Summary: Twenty years after the demise of the Lost Boys, Star finds her steps being haunted by an unwanted memory. Is the figure just a normal young man or is there more to him than meets the eye?
Author's Note: Just when you thought I was gone for good! ; p Here's the first chapter of a short LB story. Reviews let me know you'd like to know the rest!
Chapter 1: Familiar
With a nod to the librarian on duty, Jen her name was, Star stepped behind the front counter and strode over to where the books on reserve were kept. After a quick scan of the shelves, she found that everything she was looking for was down by the floor. With a sigh, the woman crouched, adjusting her long skirt and trying to find a comfortable position without actually sitting. She knew how disgusting the floor could get. She had worked at this library when she was younger, when she, Laddie, Michael, and his family had first moved there. That had been after the events in Santa Carla, after the deaths of the Lost Boys. Boys who had been her friends until things had gone too far. The 'boys' had turned out to be vampires, killers all of them. And they'd tried to make her a killer too. Star shuddered as she thought about it; the hunger she'd felt; the betrayal.
Michael and his brother had rescued her and Laddie from that. They had freed them from the curse and given them a new chance at life... but at the expense of the lives of the Lost Boys. It was strange, she thought, that despite how betrayed she'd felt by their actions, how angry, Star had still felt regret when they'd died. Marko, Paul, Dwayne... and David.
She'd long since gotten over being angry with herself for such feelings. The fact that she felt bad just made her more human. Unlike the monster the Boys had tried to make her.
"Here we are." Star lifted a stack of old yellow newspapers from the shelves and immediately became absorbed in their words. Currently, Star worked as a historic researcher for the college that owned this library. These papers of local events would be particularly useful for her current project.
She wasn't sure how long she sat there, crouched behind the bookshelf, scanning through articles, but she suddenly became aware of how still and quiet everything had become. She glanced out from behind the stacks and saw, to her surprise, that there was absolutely nothing strange going on.
Jen still sat in front of her computer, jotting down notes and taking notes for her classes while on duty no doubt. Students and non-students were still scattered about, wandering through isles and speaking in hushed voices. Nothing unusual.
With a shrug she moved back behind the stacks and looked back down at her papers. She was nearly lost in thought again when the sound of a polite cough caught her attention.
From her place behind the bookshelf, she could just barely make out pale white arms leaning on the counter and a chest facing her direction.
"The circulation desk is to your left," Star replied kindly, making no move to get up. She didn't work here anymore after all.
"Uh, no one's there. I was just wondering if you-"
Star didn't hear the rest. That voice... That very distinct voice... But it couldn't be. Her legs shook even as her common sense told her to stop overreacting. There was no way-
But as she pulled herself to her feet and she moved around the stack she found herself looking into the face of the man that couldn't be there. Yet there he stood.
Though her breath caught in her throat, she found herself saying his name in disbelief. "David..."
-.-.-.-.-.-
Star's hearth thundered in her chest and she blinked several times, but the visage of the long dead leader of the Lost Boys didn't disappear. How was it possible? And why would he show up after so much time had past? Remembering his rage the last time they'd met, she knew he could only have returned for vengeance.
"Are... you all right, miss?"
Star blinked and noted for the first time that the young man was looking at her with concern. This confused her enough to take him in fully. When she'd come out he'd been leaning casually on the countertop, but now he'd straightened, revealing more of himself.
He wore a white button-up collared shirt crossed with thin dark blue stripes. This hung open revealing a black t-shirt with a strange gothic design printed across his left side. His hair, still as white-blond as she remembered was cut short to only a few misbehaving inches in the style of the day. And his face... his face was the same except for that concern.
"Is it really you?" she asked, just above a whisper.
David blinked at her, no recognition in his eyes.
"Sorry?"
Star paused a moment then stepped closer. Despite the counter that separated them David took a step back, but he didn't dismiss her or leave.
"David?"
Now it was David's turn to look surprised. His crystal blue eyes went wide and Star realized in that moment that he truly didn't recognize her. He gave a quiet, awkward laugh.
"I'm sorry, do I know you?"
Flustered Star looked away and noted that Jen was still missing. Somehow, that made the ordeal seem more unreal. What was going on? Was this or was this not David?
"I thought so," She replied quietly.
"Not sure now?" David questioned.
If this wasn't David, he was very understanding. She must look crazy or something. ...Then again, David always had had a strange sense of humor.
