albums and artists i will be checking out thanks to it. ok. the rest of these will hopefully not be as long as this one. let me just start talking about the music.

Drream by JGrrey ft. Zombie Juice

JGrrey has appeared on my discover weekly a few times before. i actually found my favorite song by her, Half Full, from my discover weekly back in 2019. when i saw this song and saw that Zombie Juice from Flatbush Zombies was featured, i got excited. his feature feels straight out of the 90s. the chill piano in the back and the saxophone hits the right spot in my brain. i also really love when songs have pauses throughout the song like this one does. her voice saying "do me a favor, pause it" just scratches an itch for me. this song is from her 2023 album If Not Now? and i already had another song from this project in my liked songs. i think i will definitely be sitting down with this album after this. i also learned that she opened for billie eilish on her european tour!

PULL UP by Internet Girl

i had never heard of Internet Girl before, but after reading that their spotify bio says "for fans of Jean Dawson + Paris Texas + Teezo Touchdown + EKKSTACY" it all made sense. ever since Teezo Touchdown coined the term "rock and boom" to describe his style of music as "rnb with the intensity of rock and the penmanship of hiphop" i have been obsessed. that is actually what led me to get more into some of these other listed artists like Jean Dawson and Paris Texas. i really enjoyed this song from Internet Girl for the same reasons i like these other artists. i have been really enjoying this kind of hardcore punk rap with crazy guitars and drums and synth. they are also a trio hailing from South Africa which is always cool to see. my only qualm is that this song is so short! but all the more reason to go listen to the rest of their discography.

SON OF THE MORNING by Jøjo

ok i literally thought this was Tyler, the Creator when it came on. even down to some of the lines and cadences he uses ("with my chest out, y'all chest in" a la MANIFESTO from CMIYGL). obviously, it sounds good. it does just feel like. a Tyler song. the Chase The Devil sample is awesome. or it might technically be sampling the sample of the sample from Jay-Z's Lucifer produced by Kanye West. this song is from Jøjo's debut album released last year called ROMANCE DAWN. the obvious influence from other artists makes me curious to see what the rest of the album is like. everyone has to get their inspiration from somewhere, and that is made evident in this song. and it's probably why it has 200,000+ more streams than any of his other songs. i will be listening to this album just to see what else Jøjo has to offer.

update, i played this song for my partner and they started investigating. even people on reddit don't really know what's going on with this guy.

Enjoy Yourself by berryblue

this song sits in that sweet spot between pop and hyperpop. excitable pop. it doesn't have the sped-up high-pitched vocals, but it still has the other fun sounds going on. i didn't really care too much about this song. it was fun and cute. when i saw that berryblue was featured on "The Sound of H&M" playlist, it made sense. that's what this kind of stuff was made for. it did help for a moment to fill the PinkPantheress sized hole in my heart.

Praying for You by Neema Nekesa

speaking of the PinkPantheress sized hole in my heart. this song by ethiopian artist Neema Nekesa comes in at one minute and 47 seconds. and when it comes on it takes over my whole brain. the constant drum beat in the background plus her deep, smooth voice. this song came out in may of last year, and she dropped a second single alongside it just last month. she does not have an album out right now, but it looks like she's gearing up for one. i did already listen to the second single Believe Me, also short, at one minute and 30 seconds, and it was just as good! i'm looking forward to keeping tabs on her.

Akira by MICHELLE

i liked this one! i have listened to MICHELLE a bit before and always enjoyed them. it sounds like a bunch of their other stuff that i like. i have never sat and listened through one of their projects. this song is from their 2024 album Songs About You Specifically, which the title alone is enough to intrigue me. this song also gave me a kinda Still Woozy vibe in the beginning that drew me in with the funky sounds!

SOFALOVE by Javi Vera

this one was funnnnn. i had never heard of Javi Vera, and when i went to his page to see what recommended artists i might know, the only one that showed up was Hotel Ugly. it's kind of electronic with some cool bass riffs in the back. the lyrics about thinking someone was the love of your life and wondering why now you're sleeping on the couch. i was really into this. this song was from his 2024 album Junior Varsity. my only qualm is that this song is so short! but it's fun enough to where i don't mind playing it on repeat.

