#tlb reader insert

The more you looked around, feet bumping into small piles of clothes and narrowly dodging knick-knacks, it became increasingly more obvious that this wasn’t just a hangout spot either; They lived here, hidden away from rent and responsibility.

Eavesdropping on their loud conversations in the diner gave you enough insight to know their stances on the government, prices getting higher while wages remain stagnant, making it nearly impossible for people to live comfortably. You felt like it wasn’t a stretch to assume they chose to live in a place like this, a place they could truly make theirs without landlords breathing down their necks, without the prying eyes of weary strangers.  

This place was enchanting in its own unique way. It almost felt intimate being invited here. 

You slowly walked past the worn furniture scattered about, torn velvet and cracked wooden pieces, intricate detailing that’s been tainted by age. There was a decent sized lounge area with multiple chairs pushed together, creating a homey little space for the group to sit together. The couch looked the most inviting to you, the rusty springs creaking as you decided to sit down on the old fabric. 

Star was still walking around, a pink shawl decorated with soft flowers now wrapped securely around her shoulders. The woman seemed to glide along the floor as she spoke with Laddie, smiling sweetly down at him before ruffling his hair. Her hair bounces as she looks over her shoulder towards you, tilting her head slightly before finally making her way towards you. 

“I never noticed you had a tattoo.” Star comments when she plopped down next to you, her eyes glued to your forearm, “It’s pretty.” She smiles softly, reaching out with the intention to trace the lines before retracting her finger quickly. 

“Oh… Thank you.” The smile you return feels slightly awkward. Your hand rubs against the ink, bringing the sleeve of your jacket back down just a second later.  

The tapping of a falling pebble caught your attention. Marko and Paul were the first to drop down from the steep rocks, the sound of their heavy boots echoing throughout the room, next was Michael and Dwayne, then David. The different pendants they all wore jingled a familiar tune as they walked towards the lounge area. 

Michael was the first one to sit, fitting himself perfectly between Star and Laddie. Paul and Marko were pushing each other around, attempting to wrestle for an object you couldn’t see, cursing at each other in between spurts of laughter. Dwayne sat down on a small bench just beside the couch, and David went for a wheelchair that was cast in an impossible beam of moonlight. 

“This place is pretty cool.” You told David, picking at the sleeve of your jacket. 

He smiled, nodding in agreement, “It was an old hotel a long time ago,” He explained, affirming your previous assumptions, “A pretty bad earthquake hit this area in the early nineteen hundreds, swallowing everything up and leaving what you see now.” He stood from the wheelchair and walked towards the fountain, his arms extending slightly outward, “Well, with some renovations.” 

“Now it’s all ours.” Paul butts in, now holding the object he was fighting Marko for, a small porcelain clown with soft painted features. “It’s pretty sick, right?” 

There was a sudden sound that made you jump. Something flew past your head quickly, forcing you to duck before looking back up with widened eyes. 

A grey pigeon sat upon Marko’s fingers, seeds sitting in his palm as an offering, which the bird gladly ate. You watched with amazement, listening to him coo sweetly to the creature. 

“Do you smoke?” Paul asks, dropping down on the loveseat that was next to the couch, pulling a small baggy from the pocket of his tuxedo jacket. 

You couldn’t help but chuckle at the question, feeling a touch of familiarity. Here you were hanging out with a group of delinquents, being offered weed in an unusual place that was covered in graffiti and antiques. It almost reminded you of high school, and the company you kept back then. 

“It’s been a while.” You answer after a beat, Paul just nods to himself, easily catching the grinder Marko threw towards him. “But I’ll pass tonight, if that’s okay.” 

David steps away from the fountain, turning to look at you, “That’s perfectly fine. We’re not those types of people.” He reassures, walking back towards the group and settling back into the wheelchair. 

Something in the way he said it, and the quiet sound that came from Michael, made you doubt him a little. But, considering the fact that you were practically trapped here with the group, you decided it would be for the best if you ignore your doubts for the time being. 

A minute dragged on slowly, the clock barely tugging itself forward as you tried to keep up with everything. Paul was sparking up the joint he rolled, passing it over to Dwayne. Marko was feeding another pigeon, and Michael was joking around with Laddie. Clustered conversations surrounded you, molding into each other, increasing in volume as you continued to shift at the end of the couch. 

The topics cycled between movies, music, music in movies, whatever book Star got Marko to read. Then movies came up again, this time about the found footage genre, which made Paul let out a groan. 

“Now you’re just trying to piss me off.” He ashes his joint while shaking his head, “Fuck found footage movies.” 

“Well, fuck your zombie movies.” Michael retorts, making Paul bark a laugh. 

“Okay then, Mike, tell me what’s so good about found footage.” The blonde leans forward, elbows braced against his knees as he brings the joint back to his lips, “They’re so fuckin’ boring, it’s always the same shit.” Paul sits up a little, pretending to hold a camera, putting on a mocking tone as he presents an example for his argument, “Turn a corner ‘oh nobody’s there, sick’ turn another corner, then ‘BOOM’ jumpscare! It follows the same formula almost every single fuckin’ time.” 

“Some of them are really interesting, though!” Michael insists, “Like, Chronicle, you remember when I showed you that one? Or Cloverfield? It’s not all ghosts, man.” He slings an arm over Star’s shoulder as he settles back against the couch, “Gotta expand your horizons a little bit.” 

“Expand my horizons, fuck you.” The blonde lets out an amused huff, bowing his head briefly before settling back in his own seat, “How about you expand your fuckin’ brain meathead.” He couldn’t wipe the smile from his face when Michael reached over to hit him.

It was hard to tell how much time has passed since they brought you here, maybe thirty minutes, maybe an hour. Every second of it you were silent, shy, not sure how you could smoothly insert yourself into the conversations. 

At that moment you began to regret not socializing more outside of work like Marshal told you to, you felt more like a teenager rather than an adult. Your awkward fidgeting only served to make you feel a little embarrassed. 

You glanced over towards David. He’s leaned against the armrest of the wheelchair, his chin settled calmly on the heel of his hand. His eyes were closed, lashes kissing his pale cheeks, he looked so peaceful. 

Then he shifted, his eyes slowly opening and meeting yours. It was almost like he could read your thoughts as he nodded once and stood. He stops right behind you, leaning down so you can hear him instead of the overlapping conversations. 

“Would you be alright if I drove you home?” 

