Content Warning: discussion of death, blood drinking, and allusions to torture        

          Over the next few weeks, Wren was pleasantly surprised by Ezra’s work ethic. When training, she had shown an attention to detail that they hadn’t seen from her in a long time. Wren’s caseload was lightened by her efforts, and it was easier to finish the other tasks they had. Even Ezra’s case files improved since training. She was working half-time as a case manager, then the rest of the time as the data entry assistant. Her productivity was unexpected, but the pay jump probably helped. 

          It was an adjustment, having someone work so closely with them, especially since that person was Ezra. They were used to completing their tasks on their own with no interruptions, but they were constantly distracted by her. Wren would get into the zone on a case file and be taken out of it by Ezra’s sighs or incessant nail tapping. She did keep to herself for the most part, which helped. Ezra was… competent. It felt odd to think, but Wren truly couldn’t complain. They were hoping to have someone to befriend when they found out about this new position, but if they couldn’t have friends at their place of work, they’d take distant capability. 

          Wren was already sitting at their desk before the start of their shift. It helped them to have a few moments of solitude before their night started. Ezra worked 9 PM to 1 AM with them, then the rest of the shift was spent on her case management duties. At 8:59 PM, Wren cracked open the first case file, listening for Ezra to rush in and set down her things. Ezra was always either right on time, or horrendously late. 

          At 9:01 PM, Ezra ran in, slamming their bag onto the little desk next to Wren’s.

          “Good night,” she panted. 

          A thought occurred to Wren: Do vampires even need to breathe? 

          “Hi,” Wren said, almost impressed at Ezra’s attempt at being on time. “How was the flight?”

          “What?”

          “How was, you know, your flight here?”

          “I drove, Wren. What are you talking about?”

          Wren wilted a little, “I thought vampires, like, flew? Like you could turn into a bat?”

          “That’s…” she screwed up her mouth, “Not true.”

          “Oh! I’m sorry, I thought –”

          “It is a stupid stereotype, everyone knows that it was created by humans. Do you know anything about vampires?” 

          “Um, not anything that you haven’t told me. Which isn’t much. There wasn’t a supernatural education module in my training materials.”

          “Well, next time you talk to a vampire, do not ask them about their ‘flight.’ Bats, of all things!” Ezra gave a disbelieving laugh.

          “You’re right. Thank you for letting me know. I appreciate you telling me this,” Wren said, very professionally. They felt sick.

          “Of course. I cannot have you walking around spouting off falsehoods. Anyways, I am going to get started on my case files,” Ezra looked down at them bemusedly.

          “Right! Yeah, I am, too.” Wren gazed at the case file with a sigh. They tried to focus on the words in front of them, but their concentration was spotty. They were feeling more settled by the time 1 AM rolled around. It was time for lunch. They usually just ate in their cubicle, pulling out their lunch box after clearing away the case file in front of them. Sometimes they just worked through their break if they were behind on files. Ezra stood, looking at them for a moment. She grabbed her messenger bag and sighed.

          “You know,” she said, “You could always eat lunch outside of your cubicle. Perhaps you could join us in the break room.”

          “Oh, I don’t –” Wren said, then stopped. “I usually eat in my cubicle because no one wants to sit with me. I’m the odd one out.” Why did I say that to her? She doesn’t need to know that I’m desperately alone here. 

          “That was when you started. I remember seeing you that first week, then you disappeared. Look,” she sighed, “I will sit with you. We can talk about something that isn’t work for thirty minutes, and maybe someone else will join us.”

          “You don’t have to do that, I’m not super interesting. I just work and sleep.”

          “I’ll be the judge of that,” Ezra smiled. Her pointed canines shone in the fluorescent light. 

          “I – Okay,” Wren slowly stood, packing up their lunch. They were waiting for Ezra to change her mind, but it seemed like that wasn’t happening. Maybe she pitied them after their stilted conversation earlier that evening. They stopped eating lunch in the break room after their first week at the job because no one sat with them. They had felt too unsure to sit with an established group, for fear of rejection. But maybe with Ezra, things could be different. It was strange that she’d offer to sit with them, especially after their conversation that evening, but if Ezra wanted to help them, they wouldn’t refuse.

