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Author Topic: The Lovely Undead - The Continuing Miss Midnight Saga  (Read 5071 times)
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Kielen
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« on: December 11, 2006, 12:09:50 am »

It's here!!!
This is the place for the Miss Midnight contestants to continue or add to the stories of their lovely entries. This will be fairly open format, but if you'd like for your stories to be linked on the front page, let me know and make sure to put the name of your lady in the subject line of your story posts, and I'll try and make sure we have links up so people can follow along with your stories from the front page as well. Can't wait to see what fabulous things you all come up with!!

If you have any questions, feel free to let me know!!
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Kielen
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« Reply #1 on: December 11, 2006, 12:10:10 am »

Reserved for links...Smiley
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Sam the T-man
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« Reply #2 on: December 12, 2006, 04:24:40 pm »

For those of you not familiar with the contest but interested in the stories, my post here is regarding this latest round that I had ideas for while the judging was still taking place. Sadly I didn't make it, but with so many ideas I'm now grateful for this thread - they have to go somewhere!

... Why does the light always let me down at crucial times?! Urgh... apologies in advance for the poor lighting some of the pictures - just as well now it's not a real entry >_<

With that in mind: Skin inconsistancy alert! :oops:

*****
Tell us about a huge event in your vampiric life. Were you asked to lead a clan/boosted to power, did you turn a mortal who became more than dinner, or was it some other life altering event?

Well, forgive me for being hesitant about talking about this, but on the other hand I have to tell someone. This all happened very recently in fact. Remember Marco? It involves him. It's a long story, but as it gives more depth to the present I must refer to the past - I'll try to be as brief as I can.

Marco now has eight brothers and sisters. Gino, who I also mentioned earlier, has four half-brothers and sisters thanks to Luca's fascination with stargazing, and four true brothers and sisters, one called Jeanette who also features largely in this story. Marco and Lorna (Luca's first-born) got friendly as teenagers and went to University together, and a year later Jeanette and Erica (one of Marco's sisters) followed after them. Things got very cosy in their house after that; Lorna and Erica became an item, but so also did Jeanette and Marco. We would have been happy for them both if we hadn't known that Jeanette's intentions towards him weren't as noble as their lesbian siblings.

Apparently she'd made it clear to him at the time that it was nothing serious, which being young he seemed perfectly happy with. Which was just as well, since at his graduation party (of all times!), she made moves on one of his Uncles - Alex.



After they all left for the real world, she also fancied her chances with his other Uncle, Kieran. He's just as bad, so it figures really(!)



From what I gather, the latter relationship didn't start off as well, although that quickly changed after he got bitten by a Grand Vampire. She's crazy about vampires, and the next time they met it blossomed quickly into a passionate affair... which left her with his unborn child growing inside her. Marco, in the meantime, had settled into his work and never went near another woman. In fact he seemed drawn to her, the fact that she was pregnant with his cousin not bothering him in the slightest.



Despite both his family and ours warning him against it, he'd fallen for her big time. He was all set to ask her and her daughter to move in wih him, offering to help raise his cousin as if she were his own - he's such a gentleman. It's a shame really, I've often felt he was wasting himself on her, and he's been told this more than once. It doesn't sound nice speaking of my own daughter that way I know, but I have said this to her face a few times. She was adamant that having children had changed her, and now they have a son together. She couldn't thank me enough for biting Marco either... typical! He returned the favour by biting her sometime later, I learned.

Happy ever after? Sadly no... on both counts.

It started when the doorbell rang one evening - I was surprised to see Marco on our doorstep looking upset. Needless to say I invited him in, and we sat on the sofa as I spoke.
"What's wrong?"
He sighed as he looked at me. "You know there was a reason I asked for your embrace, don't you," he began.
   My mind flitted through images of the night in question, before I eyed him knowingly. "It's Jeanette isn't it," I stated.
   He nodded in despair, bracing himself for what he knew was to come. But as much as I knew he didn't need to hear it, I couldn't help myself.
   "We did warn you," I told him softly, "Did you really need to find this out the hard way?"
   "You know what love is like," he protested, "I didn't care. I was happy just to stay with her..."
   "But...?"
   He sighed again. "I'd hoped she'd changed," came the delicate reply, "But after this, after being able to hear her thoughts I found myself eavesdropping more and more... she's never returned my feelings and I doubt she ever will."
   I ran a consoling hand along his shoulders. "I'm sorry," I said, "I wish I could help, but sadly she's been out of our control for a long time."
   He smiled wryly in reply. "Oh I know that," he said, before shrugging.



