Random Lost Boys

“Too bad.” Paul chuckles, patting David on the shoulder. “Guess we got to dip!” He shouts. 

The kid working the booth can't be more than sixteen, and he looks like he might actually shit himself, from the way David looks at him.

“Hey....dont shoot the messenger man,” he tries to say with confidence but his voice cracks “If it counts for anything, you guys can watch the parade? It's free to everyone, should start in a few.”  The kid having completely sunk into his chair in fear, his forehead the only thing visible. 

Huffing, Paul circles to the front of the group. “Lets just bounce. I don't want to watch the bogus parade.” 

Dwayne lips quip to one side, “You never know, you might like it, Paul…..There could be clowns though..” Dwayne snickers, as David grins. 

 “Suck a big one, man.”  Paul scowls, while flipping Dwayne off. “I’m never playing truth or dare with you all again!”

David, chuckling, starts to walk towards the road, where the procession is starting, and the crowd is growing heavy. 

“Could be a good place to scope out dinner…” David muses.

The guys follow, pulling me along. I fall towards the back with Paul, the lanky blond crosses his arms as we walk, the people around us slowly crowding more and more in. I bump into Paul, and for a split second he looks like he’s going to duck. Did he think I was going to hit him again? The idea fills me with satisfaction. 

Good. I'm glad he's afraid of me. 

The large group of clowns and performers cuts us  off from the others. Paul stares at a contortionist who has bent herself into a pretzel, and is being carried on someone's shoulders.

The crowd shouts and laughs at the entertainment, they push closer to get a better look. 

I've lost sight of the others completely, and from the way Paul stares at the performer's ass, he's definitely lost in his own way too.

Turning, I push my way to the back of the crowd. 

Max has made himself very clear about the consequences of running away, but I can't sit here like a caged duck waiting to be shot. 

I need to try,  I need to at least say that I tried.  

If he wants to beat me for it later, then fine, but I will not let him force me into submission without a fight. 

As I finally pull myself out of the crowd, I see that my options are few and far between. I could go deeper into the boardwalk, try to get lost in the tents, or maybe hide in a store's back room for a bit? But, they would definitely find me.  I need to put as much distance between myself and them as possible.  The only other escape I can see is a narrow path that shoots off the road leading  into a wooded area. Not ideal, but beggars can't be choosers. 

I start walking in that direction, dodging people as they are pushed into my way. I could get lost in the woods; the thought alone is terrifying. Getting attacked by animals or starving to death. 

But what's more terrifying, is losing myself, if I stay and play nice. 

Reaching the path, I don't bother to look back. 

My feet hit the gravel running. Doing my best to not fall over rocks and roots. The shoes I have on are two sizes two big, and I now realize that was probably done on purpose. Max had said they were an extra pair he had laying around, he had taken my crocs while I slept, telling me afterwards they weren't “proper footwear.” 

My face collides with dirt, as I faceplant right into the ground. 

“Fuck.” I say quickly pulling myself back up.  

I could just ditch the shoes, but then my feet would be a bloody mess by the time I get to wherever it is I'm heading.  

I start running again, but not for long before my lungs start to burn, and I'm forced to brace against a tree for support.

I have to keep moving. 

I have to push through.

 But,  my body is yelling at me to stop.  

Damn, I should have been more on top of my cardio. 

A whistle sounds through the night air.

I freeze. 

I try to hold my breath, thinking that will stop them from hearing me, but my lungs say no. 

The sound that comes out my mouth is somewhere  between a cough and the sounds a dying horse would make. 

The whistle sounds again, this time accompanied by a cold laugh. 

Like a speaker being flipped on I can feel the strong vibration once more of four distinct resonations twisting and enveloping each other into a single rhythm.

They found me. 

Turning towards the woods, I leave the path, and start tearing through the brush.

Branches hit my face, thorns tear at my ankles and thighs. I know it should hurt, the sting should be enough to get me to stop, but I don't feel it. My  heart is pounding,  raw fear courses through my veins at the thought of what's going to happen if they catch me. What's going to happen when they tell Max I ran. 

Something hits my knees and I fall forward, hands first. Pain shoots up my wrists at the impact, something drips down my leg. 

The hairs on the back of my neck rise. 

I look up from the ground, spying a pair of eyes watching me from a tree. Marko effortlessly climbs down from the large branch. 

 I scramble up like a cornered animal. 

“Stay away.”  I shout, stumbling backwards. 

Marko cocks his head, his expression neutral, “You don't get it, do you?”

I take a step back.

He sighs. 

I run. 

 For a split second I think I’ve put some distance between us; then something big launches into my back, and I fall.

We crash into something hard, a loud crack shudders through the air, as rotten planks fall with us hitting the dirt ground. 

My head whirls, as I try to get my bearings. We fell down…… a hole, I think. 

 Looking  up, there are broken planks, and hanging tree roots.

 And it's dark. Like really dark. 

Blinking, I  try to get my eyes to adjust.  My neck hurts, and so does, well, everything else. 

I  spot Marko. 

Well, I feel him, before I see him. 

I can sense that vibration again. It's barely noticeable though. A soft binaural sound, that has a dull jagged edge to it, like it starts to go high and loud, but then plateaus violently. Like someone put a cover on a fire hose. 

He’s laying on his side, not moving. Is he…. dead? Can vampires even die? 

I creep closer, walking around to face him. 

His eyes are open, and there’s a sharp piece of wood protruding through this abdomen. 

Bile rises in my throat, as I startle back against the dirt wall. 

I divert my eyes, looking elsewhere. I've seen enough blood for a lifetime in the past 24 hours. 

We are at  least 20 feet down, and there’s no texture or roots low enough for me to pull myself out. 

 I’m trapped.

Marko’s eye twitches. 

I guess these guys are like cockroaches. My instinct is to kneel down and check if he's okay.

 He’s a monster, who kills people.  He doesn’t deserve my help. 

A tear slips out of Marko’s left eye, awareness flickers beneath his irises. 

I can’t  believe I’m doing this. 

Getting on the ground, I place a hand on his shoulder.

“Marko…”

His eyes flash to me. 

Why hasn’t he removed the stick? I literally put a hole through Max's chest big enough to kill an elephant and he got up and walked away. Why isn't he?

Another tear falls. Going off impulse, I place my hand around the bloody, jagged spike. 

“I’m going to pull it out.” I whisper. 

 First aid says you shouldn’t do this, but he’s a vampire so it has to be different right? 

Quickly, I pull the stick out, trying not to gag in the process. Once it’s fully removed I wait for Marko to react. 

He doesn’t. 

His skin knits itself back together, like the wound was never there. 

Still no reaction.

Without thinking, I place my hand on his cheek. 

I should be trying to escape. I should take that spike and drive it into his heart….but something….holds me back. 

“Marko?” I say,  my thumb rubbing gently up and down his cheek bone. 

That brings him too. 

His eyes meet mine, and I don’t see the eyes of a monster. 

I see panic.

I see fear.

I see a human. 

“I…..I pulled the stick out, you should be okay, right?” my voice comes out awkward, and unsure. 

Marko slowly sits up, resting his back against the rocky wall. He looks shaken….. He surveys our surroundings. 

“You helped me.”

“I did.” I say too quickly, before adding  “why didn’t you remove it yourself?” 

He flinches.

“We’re in an old shaft.” He  points to some writing around the hole I hadn't noticed, and rough change of topic. 

“And those are protection markings” he pauses looking back at me “we’re stuck here until the others find us…. I can’t get  us out while those are in place.” 

I follow his line of sight; chalky symbols cover the ceiling. They mean nothing to me, they don’t even look vaguely familiar. These are strange, and I swear I can feel a low, unsettling hum coming from them. 

“Like….witch stuff?” I stand, walking closer to get a better look. 

“Kind of…..they are more folk than anything.” His eyes go glossy, his mine slipping  elsewhere again. 

An owl hoots in the distance. Tree branches rustle, as the wind flows through them. 

Nothing  but darkness surrounds us, except for the moon light shining down into the shaft. I notice a horrid smell too, probably from whatever dead animal was unlucky enough to get stuck down here. To say the least, it's creepy as hell.

Unconsciously, I hover back towards Marko. 

 “How long do we have before they get here?”

“Why, so you can run again?” He taunts

There’s a beat of silence.