You don’t provide much of an answer, only a relieved sigh as you stood, patting down the back of your pants. You carefully step over some shirts and two forgotten DVD cases, making your way past David and offering a small wave to the group. 

“Bye, drive safe.” Star says to the two of you, waving with her fingers as you walk past. 

“Be back in a bit, boys.” David tells his group, offering a helping hand so you don’t slip on the steep rocks. 

“Drive safe, sweetheart!” Marko called out in a teasing tone, “Ow! Paul, I swear to god I’m gonna kill you.” 

David merely shook his head, a deep chuckle coming from him, “They’re like fuckin’ children sometimes.” He says after stepping out into the open air with you, a gloved hand pushing at the chainlink fence, allowing you to go first. 

His looming presence made you shiver, making goosebumps rise on your arms. 

“Sorry if we made you uncomfortable, or freaked you out.” The man said suddenly, “We don’t- it’s been a while since we brought someone here, so,” You turn to see him dig through the pocket of his coat, fishing out a cigarette, “Shit-” He searches both pockets for a few more seconds before giving up, “You got a light?” 

“In my purse.” You reply, walking past him and onto the creaky wooden stairs, “It’s still on your bike.” 

The cigarette dangled pathetically between his lips when you finally got to the top and walked over to the vehicle in question. His hands were still buried deep in his coat pockets as you sift through your belongings, the sound of rustling papers and zippers being opened almost made him smile a little. 

“Jesus Christ, where is it?” You mutter to yourself, “Oh.” You blow out a small laugh, pulling out a bright green lighter, “It was buried at the very bottom.” You hold it out.

“Thanks.” David nods, flicking the spark wheel a few times. 

You jab the ground with the toe of your shoe a few times before finally speaking, “Can I be honest with you?” David looked away from the moon and to you, offering you his cigarette. 

“I wasn’t really freaked out, just more… nervous I guess. I mean, you guys are cool, and I really do appreciate the offer to drive me home. I just think it’s the fact that I don’t know you guys very well… I tend to get quiet in big groups.” You wring the sleeves of your jacket awkwardly, “Plus, ugh- I don’t know, I think I watch too much true crime shit, so when we drove out here I was like ‘oh shit what did I get myself into?’ And…” You turn to see an amused expression on David’s face, “And I should probably stop talking.” 

“It’s alright,” His smile matches yours, laughing quietly as he takes the cigarette from your offering hand, “I get it, we have a reputation. That tends to sketch people out a little.” He looks back at the moon, blowing smoke from his nose, “You’re cool though. Nicer to us than most people are. Plus, you don’t charge us for the kid’s food.”

He turns his shoulders towards you, “So, I’d say you’re good in our books.” 

You relaxed a little more as he spoke, a small smile forming at his light hearted tone. Silence wrapped around the two of you as you continued to share his cigarette, the smoke swept away by the wind. It felt much more comfortable out here with just the two of you, the overwhelming feeling that swamped you minutes ago slipped away. 

“Ready to go?” 

You nod, stomping out the cigarette before turning towards David’s bike, watching him lift the kickstand and throw his leg over the seat. 

The leather is slightly wet against your pants as you sit behind him, your hands coming up to clutch the sides of David’s coat again. The vehicle roars to life beneath you, making your fingers tighten around the scratchy fabric. 

Wind swept through your hair as David drove down the lamp lit streets. He was going much slower now, following the basic traffic laws that his group so easily broke earlier in the night. 

‘Maybe he took your confession to heart and didn’t want to scare you more.’ You thought to yourself, watching familiar buildings pass by. 

David took one last turn into the parking lot of your apartment complex, stopping just outside the front door. His headlights cut through the morning mist that surrounded you both, miniscule droplets settling on your jacket. 

He turns his head slightly, watching as you slip off the seat and step up onto the curb. 

“Thanks for the ride.” You smile softly, shifting on your feet awkwardly, fingers clutching onto the strap of your purse. 

“It’s no problem.” The man says, a small smirk tugging at his lips. 

A yawn crawls up your throat, making you take a step back towards the door, “See you around, David.” You wave, another yawn threatening to come. 

“Oh, and by the way,” David pipes up, making you turn around when he says your name, “Don’t say ‘promise not to kill me’ to a stranger ever again.” He jokes, raising a brow, “I’m serious.” 

A snort comes from you, “Yeah, that was really stupid.” You continue walking backwards as you speak, “But hey, you didn’t kill me. So that’s a win for me.” 

David laughs quietly to himself, watching as you walk into the building and disappear down the hallway. He shakes his head and allows your words to replay in his head a few times, humored by your naivety.  

A soft sigh falls from his lips as he reaches back into his pocket, pulling out his pack of cigarettes, then your bright green lighter. You didn’t even notice when he slipped it into his coat.

David listened out for you, narrowing down to your breathing as you climbed the stairs to your floor, hearing you curse to yourself about the broken elevator. 

Then he catches onto something else, a shrill flapping sound, too high pitched for any human to hear. 

Marko lowers to the ground quickly, taking the cigarette from David’s pursed lips, and glances around the parking lot to make sure nobody saw him.

“He’s sleeping on his brother’s couch.” Marko informs the blonde, handing the cigarette back a second later, “I could get Michael and Dwayne to keep an eye on things. Could do it tonight if you don’t wanna wait.” 

“How many people will that make this month?” David asks, bracing his forearms on the handles of his bike, “Seven? Maybe eight if his brother wakes up?”

Marko’s shoulders deflate a little at David’s question, tilting his head back with a frustrated sigh, “Come on, this guy’s a nobody.” He watches David bow his head a little, “I’m not talking about massacring the whole town, man.” 

“Don’t argue with me, Marko. If it was just him I’d be fine with that, but two people makes it suspicious.” David blew smoke just above Marko’s head, “Plus after what happened tonight, if the guy turns up dead tomorrow we’ll be suspects. It’s too risky.” 

“Ugh- God, I miss the seventies.” Marko grumbled to himself, “Can’t get away with shit these days, it’s ridiculous.” He slid onto David’s bike, settling where you sat just moments prior, “This place has become a fuckin’ servalence state. Cameras around every goddamn corner in every goddamn pocket.” 

“His brother works on Thursday nights, right?” David looks over his shoulder and sees Marko nod, “We’ll pay Bradley a visit in a few nights then, gives us some time to plan.” 

