Let me know your thoughts. ~Stormy~

1.

The duties of managing a video store were not really difficult. In fact, Sadie was pretty sure a trained lab monkey could do it. But it was a job, and Max the owner had always been very kind to her. He paid her more then she was sure was reasonable for a position like hers, and there was something very fatherly about him. She liked that. He was so different from her own father. Sadie leaned against the counter, relaxed by the rhythm of music coming from a set of overhead speakers. She rested her chin on her palm and watched as the tourists and locals mingled together outside on the boardwalk.

"Hello, peanut!"

Sadie broke from her thoughts and smiled as Max walked through the front doors. He was taller then her own father, with a full head of brown hair and kind eyes. He wore glasses that slipped down his nose every few minutes. She and Maria had once spent an entire shift counting how many times he had to push them back up the bridge of his nose. Sadie was very fond of Max and wasn't sure how to thank him for all he had done for her.

"Hey, Max."

He walked behind the counter and gave her a gentle pat on the head. "How are we doing tonight?"

"Pretty good. We're up a hundred from last night and it's still early."

"Saturday's are our big nights," he agreed. "Here, I brought you a snack." He sat a white paper bag on the counter. Inside was a salted pretzel and a can of diet coke.

"Thanks, Max." Sadie smiled and pulled the pretzel out. She tore half of it away and offered it to Max. He shook his head and Sadie frowned playfully. "Come on, you know you want some."

He laughed and took the food from her then popped it in his mouth with a smile. He rubbed his belly and gave her a wink. "Wonderful." Sadie was about to ask him about that Monday's shipment of new tapes when the sound of rumbling engines forced both Sadie and Max to turn towards the entrance. Through the wall of windows they saw four motorcycles pull into the parking lot. Sadie had seen the four boys riding them before. Every night they seemed to come to the boardwalk, but they had never come into the store when she was working. She felt Max's hand on her shoulder and looked up at him. "Stay here," he told her. "I'll handle this."

"Do you know them?"

"They've been in here before," he said, his lips pursed together in a straight line. "I told them not to come back."

"Why?"

Max looked down on her with concern. "Those boys are wild," he said firmly. "You just trust me on this one, Sadie. Boys like that are bad news." He gave her shoulder a squeeze then rounded the corner of the counter just as the four boys came inside, one after the other. They all eyed Max and then dispersed themselves around the store. "What are you doing here?" Max asked the platinum blonde, who had waited by the front entrance expectantly.

David smiled at Sadie before turning his attention to Max. "Looking for some good music is all."

"We don't sell music," Max snapped. "This is a video store and you know that."

David pointed to a row of cassette tapes behind Max. "What are those?"

Max turned back to the tapes. "We're expanding. We don't have a large selection of music, not anything you'd want."

David turned his eyes back on Sadie. She was pretending to leaf through a magazine but her eyes would drift occasionally to the pair in front of her. He laughed under his breath and Sadie felt a chill run up her spine. She wondered if he was aware how creepy that laugh sounded, and if he did, was that laugh for her benefit or Max's?

"Come with me," Max barked. He turned back to Sadie. "I'll be right outside." He looked around the store then leaned into the counter so that only Sadie could hear him whisper, "Watch them."

Sadie nodded, though she was pretty sure these boys weren't the shoplifting bunch. There were video camera's set up in each corner of the store and security devices on all the tapes. Add to that the giant sign that read: ALL SHOPLIFTERS WILL BE PROSECUTED and only a real moron would try and steal from Max's.

There was a tap on the counter behind her. "Excuse me, can I get some help?" Sadie turned around and was face to face with one of the motorcycle boys. He was smiling, a smile that was so disarming it immediately made her wary. She lifted one brow as if to ask what he wanted. "This any good?" he asked and held up a video.

Sadie took the tape from him, looked it over then set it back down on the counter without a word. With one eyebrow still raised she stared the boy in his eyes. His smile faltered just a bit as Sadie took the moment to study his appearance. She started with the honey colored curls on his head, the ocean colored eyes, and thought for a moment that if this boy was really a threat like Max said, she saw no outward sign of it.

"You're fucking with me," she stated flatly.

"How am I doing that?" He picked the video up and looked it over, lifting his eyes to her face with a smile. "Are you going to answer my question?" He leaned his body into the counter, bringing him a little closer to her. He looked genuinely surprised when she snatched the video out of his hand.

"You really want my opinion on Love Story ? Tough guy like you? Surely you'd rather watch Commando."

"Is that any good?" He was smirking, realizing that she had caught on to his act.

"Well, if you like mindless violence I suppose it would be good. I'm not into action movies." Sadie crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for him to make a counter move.

"So you would recommend this one?" He held up Love Story.

"No. I don't like fluffy stuff like that either."

"Well, Sadie. We're at an impasse."