Marko continues, “We each took a direction. They'll figure out something’s wrong and come looking.” he huffs 

Grunting, I slide down a wall, placing my face in my hands. The perfect opportunity to make an escape and my dumbass blew it. 

That owl hoots again, and we sit in  silence for a moment. 

“So, what sad existence did Max pull you from?”

I feel my anger bubble. Fuck him, fuck them all.

“He didn't pull me from some sad existence.” I grit out, clenching my fists, my finger nails dig into my palms. “He abducted me from a family camping trip…” My eyes burn. 

“There are people looking for me right now.” A sob escapes my throat, and I throw a  hand over my mouth.  He doesn't get to see me like this, he doesn't get my tears. “And….and they'll never…” the word gets stuck in my throat. “They never find me.”

Marko doesn’t say anything, he just looks at me. His pupils blown wide, shifting from side to side like he is trying to understand something. 

“You-”

I can't help but lash out. I’m a fucking person, and no ones cares that I am utterly alone.  

There’s no one left to care. 

“Stop staring! What are you? A wounded animal?!” I shout, feeling completely unhinged, my fist hitting the shaft wall. 

His eyes lock on mine. 

 “yes.” 

The word is so soft, so delicate, the air could break it in two. 

There's a beat of silence. 

“The last time Max tried to force people on us…” he breathes in deeply. His eyes dart to the opposite wall, he bites his thumb, breathing in again through his nose. 

“I died.”

His words come out wispy, and uncertain. Like he has never said them out loud before. 

“The guys ... .Max…. says I didn't. That the stake missed my heart by a quarter of an inch or something…..but I know. I know that I died.” 

He shakes his head, like he's trying to forget. 

“I’m different too, now……everyone pretends like I’m not, but…I’m just not the same.” 

There’s a raw honesty to his words I wasn’t expecting, which pisses me off more. I wanted to hate him, I wanted to wrestle up the courage to grab one of those broken planks and stake him myself. 

The silence hangs. 

I don’t know what I should say. I’m sorry you died? But how can I feel sorry for someone who is trying to enforce my captivity. Someone who came and hunted me down when I ran?

Unfortunately for me, I can’t help myself.  It's just not who I am. I wish I was harder, more unfeeling, it sure would benefit me rigth now. 

“That must be hard,” escapes from my mouth, before I can stop it. “Do you guys think those people will come back to…..” I stop myself from finishing the sentence. 

He shrugs his shoulders. 

“We’re a rough crowd, on top of the whole vampire thing….. it was bound to happen sooner or later…..”

Scoffing, I brush the dirt off of my jacket sleeve, and rub my bruised knuckles “I could tell, David and Dwayne looked like they went ten rounds with a grizzly bear, back on the boardwalk.”

Smirking, Marko eyes me curiously  “That was about you.”

“Me?”

“Yep.”

My face heats up, and I despise myself for it. 

“And honestly, I’m less concern about them coming back to kill us, and  I’m more  concerned about how the fuck we're going to keep you alive for a whole year” he adds ruffling his hair. 

Standing, Marko walks closer to opening. He looks up, tilting his head like he is trying to hear something. 

“They're close. Shouldn’t be long.”

He spins on his heel, facing me. His tone takes on a serious edge. 

“You can’t run again.” 

I don't respond. What does he want me to say?  There's no going back home for me....so even if I keep running, where would I be heading to? 

The sorrow I felt earlier returns.  A heavy stone in my gut. 

Marko's head tilts again, listening. 

He's silent, before walking over to me, hand out stretched.

His finger nails are chewed to the nub, the palm of his hand splattered with dried blood from earlier. 

I quickly wipe away a few tears that had fallen, and I place my hand in his. He pulls me up with little effort, to my surprise. 

He repeats himself. “You can't run again.” 

“Okay,” is all I can offer up.  

Marko continues, “Max has very little patience. It's going to take a whole lot of ass kissing and a damn good story to get us out of this one.”

“Us? I was the one who ran” I counter. 

Marko solemnly shakes his head "Doesn't matter. When one of us disobeys, we all suffer the consequences.”

The vibration comes alive, loud and clear, complete again. 

A large crack, sounds from above. We both tilt our head back to the noise. 

“Found them!” yells Paul, as two more sets of feet approach us. 

Dwayne appears next, his face serious. David follows, a calm anger radiating off of him. 

Dwayne leans down in the hole, grasping a long stick. He stretches, and scratches the symbols with it. Dust from the old paint falls through the air, as he destroys part of the marks. The humming I once heard, now fades.  

“You should be good.” He says to Marko. 

Marko outreaches his hand to me again. 

 I take it. 

Before I even realize, Marko swirls me into his arms and launches us into the air, up through the hole, landing with a thump onto the grass. 

He releases me gently like one would release a bird.

Suddenly, David grabs the sleeve of Marko's jacket, surveying him. 

“What happened?” He demands, spotting the blood covering Marko's white shirt, then quickly afterwards the blood coating my hands. 

David slowly turns his head toward me, like a T-rex eyeing his prey.  

“Did she hurt you?” he growls “I swear to fuck-”

“Chill, dude.” Dwayne pops between the two of us, a protective barrier  once again. 

 “there has to be a reason-”

“Yeah, there is! She tried to kill him!” Paul shouts, eyes turning gold.

Dwayne squares his shoulders, as Paul circles back around David like a wolf, ready to pounce. 

He puts a hand out blocking me, from the borderline feral Paul. “I’m just as angry as you are-” 

“Stop!” Marko pushes out of David’s grasp, his jacket slipping off his shoulder. 

He looks between all of us, his breathing deepens, his mouth opens and closes like a fish.  

“She didn't…….. try to kill me. She helped me……I got impaled on a stake….” His breathing grows heavy,  his eyes roam the tree line for a moment, like he's remembering something painful.

They all freeze at Marko’s statement. Paul looks genuinely horrified. Dwayne watches every one of Marko's micro movements, calculating, and David…..David  eyes squint in disbelief. 

“I couldnt…..I…..She pulled it out. She saved me, when she could have easily killed me.” Marko finishes. 

Silence.

“Is that true?” David looks at me, the authoritative tone he takes tells me he wants a simple answer. 

“Yes.” 

Silence again. 

They all seem to be in some type of non verbal conversation, glancing between them all, and back at me sporadically. There's a shift......like they have decided something. 

David rolls his shoulders “We need to head back.” he says, making his way  into the woods.

“Max can’t know she ran.” Marko calls outs, causing David to stop.  

Scoffing, he rolls his eyes “I know that.”

Marko shakes his head. “No. You don’t.” 

David tenses, clearly not used to being challenged by him.

“See that bruise on her forehead?” They all stare at my face, their gazes burn. 

My hand travels unconsciously upward. I hadn't realized there was a mark left behind. 

“That wasn’t there last night.” Marko continues 

 His words are heavy, as he points to the dark yellow and purple spot below my hairline.

“And it sure as hell wasn’t Anna.” he finishes 

My eyes fly to Marko.

How did he know?  

I hadn't mentioned Max's reprimand to any of them, because frankly I didn't think they would care. 

My face is on fire, and I feel my eyes swell. 

No. 

I’m not going to cry, I'm not going to….

Maybe it's the  Stockholm syndrome finally kicking in.  Maybe I’ve just reached my breaking point. Or, maybe it's the idea that Marko noticed that I was hurt, and he cares. 

Diverting my gaze, I try to hide the tears that fall. 

I feel them all draw closer. 

Dwayne steps towards me, placing a hand on my cheek. I try to pull away. 

“I’m fine-”

“Let me see.” His voice is stern.

David watches over Dwayne's shoulder, Paul keeps his distance, rolling his eyes. 

“Did he hit you?” David asks

“Oh, so when she gets hit it's a problem, but when I do-” Paul gets cut off by David's glare, and Marko’s devilish eyes.

“Why do you care?” I challenge. “Why do any of you care?” The tears fall freely now, I don't care enough to try and stop them. 

“Answer the question, little Mate.” David demands, his head cocked to the side. 

There's that word again, Mate.  I’ve only heard it from Max’s mouth, and what usually follows soon after is getting abducted, hit, or threatened. 

It sounds different coming from his mouth though…..like it's important, respected, a title not given lightly. 