“Good, cause I’m so sick of eating rabbits.” 

The door to your apartment clicked quietly behind you, the sound making you let out a relieved sigh. Exhaustion weighed heavily on your shoulders as you kicked off your shoes. 

Inside the quiet of your apartment, you could hear David’s motorcycle finally drive off, the sound growing more distant before disappearing entirely.

Everything felt so warped, out of place in your mind, like you were only now regaining control. You could barely wrap your head around your impulsivity, let alone the rest of the night. Although David had been kind to you, joked with you and made you feel more comfortable, there was still something deep down that you couldn’t shake. An uncertain feeling that puts you on edge. 

Maybe it was your relationship with Bradley that made you feel so nervous. With him you were always waiting for the other shoe to drop, for his nice act to finally slip away, which it almost always did. He was the type of dangerous you had grown used to. So it was understandable to be wary around a group like this.

“Fuck.” You whisper to yourself, hands rubbing against your face harshly before grabbing your phone, calling the first person you could think of. 

The line rings a few times as you walk towards your room, flicking on the lamp just beside your door. 

“Y’ello?” Marshal answers cheerfully, “Feeling better?” You could hear the sound of the cash register opening in the background, “Here’s your change Marge. Hey, tell Tammy I hope she gets better, alright?” 

“I’m fine. But, I think I need some advice.” You say before sitting on the edge of your bed. 

“Alright, let it rip, what’s up?” You can hear plates clattering quietly in the background, “Shit, that’s hot.” He mutters quietly. 

Your fingers play with the edge of your throw blanket, focusing on the strings that lined the edge of the violet fabric. You draw in a deep breath, exhaling through your nose slowly, deciding to not beat around the bush. 

“What do you think about David’s group?” You ask, tightening a string around the tip of your finger, feeling your heartbeat pulse as you tug a little harder “Like, do you think they’re dangerous?” 

The other line was silent for a few seconds, before you heard a huff from your coworker, “Well, uh, I’d say they’re a good group. A little rough around the edges, sure, intimidating if you don’t know them.” Marshal replies, you could practically see him shrug, “But they’ve always been super chill around me. I’ve gone drinking with them a few times, haven’t seen ‘em start any shit.”

“Alright so with that being said, if David asked if I wanted a ride home again, and I happened to say yes, would you think I was stupid?” You couldn’t help but cringe at yourself, biting at the dry skin on your bottom lip.

“I mean,” He starts, “With Bradley out and about, I’d much rather you be with a group like David’s.” A soft chuckle filters through the phone, “They like you, always ask about you when you’re not around.” He hums quietly before continuing, “Plus you need friends.” 

“Okay, no need to be a dick.” You laugh, feeling a little more reassured. “So you don’t think I should be worried? Y’know, with the shit I’ve heard about them, it’s just…” You trail off. 

Marshal scoffed, “You know how people like to talk on the boardwalk. Nobody has a positive bone in their body over there.” He sighs, “I’ve known these guys for years, I wouldn’t be hanging around them if any of that shit was true.” 

“I’d hope so.” You say, shaking your head and finally standing, beginning to shed your work clothes, “I don’t know, maybe I’ll have to try and get to know them a little more.” 

“Wouldn’t hurt. Stop being so scared of living your life.” 

“I’ll try. Thanks Marshal.” You grabbed a sleep shirt off the floor and quickly pulled it over your head, “And I’m gonna take your advice, I’m calling out. Maybe it’ll throw Bradley off his routine.” You say bitterly, “I might go to the boardwalk or something, see if my mom’s working.” 

“No prob’ Bob. Be safe, and hey, call me if you need anything.” 

Your shoulders slump when he hangs up, lifting a hand to rub your eyes sleepily, a yawn crawling up your throat once again. 

The smell of grease clings to your skin, but you’re too exhausted to even think about showering right now. Instead you crawl under your covers, curling into yourself a little more before letting out a deep sigh, eyelids drifting shut. 

Dreams curl around your vision soon after, lulling you further and further into a deep sleep. Quickly shifting images, faceless beings talking a language you couldn’t quite grasp, blurry backgrounds. Then, everything sharpens. 

The scene itself was muted, quiet like a movie, allowing you to bask in the moment with the vaguely familiar man. 

A finger glides delicately across your cheek, chilled skin barely grazing yours. A soft smile curled at the edges of his lips, bringing himself closer to whisper something. Your hand lightly pushes at his chest, laughing. His hand pushes back, lighter, but still initiating something you wouldn’t easily give up. 

You were laying on the beach, waves almost brushing against your feet, play-fighting on the colorful blanket you laid out. Your giggles were muffled, pathetically battling against his strength, his fingers dancing across your sides as he tickled you. 

He brought himself closer, his body becoming a shield against the sun as he lightly pinned your wrists to the blanket. A teasing smile lit up his features, his head dipping to place a feather light kiss on your cheek. 

“You lose.” 

Your eyelids flutter, fingers grasping tighter around your blanket as you feel a breeze sweep through your room. The sudden sound of a horn catching your attention, you jolt upwards in bed, scrambling for your phone to turn on the flashlight. 

The curtains by your window flutter against the wind, making your heart rate spike. You knew it was closed before you went to bed, in fact you hadn’t even left it open all week, scared that Bradley would sneak in. 

Your throat tightened as fear coursed through you. 

Slowly you stood, turning on the light beside your door with shaky hands. Your eyes flicked to each corner of your room once, twice, then you sighed and locked your door. You even crouched to check underneath your bed, thankfully not seeing anything. Then your closet, nothing. 

You walk over to the window, staring for a second before finally sliding it down, clicking the lock back in place. 

The vague memory of your dream drifts away the second you lay back down in bed, turning over a few times before settling, mind racing. You couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was in your apartment, waiting for you to come out of your room. 

You unlocked your phone to check the camera in your living room. It was something you set up a few months ago when you noticed rat droppings on your coffee table. A precautionary measure to make sure there wasn’t a furry little family running around after catching the first one.

Luckily, when you opened the app there were no rats or people. 

Your living room was quiet, still. You checked the kitchen cam next, it was the same, then the front door. You carefully scrolled through recordings of the last three hours, thankfully coming up with nothing. 

You exhale slowly, sinking further into your bed as your muscles relax. There was nobody in your home, there was nothing to worry about, you probably just left the window open without realizing. Those words continued to echo in your head, attempting to hammer in something that felt true. 