In The City, Outta Town by Yeek

i was really excited to see yeek on my discover weekly. i was obsessed with his 2021 album Valencia, and his song I'm Trying featuring Dominic Fike was one of my favorite discover weekly discoveries from 2023. the slow tempo and his smooth voice. im into it. this is from his album he dropped last year that i didnt know about.

take time by Isaiah kaleo

this was one i didn't add to my library. at first. upon relistening to write about it, i had remembered liking the saxophone in the beginning. about halfway through it picks up this fun percussion beat and picks the tempo up a bit. i liked this, it was nice! i think i just didn't care much for the vocals at first, but the music saved it.

TOOYUNG by colin!

i really love the resurgence of the 90s style rap among young artists. colin! mixes rap and jazz so well. it was so fun and funky and loud. i liked this.

Whatever by Cadillac Dale

getting samples from popular songs is one of my favorite parts of discover weekly. this song was sampled in Jack Harlow's 2023 hit Lovin' On Me, a song i was embarrassingly obsessed with. it was cool to hear the original, and i will be adding it to my playlist of samples!

ice (feat. BAMBII) by Ragz Originale ft. BAMBII

why so many songs under 2 mins it's killing me! this song was good! i really love the choppy sound mixed with the synth. neo-rnb is one of my favorite genres. their voices make it so smooth but it's still so engaging! i just wish i could have been engaged for longer than 2 minutes!

Maybe It's You by Pump Action

this might be my favorite song from this discover weekly! fun little indie moment. i really love the part where they say "i'd say green ain't your color, it looks better on me". their spotify artist bio says "your new favorite band", and i'm excited to test that.

The Suburbs by Bickle

this was one of the only ones i didn't save to my library. i just didn't care much for the vocals or the lyrics, which is usually the main thing for me when listening to new music. i don't have much to say about this. there were some cool sounds in the back that i thought were fun, and towards the end of the song they had a cool Daft Punk-esque vocal filter on which is always good to hear. this is one of those songs that i do think i would like if i heard it when i was in a different mood.

Follow (Frank Ocean) by koda

okayyy yeah. it's a leak. unreleased music. whatever you want to call it to make yourself feel better about listening to this. listen, i am just like any other frank ocean fan: starving. and this song obviously sounded incredible. but i can't help but feel dirty when leaked songs are uploaded by random spotify profiles that are probably just doing so to promote their own music. this song specifically is from the fan made "Lonny Breaux Collection" which was just a bunch of unreleased demos thrown together and leaked online as an "album". i don't have much more to say about this one. other than i hope frank is doing okay.

Middle Name by ThaMonster

another song i didn't save. it was cool to hear, ThaMonster is a rapper from France, and this song is just him recounting his life story. it was cool to hear, and the smooth piano track in the back was sweet. just not for me!

Lejos de Ti by The Marias

obviously this song is beautiful. i just got over No One Noticed and now with this song on my discover weekly, i fear i cannot avoid listening to their new album any longer. i have heard so many good things about Submarine. to a point where i have almost been scared to listen to it.

Running Back Boy by WonderBag

i really liked this one!! an alternative indie joint with some fun guitar riffs. i liked the lyrics from this one a lot. "i said i like you when you leave me alone. don't take it wrong i'd rather be on my own."

Hit Me Where It Hurts by Caroline Polachek

this one stuck with me all day after hearing it on my drive to work. i have been meaning to have a sit down with this album ever since So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings took over my brain after hearing it for the first time back in 2022. i am now seeing that any song i hear from her has that effect on me. i also recall riley from HIVEMIND praising her 2023 album Desire, I Want To Turn Into You, so she's been on my radar for a while. i'm excited to dive into her music some more.

Let's Go Back by Jungle

like most people, i had an intense Jungle phase last summer. with Back On 74 taking over the internet, i got reallyyy into their 2023 album Volcano. this song though. it just sounded exactly like Back On 74!! still sounded awesome, of course. that song rocked. it just felt like a scrapped song from their last album.

Good Guys by chlothegod

chlothegod i love you. everything i have heard from her, i have loved. her COLORS Studio performance of UGOMDN lives in my brain. i have listened to a few songs from this project, Nearly Straight. i think she is such a cool girl. she's not afraid to be loud and cool and funny. the first line being "not to be vicious but good guys are bitches" is enough to make me lock in and hear every single thing she has to say.

