Chapter Sixteen

Sam stared at the empty seat across from him at the kitchen table, his stomach tied in one big knot. No one seemed to care that his sister was shacking up with a pack of vampires. Well, they didn't know that her boyfriend and his friends were bloodsuckers but that was besides the point. "You know Flick didn't come home last night..." he broke the silence that was making his skin itch.

"Your sister is free to make her own choices now Sam and even if I did try to stop her, she'd just do what she wanted regardless – I've just decided to save myself the trouble," Lucy sighed, thumbing the page of the book she was reading.

"I don't think you're being fair-" Sam murmured, his eyes trained on his spoon as he prodded at his half-eaten bowl of cereal, "-she got really hurt and-"

"-She shouldn't start things that she can't finish," Michael cut him off, his stare icy cold.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam frowned, swallowing around the lump that had formed in his throat.

Was Flick telling the truth? Had Michael been behind her attack?

"I'm sure your brother just means that your sister has a habit of placing herself in dangerous situations with no regard for the consequences and when something goes wrong she expects everyone else to pick up the pieces or shoulder the blame," Lucy answered, not bothering to look up from the page she was reading.

"With all due respect mom, Michael can answer for himself," Sam countered, glaring at his older brother suspiciously.

"With all due respect Samantha, you can-" Michael was silenced by a loud knock on the front door.

Lucy made her way out into the hall wearing a frown obviously not expecting visitors. "Mrs Emerson?" Sam heard an unfamiliar voice greet his mom and his curiosity got the better of him and he found himself creeping out into the hall. His intestines furled into a knot of worry when he saw an unfamiliar man and woman clad in neatly pressed formal suits with royal blue lanyards hanging from their neck sporting official looking badges.

"Yes, I'm sorry, you are?" his mom sounded confused.

"I'm Helen and this is my colleague Chris, we're from Child Protective Services, we've had a report of child abuse involving your son-" the woman glanced at the clipboard she held in her hand, "-Sam?"

Sam's jaw hung loose in disbelief. What the hell was happening?

"I think there's been some kind of mistake," Lucy countered, shaking her head incredulously.

"According to our report your son has been involved in the trafficking of drugs-"

"-What?-" Lucy laughed, "-now I know there's definitely been a mistake, my son's fifteen, he still reads comic books and eats cocoa pops for breakfast. There's no way that he's involved in anything remotely connected to drugs."

Sam found himself rooted, frozen to the spot, his heart in his mouth. "Who's been a naughty boy?" Michael tisked, sidling up behind him, an amused smirk on his face.

"Shut up douchebag, I've obviously been set up-" Sam hit back, irritated by his brother's lack of concern and his evident glee, "-you'd know all about set ups wouldn't you, huh Mike?" he added snidely, searching his brother's face for a reaction.

Michael's eyes flashed with indignant anger, his smirk morphing into a snarl. "If you wanna end up like your sister keep talking," he warned and Sam's eyes widened.

"Flick was telling the truth..." he stammered and Mike shrugged.

"Good luck trying to prove it."

"Sam," Lucy called him over and he swiftly put distance between himself and his psycho older brother.

"Yeah?" he swallowed, eyeing the two strangers nervously.

"These people would like to speak with you - I suggest you co-operate and tell the truth," Lucy looked down at him, her expression uncertain.

Did his mom really believe he'd involve himself in drugs? He wracked his brains trying to figure out where the allegation had come from and who the other people he was supposed to be in cohorts with could be.

Then it hit him...

David.

It had to be David that had made up some story about him, Edgar and Alan as a way to distract them from what he and his pack of bloodsuckers were doing to his sister. He'd made it clear last night that he wasn't going to play nice and Sam knew from the many stories the Frog brothers had told him that the Lost Boys played dirty. It's the only feasible explanation he could think of.

However, if David thought it would be that easy to throw him off his mission to save his sister he was wrong.

Dead wrong...