Not even fifteen minutes away from your apartment Paul was crash-landing inside the cave. A strangled groan coming from his lips when he landed on his front, his face scraping against the rough floor. 

“Jeez Paul, remind me to put a mattress down next time.” Michael jokes, nudging the blonde vampire with his shoe, “Cutting it a little close this time, man.” 

“I wanted to make sure she was doin’ okay.” Paul mutters, eyes squeezing shut as he peels himself off the floor, rolling his shoulders once he’s finally on his feet, “I mean, did you hear her thoughts earlier? I felt kinda bad.” 

“You guys gotta stay out of her head.” Star crossed her arms, hugging her shawl tighter, “It’s not fair, what if she catches on?” 

“Hard to ignore when her thoughts are so loud. Plus she won’t catch on, are you kidding?” Paul defended with a scoff, “Have a little faith in me, guys, it’s not like we’re making her do anything against her will.” 

“Yeah, wouldn’t wanna break David’s new moral code.” Michael jokes, “He’s such a good guy for not turning her against her will, right babe?” His elbow gently nudges the woman next to him. Star merely hums in response, trying to push down a smile.

“Oh fuck off, man. That was different and you know it.” Paul pushes against Michael’s shoulder, making the younger vampire laugh, “You gonna hold that over our heads forever?” 

“I think I have every right to.” Michael argues, crossing his arms before smirking, “It’s entertaining.” He shrugs.

“You guys tryin’ to cook yourselves?” Dwayne called down to the three vampires, “Come on.” 

Michael grabbed Paul by the neck, securing him in a headlock before flying towards their sleeping den. The blonde struggled against him in a mid-air battle, laughter echoing against the walls. 

The two vampires slammed into the damp wall, just a foot away from the rest of their companions. The blonde finally had the upper hand, grabbing Michael by the ear and pulling until the brunette groans and surrenders. 

“Okay, okay!” He whisper yells, hissing at his elder, “Let go of my fuckin’ ear, asshole.” 

“Hah!” Paul pushes off Michael, kicking off his shoes and settling beside Marko, “Suck on that, Emerson.” 

“Shut the fuck up, Paul.” David grumbles from where he was hanging, making the blonde giggle quietly. 

Soon enough they were all in their designated spots. Slipping into a blissful death-like slumber, peacefully awaiting the moon to rise again.

---

“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. 

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.”

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

Chapter 1: The boys are going to love you

The leather creaks under my fingertips as I grip his leather jacket tighter. The wind whips against my face, forcing my hair into tangles that I know will take hours to get out. 

But I don’t care. 

He smells like licorice, salt, and pure danger. I pull my face closer to his neck, feeling his earring lightly sway back in force, hitting my check. 

I inhale again; his lips quip upward-

“Y/N?”

My eyes fly open, as I quickly sit up on the half deflated air mattress. 

My little cousin stands in the entry of my tent, dressed in a matching Five Nights at Freddy’s pj set. 

Shifting from foot to foot he opens his mouth. “I have to go to the bathroom.” 

I sigh and look at the fitness watch on my wrist. It’s 2am. 

“Just go in the trees, where your dad showed you yesterday.” 

He shakes his head. “I have to go number 2.”

“Of course you do.” I say with a smile as I untangle myself from the sleeping bag. 

“Go wait by the fire pit, and I will be right there to walk you to the bathrooms.”

Eagerly he nods his head and runs out of the tent. 

I search for my pants, since the oversized tshirt im wearing is not enough clothing for a walk to the camp bathrooms. 

I hum as I shift through my back pack, and then look behind our drink cooler, then my….

Oh, there they are. My leggings hang from a hook in the corner. I forgot that I had hung them up the night before. We had gone kayaking, and my doofus of a brother had capsized us in an attempt to impress some college girls in a canoe.  

I huff, pulling them down from the spot. They're still wet, but I have no choice so I pull them on. As I struggle to roll them up my body, I think back to the dream I had. 

It was a nice dream. The same one I’ve had for the past few months. Sometimes it changes, like the man driving the motorcycle will smell like hairspray or gasoline instead. Or the leather jacket will change style or color. It’s an odd dream to have, but it’s better than a nightmare I guess. 

I walk out of the tent, and zip it up behind me so no critters or mosquitoes will get in. I spot Mitchell sitting on a log by the fire pit. 

It’s dark, and the fire has long since been out, but the coals still hum red, and offer a source of light, though it be a small one. 

“Give me one more second Mitch.” I say as I turn to my parents tent. 

“Okay, but hurry up! I don’t know how many more seconds I have left.” 

Chuckling at my cousin’s comment, I unzip my parents tent half way and peek in. Their cuddled up together under a giant flannel sleeping bag. My mom’s cheek rests on my father’s chest. 

I know I should wake my father and have him walk Mitch and I up to the bathrooms, or at the very least tell him where we are going. But they look too peaceful, so I decide not to wake them. I’m sure I will get an ear full tomorrow morning when he finds out I walked all the way to the bathrooms, in the dark, by myself. 

But, that's tomorrow y/n’s problem. 

I unzip the tent a little more and pull the locked gun case towards me. 

My father never goes camping without protection and neither does any of my aunts or uncles. It may seem a bit paranoid, but we’re in bear and mountain lion country, and you can never be too careful. I type in the 6 digit passcode and the box clicks open. I pull out the hand gun, and grab a magazine of bullets. I check the chamber of the gun and make sure there is no bullet in there. 

I take a step back and zip my parents back up. 

My father has drilled gun safety into my head since I was a pre teen. I know how to handle a gun, and I know from previous camping trips he is fine with me taking his for occasions like this.

I place the magazine of bullets in my back pocket, and the gun on my other side. 

I turn back to Mitch, who currently looks like he is going to explode. I quickly grab a Coleman Lantern, and thrust it into his arms. 

“Okay little man, let’s get going.”

He jumps up from his seat and starts walking down the wooden path toward the bathroom. I follow close behind. 

The light from the lantern is bright enough that we can see the path ahead, and a few feet around us. 

It’s not a long walk, maybe seven or eight minutes tops. We make it about two, when Mitch speaks.

“I’m scared.”

I softly smile, though I know he can’t see it. 

“I used to get scared too, out in the woods at night, when I was your age. Do you know what Uncle Damon would do to make me feel better?” 

