Monday afternoon
Donald's homestead (about to go shopping)
The end of summer was supposedly fast approaching. Today however, had been unexpectedly warm and most people had resorted to wearing their summer casuals. These, mostly consisting of dayglo T-shirts with denim shorts or the luminous bikinis as seen on some of the female beach-goers. Apparently, the heatwave was far from over, something to do with an area of high pressure that was causing droughts elsewhere. The heat was stifling, a certain oppressiveness to the dry heat. This was made all the worse by the fact that Donald didn't have a pool. Outback, he had a huge meadowed paddock, with long grass and horses grazing. Next to that was a huge golf course, surrounded by bunkers of sand, not a drop of water.
Even Kai was feeling it, now more than ever. "Urgh, it's too hot out here. What I wouldn't give for a little cloud cover."
"Drink it Kai, it has trace elements of sodium, I believe you will be craving that too, at some point." Zane passed him some water with electrolytes in. "Actually, cloud cover would be largely detrimental, it would make it seem darker than it was and, it would give us less time to pull this plan B off."
Zane had climbed in to the driver side of the rust bucket and placed the keys quickly turning the air conditioning to full. Kai had joined his side, uncomfortably pulling his white v neck t-shirt, which was clinging to his already sweaty honed torso. Craning his neck, he observed Lloyd climbing in.
As before, the master of energy quickly found himself squashed between the two younger teens.
Waiting until they had buckled in, Kai spoke up. "So where's first?" He took a long drink as directed. It was sickly sweet with a raspberry flavour, a hint of sodium too.
"Church, you guys are religious right?"
Kai shifted uncomfortably. "Not exactly. Think we follow another religion all together."
"Well, whatever, we need to get something important, so you got two choices." Edgar said.
His darker haired brother was smiling, in a sense. "You can get a hold of some weapons or you can get the Holy water."
Zane frowned in the rear view mirror, not entertaining the idea of walking into a place of worship to take something as sacred as that. How would he find an appropriate excuse for the ordained minister who would surely ask him what he was doing? No, mind made up, he would take Kai and Nya with him to get the other supplies required "What type of weapons?"
Edgar and Alan both smirked. "Water pistols," Edgar stated.
"Bow and arrow sets." Alan added, "That sorta stuff, easy, under the radar kid friendly stuff that we can fool em with."
"Phew," Kai laughed. "I don't think Zane was overly happy at stealing Holy water eh? So, you want us to pick up kids toys then?" He shook his head. "Still, makes it easier to get hold of those rather than a bowie knife or full on katana."
"And cheaper," Zane chipped in, his voice barely above a whisper. "Those would be quite costly, and we do not have the funds to waste."
"What even if it were for survival?" Kai replied under his breath.
Zane nodded.
Kai received a look of awe quickly followed by distrust from Alan. "What? We left our weapons back at home, didn't we green machine? And, I'm guessing it would look bad if we came down here with a car loaded full of ninja paraphernalia."
"Ha, yeah right!" Alan guffawed, thinking that the brown haired one in the front was talking shit. More than likely he was bigging himself up in the process, trying to avert the fact that everyone in the car knew he was a vampire.
"This the other vampire then?" Edgar asked, turning his head slightly at Lloyd whilst not taking his eyes of Kai or the unnerving fact that Kai had no reflection in the rear view nor passenger side mirror.
Nya was the one to answer first. "He is, and he's still my brother."
Lloyd nodded, slowly casting a sympathetic smile that was verging on an awkward grimace. "Sorry Kai. Guys, he is kinda harmless though and, he can control it."
Edgar nodded, just the once. He wasn't going to embarrass himself again at mumbling the same retort that he'd done at Hudson's Bluff. Not in a crowded car.
His brother would though. "Don't get in our way Kai, or we'll not think twice about ending you."
'Ha in your dreams...' Kai turned to the front.
"You'll have to get past me first." Nya warned. "No-one touches Kai."
"Thanks Nya." Kai looked at her using the mirror but she couldn't see him so he turned to face her, with a sympathetic smile. "How long do ya think this is gonna take Zane?"
"Hopefully minutes, no longer. Although, I guess it depends on the amount of shoppers in town, or sales that may hamper our ease of getting in and out."
"I'll look for the arrows, you look for bows and Nya," he turned to his sister who was sat right at the back chewing her fingers nervously. "Can you get the water pistols?" Even saying and asking for those sounded utterly ridiculous.
"So, we split up as soon as we get into town." Alan stated, bringing out a town map from his bergen knapsack. " I suggest, you three get the main supplies, and us three," He said, pointing to his brother and Lloyd. "We'll get the water."
