#be0neofus

The last thing Dwayne remembered before falling into the darkness was electrifying pain surging through his entire body. His flesh burned and melted off his bones, and his screams of pain turned into nightmarish, high pitched howls. That punk ass brat fired one lucky shot and it was enough to pin him to the stereo, where he met his untimely end.

Wasn’t he supposed to live forever? Wasn’t eternity a gift that was bestowed upon him? Was sleeping all day and partying all night supposed to lead to such a gruesome end? It was bad enough they lost Marko while they were asleep in their own cave, but to die at the hands of mortal brats was such a low blow to the vampires’ egos.

Dwayne faintly remembered his elderly grandfather talking about what happened to their spirits once they died. The story varied from different tribes, but many of them spoke about rejoining the earth and becoming one with nature. Would the same hold true if one chose the darkness and became a blood drinking killer? Dwayne had no regrets of joining David and Max, and he never mulled on whether there was a heaven or hell. Back then, he was focused on living in the now and ruling over Santa Carla’s nightlife.

Now, he wasn’t sure where he was. He moved so sluggishly in the dark that it was difficult to tell which way was up. It was all too quiet, such a contrast compared to the chaotic scene that was Michael’s house. Was he going to be stuck in limbo forever listening to his own thoughts?

A warmth wrapped around his body like a thick blanket on a chilled winter’s night. Dwayne hadn’t felt cold in decades, being undead and all, but he welcomed the sensation.

What’s this?

He still couldn’t see anything, yet he was growing stronger. He was even able to move himself about more freely. He no longer felt like he was treading in quicksand. If anything, it felt more like he was floating in mid-air.

Behind him, he heard the familiar sound of bats screeching along with wings flapping in the air.

The cave…

A gentle light from above shined down upon him, and after blinking from the sudden brightness, Dwayne found himself emerging from a vat of blood.

Crimson liquid splashed over the edge and leaked onto the floor. Dwayne was sitting up and gripping the sides of a large tank with such intensity that he created intends with his fingertips. He was panting heavily and searching the area with his penetrating dark eyes. It looked like one of the many chambers inside the cave with a simple torch burning in one of the oil drums a few feet away.

“The hell?” were the first words Dwayne uttered.

Star offered David a small smile as she stopped what she was working on: making a necklace out of seashells. She was surprised to see him after all this time. She was practically convinced he moved away to start a new life away from the murder capital.

Plus an apology signifies regret and I don’t live with regret.

Everyone knows that there is a first time for everything. The first of this evening: Gwendolyn witnessing her first initiation. You see, not just anyone could be a part of The Lost Boy family...not without what Gwendolyn called A Test Of Character. It had be proven through a few harmless jokes at the expense of the potential new member, of course. 

Gwendolyn had not been initiated in the traditional sense. David had offered her the wine bottle in an attempt to heal her. In a way, it had worked; she no longer feared going blind or deaf & her stutter had disappeared completely. Unfortunately, her crippled legs did not benefit from her immortality & she never did know why.

The Boys & even young Laddie had often told her what fun it was to laugh at the poor sucker who was failing victim to David's pranks. Like that Emerson boy, back in 1987. Apparently, David's urging almost drove this boy off the edge of a cliff. Paul had said that the boy punched David, but Gwendolyn refused to believe it. According to Laddie, David had then tricked the boy into thinking he was eating maggots & worms! What a big tickle that must have been! But as it turns out, this Emerson person was not Lost Boy material--had a brother who was a real pain the ass, or something...

She wanted to feel that malicious excitement of getting to watch the torture, but it just so happens that the particular sucker who was getting initiated tonight was a fellow Greaser that owned a garage here in Santa Carla. She & this Greaser had been going steady. It had taken her three weeks of begging to get David to agree; but now she had to deal with the consequences of getting what she wanted. Even if it meant that she had to watch her boyfriend, Nick get the royal shaft.

Gwendolyn sat in David's antique wheelchair, her entire body itched impatiently. Nick may have been a damn good mechanic, but he was never on time. "Go easy on him, David." She pleaded, looking up at the older vampire. "Please? For me?" Sighing, she put her head in her hands. "It's just that Nick's got a bit of a temper, I don't want him running out on me. " The blonde vampire explained to her Sire, with obvious apprehension.

"Okay, who the hell are you and why the hell do you look like me?"