Something changed, however. For some reason I felt butterflies in my stomach, and my heart started to quicken in pace. There was suddenly a different feel in the air, and I'm certain it was partly down to the nature of the thoughts I was picking up from him, although I tried to dismiss them as being confused feelings from a sensitive soul responding in the wrong way to kindness.
   Sure enough, his head slowly raised as his red eyes fixed onto my own. "You're so different," he uttered, a hand reaching upwards. I felt his fingers brush lightly against my cheek, and as much as I tried to fight against it, something in me was cracking. But I tried to do the right thing by both of us, and I clutched his wrist to pull his hand away.
   "Careful Marco," I told him gently, "You're vulnerable and I'm married."
   "Happily?" he challenged. It wasn't a question either.
   "Please, stop it," I found myself pleading, tears welling at my eyes.

He's not the sort to take advantage of situations, I know that for a fact thanks to my condition (it's reasons like this I wanted this, if I'm honest). But thanks to him being the same, he'd picked up on something I hadn't even realised until now; as much as Luca and I had managed to continue as normal, he just wasn't the same since becoming a werewolf. It wasn't just me who noticed either; I was only grateful that Lycans aren't telepathic. But Marco is, and all of a sudden the tables turned - he was now trying to talk me out of a situation which was no longer a good one.

   A tanned hand gently wiped away a tear from my face as he continued to speak. "You've always felt the need to be honest, and rightly so. I admire the way you've tried to compromise of late, but it's no longer an option is it?"
   
As the harsh truth became more and more apparent, I felt a huge sense of loss building up inside, and eventually I burst into tears. He offered a consoling hug, and as my head buried into his shoulder I felt his fingers stroking my hair, his head nuzzling mine. In some ways it made things worse since that's just how Luca used to be; warm, gentle, loving... he still is to an extent, but not as much as he was. The feeling had gone, and I'm surprised he hasn't noticed to be honest. Now here I was, with that feeling again. It was wonderful, and feelings of grief were becoming mixed with a feeling of longing, of warmth and comfort. I also felt a twinge of anger; for all her liking for casual affairs, how could Jeanette not appreciate this?



My tears faded, but as my head lifted from his shoulder we remained in an embrace as he smiled softly, drying the last of the tears from my cheeks. I began to wonder if it was really love he felt for Jeanette after all, and I put that question to him.
"I'm starting to ask myself that," he confessed, his head moving closer to mine. "You're wonderful... it's a shame things have turned out the way they have."

   I smiled sadly, becoming aware of a lump in my throat as I felt his breath on my face. Something in me was still trying to resist, but as he planted a tender kiss on my lips my willpower crumbled.



   "What the...??"
Back to reality. Both of us sprung from our seats, my stomach churning as I found myself confronted with a now angry werewolf. Not good. Thankfully the twins were in bed, or things could have gotten really ugly.
   "I'm sorry Luca, I couldn't help myself," Marco started, trying in vain to diffuse the situation.

I hastilly explained the problems between him and Jeanette, and Luca seemed more relaxed towards him at least. Marco beat a hasty retreat, not out of cowardice I noticed, but to gather his thoughts. I tried to do the same as I struggled to picture a way to explain things without adding too much to the damage. He made things easier however as he spoke again.

   "First Alex, now his nephew? What is it with you lately?!"
   I suddenly felt a sense of calm that was beginning to frighten me. But I couldn't help it; the changes in him lately were now so obvious it's a miracle I missed it before. I eyed his furry features sternly as I crossed my arms.
"You've always told me you were fine with me and Alex. Are you sure that's the case?"
   He sighed angrilly. "Alex I'm fine with because I know what's going on. But Marco...?"
   His thoughts told me otherwise however. I shook my head sadly, not hiding the rising tide of despair. "I wish you'd have told me Luca," I told him softly, "You've always been uncomfortable with the idea!"
   "Who says?" came the indignant reply.
   I tapped my left temple significantly as I spoke. "Your thoughts do," I replied, feeling a sense of vindication as he relented. "Why didn't you tell me?? I would have broken it off if you'd only said!"
   "I... I don't know," he fumbled in his answer, suddenly feeling unsure of himself. He struggled to retain his composure as he continued. "But what about Marco? What's so different about him... aren't I enough anymore?"