“What?” He asks, tilting his head back, but still keeping pace. 

“We would sing his favorite song.” I smile again, remembering how scared I was on that very first camping trip.

There’s a short moment of silence, the sounds of the forest at night, and our shoes hitting the dirt ground filling the atmosphere. 

He says, “can you sing it now?” 

“Only if you sing with me.” I reply 

He slows his pace a little, so that we are walking alongside each other. 

“I’ll start, and if you know the lyrics join, okay?” I say 

Mitch nods his head. 

I clear my throat. 

“Rising up, Back on the street, Did my time took my chances….” I start. 

Mitch looks up to me “I don’t know this one.”

I smile down at him “yes you do! Just listen!” 

“Went the distance now I’m back on my feet, just a man with his will to survive!”

I can see his face light up when he recognizes the song and we hit the chorus right as we see the flood lights outside the bathrooms. 

We reach them, laughing and singing “ it’s the eye of the tiger, it’s the thrill of the fight! Rising up to the challenge of our rivals!”

Mitch turns to me and hands me the lantern, before he runs into the men’s bathroom.

I love that kid, I think, taking a seat on a bench. 

The bathrooms act as a little island of light, breaking up the darkness of the woods. 

I continue to hum to myself as I wait for him to be done, and switch off the lantern to conserve the battery. 

I look up at the sky. This must be the clearest night we have had in a long while, since I can see every constellation. There’s Cassiopeia….the Big Dipper…..Hercules…..

A branch snaps

The sound jolts me back down to earth, and I survey the foliage surrounding us. My heart beats quickly, but I don’t see anything. It’s was probably just an animal- 

Another branch snaps, and I can see the outline  of a shadowy figure walking toward us. It’s not coming from any of the paths which is odd, since you’re only allowed to camp on official sites, you can’t make your own…

A red flag raises in my mind. 

I stand from my seat, and mentally check that the gun and bullets are on my person still. In the same breath, I mentally yell at myself for being so paranoid, they're probably just a regular camper who got a little turned around.  The world would be a much better place, if we were all more trusting and had a little more faith in humanity I tell myself. 

I breathe deeply through my nose, and then let it out through my mouth. 

The figure penetrates the ring of light the bathrooms cast.

For a moment I have a hard time processing what I’m seeing. 

The man is tall, with broad shoulders. He has a pair of computer geek glasses on his nose, and a sharp jaw line. The strangest part about him, though, is he is wearing a suit that's at the very least three decades out of fashion. He has a twig sticking out of his collar, and dirt covers his pants. He must have tripped and fell I guess? 

Our eyes meet. He smiles with all his teeth. The wind picks up and blows some litter between us. An owl hoots from deep somewhere in the tree line. 

“Hello, there.” 

The second red flag shoots up to attention. 

I was raised to be an inclusive and loving person, by my parents. To never judge someone based on their appearance or beliefs or ideas. But the vibes are hella off with this guy. I mentally check for the gun again, and nod  friendly, and yet sternly back to him. 

Hopefully he will get the message.

He doesn’t. 

“I seem to have gotten a bit lost….do you have a map by chance?” His voice is crisp, and precise. 

The sound of a toilet flushing fills the air, as I nod my head no. 

“I’m sorry, but I don’t….” I pause trying to think of a way to get him to leave. “I believe there’s one up by the main office though. That way.” I point behind the bathrooms. “It’s a straight shot, no way you could get lost this time.” I try to push out a laugh to ease the suspense in the air, but it ends up coming out weak and high pitched. 

I hear small steps, and then a faucet turns on. 

The man just stands there and stares at me. 

He takes a step towards me. 

The third red flag flies. 

I’m tempted to take a step back at first, but that would put me against the building wall. So I stand my ground, casually lifting my shirt up,  pretending to itch my side, to show the hilt of the gun. 

It works, and his eyes quickly follow the movement down to my side. 

His head tilts, then his expression darkens.

The faucet turns off. 

Small footsteps get louder, and Mitch walks out the door to my side. He looks at the man, confusion on his face as he then looks at me. 

He opens his mouth, but I cut him off. 

“Let's go, Bud.” I say as I turn the lantern on and hand it over. My eyes never leave the man as I do this.

 Something is wrong, really wrong. 

I push Mitch in front of me and tell him to walk. He does as he is told, sensing the tension in the air. I slowly walk behind him, but never fully turn my back to the man. 

As we walk back into the woods, the man gaze never leaves mine until we’re out of eyesight. 

Mitch is mumbling about something, but I’m not listening. 

I take the gun off my side and reach for the magazine, I load it. 

Mitch turns his head at the clicking noise , and stops walking. 

“Keep walking, don’t stop.” I say sternly. His little brown eyes go wide at my tone. Never having heard me speak to him that coldly before. 

He turns back and does as he is told. 

I listen carefully as we walk, every sound has me on edge. I can hear my father in my head yelling at me for loading the gun, “you should never load a gun unless you are intending to shoot.” He would say. “Guns are not toys, every time you pick one up, remember there is always a possibility someone could get hurt or die.”

I breathe through my nose, trying to calm my racing heart beat. 

I’m sure this will be a silly memory tomorrow morning, that I will laugh at myself for as we all sit in the sunlight, eating scrambled eggs from a cast iron pan and drinking crappy coffee. 

A branch snaps.

Mitch stops walking. 

I grab him by the arm roughly, and pull him along with me “don’t stop!” I hiss. I can hear the panic in my voice , and I know Mitch can hear it too. 

He starts to cry “you’re scaring me y/n.”

My heart breaks for a moment, but I can’t feel it now, as adrenaline starts kicking at my heart like a rabbit who’s realized they've gotten a little too close to a snare. 

I keep pulling him along, we are almost back to the site. 

Something big moves through the foliage. 

I look down at Mitch

“If I tell you to run. Run. You understand me? You run and you don’t look back, and you wake everyone up okay?”

He starts to sob, I grab his check 

“Mitch, you are the strongest boy I have ever met and I know you can do it. You are so much braver than you think.” 

Another branch snaps, and this time I can feel him behind us. 

I whirl around, and raise the gun up. 

The man smiles again, and I can feel my skin crawl. 

I clip the safety off. The sound is deafening. Final. Deadly serious. 

“If you take one step closer to us, I will kill you.” I muster as much confidence as I can as the words leave my mouth, but my voice still shakes. 

