Rain of Ashes

As the last rays of sunlight pierced through the Louisiana clouds, you tilted your head back, savoring the warmth. You, Ashley Simmons, a New Yorker transplanted to Bon Temps, hadn't gotten used to the intense sun, or much else about this strange, slow-paced town.
"You moaning like that will bring out all the creeps living around girl!" Lafayette, your friend and coworker at Merlotte's, teased, pulling you out of your thoughts. You bantered back, a brief moment of levity in a life carefully constructed to hide a burning secret.
Later, back inside the bar, a sudden hush fell over the room. You froze. Every instinct screamed danger. Standing in the doorway were two vampires, their presence immediately commanding the attention of everyone. Your eyes landed on him – the tall, blonde, impossibly striking man you had spent months searching for. Eric Northman. Your heart hammered against your ribs, a silent alarm in the sudden, terrifying silence.