   I bit my lip anxiously as I considered how best to explain. Luca wanted the truth, and it had to be me who gave it to him. Given that he very likely didn't even realise the full extent of this truth, this was to be no pleasant task.
   "I'm sorry Luca," I began, "But you've changed since that dog bit you..."
   At first he smiled wryly. "Of course I've changed! You only need to look at me to see that!"



   I was rapidly struggling to maintain my patience. "Who's talking about looks?" I bit, "I'm not!" As the smile faded to be replaced by a frown, I managed to calm myself as I continued. "I wish you could hear yourself these days," I complained, "You're not as nice anymore... and you've never been this aggressive. Disagreements were a rare thing, but now look at us!"
   Thankfully he drifted into thoughtful silence as he listened.
"You regularly forget, I know exactly what you're thinking," I reminded, "Right now you're trying to put it down to married life, we'll never see eye to eye all the time... but that's not the case here. You've been changing slowly over time, so it wasn't noticeable at first, but lately..." I shrugged. "The kids have noticed too. You're not as loving anymore; with them you've been fine, but with me... I would put it down to Alex, but funnily enough I haven't picked that up lately. You're just not the man I married anymore, and it's painful to watch, if I'm honest."
   Luca's head lowered. I couldn't see, but I knew he was becoming tearful; the sadness from him was overwhelming. I laid a hand on his shoulder as my manner softened.
   "I'm sorry," I said gently, "The truth hurts sometimes, I know."



   He eyed me pleadingly, his yellow eyes glassed over. "Has it really come to this?" he whimpered. The sensation of bereavement returned in me as I looked apologetically back at him.
   "I have tried to carry on," I told him, "But it's got harder and harder lately... I just can't take it anymore."
He crumbled, and collapsed into my arms in a weeping bundle of fur.

It was some time before the tears passed, for both of us. His head lowered once more, he moved sombrely for our bedroom.
   "I'd better go," he murmured, "Don't want the kids left with a moody werewolf any longer."
I watched him go with a heavy heart. As the bedroom door closed I broke, and sobbed quietly to myself as he packed.


I never thought I'd be in this position. But then I never knew lycanthropy can do that to people - it doesn't to vampires after all. Thankfully he took my concerns seriously in the end, but even though there's been a recent discovery on how to prevent such changes occuring in future werewolves, it's too late for Luca and possibly Adrian too - he asked Luca to make him a werewolf. Be careful what you wish for, that's all I can say.

In the meantime, I need to consider my future as well as the present - thankfully the twins are old enough to understand what in the end was a mutual decision, and hopefully they can eventually be happy for Marco and me. In a way I'm kicking myself for being so weak, yet in another way I'm not. Was this all meant to happen? Does fate play games even with eternity?

Who knows. One thing's for sure though; guess who had to explain to Evan and Amy at the breakfast table the next day. They took it better than I'd hoped, further proof that there'd been underlying problems for a while. It just came to a head that night, and for some peculiar reason it needed an outside influence to do it. How long Marco has been harbouring these feelings for me is anyone's guess.

I patiently waited out the rest of that day, knowing the first thing I'd be doing that evening. As Evan and Amy came back from their jobs, they passed me just as I was dialling a number on my mobile phone. They thought I was just calling friends and left me to it... they were right in a way. I locked myself in one of the bathrooms as a familiar voice answered.
"Hey Alex," I smiled sadly, and allowed a quick exchange of niceties before cutting to the chase.

I ended our affair there and then. Why I'd let it continue for so long I don't know; maybe because he and Luca were best friends, and because Luca knew about it and didn't mind, or so I thought... I don't know. I could never see him in the same light again after this, especially now there was the beginnings of something special with his nephew. I needed to draw a line under the whole sorry mess, and that phone call to Alex was just the start. All I can hope for now is the support of my children as I endeavour to wipe the slate clean and start a fresh life with someone else, who happens to be another who lives forever.



*****

Dunno if this is the right place for it; if not it's easily moved by the right people Wink
« Last Edit: January 06, 2007, 06:22:52 pm by Sadie79 » Logged

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Kielen
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« Reply #3 on: December 12, 2006, 10:36:56 pm »

Yay!!! Awesome, Sadie!! This is definitely the right place for it.
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Sam the T-man
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« Reply #4 on: December 13, 2006, 11:21:11 am »

Thanks, glad you like it Cheesy
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Sam the T-man
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« Reply #5 on: January 17, 2007, 08:10:16 am »

Is it me, or am I the only one making use of this? :dontknow: Oh well. Just me being cursed with ideas and needing to put them somewhere Wink

Short and sweet, this one - I've saved my picture-taking frenzy for what will come after this Wink

*****

After Zara was slain, and I had taken my revenge on the man by draining him of his blood, I had realised very quickly that I could no longer stay in the keep, and fled into the night. Where I would eventually settle I did not know, travelling from place to place over the centuries, although during that time I realised one of my previous encounters with a man had left me with child.