~/~

Sam army crawled his way beneath Flick's bed feeling like a dime store GI Joe. He wasn't cut out for physical activity, it wrinkled his clothes and made his hair go flat. He breathed a little too hard sending a wad of stray hair and dust up his nose and he violently sneezed, the force of the action causing him to hit the back of his head on the bed frame. "Ow..." he pouted, rubbing the sore spot on the back of his skull.

He serpentined his way further beneath the bed looking for anything out of the ordinary. He was determined to find something, anything that could give him even the smallest bit of hope that his big sister wasn't in so deep with count Dracula that she had no way out. He spotted something shiny amongst a cluster of dust and tentatively reached out, grabbing the item of interest and not finding anything else of significance, he propelled himself backward, hurriedly clambering to his feet to dust himself off. Sam glanced down at the contents of the palm of his hand – a baggie of something that looked like oregano and a heavy silver lighter crudely ingrained with the letter P. He opened up the baggie and took a tentative sniff, wrinkling his nose in distaste, it smelt like old teabags. Sam might be a rookie when it came to rebellion but he was pretty sure that whatever was in the baggie was illegal and he was also pretty sure that the lighter belonged to Flick's boyfriend Paul.

Knowing that a baggie of drugs and a lighter wasn't really something out of the ordinary to find in his sisters room, he looked around, trying to think of a good hiding place but regardless of where he looked -in the closet, under the bed, in the drawers- he couldn't find anything of significance. He sighed heavily, his shoulder's sagging in defeat. What exactly were Edgar and Alan expecting him to find anyway? A vial of blood or a bloated corpse crammed at the back of the closet.

Sam was about to head back to his room, the baggie of drugs and the lighter tucked in the pocket of his chino's when the phone rang, the shrill sound almost deafening in the eerie silence of the empty house. Michael had gone to make-out with his girlfriend or whatever they did when they were together and his mom had headed out to work, not before she chewed his ass out for bringing trouble to her door mind. He galloped down the stairs to the kitchen, unhooking the phone from it's mount and nervously brought the receiver to his ear. "Hello?"

"Phoenix, we need to talk," Edgar croaked down the line.

"I'm listening..." he replied, slumping back against the wall.

"Someone made a call to child services, they made up some story about me and Alan selling drugs out of the store, flagged it all up as child abuse because we're underage and the store belongs to our parents," the younger Frog explained, his voice hushed.

Sam rubbed his temples. "I know, apparently I'm involved too."

"What? Really?" Edgar sounded genuinely surprised.

"Yeah-" he exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose, "-I think I know who made the call..."

"Who?" Alan's voice travelled down the line this time.

"David..." Sam murmured.

"David as in Lost Boy David?"

"Yeah-" another exhale, "-last night, during the storm, I was gonna search Flick's room like you said, you know? Looking for clues and well, I found David routing through the closet shoving her clothes into a bag."

"Wait, where's your sister?" Edgar inquired.

"With the Lost Boys-" Sam replied, closing his eyes, "-Flick got attacked and-"

"-Attacked? Are you sure it wasn't her boyfriend in a fit of bloodthirst?"

"No it wasn't Paul it-" Sam clamped his mouth shut, afraid to voice the thoughts spinning in his head, "-look who did it doesn't matter, what matters is she was attacked, really messed up and she and my mom had this big fight out of nowhere and she left."

"You know this is what those bloodsuckers want right?" Edgar scoffed.

"They've probably put some kind of hex on your family," Alan added.

"They're vampires not warlocks guys-" Sam shook his head, "-anyway, I kind of told David that I know what he is, that I know what he's doing to Flick and that I wouldn't let him get away with it and well... I made him mad and I think he's the one who made the call as a way to distract us from the mission."

The other end of the line fell silent and Sam wondered whether he'd been cut off. He was about to hang-up when Edgar spoke up. "Houston, we have a problem," he sighed.

"What do you mean?" Sam frowned.

