AN: Thanks for any reviews, follows and favourites, they have really helped me update. Enjoy.

Chapter 2

The cliffs overlooking Santa Carla offered a great view of the beach and boardwalk. The flashing lights of the rides and rollercoasters illuminated my face with flashes of gold and bright neons. The concert was in full swing but the music was impossible to hear from where we sat, hundreds of feet over the sea.

The boys had insisted on coming up here because they claimed to be hungry. As I sat in the shadows of a clump of trees with Star and Laddie, waiting for the boys to make there move and get it over with, my mind wondered to the poor guard they'd killed the previous night in an attempt to make Star and I kill.

Tonight's victims were seated in a small car. They were laughing a little too loudly and it didn't take a genius to guess what they were doing; these cliffs had a reputation as a romantic setting in Santa Carla. However, as annoying as their laughter was, I prayed that it would never end: the sound of their screams would be unbearable.

"You okay?" Star asked but she really meant 'Do you think you can resist it?'

I nodded but the truth was I didn't know. Every night things got gradually harder and I could feel the monster that had been planted inside me trying to tear its way out.

"Me too." Star said but her voice caught in her throat a little.

I could feel the tears building in my eyes; the near miss at the comic book store refused to be pushed from my thoughts. Exhaling exasperatedly, I leant back on my heels, resting my back against a tree trunk.

"Who was that guy following you?" I asked, letting my curiosity take over in a final attempt to erase the night's events.

Star smiled a little at the memory of the night, at least one of us had something to smile about, "I don't know but I kind of like him."

I didn't have the heart to tell her that liking someone was dangerous, deadly, now.

Laddie was sat in Star's lap, demonstrating the strong bond that had formed between them. I couldn't tell whether he looked to Star as a sister, a mother or just a sanctuary he could run to for comfort. Part of me ached to be Laddie's age so that I could get away with the same kind of behaviour.

"What's taking them so long?" Any impatience I had inside me was crushed by the hope that we would sit, frozen in this moment and that the laughing would continue but I had voiced the question anyway, in the hopes that conversation would drown out the screams that the car would inevitably radiate.

Nobody responded because nobody had an answer.

The screaming started seconds later and I immediately clenched my hands into fists, my nails dug into my palms. Star was clutching Laddie close to her and he buried his head in her shoulder. For reasons I couldn't fathom, I risked a look at the car and was met with the sight of a roofless car, the possessions of owners being whipped up by the wind. There was now only one person in the car- a blonde woman who was slinking away from the flying shapes of David, Paul, Dwayne and Marko-so it was clear someone else was already gone.

"How many?" Star mouthed at me.

"Two… I think."

I cast a last look at the woman and realised in horror that I knew her. Or at least I seen her before, not an hour ago. She has been a member of the crowd stealing comic books from the store. One look at the scraps of brightly coloured paper floating in the calming breeze told me they'd managed to outrun Edgar and Alan.

"Are they done?" Star asked.

"I think so." I said; there was no sign of anyone.

Star hauled herself to her feet, Laddie still in her arms and began carrying him away. The three of us made our way towards the wreckage of the car. The roof was peeled back like a can- the sardines inside had already been eaten- and there were now rips in the fabric of the seats.

Star gasped behind me and I didn't blame her: neither of us were aware that this much damage could be inflicted. Even by vampires.

"Is this what we'll become?" Laddie asked and I felt fresh tears in my eyes.

"No." Star and I said in unison, "Not ever."

A 'woop' came from the bushes, signalling that David was happy with the night's hunt and it was time for us all to congregate in the silently decided meeting place. Paul turned out to be the source of the cheering and he bounded out the bushes, a caking of red blood around his mouth. I felt bile rise in my throat but I didn't let it show.

"Hungry?" Paul asked, throwing a denim jacket at us. No guess where he'd acquired the garment.

"I think I just lost my appetite." I replied, trying to keep my eyes of his mouth where his fangs completed the picture of murder and horror.

The smile vanished from Paul's face as Marko and Dwayne emerged from the bushes, laughing wildly about something. Dwayne sent a questioning look at Paul who shook his head.

"You girls wanna join the party?" David asked as he joined the little hoard of vampires he'd created for himself.

"No, we don't." Star muttered, tightening her grip on Laddie who was transfixed by the destroyed car.

"You been ruining the party again, Izzy?" Marko asked.

I gave him the finger and the best glare I could muster under present circumstances but my heart wasn't in it.

David smirked, "Come on, we're going back to the boardwalk. I got a job for you, Star."

Star exchanged a worried look with me, knowing that whatever David had planned wasn't something she wanted to partake in. Paul and Marko laughed and followed David and Dwayne away from the scene.

"Come on, Laddie." Star instructed Laddie and she set him on his feet and led him after them.

Deciding to risk it, I approached the roofless car and stared down at what remained. Perched undisturbed on the seat was a Superman comic that they'd stolen from the store. A small smile played at the corners of my mouth and I hugged the comic to my chest before following Star's footsteps into the night.