Chapter 1

The Boy in the Alleyway

One element about cities that people fail to consider is that there is always a dark side. While the high-class celebrities enjoy the various parties that are exclusive only to them, mingling with other famous legends in priceless outfits and sipping the finest champagne, there are always dark alleyways full of danger and poverty in between, where mysterious gangs rob homeless elders of any possessions they may have left. In the earlier years I have spent in the bustling city of Bridgeport, I was naive enough not to notice. All I saw was the glamour—the city was littered with parties and VIP clubs, and my opportunity to finally surpass the velvet rope with a nod from the bouncer only added to my ignorance. Since I was nothing more than the head chef at the nearby diner I was never much a celebrity, but having made friends with one awarded me some positive glances from strangers around town.

I glanced at my watch and tried to make out the time in the dark room. I was pretty sure it read four thirty-five, although it was difficult to tell in what little supply of strobe lights that I had.

"Don't worry about the time, Steve!" my friend shouted from across the table as he plucked a hot wing from the pile on his plate. He was not three feet from me since the table was small, but it was indeed loud in that club. "I've got my eye on it!"

I shrugged and adjusted myself on the tall stool. "So Kai, did you get a job yet?"

"Mmm?" he mumbled, his mouth full of wings.

"Did you get a job yet?" I repeated, slightly louder.

Kai swallowed his food in a husky gulp and answered me. "Not yet, but I'll keep looking."

I inwardly rolled my eyes. Kai had to be one of the only celebrities I knew without a job. I was surprised he had even been viewed as a celebrity. He was lazy, if not somewhat of a slob, and hated wearing shoes for some reason. He couldn't get a job anywhere, and was mostly surviving off of his girlfriend, Lola.

In fact, that was quite possibly the only reason why he was allowed into VIP clubs—he was dating Lola Belle, a legendary actress so famous she felt untouchable, even to me, and I had mingled with her on many occasions. On a stranger note, my friendship with Kai was what ultimately granted me access to the VIP areas in town. It was a bizarre chain of celebrities created from celebrities. I couldn't help but feel like the table scraps of someone grand, even though I have been asked for autographs around town.

I licked my lips as the first embers of thirst settled in my throat. I glanced at Kai, and I caught a delicious whiff of his plasma with each pulse that pushed it through his veins.

"Thirsty?" Kai guessed as he gazed amusedly at me.

"Yes..." I mumbled, as if unsure if I actually wanted to feed at that moment.

"Here," he offered, tugging at his shirt collar and exposing his thick neck. It was tempting, but I was nervous knowing he had already offered me nutrients earlier that morning.

"When was the last time I drank from you?" I asked.

"Don't worry, I feel fine," Kai insisted. "Just take a little if you're worried about it."

I sighed and leaned in, relishing in the warm scent of fresh plasma. Feeding off another Sim always tasted much better than those cold packs of plasma juice from the grocery store, and I had no idea how vegetarians could stand the taste of plasma fruit—it was no better than a mortal Sim eating a tofu burger.

I sunk my fangs into Kai's neck as gently as I could, but he still flinched and emitted a squeaky gasp. I felt the first traces of plasma wash into my mouth and instinctually sucked in as much as I could. The miniscule fire in my throat was extinguished as I gratefully took mouthfuls of Kai's scarlet juice.

"Okay, starting to feel a little dizzy," Kai complained.

I quickly retracted and wiped the plasma from the corner of my mouth. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Kai reassured, shifting in his seat.

I checked my watch again, straining my vision in the flashing room.

"It's nearly five," Kai declared, having checked his own watch. "We should probably head home."

I nodded and followed Kai out of the club. Ever since I had been turned into a vampire, I had become rather conscious of the time, especially when out at clubs. I certainly didn't want to be caught outside during the daylight.

Kai and I hopped into my car and we started down the road. I glanced briefly out at the ocean in the distance, just long enough to notice the first traces of sunlight creeping over the horizon. My pale skin started to tingle, and I drove a bit faster.

Suddenly, a large figure appeared in the middle of the road. I instinctually slammed on the brakes and came to a screeching halt in front of what I believed to be a person, but it darted off into an alley before I got a good look at it.

"What the heck was that!" I demanded, my voice high with lingering panic.

"It must have been that alley kid that everyone has been talking about," Kai replied.

"Alley kid?" I echoed as I continued to drive.

"I keep hearing people say they saw a scrawny Sim wandering the streets and living in alleyways," Kai explained. "No one knows where he came from or what his problem is."

"Has anyone tried to help him?" I asked nervously.

"No one really pays him any mind," Kai replied. "Homeless people are a common problem in these cities, and I think most people are used to it."

I went silent. I had been living in Bridgeport for several months, and I never witnessed any homeless Sims. I was suddenly curious about the individual in the alley, and wondered if there was anything I could do to help him out.

I crossed the bridge that led away from the city and toward the hills, where the celebrities lived in their massive, fancy houses. I took a long winding to Kai's house, where I let him out to get some sleep. Once I saw that he was safely inside, I backtracked the route from which I came and revisited the alleyway where I last saw the "alley kid."

I parked my car on the side of the road and wandered into the alleyway, trying to ignore the horrendous smell. I had to work quickly, as I felt the sun on my back bringing forth a stinging sensation, like a full-body sunburn. Luckily, it didn't take me long to spot a silhouette in the dim alleyway.