I lick my lips, my face tilts away again, trying to escape from Dwayne's intensity and firm grasp. My eyes burn as I recall the past two nights. I could get whiplash from how Max has treated me so far. 

“I…..I angered him. He grabbed my neck…..my head got smashed into the dashboard of his car.” 

The vibration tenses.  

Like a string, pulled taught on opposite sides. 

Even Paul stops his impulsive fidgeting, and goes still.  I don't have to be a mind reader to feel their anger, their fury.  

Are they angry with me? 

My fear spikes, my heart beating faster. Do they think it's my fault? Are they going to hurt me too? 

David, somehow, seems to catch on to my thoughts. 

Through his teeth he grits out 

“We're not angry…with you.”

He abruptly stands. 

“Marko, go get cleaned up.  Dwayne, get the blood of her hands and don't let her out of your sight” David pauses to give me a warning glare. “Paul you're with me.”

Marko flies off, followed by David and Paul. 

Dwayne offers me his hand, and then  lifts me into his arms bridal style. 

I’m too emotionally drained to protest. He seems to notice, but keeps his thoughts to himself. 

Standing from the old arm chair I was peacefully lounging in only a moment before, I shake off  my blanket, it falls to the floor.  Marko’s face drops as he watches the cream colored quilt land on the dirty ground.

Shaking my head, “What are you talking about? We’ve had such a nice, peaceful night for once, why are you ruining it with your games David?” 

A flash of irritation crosses his face. I know he hates it when I challenge him, especially in front of the others, but this is ridiculous!

He takes a deep breath.

“I’m not playing games.” 

Glancing at my watch; it’s 4:30am. 

“I think I’ve had an enough of you all tonight, please go away.” 

I pull the heavy curtain that separates my space from the main area of the cave across, blocking them out. 

Standing there, in the dark, I stare into  nothing. I can’t tell what emotion I’m feeling. Too many swirl through my heart. Why are they doing this? We’ve been getting along so well, and I’ve been getting closer with them. 

I thought we were a family.

David’s face flashes before me, the gentle touches, the secret looks…. I had started to think we might even be something more….but now…..You don’t play games like this, especially with the people you care for. 

Collapsing on my bed, I pull the now dirty blanket off the floor. My fingers roam the edges, feeling for the little pigeon patch Marko sewed on. 

I’m sure any minute now one of them will crawl in here and apologize. He’ll says it was all a joke, and to just forget about it. 

But,what if none of it was real.

 What if they just have been grooming me for months to get me comfortable enough to believe their delusions? 

My mind is flooded with memories of them. Of Dwayne showing me how to fix a tire on a bike, or Marko walking along the beach pointing out constellations, Paul getting a new record and forcing me to listen to it with him, David reading out loud softly as I secretly listen in....how could these guys be so soft and yet so careless with me?

A tear slips down my cheek. 

—————-

“Should we check on her?” Paul asks, as he paces around the fountain for the two hundredth time. 

“No. She needs space” Dwayne replies 

Marko, stroking one of his pigeons,”She’s handling it better than most humans do. I mean, it has to be a good sign she didn’t run out of here screaming.”

“That's because she doesn’t believe us.” David spits out, his words a harsh truth. 

The cave echoes the sound of the crashing waves, Marko’s pigeons coo from the raptors. Condensation drips, off a rock, splashing into a small puddle near Dwayne’s tool chest. 

Paul, swinging down from the fountain, collapses on to the couch, with a loud creak. 

“Is this a bad time to mention that I’m hungry?” 

“Dude.” Dwayne remarks, before slapping Paul upside the head. 

“What?” He counters “we haven’t eaten since last night!”

Marko smirks, though it doesn’t meet his eyes. “I could go for a bite.” He says, releasing the bird from his grasp. 

David shakes his head,  “Fine. But we need to spread out our activities, the town over is open territory. We will hunt there for now.”

“We forget to clean up after ourselves one time, and the old man takes away our fun.” Paul says

“It could be worse.” Dwayne replies

“Yeah, he could not let us hunt at all…starve us out for a few weeks.” marko grimaces 

David glances back at the nest, tucked into the corner. He can hear her heartbeat, it’s slow, her breathing rhythmic. 

“You three go out, I’ll stay here.”

“You haven’t fed in a while, Paul can stay.” Dwayne counters 

“What?!” Paul shouts.“I’m starving!” 

Dwayne is right, like usual.

David sighs.

“Paul, she doesn’t leave your sight. Understood? She’s upset, and humans do stupid things when they're upset.” 

They make their way to the cave exit.

“Don’t worry Paulie, will’ll bring you back a doggie bag.” Marko calls out, but his voice runs flat. His mind elsewhere. 

David turns back “I’m serious Paul.” 

“I know, I know. Don’t let her leave the cave.” He sings back before collapsing onto the couch 

————-

I startle awake.

My dreams are filled with monsters around dark corners, blood dripping down stone walls. 

I breathe through my nose, placing my hands on my chest. The only sounds in the cave are the echoing tunnels, and soft rustle of the wind. 

The boys must have gone out for food.

Pulling myself out of my alcove, I immediately spot  Paul laying dazed on the couch, the smell of weed heavy in the air. 

“Paul?”

I crouch down by his side watching as a lopsided grin slowly forms on his stupidly beautiful face. He doesn’t respond, only hums the tune to some rock song. 

Grasping his chin I try to bring him too.

“Where did the boys go?” Again I get no response. He sure is smoking the good stuff tonight. 

David’s words rebound through my mind then, “we’re vampires….”

I don’t know what possessed me to do it, but slowly, I push a finger past Paul's lips, lifting up one side of his mouth. I sigh as I see he’s perfectly, normal looking, human teeth. 

Starting to pull my finger away, as I come to the conclusion that I have crossed into crazy person territory, I notice something odd. 

A single, vertical slit, down one of his gums. It doesn’t look like a scar or cut either, it looks organic…...like it’s part of him. 

Before I can think better of it, I touch it. 

Right before my eyes, a long, sharp fang slides out.  

Panic over takes me.

I stumble back, colliding with the cave wall. Wincing, I look down, my hand bloody against a sharp protruding stone. 

I can't get enough air in my lungs, my chest constricts like it wants to kill me. The ruins of this grand hotel, my home, feels like a monster's den. And I’ve been living with them like some….oblivious pet. 

They sleep all day.

Barely eat.

All the times David has known what I was thinking…

Before I know it, I’m at the mouth of the cave pulling on my jacket. 

I can’t stay here.

 I need air

I need space 

I need to wake up from this nightmare. 

 The boardwalk lights guide my way; the lighthouse to my lost ship.

————————

Regret washes over me instantly. 

I’ve never been to the boardwalk late at night without the boys. It’s uncanny at night. Too quiet, like a ghost could slip out from behind a ride or tent at any moment

“You alone?” 

Micah, an acquaintance of David’s, and I use that term lightly, stands before me. Where did he come from? I’ve always wondered why David is not fond of  him, the other boys don’t like him either, always distrustful....and now that I think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever been alone with Micah before. One of the boys has always been present, and seems to always whisk me away as soon as possible.

His eyes scan over me, my arms break out in goose bumps. On instinct, I lie.

“Paul dragged me here, he needed to pick up some more grass, from his dealer”. I say with practiced ease. 

 He snickers and runs a finger up my bare forearm. 

I startle away.  “What are-“

“The boys aren’t here sweet thing, one of my guys saw them riding north about an hour ago.” 

He corners me against the railing. 

“and as for Paul,” he leans down, smelling my neck, before licking down my jugular.

 “I don’t smell him on you.” He grins, grabbing my arms. 

My heart drops, as my mind puts the pieces together. 

When it comes to fight or flight, I’m a fighter through and through, but right now I’m frozen, my hands are shaking, my eyes frantically looking, hoping my boys will show.

 But they won’t. 

They're not here. In fact, they don’t even know where I am.

A man I don’t recognize appears to my side.

“I don’t see a mark.” He smirks 

Micah grins “Is that so-“ 

“Can I help you gentlemen?”  A firm voice pulls his attention from me. 

“I don’t appreciate it when rogues, whom I allow to stay in Santa Carla, touch what doesn’t belong to them.” Max says with coolness that could turn a person to stone. 

Micah’s jaw twitches 

“She's not marked, that means she's fair game.” His voice cracks

Max tilts his head in a way that reminds me of a lion from one of those nature documentaries. 