He tilts his head again. 

“Now, miss, there's no need for threats. I just want to talk.” 

He takes three, quick steps forward with his hands out reached. 

A thousand and one headlines run through my head.  Dead girl found on side of road, woman with head and feet missing found in lake, the list goes on and on. And the rage of that knowledge,  the rage of hundreds of thousands  murdered and missing women fills me. 

And I refuse to be another statistic. I refuse to die that way, at the hands of a man’s violence. 

I pull the trigger. 

For a moment I watch it all happen from above. I see the red. I see him fall backwards to the ground .I hear Mitch scream. I yell at him to run. He runs, the light of the lantern disappearing with him. 

I’m frozen.  Left alone in the dark, with a dead man on the ground. 

That I…..

I killed. 

I jolt. I feel cold and hot at the same time. I fall over and vomit. 

I just…..I….he….fuck…..

I vomit again when I see the blood on my hands and shirt.

I’m still griping the gun so tight I know I will have an indent in my hand tomorrow, but I can’t let it go. My mind won’t let me.

I stare at him. There’s a massive hole in his chest, from where I shot him. 

I dry heave. 

I know I should move, try to walk back to camp. Get help. But I can’t. 

His head moves.

My mind doesn’t accept it at first. It must have been a trick of the mind, I’m not thinking straight. 

He moves again. 

I jump back, on my hands and knees. 

He moves his head right and left, like he is testing it. 

His eyes open. 

They're yellow. 

I shake my head, squeezing my eyes shut. This can’t be…..no I’m hallucinating….

I open my eyes again,  now he’s staring right at me.

A rumble moves through his chest, as a laugh escapes his mouth. The hole…the hole isn’t there anymore. 

I try to jump to my feet but I just fall backwards on my butt. 

This…can’t….what?….

His laugh grows louder as he slowly pulls himself up. He towers over me. 

“It’s been awhile since someone has shot me,” he laughs again, knocking his head up to the sky. “Ah…..And of course you're their mate. They couldn’t be bonded to an easy to handle girl, no, they had to be with Annie Oakley in the flesh!!” 

I hear yelling in the distance. Footsteps trample the forest floor. My mother is screaming. My father is yelling. Someone is running towards us.  

I raise the gun at him again. 

He tsks, while tilting his head. 

“Are we going to do this again, young lady?” 

I keep the gun raised 

“Who the fuck are you?!” I yell. Hoping to keep him distracted till my family can get to me.

His eyes gleam then, a grin takes over his face. 

“Now, now, don’t use that type of language with me. You’ve got a foul mouth on you just like my boys.” 

He takes a step towards me. I scoot back.

Before I can even comprehend it, he lunges, grabbing the gun in one hand, throwing me over his shoulder with the other. 

I scream. 

But he only tsks again, and starts walking into the forest off the path. 

“Help! Help!” I scream “let me go!” I hit his back as hard as I can with my fists and swing my legs to try and get leverage. But nothing works, he’s like solid stone.

“Now I will have none of that.” He growls out, clutching my legs so tight I swear something sharp pierces them. His voice reeks of authority, and it sends raw fear down my spine. 

I freeze. I know I should fight. I should scream. 

“See? That’s better. I would have liked this evening to go in a different direction, but destiny must have had another plan.” He pauses, rummaging through his pockets. He stops when he  finds what he was looking for, and throws it on the ground. 

A wave  of strong….wind….energy? Bursts around us, my vision goes white. The world swirls around us, there’s deep pressure on my skull.

I think I’m going to pass out. 

He starts to talk again.

“Oh, where are my manners? I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Max, your future sire.” 

My what?…… my vision goes black, and I feel myself slip into unconsciousness. 

But before it does I hear him say 

“My boys are going to love you.”

Paul’s constant cold touches helped to keep you from falling back asleep, eventually making you crack your eyes open and send him a halfhearted glare. 

“What?” You responded in a whisper, still half asleep. 

“Ride with me to McDonald’s, I’m hungry.” 

“Wh- Paul it’s like…” You roll closer to the edge of the mattress to reach for your wristwatch that was laying on the nightstand, you squinted at the small red numbers “It’s 3am. No.” 

He nods against your shoulder “Yeah. You’ve been asleep for so long and I’m bored.” He pokes your side “Please?” His fingers begin to wiggle against your waist making you flinch with a quiet gasp. 

“Oh my god-” You try to push his hand away from you, but your efforts are futile against his strength, “Paul fu- fuck off!” You couldn’t stop the fit of laughter bursting from your mouth. You curl into yourself, flipping more on to your back trying to shield yourself from his hand. 

Paul leans over you with a grin plastered to his face as he begins attacking both sides of your ribcage, forcing even more hysterical laughter out of you. 

“What?” He laughs, “You seriously can’t hear those hash browns calling your name? Cause I sure can!” Paul’s hands finally come to a stop, allowing you to catch your breath.

He sits up on the mattress and crosses his legs, lightly drumming his hands against his legs as he looks down at you expectantly. 

You roll your eyes, not able to hold back your smile as you say “Ugh, fine we can go.” 

“Yes!” He pumps his fist triumphantly in front of his face before climbing over you and off the mattress. 

Not long after, you’re sitting up and dropping your feet onto one of the many rugs that decorate the floor of your dimly lit nest. Stretching your arms over your head with a strangled groan, rubbing your eyes, and yawning before finally standing up. 

Luckily the fire from the barrels outside allowed enough visibility so you could easily find your pants and jacket. They were laying on the back of an old green velvet chair in the corner of your nest that served you well as a catch all for clothes, magazines, and blankets. 

A minute or two passed before Paul pushed aside the bead and lace curtains that separated your nest from the rest of the open cave.

“You ready to head out?” He asks, spinning the keys to his bike around on his index finger, clinking pleasantly together. 

“You’re evil, you know that right?” You jokingly ask as you slip your arms through the sleeves of your jacket. 

Paul chuckles, “Oh you won’t be sayin’ that once we get this McMuffin.” He points at you, watching as you lace up your boots, “Just you wait, you’re gonna be thanking me for this one.” He smirks when you hum sarcastically. 

You follow him out into the main room of the cave, and towards the sitting area where the rest of the boys are sitting so he could grab his jacket. 

