Parking his bike outside the Boardwalk entry point next to the carousel, David noted the absence of his friends. A single motorcycle instead of four; it wasn't fair. The vampire scowled, hatred for the Emerson family and the Frog Brothers burning in his heart.

Knowing they were dead, as dead as his friends, didn't give him the pleasure he thought it would.

David strode through the crowds that thronged the Boardwalk, a path always opening up in front of him as people scattered out of his way. Maybe it was the scowl on his face, maybe it was the way he moved, maybe humans could sense a predator in their midst. He didn't care, just so long as no one got in his way.

They should be here, the four Lost Boys, hanging out and people watching, defending their turf, deciding on their next victims. No. It was David alone, prowling the Boardwalk, feeling lost and helpless.

He hated that feeling. Not being in control, not knowing, not able to make decisions and lead. None of the other Boys had ever questioned him being in charge. David had always decided, had always made the choices…

David stopped short, arriving at the eastern end of the Boardwalk's expanse, staring up at the brightly lit Ferris wheel. Couples, parents with small children, even some old people were riding; all laughing and smiling, enjoying themselves. Life kept moving forward even when you were undead, your best friends were corpses, and your enemies finished.

What David wanted he couldn't regain. Killing Michael felt awesome but the feeling was fleeting. Star's death hadn't brought the pleasure he'd thought it would. Murdering Edgar hadn't really avenged Paul, certainly hadn't avenged Dwayne. Lucy, Sam, and Laddie's deaths hadn't been his doing; Beth and Marko, along with the ghouls, had orchestrated those.

Hell, when David thought about it, he hadn't even gotten to kill Max.

Add it all up and he was left with Beth, and Maria maybe, if she wasn't dead too. Everyone else was dead. A whole other round of bodies to deal with, a mess to clean up, and answers to find. Clearly Marko had ingested holy water; but the ghouls, what had caused their deaths? They were still part human. Holy water shouldn't do that.

Plus, David still didn't know what was wrong with him. These episodes seemed to be getting worse, happening more frequently. Was it a matter of time before he perished, again? Could Beth figure it out, and more importantly, prevent it and save him?

The head vampire stomped away from the Ferris wheel, turning around and heading back towards his bike, at a loss on how to fix any of it.

He sensed her as he rounded the carousel's building, regaining focus amid his angst. Beth was waiting beside his bike, her expression blank, withdrawn.

"She wasn't there." She spoke quietly as David drew closer. "I don't know where she could be."

David frowned darkly. Something didn't add up. He could feel it, like a splinter in his mind, throbbing away. He needed to regroup and think, figure out the pieces of the puzzle he was missing.

"It doesn't make sense." David growled at Beth, his eyes darkening as the red seeped into the blue. "If Maria was there when the ghouls died, why didn't she come to the Cave? Why didn't she come find us?"

"I don't know, David." Beth chewed her lip, a forlorn expression on her face. "I need my books. I need to read and figure out what's going on, before something happens to you."

The head vampire growled, squeezing his eyes shut, the anger bubbling up inside and making him want to shift, to slaughter every living soul on the Boardwalk. What a headline that would make! David shook his head, climbing on his bike. "Get on."

Beth obeyed, swinging up behind David. The bike roared to life.