Cujo

In 1940, Paul was born. He was the youngest child of his parents with twin, older brothers. They lived in suburban neighborhood in Florida. Unlike the other Lost Boys, Paul was born into a relatively wealthy family. His great-grandfather had major success in the steel industry, and such riches were passed to each generation. His parents' wealth had only grown with his father’s massive success as a car salesman (a very sneaky one at that). His mother was a housewife and poured all her time and energy into making sure their home was always perfect.

They were the perfect picture of a successful, nuclear family in the 40s and 50s. The kind you’d see on billboards and advertisements. Bright smiles, neat clothing, and all the luxuries one could only dream of having. Neighbors and friends expressed envy of the gadgets and expensive decorations they owned. That was certainly fine by them, as a perfect image was something his parents strived for more than anything. They always worked to keep up appearances and impress others. 

There was just one problem with this; behind closed doors, Paul’s family was downright insufferable. His mother was prone to physical violence due to the nasty temper she had while his father would tear him down with full-volume screaming. There was no proper communication or unity in the household. Anything could set off a fight without any notice. They also hated anything that didn’t fit the traditional W.A.S.P. appearance (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant), looking down on anyone who was even slightly different than them. 

Paul was a very odd kid in their mind, and he didn’t always fit the image his parents were trying to keep up. From an early age, Paul displayed signs of ADHD, but it wasn’t really understood or diagnosed in that time period. This unfortunately led to a lot of issues with his parents. They berated him for not staying still, for doing weird things for no reason (which was just stimming), for accidentally interrupting conversations, and for showing certain emotions at “inappropriate” times. Poor Paul didn’t understand what he was doing wrong, and it frustrated him constantly.

It didn’t help that his brothers were golden boys in their parents' eyes. They were perfect at everything. School, sports, music, boy scouts, you name it, they could master it. They worked as a team and it helped them succeed quite a bit. Unfortunately, they would use their duo dynamic for bullying their little brother. They would kick him, throw him in the dirt and mud and lock him in the basement when he was “annoying” them. Paul was miserable, but to them, it was a game. 

School life wasn’t much better either. Paul struggled quite a bit, as it was extremely difficult for him to concentrate. Due to the time period, he was punished by his teachers with rulers slapped on his palms or forced to sit in the corner while the other kids laughed at him. He didn’t make any friends because of this. 

Paul was a punching bag to everyone around him. He was a frightened little boy who had to deal with the terrible ways the people in his life would punish him. All because of him acting a little differently. He didn’t understand why they were so cruel. Why his parents mistreated others, why his teachers thought he was stupid, and why his brothers wished he had never been born. One day when he was 8, Paul tried to run away from home, fed up with the mistreatment.

He didn't think to bring much. He had run away with just an old lunch box full of random toys. Paul was just a little boy that didn’t know where he was going or what he would do. All he knew was that he wanted to be far away from his family. After several hours, he found a set of train tracks. One thing that brought him comfort was trains, as they could take him away from the life he was suffering through. As he played on the rails, he wished a train would come by for him to get on.

To his surprise, a train DID come, but it was heading straight for him. His foot got caught in the tracks, leaving him stuck and in danger. Paul’s screams got the attention of someone, and in a matter of seconds, a motorcycle rode by the train tracks, the driver on top scooping him up moments before he could get run over.

A runaway greaser had saved his life that day. He was a very nice stranger, kneeling down to talk to Paul at eye level, making sure he was okay, and asking where his parents were. Paul was in complete awe of the stranger. He thought he was the coolest person he’d ever laid eyes on. The bike he rode was powerful, he had a cigarette in his mouth and the leather jacket he wore was incredibly stylish. At that moment, Paul was looking at the image of a person he wanted to be someday. 

Thankfully, the stranger was caring enough to take him to a local diner to get him some food and to call his parents. Paul actually preferred the greasy fries and sweet milkshakes over the elaborate, rich dinners his mother made. It was much more appetizing for a kid’s palette. It took quite a while for anyone to show up, so the two of them hung out together. Paul got to dance to the music (which was Good Rockin’ Tonight by Wynonie Harris) and have fun playing games. It was the first time in his life he actually felt like he had a friend, and it brought him immense joy.

Unfortunately, the happiness didn’t last, and soon his parents pulled up outside the diner. Paul did NOT want to leave, clinging onto the stranger who he now called a friend. They were very kind and encouraging, helping him feel a little braver. In order to make it easier, they gave Paul one of their many silver bracelets as a token of friendship. That way, Paul would have something to remember the good times by. He still wears that bracelet to this day.

If Paul thought his parents were mean before, they became MUCH worse after he ran away. They were horrified by the stranger who helped him, and rather than praise them for keeping their child safe, they went on a detailed rant to Paul about how rock & roll was the devil’s music and that anyone who rode a motorcycle was a no-good hoodlum (they also made some rather hateful remarks regarding the stranger’s sexuality). They forbade him from ever indulging in that kind of stuff. In fact, they would make sure of it by harshly punishing him if they even thought he was doing such things. 