"You've given David something that can blow this whole mission to shit," Alan replied.

"What? What did I give him?"

"A reason to watch his back," Edgar clarified.

"Oh... shit..." Sam palmed his forehead.

~/~

"Don't threaten to toss a dudes weed man – fucking animal," Paul pouted, his arms cross over his chest as he leant against the rail of the pier.

"C'mon Dave, you know when it comes to weed Paul's like Gollum and the ring of fucking Mordor," Dwayne smirked.

"My precious," Marko hissed, tapping his fingers together and Flick giggled, leaning against Paul's bicep, patting his wrist in gesture of solidarity.

"Yeah well piss off to the fucking shire Frodo, I'm not constantly listening to that bullshit – it's driving me insane!" David growled, lighting himself a cigarette.

"I don't see what's wrong with a bit of Earth, Wind and Fire?" Paul grinned, tucking the rescued baggie of weed back into his jacket pocket.

"Ba-di-ah, it's too upbeat for David," Dwayne sing-songed and Flick snorted a laugh.

"True, Dave's more of a Johnny Cash fan," Marko grinned.

"I do my best to hide this lowdown feelin'. I try to make believe there's nothing wrong but they're always me about you darlin' and it hurts me so to tell 'em that you're gone..." Dwayne crooned and David scowled while the three boys cackled with laughter.

"Plebeians," David scoffed.

"Leave him alone guys I'm sure the girls find his brooding personality charming," Flick defended the platinum blonde, feeling a little more connected with the stoic immortal after the previous nights conversation.

"N'aww ain't she cute," Marko teased, pinching Flick's cheeks.

"She's a fucking treasure," Dwayne smirked.

"Bite me assholes," Flick rolled her eyes, flipping the two friends the middle finger.

"Only if you promise to bite me back," Marko winked and Paul growled, kicking his friend in the shin in warning.

"Speaking of which-" David interjected, pushing away from the rail of the pier, "-I suggest we feed before we head out."

"Where are we going?" Flick asked curiously.

"It's a surprise," Paul grinned, kissing the underside of her jaw before leading her towards the boardwalk.

~/~

A deafening scream pierced the humid night air, the scream drowned out by the pulsing bass bleeding out of the nightclub. Flick grimaced, her eyes landing on the writhing body by Paul's feet. The man's arm had been broken in several places and it now lay at an unfathomable angle beside him while Paul stamped repetitively on the man's ribs, the crunch of shattering bones ringing sickeningly in her own ears. She leant against the brick wall of the alley, unable to take her eyes off the violent scene playing out in front of her. Flick swallowed thickly when the overwhelming scent of the man's blood hit her full-force causing her throat to violently itch while a white-hot pain in her stomach had her doubling over leaving her panting and gasping for breath.

She sucked in a uneven breath, exhaling shakily as she struggled to right herself, her hands now slick with sweat as her eyes drifted back to the mangled body a few feet away. She swallowed in a bid to ease the relentless burning itch in her throat but found no respite. Her legs shook from restraint as she forced herself to stay grounded rather than sprint over to where Paul stood, his chest heaving, his fangs elongated as he prepared for the feed. Paul had warned her about the thirst but she'd stupidly chosen not to listen, adamant that she wanted to watch him feed, wanting to familiarise herself with the scent of death before she had to experience it for herself.

She watched as Paul fist tore into the man's chest and he gave one last stomach-twisting scream before he yanked out his heat and tossed it at the wall opposite where the organ hit the grubby bricks with a wet splay. Paul ravaged the man's body, feeding from his cooling blood before sitting back on his heels, wiping the back of hand over his bloodstained lips. Flick grit her teeth with a groan of discomfort as her stomach continued to twist and coil, her newfound instincts screaming at her to feed.

