Day 4 - Halloween/Costume Party
Love Never Alters
Love gives you pleasure, and love brings you pain, and yet when both are gone, love will still remain. – Andrew Lloyd Webber, Love Never Dies.
October 31, 1988
Since moving to America, Otabek hated celebrating his birthday. In the States, October 31st was a day to dress up in stupid costumes and beg strangers for candy.
His friends would expect him to throw a Halloween themed birthday party even though Otabek truly hated everything to do with the holiday. He hated sweets, he hated dressing up, and he hated the Monster Mash.
Eventually, he just stopped celebrating all together.
This year, Otabek wanted to try something different. He was a freshman at Salem University, and he'd be dammed if he spent another year locked up in his room on his birthday.
The house party was in full swing by the time he arrived. The lights were off and creepy music played from a boom box in the corner of the room. Cheap paper decorations of witches and pumpkins were stuck haphazardly to the wall. A mummy was making out with a cowgirl right in front of the booze table so everyone had to awkwardly reach around them to grab a drink.
"Those two really need to get a room." Otabek turned to see a blond kid wearing baggy black pants, a tiger shirt, and a studded leather jacket. He looked too young to be a freshman in high school, let alone college, yet something about the boy seemed familiar.
"I'm sorry, but do I know you?"
"No." The boy's green eyes seemed to glow in the dark room. "My name's Yuri. Yours is Otabek Altin, correct?"
"If we've never met before, how do you know my name?"
"I didn't say we've never met before." Yuri's voice was low, but Otabek could easily hear him over the sounds of the party. "You asked if you knew me.
"Okay." Something felt off about this kid. "What's your costume supposed to be? Nudist on strike?"
The glowing green eyes flashed for a moment as his smile revealed two sharp fangs protruding from his gums.
"A vampire?" Otabek asked, and the boy nodded. "Where's your cape, fake blood, and Dracula tux? With just the fangs, no one knows what you are."
The boy's smile dropped. "Capes are stupid, fake blood tastes awful, and a real vampire would try to blend in with the current fashion, not wear some stuffy old-fashioned tux."
"I guess that makes sense."
"What are you supposed to be?" Yuri took a step closer to him so they were only a foot apart. "You're not wearing a costume either, unless you also have hidden fangs."
"I don't, but I guess I'll just be a vampire too." The boy laughed, his breath tickling Otabek's face. It smelled sweet and intoxicating, and Otabek found himself drawn by it. "What are you doing here? I think you're a bit young to be in college."
"Trust me," The boy laughed again, "I'm older than I look."
"Oh right, cause you're a vampire," Otabek teased, pretending to play along.
Yuri took hold of Otabek's hand in his own. "Don't tell me you believe in vampires, Otabek."
"Sure, why not?" Otabek wasn't sure why he said it. Of course vampires weren't real. It was just another stupid costume for people to dress up as on his stupid birthday.
The look of shock on Yuri's face surprised Otabek but the boy's expression quickly morphed back to neutral. "Next you're going to say you believe in soulmates."
Again, Otabek wasn't sure where the words were coming from, but he nodded his head and replied, "One person out there for everyone? I think it's pretty romantic. However cliché or stupid it may sound."
"It's not stupid at all." Yuri looked bewildered as if he wasn't sure if he'd just won the lottery. "How about we get out of here? This party is lame, and I have way better booze back at my apartment."
"You have an apartment?" Otabek asked confused. "How old are you, kid?"
"I told you." Yuri looked annoyed as he pulled Otabek through the crowd of bodies towards the exit. "I'm a lot older than I look."
They didn't talk much as they walked towards Yuri's apartment. Yuri seemed lost in thought but he never let go of Otabek's hand. It must have been early since children were still going door to door trick-or-treating. A group of giggling witches passed them as their mother followed behind with a baby in her arms dressed as a pumpkin.
"I never understood Halloween," Otabek said to fill the silence between them. "I thought parents were supposed to teach their kids that taking candy from a stranger was dangerous."
"The origins of Halloween are believed to be from Pagan cultures, but it's the Christians that blew it up to what it is today." Yuri stopped in front of an older looking apartment building and fished out his keys.