It was incredibly hard to raise a little girl alone, while at the same time attempting to shroud my secret from those I lived among, and understandably Emily, as I'd named her, was becoming increasingly frustrated. Having grown up with a creature of the night she thought it normal, and could not understand why we should lead such a secretive life. When she became seventeen, eventually she left and I had not seen her again since.

Finally I found this area. It seemed quiet enough, and its inhabitants friendly, not seeming to care what creature I had become. Very quickly I realised why this was.

While out one evening I decided to explore some of the area and its amenities. I found myself in this nightclub, where there were these pools of water in vessels known as hot tubs, and tried one of them. It was so enjoyable I didn’t want to leave, but of course I had to eventually, but not before a well-toned woman joined me. Her eyes were also red, and as we spoke I noticed that indeed, she too possessed fangs. So I wasn’t alone here as a creature of the night. Feeling reassured, we spoke for a good amount of time, mostly my asking her questions about this way of life here. Vampires in this town were regarded in the same status as regular citizens, much to my relief, although I was shocked to discover there also existed werewolves – people who by day were normal, but by night they would grow fur and their appearance became more wolf-like. And she spoke of them so casually, even saying she was married to such a man.

A mere month or so later was when it began. I had acquired work in the culinary industry, and was still barely on the ladder. Still, it was enough to keep me safe and warm. On one of my free nights I heard the doorbell ring, and at first thought it may be Marco*, who had been visiting fairly often. I took such surprise on discovering it was in fact Emily.




   “Good Lord!” I exclaimed, “T'is so wonderful to see you!”
   “For me also,” she smiled, and I ushered her inside.
   “When did you also succumb to this existence?” I asked, indicating her eyes.
   She smiled sadly. “It was about two or so months after I left,” she replied, “I was ambushed, but he was not like you... he took what he needed and left me there. I was fortunate shelter was nearby, else I would have been ash on the ground the next day.”
   I bit my lip anxiously. “Not all of us keep our souls,” I reminded softly.
   “No,” she agreed, “But still. T'is done now, and folk in this era seem to understand us better.”
   I chuckled. “Because such creatures exist here too,” I told her, “I have met a good handful since coming here.”
   “Yes, I heard of that,” she smiled, “In fact that is what drew me here.”

She had nowhere to go, so I offered her shelter. The house is fairly small, so it proved to be difficult in some ways, but I would not have changed it for the world. Over the weeks we spent together after that however, her mood had raised considerably, and I had to ask after her.
   “Oh, it is nothing,” she dismissed.
   But I could sense otherwise. “Come now,” I smiled, “You have met someone?”
   “Erm...”
   I laughed as her cheeks deepened in shade. “Oh, how wonderful!” I remarked, “What name has he?”
   “Evan,” she replied.
   “And he is fine, this Evan?”
   Her shyness gone, she grinned broadly as she looked up at me. “Oh truly, he is adorable! Not only outside, but also inside.”
   “What age is he?”
   “Fifteen,” she replied, “But very mature for his age.” She then frowned. “Although when we meet he should be sleeping; he has been very sad these past months.”
   “How so?”
   “T'is his family,” she said, “But I cannot say too much, it is not my place.”
   “Of course not,” I smiled sadly.

One night upon finishing work, after changing clothes I decided to retire to the lounge for the rest of the night. But the sight that greeted me there shocked me greatly; there was someone slumped across the sofa, and Emily looked panic-stricken.




   “Emily!?” I exclaimed, “What in the name of God has happened here?!”
   “Please do not be angry mother,” she whimpered, “It was an accident, I swear to you!”
   “What was?” I approached the sofa and the person upon it became clearer. He was but a boy, about the same age as Emily, and he was dressed in dark attire with long brown hair.
   “Is this Evan?” I enquired.
   “Yes,” came the soft reply.
   I knelt by his side, and examined him for a spell. He was out cold, and more disturbingly he seemed rather pale, as though...
   I brushed some hair aside and saw them, faint but still there; two small puncture marks upon his neck. The fact they were not so clear to the eye told me the process was advanced.
   I stood up and faced her as I asked what had happened. She slowly told me that their relationship had blossomed quickly, and a passionate encounter hours earlier had resulted in his being bitten. Much like my own embrace; perhaps that was why I did not feel angry with her. Instead I merely peered cautiously out of the window for sign of daybreak. Thankfully there was none, and we both waited anxiously, hoping he would awaken in time.
   “Mother...” she began after a while.
   “Yes?”
   “I would rather we be alone, if you don't mind,” she told me gently.
   I smiled softly. “Very well,” I agreed, and decided to soak in my hot tub for a while. Many thoughts and memories drifted through my mind as I did so, but most of all I was concerned about his family; how would they react to his new state of life, him being so young?

