AN- this is a working progress. It was an idea that just came to me, so I'm working on it as it comes. If you have any feedback for me at all, whether it be telling me to change something, or even suggesting I include something, I'd really appreciate it a lot. Also, it would be great to hear if you liked it or not, and to see if you want it continued, so let me know and I'll keep writing!!
The Start of It
I've lived in Brighton for the last 8 years. Before that I'd lived up in London, the capital of predators in the world. I'm now nearly 16, and I plan to live alone as soon as I find a way to give my mum the slip, but so far I've got nothing. No plans, no goals, not even the smallest dreams to somehow get me away. All I need is one decent excuse and I'm free to wander as I please.
There's one thing that I really didn't anticipate when we moved down to Brighton, and that was the amount of abnormal activity that happens down here. In London, you hear about the abnormal activities of every town, pretty much, but nothing down in Brighton, so that's why we moved down here. It's quiet, pretty small, and coastal, so not much should happen, right? Wrong. Four months ago, people started disappearing in large numbers, like, a dozen a week, which is proof that some creature or other is involved, because no human, or gang of humans, can kill that many people in one week, and it's not like these people have anything in common either, like would be common of human-caused mass murders. You have old people, young people, and black and white people. You have Jews, Christians, Muslims and even Buddhists. Travellers, homemakers, government officials, tourists and even tramps off of the street got killed too. No man or woman has been safe for the last four months, and my suspicion is that whatever got London got bored and now is after Brighton. It's the only explanation that fits, if you ask me, I'm sure of it.
It's Thursday. I've just got back from school, and the house is completely empty, so I put my bag by the fridge, have a look to see what's inside it then walk through to the front room. The phone is flashing so I know there are messages waiting to be listened to, so I push the square button to start playing them. There are 5 in total. The first one is from my nana, telling mum to call her as soon she can, she's very annoyed, and has to speak with her right away! I laugh to myself, because I know how much shit mum's in if nana leaves voice messages. The second is from mum herself telling me she's gone shopping so shouldn't be too long but if I get hungry, start making dinner. That doesn't sound too bad, but it's only 1:47. I skipped school so it doesn't make sense that she's left me a message on the house phone, she would have phoned my mobile. Third was from my school. "Hello Mrs Applegate, its Judy Gainer from Dorothy Stringer. I'm phoning because Ryan has been very rude to a member of staff and has left the building without any sort of permission or anything. If you could phone back as soon as you can, so we can arrange for you to come into school to see me that would be great. Thank you. Bye now." If mum gets that, I'm in shit, but who cares. Then there was this message from someone I don't have a clue who. "Ryan Applegate? Must be, you're the only one there after all. You are required at the old pier hotel at 3 o'clock sharp. You know where it is, so don't be silly and not come, because it won't end well for your mother. Be there and she'll not be too bad." I hear a scream and the line goes dead. The last is the same voice as before. "Change of plans, Ryan. Meet us in the back alley of Pool Valley by 2:30. Your mother won't be harmed too much if you meet us then, but no promises can be made if you stand us up. Ta ta for now, friend." That was just creepy. It's now 1:59, so if that dude was being honest, then I've got 10 minutes before I have to walk down to Pool Valley and meet whoever it is for whatever reason and stop them hurting my mum too much. Shivers are now running through my nervous system to no end. This is not good; I'll tell you that for nothing.
I run upstairs, strip down to my boxers as I find a pair of trousers and a t-shirt. I run down the stairs and through to the kitchen to where I took off my trainers. I slide them on, and run back through the hallway and grab my light jacket off of the banister, my keys off of the table and I head out of the door.
Normally I'd head along Edward Street to get to the Old Steine, but that isn't always the quickest way, so I cross over by the top of Rock Gardens and head down St. James' Street. I cross over the road, and because I'm not paying that much attention, I almost get run over by a number 37 bus. Just my luck, I think to myself. At the bottom of St. James' Street, there's a hold up in the bus lane, so I sprint across the road. On the other side of the road, there's a hold up by the round-about so I sprint across to the mouth of Pool Valley. The clock tells me that it's 2:27, so I have three minutes to get to the back alley and find whoever it is that left the messages on the phone.
The alleyway is very dark, and I can't see up it for shit, which isn't good, because I absolutely hate alleyways at the best of times, and now I don't know who's up there, it's ten times worse, in my eyes. I take a deep breath, let it out and I step into the alley, to be greeted by the same dark, chalky, silky voice that left the messages.
"Why, aren't you an early bird, Ryan?" the voice asked. "I don't know about you, but I find that impressive, don't you, Anya?"
"Oooh, yes, Logan! The boy has potential!" came a voice just as chalky and silky, but not so much dark as like and frothy. These two voices weren't human sounding, unless they were on drugs, so they were definitely in league with the London creatures, whatever they were.
"I wanna know where my mum is!" I all but shouted to them as I carried on walking towards where the voices were. "If you haven't got her, tell me where she is or you'll be sorry!" It was a very hollow threat, and these - these things probably knew that, because the female-sounding one let out a shrill laugh that slightly hurt my ears.
"Ryan, my dear boy, if you come in further, and you open your eyes properly; you'll find her just over there, by those bins. You needn't worry about her for the moment; we have business with you to be seeing to before you worry yourself about her. Now, come in a little bit further, please," I could hear in this female's voice that I had no option but to go in further, but I stayed put anyways. There was a bit of breeze, something cold brushed against my arm, and I was in further.
"What do you want with me?" I angrily asked.
"We would be very honoured if you gave up your life and became one of us. We know what you could be capable of, and we're willing to take the time to show you, to help you possess the abilities that are rightfully yours, to build you up to your full potential. What do you say?" There was a pause. "Let me rephrase that a little. Will you willingly join us, or will we be forced to fight you? Not that you could fight much anyway, not against us, that is."
"I don't quite get what you mean, and to be honest, I'd rather just leave now with my mum, so your time isn't wasted, if you don't mind." There was another shot of breeze, and then the female voice was in my ear.
"Look, punk, that isn't an option. You're with us, or you're not at all, get it? There is no 'leave with your mum' option. You join us, or you end the same as she does, understand?" She brushed the tips of her fingers across my cheek and down my neck. "It would be such a shame to waste you, so are you gonna try to put up a fight or not?"
I'm no Jackie Chan, but I do know how to throw powerful punches and land kicks in the right places. My senses told me than even though I was a pathetic, could-be Jackie Chan, I was nothing compared to these things. I doubt I could even run from them before they caught up with me.
"I'd love to put up a fight, but I'd lose my dignity too, so I'll surrender if you tell me everything, no back tracks, no loopholes, no leaving things out. I want the full story and nothing but, or I walk, metaphorically, and I'll 'go to waste', as you said."
I hadn't a clue what to expect, but nothing in my wildest dreams could have prepared me for what they said and did next. The gist of it is they are vampires, of the weirdest sort, they recruit people with "powers", and I'm one of them because I have "powers". Then the female, Anya, bit me. Not just in one place, but pretty much all over my body, and after that I don't really remember too much. I come round to the strong stench of piss, sick and old garbage. It was a dark back alley, the same as the one I was in however long ago, but it looked different.