It’ll Do

The old woman brought them inside her cabin. The smell of old people was rank in the air.

'She probably hasn't had a bath in who knows how long?'

Trying not to breath too much Jace listened as the quaint little cottage was described.

There was only one room complete with a bed, a table, and against the left wall cabinets and a counter for preparing food.

"Back there is my storage room."

As soon as Jace heard the woman mention a storage room she lost patience and directly opened the heavy wooden door.

This was the lady's pantry. It was cold and mostly empty.

"Can I sleep here?"

"Missy this ain't no place to sleep. Take the bed out there."

Agatha as the old lady had introduced herself as urged Jace to go back to the bed in the living room.

"Don't disturb me, on pain of death. I might be here for a few days. Don't come it."

So saying Jace hustled Tony and Agatha out before closing the door behind them.

After kicking the humans out and rearranging the floor Jace laid down and started slowing down her breathing.

She didn't have her sleep pod here so she couldn't go into a comma directly. It would have been even nicer to have her tank which could both deprive her senses of any stimulation and support a catatonic state. However, this was the best she could do on short notice. And she was proud of herself. This pantry was built into the center of the hill that the little cottage itself was built into. Very little would disturb her here.

Not that she cared. If she was disturbed, heaven help them. Hopefully Tony could convince Agatha that she was a vampire. That would deter the old woman from getting too nosy.

As time passed Jace slowly controlled her own body to calm down. With a full belly she could digest for a few days and let her pylon energy restore itself to some degree.

_____

"She's a pushy one, isn't she?"

Agatha was blunt, most old people are.

"Yes, but she has every right to be. As a vampire she is protecting us from her. Don't worry, she is a nice vampire!"

Tony explained and then added a few words to reassure Agatha when he saw her alarm increase.

"Heavens! What have I done? What have I let into my home!!"

She declared and then put her hands together in prayer.

"No, really it is okay! She is pretty mean, but I spent the whole day around her and she was only nice!"

Pleading Jace's case Tony tried to make clear that Agatha would be fine.

Mumbling something Agatha went about puttering around the room.

"Sure, tall drinks of water don't have nothing to worry about. But sweet tender women like me are probably the vampire's meal of choice…"

But Tony couldn't hear all of what Agatha said and headed out of the house to go check out the barn as soon as he could.