* There are two Marcos in my 'hood – the one Nadia's referring to is the guy she was chatting with in her entry post.
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Sam the T-man
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« Reply #6 on: January 18, 2007, 01:56:04 pm »

Right... *spits on hands* I got very snap-happy with this one, made for good practise if nothing else Wink

At this point I'll mention I have a fairly different take on vampires, as you'll see.

*****

After having to explain to my children about my split with Luca, I felt I needed some time on my own for a while. I spent that first night soaking in the hot tub until my skin shrivelled, just laying there contemplating the events of the night before. But as I floated in the water with my eyes closed, I began to envisage Marco soaking beside me, massaging my shoulders just as Luca did.




My eyes sprang open, and once again I was alone in the tub. More worryingly, the light in the sky was changing – was it already approaching morning? I had to get inside quickly, before the sun emerged from the clouds, but once safely out of the rays’ reach I knew what I had to do the next time I got the chance.

I sat at the dinner table with the twins that night, chatting with them as they ate. Evan seemed rather quiet, so as Amy left for her room I pulled him aside for a while.
   “Are you alright?” I asked.
   “Yeah,” he simply replied, “I’m fine, why?”
   “You’ve been withdrawn all day.”
   Evan looked at me with a raised eyebrow. “What did you expect?” came the cutting reply.
   “You can talk to me you know,” I told him, “I won’t bite.”
   “Pity,” came the mumbled reply.
   I gave him a wary look in reply. “Come on, we’ve been here before.”
   “I just wish I could figure you guys out,” he complained, “No, not you so much, but Dad…”
   “When you’ve been with someone as long as me and your Dad have, it gets harder to end the relationship.”
   “Why’d you have to bring Marco into this though?!”
   I straightened up as my arms folded. “Is that what this is about?” I asked.
   He shrugged. “I don’t know,” he admitted, “It seems to be one thing after another; why’s our family so f***ed up lately?!”
   I knew better than to pick him up on his use of language, since he was generally good on that level. I also knew better than to try and answer logically, because it was just impossible. All I could do was shrug.
   “I only wish I knew,” was the best I could offer. Apart from a hug of course, which thankfully he accepted. Marco could wait.
   “I know this much though,” I said after we broke away, “All the males we’ve raised in this family; you all share your father’s best traits. Well, before all this happened, anyway.”
   Evan smiled sadly, but I wasn’t finished.
   “Marco’s like that too,” I told him, “That’s how I fell for him in the first place. I’m not trying to use him as a substitute or anything like that either, they’re completely different people.”
   “Marco’s a nice guy,” he agreed, “It sucks how Jeanette could treat him like that.”
   “I couldn’t agree more,” I told him, at which he seemed to relax, “And I do worry about Karl – he’s family too.”
   “I know.”
   “I worry about you too you know,” I reminded him, “You can talk to me if you need to, okay?”
   He nodded, and bade me goodnight. Satisfied that I’d managed to quell at least some of his fears, I slumped into the sofa and idly switched on the TV for a spell, letting the images wash over me as I tried to sort myself out. I didn’t get much chance before my mobile rang. Guess who it was.
   “Hey,” I smiled as I greeted him, “How’re you?”
   “I’m fine thanks, you?”
   I paused for a moment. “Um, how long have you got?!” I eventually answered.
   “That’s understandable,” he said, “Look, I know what you said about needing your own space, which I can completely understand…”
   I knew what he was driving at before he finished, but I let him.
   “But if you need to talk you can, you know what I mean?”
   I smiled as once again I melted. “I know,” I said, “I could really do with that right now…”
   “How would you like to meet me in the local park?” he offered, “It’s quiet, we can talk as long as you need to.”
   “That’d be great,” I accepted, and after arranging the time I hopped onto my bike and rode off into the night.

