Chapter Three
The twins had finished another workout early in the morning and felt more relaxed but energized for the day. Jade and Kayla loaded up several paintings, skateboard decks, and jewelry into the SUV, along with a table and small vendor tent, and lawn chairs. The twins also packed a small backpack with an extra change of clothes. Starting the day in shorts and tank tops but have the option to change into pants. They had finished loading up the SUV, showered, and were dressed and ready when their mom came outside. "Are you riding with me?" Lucy asked as she got into her SUV and started the ignition. Kayla was getting her bike out of the garage, so Jade answered her mom, "No. We're taking Kayla's bike. Mine needs an oil change."
"Ok, I'll see you there. Love you." Lucy drives off after the twins respond, "Love you too." Jade climbed on the back of Kayla's bike as she kicked it to life. Riding their bikes gave them a sense of freedom. The open-air breezing over their skin, the scent of fresh air not constricted by a car frame, and the exhilarating feeling of weaving in and out of traffic. Kayla was able to catch up to their mother and follow behind her to the boardwalk.
Kayla had parked her bike on the boardwalk a few shops down from where they were going to set up their table and small vendor tent to block out most of the sun. The tent was facing one of the cement pathways surrounding the boardwalk in the grass. Kayla was setting up the table as Jade went to unload their stuff from the SUV. As Jade brought stuff to the table, Kayla organized it and labeled price tags. The paintings ranged from $5 for 11x17, $10 for 24x36. Each painting is different from the next. Depicting scenes from nightmares that Kayla would paint after having such images run through her head. Some of the paintings were scaled down to fit on the bottom of skateboard decks. That was Jade's idea. Each skateboard deck was priced at $3.
Then there was Jade's jewelry. She would handcraft bracelets and chains with stainless steel links, charms, wire-wrapped stones, and some 550 cord braided bracelets. A few of the 550 cord bracelets were self-defense with the clasp being a small, sharp stainless steel blade. Jade took the pieces out and strewn them on one end of the table. She then labeled the prices. The basic stainless steel bracelet was $3, each charm added was another $1 since they were handcrafted by her. The chains were $5 to $10 depending on the length. The 550 cord braided bracelets were $3, and the self-defense 550 cord were $5.
Jade sighed and looked at the setup, "Ok, we are all set and ready." She wiped the sweat from her forehead and sat down in one of the lawn chairs, "Do you want something to drink? I'm going to get some water or icee." Kayla had sat down in the other lawn chair, "Yeah, water sounds good." Jade walked over to a nearby drink vendor and got them both bottles of water, and an icee each. Kayla liked the blue raspberry, while Jade would have the cherry red flavored.
Some Time After Dark
The day had gone pretty well. Several people had stopped to look at their table. Some of the more 'classy' tourists and locals turned their noses up at the paintings. Deeming them too scary or disturbing to be purchased. Skeletal vampires, Wendigos, an Earthly Green Reaper, Sleep Paralysis Demons, Elemental Demons, and Demonic Court Jesters are just a few examples of Kayla's art. She was very proud of her work, even if she scared herself at times. Kayla was putting the final touches on a skateboard deck, still wearing a pair of lighter tinted shades under the vendor tent. It depicted a levitating skeletal corpse with tentacles coming out of his mouth. She named it 'Toothless.' A last moment decision to add small flames in deep reds surrounding Toothless.
Jade had sold several of her stainless steel bracelets and quite a few charms. Mostly to men that didn't know what a shirt or shower was. After her encounters with these men, Jade felt dirty. She caught them eyeing her with lust, and it disgusted her. She would sell them a piece of jewelry or a charm just to get them to go away. 'Going to have to scrub myself with bleach later,' Jade thought to herself. She had sat down and was braiding another self-defense bracelet, the current length could be for someone with a really small wrist. She was putting the blade clasp through the 550 cord when she heard the running of small feet. The location of their stand gave them a good view of the goings-on of the boardwalk without being too close. So someone running by wasn't anything they haven't heard all day. But the pace this small person was running was almost panicked, like they were running from something or someone.
Now the twins were both listening to the running feet. They were getting closer to running past them and so was the brute in a tank top, swim trunks, sneakers, and a red mohawk chasing the poor kid. "Come back here punk." The guy was gaining on the kid. Jade looked over to her sister, who had switched out her shades for a darker pair knowing they would be standing under the bright lights of the boardwalk. They signaled to each other with a nod and stood as one. Kayla stayed close to their stand while Jade stepped out into the boy's path.