Zodiac Killer by Khalil?

i'm a sucker for any song that talks about zodiac signs honestly. i think it's so cheeky and silly. plus naming it zodiac killer is good. i liked this. the slowdown at the end wraps it up nicely. this one was fun.

Self by Cleo Sol

cleo sol is one of those artists that i think are really talented, but their music just. isn't for me. i did really enjoy a few songs from her 2020 album Rose in the Dark. i do love a "save me from myself" theme which is made evident in this song. it's just a little too slow for me and my brain.

Hooptie by Romeo + Juliet

oh my god i loved this album. i did listen to this album when it came out in 2022, but this song must have been one that slipped through the cracks and i never added to my library. all of Romeo + Juliet's music reminds me of the feeling of warm, humid summer nights with your lover. arguably one of the best feelings in the world. his voice is insane. i really love the speaking parts in the song, and other songs on the album, also. the crazy synth bells in the background. that's just their sound. and i eat it up. the other songs on this album are some of my favorites from the New Jersey artist including Gem and 500 Days of Summer. this song is awesome and it has definitely reignited my love for Romeo + Juliet. it also reminded me of their 2024 release Superbad that i had been telling myself to sit down and listen to. a lot on my to-do list.

Ash (feat. Deb Never) by Matt Champion ft. Deb Never

i love you matt champion. i loved his 2024 album Mika's Laundry. and this song reminded me of it. this song is a sad one, which i try to avoid, but Matt and Deb are just so good at making these painfully sad songs that aren't a wallowing around crying kind of sad, but a sudden realization after reflection kind of sad. the "why don't you ask me out anymore" is enough to make my heart sink into my asshole. this song perfectly encapsulates how it feels to watch someone fall out of love with you but wanting to keep it going strong. a feeling i am far too familiar with. this song will be going on my sad playlist.

giving by GIOVANNA ft. Austin Marc

this song has that fun "bubbly" sound effect that i loveee in songs. this song, like a bunch of the songs on this playlist, has that electronic/rnb fusion sound. it's also under two minutes, but it's okay because it's mostly her just repeating "giving you my love" which is fun in it's own way.

French Tips (feat. Coco Jones) by A$AP Ferg ft. Coco Jones

ok i think that A$AP Ferg just isn't for me! spotify wants me to listen to him sooo bad. the only song from him i have liked is Shabba ft. A$AP Rocky. this song was alright, and Coco Jones always delivers on her features. i really liked the cover art for this song though.

Sunset For The Dead by Tommy Newport

i didn't add this one to my library. again, didn't care much for the vocals on this one. that's not to say i don't like his voice. i really love his 2023 song Tangerine. this one just didn't do it for me.

SALAD by Oblé Reed ft. ARDN

i was surprised to realize i had multiple liked songs from both of these artists. i knew the names looked familiar. this song was good, i love a good collab where both artists just flow so good together. they go back and forth between singing and rapping in a perfect way. i wish they had the lyrics up on spotify, because some of these lines were making me giggle and i would love to read the rest of them. this is another prime example of that alternative rnb sound. there are even parts of this song that sound straight out of J. Cole's discography.

Sometimes by Cammo17th ft. Twelve'len

this was a nice song to close out my first discover weekly of the year. even the lyrics, telling me to sit back and get comfortable. made me excited for all of the other music i'm going to get to consume this year. i have liked songs from both Cammo17th and Twelve'len and was excited to hear them together. like i said about SALAD. i love a good collab. the way they sound together reminds me of the melodic chemistry that Saba and Smino have. this song is from Cammo17th's 2024 album Melodic Sounds from the Mound, which features Sick and Tired ft. WESTSIDE BOOGIE, a song that came out in 2022 that i loved. i will probably go listen to the whole album considering how much i liked both of these songs.

OKAY WOW! i can't believe i actually did it. hoping i can keep this motivation rolling and continue writing about the music i'm listening to. i promise i'll get better at this.

