***Obligatory explanitory babbling***

When Susan first mentioned starting a few good challenges, 
I wrote her back, complaining that I didn't have *time* for 
new challenges as I was still dealing with the old ones and 
_trying_ to write my own fanfic (*bad* Susan! ;-))).

She retaliated by naming this one after me :-/

(O.k., o.k., so using my initials for this challenge *might* 
just have been a coincidence <vbg>...but it's still going to 
freak me out every time I log in and someone's posted under 
it!  ...so, being bored, and having stalled out for the moment
in writing my own fic, I decided a little retaliation was in 
order <wg>...

[Note:  I have never met, nor have I ever even seen pictures of 
Susan Garrett...any description used here, therefore is a 
compilation obtained second-hand from sources whom I have 
*sworn* to keep anonymous (or else be forced to find them a 
way into the Federal Witness Relocation Program...)]

Susan Garrett said:
> You may not believe this, but this story could very well go anywhere from
> farce, to comedy, to drama, or to tragedy.  It all depends on the setup and
> the players.  So pick your cast and crew wisely and post at will, kiddies.

I'll clue you in at the start, guys...this ain't tragedy!  And as 
for the cast and crew...I hope, perhaps, "not wisely, but too 
well"? ;-)

(oh, and I've made a point of not reading anybody else's 
endings yet, so any similarities are pure coincidence...and 
only prove what a truly *frightening* similarity your 
brainwaves have to mine... ;-)

Enjoy!
****************************************
Dusk to Dawn:  Nick's Revenge

	by Dianne T. DeSha
		(the *original* "DTD" ;-)


"Nick, this time you've gone *too* far!"
	The cornered vampire turned, expecting Janette, but 
finding himself instead facing a woman, about 5'5", with long 
brown hair cascading down her back, and a roundish face 
surmounted by large, plastic-framed glasses.
	"Susan Garrett," Nick said, rolling his eyes toward 
the ceiling.  Stolen _nothing_, the Caddy was probably 
_toast_.  "What are you doing here?"
	"Just because Janette takes this..., this...," she 
searched for a polite term, "This *treatment* from you 
doesn't mean _we_ are going to!"
	"We?"
	"*We*!  The Ravens and Ravenettes.  We're sick of 
watching you treat Janette like an information booth at the 
state fair!"
	"I do *not*...," Nick began.
	"Oh *yes* you do!" Susan countered.  "Except, of 
course, for the times when you need to 'relieve a little 
stress'?"
	Nick actually blushed (which takes serious work for 
a vampire) and changed the subject.  "Miklos said you 
threatened to call _Dorian_," Nick said nervously.
	"And what if I did?" Susan responded calmly.
	"Dorian is *seriously* 'out of commission', 
remember?" Nick insisted with more bravado than he 
obviously felt.  "What about _Kind Soul_?"
	Susan shrugged, "So I exaggerated a bit."
	"A _bit_?" Nick asked hopefully.
	"A *lot*," Susan reassured him with a distinctly 
unpleasant grin.
	Nick was getting desperate.  It was bad enough that 
Janette would no longer take his calls (let alone 'relieve any 
of his stress').  He could even handle angry Ravenettes 
arriving unannounced on his doorstep.  But *Dorian*?  That 
was just too much.
	Returning Susan's furious stare Nick held her gaze 
until her eyes glazed over and he could hear her heartbeat 
echoing in his ears.  He gave the only command he could 
think of on short notice, "Sleep."
	Susan slumped unconscious at his feet.

Nick tried to think fast.  He could hypnotize her out of this 
vendetta, but it would be awkward (at best) to try to explain 
her presence here.
	Besides, Dorian was coming.
	And where Dorian went, _Enforcers_ had a nasty 
tendency to follow.
	They'd be looking for her.  If he could just get her 
somewhere away--*far* away--then give her some ready 
cash, mesmerize her into believing she'd been on some 
drunken binge (Reno? Vegas? Atlantic City?)....
	There was only one way to do it.  Nick stooped over 
and picked up Susan's unconscious form. 

Susan awoke to find herself being jostled about in the dark.  
Reaching out with her ears and her fingertips, she 
discovered she was encased in steel.  A moving car...or, 
more precisely, the *trunk* of a moving car.
	As her vision adjusted to the dark, she realized that 
enough light shone along the edge of the lid to give her a 
view of the paint color.
	Blue.
	Or was that green?
	Just then a street lamp shone just long enough to 
decide the matter.
	It was *teal*.

Susan's screams of horror were lost in the rushing wind as 
the freeway opened up and the Caddy gained speed.

***The End***

<vbg> ;-)

Dianne
Dianne la Mercenaire...   -*-   <desha@mizar.usc.edu>
-*-"We must be powerful, beautiful, and without regret."-*-