Warnings: Noncon kiss, mentions of violence.

Assignment: Media Studies 10. Write about searching for someone who is missing

Other prompts below.

Don't go into the forest, they say.

The forest will consume you.

But his older brother is missing and Charlie knows that Bill has always been too fascinated by the forest and those that live within it.

So Charlie heads into town and he picks up enough food to carry him for a few weeks. As he's leaving the store, his eye catches on a tiny silver acorn charm.

He thinks about Bill learning about the druids, telling him that acorns were a sign of good fortune, and maybe he doesn't believe in magic but he thinks, I'm going to need all the help I can get.

He takes the acorn.

He walks into the forest and he doesn't look back.

…

He starts out by tracking Bill's path. He always goes into the forest at the same point, and his brother is not subtle. There are marks of his path for miles.

And then they disappear.

All tracks disappear.

All signs of Bill disappear.

And Charlie doesn't know what to do. He's not sure where he's supposed to go from here.

He's not sure what he thought was going to happen. He's not sure if he thought Bill was just going to be sitting there at the end of the trail, waiting for him.

The sky's getting dark. He needs to find a place to settle.

Something rustles behind him.

Charlie whirls around, but there's nothing there.

He takes a deep breath and tells himself that it's fine. There's nothing there.

A twig snaps to his left. He snaps his head in that direction.

He sees nothing. The sun dips below the horizon, leaving the world in dusky shadows and fading light.

Charlie tries to keep his breathing even.

It's fine. It's all going to be fine.

He takes a deep breath and breathes out slowly. The forest isn't quiet around him. It's alive with scuttling rodents and the whistle of the wind and the sounds of insects.

He reminds himself that paranoia isn't rational. Nor is it helpful.

Something rustles behind him and a chill runs down his spine, as though he has a fever.

That's when a voice comes from behind him.

"Another one of you? Really?"

Charlie spins on a dime.

A man is standing behind him. Tall, thin, pale, with dark hair. His eyes are fixed just slightly to the right of Charlie. They, too, are pale. His gaze is blank.

If Charlie wasn't half-terrified, he'd say the man was ravishing.

"Who are you?" Charlie says.

The man laughs. "A better questions is what am I, darling. I am the reason your human children are afraid of the dark. I am everything you are warned against." His tone is officious, his stare demanding, but Charlie is not impressed.

"Yeah, okay, Mr. I-am-the-night. Where's my brother? That's what you meant, isn't it?"

The man throws his head back and laughs, exposing a brutal scar that crosses his neck.

"The other one? Oh, darling, he is long since gone."

"You killed him," Charlie says.

The man grins, somewhat manic yet also arrogant as hell. "Drained him dry."

"You son of a bitch," Charlie says.

"True, but it's easier to just call me Barty," he says with a grin. He moves closer in what seems to be an instant, taking three steps in the space of a second, but his blind eyes still don't meet Charlie's.

"What are you?" Charlie finally asks.

Barty grins, wild and sharp, and Charlie sees his teeth curl around his lip — like fangs.

"Oh, darling. Don't you know by now?"

And Charlie thinks about the words drained him dry, thinks about the scar on his neck, thinks about his speed. He thinks about the rumours about what lies in this forest.

"Vampire," he says softly. The man grins.

"That's right," he sing-songs. His voice is smooth as silk, not a trace of roughness. "I like you. You've got passion."

"Passion?" Charlie asks.

"Passion. It lies in all of us. Sleeping, waiting, and though unwanted, unbidden, it will stir. Open its jaws, and howl. It speaks to us, guides us. Passion rules us all, and we obey. What other choice do we have?"

"Don't we always have choices?" Charlie says.

Barty's eyes sparkle and jump, and then he says, "Oh, darling. Such a small, mortal mind you have. And then his voice goes deeper, more persuasive, more addictive, and he says, "Kiss me."

Charlie's body moves as though on it's own, as though hypnotized. He steps forward, tips his head up and back, and the vampire is kissing him, fangs out and Charlie's lip tastes of blood.

He pulls back and runs his tongue over his lips, which taste coppery and sharp. It's not what he wanted out of his first kiss. It's never been easy for Charlie to fall in love.

Part of him wants to cry. Most of him wants to flee. Too much of him is thinking about Bill, lying somewhere in this forest, drained and broken.

He shoves his hands deep in his pockets to hide their trembling. He feels the acorn charm there, and he wonders if the silver is real or nothing more than a coating.

"Still think you have choices?" Barty says with glee.

Charlie wonders if he'd have time to run. If Barty's blind eyes would give him enough of an advantage.

He remembers how fast Barty moves and he thinks it wouldn't.

So he pulls the acorn out of his pocket and throws it at Barty's face.

It bounces off, harmless.

Barty smiles at him. "Don't bother," he says. "The silver thing is a myth. Not with werewolves, that one's real, but it can't touch me. And you can't run. I can't see you, but it doesn't matter. I could follow your scent for miles. Darling, listen to me. The human world is a mess. Why don't you leave it all behind and come with me?"

"After you murdered my brother? I don't think so," Charlie says.

"Listen to the whole offer first, love," Barty says. He moves in close, pressing himself against Charlie. Charlie shudders.

Barty smirks, sharp and dangerous. "I'm guaranteeing the life of your family."

Charlie goes still.

"What?" he asks, low and hoarse. Barty's face is twisted, terrifying.

"Don't you understand?" Barty says. "Between you and your brother, I have the scent of everyone you've ever loved. I will hunt them down, one by one."

"Why?" It's so low it's almost not even a sound.

Barty bares his teeth. "Because, darling. I want you. I want you by my side."

Charlie looks at him, sees the sadism in his eyes, and he knows that Barty isn't lying.

And Charlie takes a deep, shuddering breath, and says, "Yes."

Seconds later, there are teeth in his neck and fire in his veins and Charlie wonders what his life is about to become.

Writing Month (words): 1149 / Insane House: Creature - Vampire / 365: 83. Creature - Vampire / Lent: Other 1. Write a fic only involving characters who are dead (ghosts) or die (e.g. in the war) / Creativity Month: Base Character: Charlie; Paired Character: Barty Crouch Jr. ; Level: Fantasy/Supernatural; Prompt Used: Vampire!AU / Crafty Cooking: banana: trope: don't go into the forest / Jewels: Citrine: Ring: Write about someone being open to new ideas; Bracelet: Write about someone buying/searching for a lucky charm.; Necklace: Write a blind!AU / Library Lovers: The Foxhole Court (Demi, scar, sacrificing yourself) / St. Patrick's: The snakes of Ireland - write about a Death Eater / Character Appreciation: 33. Trait: Arrogant / Disney: C4: Sebastian - Use the dialogue, "Listen to me. The human world is a mess." / Shannon's Showcase: 1. I'm A Celebrity… Get Out Of My Ear - Making someone say and do whatever you tell them to. / Showtime: 4. Cell Block Tango - (action) Murder / Days of the Month: International Day of Forests - Write a story set in a forest / Buttons: W2: Kill / Lyric Alley: 6. If you're afraid of falling, then don't look down / Restriction: (word) officious / TV Show: Angel: (action) stalking, (quote) "Passion. It lies in all of us. Sleeping, waiting, and though unwanted, unbidden, it will stir. Open its jaws, and howl. It speaks to us, guides us. Passion rules us all, and we obey. What other choice do we have?", (AU) Vampire / Liza's Loves: 18. Simon Says - Write about someone being hypnotised - Alt - Write about someone acting like strangely. / Sophie's Shelf: 14. persuasion, fever, ravish, consume, rough, addictive