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uzumaki-rebellion · 4 months ago

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"You spend half your life with dilated pupils I don't think you're nice And you treat me kinda cruel All your moves is crazy You compromise my safety All your friends are shady They tried to warn me vaguely You patronize me daily You never call me baby Or treat me like a lady And mainly quite frankly

You get on my damn nerves…"

Chlothegod – "UGOMDN"

A.N.: Content Warning. Discussions of abortion, blood & violence.

An abortion was impossible for Celeste to get under Louisiana State law.

Once Roe v Wade was abolished, the law in her state was activated to ban all abortions, regardless of whether a woman had been raped or was a victim of incest. Despite her fear, Celeste had to see a doctor after her third positive pregnancy test and increasing fatigue. She lived with horrendous morning sickness and suffered in silence. At a clinic, a sweet-faced young doctor told her she was about nine weeks along. The fetus was the size of a strawberry. Refusing to look at the ultrasound, she didn't want to acknowledge the being inside her as a baby. Especially when she wanted to get rid of it.

Under normal circumstances, the logical answer was to remove the fetus from her body by crossing state lines. But jumping up to take a trip to California suddenly wouldn't be easy. Celeste would have to find a discreet way to get away from L.A. relatives when she'd never been there before, find a clinic, have the abortion, and then lie around in bed for a day or two until she was okay. She wished she had female cousins her age to talk to, but the only other women relatives nearby were twice her age, jaded aunties who would curse her out for being so stupid about getting pregnant��by a vampire. She refused to share the news with her girlfriends, embarrassed that she let a dude knock her up on the first fuck. The one female cousin she had in L.A. that was only a couple of years older than her couldn't be trusted to keep her mouth shut if Celeste confided in her for a ride to a Planned Parenthood trip. It had to be a covert operation.

"Arrghhhh!"

Celeste screamed inside her car on the drive to the chicken processing plant. For the next twelve hours, she would sort chicken parts and blast-freeze them. The work was routine and boring, but paid well and she liked the co-workers who packaged the chicken on the graveyard shift with her. Anticipating relief from the city's heat, she couldn't wait. Freezing chicken in a controlled, cool environment saved her from thinking too much about her problems.

Sort. Push trays. Freeze. Toss frozen chicken parts into boxes. Rinse and repeat.

The hours ticked by and she settled into her work groove. The face mask covering her nose and mouth helped keep the stench of raw chicken from upsetting her stomach. She became so sensitive to odors lately that she didn't know how she could hide a pregnancy from her family. The hormonal changes fucked her up. She'd cry at the drop of a hat and get irritated so fast around people. Even at the chicken plant, she acted short with co-workers. Fatigue set in after six hours. Her snippiness was called out by the floor supervisor, and she took a break in the restroom to get her shit together. She sat on a toilet and cried, angry that she put herself in the position she was in. Plan B failed her. Her choice to let the man nut in her was ridiculous. She regretted not staying consistent on birth control pills after being with Freddie.

Covering her face with her hands, she berated herself for getting pregnant a second time in her life. The first time had been before she entered university. She'd been terrified then and confided in her cousin Micah, who stood by her in secret. He drove her to a clinic over in Slidell and let her stay with him and his family for a sleepover movie party to hide the fact that she needed a quiet place to recuperate. Micah was her favorite cousin, and she knew that he'd be the first to help her if she called, but she didn't want him to judge her for not heeding his warning about Terry. This time, she was on her own, and it killed her soul to know she was going back on her word to God about doing anything like that again. She swore as a frightened seventeen-year-old that she'd never have an abortion again if God could forgive her for terminating that one mistake.

The man who impregnated her as a teenager had been older, in his mid-twenties, and ended up getting killed by gun violence over in Shreveport when Celeste turned eighteen. She would've been an unwed teen mother with a dead baby daddy. Going back on her word brought her personal shame. As an adult woman, she should've done better. Being hot in the panties at seventeen didn't compare to being a grown ass fucking up.

Getting back on her grind, Celeste finished her shift and left the building quickly. She sat in her Charger and watched three male co-workers who car-pooled together in an old Honda leave before her from the parking lot. At three in the morning, the sky stayed dark enough to let the stars shine like little crystal buttons.

Her cell chirped.

Micah.

"Bitch, what's going on?" Micah said.

"Getting off work."

"I'm not askin' 'bout your job, cousin. What's going on with you?"