Paul’s life became empty, as he could never properly enjoy the things that brought him joy. When the family got their first television set, Paul wasn’t allowed to watch anything on it. Several of his toys were thrown out without notice if his parents felt like doing so. Punishments got more severe, and Paul was often backed into a corner either being screamed at or being struck with a belt. All while this was going on, his brothers were spoiled and allowed to do as they wished. 

As he started to get older, Paul believed there was no hope for him. That life would only get worse and worse and no matter what he would do, there would be nothing but pain. He was very much alone in the world. He never really smiled or laughed, as he had no reason to. If he was ever seen grinning for a family picture, it wasn’t genuine. He was just in survival mode, doing whatever he could to not invoke the wrath of his parents so he wouldn’t have so many bruises. 

The only time Paul would find peace was at night. When everyone else in the house was asleep, he’d sneak into his brothers’ room and take their record player so he could listen to their music. Paul would listen in the basement with as low volume as possible. Music became his savior. In the 50s, he found rock & roll again, and it brought him the only real happiness in his life. It was fun, energetic and made him want to go wild. It helped him realize how much he loved dancing and gave him hope that he could live a fun life one day. 

When he was 16, his brothers (who were still at home for college) turned on the Ed Sullivan show to see Elvis Presley perform. Paul was sneakily trying to watch too, as he really didn’t want to miss out. Of course, he got caught and his brothers snitched to their parents, claiming Paul had a crush on the singer. His parents were LIVID. They decided from then on, Paul’s life was going to be far more strict than it already was. 

They locked him in his room every night, only letting him out for school and chores. It wasn’t like Paul’s room was a safe place anymore, as they searched the room top to bottom and got rid of every book, magazine, toy, poster and decoration. It was just his bed and nightstand that had no drawer. If Paul wanted to read something, he’d either get the bible or a school book. Chores were worse, as they berated even the most perfect job done. If they found so much as a speck of dust, he’d get beaten. 

(WARNING: The next paragraph has mentions of s*icidal thoughts. Proceed with caution or skip if you need to)

Every single part of Paul’s life was miserable. He was a prisoner in his home and overwhelmed in school. It actually got to a point where Paul was held back a year for his struggling, which didn’t help the situation with his parents. With nothing to keep him happy, Paul considered multiple times taking his own life just to make the suffering stop. 

One day, Paul got detention for falling asleep in class, meaning he didn’t get to go home until after dark. He was walking alone when he accidentally bumped into someone while turning a corner. He was face to face with three handsome, rocker-style boys around his age. Paul was absolutely mystified by them. They reminded him of the stranger who saved his life as a child. The thing that brought him true happiness. 

Amused by him, they introduced themselves as David, Marko and Dwayne. They offered to take him to the local diner for some food and a dance or two. Paul was scared of the consequences with his parents, but the boys assured him it would be okay. He ended up having a really nice time, the weight of the world off his shoulders as they showed him a fun time. When he had to go, they gave him a ride home (it was Dwayne’s bike he rode on the back on). Paul was incredibly sad to say goodbye, but David promised they would come by to help sneak him out for more fun in the future.

So that’s what happened. The night became safe for Paul again, as the boys would come to his bedroom window and sneak him out to play. They gifted him jewelry and helped teach him how to use eye makeup. Whether they went on wild motorcycle rides, went out dancing or just listened to some music while having a smoke, Paul was incredibly happy. To him, life was worth living again, and the boys were the guardian angels that saved him. 

They also helped Paul get more comfortable with his sexuality. He had developed feelings for Marko first (who also became his first kiss), but ultimately found all three of them attractive. It was confusing to him, as his parents were very strict about the idea of relationships being between one man and one woman, but his friends weren’t judgmental or restrained with their beliefs. 

Finally ready to leave the torment of his parents forever, Paul asked to run away with the boys, as they would be traveling again soon. Having fallen in love with the adorable blond, they all agreed, ready to help him sneak out with what little he had. They were at a picnic spot in the woods and enjoying the celebration of Paul leaving his awful family…..when all of a sudden, said family pulled up in their car. 

His parents and brothers were there, ready to take him back home away from the “sinful” lifestyle. His father in particular wanted to send Paul to military school to finally break him down and prevent more rebellious behavior. Paul was struggling with a panic attack, terrified and barely able to breathe. David pulled him aside and covered his ears while Marko and Dwayne completely mauled the awful family. Paul was confused when he saw vampire faces and yellow eyes on his friends, but he never felt anything less than safe. David made sure his eyes were closed while they got back on their bikes and left the scene. 