"How do you know my name?"

He nodded to the badge on her chest. "I'm assuming that's you."

Sadie tried to hold back her smile. It was obvious this guy was flirting with her, and if Sadie didn't know better she would say she was flirting back. It had been so long since she'd done that with anyone that it felt strange and awkward. She found him amusing, which was always a plus, but was pretty sure he had some blonde big breasted dimwit waiting for him somewhere. Tough guys on bikes that looked like they just stepped out of a rock video usually had a blonde on the side.

"You really want me to suggest a good movie?"

"Yeah, I really do."

Sadie reached under the counter and pulled out the last copy of Ghostbusters. "I was saving this for myself," she said. "But if you haven't seen it, you really should." She handed the video to him and watched him read over the description.

"Sounds funny."

"It is," Sadie agreed. "It's got some scary moments too."

"Maybe we could -"

"Marko!" David called from the entrance. Max was standing on one side of him while Paul and Dwayne walked past. "Let's go."

Marko turned to Sadie with a shrug. "Rain check?"

"Sure," Sadie nodded. "I'll just keep it under the counter with your name on it." She grabbed a piece of notebook paper off the register and started to write his name across it. She was startled when she felt cold fingers wrap around her wrist.

"If you're going to write my name, you should at least spell it right." He smiled again, showing his top row of straight teeth. "It's a 'k', not a 'c'."

"Marko with a k," she said. "Shouldn't be too hard to remember."

"Marko!" Paul was getting impatient, as was Max.

"See ya around Miss Sadie." He walked around the counter and followed the others outside. Before he got on his bike he glanced back at the store, not surprised to see Sadie watching them leave from behind the window.

"Sadie Daniels," Max murmured to himself. He looked down at her with a face full of pinched nerves.

"What?"

He moved away from the counter and approached her, his arms crossed and a fatherly tone barreling from his voice. "What did I tell you about those boys?"

Laughter rose inside Sadie like champagne bubbles. It took every ounce of will power to hold it back. "Max, come on. Bad taste in clothes does not make a person bad. I think you just don't like the way they dress."

"I don't understand you kids today. Leather chaps and wild looking coats? It's ridiculous."

Sadie giggled. "This coming from the man wearing a fuchsia tie."

Max let his lips form a brief smile before pulling it back. "You're a grown girl, Sadie. I'm not your father and I know that. But I'm pretty sure your parents in Soquel wouldn't want you messing with a boy like that."

Sadie flinched at the thought of her parents. Right now they were probably sitting across from each other at the dinner table eating in silence. On the fireplace mantle there would be two framed pictures. One of Sadie at her high school graduation and one of her sister Sarah, who had left before Sadie was even a month old. No one knew where she went, or why. All Sadie knew was that Sarah left one night and never came back. As a child Sadie had decided that if her sister left her it must be their parents fault. Even as an adult, with rational reasoning abilities, she couldn't forgive her parents of whatever crimes they might have committed.

"It wasn't like that, Max," Sadie said, ready to end the conversation. "You have nothing to worry about."

"Good." He put his hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Because I do worry about you, kiddo. I never had any children of my own, you know."

The bell above the door rang as a group of kids and their parents came inside. Sadie was thankful for the excuse to get away from the discussion. She gave Max a smile before slipping out from behind the counter and approaching the two adults. That night, while counting the till, Sadie couldn't help but think about Marko. He sparked her interest, and that was something she couldn't ignore. She closed the cash register with a sigh and double checked the alarm system.

"We did pretty well this evening," Max said as he closed and locked the front doors. "I may have to give you a raise if this keeps up."

"You already do too much for me, Max." And Sadie was sure they both knew that.

Max gave a hearty laugh. "You know Sadie, you're the first woman I ever met who turned down more money."

Sadie smiled. "Well, if you give me a raise you have to give one to Maria too."

Max wrapped a fatherly arm around her shoulder as they walked toward her car. "That was my plan all along."

2.

The boys cruised through the narrow paths that zigzagged up into the hills overlooking the ocean. The motorcycles headlights gave only glimpses of low hanging branches and bushes that swayed with the wind created by their speed. To Marko, the rides through the hills and along the beaches was a thrill that even flying through the air couldn't match. He threw his head back, opened his mouth and howled at the moon like the predator he was. His mind flashed on images of the girl from Max's video store. She was different from the other girls he'd met on the boardwalk. He wasn't sure how, but he knew that he wanted to find out.

He planned to go back to the store the following day, without the others. Hopefully Max wouldn't be there and he could find out what exactly it was about Sadie that intrigued him so much. Then he could get her face out of his mind, quench the thirst and hunger he felt for her, and have no regrets later. If he killed her now it would leave the burning question of 'why' in his head. As a vampire with infinity before him, he didn't want to have to deal with regret forever. Once he had the answers he would indulge in all she could offer and would then be content to continue the endless nights of debauchery and fun.