"How much water?"
"Lloyd, we only need enough to fill the pistols, and the rest will go with the bath water and garlic."
Getting the Holy water had been easier than first expected. They had listened out for the ringing of the bells to guide them to their locations and once found, they entered and took as much as they could. Three churches they had visited, one for each person. Each individual had been set the task of walking in finding the Holy water font and filling their canteen with it. Edgar and Alan found a church with two fonts and both brothers, in the processes of disturbing a Christening, filled their canteens with a cheeky grin on their faces, like butter wouldn't melt. They stayed respectfully quiet too.
Donald's Homestead
"Dude, don't go in there. Garlic is beginning to burn my eyes and nose."
"Kai, I take it that garlic doesn't actually hurt us though, we just find it too strong smelling. What are they doing with it anyway?"
The master of fire, pulled an awkward face. "Well, they're kinda pouring it into the bath."
"Why? Someone having a stinky herbal bath?"
"No Cole. Eddie said something about garlic being bad for vampires, which I should add is sorta full of Holy water too."
"Clever," Cole smiled, the first one that Kai had seen for a while. "Hmm, sneaky too, Jay would've loved that crafty idea."
Kai threw his arm around Cole's shoulder. "Now's who's being negative, huh? You mean Jay will love that idea right?"
Frowning, Cole turned to look at Kai. "Ya know, you've changed since we last spoke this morning, what gives? I could've sworn that you'd accused me of biting him and now you're dead set on changing your stance on that."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I never said you didn't bite him and I haven't changed my stance, yet. That's still out for the jury. But, rather than thinking he is dead whilst trying to recover his body for a proper service, I have a sneaking suspicion that he's still alive."
"Wait, WHAT? How?"
Kai was smiling too. "I think I might have found a clue whilst you were doing a full scale rescue of your girlfriend." He pulled out the invite and passed it to Cole.
"Plus one? Are they expecting you to bring a girl or something? It's gonna look real weird if I'm your plus one." Cole propped up Zane's bed with ease, placing it up against the window.
Kai smirked. "Is that all you're seeing, the fact that it says; plus one?" Frustrated, he pointed at the address, "Or the fact that it's an invite to a costume party on the private road that only residents are permitted to enter? Yeah, Zane told me, that road is off limits for most who don't have a residents pass."
"What's the event and when is it?" He asked, not interested in reading it for himself.
Looking back at to to see if it was a 21st or housewarming. "No event is listed but it's tomorrow, so," he tucked it away for safekeeping. "If we survive tonight, will you give it a thought?"
Cole gave a half shrug, securing the latches on the bedroom windows. No answer was given just a deep sigh as to what this thing could entail.
"Look, I can check more on it tomorrow. But, I have a gut feeling that it's going to be beneficial, if it's just us that go."
"Like a sixth sense or something?" Cole wasn't buying the idea. Why would two complete strangers give Kai an invite? "Isn't it a bit suspicious though? I mean, they don't know you from Adam, why did they give you the invite?"
Kai shrugged his shoulders, he didn't have the answer to that. "I don't know why, they just did. The other girl wasn't too happy about it but Sky seemed enthusiastic, she's the one who gave it to me."
"That her name then? Sky?" Cole looked interested for a few fleeting moments. Thinking that Kai could stop being so grumpy and maybe look for a love interest too.
Kai nodded, "Yeah, but it's not like that. I don't like her." He was trying to figure her out, both of them. To him, on first appearances, they looked like ghosts, so pale and lifeless and both covered in black, with ridiculous wide brimmed hats that kept all the rays of sun off of them. "Come on Cole, maybe Zane can be on hand, just in case. He can be our chaperone, hidden out of sight."
"Hmm, risky though."
Kai had to think back to what he said last night. "Dude, you remember what you said about uh, P-Paul was it? That he goes to a house near the coastal road, like once a week?"
Rubbing his face, Cole looked up. "I did say that, yeah, and?"
"Well, this place, I mean the party. It's an address on the same stretch. Zane and Nya are gonna go scope out the place later, recon mission sorta thing ya know? Don't think they need a pass to walk on the road, only to drive and park up"
"You think this is where Paul goes, don't ya?" Palms turned upwards. Cole gave in and released a pent up sigh. "Fine. If we survive this night and Zane and Nya don't get spotted, I'll be your plus one."
Patting Kai on the back. "Also, good thinking keeping them out the house tonight. There'd be too many casualties if these vamps overpowered us, least this way, less collateral damage."