The noise of Bourbon Street droned on in the background of Micah's call. His club job didn't shut down until four in the morning.

"Nothin'. Just work…like I said."

"That redbone ever come back?"

"Terry ain't no redbone—"

"Whatever…you still fuckin' wit 'em?"

"No."

"Joyce called me and said you ran outta the Quarter like you seen the devil or something and she ain't hung witchoo since. Y'all been tight since gradeschool. Ain't like you to be anti-social, Duchess."

"Work has been kicking my ass…I just need time by myself."

"Quit one of them jobs, then."

"I need money to pay my rent and save up for my dream house."

"Nobody told you to go live in overpriced artsy-fartsy Marigny. Them old slave homes cost millions. Bitch, we from the Truh-May. You think two jobs and sewin' gonna pay for that in your lifetime? Unless these white folks give up some reparations, you stuck outchea grindin' for pennies on the dolla like the rest of us. Move in with me and you could save some real money."

"And watch you argue with your boyfriend and girlfriend all the time? I got enough drama without your chaotic poly life."

"Point is, cranky bitch, I've got plenty of room for you and a support system if you need it."

"Thank ya, cousin. I appreciate it. I'll file that away for emergencies."

"You need me to roll through and cook you breakfast when I'm done here?"

"No. I'm going to get in my bed and sleep until I gotta come back here tonight."

"You see a doctor about that anemia?"

"Yes. I'm not anemic. Just overworked."

Celeste let the lie sit. Micah didn't pester her further, and they ended their call promising to see each other at their grandparent's house for a Sunday dinner. She resolved to tell Micah the truth…about her pregnancy…and the vampires.

She started the engine of her car, and the Charger roared to life. Waving at incoming workers starting the next shift, she pulled out of the parking lot and headed for the long stretch of quiet state highway. A marine layer covered the road with an advection fog, reducing her visibility. She slowed down, played some music, and smoked. A violent coughing fit hit, and her stomach heaved. She threw the cigarette out of the window. The taste of nicotine on her tongue hit different. Like rotten meat.

While singing along to the radio, she noticed blinking hazard lights on the side of the road up ahead. An old Honda pulled to the side looked familiar. Her co-workers.

They milled about, looking forlorn.

She pulled up next to them and rolled down her passenger window halfway.

"What happened?" she asked.

Hector, a Honduran with a ready smile, leaned against her car. The other Black men with him watched the road for any oncoming cars in the fog.

"Blown tire."

"You have a spare?"

"Yeah, but no jack or lug wrench. None of us got Triple-A."

"I have a kit in the back. Hold on."

Celeste backed up behind them and hopped out of her car. The foggy air cooled her skin, and she hoped the temperature stayed that way all the way home. She popped her trunk and took out some small orange traffic cones with reflectors and spread them around her car and Hector's. One of the Black men, Shorty, who was over six feet tall, took out the equipment she had and started working on the tire. He did it all wrong, not even knowing how to use the foot jack she had.

"Stand back," she said, taking over tire duty.

The other guys thanked her and listened to music playing from their car. They lifted the blown tire from the wheelbase for her and Hector placed the spare on.

"Here, I can finish it up," Hector said.

He didn't know what he was doing, either.

"I got it, man. Don't get your ego hurt because a woman is doing this," she said.

She tightened each lug nut and patted the tire when she was done.

"Good to go," she said.

Hector pulled out a ten-dollar bill from his wallet.

"This is all the cash I have. Thanks for stopping and saving us from waiting around."

"Nah, Hector…keep that. Buy your kids some candy," she insisted.

"Y'all see that?" Shorty said.

Celeste and Hector peered over the roof of the Honda and looked to where the others had their attention. Massive oak trees with their sloping branches curved toward the ground like giant skeletal fingers, the fog whispering around them with an unnatural light that shouldn't have been possible without the moon. Four ominous figures moved toward them.

"Are those people hanging over there?" Quentin, a chubby co-worker asked.

Celeste quickly collected her tools and threw them in her trunk.

"We gotta leave!" she shouted.

Hector and the other men looked at her with confusion, but didn't move right away.