The boy was looking behind him at the Surf Nazi chasing him and not where he was going. So when he ran into a solid body and fell on his backside he let out a shriek. He was panting, sweating, and scared. He scrambled backwards, looking up at who he ran into. There stood a very pretty girl with long blonde hair and two different colored eyes. She reached down, grabbed his arms, and helped him stand up, "So sorry little dude. Did you get separated from everyone again?" She said that really loud then leaned down and whispered to him, "Play along." The boy nodded his head.
Jade hadn't let go of the boy's arms yet, "Well, why don't you come sit with us for a bit? If they don't come by in a few minutes we'll go look for them. Okay?" She looked behind the boy to the Surf Nazi that was chasing him. He had stopped running and was catching his breath before he walked over to Jade and the boy, "Hey! Kid, your brothers, and that chick aren't going to help you." The boy had turned to the guy yelling at him and then back to Jade. She was looking at the scum who was dumb enough to bully a kid in front of her and her sister. The boy couldn't tell what they were going to do until she spoke to him, "Go ahead and go sit down with my sister." She had guided him to the other really pretty blonde with sunglasses on.
The boy took a step in the direction of Kayla, the Surf Nazi followed his action. Trying to get close to the kid that hung out with the infamous Lost Boys. He wanted to 'teach those guys a lesson' by hurting the kid. But now these chicks are in his way. The one the boy collided with stepped in front of him. The look on her face was murderous. He snickered at her. She was so little compared to him, what can she do? He tried to sidestep the chick but she kept in step with him, "Look bitch. I just want the kid." He sidestepped again, but she stepped in front of him again.
In a calm, icy voice, "I don't think so. If you know what's good for you, you would turn around and walk away." Jade picked an invisible piece of lint off the Surf Nazi's tank top. The slight touch and tone of her voice unnerved the guy for some reason. Normally when a Surf Nazi threatens someone they back down but this chick has not. He thought she was either stupid or had a death wish. He looked her up and down, making Jade feel dirty all over again, before walking away. He'll get to that kid another time. "You'll pay for this bitch. Nobody stands in my way and gets away with it."
Jade scoffs and goes back to the tent, "Hey kid, you alright?" The boy nods his head. "What's your name? I'm Jade and that's my sister Kayla." She nudges her head towards her twin. "Laddie. Did you mean what you said?" Laddie asked. "Hhm...Oh, yes. Let me finish this bracelet then we'll go find your brothers." Jade turned back to braiding and sealing the clasp on the self-defense bracelet. She clasped and unclasped it, making sure it came undone as it should before looking at Laddie. He was watching Kayla paint her signature at the bottom of an evil-looking skateboard deck. Laddie was thinking it would be an awesome present for Dwayne.
Jade had cleared her throat, "Laddie?" She pointed to the skateboard, "Do you like it?" Laddie nods, "I think my brother Dwayne might really like it. He skateboards a lot." Kayla smiled at the kid, "Thank you. He's called Toothless. He has tentacles instead of teeth." She lowered her shades and looked Laddie in the eyes. "Woah! Your eyes are really pretty, like the Earth from space." He looks at Jade, "And I have never seen someone with two different colored eyes. They're so pretty."
"Why thank you. Here. I think you could use this," Jade showed him the black, braided 550 cord bracelet. "It may look like an ordinary bracelet but it's not. It's a self-defense bracelet. See how the clip is bigger than normal. That's because where it clips together is a small blade." Jade unclasps it and shows the small inch long double-edged blade. "Pretty cool, huh?" Laddie is in awe, "That's so cool." "Which hand do you write with?" Jade asked him. "I'm right-handed." Laddie was quick to answer. Jade clasped the bracelet onto his left wrist, "If someone was to grab you like that guy wanted to, you unclip the bracelet and stab his hand. It would hurt just enough for him to let go and then you run, either to your brothers or to us. Whoever you're closest to. Okay."