Kai smiling widely, had vanished momentarily. Coming back into the bedroom with a huge grin, he pulled out two red water pistols. "For when the fun goes down later. Kinda wished we'd gone for the Uzi 9mm though, they hold a lot more water, but Eddie and Alan called first dibs."
"I don't think it's gonna be much fun. You made sure to keep Donald away?" Cole asked, pulling the trigger as a finite stream of water came forth.
Kai nodded. "Whoa dude, these are filled with Holy water, don't waste em." He grabbed the pistol, checking for water tightness and placed it in Cole's back pocket. "There's a reason I put it there, you're wearing blue jeans, you put it in your front pocket and it leaks, you're gonna look like you've had an accident."
"Hmmm, incontinence versus death. Believe me Kai, that'll be the least of my worries. Losing control of my bladder, haa."
"Fair enough, just don't waste it, this stuff's like gold dust and, for the moment, we're kinda immune to it."
"For the moment yeah." Cole looked worried for a moment. He flicked the light on in the bathroom, then noted how much darker it appeared once he'd flicked the dim bulb on. "It's getting dark, they'll be here soon."
"I know, and we'll be ready for them when they arrive."
Rubbing his face as if to wipe the anxiousness away. "One thing I never understood until last night, was how David and his brothers could still eat food. Yet, I can't eat a damned thing without being sick."
"You worked it out then?"
Cole nodded. "As long as I've feasted on blood, everything else is just an appetiser. The blood is what keeps you going, it's like my body is calling out for it, a craving that gets stronger each day." The thought was incredibly depressing that is sucked all the positivity from the bedroom. Not that there was much to begin with since a certain someone was still missing.
"That's a scary thought, the fact you've gotta kill another human in order to survive." Kai's expression was grim, he'd be the same soon. He could already feel the pull toward his sister and Lloyd. To the woman a few days ago who rode too close to the car
He didn't answer, Kai was telling it like it was. It wasn't a future he wanted to envision, let alone have Kai endure too, being that they were both in this together now.
"It's sundown Kai!" He mumbled, expression suddenly dark. "We need all the lights on, no dark corners cos these guys wear black."
He gave the reason, and thankfully, Kai didn't argue with it. relieved, in a way, Cole walked out of the bathroom, with his brother hot on his heels. Spinning around, he put his hands on Kai's shoulders, firmly. "Once you've switched the rest of the lights on up here, they might need you downstairs."
Kai, frowning looked into Cole's eyes. "Why, aren't ya coming?"
Cole shook his head, looking back at his bedroom, the one he once shared with Jay. "I need to speak with Star, I'll be down in a minute."
"Okay, I guess. Don't be too long."
Watching, Cole sighed deeply as Kai went down the stairs. It wasn't fair on these guys, nor Kai, he had no idea what he was up against because his transformation was an accident, a mistake and it shouldn't have happened. Cole's mistake, however was his own and his reluctance to heed Star's warning. She was the only one to warn him not to drink it, but he did and he paid for it with Jay's disappearance and a cursed life from then on out.
Hand on the doorknob, he twisted it gently and opened the door, slipping inside the bedroom as quietly as he could. Looking around the darkened room, his fingers grazed the wall for the light switch, he flipped it on. Deeply troubled eyes focusing on the bed. Laddie was still sleeping, curled up on the bed, holding resolutely onto the plushie. Cole had tried to pry it from Laddies hands before he took him from the cave, but he changed his mind at the last minute.
Laddie was just like the hundreds of other missing persons, he had a family somewhere who loved him but nothing to keep him company whilst these guys kept him as their mascot or pet. He wondered why they had taken him in the first place, whether they felt pity for the kid or if it was done to keep Star busy. To keep her acting like a mother figure would keep her off their backs as they continued to live like big kids.
Star was slowly sitting up, rousing from her disturbed slumber. She looked up at him, at her dishevelled looking boyfriend. "They'll be coming for Laddie and me, won't they?"
So naive and kinda ignorant, he thought, but forgave her. Cole shook his head slowly, peering out of the window, face hidden largely by the lace. "They'll be coming, for all of us."
After all, we kinda drew first blood and killed one of their own. He didn't verbalise that part, he doubted Star even knew that Marco was dead. Cole had only learned of that through the Frog brothers who had actively bragged about it. Then he found out the real events when he'd spoken to Lloyd, noting the shaken voice of what he had done and the trouble and bloodshed that would now be afforded to one and all.
Star suddenly shifted on the bed, turning to the little boy. "Laddie, wake up."