"You look just like him," She declared, not sure if she wanted this young man to be the vampire from her past or not.
"And his name is David too?" he asked with all the air of incredulousness. Star nodded and this young man -another David?- chuckled. "That's just creepy."
The sound of his laugh was so familiar it made her shiver. Star couldn't meet his gaze and looked away. David coughed, sobering up.
"And apparently you think so too..." He sighed. "All right, well... I guess I'll just go then. I can probably find the thing on my own."
Star looked up to see him sticking a hand into the pocket of his blue jeans as he backed uncomfortably away.
"Sorry I scared you," he replied.
The dark haired woman watched after him in confusion. If it weren't for the fact that he denied knowing her and that he seemed to possess an honestly innocent, apologetic nature, Star would swear that this boy was her David, back from the grave...
-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Star didn't mention her strange encounter to Michael. She wasn't sure why. She wasn't hiding anything, she told herself. Michael had been the one to kill David, the real David. Needless to say there were bad memories, but they had spoken of the Lost Boys since that night twenty years past. The topic wasn't taboo... exactly... In truth, Star just wasn't sure of herself and was embarrassed by the feeling.
Had she really seen him? Had the boy really looked so much like the vampire she used to know? And if it was him, what did it mean?
It was several days before she saw him again. She'd half convinced herself that she'd made him up. And then, while searching for journals far back in the secluded stacks of the second floor, she spotted him.
The blond was seated by himself at a lone table, bent over a soft covered book and a binder of loose-leaf paper. Though a pencil was balanced in one hand and that book was open in the other, he wasn't writing. He stared intently at the book, his face pointed away from her.
She hesitated, uncertain if she wanted to speak to him, continue past him to her destination, or avoid him all together. As the young man made an annoyed noise and flipped the page with his thumb, she decided she was being ridiculous. The young man was just that, and a student as well by the look of him. Recalling her reaction the last time they'd met, she felt embarrassment wash over her.
Deciding her course of action, she took a few deliberately noisy steps toward him to alert him to her presence. The young man spun towards her, the surprise on his face melting away to a friendly smile when he saw her.
"Oh, hi. I didn't know you were there," he said, turning sideways in his seat so that he faced her.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," Star replied.
"No problem," David replied with a laugh. There was an awkwardly silent moment before Star willed herself to speak.
"Look, I'm sorry about how I acted the other day," she told him. "It's just... you look just like an old... friend of mine."
David's brows creased thoughtfully. "From your reaction, I wouldn't have guessed 'friend'."
Star's gaze fell a moment. 'David had been a friend once,' she thought. Aloud she replied. "Well, he died. A long time ago."
Now it was David's turn to look away. "Sorry."
"Thanks," she replied. Then she realized she'd again put her problems with David- her David- on this person yet again. Both to change the subject and to learn more about this look alike, she spoke, her voice a semi-successful attempt to sound cheery. "So what brings you here? Aren't boys your age supposed to be outside causing trouble?"
Even as she said it she realized how funny it sounded. How old it made her sound. It was as strange thing to recognize. At one time she had looked the same age as her old Daivd. How old the vampire really had been, she'd never been sure. Now this David appeared that same age –about 20 years old- but she had aged.
David laughed at her comment and put his pencil down, glancing back to the book he still held open to the proper page.
"I'd rather be outside. This is my favorite time of day to be honest."
Star's heart beat quickened as she glanced out the nearby window at the darkness of the night.
"Usually I'm out riding," David continued with a wistful smile.
Her breaths came a faster as a vivid memory of her David and the other boys racing their motorcycles at breakneck speed. Doubt crept into her mind as the young man continued.
"But instead I'm stuck in here, working on an English paper," he said with a sigh. David leaned back in the chair and tapped the paperback on the table. "I've been working on it for the last several days, but the setup in this thing doesn't make it easy. I'd much rather be reading from the perspective of the main characters, but instead it's set up so that the plot is described through the letters and journals written by the characters. I don't like it."
Star forced herself to calm down. This David was a student. Not a vampire. Despite her conclusion, Star's heart rate remained fast. Trying not to let him see her unruly anxiety she tried to continue the small talk.
"What book is it?" she asked, throat dry.
The young man looked back down to it then lifted it up so she could see.
"Bram Stoker," he told her and Star's eyes widened even before he added, "Dracula."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
-.-.-.-.-
Is he or is he not? That is the question. Reviews will encourage an answer. ;p