"Laddie!" A deep male voice called out. Jade stood tall, looking down the pathway to see a guy with long, dark hair, a leather jacket with a leopard sewn onto one of the sleeves, no shirt, and dark jeans walking at a fast pace. Kayla picked Laddie up and asked, "Do you know him?" Laddie swayed a little in her arms trying to get a better look when he spotted his brother, "Dwayne!" The guy heard Laddie, Kayla put him down as Jade waved the guy over. "Okay, little dude. Now, be careful with opening and closing it. Maybe practice with it once you get home."
"I will. Thank you," Laddie turns towards his approaching brother. "Dwayne, I'm sorry I got lost again." Laddie's brother exhaled a sigh of relief, "It's okay Laddie. So...Who are your friends?" Dwayne looks over to the twins, while discreetly taking a whiff of their scent. Laddie points to the twin with different colored eyes, "Jade and that's her sister, Kayla." Dwayne laughs to himself, 'Jade's scent is Strawberries and Hibiscus. Kayla's scent is Vanilla and Oranges.' He shakes their outstretched hands quickly. "Thanks for looking after Laddie. He tends to get distracted and runs off." Dwayne takes Laddie's hand so they could head back to the rest of the gang. "It's no problem. But just so you know, some guy with a red mohawk was chasing him. Didn't want to give up so easily," Jade informed Dwayne of the Surf Nazi.
Dwayne nods his head, knowing she was talking about a member of the rival gang. "Well, thanks again. Will you be out here much longer?" Thinking he should tell Paul and Marko, so they can meet their mates. They should have enough time to meet them. If David would allow it, he may want to go after the Surf Nazi that bothered Laddie. Kayla looks at her watch and sees it is already close to nine, "Only for about another twenty minutes. But we will be here tomorrow from noon to nine. Our mom works those hours at the video store." Kayla was just trying to promote their booth.
That little bit of information confirmed that Max's mate is their mother. This whole situation keeps getting better and better. Dwayne takes a look around the booth and his eyes go wide, seeing the paintings and skateboard decks. He spots the recently finished piece, "Wicked." Laddie speaks up, "It's called Toothless. Since his teeth are tentacles. I thought you would like that one." Dwayne had to agree, it was something he would own but not skate with. "I would hang it on my wall. It's too awesome to skate with. How much?"
Kayla checked the paint to make sure it was dry enough, "It's $3, and be careful I just finished it so the paint may still be tacky." Dwayne handed her three dollars from his front pocket, Kayla handed him the board. He grabbed it from the blank wheelbase so he didn't touch the design. His eyes clouded over for a moment. "Sorry, we got to head back to our brothers. It was nice meeting you," Dwayne picked Laddie up, held the board under his other arm, and rushed towards his brothers.
The Lost Boys
Their night started like any other with the exception of Paul and Marko's anxiousness. They tried to hide it from their brothers but failed miserably. Their normal playfulness seemed forced. Even Star was noticing the strange behavior. She was going to ask them about it but Dwayne shook his head. Heading to the boardwalk for the night, Paul and Marko sped faster than their brothers. They wanted to comb every inch of it to find their mates.
However, Max had other plans. He wanted the boys to lure in his mate's eldest son, Michael into the 'family', as he calls it. They taunted Max and bothered his employees before Max kicked them out. David was furious that Max was getting in the way of finding his brother's mates. Marko and Paul could smell their scents and the pull in their chest has, once again, become painful.
Star had left the guys with Laddie to get him something to eat and wander around for a bit. She had spotted the guy that followed her around the other night. He was checking out a booth that does piercings. Star snuck up beside him, "It's a rip-off." Michael looked over his shoulder at her. Star turned and walked away after saying, "If you want your ears pierced, I'll do it for you." Laddie was trailing next to Star when he saw something cool at a booth they walked past. Star and Michael kept walking, leaving Laddie behind.
A few minutes later Laddie was looking for Star or his brothers when a Surf Nazi grabbed his arm. "Hey, kid. What are you doing out here alone?" The guy with a red mohawk looked around hoping to not spot the Lost Boys. The smile that stretched across the guy's face made Laddie feel nervous and very uncomfortable. Laddie yanked his arm free and started running, not paying attention to which way he was going. He only wanted to get away from the Surf Nazi. So when he ran right into a really pretty girl with different colored eyes, he didn't know if it was a good or bad thing. That is, until she spoke to him like she knew him.