“I decide what’s fair game, and she’s not.”

Micah's whole body tenses, he mimics Max’s stance

“Are you going to fight me Micah?” Max questions

Silence. 

“It's been awhile since I've broken a bone, but I’ve heard it's like riding a bicycle."

Micah’s companion grabs his arm 

“Come on man, let go.” and like that they disappear into the shadows. 

A firm hand grasps my upper arm. 

“Come with me.”

Max doesn't wait for my response before he is  pulling me along, down the row of store fronts. We reach the video store, and he tugs me inside. 

“Are you okay?” he half asks as he grabs the phone on the counter, dialing. 

Crossing my arms, tears fall down my cheeks. The seriousness of the situation Max just pulled me from finally hits me. 

“He was…” I stutter. “He was going to kill me.” My voices catches in my throat

Max speaks into the phone, ignoring me, “missing something?” His voice, deeming. 

I can’t hear what’s being said on the other side, but there is a short pause before he speaks again. 

“She’s at the store.  I shouldn’t have to keep tabs on your responsibility.” He hangs the phone up. 

Turning back to me, Max rubs his face, “what did the boys do?” 

I look at Max, and I don’t know where to begin. But with that one look I soon realize I don’t need to say a word. 

“They told you.” He says flatly  “how much did they explain?” 

“Nothing past ‘we’re vampires’” I scoff, though I know I’m also to blame. I didn’t exactly give them a chance.

Max places his hands in his pockets, and closes his eyes. 

“They have been towing a dangerous line since they took you in as their mate, letting you prance around without a mark. I’m surprised we haven’t had something like this happen sooner.”

The word mates bounces through my mind, an unfamiliar word, and it seems to hold some weight. My brain files that away for later, as it circles back to Micah. He was always a gentleman when I interacted with him before.

“I just don’t understand….I've met Micah before and he never acted like that.” I blurt out, my eyes burning

"You have got a lot to learn, my dear. A predator will always act like a predator.”

Scoffing I respond  “forgive me being so ignorant Ma-“

 “I’m surprised, actually, that he didn’t just pull you into some dark shadow and take you for himself. I would have.” he says with such coldness, such detachment.

I’m not shaking anymore, I’m not sure I’m even breathing. 

He stares, unblinking. Gold encircles the brown of his eyes. 

 A fear takes over then, one I have never felt before. I feel like a small child that wandered into the den of the friendly wolf, only to learn he is not as friendly as he seems. 

He brandishes a small, disarming smile: 

“But of course, I would never touch something that’s not mine, especially something so important to my boys.” 

 His words don’t comfort me, they just serve to remind me that I am treading deep, deep water, and there are sharks below. 

Max clears his throat. 

I meet his eyes, and I see it now. 

The predator.  

Cold and calculating. 

“Are the boys coming?” I ask, mustering as much confidence I have left in me.

“David is on his way.” he pauses, “Vampires, though chaotic and violent at their core, survive on order, tradition. If we didn't have it….well, we would all kill each other ... .That's why it is so important that they mark their territory properly.” 

My brows furrow. 

“Territory? I’m no one’s property-”

“You are now.” His says coolly. 

The soft rumble of a bike sounds outside the store.  

“Vampires don’t think the way humans do. At our nature we are selfish, possessive. We take and we take. This practice occurred out of necessity to mitigate conflict with others. You don't want the boys to get drawn into unnecessary conflict because of you, do you?.... It wouldn't be the first time a vampire has died because he failed to claim what's his.”

The door opens. 

Ice blue eyes, meet my own. He looks relieved, disheveled, and furious all at the same time. 

“I’m glad you could join us.” Max says 

David walks deeper into the store. Reaching me, his hand slides up my cheek softly, tilting my face to him. The action feels so out of place with his current level of anger that radiates off of him like a bomb.

“Are you hurt?” He grits out, his eyes are screaming, but I can’t tell what they're trying to say. 

I nod my head, “I’m okay.”

His nostrils flare, as he grasps my hand. I wince slightly as his fingers make contact with the gash I forget was there. 

“No. You're not.” He challenges.

“It was my fault.”

“No. It wasn’t.”  

David turns to acknowledge Max, but before he can get a word out Max beats him to it. 

“An unmarked mate invites conflict. Fix it.” 

I watch as his jaw tightens, and his body tenses further. His hand on my face drops, and curls into a fist.

“I will” is all David says. 

“Good, because if you don’t? I will do what is necessary to keep our family safe. Even if that means correcting your incompetence myself.” 

David’s rage hits a precipice, and he looks like he's going to pounce. His eyes turn gold. But before he can do anything, Max turns, walking to his office. He’s had enough of us for the night I guess. 

My voice shakes, “What does that mean?”

David's eyes meet mine again, darkened this time. Maybe now was not the time for questions. 

“Get on the bike.”

His tone leaves no room for arguing, I make my way out the door as he trails me from behind. Close and suffocating. 

He mounts his bike, I follow after him. Placing my arms around his waist,  he catches me off guard when he grabs my hands. 

His hold is tight. He breathes deeply in through his nose. 

“I can smell him on you.”

Just as quickly as he grasped my hands, he lets them go. 

“He’s a dead man.”

Turning the engine on, he pulls out onto the road. 

A deep sorrow overtakes me as we ride along the dark coastline. 

I've grown to love him. To love them all in my own way. 

I’m going to lose them. There’s no way we could go back to what  we were before. I’ve always felt safe around them, no matter how chaotic and dangerous they could be, I knew I was never in danger. 

Am I now? 

I tug on his jacket.

His jaw clenches, and I can tell he doesn’t want to pull over, but he respects the signal that he taught me many months ago. 

The bike slows as he pulls us off the road, on to a scenic overlook the summer tourists love. 

Neither one of us moves to get off. 

“I need you to talk to me.” I say, my voice trembles “because if I’m left alone with my thoughts for a minute longer….” My voice trails off as tears slip down my cheeks. 

The waves crashing down below are deafening. 

“David, please talk to me.” I know I sound pitiful, begging him like this, but the thought of him being angry with me forever is a thought that sits in my gut like a stone.

“You are not to leave the cave, alone.” he says coldly.

Hot anger mixes with my tears. I am a grown-ass woman, he doesn’t control me. My mouth flies open ready to argue, but he cuts me off. 

He clears his throat, his hands still gripping the handle bars. His voice is steady, but it wavers in a way I have never heard before

“When we got back to the cave….I could smell your blood.” He pauses “I panicked, in a way I haven’t done since I was human.” He rubs his face. 

I choose to table my anger for the moment as I place a hand on his back. I feel him tense, like he is deciding if he is going to allow himself this vulnerability, but I soon feel his shoulder blades  relax under my palm. 

 “Paul didn’t know where you were, or why your blood was smeared on the cave wall…..” he releases the handle bars, clasping his hands. “And then Max called….and for a moment I thought he had stolen you away to teach us a lesson.” 

A thousand questions fight for my attention in my mind, and my mouth won’t cooperate to even let one escape.

I sigh looking out at the horizon. 

David, without warning starts up his engine, and pulls back onto the road. 

I don’t ask where we’re going, because where else would we go? 

He dismounts, and offers me a hand, helping me off when we reach home. 

I can already see his facade fall back into place. He places a hand at the small of my back and leads me down.

A thought weighs heavy on my mind.  

“David?”

“Yes.”

“Are you in trouble with Max now?” 

We descend the last step into the common area.

“We’re always in trouble with Max, don't worry your pretty head about it.” He says as his domineering, confident mask falls fully into place. 

Strong arms grab and pull me into a crushing hug. 

“You're safe.” Dwayne mumbles into my hair. 

“Not for long if you keep hugging me like that” I laugh.

But Dwayne just hugs me tighter, before releasing me. He notices my hand immediately, tracing the wound with the rough pads of his finger tips. 

“Well now we know where the blood came from.” He says to David, as he studies my hand. 

David doesn’t respond, he sits in his chair, pulling out a carton of cigarettes. 

Dwayne guides me to the couch, “stay here, we must have a first aid kit thrown somewhere.” He disappears into one of the many cave tunnels.

I look back to David who is now taking long drags of his cigarette. 