"You need to hide him, someplace safe." Cole suggested.
He didn't want to let on how worried and anxious he was about what was about to transpire, his emotionless face was enough of an indication. Cole was quick to leave the room so Star could at least prepare herself and Laddie for what was going to go down.
Hell was about to come knocking and Cole knew they were far from ready.
Downstairs, Lloyd was busy smashing more garlic. Obviously taking out his pent up frustrations on something as inanimate as a flavourful seasoning. The unsuspecting garlic never it coming. Flattened to a paste before it could be used for human consumption. No, Lloyd was adamant this stuff was going in the bath too. Kai watched in morbid fascination as each clove of garlic met its demise with the coarse pronged side of the tenderiser.
Lloyd wasn't cutting any corners here, he was using an entire sackful of the stuff which Kai thought was a little extreme. The smell was nigh on unbearable. God, he hated to think how bad it was gonna smell come tomorrow morning, that is, if they survived the night. Stale garlic smelled hideous, and this amount was going to be really difficult to wash off, considering the party they were due to attend tomorrow night.
The sounds of a barking dog brought their attention to the window. Lloyd and Kai both stood abruptly. Another sound was the clattering of the metal tool as it fell on the floor.
"Oh god," Lloyd's face paled. "I left Nanook outside." He didn't stop to think how reckless he was being, he bolted for the front door without saying another word.
Kai had side stepped him so as not to get in his way. The kid looked to be on a mission, so he wasn't going to attempt to stop him.
The only issue with this was the fact that the sun had gone down. Vanished from the horizon completely that all that could be seen was a clear starry lit sky, the moon leaving some reflective brightness to remain.
Cole came bounding down the stairs at the sudden clattering of the front doors, considering everything should have been boarded up. His face like thunder, eyes burning into Kai's "Where is he?" HE shouted, panicked.
Kai pointed to the front door, it was still ajar. Now it had a few people standing in the doorway too, namely Star, Edgar and Alan. All of them were calling for Lloyd to come back in, to return and their cries of desperation and terror were becoming more intense as the seconds wore on.
"SHIT..." Cole turned to stare at Kai with a look of fear plastered on his face. "He's gone outside, has he got a death wish?" He ran out of the kitchen too, Kai hot on his trail.
"LLOYD, you idiot... get back inside!" Cole looked up the sky and all the colour slowly drained from his face. 'Why did Donald have to have such a long front drive?'
He ran like Lloyd's life depended on it, not thinking about himself. All he could think of was his younger brother Lloyd who was tugging desperately at the collar and offending leash that kept the dog rooted firmly to the spot. It was one of those chain chokers and no matter how tightly both pulled at it it grew tighter around the dog's neck.
"I can't...I can't get the leash off him."
"Are you freaking kidding me?" Kai's eyes widened, he made the mistake of looking up at Cole as he attempted to untangle it. He wasn't entirely sure that what he could see, he wondered if his mind was playing tricks on him. He saw some blurry figures approaching rapidly but rather than being on the ground this blurry things was approaching from the sky. Putting it to the back of his mind, he knelt at Lloyd's side and tugged desperately at the leather leash. But the more he tried to focus on the task in hand, he kept looking up to the sky and the cries at the front door got louder. "Cole, wh-what is that?"
"It'd be better if you didn't know, Just burn the damn leash, NOW!"
"Stop pulling, you're making it tighter." Kai growled, anger growing by the second as all three of them tugged at the leather. The dog was still anchored to the wooden gate and bar pulling the gate from the hinges, the dog wasn't going anywhere. What made it exponentially worse was that Nanook was snapping at Kai because of his proximity.
"BURN IT KAI! We haven't got time for this shit." Cole grunted, holding the dog still enough for Kai to get a section of leather free from the dog's fur.
Cole could hear Edgar and Alan, wailing their names from the front door. Star soon joined in too. None of it helped, it just served to make them anxious and Lloyd was beginning to lose the plot.
Lloyd wasn't going to leave the dog out here to perish. Somehow, he'd become attached to it during the space of one week. Possibly because it had been protecting him since Cole's transformation from elemental master to vampire.
Kai did it quickly and the dog snapped at him in response to the heat. The leash fell away and Kai cradled his bitten hand, saying nothing but pulling Lloyd to his feet. "Come on, we gotta get back inside." He had a feeling that the increasing sound of heckling laughter was the vampires that Cole had warned him about. They were getting closer by the second.
Meant to add; RandomDragon, that snippet of a story sounds really good. Loki was impressed with it and the dialogue.