Marko and Dwayne were sitting next to each other on the couch, David was walking on the edge of the fountain while smoking a cigarette, and you could hear Star and Michael talking to each other behind the curtains of her nest, Blondie quietly playing on her radio. 

“You crazy kids don’t get into much trouble alright?” Marko jokes, looking up from where he was sewing a new patch onto his jacket. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do and all that shit.” 

Dwayne snorts, and David says “There isn’t much you wouldn’t do, Marko.” 

“Exactly.” The curly haired vampire smirks. 

“You guys have fun.” Dwayne says, grabbing your hand and squeezing it softly before Paul starts pulling you by your other hand towards the entrance of the cave. 

“We will. Love you guys!” You wave at them before walking up the steep incline and into the tunnel. 

—

The wind whips against your face, bringing a chill to your cheeks as Paul drives a little faster when he turns onto a two lane road. You could hear his laughter travel with the wind over the loud purr of the engine as he weaved past a few cars, barely missing a stop light just as it turned red. 

The roads were almost completely illuminated by the fluorescent lights coming from stores and roadside signs. Advertising sketchy motels, empty convenient stores, overpriced gas stations, and diners that are on their last legs. All of it gives you a sense of comfort and nostalgia. Whether it’s the memory of late night drives with your family when you were a kid or with the boys throughout your relationship with them. 

A car honked loudly when Paul passed them causing you to look back and wave, unable to mask your amusement. 

“You are such an asshole.” You say loud enough for him to hear.

You feel Paul laugh rather than hear it this time “Sorry babe I’m, like, full on tunnel visioned right now!” He glances over his shoulder, grinning at you. 

You remember how scared you were the first few times you rode with the boys, especially Paul and Marko. It still amazes you how easily you were able to become used to their recklessness. You assumed it was from trust, and the knowledge that they definitely could not afford to get into a wreck. 

Paul turned the corner sharply and in the distance you could see the glowing golden arches of the McDonald’s sign. It was the same one you would all frequently pass if the boys decided to take the roads back to the cave rather than their usual shortcuts. 

“Hold on tight!” Paul yells as he turns into an empty shopping center parking lot so he can avoid the cars stopped at a red light. 

You squeeze your arms tighter around his middle. Unable to stop the little giggles that slip from your lips when your stomach flips when he drives up a small hill. The bike’s tires lift up off the ground just a bit, landing gracefully just a few feet away from the entrance to your destination’s parking lot. 

Paul stops in the parking spot closest to the doors and shuts off the engine, letting you slip off the back before putting down the kickstand.  

“God, feels like my stomach is fuckin’ eating itself.” Paul stretches his arms over his head, shifting from one foot to the other. “Let’s go.” He smiles when grabbing your hand and tugs you towards the doors.

The inside was pretty empty, a table by the windows had two people sitting across from each other, and one of the booths was occupied by a group of four. A tired looking employee bopped their head as they swept the floor, adjusting the headphones to their walkman on their head right before they fell off. 

Paul and you walked over to the counter where an older looking man stood, you could see a few other employees walking around in the kitchen. 

“What'll it be?” The man asked. 

Paul drummed his fingers against the counter as he ordered two sausage McMuffins with egg, hotcakes, and two hash browns to go. The man behind the counter nodded along as he typed loudly on the cash register. 

“That’ll be $3.99.” 

You start going for your wallet, but Paul stopped you just before your hand dipped into your jacket pocket. You furrow your brows, smiling a little as he looks over his shoulder and says,

“Don’t worry babe…” He digs through his front pocket of his pants and pulls out a crumpled five dollar bill, “I got this one.” He winks at you before handing the money to the man. 

Luckily the wait wasn’t too long before the bag with your food was being placed on the counter and the man behind it was wishing you both a goodnight. Paul grabs it and does a two finger salute before you’re both walking towards the exit.

The bag was dropped next to the wheel of Paul’s bike as he sat down on the curb, humming the tune of a Van Halen song as he pulled out the two McMuffins. One was handed to you once you sat down next to him. You stretch your legs out in front of you, knocking your boots together as you unwrap it. 

Paul takes a bite of his own while leaning back on one hand so he can stare up at the blank sky, the stars washed out by the lights. 

There were more cars on the road now that it neared 4am, most people either driving to work, driving home from bars or clubs, or maybe they were doing the same thing Paul and you were doing.

Paul practically moans as he takes another bite, “This shit is so fucking good.” He tilts his head to the side to look at you, a closed lip smile on his face, “It’s good isn’t it?” He smirks while poking your side twice. 

You playfully smack his hand away, “Stop it.” You laugh, smiling softly “Yeah it’s pretty good. I *guess* I can forgive you for waking me up.” 

“Aww, how sweet of you.” He snorts, taking one last bite of his McMuffin. 

“Wait-” You swallow, “I do have a question though.” Paul hums signaling for you to ask, “How did you even get money? I thought you spent the rest of yours on that Ozzy album.” 

“Oh, I harassed David for it.” Paul nods, wiping his hands off on his pants, “He was like ‘You better pay me back’, yeah right, man.” He chuckles while fishing through the bag for his hash brown, “I’m kidding, I’ll *probably* pay him back.”  He nudges his shoulder against yours while smirking. 

The both of you continued to eat your food quietly, listening to the sound of cars passing by. Some of them had their radios up loud enough to hear, and others had their windows down enough to hear the fits of laughter from inside

“Did David ever say anything about going to the boardwalk again tomorrow?” You ask Paul after taking one last bite of your shared hotcakes. 

Paul shrugs, “Not sure, Star’s supposed to be watching Laddie tomorrow night. Apparently the kid’s been begging her to take him to the drive-in, so we might go join ‘em.” He smiles, throwing the styrofoam to go plate back in the bag. 

“Oh right! They’re doing E.T. tomorrow, I remember Michael saying something about it yesterday.” You said, throwing your napkin into the bag, “Alright I’m ready to go whenever you are.” 

Paul stands up from the curb and grabs your hand, tugging you to your feet, landing a quick kiss on your cheek. 

You bend down to pick up the bag of trash and throw it into the garbage can near the door with an ashtray sitting atop it. 

“Any other adventures you plan to go on tonight, Paul?” You ask as you hold onto his shoulder and swing your leg over the back of his bike and sit down behind him. 

He looks back at you, “We could go skinny dipping.” wiggling his brows and smirking. 

You snort, shaking your head, “Yeah, not gonna happen. I’m not planning on freezing my ass off tonight.”