“Where is Paul and Marko?” I ask 

“Taking care of Micah and his friends.” He says flatly 

“And by taking care of, you mean…”

“You know what I mean.” he responds  

I shot up from the couch. He can’t be serious….

Dwayne then returns with a very old looking box and gently tugs me back down to the seat cushion. 

David continues, “he tried to take what’s ours, there is only one resolution. He knew the rules, and he chose to break them.” 

Dwayne takes my hand and begins cleaning the wound with a bottle of alcohol, I wince, the sting feeling well deserved. 

Am I responsible for their deaths….

David seems to catch on to my thoughts

“Don’t you dare, blame yourself. You may not have been marked, but Micah knew damn well who you belonged to.” 

Dwayne chimes in, as he wraps a bandage around my palm, tying the loose ends together. “He forfeited his life the moment he approached you.”

David motions for me to come to him.

I stand, walking over.

Dwayne disappears somewhere into the cave. 

When I reach David, he pulls me into his lap, resting a hand on my lower back.

I gasp at the sudden change in position. We’ve never been this close before, my cheeks heat at the proximity. 

He grins at my flustered state, running a hand along my cheek, his thumb caressing my lips. 

“I can't lose you.” he whispers so quietly, I could have missed it. 

He fishes into his pocket, pulling out an earring, identical to his own. 

“You’ll wear this.” He says 

“What if I don’t want to?” I challenge.

“I wasn’t asking.” 

He grabs my ear, pressing the earring post into my piercing. He pulls it through the other end, and leans back in his chair admiring it.

I scowl at him. 

He smirks, “you do look good when you're angry with me.” His hand travels up my back, I shiver. He reaches my neck. His hand wrapping around slightly, before pulling away.

“And of course, the earring doesn’t work, well….” He leans in, kissing down my neck, my eyes flutter shut.

“David…” I mumble out feeling the electricity of his touch. I want more, any other night i would stay with him like this, but my nerves feel fired and exhaustion is starting to take it toil.

He pulls away, he hands resting on my hips.

“What happens if it doesn’t work.”

David’s hands begin to roam again, like they have an agenda of their own.

“I’ll just claim you the old fashioned way.” He muses, eyeing my neck.

“What if I don’t want that?”

Warm, orange sun peaks through the shade. 

Pulling the blanket tighter around me, I grunt, turning to my side. 

I need to get better black out curtains. 

I bet I can convince Libby  to go on a target run with me today…get some new curtains…..maybe they put out their Halloween stuff?….yeah that would be nice.

Opening my eyes slightly, I look at my alarm clock to check the time. 

This isn’t my room. 

I sit up.

I’m in Max’s guest bedroom. 

Rubbing my face, I lift the curtain, and peer outside. 

The sun is setting, not rising. I must have slept through the whole day. 

I look back to the large room before me, and the big, white dog at the foot of the bed. 

Thorn wags his tail when he realizes I'm awake. Max introduced us last night. I think it's a dog….the only reason I’m uncertain is because after he sniffed my hand, his eyes flashed red, and Max commanded him to “protect her.”

His hind legs stretch out, as he flops to his side, nuzzling his face deeper into the comforter. 

He’s cute, I’ll give the demon dog that. 

Standing from the bed, I make my way to the set of clothes left out for me on the dresser. 

A pair of sweat pants, and an oversized t-shirt again. How stylish. 

Pulling the clothes on, I survey the room around me. 

It looks…..old, antique might be the better word actually. 

My eyes glimpse a cruppled newspaper on the floor. I pause, one foot in the sweatpants one foot out.  

Memories from the previous night crash through my mind, causing me to almost lose balance and fall to the floor. I quickly pull my other leg through the gray pants. Before I actually trip and face plants on the hardwood. 

 After we left the parking lot last night,  Max made a quick pit stop, well actually there was nothing quick about it. He drove two hours out of town, and pulled into  a gas station.  We parked, he walked me inside, grabbed a newspaper, walked me out, and then he threw the paper in my lap….

“I can’t make that up.” He points to the newspaper.  “You saw me purchase it from somewhere I have no connection to. There’s no way to fake it.”

Squinting my eyes I look at him. 

“What do you mean?”

He only nods to the paper in my lap. 

I look down at the black and white bundle, I peer at the front page. 

I shake my head.

“No.”

“Yes, my dear.”

“No.”I shake my head, throwing the paper to the floor 

“It’s August 12th, 1988.” Max says, surprising, soft.

“This…I….no….” Anger fills me, and so does a deep seated, inescapable fear. 

I still don’t believe him. 

This has to be an elaborate trick….my mind reminds me again of the fact that Max is a vampire, something I thought was impossible up until a few hours ago. 

When we got to his house later and he showed me inside, I ran to his living room and turned the tv on. Hoping for a news station that had the date in the corner. 

The correct date. August 12th 2025. 

The tv was already set to CNN, and when it flashed on the screen….it was static, and un clear. And in the bottom corner of the screen, it read August 12th, 1988. 

I sat back on my heels,  staring at the screen for a while….

My heart starts to pound again, bracing one hand on the drawers I try to steady myself.

Tears slip down my face, my heart beats against my rib cage like a drum, I can’t get enough air-I slowly lower myself to the ground. 

Thorn, lifting his head up, tilts it in that quizzitory  way that dogs do. He gets up from the bed and comes to my side. 

The weight of his head, brings me back from my spiral, and grounds me to hear and now…..1988. 

I let out a half laugh, a sob catches in my throat. 

Placing a hand between his ears, I rub his soft fur. 

I’m not in 2025 anymore, which means I can’t escape him.  

Because where would I go? I don’t even exist yet, my college degrees are gone, my savings are gone, all my belongings, gone. 

When Max stole me, he successfully, unequivocally  isolated me from my family, from my life. 

There’s no going back.

My eyes blur, as my cheeks grow warm. I’m lost to a world that I was once a part of, lost to my family, to my friends, and my life. 

Suddenly, there’s a creak outside my door, and a small knock. 

The door opens enough for a head to pop through. 

A woman's face appears. Her hair is pulled back in two braids, she wears jeans and an open button down, with a light blue tank underneath. 

She eyes me curiously, before smiling softly, and stepping in. 

“Hello, my name is Anna. I’m Max’s house keeper, or as I like to say manager since I pretty much run his daily life, or should I say nightly life for him .” She laughs

I can’t manage a response, I am so at my limit right now I don’t think I could even form words if I wanted to. 

She smiles again. 

“I’ve got pasta salad and Cherry Cokes downstairs if you're hungry? I could even grill you up a burger if you like?” 

My stomach growls. 

She smiles again, “come on, I don’t bite.” She winks “Max may but I’m purely human.” She snorts, laughing so hard at her own joke her eyes almost disappear into thin creases. 

She walks out, leaving the door open. 

I don’t want to follow her, but I’m honestly not sure when was the last time I ate.

Pulling myself up, Thorn follows me out of the room. 

The carpeted stairs squeak under my feet as I descend down towards the kitchen. 

Warm, dusk light filters through the windows illuminating the space in golden rays.

It’s a small kitchen, unsurprisingly. With a long island and cubicle-esk layout. Anna sits on a bar stool leaning against the granite counter top, flipping through a magazine, her two braids falling forward. Just as promised, there are two cherry cokes and a big bowl of pasta waiting. 

I hover in the arch way. This whole scene feels out of place. I’m trapped in a monster's home, and yet the fading sun is shining over the wooden cabinets, and a freshly prepared meal  welcomes me into this place. 

Thorn brushes past me. Anna smiles at him, trailing her fingers along his back as he makes his way to a dog bed tucked away in the corner

“Now, tell me all about how you got here.” Reaching down she grabs a can of coke and pops it open. “Because I know damn well,  you're no niece of Max.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The lights are too bright. The smell of fried food is far too strong, and if another small child screams again I’m going to throw myself into the ocean. 

Anna hums gently beside me, her shoulders are tucked back, and there’s a soft smile on her face as she people watches. 

The boys are late. Max having disappeared a few minutes prior to go and find where they went off it 

Pulling my jacket tighter around me, I lean back against the railing. The jean jacket has seen better days, dwarfing my average frame. 

Before we left Max’s house he swore that Anna would take me out shopping soon to get some “clothing that is far  more suitable for a young lady.” I guess he didn't like my crocs or  leggings. 

