"Jesus Christ, James… I didn't know you were serious…"

The words were lost to the surge of wind that entered through the broken window, rattling the posters I had against the wall and the papers had gotten loose from my room, tumbling in heaps along the floor. Glass crackled beneath my boot as I stepped further inside the wrecked and mangled domain that was my home, expecting at any moment for the shadows to jump out at me or the ceiling to cave in on my head. That was about the extent of my luck.

Walls were red from the afternoon glow of the sun starting to set against the horizon. The shadows from people moving along the street created a sort of kaleidoscope against the wall and Kinsely's own form was added to the mix as the man stepped further inside, reaching for some of the fluttering papers against the ground. For several moments, I didn't respond.

The couch where Dolly had been sleeping was knocked over with the blanket torn and the pillows nothing more than shreds. And though my eyes scanned ever inch of the ratty, brown furniture and the carpet beneath, I could find no traces of blood or struggle anywhere.

Shit.

The feeling went out of my fingertips and continued all through my body until I was standing dazed, numb. I don't know what horrified me more, at that moment, the fact that she was gone or the fact that I knew who had taken her. A strange, light-headedness passed through me as I felt my legs wobble before turning to jelly.

What if she was dead?

Would they go that far--these freaks? Would they actually kill her in some ritualistic fashion of draining her blood?

The thought made me sick to my stomach and all too quickly, I fell to my knees upon the ground.

Kinsely was above me, talking rapidly but his voice kept fading in and out. His hands were on my shoulders, trying to lift up my chin and have me look him in the eye, but I was far too gone. If she was dead, then it was my fault. I was suppose to look after her, to show her the ways of real journalism. Not to get her kidnapped by a bunch of teenage wannabe vampires!

For a moment, my head seemed to clear at that thought. Teenage wannabe's. They were nothing more than that. Sure, they had the cool clothes, the nice bikes, the fancy, cliff-side hotel and a number of drugs to make it seem real, but in reality, what the fuck was I dealing with?

Kids.

Nothing more than kids who probably got fed up at home, wrote runaway or suicide notes and disappeared to Santa Carla to start this new, brainwashing, cult.

It all made sense now, even if my gut was still wrenching in the opposite direction. If they were nothing more than kids, then maybe there was still time. Maybe Dolly was alright, just kidnapped and being subjected to some kind of peer pressure.

Vampires or not, the boys were hardly innocent. That much was clear from the look in their eyes and the way they treated those around them. That sent a cold shiver down my spine and without waiting another moment, I jumped up, nearly toppling the old man and went directly for the phone.

Kids or not, they were smart. The cords had all been cut and ripped out of the walls.

"Little punks!" I spat, feeling my nausea return.

Turning, I immediately started for the door. "C'mon, we have to get to the police."

The napkin was cool as it made it's third round across the kid's face. Wiping away at the dried dirt and blood that seemed to collect around Laddie's mouth. She tried not to let her disgust show. It was all the more reason why she never wanted kids, cute as they were, they were really very gross.

Laddie didn't seem to sense her discomfort as he sat like a statue on the bench, back straight and eyes shut tightly as the napkin moved over and over his face. Honestly, it was only to buy some time before she managed to find the phone or lead the kid to the police station and drop him off there. But the little shit was smarter than he looked and she would have to be careful in leading him there.

The sun was slowly starting to set over the horizon and as it did, her body began to feel lighter and less strained by the heat and wash of light. The shouts from the kids at the school seemed farther and farther away and for the first time, the kid seemed to sense that something wasn't right.

"I thought you said you were going to take me to school," he said, glancing up through damp bangs of brown hair.

The napkin was set aside for a moment as she tried to think up a reasonable explanation.

"I am. But we…" her mind scrambled for an excuse. ".. we… have to go to the police first. And make sure it's okay."

The look on the kid's face was instantly fearful. Apparently, the boys back at the cave had made the word "police" illegal in his vocabulary. He fidgeted for a moment before quickly shaking his head.

"Can't you just take me there?" he whined.

Dolly countered with a sudden wipe to those cheeks and a sympathetic smile. "No, I can't. You've got to be registered first, and then you can go to school. But the police have to register you."

The fear continued to glaze over in the kid's eyes, causing those fingers to rub together and knuckles to become white from inner tension. Kneeling down, she gently placed her hand over his own and spoke in a voice that was similar to her mother's, when trying to soothe a frightened child.

"Laddie, it will be real quick, I promise. We go in, they register you, we go out. Nothing more than that. But we have to hurry because if we don't get there in time, they won't be able to let you in. Understand?"

For a moment, he seemed to consider her words--something that was rare to come by in a child of his age. Thinking things through and trying to see the logic she was telling him. After a few moments, he would nod and move to stand from that bench, reaching out to take hold of her hand.

Relief poured through her body as she took his arm and began to lead him down the street.