CHAPTER THREE
"Phil!" Dan screamed, shaking me awake.
"What is it?" I mumbled sleepily, feeling around on my nightstand for my glasses.
With a sigh of relief Dan launched himself into my arms. "I thought you were dead!" My nose pressed into the crook of his neck and I breathed in deep, inhaling a smell that was uniquely Dan and very appealing. "You were so cold and you wouldn't wake up and I was just so scared because you are not allowed to die goddammit!" Dan rambled, hugging me even closer.
I felt my teeth elongate, my mouth salivating at the thought of biting into the creamy skin of his neck. Dan was so… Not for eating! I berated myself inwardly, pulling back slightly from his hug. "I am dead," I pointed out, unsure of what else to say.
Dan rolled his eyes, trying to stealthily wipe his red rimmed eyes. "Well obviously… But you wouldn't wake up!"
"What's the time?" I asked curiously, deciding it was safer to not comment on Dan's tears.
"Half six."
My eyes near bulged out of my head. "Half past six!" I glared at him. "No wonder, we only went to sleep a few hours ago…"
Dan shook his head. "Half six at night, Phil." His face contorted in sympathy. "Looks like vampires sleep during the day."
"Great…" I moaned. "I'll never get a tan now!"
The evil little bastard snickered at me. "Yeah because all your other attempts were so successful... Face it Phil, you were already resigned to vampiredom before the shit hit the fan."
Glaring at him, I stood up and nearly fell back down as I clutched my stomach.
"What is it?" Dan's hands flailed about in the air, unsure of what to do.
The world was spinning and I felt faint, an intense gnawing in my stomach encompassed all rational thought. "Hungry," I muttered.
"Oh," Dan said faintly and I remembered last night's conversation. Dan couldn't handle this, not after I tried to snack on him.
I nodded, trying to push past it. "I'll be fine," I forced out, "could you get me something to eat?"
Dan scurried out faster than I'd ever seen him move, including the time I'd said I was eating his Maltesers. "I think we have some rare steak. Would you like that?" He yelled.
"Not particularly, but you might as well bring it." I replied, shuddering. That sounded disgusting! I heard him clattering around in the kitchen and the sound of something wet slapping onto a plate.
Dan bustled in, setting the plate down with a scowl. "Bloody horrible looking." Watery pink blood seeped out from under the red meat.
I agreed wholeheartedly. "Do I have to eat it?" I whined, looking at him fearfully.
"Yes," he glared, "I'm not letting you eat me." He relented when I whimpered. "Just try it at least. If you hate it I'll get you some cereal or something."
I grabbed my cutlery and tentatively cut into the meat. It made a squelching noise, more runny blood trickling out. Stabbing the tiniest sliver I popped it in my mouth… and spat it back out at Dan.
"Phil!" He growled, jumping away. "What are you, three?"
I stuck my tongue out, trying to talk around it. "Ithoible!"
"Yes well it is raw meat…" Dan rolled his eyes. "It was never going to be delicious." He grabbed the plate and cutlery, smiling weakly. "I'll get you some cereal."
I nodded; too busy wiping my tongue on my bedspread to properly reply. After a few minutes he returned with a bowl of cereal and some orange juice.
"Here you go," Dan smiled, making me wary.
"Did you put blood in the orange juice?" I asked wearily.
Dan shot me an innocent look, brown eyes filled with mischief. "Would I do that?"
…
"Suppose I've got to get ready for my date with Alan," I sighed.
Dan shook his head incredulously. "You are not going anywhere near that psychopath!"
"Yes I am Dan," I reasoned, "I need answers and he can give them to me."
"What if he doesn't show? Or what if he tries to kill you?" Dan pointed out. "It's too risky."
Standing I headed over to my wardrobe, searching through it for something sufficiently… going on a date with someone who turned me into a vampire and may want to kill me like... god this was insane. In the end I just grabbed a button up and some skinny jeans.
Even though Dan was practically having a fit over my foolish plan for answers he still found it in him to criticise my clothing choices. "Move over Edward Cullen… there's a new vamp on the block!" He crowed, grinning.
"There's nothing even remotely vampireish about my clothes?" I said confusedly.