The boardwalk is a live wire tonight. I've already seen two fists fights, a couple break up, the same couple get back together and countless teenagers, being, well teenagers. According to Anna, this is an average night for the place, ever since she was a small child she recalls the alluring atmosphere, danger, and that the very air dares its patrons into recklessness. 

From across the way I spot the reason we are here. A banner is draped loosely between two beams holding up a giant open air tent, “Family Fun Bash” is written sloppily,  in deep red paint. Members from what I would assume is the local PTA scurry around, rushing from the punch bowl table to  craft booths, to rolling out a large tarp to make a makeshift dance floor. The bright color streamers, and confetti they have thrown everywhere remind me of a children's party. A car pulls up to the tent, with an advertisement on its driver's side door, “Mattel’s Circus amusements.” And I kid you not, three whole ass clowns step out, including a little wiener dog, with hat and red nose.

I roll my eyes. 

Max’s goal for the evening is to have the boys and me  properly meet this time around, with a chaperone, courtesy of Anna, and in a location where no shangaians can occur, or so Max says.

“They're not that bad, you know.”

Turning to Anna, I give her a look. Her warm smile holds strong as she continues.

“I’m not saying they're perfect, because they are no saints, in fact they are pretty far from that…..But, they protect their own. And despite them being far older than they look, at heart they are still hurting teenage boys, looking for connection.” 

I feel that spark of anger again. “They kidnapped me.” I spit out.

“Max kidnapped you.” There's a short pause. “When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. Complaining about the lemons will get you nowhere." A force of anger like no other begins to crash into me, and then stops as her tone registers in my brain.  There's an edge of knowledge, of history behind her voice, she speaks as if she has stood where I have stood, maybe not exactly the same, but life has definitely given her lemons.

 Suddenly, that vibration that I’m learning to identify comes to life in the air around us, and it pulls me from our conversation. 

Anna's smile, as if possible, deepens when she spots the boys. She waves  her hand widely, and unabashedly calls “over here!”

Thier an intimidating lot, as they cross the busy street. People dodge out of their way, strangers lower their gazes to not make eye contact. Paul runs up to a poor pedestrian jump scaring them, while Marko laughs and quickly checks the man's back pockets for, if I had to guess, cash. 

When they reach us Anna greets all four of them warmly, giving some hugs, and others pinches on their cheeks. The scene is almost comical, watching these four, punk guys get loved on by the middle-aged women who seems to be made out of sunlight and better homes and gardens magazines. 

Once she is thoroughly done, she turns to me expectantly.

Clutching the jacket even tighter, I take a small step away from the railing, towards the group. The four of them just stare at me for a long moment. Paul leans on one of Dwayne's shoulders like he is trying to get a better look, Marko shifts from side to side, biting his thumb; It must be a nervous tick. David is spotting  what looks like a ripe black eye, and Dwayne has a deep black bruise on his exposed chest. What happened to them? As my eyes leave Dwayne's torso, our eyes meet, and I blush at being caught staring. He grins, showing a missing tooth and busted lip. 

What the hell happened to them? Are they that rough of a crowd? Before the awkward moment gets too overwhelming, Max appears clutching some papers in his hand, the likes of which he hands directly to David. 

“Here are the tickets, and I expect you all to be on your best behavior.” 

Paul, faster than I have ever seen a person move, grabs a ticket from David and peers closely at it. A pronounced, childish frown forms on his face, and for a moment I think he is about to stomp his foot.

 “The family fun bash.” He  whines, while dramatically banging his head against Dwayne’s back for effect. 

“What did you expect, Paul?” Max chides. “That I would let you four take her and run a muck around Santa Carla? Speaking of.” Max points to me, “she is not to leave the boardwalk, you four are too accompany her to this social.” He waves vaguely in the direction of the tent “and only to the social, she is not to go on any of your deathtraps you call bikes, or, and I cannot empathize this enough.  To. The. Cave. If I find out that you did any of these things, there will be consequences. Am I understood?” Max looks to each of the boys, and waits for a nod from each of them. 

“Good.” Max’s shoulders visibly relax, and he turns on his heels. “Oh, and remember boys, have fun!” 

Disappearing in the crowd, Max is gone. 

“How are we supposed to have fun, if we have to go to the lame ass bash?” Paul mumbles, kicking a rock past the railing. 

Anna clicks her tongue, “as long as you all are together I’m sure you will have a good time, Paul.” She walks past the boys and pauses “now, I’m going to go sit in that darling little cafe down the street.” She winks at David. 

My blood turns to ice, as a shard of anxiety stabs my gut. She’s not seriously going to leave me alone with them is she? I thought she was supposed to chaperone! 

Taking a step in her direction, “Wa-wait, Anna, I” but she only waves at me from over her shoulder and carries on her way shouting a last “have fun!” Before she disappears into the Boardwalk.

Turning back, I find four sets of eyes locked on me. I hate these types of social situations, I never know how to react to people I don't know, especially strange, not-teenage vampires. My anxiety spikes again, when Paul loops around Dwayne and gets into my personal bubble. The vibration I felt before separates, and as Paul comes closer it clears into something full of energy, like a live wire. Different from the vibration I felt before, but yet still part of that same vibration. 

“So, where’ ya from, Sugar?” he sings, looking me up and down, surveying me like a new ride at the carnival. 

Before I can get a word out, he blabbers on, talking a mile a minute it seems. The others stay back watching this all unfold, there's a tension in the air. It's not from anger, or conflict though, it feels like apprehension.

Surprisingly, David is the next to come closer. Reaching into his jacket pocket he pulls out a cigarette and leans against the railing behind me, lighting it. I glare at him from the corner of my eye, and he returns it. I still have a mark on my arm from where he grabbed the night prior. Paul notices the interaction.

“Oooo what's that feisty look for?” He grabs my jacket sleeve, and I don't know what overtakes me, maybe it's the anxiety, maybe it's this whole screwed up situation I find myself in, but on impulse,  I deck him as hard as I can. Paul isn't fast enough to dodge it, and he falls right to the asphalt. 

“You Bitc-” His eyes glow yellow and he lunges for me like a rabid animal. But just as fast as Paul moves, a solid black leather wall is suddenly in front of me.

“Get out of my way Dwayne!” Paul yells, as Dwayne holds Paul back at arms length. It's almost comical the way Paul flares his arms, before giving up.

Dwayne turns around, facing me. He doesn't touch me or ogle me the way Paul did, instead he surveys me cautiously, with a hint of worry creasing his brow. 

“Pack rules say a hit for a hit!” Paul say frowning 

“Well she’s not Pack.” Dwayne counters, watching Paul from the corner of his eye

Paul opens his mouth to retort, David stubs his cigarette, and Dwayne sighs ready to argue.

“Yet.” 

We all look to Marko who is still standing away, quiet as death. He seems like his mind has been elsewhere for awhile, and he suddenly came up for air.  

“She’s not Pack, yet.” he fidgets with something on his jacket.  “She will be, in a year's time, and we don't have a say, so lets not fuck this up from the get-go Paul.”

No one says anything, I look between the four of them confused. Does Marko not speak or something? Why do they all look surprised? 

“Let's just get this overwith.”David says, shaking his head. He starts to walk in the direction of the ticket booth. 

Marko and Paul quickly trail behind. I watch as Paul keeps trying to talk to Marko and nudge him, but Marko just keeps creating more and more space his hands shoved deep into his pockets.  looking to my side,  Dwayne remains behind with me. I look up to him. The beach is long and dark, I bet I could get away…..maybe swim out a little ways…..

Suddenly, something pushes against my back, spurring me onwards towards the rest of the boys. 

I look down to see Dwayne’s hand on my lower back, and I huff.

“You're not going to let me run, are you?” I ask 

“No, not tonight.” His face is all business, as his lips part. “though I have to admit,  I’m not the one you want to run away from, because when I catch you…” he trails off as he bends down to my neck, and nips at my collar bone.

I gasp, blushing, as I attempt to push him away. He inhales, breathing me in for a moment longer, chuckling as he pushes me forward.  

When we reach the ticket booth, David looks furious as he speaks with the attendant.

A guitar solo jolts me awake.

“Pour some sugar on me, oooh in the name of love.” A voice sings over speakers, the sound is muffled like it’s coming from another room.

Wood paneling, filing cabinets, and movie posters fill my vision.

