Thank you to CastleRockGirl, Silverheels12, and Elle (response below) for reviewing and thank you to new favourites/followers.
Elle: Thanks! Always fun to get into characters' heads. ^^
Edgar warily peered into the house when they came back from school. He shouldn't have thought it but as soon as he saw his Aunt Pam's car, his mind went straight to the worst case scenario. He had to clench his jaw and force himself not to think like that about his brother. Especially when Alan had given no reason for him to be wary.
"Bud, you look like you're about to throw up," Sam said, walking behind Edgar as they came up to his house. His friend glanced back, a guilty cringe forming on his face.
"I do?"
"Is Alan already that bad?" Sam asked.
"Well… no."
Sam tilted his head, frowning. "Remember what I said earlier? He needs a brother."
Edgar sighed as he took out his keys from his bag. "I can't help it. A vampire –."
"Is a vampire," Sam interrupted and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I remember how you treated Michael. And Bonnie mentioned how you ready to stake her in the comic store that day she turned to you for help."
"Didn't I help them?" Edgar asked, casting a glare at Sam. He looked insulted, as if Sam had been unfair in bringing that up.
"Reluctantly. I heard about how you chased Star and Laddie around with a stake at my house that night." Now it was Sam's turn to sigh as Edgar muttered to himself and let them both in. "Just quit treating Alan like a vampire when he hasn't actually done anything."
"Yet," Edgar said under his breath and looked straight to the stairs. "Alan?"
"He's upstairs. Edgar, can I have a word?" Aunt Pam said. She was in the kitchen with their mother and when he caught sight of them, Aunt Pam crooked a finger as she beckoned him over.
"I had a call from school today," she said. "They wanted to know why Alan wasn't in school."
"He's sick," Edgar said, coming in with Sam. Aunt Pam glanced up from the dough she was kneading and peered over her glasses at him.
"Oh, really? So he's not ditching again like he did yesterday?"
Even though it hadn't been Edgar to break the rules he still felt like he wanted to crawl into a black hole.
"The school rang me at work," she said. "Apparently Alan argued with another boy in one of his classes, stormed out with Bridget and they both decided to waltz off out of the school."
Sam stood at the doorway awkwardly until Aunt Pam finally noticed him and she smiled weakly at him.
"Sam, dear, I don't think I'll be allowing Alan to have any friends over today."
"Oh. Okay, I'll just… leave." He muttered a goodbye to Edgar and made a quick exit. When he had shut the door behind him, Edgar broke his silence.
"Look, something really upset Alan –."
"I've spoken to him already. I know this is about that girl disappearing. But it's no excuse, especially to fake sickness and not go to school. The principle is not impressed," Aunt Pam explained. Her tone was much softer now as was her facial expression. She sighed, shaking her head slightly while Mrs Frog clicked her tongue.
"Personally, I'd tell that principle to go fu –."
"Lorna, please don't," Aunt Pam interrupted while Edgar bit back a smirk. His mother glanced at him, shrugged and took a drag of her cigarette.
"We used to skip school all the time," Mrs Frog said to him. A smile washed over her face, somewhat nostalgic as she stared into the distance. "Me and your father. We took part in some far out protests."
"Well, Alan wasn't protesting about a war," Aunt Pam reminded her. "He was letting his temper get the better of him. Tomorrow, he is going to school. He's lucky the principle took his record into consideration. Hopefully his friend didn't get into much trouble either."
"Bridget?" Edgar cringed. "No, she's got busted. Big time."
"Well, that's hardly fair," Mrs Frog said. "Why punish the girl and not the boy? Is the principle a man?"
"It's nothing to do with sexism, Mom," Edgar said, sighing, before his mother could start another rant. "Bridget doesn't exactly have a great behaviour record."
"Well, I hope she's not influencing him," Aunt Pam said. Her clipped, stern tone was back.
"They were just upset. People at school are saying a lot of shit –."
Aunt Pam pointed a finger at him. "Language."
"Sorry. People are saying a lot of crap –."
"That's not an improvement."