Dan sighed. "Exactly," he said mournfully, "you're wearing a tartan shirt… who in the hell thought you'd make a good vampire?"
I shrugged. "Alan apparently… and what's wrong with my shirt?"
Dan buried his face in my pillow, muttering something about fluffy cuddly vampires with no dress sense.
"Are you planning to lie there while I get changed?"
Nodding, he shut his eyes. "Don't worry, I'm no pervert. Unlike Alan the slutty vampire bastard!" He spat out.
Sighing I pulled my shirt over my head and was pulling down my pyjama bottoms when I noticed Dan staring. "Yeah you're a complete angel… you aren't watching me undress at all," I said sardonically.
Dan just cackled and shut his eyes again, and I felt the cold inside me thaw a little.
…
"You can't be serious!"
"Dan…"
"I am coming with you! For fuck's sake Phil I'm not about to let you go out and get raped by some big shot vampire arsehole."
I smiled at him fondly. "He's not going to rape me Dan." Still smiling I led him to his room. "You've got to understand that he could hurt you though. He probably wouldn't but I can't take the chance."
Dan glared at me as we walked into his room. "How are you going to stop me from following you, huh?" I paused next to his door, smirking. "No… don't you dare!"
Slamming the door, I sighed. "It's for your own good Dan."
"Philip Michael Lester you let me out right this fucking second!"
I dragged the sofa in front of his door. "Not a chance," I sang out. "I'll be back in an hour, two tops!"
With that I made my escape, pride at having duped him and guilt over trapping him in his room warring inside me.
The park wasn't far away, a little square of green with a couple of benches and a duck pond. It was notably empty at this time of night and dimly lit. Not that it mattered, I noticed, it all looked sharp and clear… still dark but simultaneously light. "Alan?" I called out. The park remained silent. Obviously Dan was right… Alan had turned me into a vampire and then run off. He was probably laughing about it. That… that dickhead!
"Alan… you dickhead!" I screamed. "You can't turn me into this… freak and then fuck off. Come out and face me. Face the monster you've created!" With that I broke down, falling to the ground and bawling my eyes out like a baby. "My best friend is afraid of me… I'm sure my friends would be afraid of me too…" I babbled before coming to a harsh realisation. "I'm afraid of me."
"You needn't be." A voice whispered from behind me. I spun around and jumped up, fangs growing out in my mouth. "You should probably learn to control that." Allen commented, leaning against a tree, smirking. "Wouldn't want to give some little old lady a heart attack."
"You utter…" I growled, marching over to him.
He watched me coming calmly, a small smile playing on his lips. "Utter what?"
I punched him, watching his expression fall to shock and pain as I heard a satisfying crunch. "You utter twat." I said viciously.
"This could've gone completely different," Alan said thickly as he clutched his nose, fangs elongating and eyes flashing a dark red. "But you've gone and annoyed me now." For the first time in my life I felt true fear. Even my death hadn't terrified me as much as watching this… creature reach out and grab me. Alan wrapped his hands around my throat and squeezed, bring tears to my eyes. "This won't kill you," he said conversationally, "but it won't be pleasant and you may never be able to talk again." He smirked. "Such a pity, I would've loved to hear you moan as you writhed underneath me."
"Told you he was a sleaze," Dan said as he whacked him over the head with a golf club.
Alan gasped and fell to the ground, eyes glazed. Dan hit again, for good measure. "The hell are you doing here?" I yelled, equal parts grateful and terrified. "And where did you get a golf club?"
Dan rolled his eyes. "All the important questions, eh Phil?"
From his spot on the ground, Alan spewed out some charming curses that would make a sailor blush. It certainly made Phil redden as much as he could, what with being dead. Dan laughed and kicked Alan in the crotch. "Don't think I didn't hear you swearing Phil, naughty boy," Dan tutted, grinning. "Now Alan the arsehole, care to tell me why you turned my buddy Phil into a card carrying corpse?"
Alan laughed, baring his teeth. "To get you here, Mr Howell."
The hands wrapped around Dan's neck and twisted.
"Dan?" I whispered, trembling.
He fell to the ground, eyes empty.
Dan was dead.
R.I.P Dan... Sorry about that. Please review and tell me what you think's going to happen next :)