Nightmare on Elm Street, The Goonies, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and many others look down at me from their spots on the wall.

There’s a colorful afghan blanket draped over my waist. It falls to the floor, as I stand up.

I don’t understand….where’s-

Oh no.

The room spins as cold sweat prickles at my neck. I fall back to the creaky couch.

He took me.

He…kidnapped me.

The events of the previous night flood my mind. Mitch, the bathroom, the strange man, the gun…..the hole in his chest…I killed him…..no…..his eyes were yellow…..He wasn’t….he wasn’t….

But I can’t get the words out, my mind refusing to believe what I was thinking.

Fuck.

I force myself to move, stumbling towards the door; It’s unlocked.

What a stupid asshole.

Throwing the door open, stepping out into a short hallway I see,

Bright overhead lights shining down on rows and rows of colorful isles of DVDs.

No, VHS tapes.

Huh.

Well I guess if record stores can make a comeback in 2025 so can VHSs?

The space is packed with people, the music blasts in the background. A young woman stands at the check out.

She’ll help me.

Just as my foot steps over the threshold into the store, a hand slams down on my shoulder.

I’m wrenched back into something solid, but I don’t panic. I lift my arm up towards me, elbowing whoever it is as hard as I can.

There’s a pained groan, but I push away from him into the well-light store.

People stare at me as I run, knocking over a display in my wake. I dodge around people, pushing through a couple holding hands, knocking a drink out a teenager’s grasp.

“Hey, watch it!” They yell.

The worker at the front stares at me with wide eyes, ditching my plan to get help from her, I run out the door.

And promptly, run right into a solid body again.

We both tumble to the ground, my hands falling on either side of his head.

The look of shock is clear on his face, his green eyes wide with surprise, there's a french fry stuck in his curly blonde hair.

“Get back her young lady.” I hear Max calmly command.

We both look back to the man slowly weaving his way out of the store.

I see red, as I watch his cocky walk towards us.

“Fuck you!” I shout, using the man under me to push myself up.

He strangely grasps for my arms, like he wants to hold me there. But I rip away, running.

People stare at the commotion, but no one stops to help me.

I make it across the street, reaching a railing that leads to what looks like a beach. How the hell are we near the ocean? We were camping at least 300 miles from the nearest coastline.

I throw my leg over, and prepare myself to break fall into the sand-when someone grabs my upper arm.

Their fingers dig into me, and I cry out. The stranger pulls me away from the railing, and swings me so I’m facing them.

I struggle in his grasp, and yell. But no one intervenes, either this place is so loud they can’t hear, or they simply don’t want to get involved.

“What do we have here?” A voice sings

His eyes are ice, and his face is framed by an 80’s style mullet. Geeze the people around here must really be into vintage stuff.

I pull my knee up to kick him in the balls, but he somehow guesses what I’m about to do, and presses me against the railing, one of his legs slotted between my own.

Anger or excitement flashes behind his eyes, and a grin that only a devil should wear crosses his face.

Thrashing against him, I yell “Let me go! Or I’m going to- ”

He laughs, grin widening, “you’re going to do what?” His grip tightens, causing me to yelp, my cheeks flush red with embarrassment.

He licks his lips, “maybe I should let you go? I love it when they run.”

I look over his shoulder, ignoring his bizarre and off putting comment, and spot max making his way towards us.

At the sight of him, my fighting becomes more frantic.

“Please, just let me go! That man kidnapped me.” I say

But blue eyes just stares at me curiously, tilting his head. He brings his face closer, smelling my neck.

I tense.

What the hell is he doing?

“What are you…” I start to say

But Max reaches us.

“That’s enough, David.” He says.

He pulls his face away from mine, and looks me up and down, like he’s never seen a woman before. He keeps his harsh grasp on my arm.

“David.” Max says, this time there’s an edge of power to his voice. Like he expects total obedience.

David turns back to Max, his hand still tightly wrapped around my bicep.

“Who is this?” David asks.

Max ignores his question.

“Bring her back into the store, use the side entrance, and don’t tell the others anything yet.” He says, spinning around.

David looks back to me.

“Walk.” He says, pushing me in front of him.

I do as he says, walking in the direction of the store. The boy with the curly hair is still there, now he is leaning against the display window staring at us.

He looks at David, curiosity crosses his face, his mouth opens, but before he can say anything David steers me past the front entrance, and down a narrow alleyway.

There’s a ladder to my right, leading up to the roof of the next building, and for a moment I think of climbing it.

“I wouldn’t do that.” David’s voice hums, almost, in a way, daring me to.

He steps in front, opening a rusty door.

I hesitate at the threshold.

If I walk in I might not come out. I don’t know how gruesome their plans are for me, and I honestly don’t want to stick around to see for myself.

Before I can move away, David grabs me, tossing me inside.

I stumble into the small poster clad room.

David follows behind, shutting the door.

Max, sitting at his desk, motions for us to take a seat.

We both remain standing.

He sighs.

“I was hoping I would get to introduce you all in a more neutral way, maybe over dinner? But it seems that Lady Fate doesn’t like my plans.” Shaking his head, he continues.

“David this is y/n……she’s your mate.” Max pauses. “Of course she’s also the other’s mate too. I'm not quite sure who she belongs romantically to yet…… but, she is one hundred percent mated to you all. ”

Belongs to? Is this a human trafficking thing?.... Fear and anger fight for dominance in my gut.

“Fuck you. I don't belong to anyone." I look between both of them. “And if anyone touches me I will fucking kill them.”

Max scoffs, “You already tried that, remember? It didn't stick.”

The air in the room shifts, and I swear, it gets darker. David takes a small, almost unnoticeable step back from Max’s desk.

“And if you do try that again, or try to run away from me or the boys, and trust me you can only try, because we will find you; I won't kill you.” he shakes his head, a smile appearing. “No, I will go back, find your family, and I will make them pay the price for your disobedience, in the slowest, most painful way imaginable. Am I understood?” he speaks coldly; deadly.

A shiver runs down my spine. I don't know Max, I don't know if this is an empty threat. But he is the type of man to kidnap, which probably means he is the type to murder too.

I gulp.

He stares at me, waiting.

I force myself to reply, “I understand.”

He smiles, shoulders relaxing again.

“Good, I'm glad we're on the same page.”

He turns back to David. “I haven’t decided whether she will be living with you all. The cave is no place for a young lady, and I don't want the four of you having full, un-chaperoned access to her yet.” he shakes his finger. “There was also, a stipulation from that witch-”

“Witch?” David snarls, interrupting Max

Max’s eyebrows twitch up. “Yes, well you boys have forced my hand. Desperate times call for desperate measures as they say. Now, are you done interrupting me?”

David finally sits, his hand covering his lower face.

“As I was saying, the witch had one rule I had to agree to before she would help me.” he gestures towards me. “Starting from the day she was taken, she can't be turned for a whole calendar year. If that rule is broken, well…. she said there would be dire consequences"

David doesn't move or say anything. He just sits there staring off.

“And that's why I don't want her around you all, too much, for the time being. I trust you four with some things, but there is still control that needs to be learned, and she can't be the lesson.”

David lifts his head.

He’s frowning, and the glare he shoots at Max looks like it could kill.

"We don't need another member.”

“I’m not asking.” Max responds

David shakes his head, laughing out of what seems to be frustration.

"You're really going to do this to us again? First Star and Laddie, whose presence didn't bring us together like you thought it would, but instead wedged the four of us further apart. Then there was the Emersons, who nearly got Marko killed.” He stands from his seat, his eyes flash yellow, just like Max’s did before.

What's up with the yellow eyes? They must be wearing contacts.

Max stands to match David's stance, he puts his hands in his pockets.

“You're still young. You will understand some day why I make the choices I make, and you will be thankful for them.” He peers down at his watch. “I need to head back to the store soon.”

Max looks at me, David follows his gaze, dropping the argument for the time being.

“She will work in the video store, and live with me, for now, so I can keep an eye on her. If you would like to see her again or if the boys want to meet her, you will ask me first. Understand?”

My face sours at the idea of living with Max, but I guess it beats staying in, what was that again? A cave? Why are his so-called sons living in a cave?

David huffs, nodding his head to Max. “I understand.”

“Good.” Max pats David on the shoulder.