"The fuck—"

Shorty didn't finish his sentence before a mangy-looking white woman in a tattered trench coat jumped on his chest and ripped out his throat with feral teeth. The man's blood sprayed all over Celeste and she sprinted for her car, jumping in and cranking the engine. Fast-moving figures attacked and ravaged the other men. Celeste backed up and Quentin banged on her door with one hand, his other clutching the side of his neck that spurted blood like a geyser. She unlocked the passenger side, and he flung open the door to jump in.

It was too late.

A ferocious-looking white man with long, clawed fingers dragged Quentin out of her car. Celeste screamed and shifted gears, but someone punched in the tempered-glass on her side and dragged her through the window, slamming her onto the ground.

"No! No! No!" she screamed, her eyes unable to focus on how fast their attackers moved.

She immediately curled into the fetal position, closing her eyes and instinctively guarding her stomach in a protective hold, waiting for a death blow to rip her throat out.

What sounded like screams from hell reverberated all around her, and amidst the human cries for help and imploring moans to God from her co-workers, other blood-curdling shrieks rang out.

Someone lifted her by her locs and shoved her away from the Charger. She landed on her back with a hard thump to her head. Staring at the sky, she didn't move a muscle, the pain in her back and head disorienting her. Losing focus, she twisted her head to the side and watched Hector claw at the ground as his lifeblood drained onto the highway. Their eyes connected and Celeste could only observe in silence as life drained from his once shiny brown pupils. His blood pooled out toward her like a horrific black river.

A large pair of black leather lace-up boots stomped down in Hector's blood and walked through it like it was a useless puddle of liquid. She looked up, and The Deacon grinned at her with those sinister fanged grills.

"Well, well, well, Duchess…here we meet again with no barrier between us," he said.

Three of his female minions strode over next to him, their faces smeared with blood and gore. Only The Deacon's face looked clean from a feeding frenzy. The Goth, whose voice sounded a lot like the Dominique who claimed to have a package at Celeste's house, leaned in toward The Deacon.

"We finished killing that wild pack of feeders. They made a mess of the bodies… left blood everywhere. They didn't even have the intelligence to carry these blood bags into the trees," Dominique said.

Celeste tried to back away on her elbows with gravel digging into her sore skin. The Deacon reached down and grabbed her throat, stopping her pitiful escape.

"Let me kill her for you," the dark brown beauty said, crouching low. She swiped a clawed hand across Celeste's cheek, drawing blood.

Celeste hissed and whimpered at the pain. She squirmed under his grip and tried pulling her knees into her chest. The Deacon studied her carefully.

"She's defensive, but not for herself," The Deacon said.

The sound of a large vehicle pulled up. Celeste heard a sliding door and guessed that it was a van.

The Deacon kept a hand on her throat and used a claw-like nail from his other hand to slit her palm. He licked the blood that flowed out. His silvery-gray eyes stared at her with a look of shock.

"She's pregnant. It's a girl," he said.

His astonished voice made every vampire hover over Celeste, staring at her like she was a freak of nature and not them.

"Impossible!" the dark brown beauty yelled, sounding hurt.

The Deacon stared at the beauty and flicked his hand dismissively.

"Go make sure the ghouls handle the bodies and debris, Mia," The Deacon said.

His malevolent eyes softened, looking down at Celeste.

"We won't hurt you, Celeste. In fact, we will be your most ardent protectors because you carry something phenomenally priceless in your womb. I have lived several lifetimes and have yet to lay eyes on what you are about to bring into the world…a dhampir."

He stared deep into her eyes, probing them, and shook his head, gently helping her sit up.

"No…you will not abort this child. I know we may seem like horrid monsters to you because of the way we have to survive. But we are not different from you."

"You are bloodsuckers, you kill people…that's evil," Celeste said.

"You stupid humans don't kill people? Or slaughter other living creatures to feed yourselves?" Dominique barked.

"Dominique, chill," The Deacon said.

"They always think they're better. I'll be glad when our Morningstar wipes them from the earth."

"And what will we live on?" The Deacon said, annoyed.

Dominique rolled her eyes. Celeste noticed that none of the other vampires had silver eyes like The Deacon.

"Come now, get up young mother," he said.

He lifted her with a brawny arm and placed her back on her feet.

"You feel well enough to drive home?" he asked.