          Ezra stood at the doorway to the cubicle, waiting for them. Once Wren was ready, the two of them made their way to the break room. It was a cacophony of sound – chitters and playful growls as the chimera who worked in Humanoid Resources, Ryan, laughed with his tablemates. Ezra looked around, found an empty table and sat down. Wren followed suit.

          “I don’t see the other case managers yet. We usually sit together and chat,” Ezra said. Wren nodded, looking down at their lunch bag. Wren began emptying their bag for the second time, noticing that Ezra only pulled out an opaque smoothie tumbler for her lunch. As she shook it, Wren heard the wire ball inside rattle back and forth. They took a bite from their sandwich and Lily appeared, ducking under the doorway. Her face brightened as she caught sight of Wren, smiling as she ambled over. She sat down across from them, setting down a lunch bag and her knitting supplies.

          “Hi, Wren! Never thought I’d see you in the break room again! I know you prefer your solitude.”

          “Hi, yeah. Usually, I like to eat on my own, but Ezra talked me into it.” Wren smiled, always happy to see Lily. 

          “Yes,” Ezra said, “It took some convincing, but a change can be nice.” 

          “Yeah,” Wren agreed. Nova and Murk appeared in the doorway, seemingly in intense conversation. It carried a bit, so Wren was able to catch their words over the din. 

          “You don’t understand, Mango Loco is far better than Orange Dreamsicle! Orange Dreamsicle is way too sweet for me!”

          “I still prefer the blueberry Red Bull. It gets me going without giving me the shakes.”

          “Yeah, that’s fair. I don’t mind the shakes, though. It keeps me awake through the night!” Nova and Murk ended up at the table, hands full of energy drinks and lunch bags. They looked over at Wren but didn’t say anything. 

          Lily caught Wren’s attention, “I have to tell you about the new sweater order I’ve gotten! It’s a cable knit sweater with alternating color blocking. It should be a good challenge, but I’m looking forward to it!”

          “That’s great, Lily! I’ve gotten most of the way done with the pants I’m making with granny squares; I just need to finish five more squares and sew it all together.”

          “You knit?” Ezra asked.

          “No, I crochet. It’s just something to do with my hands.”

          “Yes,” Lily said, rubbing her needlepoint legs together, “It helps me focus, gets rid of my nervous energy.”

          “Oh,” Ezra said. “Have you made anything else, Wren?”

          “Yeah, I enjoy making little animals. I’ve made birds, frogs, lizards, even spiders, one of which Lily has on her desk. I’ve made bats, too,” they said, stealing a glance at Ezra, who smirked. Wren flushed a bit under the attention.

          “Oh yes, I love the little spider plushie, it’s just adorable.” Lily smiled, taking a bite of her lunch. It appeared to be oval objects wrapped in silk. Wren did not investigate further.

          “A bat? Maybe you could make one for me.” Ezra said

          “Oh, yeah… Maybe,” Wren looked down at their lunch. 

          “How’s Michael?” Lily asked through her mouthful.

          “Is Michael your partner?” Ezra asked.

          “Oh! Um, no, Michael is my pet lizard. She’s fine, just as long as she gets her fill of crickets every few days. I don’t, uh, have a partner.” Ezra hummed noncommittally at that. 

          “Which is a shame! You’re such a catch,” Lily was gesturing with her hand, two spider legs following the motion.

          “If you say so,” Wren said, feeling warm, still staring down at their lunch. 

          “I do! Anyone as creative and hardworking as you should be able to find someone to spend your time with.”

          “No one I’m interested in works this kind of schedule.”

          Ezra looked over at that, “Why not someone from work? It happens all the time.”

          “That would be unprofessional! There might be a power differential, and besides, no one here is interested in me.”

          “How do you know that?” Ezra asked intently. Her eye contact was unnerving. Her eyes were a soft, warm brown, but her gaze was intense.

          “Just… The vibes I get from everyone. It’s fine, I don’t need a partner right now.” 

          Ezra hummed again, looking away. 

          The rest of lunch was spent chatting with Nova and Murk, who ended their debate on the superior kind of energy drink. The conversation moved towards the benefits of other forms of caffeine. 