Paul holds up his hands in surrender, “Sorry, but you asked, sweetheart.” He chuckles before starting his bike and revving the engine. 

With your arms wrapped around his waist, he drives out of the parking lot and down the familiar streets, streets that eventually turn into narrow dirt roads surrounded by a thicket of trees. The smell of the ocean grew stronger, and finally the night sky was revealed to you once he drove into the clearing, allowing you to see the bright twinkling of stars above your head, no longer hidden away by the bright lights. 

Once the bike was parked and you were standing in front of Paul, you couldn’t help but smile. 

“Thanks for taking me out tonight.” You said, fixing a few unruly strands of hair that stuck themselves to Paul’s forehead and stubble, “It was nice.”

“No problem,” Paul said, tugging you closer by the waist and kissing you, “You still sure you don’t wanna go skinny dipping?” He whispers against your lips making you groan. 

“Oh my god, shut up.” You chuckle, shoving his shoulder lightly. 

“What?!” Paul laughs, “I just wanted to make sure!” He brings your hand up to his mouth and kisses your knuckles, smiling smugly at you.

“Yeah, yeah.” You hum sarcastically and tug him towards the stairs. 

—

“Looks like we missed the party.” Paul says, jumping down from the entrance with you. 

Everyone was still sitting in the lounge area passing a joint around, the song Soul Kitchen quietly playing from the rockbox. Star and Dwayne were sitting on the couch talking, while Michael, David, and Marko were playing cards together.

You walk past the three vampires to an empty seat next to the couch, making yourself comfortable and throwing your legs over the arm of the chair, noticing the barely concealed smirk on Marko’s lips.

Paul sauntered over to Dwayne and took the joint as it was offered to him. He takes a hit as he walks over to stand behind Michael and reaches over his shoulder, readjusting his cards for him.

“There you go, bud.” Paul winks when Michael looks up at him from his seat.

“Oh shit…” Michael blows an airy laugh from his mouth, glancing up at the others and triumphantly slapping his cards down on the small side table they were using. “Read it and weep, boys!”

“Paul, you piece of shit.” Marko groans, throwing his own cards down on the table. “I was winning that one.” 

“Well, clearly not.” Paul smiles, falling back on the couch between Star and Dwayne, handing the joint off to Star. 

David just chuckles deeply while lighting a cigarette and nudging Marko with his boots, making the smaller vampire roll his eyes. 

You watch Marko shuffle the cards so they could start a new game, glaring up at Michael as the cards slap together loudly. 

“Aw man, don’t get all mad at me.” Michael holds his hands up in defense, grinning. 

“I’m not holdin’ back this time, asshole.” Marko jabs a finger in his direction, quickly dealing the cards.

The whole cave echoed with laughter at Marko’s threat. 

The game went on silently as Dwayne continued his conversation with Star about classic black and white movies. Going on about which ones were terrible, which ones were decent, and which ones she needed to watch when she gets the chance. 

“Old noir films. Now that was the peak of cinema in the 40s.” David chimes into the conversation. “Detour… I remember seeing that with Marko, great flick.” 

“Nah man, nothing beats The Gorilla from the 30s.” Paul hums, his back almost completely laying on the cushions of the couch, “That film is the best shit I’ve seen next to Psycho.”

“The fuckin’ Ritz Brother’s movie?” Dwayne asks, laughing.

Paul nods, replying with a giggly “Yeah man. It’s amazing.” 

The conversation went on with the boys naming more and more obscure movie titles, arguing over which one was better. Nobody noticed when David laid his cards down with a cocky smirk. Well, until Marko let out a frustrated yell, slapping his cards down on the table and throwing his hands up in the air. 

“Poor Marko, always the sore loser.” David clicks his tongue against his teeth, looking at the fuming blonde through his lashes as he ashes his second cigarette. 

Marko scoffs, rolling his eyes “Oh shut up, David. You got lucky.” 

You look up when Paul enters your line of sight, holding his hand out as he swayed a little from side to side. 

“You ready to hit the sack?” He asks, unable to wipe the stoned smile off of his face. 

You slip your hand into his, letting him gently pull you from your seat and guide you over towards your nest. He pushes back the curtains and walks you into the small room towards your bed.

You couldn’t deny the drowsiness that was beginning to tug at your eyelids. You guessed an eventful night with only a few hours of sleep would do that to a person. 

Paul’s hand moves up from your hand to your cheek, gently cupping it before kissing you softly on the lips. 

“Will you actually let me sleep now?” You jokingly ask once he pulls away. 

“Mm… Maybe.” He hums, tilting his head. 

Paul doesn’t let go of your hand even when you're fully underneath the covers. He leans down and kisses you on the forehead, his hair falling over his shoulder and onto your face. 

“Oh oops,” He grins, “You want me to tuck you in and read you a story?” He teases, putting on a baby voice. 

“Goodnight Paul.” 

Poly The Lost Boys

One Shots

nothing yet...

Headcanons

nothing yet…

Multi-Chapter fics

nothing yet…

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David

One Shots

nothing yet…

Headcanons

nothing yet…

Multi-Chapter fics

nothing yet…

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Paul

One Shots

Late Night Adventures ♡

Headcanons

nothing yet…

Multi-Chapter fics

nothing yet...

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Dwayne

One Shots

nothing yet…

Headcanons

nothing yet…

Multi-Chapter fics

nothing yet…

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Marko

One Shots

nothing yet…

Headcanons

nothing yet…

Multi-Chapter fics

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Star

One Shots

nothing yet…

Headcanons

nothing yet…

Multi-Chapter fics

!!Will NOT write!! (Both NSFW and SFW)

I will never write the reader as underage or dating underage characters (i.e: the Frog brothers, Sam Emerson, etc.)

I will never write real person fiction (RPF) for ANYONE

Necrophilia

Incest, Foster parent/Foster child, Step sibling or Step parent stuff, Grooming

Infantilization of characters

Pedophilia, Lolicon

DDLG/B, MDLG/B, Age play

Non-con (including consensual non-consent), Rape roleplay, Kidnapping, Drugging

Pet play

Cheating (If a character cheats it will NOT be the reader or the character(s) they’re being paired with)

Teacher/student, Boss/Employee relationships

Yandere, Obsession & Dark Fics

Torture, Abuse (between reader and requested character(s))

Dumbification

More will likely be added over time.