Ch.10 The World's Most Awkward Threesome
It was a cool autumn day, and winter was fast approaching. An entire year had passed since Liza's murder, but Eddie still burned with fury. It gave him a life's purpose. A reason to go on fighting to the bitter end.
"Melody, if I had a way to track down Liza's killer. Would you help me?" Eddie blurted out suddenly.
They had spent the afternoon in Howie's basement, playing loud, violent video games since Howie's parents weren't home yet. Howie had briefly stepped out to answer the phone.
Melody looked him in complete shock, but answered, "Yes! What do you need me to do?"
"If I become a vampire, I could do whatever I wanted. I could track down Liza's killer."
Melody rolled her eyes.
"Mrs. Jeepers has hidden her stash from me and won't help. But if I could feed off of you instead...
Howie can be present. He can keep me from going too far. I'll only take a little bit regularly and slowly build myself up to it. Mrs. Jeepers said it takes several years for Dhampir to fully transition."
"Maybe, if we can get you more blood, you can transition faster?" Howie suggested jokingly, as he walked back into the room. "I don't feel like waiting around for years for you to grow fangs."
"I don't think we have to get to 100% vampire." Eddie responded in earnest, excited his friends seemed to be actually entertaining the idea, "I just need to be strong enough, not superman level. I'm not intending to hunt this vampire with my bare hands. I'll have weapons. I'm part-human. I can still touch silver, but our quarry won't be able to. My stronger abilities will take him by surprise too."
Melody bit her lip. Eddie had shown them a few magic tricks, such as how his eyes were slightly luminous in the dark, to convince them everything he said was true...before he swore them both to eternal secrecy. "Eddie, I thought the plan was you are supposed to remain human and life happily ever after. How do you know you can control yourself?"
"Are you guys happy?!" Eddie raged. "Are you happy Liza's killer will continue to walk free for centuries, and potentially eternity, if we don't at least try to avenge her?"
Melody shared an uneasy glance with Howie. They both hated it when Eddie got angry. His eyes would flash green just like a certain teacher they all knew. It was spooky.
"Well, Howie, do you think you can protect me if Eddie refuses to stop?" Melody asked him.
"Sure thing, Melody." Howie picked up his father's handgun and released the safety. "Eddie, I'll try not to shoot anything vital, if it comes down to it."
Melody stared at him while seated on the couch. "So uh, how do you want to do this?"
Eddie winced and rubbed the back of his next, suddenly feeling very awkward, especially with Howie hovering over them. "I hadn't really thought it through just yet. Um... I've never bitten anyone before, not even as a preschooler." Eddie tried a weak joke to lighten the mood.
"Maybe she should prick herself and you just suck it out?" Howie shrugged. "Biting sounds like it might be messy."
Howie handed Melody a letter opener. She quickly pricked her finger and held it out to Eddie solemnly.
Eddie took a deep, shuddering breath as the smell of blood wafted towards him. He took a quick lick. Yes, it tasted good. Eddie closed his eyes for a moment. Very good...
Howie smacked him. Eddie jerked back with a start. "Hey, what was that for?"
"Sorry man, I thought you were losing control already. You looked like a kid that found the candy store."
"No, I'm fine." Eddie declared stubbornly.
They continued the feeding sessions everyday in very, very small amounts. But as their confidence grew in Eddie's self-control, they let him drink more and limited it to weekly sessions.
Eddie constantly bragged about his increased abilities. Better eyesight at night, superhuman strength and speed, requiring almost no sleep, etc. He also boasted how it wouldn't be long before he would be ready to hunt Liza's killer.
Melody, on the other hand, was feeling increasingly uncomfortable in a disturbing way. She looked forward to the feeding sessions, but wished Howie would leave the room. She felt spied upon with him present. She wanted some privacy while Eddie fed. And when the opportunity to do just that arose, she didn't hesitate.
Howie was late to the feeding session this week because his dad wanted to make a grocery store run with him. But Melody needed to get home early so she wouldn't miss her favorite TV show.
"Eddie, let's just start without him." Melody offered. "We both know your control is flawless. We don't need him standing over us every time."
Eddie smirked, "You just wanna catch your TV show!"
"So what?" Melody snapped. "Just hurry up and eat." She shoved her wrist into his face, a small line of blood already welling there where she had cut it herself with a pocket knife. Eddie's saliva now had healing properties. He could close any small wound for her without a scar.
Eddie latched onto her wrist as usual and Melody unconsciously scooted closer to him as the feelings of euphoria set in. Melody hummed happily to herself, running a hand down her leg dreamily. "Eddie..." Melody asked, a bit breathless. "Do you think you could bite down for once?"
That got his attention, and he immediately did as requested. He bit into her wrist.
She gasped in surprise, but it quickly turned into a long, low moan.
And that was when Howie decided to come barging him, breathlessly late, to find them tangled together, and Eddie gulping down far more blood from her wrist than he ever had.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS DOING?" Howie screeched and snatched the gun up from the table nearby.
What preschooler hasn't tried to bite their annoying sibling or friend? Lol
I figured Howie and Melody would take Eddie's vampire story pretty well, considering they spent their entire childhoods acting like every mysterious adult should totally be a monster in disguise. That speaks of a people who desperately *want* to find magic in the world, rather than finding out it doesn't exist at all.
Review please! I gave you a double chapter posting because I feel guilty for disappearing for so long. :)