He was the only one there when I arrived, and boy was I glad for that. We had already agreed that with everything going on, seeing us two together wasn’t what people close to us needed to see right now, so we kept our relationship secret, at least for now. With the park being devoid of humanoid life, we enjoyed a warm embrace and a tender kiss as we met, before we found a bench to sit on. Marco became my sounding board for the night, something I don’t do to people often. Maybe that’s been my problem all along; wanting so much to help others I give no time to myself, or my problems.




I didn’t want to know what time it was by the time I’d finished, but the sky was still dark, that was something. By now I was dry from all the talking, and longing for his touch more than ever. He seemed to be happy to oblige on the second as I felt a kiss on my forehead, before his eyes once again became level with mine.

Red’s a funny colour. Our eyes burn red with the blood we drain from others, and because of that they can be eerie, or cold. Yet they can also be so warm. They say the eyes are the windows of the soul, and yet the old myth of vampires is that our soul is gone when we are turned. That, I can tell you now, is only half true. It’s what marks out the bad from the good; those of us who are good people in our lives get to keep our souls after we change, whereas those who couldn’t care less lose theirs, thus making them purely evil. They are the ones who can’t stand holiness – what evil can? Theirs are the eyes who are cold and remind you of blood. In fact that’s why their eyes are cold, there’s no soul there to give them warmth.

Between the two of us on the other hand, there was enough to keep a fire burning through the night. In fact his eyes reminded me not of blood, but of fire and warmth. Our eyes closed as we kissed, this time being free to savour the moment as we embraced and fed off each other’s warmth and love.




It isn’t just blood we need, but it helps. I don’t know how long we’d spent on that bench before a woman’s scream could be heard from nearby. Instinct pulled us from each other as our acute senses came into play, both of us now in predator mode as we fell silent, keeping an ear for any further sound to hint at the location of its source.
   We heard it again, but different somehow. It became clear there were more than two people involved, and I rubbed my hands together in glee as we rose in an expectant air. My throat once again reminded me that it needed hydration.
   “Dinner too?” I playfully asked no one in particular, “I’m being spoiled tonight!”

It was pretty much decided after that for me, but I never forgot my duties during the day, and I knew Marco didn’t forget his either. During our nights together we’d talk not just about each other, but about our families and how they were doing. The park was a good place to begin, as we came to realise it offered us a good meal to stoke us up for the rest of the night. But over the weeks that followed we went to other places, and on this particular night that place was his home. By this time I was only too happy to agree, but as we arrived I could only stare at the manor in amazement.
   “You live here?!” I breathed, “You have done well for yourself!”
   He chuckled. “Sometimes it pays to dedicate yourself to your work,” he replied, “Like yourself, right?”
   I smiled knowingly. We had indeed done well; our house was also large, maybe as large as this. But there was a slight difference. “We’ve also been around a lot longer than you,” I reminded him.
   “True,” he accepted as he led me to the front door. “So, here we are.”
I stepped inside, and although I wasn’t a big fan of modern décor, the way it was applied here did look very nice, and it seemed to add its own character. It suited the house, and it certainly suited Marco.
   “Very nice!” I remarked, before grinning playfully at him, “Very you.”
   “Why thank you!” he laughed in reply, and proceeded to give me a little tour. I had to laugh at the amount of bedrooms given there was only one of him.
   “Understandably I don’t show this room to everyone,” he said at the door to one room, and on opening it he continued “But anyway; my bedroom.”
   “Ah, that’s where you keep it,” I acknowledged on the sight of his coffin. I peered inside as I eyed the colour scheme, and couldn’t help but chuckle. “You don’t like blue much, do you?!”
   He laughed at my ironic stance, and adopted an innocent little boy look as his true silliness came shining through. “But I’m a boy! Boys like blue, don’t they?!”
   I couldn’t help but giggle, which on remembering cases like Johan was a mistake. Although this was an entirely different kind of humour to that I was used to, the nature of the beast remained the same; laugh and you only encourage them.




“Bet you dressed your boys in pink and your girls in blue, knowing you!” he insinuated as he closed the door and moved me on to the next, and last room.
   I had to travel a long way down Memory Lane to remember just what I did do. Thankfully I have a good memory. “Actually, I remember yellow being used a lot,” I recalled innocently with a twinkle in my eye.
   He chuckled in reply. “Ah yes, sunshine yellow, best used when you have no idea what’s on its way.”
   “Or you just like the colour.”
   “That’s a point,” he pondered as the door opened, revealing the master bedroom, “Why do we never use red?”
   I stared ahead for a moment, not in reaction to the room before us by any means as my head slowly turned in his direction. “You know,” I started, “That’s a very good question!”
   “Or purple, or green…”
   I coughed in response to the last one. “Oh, green’s been used plenty of times!”
   He then burst out laughing. “Of course, just right for little aliens.” We entered the room as he proudly introduced the master bedroom, before plopping down onto one side of the double bed.