The yellow warning sign loomed in the distance, highlighted by their headlights: DANGER! KEEP OUT! They turned their bikes off the path, let them come to a stop, then rose above them. They flew towards the entrance of their cave, their own personal haven. Inside was the remnants of an early 20th century resort, destroyed by the great earthquake of 1906. It was a lost boys paradise, a playground of enchanted magic and Marko knew it was the only place any of them would consider 'home' again. As he followed his pack through the narrow corridors towards the darkest and deepest parts of the cave, he couldn't help but turn a somersault in the air and cackle like a mad man. The night had been good to him. Poor Sadie, he thought, she had no idea that she had less then 24 hours to live.

3.

"How was work?" Hayden asked, as Sadie came in through the front door of the beach house.

"It was interesting," said Sadie, cryptically. After she had left the video store Sadie spent the entire drive thinking about the boys on the bikes, Marko in particular. Max never said why he thought they were so bad, and had more or less admitted that a lot of his disliking of them had to do with their fashion sense. Sadie looked past that and focused instead on Marko's smile. Everything about him was non threatening, so why then, was there the slightest twinge of nervousness when she thought about him. Maybe, she thought to herself, it was because she liked him. Or at the very least interested in finding out more about him.

"Interesting how?" Hayden handed her the box of pizza she had been consuming. There were three slices left for Sadie. More then enough to fill her up and give her a wicked case of heartburn. She shook her head and side stepped the sofa before entering the kitchen. She settled on a peanut butter sandwich, ignoring Hayden's question all together. She wasn't sure she was ready to let Hayden in on everything that had happened that night. When she went back into the living room Hayden was sitting on the sofa still looking puzzled. Her face was lit up in the electric blue light from the TV and Sadie could see the impatient gleam in her eyes. "So? Spill it. What happened at work?"

"These guys came into the store," Sadie said, taking a bite of her sandwich. "Max flipped his lid." She laughed and shrugged her shoulders. "One of them came up to ask me about a movie."

"Yeah?" Hayden asked impatiently. So far there was nothing really interesting in Sadie's story. "Was he cute?"

"Yeah, he was. I didn't really get to talk to him much. They left the store and Max more or less forbade me from ever talking to any of them again."

"Well, Max ain't your Daddy, Sadie. This is huge! You haven't even looked at anyone since the evil one."

"His name is Kevin."

"I prefer the 'evil one'. It's more fitting." Hayden leaned closer to Sadie, the smile on her face stretching from one ear to the other. "Tell me about him. What about his friends? They cute too."

Sadie laughed. She should have expected this. "Yeah, they're all pretty cute. I mean, in that bad boy kind of way."

Hayden clapped her hands together excitedly. "You mean this mystery man isn't some uptight preppy prick like the 'evil one'?"

"Hayden, please don't call him that. And no, he's not. He was wearing leather chaps," she added, showing her disapproval with a frown. "But other then some questionable fashion statements, he seemed really nice. It doesn't matter though. He probably has a girlfriend."

Hayden looked at Sadie, shocked. "You are not going to let this one go. You have tomorrow night off, we can go and stake out the boardwalk. What kind of car does he drive?"

"He doesn't have a car. He rides a motorcycle, they all do."

Hayden's eyes went wide. "Oh my God. You met the Lost Boys."

"Who?"

"The Lost Boys. They've been coming to the boardwalk for a while now. No one knows anything about them. But you're right. They are super hot." Hayden was giddy. "This is amazing. Which one do you have dibs on?"

Sadie shook her head. "Wait! I don't have dibs on any of them. For fucks sake it was a six minute conversation about a movie. I doubt he'll even come back. Max was pretty pissed about them even stepping foot into the store. Jesus, you're acting like they're famous or something."

"Well, on the boardwalk they are famous." Hayden sat back into the sofa with a crooked smile. "I can't believe my little Sadie got the attention of a Lost Boy."

"Don't call them that," she said with a frown. "And I don't know if he even noticed me like that. If he comes back into the store I wouldn't be upset. I'll say that much. But you, missy, are marrying me off a little too quick."

"So? Which one was he?"

Sadie couldn't help but smile. "His name's Marko. He has curly hair and..."

"A killer body," Hayden finished with a laugh. "Good choice, lady. I approve."

Sadie rolled her eyes and threw one of the ornate pillows at Hayden's face. They laughed together, but Sadie couldn't help but wonder about the moniker Marko and his friends has gained from locals. The Lost Boys. It sounded so sad, and yet immediately she had visions of Peter Pan and Captain Hook. There was something magical about the name, something that added yet another layer of mystery to Marko and his companions. This Lost Boy was one Sadie wanted to find.

4.

