I wrote this over two years ago for the Being Human Blog. There is a deleted scene on the DVD where we hear Mitchell describe a previous visit to Barry Island and how it was "all kinds of brilliant". I wrote this short drabble in response to that and posted it originally on the BH Blog but i thought i'd dust it off and post it up here. Hope that you like it.
An Awful Lot Like…
1957…
Mitchell opens his eyes and squints in the mid afternoon sunshine. As he sits up, two things occur to him, one, they're not where they're supposed to be and two, what the hell were they doing at a caravan park? He wipes at his eyes and he hopes to God that he's just in the middle of a really bad dream but he sees Herrick turn and look at him and grin. He realises with a sinking feeling that no, this is not a bad dream.
"Where are we?" he asks instead. He glances at Seth who's in the passenger seat and grinning like an idiot, which in all honesty, isn't that much of a stretch for him.
"This my boy is Barry Island!" he announces triumphantly and Mitchell squints at him.
"Barry what?…Island?" he looks out of the window again and sees people milling around, dressed in their summer best, no suits and ties here, just summer dresses, shorts, bathing suits and a lot of pale flesh on display.
"We're in Wales!" As if that makes it any better and Mitchell's expression says as much. Herrick sighs in irritation, annoyed at his surprise being so thoroughly spoiled like this.
"I thought we were going to Oxford?" He likes the idea of Oxford; the city, the students, the river, the snacking options. It just sounds…different, more sophisticated somehow.
"And we were, but then I saw the signposts to Wales and just…changed my mind." Mitchell sits up straighter and stretches his spine a little. He'd got back from a party just as dawn was breaking to see Herrick hauling suitcases out of their flat and into the car. He barely had time to wash before he was being bundled into the car with promises of fun times in Oxford and this is not bloody Oxford!
"Why?" he demands incredulously. He can see caravans as well as holidaymakers and his heart sinks. He looks back at Herrick and he frowns at him.
"I want to go back to Bristol." he folds his arms and scowls. Herrick sighs and rolls his eyes like a long suffering parent.
"Be patient. I guarantee you'll have a lot of fun, look at them all…wandering around with all that skin, all that blood on display, it'll be tremendous!"
"It's a dump." He's pretty sure the Island part is a misnomer too.
"Mitchell, don't be a spoilsport." Seth chides and the look Mitchell sends him is lethal enough to succeed in silencing the older vampire. He turns back around and his chin hits his chest.
He looks back out of the window. It's hot inside the car and his stomach is grumbling. He sighs loudly.
"Alright, alright but it's going to be crap and I'm going to hate it and I want to go to Oxford." He begins to open the door.
"And we will, I just thought this might be a nice little detour, that's all." Herrick chides. Mitchell throws him a dirty look as he climbs out the back seat. He stretches and looks around. Herrick is right, there's a lot of humanity out on display at the moment. He watches two giggling teenagers slink past in their bathing suits, with their bags and towels, ready to spend some time sunbathing somewhere. He subtly inhales and turns his head. He watches them for a moment or two longer. His attention is distracted by Herrick and Seth. They come to stand beside him.
"It'll do. For now." he looks up at the cloudless blue sky. This isn't his idea of a holiday destination at all; in fact the moment they do get out of here, he has no intention of ever coming back.
He can't begin to understand the attraction.