“Saving the best delights for last, eh?” I teased as I approached him.
   “That’s a matter of opinion isn’t it?” he grinned cheekily.
   Shaking my head knowingly to myself, I fell into the other side, face down and stretched across the width of the bed. “Mm-hmm,” was all I said in reply as I started to fiddle with the buttons on his denim jacket. He watched my fingers for a spell before, just as lazily, the tips of his fingers began to trace the back of my hand. He then took hold of my hand and guided it along his chest, before tugging more forcefully, taking hold of my other arm and pulling me on top of him.
   “Okay,” I tittered as I peered down at him, “No need to shout.”
   But his manner changed, his playful air faded as he gazed back at me. “Oh yes there is,” he smiled softly, pulling me close.
   I’d lost the will to tease as I merely smiled in reply, before kissing his lips. Blessed this time with complete privacy, the passion between us rose to new levels.




I have no idea how long we spent in that room, either during or after the heat had died down, but I could have stayed there all night. In fact I think I did. It was lucky Marco was wearing a watch, as during our talking afterwards he periodically glanced at it, and at one point showed me in a bid to reassure me he wasn’t trying to get rid of me. It really was pushing five o clock in the morning.
   “Oh s***,” I groaned, pulling myself to a sitting position, “They’ll be up in an hour!”
   Marco watched me dress, before moving across to the now empty space on the other side of the bed and settled for pulling on his jeans. He hooked his arms round me for the last time that night as a smile played upon his lips.
   “Well,” he began, “Thank you for a wonderful night.”
   “Thank you for the same,” I grinned in reply, and we shared a gentle kiss before suddenly I was right at the front door. I stared at it for a moment before looking back at him, the playfulness between us returned, at least for now. “Show-off!” I retorted teasingly at the now giggling Marco.
   “And, for my next trick…!” he began, raising a hand, and the front door opened before us, the lights of dawn beckoning me back to my family. After a last goodbye kiss I answered its summons, hoping I’d be back before they rose.

I looked about myself as I crept in, keeping an ear out for any sign of movement. Aside from the cat, of course. Thankfully they were still asleep, so I went into the kitchen with the intention of giving the hard-working school students something to stoke up their fires for the day ahead. I was about a foot away from the fridge when something stopped me in my tracks, however.

It was the front door. I checked the clock on the wall – ten to six.
   Who on earth was that…?
 Moving slowly and purposefully away, I heard the door close and the sound of a key locking it.
   Not Luca, surely…?
   No, didn’t sound like an adult…

My heart skipped a beat as I twigged. Surely not…?
   “Evan?” I called out, moving towards the hallway. The silhouetted figure I could now see confirmed it. “Evan!?”
   He came into view with the expression resembling a schoolboy about to be lectured.
   ‘Damn, rumbled,’ was the first thought I heard from him.
   “Damn right,” I agreed, “Come here.”
   As he did so his full features came into view. Predictably he couldn’t look at me; that was the first thing that needed to change. How could I talk to him like that?



“Look at me Evan,” I said expectantly. Reluctantly he did so, and whatever questions I had lined up for him faded into insignificance in an instant. I had to fight to keep my mouth from falling open, but I couldn’t stop myself clutching his chin to lift his head up a little – I needed a better look at those eyes…
   I had hoped I was seeing things, but no.
   “Mum!” he complained, pulling my hand away, “What’re you doing?”
   “What did I say about this?!” I exclaimed, “You had a life damn it, now you’ve thrown it away!? For what?!”
   “What the hell are you on about?” he asked, causing me to stop in my tracks.
   Doesn’t he know?
   “Know what?”
   Oh good God. He doesn’t know!
   My tone softened as the task in hand changed. Finding out where he’d been could wait, this was by far more important.
   I hooked an arm round his shoulders as I beckoned him into my bedroom, and positioned ourselves directly in front of the large wall mirror. I felt his eyes on me the whole time; he clearly thought I was mad or something.
   Time to set you straight, my friend.
My head turned to him as my hand once again clutched his jaw, more gently this time, and guided his head in the direction of the mirror.
   “Take a look,” I invited, checking his reaction carefully. Frowning he did so, and my stomach did somersaults as my worst fears were confirmed.



