Author's note: This is another "what if?" scenario featuring Star which takes place during the original movie.

"Carpe Noctem"

Star's eyes glowed in the most inhuman way and she wore a small smile of gratification. Lying beneath her was Michael, whose face was turned to the side and whose neck had been torn open, as if a wild animal had attacked him. Dark blood had long since dribbled down his jugular and stained the bed sheets. She was surprised he had much blood left after she initially drank from him.

She didn't think it was possible. She thought she wanted to keep hoping and praying for a miracle to save her from David's influence. She believed Michael was the key to freedom. Instead, he turned out to be the gateway to another path all together, a path David said she would follow from the very beginning.

The curtain was pulled aside and the aforementioned blond stood there, wearing a cocky smile.

"Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" he asked as he stepped away from the bed, expecting her to follow.

Star pried herself off of Michael's corpse, collected her discarded clothing, and got dressed. She didn't even bother wiping her face clean of blood as she climbed off the mattress and approached David, who had taken a seat in his wheelchair.

"I was starting to think you were going to change your mind," David said nonchalantly as he steepled his hands and leaned back in his seat. "Glad you proved me wrong."

Star sighed, but it was one of relief. She hadn't realized how much pent up emotion she had, from all the stress she put herself through trying to fight fate. In the end, in the very moment when she and Michael reached that precise moment of shared intimacy, did her hunger consume her. Any lingering thoughts of guilt or regret banished as her dark nature took control and guided her through the motions. She couldn't remember if Michael tried to fight back, or if she was simply too strong and moved too fast for him to even react.

"I'm sorry if I was such a pain to you and the others," Star apologized as she stepped closer to David and went down on one knee. Her eyes had long stopped glowing, but behind her brown hues hid that supernatural power that would remain with her for all eternity. "I just... I didn't know how it could be, because I was never shown what you guys are truly all about."

"And maybe that's my fault," David replied with unexpected earnestly as he reached over with a leather clad hand and rested it upon one of Star's shoulders. "If me and the boys had shown you what we really looked like, you might've taken off that much quicker. Then again, maybe you would've seen how much fun it could be to be one of us."

She was touched by David's honesty. She knew he kept a lot of secrets, secrets perhaps not even Dwayne, Marko, and Paul were aware of, but she understood why he didn't openly admit to what the Lost Boys were. After all, who in their right mind would believe in such a thing as vampires?

"Now what happens?" Star asked innocently. "What'll we do with Michael?"

"We get rid of the body," David replied simply. "Any kills we make, we make sure we cover our tracks. Once Michael is taken cared of, we see what Max wants us to do next."

Star frowned. "Max?"

"That's right."

Wait, Max? The only Max she was aware of was the kind gentleman who ran his own business called Video Max on the wharf. How did he fit into all of this?

"Another secret I'll let you in on once we get some rest," David promised as he took his hand back and rose from his chair. "Now that you're one of us, you know we need our forty winks during the day."

Admittedly Star found herself exhausted all of a sudden as she struggled to stand up, despite having drunk Michael's blood. She was still brand new to this existence, so she didn't have the instinct to sense daylight in spite of being inside a protected cave.

"All in due time," David said, having read her thoughts.

Then after holding out his hand for her to take, he reminded her, "You only have forever."