This pretty girl and her equally pretty sister had kept the Surf Nazi from getting to him. Laddie is usually very shy and uncomfortable around new people, but he felt safe with these sisters. He watched the one named Kayla paint her name onto a skateboard. The picture was evil-looking, but he thought it looked cool. Jade had given him a cool bracelet that could save his life one day.
It wasn't too long after that when Dwayne found him. Laddie was scared his father-like figure was going to be mad at him. He didn't need to be, Dwayne was happy to have found him without a scratch on him. What Dwayne did not expect was to find Laddie with his brothers' mates. He discreetly sniffed their scent and was able to put a face and name to each scent. Dwayne could have alerted his brothers through their mind link but chose to make them squirm a little since they have caused David to be more irritable than normal.
Dwayne and Laddie had rejoined their brothers as they were getting ready to head out. Marko and David standing next to their bikes, Paul had mounted his and was just waiting to leave. Buying the skateboard deck served more than one purpose. "Hey, check out this board," Dwayne handed it to Marko. The look on his brother's face was awestruck. The image painted on this board was dark and sinister. He loved it. Dwayne pointed to the name beautifully painted at the bottom, "You're not going to believe who the artist is." 'Catch the scent.' He watched Marko bring the board closer to his face so it just looked like he was admiring the details and inhaled through his nose. When his mate's scent hit his knees almost buckled, and the pain in his chest became a dull ache. Marko's head shot up in Dwayne's direction, "You met her?" Marko subconsciously hugged the board to his chest. "Kayla," Dwayne smiled, an actual, genuine smile before turning to a curious Paul. "Check out the bracelet Laddie got."
Paul had got off his bike and came over to Laddie, "What you got there? Can I see it?" Paul held out his hand for Laddie to take. Laddie was a little nervous, "Am I going to get in trouble?" Paul looked at the little boy they all treated like a brother with concern, "Why would you get in trouble?" "Jade gave it to me. She said it's a self-defense bracelet," Laddie twisted his wrist to show Paul, then carefully unclasped it revealing the small, sharp blade. "Woah! That's awesome dude!" Paul took it, and he caught a whiff of his mate's scent, "You met both of them?"
Dwayne, the normally stoic brother. Often described as a walking statue was having the time of his life teasing his brothers. "That's not all. They're sisters and their mom works at the video store." He let that sink in for a moment, "They have a booth on the other side of the boardwalk and will be there the same time tomorrow. They pack up at nine."
Paul handed Laddie back the bracelet even though he didn't want to, helping him clasp it. Laddie got on Dwayne's bike behind him, he spoke softly to Dwayne, "I can't get their eyes out of my head. They're so pretty." Of course, all four of the vampires overheard him. Marko spoke up from his bike, still looking at the board, "How pretty?" Laddie closed his eyes and thought for a moment, "Jade has two different colored eyes. One is green and the other is blue. I saw Kayla's when she took off her sunglasses. I told her that her eyes look like Earth from space. Then she put her sunglasses back on."
"Well boys, seems like we have a booth to visit tomorrow night," David threw his cigarette butt to the ground and stomped it out. He faced the rest of the boardwalk, spotted Star with that Michael kid that they're ordered to turn. "Come on boys. Let's greet the kid." David could hear his brothers laughing in his head. They all surrounded Michael and Star on their bikes. "Where you going Star?" David asked. "For a ride. This is Michael," Star answered, a bit of fear can be heard in her voice.
Michael mounted his bike, "Let's go." He extended his hand for Star to take. She turned to grab it when David's commanding voice was heard, "Star." She turned to Michael with an apologetic expression before getting behind David on his bike. David decided to see how willingly this kid is to see Star, "You know where Hudson's Bluff is? Overlooking the point?"
Michael scanned his eyes over David's bike, "I can't beat your bike." David smirked, "You don't have to beat me, Michael. You just have to keep up." David and his boys didn't bother waiting to see if Michael agreed before taking off. Michael reluctantly followed them over the boardwalk, and down some stairs after almost chickening out. He didn't want to come off as a coward, so he followed them as close as he could. Even with the sand being kicked up in his face, Michael was having fun. All four vampires hooted and hollered while speeding over the sand, under the boardwalk, and through the treeline before exiting near a cliff shrouded in fog.