Max turns around, opening a small closet I didn't notice early. He rummages through boxes of what looks like T-shirts.

I look away, catching David staring at me.

There's a pulse. Something unseen bouncing around like a music vibration, between us. I gasp softly, at the strange sensation.

David scowling, turns, walking out the side door.

What the hell is going on?

“Here we go.” Max pulls out a red shirt that’s at least three sizes too large with a smiley face on it.

“You need to change, and….. freshen up a bit too.” he opens the door to the hallway and gestures towards a door directly across.

“There’s the bathroom.” He pauses "when you're done I will be on the floor, just come find me....and remember, if you run…..” he lets the unspoken threat sit heavy in the air.

The sound of my mother screaming, and the image of Mitch laying on the ground clutching his side, as blood and things that should be inside your body fall out, thrashes through my mind. Like bats trying to escape a closed cave.

I place my hand against the wall, to steady myself.

Max hums, walking away.

I take a deep breath to control my breathing, and watch as he makes his way down the hall to the busy video store.

Clutching the shirt to my chest, I open the bathroom door, locking it behind me.

There’s a window, and for a moment I think about checking to see if it opens.

But I stop myself.

Even if it is open, I can’t leave. Not like that. I can’t over power him, or David it seems. I need to play the long game, earn his trust, and get back home.

I take a deep breath as I make up my mind.

They're clearly crazy, which means they are going to slip up at one point or the other. I mean come on vampires? Witches? Soulmates? Please.

I look at myself in the mirror, understanding why Max wanted me to freshen up.

There’s dirt all over my face, and blood splatters on my cheeks, neck, and shirt. I smell like sweat, and….rotten eggs? No. sulfur; like I really smell like sulfur, like I took a bath in it.

I pull off my shirt, and move to the sink. I squirt some hand soap into my hands and start scrubbing the blood and dirt away.

When I’m done I pull on the new shirt.

Unlocking the door, I poke my head out.

Max is talking to a customer.

I could run now…He’s distracted, and David isn’t around to catch me this time….

Just as the thought enters my mind, Max turns his head, smiling at me.

Damn.

Walking towards him, I cross my arms over my chest, feeling self conscious since I wasn’t wearing a bra. Because, you know, he took me from my campsite at 2am in the morning.

“There, don’t you feel better after freshening up? And red is definitely your color.” He places his hand behind me and leads me to the counter in the front of the store.

The woman from earlier is still there, she smiles when she sees us.

“Maria, this is my niece. She is staying with me for a while, and I would like her to work with us while she does. Show her the ropes.”

Max then leaves us to go help a customer.

Maria looks me up and down, a slight frown on her face.

“Where are you from? You’ve got an odd sense of style.”

I look down at my black leggings, crocs, and giant ass tshirt

“I guess I do. But the same could be said to you. What did you do? Raid your mother's teenage closet?”

Maria’s eyes squint.

“What?”

“You know?” I laugh “you look like you're straight out of an 80s magazine.”

Maria, gives me a strange look

“Well…..it is 88, Hun.” she responds

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next few hours go fast.

Maria shows me how to cash people out, using the “knuckle buster” which I learned is a manual credit card processor? These people are hardcore on their 80s theming…..most of my time though spent reshelving and rewinding the VHSs.

Maria and I make small talk in between customers. She tells me about her boyfriend, and how she’s grounded since she was caught sneaking out last week.

“So what about you?” She asks “are your parents strict?”

I smile at her, she must think I'm still in high school.

“No, my parents were never the strict kind. I never even had a curfew.” I laugh. “I haven’t lived with them since I graduated college actually."

“Oh! So you're a college girl? That’s totally bitchin. I can't wait to get the hell out of this town….” She eyes me up and down like she is mulling something over. “Why are you here then? If your parents didn't send you to live with your uncle?” She gestures in Max’s direction.

I bite my cheek.

This could be my chance.

I lower my voice. “Listen, I-”

“Maria, will you lock up for me? We’re going to head out for the night.”

I turn my head, watching as Max walks down an aisle towards us.

Maria nods her head, “sure.”

Max walks to the store entrance, turning back to me “This way y/n. My car is just down in the lot.”

I hesitate for only a moment, before ducking under the counter and following. I really hope that he didn't hear me. He seemed pretty distracted then, and he was on the other side of the store…there's no way he could hear us from all the way over there.

I drink in my surroundings as we walk as much as I can, trying to get my bearings. We are on a boardwalk, with carnival rides, and such. It was buzzing with life only a few hours ago, but has now simmered down to a low boil.

We stroll down the walkway, heading towards a set of stairs that leads into the parking lot.

As we get closer, I start to feel that vibration again, it gets more defined, intune even, as we approach.

Do I have hearing damage or something?

Turning down the stairs, I spot four guys waiting at the bottom.

David looks disinterested, leaning against a motorcycle, cigarette in hand.

The curly haired boy from earlier is there too, along with another blonde and a tall, almost angry? looking brunette.

The blond is hitting a hacky sack, and hasn’t noticed us. The brunette’s face is unmoving like stone. He doesn't scowl, but his stare certainly isn’t friendly

“Hello boys.” Max sings, stopping at the bottom of the stairs.

The blond looks up, his hacky sack hitting the ground. He smiles at Max, and then his eyes shoot to me, his head tilting to the side as if confused.

Quickly, shaking out of it, he unabashedly checks me out, remarking “I see you’ve got some take out, Max. Planning on sharing?”

The boys sneaker, except for David, who stares in the opposite direction, continuing to take quick drags.

Max chuckles, and starts walking again. “You’ll see Paul. She’s no meal.”

I follow close behind him, as we walk past them.

Watching out of the corner of my eye, I see the blond and brunette lean forward and…..sniff?

I must really smell bad.

We reach Max’s car, and he opens the door for me.

“Are you fucking kidding me man?” Paul shouts “Why didn't you tell us?”

I look back and see Paul up and close in David’s face.

The curly haired guy stands next to David’s bike, his hand resting on one of the handle bars. He stares at us in silence, his mouth slightly ajar.

And if I was uncertain if the brunette looked angry before, he definitely looks angry now. He stares at David, like he’s going to punch him through his skull.

I slide into the passenger seat, Max shuts the door.

The sound snaps them all to attention. They look at us, even David.

Max starts the car.

I’m aware of that feeling again… it feels steady, warm, and……..no.

No.

This man took you from your family, he literally stole you away in the night. Whatever this is, has to be something drug induced. Something he slipped me to encourage whatever affection he wants to grow between the five of us.

Yeah.

That’s right.

Well, Max. I’m on to you, and I won't fall for your tricks.

I turn to him.

“Your boys?” I ask.

Max smiles, while backing out of the parking spot.

“Yes, that's them. David, Marko, Paul, and Dwayne.” He pauses, shifting the car into drive.

He pulls out of the parking lot, and onto the road.

“They may seem rough, but trust me they are nothing compared to me when I'm crossed.”

My heart jumps to my throat, and for a moment I think I forget how to breathe.

From the corner of his eye, he stares at me.

“You tried to tell Maria,”

“Please Max I-”

He slams on the breaks.

I lurch forward, my head hitting the dashboard. White hot pain flashes behind my eyes.

A hand like iron, grips my neck, pulling me back.

Max’s face is no longer Max’s face.

What the fuck. What the..

Two long, pointed fangs stick out from his gums. His eyes are yellow, rimmed with red, like a deadly spider.

He pulls my face closer to him, I claw at his forearm. My heart hammers in my chest.

“Now listen here.” he says, deadly calm, as if reprimanding a child “I said I wouldn't kill you, but that doesn't mean I won’t make you wish for death. I can tear you apart, drink you dry, bring you back, and then do it over, over, and over again, until you're begging me to stop. Do you want that?”

I shake my head, quickly from side to side. A tear slips down my cheek.

“Good.” He releases me.

His face morphs back, and he begins to drive again.

I'm shaking, as I try to squeeze myself into the farthest corner of the car seat.

“You’re…..You’re a……?” I can’t say it.

My mind won't accept it.

It's not possible.

But there's no way that was makeup, or prosthetics, or a trick of the light……oh gosh…..no, no….Fuck…

He tilts his head.

“Come now, y/n. You know what I am.”

I shake my head.

He laughs.

“Sooner or later, young lady, you're going to have to accept it. You're in the company of vampires now.”