Paul staggered to his feet, looking a little blood-drunk as he picked up the mutilated corpse with one hand and lifted the lid of the dumpster with the other. He tossed the blood-drained cadaver inside and after scouring the alley, found a few scraps of newspaper, lit them and tossed them into the dumpster. He fished a canister of light fluid from his back pocket and squirted the flammable liquid directly into the dumpster, stepping back as the rusting metal container exploded seconds later with a roar of red-hot flames. Paul tucked the dimpled canister back into the back pocket of his jeans and strode over to where Flick stood, struggling to control her own thirst yet completely entranced by him. Even in his violent frenzy, he'd been utterly captivating and despite him being covered in blood, she still wanted him – badly.

"You good babe?" he exhaled, resting his forehead against her brow.

"Yeah..." she nodded, relishing in the feel of his warm breath on her face.

"Did it hurt?" he murmured, his thumbs grazing her wrists.

"I can handle it," she assured him and Paul nodded with a small smile, taking her hand and motioned for her to follow him back out onto the boardwalk. She observed him as he scoped the area before quickly darting towards the shower block a few feet away. He yanked open the door to one of the family shower rooms and ushered her inside.

Flick blinked a few times, momentarily blinded by the overly bright fluorescent lights, noting the smears of crimson staining his face, lips, hands and part-way up his forearms. She couldn't tear her eyes away from him. She wasn't scared or repulsed by what she'd just seen him do, rather she was worked up and curious to find out what he tasted when warm, fresh blood coated his tongue - she wanted to know what she'd taste... Paul strode toward the shower and was just about to turn the tap when she hurried over to where he stood, spinning him around to face her and gripped the lapels of his jacket, tugging him down to her level, coaxing him into a slow, steamy kiss.

She hummed in satisfaction, deepening the kiss. He tasted like beer, cigarettes and the sweet, metallic tang of blood, the intoxicating cocktail making her throat itch. She drew her tongue over his bloodstained lips, sucking hungrily on his full bottom lip. With the taste of him fresh on her tongue, she pulled back with a smile, peering up into his lust darkened eyes. "What?" she smirked, watching his eyes flicker hungrily.

Paul grinned, pushing her back against the cool tiles, his hands snaking down her back, hooking them beneath her ass and lifted her into his arms, her legs instantly wrapping around his waist as his mouth teased her neck. "You know David's gonna chew our asses out if we keep him waiting, right?" she giggled.

"Fuck him," he growled, drawing patterns on the underside of her jaw with his tongue and her body flared with heat. Her breath caught in her throat when he covered her mouth in a heated kiss. Flick instantly forgot where they were, falling into the fantasy that it was just the two of them in their own world. Paul's stiff cock nudged her apex and she moaned, yearning to feel him inside her and it seemed as though he had the same thing on his mind when he set her on her feet, yanking at her jeans and underwear while she clumsily unbuckled his belt and tugged down his zipper.

Paul hoisted her back into his arms, her back pinned flush against the wall, the cool surface of the tiles bleed through her t-shirt, a stark contrast between the burning heat of her skin. Flick teased his mouth, moaning lowly when she felt Paul enter her, filling her completely. Paul groaned, slowly snapping his hips forward as his lips trailed her jaw, coming to rest at the crook of her neck where he drove her wild with hot, wet kisses to her flushed skin. Flick's fingers tangled in his hair as he ground his hips harder and faster and she could feel her climax building with every deliciously purposeful stroke.

Liquid fire flooded her veins as he drove her to the edge, his teeth grazing the juncture of her neck and shoulder as he moaned, reaching his own release. Her head dropped to his shoulder while she tried to catch her breath, her body slowly starting to calm it's trembling. "So we're into exhibitionism now?" she smirked, raising her head to find Paul staring down at her with soft eyes.

He chucked, biting his lip, making her heart flutter. "Babe I'd do you anytime, anywhere," he grinned wolfishly, softly kissing her jaw as he set her back onto her feet.

"Ditto," she smirked, giggling as they re-dressed and stumbled out onto the boardwalk.