Paul pushed the door open with the toe of his boot. He smiled at the petite brunette next to him and watched any hesitation she may have felt melt like snow. They'd met at a bar near the boardwalk. All the girls couldn't keep their eyes off him, but he had picked this one because she looked the most innocent. Virgin blood always tasted just a little better. She was wearing tight jeans tucked into leather boots with pin thin heels. Her hair was a crinkled mess of too much hairspray and styling gel. On her nails she wore bright pink nail polish. She was what they called a 'mall rat'. The kind of meal that had a satisfying after taste. Money tasted like sugar when it flowed through the red blooded veins of an all-American teenager. She wasn't afraid of him, but she should have been. Everyone should have been. Stupid little bitches.

"What are we doing in here?" she asked softly.

"Having some alone time," Paul said, wearing a grin she couldn't see in the dark. The building was a dilapidated warehouse where privacy was never an issue. He knew she was wondering why he hadn't asked her name yet. Really, what was the point? This wasn't a date, it was dinner, and who needed introductions for the simple act of eat and run? He closed the door behind them and took her hand in his. She shivered at the cold feel of his skin, but snuggled closer to him when his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

He led her through the darkness. With his eyes he could see the three shadowed figures standing in the corner. The little brunette next to him was blind to them. The heels of his boots rocked hard against the concrete floor. He started whistling, a tune she didn't recognize. The smell of her perspiration began to mix with the musty air. The other three shifted with eager and hungry anticipation. He could only laugh as the girl walked right into a death trap. Dwayne was the first to step out of the pack. He brushed against the wall and the sound made the girl stop walking.

"What was that?" she asked, a nervous tilt to her voice. Her hand was gripping Paul so tight, that if he were a human it might actually hurt.

"I thought I'd invite some of my friends," he smiled. "They would really like to meet you."

She tried to jerk her hand out of his but he held tight. She was whimpering as the rest of the boys emerged from the shadows, amber eyes glittering against the dark. Paul could feel the scream in her throat and slammed his hand over her mouth before it ever had the chance to escape her lips. He cackled as she kicked her legs out in front of her, the heel of one boot cracking against the concrete.

"Feisty, isn't she?" he laughed. "Who wants first bite?"

David stepped forward. "I do." He laughed as he walked closer to them. His laughter was a low rumble that began deep in the pit of his stomach. The girl quit fighting Paul's grip and went limp in his arms. David reached for her, one leather clad hand cupping the side of her face.

They could all sense her fear – it was more alive then she was. A breathing, pulsing entity that called to each and every one of them. They were all here for the same thing, and she knew it was her. As David stared deep into her eyes she understood what was happening, and that if she would let them, they could make it a painless leap from this life to the next. They were here to feed from her, David told her, though his voice appeared only in her mind. There was no need for her to scream or to cry. Pain was not a necessary factor in transactions like these. If she would let them, it might actually be rather enjoyable for her. Did she want that?

Outside she could hear the wind beating against the side of the building, the tides were coming in. She shivered, wishing that she had spent the last hours of her life enjoying the beauty of the ocean and the freedom of the surf. This man standing before her in the darkness told her that she could still have the beauty, the freedom. And she could have it for all eternity. All she had to do was give in. These boys might be angels, or even devils, it didn't really matter anymore. She closed her eyes, not wanting this dirty warehouse to be the last thing she ever saw.

Their breathing was heavy. She could feel Paul's warm breath on her neck and taste David's on her tongue. She sensed movement around her, felt Paul's arms leave her body. They were circling her, each one laughing softly under his breath. This was exciting for them, watching her tremble, watching her give in to the seductive power of their glamour's. Their breathing grew louder and louder, until they were growling. She opened one eye to see them dancing around her, faster and faster until she was watching a swirl of dull color. She closed her eyes and waited for the next move.

There was a blast of air in her face as David flew at her. The sudden sensation of falling was cut off by the sharp pain that tore through her neck. "Uhhhh." She tried to speak, to tell them her name, so that they might remember her. But it was impossible as David pushed her body away and sent her careening towards Dwayne. He held her tightly by the arms, his strong hands cracking her bones as he pulled the shirt off her tiny frame. A bolt of red hot pain moved through her as he dug his teeth into the flesh just beneath her collar bone.

Some part of herself, maybe it was her spirit, was listening to David's voice as it sang a lullaby in her head. Dwayne let her go and she fell back into the concrete with a smack. To her it was like landing on a feather filled mattress. He had been right. If she just listened to his voice it was okay. Even peaceful. Paul and Marko took up a space on either side of her. Marko buried his fangs into the fleshy side of her stomach, while Paul devoured one breast. As her body delivered those last few ounces of her blood she heard David tell her to go. Only then did she know real freedom. It was then that the Lost Boys taught her how to fly.