Marko, Paul, and Dwayne pulled back as Michael and David raced to the cliff's edge. David could see Michael was getting scared, he could barely see through the fog. But they both continued to race towards the edge. Michael saw the cliff coming up quickly, he skidded to a stop on his side. David stopped with his front tire teetering over the edge. Michael got off the ground, ran up to David, and punched him. The other three boys surrounded Michael to break up the fight before it got serious. "Come on, just you. Just you," Michael was ready to fight David. David on the other hand, just smiled and said, "How far are you willing to go Michael?"
The Cave
David had led the group into the sunken hotel. Dwayne, and Marko lit the fifty-gallon drums with the torches they carried. David tells the story of how the hotel was built on the fault line and sunk during an earthquake, "And now it's ours." Paul was standing on a broken fountain in the center of the main room lighting a joint, "So check it out, Mikey." The guys laughed, Star went and hid by her bed, Laddie grabbed Paul's 'rock box' for him.
Michael was looking around, "Man, the twins would love this place." Paul was handing David the joint, "Twins?" He was playing dumb about knowing who his sisters were. Paul looked to Dwayne, "Seriously? Twins?" "Why didn't you say they were twins?" Marko spoke through the link. Dwayne defends himself, "Hey, I just knew they were sisters."
"Appetizer?" David offered Michael the joint. He took it from David, taking a hit then passed it back. "Marko...Food," David ordered. Marko let go of the pigeon he was petting to go on a food run. "That's what I love about this place. You ask and shall receive." David sat in his wheelchair/throne, "So? Your twin sisters would like this place?" Michael sat down on the edge of the fountain, "Yeah, they're unique. They express themselves differently than most. Kayla with her art. You would never guess they were her nightmares." Dwayne looking over the board sitting near Marko's spot in the cave. "Almost every piece of Jade's jewelry has a purpose," Michael lifted his left arm to scratch his nose, the boys catching sight of his own army green 550 cord bracelet.
Marko chose that moment to come back, "Feeding time. Come and get it boys." Marko passed out Chinese food cartons to everyone, two for David. "Chinese. Good choice," David broke apart his chopsticks for his noodles then persuaded Michael to have the rice.
Dwayne had relayed everything Mike said to Marko. 'She has some twisted nightmares,' Marko thought to himself. He was so absorbed in staring at the board known as 'Toothless', Marko almost missed David messing with Michael's head.
Michael was on his third or fourth bite when David broke the silence, "How are those maggots?" "Huh?" The spoon halfway to Michael's mouth. "Maggots, Michael. You're eating maggots, Michael. How do they taste?" David said with a straight face. He did not get the reaction he was hoping for, none of them did. "They're better fried," Michael spooning another bite not affected one bit. The stunned silence led him to explain, "The twins would buy exotic foods from all over the world. Their favorites are a mixed bag of insects and Scorpions from Bejin and fried Tarantula from Cambodia. They're actually really good," Michael lifted his head from the now normal box of rice to see the expression on David's face, "What?"
David set down his noodles, totally stumped that his mind games didn't play out in his favor, "This family continues to surprise me." David's head was filled with his brothers' curious thoughts, and Star's disgust over the fact Michael ate the maggots. "Marko," David called his brother over and whispered in his ear. Marko left the main room for a moment, coming back over to David with a jeweled wine bottle.
Popping the cork, David takes a drink and savors the flavor before handing the bottle to Michael. This time David didn't say anything, he just handed him the 'wine' bottle. Not being a stranger to drinking and the buzz from the joint he smoked, Michael took a long pull from the bottle. Nobody mentioned to him that the bottle was actually mixed with David's blood. It was how Star was turned into a half, but the bottle was filled with Max's blood when she drank it. She knew David was going to turn Michael but didn't warn him. She was too grossed out.
The rest of the night was a blur for Michael. Star and Laddie went to their part of the cave as the boys partied. The Lost Boys had dropped Michael and his bike at home. Michael had passed out so they flew him home and into his room, and parked his bike by the front door.
Marko and Paul had floated over to the windows of the attic, following their mates' scent. They peered in the larger bay window and looked around the room. "How cool is that? They sleep in hammocks," Paul wanted to go into their room since they couldn't see the twins' faces from outside. David warned them against it, saying if they woke it would freak them out. David didn't want to reveal their secret too soon.