The sincerity of his tone threw her off. This was not the same angry and vicious vampire who beat at the door of her house, aiming to trick her for an invitation. She glanced past him and the other vampires. Two slinky individuals in dark clothes stacked Shorty and Quentin into a white van.

"Oh, God," Celeste said, turning her head away.

A third vampire minion stripped the last of Hector's clothes from his blood-soaked body and began eating him, starting at his feet. The loud crunch of bones breaking and human flesh being slurped down the worker's throat sickened her. She turned her head and lurched forward. A spray of vomit flew out of her mouth.

The Deacon chuckled and kicked dirt over it.

"Now you see what our clean-up crew does once we're done eating. They dispose of the bodies for us, leaving behind no trace like a crime scene unit. We're very efficient and prudent," he said.

The Deacon guided Celeste back to her car. Her mind couldn't fathom what was happening.

"They have children, families who will miss them…" she said.

The Deacon ignored her words.

The pale-skinned vampire pack that attacked her co-workers were left on the side of the highway and ignored. A ghoul who looked like a forgettable-looking citizen with a trim beard hopped into Hector's car and drove away. The van pulled off behind it.

"You aren't taking those dead vampires, too?" Celeste asked.

She wiped her mouth and gagged at the feel of vomit still left at the back of her throat. Coughing, then spitting, she did all she could to keep from throwing up again.

"The sun will destroy evidence of them. Our concern is that they don't properly hide their refuse."

"Refuse?"

Celeste's voice rose to an angry pitch.

"They're fucking people…humans with loved ones who are going to wonder what happened to them," Celeste screamed.

"You say that as if that's our fault," Dominique said, leaning against Celeste's car. "We didn't kill them."

The Deacon turned Celeste's face to look at him directly.

"We don't do that to people often. Our kind prefer to eat and release. We resort to killing only in self-defense or special circumstances."

"Your kind?"

"We are the top of our species' food chain. Those creatures are bottom feeders, the reason the Old Ones hunt us. They blame us for those inbred gutter dwellers. If we acted like them, do you know how many humans would disappear daily?"

"How come Terry can walk in the sun if he's one of you?"

"He's a Daywalker. The true apex predator. More powerful than us because he can kill the Old Ones during times we cannot. That's why we need him. He's our champion. If we're lucky enough, the baby in your womb will be like him. She would protect us, too."

"I'm not keeping it."

"Yes, you are. You call her Strawberry in your mind, because of her size. I could taste how attached she is to you, how much she loves you—"

"Stop fucking manipulating me. It's just a fetus with developing cells…a blob, and I'm going to stop another one of you from coming into this world. I'll find an Old One and tell them about you! I know what they are…gargoyles! Terry's great-granddaughter Miss Irma told me about them."

"Then you will doom yourself and that baby," Dominique said.

"It's not a baby! You're tricking me, trying to guilt me into keeping it."

"Rationalize your conflicted feelings how you want, Duchess. But your first instinct was to protect her. Ball yourself up. Even when I came to help you, you reacted by covering your stomach," The Deacon said.

Celeste's eyes watered.

"I can't have this baby…I can't have a monster."

"Does Terry look like a monster to you?" Mia asked.

Mia's eyes welled up. Tears fell down her face. The Deacon wiped them away.

"Mia…don't cry. She's only scared," he said.

"I'm scared for us, too," Mia said.

What the hell was happening?

Vampires afraid and crying?

The Deacon opened Celeste's driver side door. The ghouls had taken away her broken window. He traced a finger across her face and showed her the blood and bits of skin that stuck to her cheek and hair.

"You need a bath and some rest. We can't stop you in the daytime, so if you run off to…terminate…that's your choice. You don't know how profound this is for us and the hidden world. I beg you to reconsider. We'll fight anything that tries to harm you or the child."

"She doesn't want it. Let her end it," Mia screamed.

Mia's fangs were stained with blood from feeding on Celeste's co-workers, too.

"Time to go, Deacon. The sun will be up in two hours," Dominique said.

"Go home…sleep, Duchess," The Deacon said.

Celeste climbed into her car and drove off in a daze. Why didn't they kidnap her and force her to have it? They had the means and minions to do that.

From her rearview, she watched the vampires walk into the diminishing wisps of fog and vanish among the trees.

Chapter 12 HERE.

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