~/~

Paul's bike cruised down a narrow dirt road running through a vast woodland, the only light source being the flood of white light from his and the boys headlights. After a bumpy ride leaving her slightly saddle sore, the road evened out and the bike came to a rolling stop in the middle of a huge clearing. Paul cut the engine leaving them blanketed in a calm silence, the clearing around them shrouded in darkness. "Hey douchebag, help me set up the fire," Marko hollered over at Dwayne as they hopped off their rides.

Flick followed Paul's lead, marvelling at the fact that she was able to see so well in the dark, well at least she thought she could until she stumbled over a rock that had been half-hidden in a thick patch of ankle-deep grass. "Fuck sake," she muttered to herself.

"Being mortal has it's downfalls doesn't it?" David smirked as he strolled past, his arms laden with brown paper bags.

"Can't see shit in the dark, bruise like a fucking peach-" Marko chimed.

"-Sweat like a pig in the heat and always need to be near a toilet in case you piss or shit yourself after too much beer or a dodgy curry," Dwayne added with a snicker.

"I still don't understand how you can guys eat and drink and not need to go to the toilet? Where the hell does it go?" Flick mused.

"Babe even we don't know that," Paul chuckled, kissing her temple.

"I'm not even fully human any more, how come I'm still the one almost landing on my ass?" Flick groused.

"'Cause you're a clumsy shit," Paul teased, prodding her ribs.

Flick swatted at his hand, her attention drawn to the fire pit where a fire suddenly blazed to life with an audible whoomph. Her eyes drifted from the flickering burnt sienna flames that danced and swayed in the warm summer's breeze, roaming over to the large expanse of serene midnight black water of the lake a few feet away. The silver-white light of the moon reflected on the glass-like surface of the water creating a hauntingly beautiful ghostly sheen. Flick looked up at the dark night sky and gasped in awe. The sky was a vivid inky black interspersed with both indigo and violet and with no light pollution, the stars glittered and twinkled in full-view, she could even make out some constellations.

"What d'ya think babe?" Paul asked, guiding her towards the low wooden benches bordering the fire pit.

"It's so beautiful," she gushed, unable to take her eyes off the star-studded sky.

"We thought you might like it," Dwayne smiled over at her from his seat on the opposite bench, his feet kicked out in front of him.

"How did you guys even find this place?" she asked, smiling when Paul gently tugged her down to sit beside him.

"When you've been around as long as we have, you get to know places," David replied vaguely and she wondered if the boys ever got bored of Santa Carla. Could vampires get a little stir-crazy on occasion?

They sat in comfortable silence drinking beer, smoking and the eating sub sandwiches Dwayne had picked up at the boardwalk. Paul belched loudly and drained the remainder of his beer. "Pig," David side-eyed him with an expression of disdain.

"Oink," Paul grinned, impishly flashing his teeth.

"You need fucking etiquette lessons McCarter."

"Yeah? Well you need to take the stick out your ass."

Marko grinned around a mouthful of sandwich while Dwayne snickered, taking a swig of his beer. "I think you guys are too hard on David," Flick chirped in David's defence.

"Do you now?" Marko arched one eyebrow in amusement.

"N'aww d'ya think you've chosen the wrong vampire?" Dwayne asked slyly.

"Fuck you," Flick scowled.

"It's a joke girl, not a dick, don't take it so hard," Dwayne grinned wolfishly and Paul snorted, spraying his lap with beer and Flick punched him in the ribs only serving to make Paul laugh harder.

"I couldn't give a fuck what you assholes think about me – I barely tolerate you dipshits on a good day," David scowled, taking a drag of his cigarette.

"Gee thanks," Flick pouted.

"I suppose your presence isn't as torturous as I first thought it would be," he smirked and Flick grinned knowing that it was as close to a compliment as she was going to get from the platinum blonde.

"Hear that babe, he likes you," Paul grinned, nudging her shoulder.