Paul was free of that life, but he still wanted to complete his transition into the next one. He truly loved his friends and wanted to be with them forever, even after learning they were vampires. In his eyes, they weren’t monsters. He’d seen what real ones were. So the three of them agreed to turn him. Paul got to drink David’s blood from the bottle while the others cheered him on. When they asked where Paul wanted to go for his first hunt, he chose a familiar place from his childhood; the train tracks. 

Several emotions were going through his mind when he spotted his first target. He had some doubts if he could really take another life, but David assured him he could do it. The world was full of so many cruel, heartless people who wanted to keep them down. It was one less monster to poison the lives of others. So when Paul’s vampire instincts kicked in, he went for the kill. 

The first kill permanently changed Paul. After slaughtering and drinking from his target, something wonderful happened. A smile spread across his face. A real one. The most joyful smile he’d ever experienced. He was free. He was safe. Finally, he was ready to enjoy the night as a creature that would never know pain and sorrow again. 

To celebrate, Paul went absolutely WILD that night. He flew into the sky and went straight into the window of a fancy hotel, ultimately committing his first break-in with his friends. He smoked weed for the first time, loving how light and dreamy it made him feel. They all drank heavily, not holding back with the bottles of wine, beer and champagne they had. He danced naked and sang at the top of his lungs. Paul even had sex with both Marko and Dwayne for his first time, feeling overwhelmed with love for them. David in particular was very proud of him, loving the wild child that Paul had finally become. 

From then on, Paul was an entirely new person. To him, his previous life was nothing. All the bad memories and fears would be lost to time and he could be his true, authentic self. He would never be alone again and he would show his gratitude to his friends by helping keep the party going. Becoming a vampire was truly the best moment of his life, and he would never look back.

Additional Facts:

Paul hated the fact that his hair was cut short as a kid. He wanted it super long, but couldn’t have it that way because it wasn’t “appropriate” for boys. The moment he became a vampire, he vowed to grow it out and never go back to his short style.

If Paul had stayed human and had children, he would have had twins as his parents did. He carries the twin gene (@auntvamp)

He doesn’t just smoke weed for the sake of fun. He also finds that it helps calm any lingering anxieties he has from his human life. 

In 1950, Paul saw the movie Cinderella while his parents were away on a trip. He was absolutely enchanted by it, feeling a deep connection to the story and the idea of leaving an abusive family and finding someone who would truly love him. He loves stories with happy endings. To this day, he still hums “So This is Love” when he’s in an especially good mood. 

On that note, one of his pet names for the boys is “my prince”

As a human, he was allergic to dogs. The family never had pets anyway, as his parents thought they were dirty and too much work to care for. The only reason Paul knows he’s allergic was that he had a bad reaction to his cousin’s dog during a visit one Christmas. The reason he froze around Nanook wasn’t fear of the dog, but rather fear of another reaction.

The way he treats Laddie is just like how the stranger he met treated him (the stranger called him “bud” too). He wanted to be a super cool and caring older brother for Laddie, and nothing like the ones he had.

Paul never again saw the stranger who helped him as a child. In 1979 he swore he saw a familiar face from a middle-aged man he passed on the street but wasn’t entirely sure. 

He has fully embraced the passage of time and the changes that have come with each decade he’s been alive. He loved the free love of the 60s, the disco era of the 70s, and the punk movement of the 80s. In his mind, life has gotten better and better with each decade, and he’s thankful to be still young and energetic as he experiences each one.

Paul never put a label on his identity, but he finds people attractive regardless of gender. When he became a vampire, his confidence was boosted and became quite a flirt. He loves making others feel good, whether it be with sweet nothings or sexual embraces. 

He absolutely hates fights. Paul often tries to back out of fights or break them up because it brings back the fear of getting hit by his parents. He believes it’s embarrassing because he thinks he’s supposed to be tough like his friends, but they don’t mind it. In fact, they consider Paul to be their voice of reason if a fight gets too bad.

When Star joined their pack, he felt an immediate connection to her. He remembered how hard it was to be lonely, so he would always try his best to get her to smile or keep her company when she needed a friend. He’s not sure if his feelings toward her are more platonic or romantic, but he’s fine with just being her friend so she’s not alone. (their interactions are inspired by events in the novel)

Paul hates being reminded of the 40s and 50s due to bad memories, but one thing he still loves is going to old-fashioned diners. They’re a safe place for him, and the food is still very comforting. If he’s ever having a bad day, one of the boys will take him on a date to one. 

He’s still a little in the dark about his ADHD, but he’s much more open with stimming due to the support of his friends. 

Paul is the best singer out of all the Lost Boys. He found a love for karaoke when he became a vampire. 

He was rather clumsy as a human, which led to a lot of problems with his parents. He broke a lot of nice China plates due to a bad case of butter fingers. Thankfully, the boys don’t mind it.

The idea of going to the train tracks with Michael was Paul’s. He had quite the adrenaline rush the first time they all hung down from the edge.