          They were pleasantly surprised with how lunch went. Everyone was kind, and even though they mostly just made small talk, it was nice to interact with others. Maybe Wren would go to the break room for lunch more often. Not every day, but they could handle it a few times a week. After lunch, Wren and Ezra walked back to the cubicles together. They were confused by Ezra’s change in demeanor towards them, but they were grateful that she wanted to make an effort to include them. Maybe working with Ezra wasn’t as bad as they thought it’d be.

~

          The next few weeks saw Wren joining the case managers for lunch every few days. They enjoyed the company, and Ezra seemed to be happy at the fact that Wren joined them all. Wren thought that the two of them were starting to become work friends. They chatted about their lives before working on the pile of case files together. They had lunch with each other. Ezra even asked if Wren wanted to join them for an early morning drink after their shift. Wren refused but was happy that Ezra offered. In their spare time, they worked on a bat plushie for Ezra. Wren didn’t understand what changed between the two of them, but they were glad that Ezra took the position. Her old work ethic was completely transformed, and she seemed happy to see them now. Maybe the extra responsibility made her realize what needed to change, or perhaps splitting up her workday allowed her to focus more on the tasks she needed to complete. It was hard to say, but Wren appreciated it either way. 

          Ezra finally cleared enough case files that she didn’t need supervision anymore. If there were any issues, Wren would be there for help, but Ezra was able to work in her own office now. Wren didn’t know why that sent a pang through their chest. They found that they would miss having another person in their cubicle with them. The characteristics that distracted them – the nail tapping, the shifting of her seat – would be more noticeable in their absence. 

          Wren was sitting at their desk a few days after letting Ezra know she could work on her own. They looked at the pile of case files on their desk. Ezra would come by to pick up her half, then she would be on her way. Wren sighed, looking down at their hands twisting in their lap. They felt nervous. They had finally finished the bat plushie and were going to give it to Ezra that night. It’s an inside joke between them now, right? She thought it was funny, Wren thought.

          “Hello!” Ezra said, striding into the room.

          Wren looked up, “Hey. How are you this evening?”

          “I'm good,” she said, setting down her things. “I was hoping to ask – do you mind if I work in your office? I can not focus on data entry in the same space I do case management.”

          “Oh, yes of course!” Wren felt lighter, sitting up in their seat. 

          “Great, thank you. I am glad we are able to work together like this. I have enjoyed getting to know you better.”

          Wren flushed and smiled, “Yeah, me too.” As Ezra got settled and started focusing on her case file in front of her, Wren bent down to rifle through their bag. Their hand closed around the bat plushie, but they waited to pull it out.

          “Hey, um, I actually wanted to show you something,” Wren said.

          Ezra looked up, “Yes?”

          “I, uh, made you something. A gift. I – it’s stupid, I just thought – that maybe, it was a joke, but, um, here.” They brought the bat out of the bag and held it out in front of them, heart racing. 

          Ezra looked down at their hand, her face transforming from confusion to surprise. “Oh, you did not have to do this, Wren.” She smiled, her pointed teeth glinting under the lights, “Thank you, it is perfect.”

          Wren felt very warm as their anxiety left them in a rush. “Of course. You can maybe keep it on your desk if you want, like Lily.”

          “I will. Truly, thank you.”

          “You’re welcome.” They paused, “That’s all I wanted to say, so I’m going to –” They pointed over their shoulder at the computer. There was a light feeling playing in their chest still.

          “Right,” Ezra said and tucked the bat into her bag, turning back to her own work.

          Wren looked down at the file. This file would be interesting. It was a random collection. Every once in a while, the Collection Sector would send out a random soul collection – any person’s soul could be collected, it just depended on where the Demon in Charge was at the time the soul needed collecting. The file was mostly complete; there were a few important details missing though, such as the time of collection and the location. Wren looked over at Ezra and thought that this could be a good learning opportunity. 

          “Hey, Ezra, can I show you something – again?”

          “Yes, what's up?”

          “This file is a random collection. I’m sure you know what that means. However, there’s some missing information. Can you find what isn’t there?”
She stared at the file for a moment, “It’s the time of collection and location. This is my file. Sorry.”