"So he should, I'm a peach," she grinned, eliciting laughter from the four boys.

A quiet calm fell over the group and she quickly found her mind wandering. With no conversation to distract her, it wasn't long before a question she'd had rattling around in her head since seeing Paul in action earlier that night. "Guys, what's the most violent think you've ever done?" she inquired, feeling that she was in a good enough place to hear their answers even if their replies would turn her stomach slightly.

"Are you sure that's a question you want answers to Felicity?" David arched his brow.

"Yeah, why not? I'm gonna be joining in on the mayhem soon enough aren't I?"

"Mmm... my little sadist," Paul crooned, kissing her jaw. "You know there's probably been worse but one that I can remember is I snapped every finger on this one dudes hands before gouging out his eyes and slitting his throat," Paul shrugged as if it was no big deal.

"Off the top off my head?-" Marko tapped his chin, "-there was this one chick who just wouldn't shut the fuck up... so I ripped off her jaw," he smirked.

"I wouldn't say it was the most violent thing that I've ever done but perhaps it's one of the most creative – I once ripped off a man's arm and slapped him with his own hand," David stated and Flick guffawed, unsure whether it was the deadpan way he'd said it or whether it was the act itself that she found so funny. David's lips curled up in a smirk and she giggled.

"What about you Dwayne?" she inquired curiously.

Dwayne grinned devilishly, his chocolate brown eyes glinting feverishly in the glow of the fire. "Back when I first turned, I remember skinning this dude before ripping out his spleen and eating it," he narrated, taking a casual sip from his beer like what he'd said was in anyway normal and not wholly depraved.

"Gnarly!" Paul smirked.

"Ten points to the warrior," Marko enthused, clinking his bottle with Dwayne's.

~/~

Paul stared at the crackling fire bed, distracted by his own thoughts – he couldn't believe that Flick had taken the first step to making their relationship official when only days ago he'd been so scared he was going to lose her. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts before he started grinning like an idiot infront of the boys. He finished toasting the marshmallow speared on the end of the stick he held in the flame of the fire, carefully slotting it between two chocolate coated graham crackers and handed it to Flick.

"Thanks boo," she grinned, catching the oozing marshmallow on the tip of her finger.

"Check it out man, she's got him domesticated already," Marko smirked slyly, nudging Dwayne's shoulder.

"Poor fucker," Dwayne shook his head in mock commiseration.

Paul flipped the two cheeky shits the finger. "Anyone got any scary stories? Ain't it tradition to try and freak each other out when you're sat around a campfire surrounded by fucking forest in the middle of the night?" Paul broke the lull in conversation.

"I didn't think you could freak out a vampire-" Flick frowned, "-aren't they usually the ones to freak out everyone else?"

"Not when it comes to Paul-" Dwayne smirked, "-the last time we were here, the dumb shit started freaking out because a fucking fish bumped his ankle."

"A – the fucker bit and B – it wasn't a fish it was a Piranha," Paul retorted.

"A Piranha is a fucking fish you absolute fucking idiot," David rolled his eyes and Dwayne barked a laugh.

"Whatever man," Paul pouted, flipping them both a ringed middle finger while Flick shot him a gorgeous smile, squeezing his thigh.

"I've got a story from back home on the reservation if you wanna hear it?" he offered.

"Is it just a story or did it really happen?" Flick asked.

"Fucking hell you've been spending too much time with Paul," Dwayne teased.

"I meant is it fact or fiction you asshole."

"You tell him babe," Paul slung his arm around her shoulder, drawing her into his side.

"Go on man, tell us," Marko enthused.

"I don't know if you've heard the legends or the stories about Skinwalker's but it's something I grew up being warned about time and time again. When I was just a kid, my dad's stories about the evil shapeshifting creatures admittedly used to scare me into never straying far away from my parents and I never dared to venture deeper into the forest surrounding the reservation. Then, when I got older, I started to think that maybe my old man was just filling my head with stories as a way to keep in in line, you know? To prevent me from being a little shit and running riot around the reservation like some of the other kids my age."