He stared aghast at the empty mirror, his searching fingers feeling his face as though making sure he was in fact there, in front of the mirror. They then took on a probing of a different nature, having confirmed that he was there, and began to feel along the edges of his front teeth. It wasn’t long before he discovered his new fangs.
   As he continued to stare at the mirror, a hand crept to his neck as he muttered to himself.
   “How…?” he uttered, “When…?”
   “You tell me,” I hinted, although it was clear he had no idea himself. This concerned me a great deal, and I invited him into the front room. “Come on young man,” I beckoned, “We need to talk.”

As we sat on the sofa his mind started racing, which only served to fuel my worries. Cutting through his thoughts, I decided the best place to begin was with a little vampire trivia.
   “You know, I can only speak from experience, but usually if a vampire bites you, you know all about it. The flesh along your throat is thinner and more sensitive, both to pain and pleasure.”
   This seemed to work, but I began to wonder if I wanted to know, or indeed confirm, how he managed to miss the sensation of being bitten. As he slumped forwards his thoughts were too poignant to miss.
   ‘Oh my God… I’ll bet it was then… She didn’t mean it, I know it.’
   “Who’s she?”
   ‘S***… I’m dead.’
   “Evan,” I nudged him as I spoke, prompting him to reluctantly look up at me.
   “Look, I don’t want anyone in trouble,” he pleaded, “She never took advantage, she’d never buy me alcohol…”
   “Who’s she?” I repeated.
   He sighed as he relented. “Emily,” he mumbled.
   “Who's Emily?”
   “She's from the dark ages... she said her Mum knows you.”
   “Oh, you mean Nadia?”
   'Oh okay, so that's her name.'
   “Yeah, that's her name,” I replied, “We met at this nightclub.”
   He shook his head irritably. “Mum, will you stop that?!” he complained.
   “Sorry,” I apologised, “It’s a little hard to miss though, it’s like you’re speaking out loud. You’ll find that out yourself very quickly.”
   He could only nod as I continued. “Let’s take it from the top shall we?”
   Evan sighed as he braced himself for the interrogation.



   “How long have you been sneaking out when you should be asleep?”
   “A few weeks,” he confessed. I could feel the sense of dread within him, and in my mind I was already prepared for the worst. Therefore I was determined to keep my cool, knowing it wouldn’t help matters if I lost it.
   “Is that when you met her?”
   He solemnly nodded.
   “When did she bite you?”
   He briefly pulled himself from his wave of fear and dread as he looked me squarely in the eye. “That was only last night, honest.”
   “So you’ve been seeing her for a while?”
   He nodded, but in a different fashion. “We were just friends,” he explained, “We started talking that first night, and I liked her. I just wanted to see her again, I enjoyed her company. That’s all it was.”
   There was something about his use of language that I decided to pick up on. “Past tense?” I challenged.
   His former air returned as he shook his head in despair. “Yeah… I started liking her more than as a friend… what I didn’t realise at the time was that she felt the same way.”
   This was getting too much. I decided there and then to hit fast forward and cut to the chase.
   “Evan, did you sleep with her?”
   He silently nodded. I remained silent, biting not only my lip but also my tongue, waiting for him to speak again. I wasn’t to be disappointed.
   “I’ll bet it was then,” he said, “I did notice something at my neck, but I was so caught up in it all, it just…”
   “The ultimate love bite,” I mused dryly.
   “I wondered if it was normal to feel so washed out afterwards,” he continued, before shaking his head. “Guess not.”
   “You do to an extent,” I corrected.
   He bit his lip anxiously, but shuddered involuntarily. A droplet of blood trickled down his bottom lip before being brushed away by his tongue.
   “Welcome to vampirism,” I proclaimed sardonically. “Unless you want a cure of course. You can get your life back on track…”
   For some reason I had yet to fathom, he decidedly shook his head. “No,” he told me, “I don’t want a cure.”
   I frowned at him, not understanding his reasoning. “Why not?” was all I could ask.
   “I can’t face school, I haven’t been able to for months,” he admitted, “I can’t concentrate. I don’t even know what I want in life; I just don’t need the pressure right now.”
   “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
   “Time’s been running out,” he said, becoming tearful, “I felt as though I’d already failed… I couldn’t see how anyone could understand.”
   My heart sank as the true extent of his depression came to light. In some ways he was very good at controlling his thoughts around me – I had no idea of any of this. Tears crept to my eyes as I allowed a heavy sigh to escape my being, and could only offer a hug in reply. Perhaps Emily really had done him a favour after all.
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