          “No, it’s okay! That just means that we’ll have to get that information filled out soon – ideally before the collection time passes. Can you contact the Demon in Charge now? We can finish the case files later.”

          “Yes, I can, but the Demon in Charge is Bane. He only exchanges information in person,” Ezra said.

          “I’m sure if you do your case management duties first, Adrar won’t have a problem with you finishing with data entry assistance.”

          “I will let her know. Would you like to come with?”

          “Come with?”

          “Yes, it might be a good learning opportunity for you, to see what case managers do.”

          “I… don’t know.”

          “Let me ask Adrar and see,” Ezra insisted.

          “You can ask.”

          “Great,” Ezra smiled, leaving the cubicle. Wren looked back down at the case file in front of them, feeling conflicted. They didn’t particularly want to go to the collection meeting between Ezra and Bane, but she really seemed to want them to come. Maybe this was what friends did. Learn from each other. Maybe Ezra wanted Wren around, even if they didn’t need to be. 

          Ezra soon returned. “She said yes!”

          “Really?”

          “Well, she said, ‘As long as you both finish your work on time, I don't care.’ Bane is such a good friend of mine, and it will be good for you to get out.”

          “I… guess,” they thought about the files they had to clear that night and the research they needed to conduct in the morning.

          “Perfect,” she said. “Adrar said we could take the company van.” She shook the keys in one hand, “I’ll drive.”

          “Oh, okay,” Wren had never been in a car with Ezra before. They didn’t know why the thought of that made them nervous. Wren grabbed their messenger bag and the file, waiting for Ezra to grab her things. They had never been in a company vehicle, but they knew that the case managers used them for collection meetings if the Demon in Charge didn’t use technology. Sometimes their powers interfered with the radio waves, snuffing them out completely. The more powerful a demon was, the less likely it was that they would use technology to communicate. Some demons sent out charms to certain people, often the case managers they worked with or other people of interest to communicate via short messages. Ezra had one – it was a charmed bracelet inscribed in runes. Wren watched as Ezra used the bracelet to speak with Bane. 

          The bracelet glowed a bluish-purple.  “Bane? Are you there?” There was a pause as they waited for the demon to respond.

          “Yes.” A voice came through the device. It didn’t sound like Wren would’ve expected. They thought a demon would have a scratchy voice, like nails on a chalkboard. This demon – Bane – sounded almost sultry when talking to Ezra. Wren looked down at their hands, feeling warm.

          “I was hoping to meet to discuss a case file with you. I have a guest with me.” At that, she turned towards Wren. 

          They were still thinking over why Bane sounded so seductive when talking with Ezra. Maybe their relationship was more than just friendship. Through their own friendship, Wren had found out that Ezra was single, but maybe the two of them had a past. Either way, it wasn’t any of their business. Or at least, that’s what they tried to tell themself. 

          “A guest?” Bane asked, “Why of course, you know I love making new friends,” his voice dropped low.

          “Not that sort of friend, Bane. This is for work.” Wren ignored the knot  in their stomach and watched Ezra tap her fingers against the steering wheel. Her pointed nails were painted black, shining under the interior lights of the car.

          “...Alright, but I have a collection coming up soon. We’ll have to make it quick.” Bane told them the address he was at, then signed off. 

          Wren typed the address into their phone’s GPS and said, “It’s about fifteen minutes away. Do you want me to navigate?”

          “Yes, that would be great, Wren.” She turned right out of the parking garage. They made their way through the quiet streets. There was the dim hum of the radio playing some orchestral music left on from the last driver.

          “So… have you and Bane been friends for a long time?” They weren’t asking to confirm that the two of them had been together. They were just making conversation. 

          “Oh, yes, for 300 years at least. I cannot remember the first time I met him, but we saw each other off and on for a great while. He had been especially close to me for around 50 years before we decided to just stay friends. It’s been about one hundred years since then.”

          “By especially close, do you mean…” Stay professional, just keep it professional, Wren thought.

          “We were romantically involved.” Her eyes darted over to Wren, “We ended things amiably.” Ezra seemed comfortable talking about the end of her and Bane’s relationship, but there had been quite a bit of time for things to smooth over. 