"Anyway, one night I couldn't sleep and I got tired of tossing and turning, listening to my dad snoring like a fucking wild boar and snuck out. I took one of the old kerosene lamps and my hunting spear just in case I ran into anything bigger than a racoon and headed into the woods-" Dwayne paused, cracking open another beer, "-I was just casually walking through the woodland, making my way towards the lake when out of the blue everything turned deathly silent. I mean, only seconds ago I could hear the hoot of an owl, the buzzing of the cicadas and the odd howl of a distant coyote or wolf – you know the sound of the reservation at night and then suddenly – nothing."

"I stopped in my tracks. My heart was racing like I'd just sprinted a lap around the reservation, my blood turned to ice in my veins and the hairs on my arms and the back of my neck were stood on end. It was like my body was warning me that I was in danger but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out what the danger was. It didn't feel like I was being stalked by an animal, it was darker than that. I was seconds from turning back and getting the hell out of there when I heard the most inhuman, bloodcurdling scream that seemed tot come from every direction all at once. I really wanted to fucking run but my feet were glued to the spot and both my hands were shaking. I mean, I wasn't someone who scared easily once I grew out of my childish fears and I'm still not but right then, stood in the middle of the woods in the pitch black with nothing but the sound of the inhuman screeching and my own pounding heart – I was fucking terrified."

"The screeching and screaming drew nearer and I swear I was on the verge of fucking tears. Whatever it was heading in my direction was pure fucking evil, I could feel it here-" he rubbed his sternum, "-I heard the sound of snapping twigs and crunching leaves a few feet to my left and I swung the light of my lamp in the direction of the sounds and I'll never forgot what I saw..." he exhaled slowly.

"What did you see dude?" Paul chimed, his eyes wide with curiosity.

"Stood around two feet away was I creature that I can still barely fucking describe. It look vaguely like a black dog but its proportions were all out of whack, likes its legs were too long and spindly and its back was unnaturally arched. I remember looking at its bowed head and noticing its freakishly long snout knowing that this wasn't any fucking dog, this was what my dad had warned me about so many times-" he shook his head, taking a swig of beer, "-I stood willing my legs to work as it raised its head and I'm not ashamed to admit that I screamed for my dad when I saw this creatures face. It was the most grotesque thing I'd ever seen. It had the face of a dog but the features of a human with glowing red eyes. It threw back its head, dropped its jaw and that inhuman screech deafened me. I immediately whipped my hands over my ears, dropping the lamp and my spear leaving me stood in the blinding dark with a fucking soul-eating Skinwalker a few feet away."

David tossed his empty beer bottle into the trashcan behind him, the resounding clink of the glass making Flick jump much to Paul, Marko and Dwayne's amusement. "Sorry," David smirked and Flick stuck out her tongue.

"So then what happened?" Marko brought the conversation back on track and Dwayne continued.

"I screamed again when I felt arms wrap around me out of nowhere and I started to fight back until I heard my dad basically telling me to shut the fuck up. He dragged me out of the woods all the while saying shit in our native language that I didn't and still don't understand while the screeching got louder and seemed to be following us. When we got back to the tent, my dad sent me to my mom who was sat with fear in her eyes and I curled up like a fucking baby beside her. I remember my dad sitting up all night, chanting and holding his spear like a fucking sentinel by the opening of the tent as the creature stalked us, screaming and screeching until dawn broke. The next day my dad beat the shit out of me for disobeying him and I swore that I'd never question him again because let's face it, if it wasn't for him somehow hearing me that night I would have been the Skinwalker's next victim."

Flick gawped at Dwayne in horror, her eyes darting to the forest bordering the clearing with a lump of fear lodged in her throat while Marko, Paul and David stared at their friend doubtfully. "Bullshit," Marko shook his head.