Edgar sighed again. "People have been saying silly stuff about them. That's all it is."
"Like what?"
"Trust me, Aunt Pam, it's really nothing bad. He's just sensitive. I'm going to go see him." He pointed upstairs and grabbed his schoolbag, letting it thump against the floorboards as he stomped his way up the stairs. When he reached Alan's door at the end of the hallway he knocked a couple of times before hearing his brother's voice, quiet and tired.
"Come in."
He opened it up, staying in the doorway. The curtains were still closed, barely letting any sunlight in through the dark material. Alan was sitting up on his bed. His hair was sticking out at all angles and his t-shirt had more wrinkles in compared to earlier that morning. He rubbed at his eyes, dozily looking towards Edgar way before squinting and holding his hands up in front of his eyes as shields.
"Have you been asleep?" Edgar asked.
Alan nodded. "I couldn't stay awake much longer after you all left." He yawned, a flash of normal, human teeth to Edgar's relief, and slumped against the wall.
"Are you still…?"
His brother shot him a look of pure annoyance. "Of course I am. What do you take me for?"
Edgar raised an eyebrow at him as if the answer should have been obvious. "A hungry half-vampire," he said. "You'd do the same if I had been the one to turn."
"I wouldn't be such a dick about it," Alan muttered and Edgar frowned. He remembered what Sam had said to him. That even as a half-vampire Alan's perspective would change, unable to help feeling distant from humanity. No matter how close he was to people, that vampire waking up inside of him would push him away. Annoying his brother and making him feel more like a monster really wasn't going to help.
"Sorry," he said and Alan shrugged.
"S'okay, I guess. I'm not pleased with myself either."
Edgar closed the door to his brother's bedroom and came to sit down on the desk chair.
"What did this other vampire look like? Ever seen him before?"
"No. Complete stranger. Tall, black hair, thin. He looked like he made the change quite young. I'd say our age or at least a year younger. He knew Charlotte though. Maybe that's the one who turned her."
"The police said her friends had mentioned a guy she was dancing with." Edgar frowned, shaking his head confused. "Why turn Charlotte though?"
"She led me to that vampire," Alan said, thinking back to that night. It was easier to remember what had happened now that he had completely healed from the fight. "She wanted me turned and he agreed. In some sick way, I think she still likes me."
"They can't be together. Like, a couple." Edgar paused briefly to shudder and he stuck his tongue out as he gagged at the thought of a vampire boyfriend and girlfriend. "Obviously, because she was after you. I don't think a vampire would turn a person out of interest and then let them turn their human crush. He chose her for a reason."
"We've killed a lot of vampires," Alan added. They were both leaning forward now. Edgar in the chair. Alan on his bed. Their eyes were wide, almost excitable and childlike, as they discussed these strange vampires and their motives.
"Maybe we've killed the wrong one at some point."
"They want revenge."
"Charlotte would know a lot about us so she'd be a handy source of information. And maybe she was promised you in return for turning and being loyal."
Alan's face fell, suddenly looking ashamed again and he ducked his head. "What's the best way to destroy a vampire hunter?"
Edgar's expression took on a look of sheer determination. Jaw clenched, his square face hardened as his mouth pulled into a tight, grim line and he balled up his left hand into a fist.
"They aren't destroying you. We're destroying them," he said. "Awesome Monster Bashers, man."
Alan snorted, glancing up at his brother with a small smile. "The meanest."
"The baddest." Edgar smiled at his brother and reached over to pat him on the shoulder. "When Aunt Pam has gone to bed, we'll sneak you out and go on a hunt. See if we can find that bastard vampire and get some answers."
When Aunt Pam excused herself for an early night after baking for her shop and cooking tea for them, Edgar and Alan made their way downstairs. They came across their mother outside on the porch who took one glance at Alan, smiled and started rambling on about sticking the middle finger up to authority. She had tried to pat him on the back as he walked past her but he dodged her hand and didn't respond to her praising of his "rebelliousness".
"You could be a bit nicer, you know," Edgar said as they walked to Sam's car. Bernice and Bonnie were already sitting inside. "Mom covers for us when we sneak out."