"Are you a history major or something?" Otabek asked, wondering if in fact Yuri was a bit older than he looked.
"I don't go to the university if that what you're asking," Yuri replied. "I'm here for another reason."
"And what reason is that?"
Yuri stopped in front of room 113 and unlocked the door. "Come inside and I'll tell you."
The lights to the apartment flipped on and Otabek took in the grungy apartment. Although the furniture looked old and worn, it was clean. Typical for a college dorm. "Can I make you a drink? I make a mean Bloody Mary."
"Sure." Otabek took a seat at the breakfast bar and watched Yuri prepare the drinks.
"I'm here to investigate a Coven of witches that broke the law," Yuri stated nonchalantly.
"Right." Otabek watched Yuri pull a bottle of vodka and a mason jar of thick tomato juice from the fridge. "And I'm here to study ghost hunting."
"I'm serious." Yuri took out two glasses from the cabinet above the sink and poured enough vodka to fill half of each glass.
"And that's a serious amount of vodka."
Yuri grinned, his fangs sparkling. "I'm from Russia. I can handle my vodka."
"So, you're a Russian vampire who's here in Salem to investigate a Coven of witches who broke some law?"
"Do you want this warmed up?" Yuri held up the jar, the thick liquid sloshing against the glass.
"Ew, no. Why would I want that?"
Instead of responding, Yuri unscrewed the lid and poured the liquid into the glasses. The thick fluid dove to the bottom of the glass, tinting the vodka a rose colour. Yuri handed one of the drinks to Otabek, sipping the remaining juice in the jar. When he pulled away, his teeth were stained red and his eyes glowed even brighter than they had at the party. "Drink up."
A sickening feeling began to roil in Otabek's stomach. Now that he held the drink in his hand, he was pretty sure this wasn't a typical Bloody Mary. "I think maybe I should go."
"Stay."
Otabek tried to stand, but for some reason, his body wouldn't move. "What's going on?"
"I said, drink up." Yuri's eyes glowed red as Otabek felt his arm move against his will and slowly bring the drink to his lips. His lips parted involuntarily, welcoming the thick liquid into his mouth.
The moment he tasted the thick blood on his tongue, Otabek recoiled. It didn't take long to realize he was probably drinking human blood. Had Yuri killed someone for this blood? Was he in some deranged murderer's apartment who was obsessed with vampire lore? Was this psycho going to drain his blood too?
Otabek wanted to puke. He wanted to stop himself from drinking the vile liquid. He wanted to throw the glass at Yuri. But his body wouldn't let him do any of those things. Instead, he gulped down the drink as if it was nothing but cherry soda.
"That's it," Yuri cooed sweetly. "Finish the whole thing, then this one." Yuri placed the other glass next to Otabek on the breakfast counter, and Otabek could do nothing but obey. Every gulp made Otabek want to retch, but his body forced down the blood and vodka.
Once both glasses lay empty on the bar, Yuri walked over to him. Otabek still couldn't move, but that didn't seem to matter to Yuri as he ran his fingers through Otabek's hair.
"I've waited so long for this. You have no idea." Yuri leaned in close, licking a stripe across Otabek's neck. "Did you know that vampires can only be turned on the day they were born? Those who aren't go mad and become the beasts humans believe us to be. But we're not all bloodthirsty monsters that can't control their hunger."
Otabek felt his heart quicken as sharp teeth scratched his neck. "I never believed I'd find my soulmate at a party in Salem. But here we are." Yuri pulled away from Otabek's neck to look him in the eye. "We could wait another year, but god, I've waited for you so long."
"What are you going to do?" Otabek asked even though he was sure he knew the answer. The alcohol was making him feel light headed, his throat burned, and the taste of blood felt heavy on his tongue.
Yuri's smile sent a chill down Otabek's spine. "I'm going to make you mine. Forever."
Otabek tried to scream, but the feel of Yuri's fangs piercing his skin silenced him. Hot white flames of pain shot through his neck and down his arms, making his fingers numb. Otabek tried to break free but he still couldn't move. Yuri's grip on him was so tight it hurt. The last thing Otabek remembered from his human life was the sound of Yuri drinking, long and deep. Then the darkness took him.