"That's what I thought about my old man's stories until I saw it for myself. It was real dude, it was the most terrifying experience of my life," Dwayne argued.

"More terrifying than David creeping up on your ass in the middle of the night?" Paul smirked.

Dwayne nodded. "The stories blood drinking immortals never scared me honestly, not like the Skinwalker's and Wendigo's. I mean, at least vampires appear human – those fuckers don't. Besides, David didn't approach me with his fangs out, he approached me as this weirdly alluring guy," he chuckled.

"Did you question your sexuality?" Marko smirked, biting the leather strap of his glove.

"Fuck you-" Dwayne laughed, "-did you?"

Marko scowled.

"Are all vampires ridiculously good-looking?" Flick asked much to the boys amusement.

"Immortality only accentuates what you were originally," David replied.

"So basically as humans we were all sexy motherfucker's and now we're fucking panty-droppers," Paul grinned and Flick laughed.

"I can't believe I've never asked this but, how old were you all when you 'died'?" Flick inquired inquisitively. "I know Paul was twenty-four."

"I was seventeen," Marko shrugged.

"No way, we're the same age?!" Flick gasped incredulously.

"Technically I'm older," Marko laughed.

"Technically I don't give a shit honey," Flick retorted and Marko barked a laugh.

"I was twenty-four," Dwayne spoke up.

"David?" Flick pressed curiously.

"Twenty," he replied much to her surprise, she would have pegged him as a lot older – he was definitely wiser.

"So was it all bro's at first sight for you guys?" she continued to question the boys.

"Kinda-" Paul shrugged, "-it was like an instant connection, you know? But I hated Dwayne because he was better looking than me," he laughed and Dwayne snorted.

"Still am douchebag."

"It's those warrior genetics putting you at an unfair advantage. My dad was an ugly bastard, he was totally punching when he landed my mom – no lie," Paul shook his head.

"I think you're gorgeous," Flick chirped and Paul shot her a toothy grin.

"N'aaww," Dwayne and Marko cooed in tandem while David rolled his eyes.

~/~

"My brother wouldn't have just run-way Michael, he's been in trouble before and never even thought about running, he always says running's for bitches and snitches," Star thumbed one of the beads on her skirt.

"Well it looks like Greg's skipped town too, their friends haven't seen them since the night they attacked Flick," Michael offered, toying with the lace on his sneakers.

"You're not listening Michael-" Star snapped, irritated, "-my brother wouldn't run and neither would Greg if I know him like I'm sure I do. I know there's something I'm missing here but I just can't think what it is, every time I try to remember anything about that night or the day after my mind just fogs up like the memories are blocked or something."

Michael frowned. "I remember hiding out in the motel because you were scared those Lost Boy fags were gonna come after us."

"Yeah I remember that too but everything after that is just one big haze but I feel like there's something I should be remembering but I can't. I feel scared Michael, I have this weird, unrelenting sense of fear but I have no idea why."

"Maybe those punks found out it was your brother who attacked Flick and ran him outta town."

"Or maybe they killed him," Star swallowed, her skin prickling as a shiver inched down her spine.

"There's only one person who can give us an answer," Michael stated coldly.

"Who?" Star frowned.

"Flick."

Star laughed bitterly. "There's no way we can get to her now, she's under their protection full-time remember?"

"You used to date that psycho David, right?"

"So?"

"So you must have stayed over at his place on occasion, right? I say we go, wait until Flick's on her own and get some answers – beat it out of her if we have to."

"I don't think that's a good idea Michael," Star shook her head as an unexplained sense of fear made her stomach roil.

"I told you I'd do anything for you Star and I meant it-" Michael urged, "-Flick's a screw up, no-ones gonna miss her if she's gone and if the worst comes to worst then we'll skip town, start over somewhere new, just the two of us, what do you say baby, are you in?"

"I'm in," Star whispered, coaxing him into a heated kiss.