          “That’s great. You take a left here.” 

          As Ezra did so, Wren wondered what she would be like in a relationship.  If she would be distant or attentive. A kind or a stressful lover. If she would – Wren stopped themself there. They were work friends, they didn’t need to know what Ezra would be like in a relationship. They should’ve been happy with the progress their friendship had made over the past weeks. They enjoyed being Ezra’s friend. Just their friend. 

          “For this collection meeting if you want to just observe, we will be done quicker. If you have any questions, you can ask me after, okay?” Ezra asked.

          “Alright. You turn right up at the light.” They sat at the right light for a moment, waiting for an opposing car to turn left before she made the turn. “It should be on the left hand side in about 200 feet.” Wren saw that they were now in the warehouse district. Concrete buildings towered above the road. They felt very crowded on this quiet street. Come morning, these warehouses would be bustling, productive, and spewing smoke, but it felt almost lonely at night. Down the street, there were two factories with their lights still on, filled with fellow night shift workers toiling away.

          “It’s right there,” Wren said, pointing to a dark building that was more dilapidated than the others. There were a few broken window panes, and under the streetlights the concrete walls looked dark, as if it was covered in dirt. Ezra parked across the street from the building under a streetlight. 

          “Alright. Usually, we meet in places much nicer than this, but it will have to do,” Ezra pursed her lips and turned towards Wren. “Bane boasts a lot, but he would not do anything to hurt you. You are my guest here, okay? Remember that.”
Wren suddenly felt worse about the situation. “Got it,” they said weakly. 

          Both of them unbuckled their seatbelts and got out of the van. They met at the side of the van and walked together towards the front door. Wren hugged their arms around themself to keep out the November chill. Ezra didn’t seem to notice the cold, so Wren did their best to keep the chattering of their teeth down. 

          Ezra opened the front door. “Bane?” She called, taking a step inside. There was a moment of silence. 

          “Hello, my dear. How are you?” Said a voice to the left of them, further inside the building.

          “Good. I'm here to show how a collection meeting goes to my colleague here,” she gestured at Wren, who was crowding the doorway next to her. 

          Bane huffed a laugh at ‘colleague’ and said, “Please, come in. Do your best to avoid the mouse droppings, I know this is not the most pleasant location.” Ezra stepped further inside, and Wren followed suit. As they did, Bane gasped, “Oh darling, you shouldn’t have!”

          “Should not have what?” Ezra asked.

          “Why, you’ve done my job for me! It’s always so difficult to track down the pesky humans during these random assignments.”

          “What?” Wren asked.

          “No!” Ezra cried. “No, that is not why I brought them with me. I did this so that they could see how we have these conversations.”

          “Are you sure there’s,” Bane paused, “No other reason that you wanted to bring them? No… errant feelings getting in the way of your work?”

          “What is he talking about?” Wren asked Ezra, turning towards her.

          “Nothing! He is talking about nothing." She sounded almost desperate.

          “Right, sure – you know the emotions I can feel coming from you. What’s even better are the feelings coming from your little ‘colleague.’ All that lust and jealousy twisting beneath the light cloud of love? Gods, I could feed off of that for days if I didn’t need to collect their soul.” Wren blushed despite themself. Bane was talking about them, surely, but they didn’t feel those things about Ezra… Did they? 

          Ezra stole a quick glance at Wren, eyes wide. “No, their soul is not an option. We are here to get the collection time. Clearly this is the location you’ve picked, but we need to know the time. Then, we will be on our way.”

          “Ah, ah, ah. Remember that when you enter a place where a demon has power, you need their permission to leave. So I don’t think you need to go yet.” Behind them, the door snapped shut, cutting out the lights. Wren felt fear zing through their body as darkness surrounded them. Something touched their hand and they jumped, pulling back.

          “Hold my hand, I know you can’t see in the dark as well as us,” Ezra said. Their heartbeat quickened as they held out their hand for her to hold. 

          “Well, isn’t that sweet,” Bane drawled, his voice coming from their right, closer to them than before. “I feel bad. How about we turn up the lights? Don’t want to leave your poor human in the dark.” After a moment, artificial lights floated above them, illuminating the poorly maintained interior of the warehouse. Bane stood among the wreckage; he was a tall, lithe demon with bluish-purple skin. He was very well-dressed, wearing a suit of some sort. It was angular and imposing. 