I had almost mistaken him for a pile of trash, and I probably would have passed him if it weren't for the faint light of dawn. He sat crouched on the dirty alley floor, hunched over something in his gangly arms. He wore only a pair of tattered jeans, and I could see each of his ribs perfectly lined down his long torso, as well as several thin cuts all over his back. His head hung low, his gaze on the ground, and his matted red hair was draped over his face on either side. He was shivering madly and sniffling; it was hard to tell if he was crying or if he was just cold.

"Hey," I greeted in a low voice.

The boy snapped his head in my direction, squeaked in fright and scooted away. I blinked in surprise when I saw his face. The alley kid that everyone was apparently talking about wasn't a kid at all—he must have been in his mid-twenties, about my age. But his large eyes looked childish as they stared up at me with fear, and that alone almost made him look like an oversized kid.

"It's really chilly out here," I pointed out, even though my skin was growing painfully hot with the rising sun. "Why don't you come with me?"

The boy didn't move a muscle. He continued to stare at me with his fear-stricken eyes, shivering uncontrollably.

"I promise I won't hurt you," I murmured. "I just want to help you."

He still didn't give me a response of any kind, but I quickly had an idea. I trotted back to my car and opened the door to the backseat, withdrawing a bowl of autumn salad that I had gotten from work earlier that night. Working at a diner meant that there would occasionally be leftover food for the employees to take home, but I didn't eat food on account of being a vampire, so I ended up throwing most of it out.

I brought the salad back to the boy and set it in front of him. As soon as I let go of the bowl, he lunged at it and devoured its contents ravenously, as if he hadn't eaten in weeks. But judging his current situation, that was probably the case. I noticed something fall out of his grasp when he reached for the food, and I looked closely to notice what looked like a raccoon plushie lying on the ground. It looked old and dull, its fur worn down to patches of gray fuzz in some areas, but other than that it was in relatively good shape. I reached curiously for the old doll, but the boy snatched it and hugged it to his chest, causing me to jump back slightly.

"It's alright," I assured. "I wasn't going to steal it."

He curled is body around the raccoon toy and shivered, appearing as he was when I first found him.

"Come with me," I encouraged. "I can get you out of the cold. I should probably take a look at those cuts on your back, too."

The boy yawned, resting his head on his knees. Searing pain crawled up my skin, particularly where it didn't cover my clothing, and I glanced back toward my car and realized that the sky was becoming brighter. I had to get inside quickly, but I couldn't leave the boy there. I picked up the salad bowl and quickly brought it back to the car, tossing it in the trunk. When I returned to the alley kid, he lay shivering on the ground, curled around his trusty raccoon. Without hesitation, I gently slipped my arms around him and hauled him off the ground. He didn't protest, but he did shudder when my freezing hand hit his bare back. He gripped his raccoon tightly and his teeth chattered as I carried him back to my car.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled sympathetically. "I know I'm cold. But we're almost there."

When I approached my car, I carefully twisted my hand to open the door to the backseat, then set the helpless individual inside. I shut the door and strode around my car to the driver's seat, settling inside and starting my vehicle. When the engine came roaring to life, I turned the heat on and started down the road toward my apartment. As the car grew warmer, the teeth-chattering that emanated from the backseat soon faded, and everything became quiet.

My skin felt as if it were on fire as I parked my car and went to collect the boy. He was completely limp in my hold; my hand on his back generated only a shallow mumble. I knew he was fast asleep, even though he still managed to hold onto his stuffed raccoon. When I carried him inside the building, I was washed with the cool relief of the indoors. The sun had ceased its merciless hot glare upon my pale skin, and the full-body sting that coated me as a result quickly subsided.

When we made it up to my apartment, I gently set the boy on the ground to fish my key out of my pocket. Once I unlocked the door, I picked him back up and hauled him over to the couch, where I set him down once more. I spotted a blanket on the arm of the sofa and carefully draped it over the sleeping boy.

It was rather difficult for me to believe that he was about my age. As much as he physically looked like a young adult, his expressions and behavior made him look infantile to an extent. Even as he slept, he was very baby-like; his face was smooth and peaceful, and his toy raccoon was secure in his grasp.

I was curious as to what he was dreaming about, and luckily my vampire powers allowed me to read his mind. I closed my eyes and focused hard, my brainwaves searching for his in the darkness of empty space between us. Slowly, a vision began to form from the blackness, and I saw a meadow of wildflowers and a few massive trees. My vision was shaky, as if I were running. I heard giggling, followed by an enthusiastic, high-pitched man's voice shout: "Darius! Come out and play with me!" After the exclamation, I spotted a rainbow stretching across the sky, and a horse galloped over and down a rolling hill. But as it got closer, I realized that it bore a unicorn horn upon its forehead. I heard more giggling as my vision spun and more running ensued, and it was at this point that I decided to break the connection.

I blinked a few times and my vision transitioned back to my apartment. My head ached from the mindreading, and I decided that I should get some rest myself. With one final glance at the sleeping boy, I left the room and wandered into my bedroom, slipping under the covers of my soft bed. Most vampires slept on altars rather than actual beds since our lack of body heat made the bed covers colder instead of warmer, but I preferred the sensation of the blankets enveloping me, caressing my hard skin. Even if it was cold under the care of the bed sheets, it at least brought me comforting nostalgia from when I was a mortal human.

As the light of day became brighter outside, I quickly fell into a deep slumber in the cool comfort of my dark room.