"Maybe I prefer parents actually being parents," Alan muttered, dumping his bag in Sam's boot. He frowned as he glanced inside the car. "Where's Bridget?"
"She's grounded," Bernice explained and opened the door for him. He slid in the backseat, frowning at Bernice and Bonnie.
"For yesterday?"
"You really don't ditch school in my family," Bernice said and started touching a different finger on her hand at a time. "And she's also suspended… she has to attend counselling… "
"Why?"
"Because unlike you, Mr Goody-Two-Shoes, Bridget doesn't have a clean record at school," Bonnie said, nudging him.
"Can I see her?"
Bernice cringed as she started the car and jolted off. "Not allowed to have friends over either. Besides, I think she's a little freaked out by you."
"Oh." Alan sat back, moving his head so he stared out the window and watching the blur of the streets go by as Sam drove them to town. There it was again. That tightness in his chest. Disappointment snaking its way around him.
"Oh no, I didn't mean she hates you now. No, she still cares about you. She'll get over it," Bernice said, giving him a reassuring smile. "It's just because the last time there was a half vampire around us Bridget almost got eaten. Twice. She's just wary."
"Only because she kept pissing Bonnie off a lot. And Bonnie easily flips her lid," he said.
"What – hey!" Bonnie gave a cry of protest; another one when no-one swooped in to defend her and help her argue her case. "You guys suck," she muttered.
"She'll be fine. You're still her best friend," Bernice said, still smiling.
Alan left it at that, nodding at what Bernice had said but didn't feel comforted whatsoever. In all honestly, he would rather Bridget wasn't freaked out to begin with. It only kept reminding him of how different he was now. So different not even his best friend could act normal or comfortable around him.
Sam glanced at his forlorn friend in the back and tried to put on his best optimistic smile.
"You'll be human again in no time, bud. I helped my brother and I'm gonna help you," he vowed.
Edgar stuck with Alan as they wandered around the Boardwalk. They kept their weapons hidden, looking instead like two sullen boys in army gear. Edgar kept his eyes half on the crowd and half on his brother whose jaw was clenched and tiny beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
"Dude, you okay?" Edgar asked.
Alan swallowed thickly, nodding but the tiny whimpers of hunger and pain said otherwise.
"Maybe we should swap with the others," Edgar said. "We'll take Downtown and they'll take the Boardwalk."
He patted his brother on the back and led him away, trying to dodge people and make sure Alan didn't get too close to someone. Although it didn't matter if they weren't close when they passed. Alan could smell every different scent. Rich, sweet, metallic, fruity… all tantalisingly delicious. Heartbeats thumped in his ears. Slow, calm thuds from most of the crowds but if someone moved quicker or danced on the beach, the drumming quickened. The blood smelt stronger from the most active ones.
"Hey." Edgar jabbed an elbow into Alan's side and he growled in response. "Cool it, man. You're actually sniffing the air."
Alan didn't realise that his head had tilted back slightly and his eyes had been closed. He ducked his head, folding his arms across his chest as if to shield himself from all the smells.
"Sorry," he mumbled. "I can't help it."
Edgar sighed. "I know, man. But you're gonna have to. If you don't want to turn, you need to control yourself."
Alan nodded, closing his eyes again briefly before scanning the Boardwalk again. It was easier said than done. It wasn't just the sounds and smells that had that vampire in him surfacing. He could see where the right veins were. On the wrists and neck. Most of his senses were not helping him push this monstrous part of him away.
"We'll get you out of here," Edgar said and they sped up, heading straight into the Downtown area. Already it was calming Alan down. Most people were already in their chosen bars for the night and the hunters' usual haunts they chose were in the secluded alleyways where they were more likely to come across a feeding vampire. Anywhere private enough to feed without being disturbed.
Following Sam's directions on the walkie talkie, Edgar led Alan to a very narrow backstreet where Bonnie, Bernice, and Sam had been checking out.
"Mind if we swap?" Edgar asked and nodded his head towards at Alan. "He's not doing too well."