          “...Thank you,” Wren said, their voice sounding small to their own ears. 

          “Not a problem at all. Alright, let’s talk about the collection time. It is posted to be at 9:47pm, which is about ten minutes from now.”

          “Thank you for letting us know.  Can we go now?” Ezra asked, still holding Wren’s hand. 

          “Nope – I need their soul! It’s nothing personal. It’s just a random collection – no one will care who it is or how it’s done because of that.”

          “Is there any way you can get another soul? There’re two running warehouses just down the street, there has to be a soul you can take from there!” Wren said, feeling sick.

          “Oh look at you, bargaining with a demon. Very cute. That was my original plan, but you walked right into my arms. It’s perfect.”

          “It’s not perfect, it’s taking advantage of a guest. I thought Ezra was your friend.”

          “Yes, you are a guest, and me and Ezra are friends, but you are just a human. Our friendship has lasted far longer than you have been alive, and will continue to go on long after your miniscule existence. Even if you could be with her, it wouldn’t be for long. Unless she turned you,” Bane said with a laugh. Ezra jolted, turning to look at them.

          Wren swallowed and asked, “How will you…collect the soul?”

          “I’m glad you asked! There are many ways to seize a soul. Some prefer to snatch them as their victim sleeps, others prefer more exciting methods. Like spontaneous human combustion. I fall on the more theatrical side of things; it’s an art. That might mean there’s viscera and limbs splayed out in parts, or blood sprayed around the room in beautiful arcs. I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty,” Bane grinned. 

          Wren felt faint. They did not have a good pain tolerance. They also didn’t want Ezra to see them die in such a terrible way. Maybe Bane was right. Maybe they did feel something like love for Ezra. Maybe that was why they hated her so much before they started working together. It wouldn’t matter now, especially since they’d be dying soon. They’d had a good run, at least.

          “You said that the mode of collection does not matter, yes?” Ezra asked, looking determined.

          “Yeah, it’s a random collection, how many times do I have to say that?” Bane said.

          “Let me kill them.” 

          Wren’s stomach dropped, “What?!” 

          Ezra ignored them, “Let me kill Wren, and I will turn them. You will still get their soul, and Wren will not have to die. Or, stop existing at least.”

          Bane considered this, then smiled, “You know, there is something very Avant Garde about the whole dual blood-drinking thing. I’ll let you kill your guest, but only because you're my friend.”

          “Thank you,” Ezra said, then turned to Wren. “First of all, I am so sorry for putting you in this situation. I did not expect your soul to be collected today. You do not have to say yes, but do you want me to turn you? You will live to fear the sun and need blood to survive. You have to die, but you can live after death if you so choose.” She took a deep breath, “Bane was right. I have feelings for you, but if you accept my offer, that does not mean that you have to be with me. You will not be an underling or under my thrall. You will just be Wren. Only a little bit different.”

          Wren’s mind was racing. Ezra liked them. She wanted to be with them. They also had the chance to live past their soul collection, to get time that they wouldn’t have had otherwise. They thought of their distant family, their few close relationships.

           What do I have to lose? Only my soul. Everything else can stay the same. They thought of Ezra. My life might even change for the better. They made a decision.

          “Fine." Wren took a deep breath, squeezed Ezra’s hand and said, “Turn me.”

 

 

          Madalyn R. Lovejoy started writing seriously last fall. Madalyn wrote countless poems, collected them, and just published her first chapbook through Bottlecap Press. Her writing process is often just desperately cramming out the words before they escape them. When writing Soul Collection Services, they wrote, revised, and edited the work over the course of a few weeks. This is part of a larger work, with three chapters total. The first chapter sets up the main character’s work life, introduces the characters, and reveals that the main character’s rival will be their new assistant. The second chapter highlights their developing relationship and shows them leaving together to attend a meeting that results in the main character’s death. The third chapter is from the rival/love interest’s point of view, reacting to the fallout and finding comfort in the situation after it plays out.

 

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