"No, that's fine. It's been pretty much dead. In the good sense," Sam said. He gestured to the girls and they followed him. Bonnie paused briefly to squeeze Alan's shoulder who smiled gratefully and whispered he'd be fine when he saw her worried look.
"Call if you need us," Bonnie said to the both of them and disappeared around the corner. Edgar dropped his rucksack, taking out his security belt with large pouched sewed in and three stakes. Now that they weren't in the crowds, they were both free to get their weapons out. Alan had one of his own belt with smaller pockets, usually perfect for carrying bottles of Holy water but tonight he didn't dare have the stuff near him. He carried one stake in his hand while Edgar took charge of the water guns and bottles filled with the burning liquid. At least Alan was able to carry his trusty Bowie knife around. A handy weapon to grab if he lost all his stakes. He slipped his knife into the pocket, helped Edgar do another quick check of weapons and they kept going down the alley.
They moved almost silently down the back streets, moving straight to the walls if they heard a sound or turned so they were back to back and scanned the dim alleys around them. Edgar squinted into the darkness, trying to get his eyes adjusted to the darker area after the bright lights of the Boardwalk but Alan noticed he could see fine. Everything was brighter and sharper, even in the shadows.
Again… handy. But he tried not to admit that to himself.
"I don't see or hear anything," he whispered.
Edgar glanced over his shoulder. "I hope you're not using those unnatural senses of yours."
"Can't really switch it off. Be careful. You're walking too loudly. And calm your heartbeat."
Alan felt his brother tense and the drumming of his heart quickened instead. But then he heard slow breathing. In… hold… out… in…
Edgar treaded quietly as he turned to stand by Alan's side again. His face looked tight and stretched, lines creasing in his forehead but he still tried to steady his heart.
"You're creeping me out," he said to the younger Frog who shrugged.
"Just trying to help you if you want the element of surprise on a vampire."
"I don't think you should be using these… abilities."
Alan sighed. "I told you, I can't help it. I'm not tuning into anything. What I see, hear, smell, touch, taste, it's all amplified and out of my control." With an annoyed shake of his head, Alan continued to snap at his brother and walked off in front. "You don't understand."
"Humans never do."
Edgar almost jumped into Alan, nearly tripping them both over and onto the ground. But he balanced himself, spinning around with a stake in one hand and a cross in the other. His brother winced, backing away when Edgar held the object up.
"Sorry, bro," he muttered.
"It's cool. Don't worry about me. Keep it out," Alan said. He glared at the vampire boy from the other night, pointing his stake at the stranger and growled. "I want some answers. Who the hell are you?"
"Okay, kid. The name's Logan. Guess it's about time we introduced each other properly, even though I already know you." Logan beamed. "After all, you'll be joining us soon."
Alan gave a wry laugh. "I wasn't the best choice for turning, I'm afraid. I'd rather stake myself than turn completely."
"We'll find the Head Vampire," Edgar added. "Don't underestimate us."
"I don't. I know you're the Real McCoy. You and your little gang of hunters. Might as well put your talents to good use although not everyone can join. Can't take everyone. Things go wrong when there are too many."
"Bad experience there?" Alan asked, sneering.
Logan's smile faded. "I've seen it happen."
He started to turn away when Edgar shouted at him.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Logan peered over his shoulder. "Oh, I wasn't here to fight. Just wanted to see how my new recruit was doing." He grinned at Alan, taking in the half vampire's tense posture. He was breathing heavily, slightly wheezing. While his eyes were a normal, human colour they had a definite hunger shining in them.
"You don't look too good, kid," Logan commented.
Alan spoke through his teeth. "I'm fine."
"No-one is taking my brother away," Edgar snapped.
"It won't be your decision to make," Logan said to him and nodded at Alan. "He'll make the choice himself."
"I'll kill the Head Vampire," Edgar said.
"You'll have to find the Big Cheese first."
With the last word and a mocking chuckle, Logan flew up into the air and disappeared into the night sky.
Thank you for reading! If you would like to leave a review, please feel free. :) Chapter 13 will up next Saturday.
