Lost Wolf
Chapter 3
Michael Emerson sat in his room, alone, in the dark, ignoring anyone who tried to speak to him through the locked door.
It was supposed to be over. The Head Vampire was dead. Star and Laddie were free.
But not him.
No, Michael Emerson was still among the damned.
He thought back to his time with the boys. The bonfire massacre. The train trellis. The race. Star. The bottle.
The damn bottle.
Star had warned him. She'd told him flat out it was blood.
And he'd laughed.
Who in their right mind would have believed that a bottle of wine was spiked with blood?
The Frog Brothers wouldn't have fallen for it, and they were absolutely nuts.
Sam wouldn't have.
Or Grampa.
Mom might, she was so trusting, but she wouldn't be drinking from strange bottles handed to her by juvenile delinquents in the first place.
David was right. He'd done this to himself.
And because of his stupidity, Sam had nearly been killed trying to save his dumb ass by staking the Vampires.
Alan Frog had been clawed by a Werewolf. They still had no idea what effect that would have. According to Sam, even the Werewolf himself didn't know if it would have any effect.
He believed him, if only because said Werewolf had protected his little brother from the worse monsters he had dealt with.
Where did it start, really?
With Max and his mom?
With him and Star?
Or with him and David?
David was clearly very intent on making him a part of their twisted little family, almost from the moment they met. And he had a funny feeling that was before Max had decided that Lucy Emerson was the perfect mother figure for his precious boys. Or before David had learned about it, anyway.
Star said he'd been intended as her first kill, but Star said a lot of things.
And left a lot of things out, as well.
Alex, for one.
Star had thought David was the Master Vampire, and didn't know about Max. According to Sam, Alex had known about Max, but hadn't known that David's blood was in the bottle, only Max's. Apparently David had been playing his own game the entire time. And he'd won. Max was dead, the Lost Boys were his and so was Michael. And he hadn't had to do any of the heavy lifting.
David didn't want mom or Sam, apparently, only Michael.
Thank God for that.
He seemed glad to be rid of Star, and, according to Alex, (again via Sam), the boys, especially Dwayne, hadn't wanted Laddie turned in the first place. That was all Max.
That, at least, he could understand. Being a bloodsucking child forever would be a living hell.
Or unliving hell, considering the nature of the Vampire.
But they wanted him.
And, unless someone offed David very quickly, they would have him.
Sam had told him about Marko briefly flipping out, remembering his past before he was a Vampire. Apparently, he hadn't had a good life, but Michael couldn't find it in him to sympathize. Whoever Marko had been before was long dead, those were the memories of a ghost. An innocent boy who died years ago at the fangs of a monster. Marko was a monster now, just like the rest of them. He knew, he'd seen him feed. Brutal, sadistic, a demon hiding behind an angel's face.
Was that his future as well?
A demon with Michael Emerson's body? A demon that dreamed of a boy long dead? Of a family forsaken?
Would he one day look back and see his humanity as nothing more than an old pair of jeans he'd thrown away?
One thing was certain, he couldn't stay here. He'd attacked Sam once, he would have killed him if not for Nanook. It was only a matter of time now, the hunger was growing inside him. He couldn't risk anyone else being hurt, either by trying to save him or by becoming his meal. He could let the Frogs stake him, but they were already in trouble after their stunt with Marko and Alan getting scratched by Alex, killing David's pet project would bring the wrath of the entire group on their heads.
No, he had to go to David. Back to the hotel.
Then, maybe, his family would be safe.
He pulled out a pencil and a piece of paper, hoping his family would forgive him, and that they wouldn't be stupid enough to interfere.
He should have known better.
XXXX
The great thing about Surf Nazis was that they were plentiful and too stupid to stay off the beach. Even when tourist season ended and the lucky tourists who survived went home, there were always Surf Nazis around somewhere.
Kind of like chickens. Tasty, multitudinous, and with no sense of self-preservation.
"We need to get Max's holdings in order." Dwayne sighed, standing amid the carnage that moments before had been a bonfire party, "The house, the store, the money. He had contacts we could use, and since we didn't dust him ourselves, they might be more willing to work with us. After all, we were his beloved children."
They all laughed at that.
"I hope he remembered us in his will." Marko grinned, his angelic face painted red with fresh blood, "I'm sure he didn't expect to be leaving, but that's what a thoughtful family man would do."
"I wonder what he left me?" Paul laughed.
"Probably a few stakes and a jug of holy water." David took a drag on his cigarette as Paul pouted childishly.
"More importantly, we need to secure our territory," Dwayne threw a body into the bonfire, "The other vamps are going to be chomping at the bit to get their claws on The Boardwalk with Max gone. The older ones will see us as a bunch of weak neonates, and the younger ones will be too full of themselves to think that we can stop them. Things are going to get ugly."
"Things are already ugly, Paul's right here." Marko laughed, dodging as Paul tried to tackle him.
"Take that back, you little rat!"
"Make me, Twisted Sister!"
Dwayne and David stood by and shook their heads.
Marko took to the air, but Paul grabbed his ankle and threw him onto the bloody sand.
The smaller Vampire yelped as Paul jumped on top of him.
"Get off me, fat-ass!"
"Take it back!"
"Never!"
The two Vampires were now rolling on the sand, wrestling and taking nips at each other with their fangs.
David tossed his spent cigarette into the fire, "How have they survived this long?"
Dwayne looked at the bickering young Vampires, "They say that God has a special place in his heart for idiots and children. And these two are both."
David casually picked up a severed leg. "We should take a few pieces back for Thorn."
Marko shot up, knocking Paul backwards, "I forgot about that! We have a dog now!"
"We already have a dog, Kibbles n' Bits. A loud-mouthed little chihuahua!" Paul laughed as Marko swung at him.
"Hey, this one was carrying weed." David pulled a baggie from the jacket of one of their meals-on-the-go.
Paul lunged for the baggie, his play-fight with Marko forgotten, opening it up and taking a deep breath, "Man, I wish I'd asked about his dealer before we killed him, this is the good stuff!" He immediately began searching the body for more.
"You ever wonder about the sharks? I mean, the ones that eat our kills when we throw 'em in the ocean?" Marko stared out over dark waters, looking for fins, "Maybe there are, like, Vampire sharks out there... Can you imagine that? Jaws flying out of the water to suck someone's blood? That'd be so cool!" He cackled loudly and began chewing his thumbnail, still looking out over the ocean.
Dwayne rolled his eyes, "Did you break into Paul's stash or something? That Acid crap is bad news, even for us..."
"Just thinkin' bro. Flyin' Vampire Sharks from Hell, man." He grinned, "They could be our pets! An underwater army-"
"We don't need the competition."
Marko pouted, which would have been far more adorable had his face not been smeared with blood.
"Besides, I think they'd have to be bitten and take a Vampire's blood, or else every fish and crab from here to Alaska would be a Vampire by now."
Marko mentally went over the steps to becoming a Vampire, "So if one of our meals somehow turned, and fed on a shark that bit him..."
Dwayne shook his head and laughed, "Don't be an idiot. Or, well, more of an idiot. Sharks are fish, they're cold-blooded, their blood would taste awful. A seal or whale would be a better choice."
"Vampire seals? We could train them to do tricks-"
"Marko. No. Just no." David rubbed the bridge of his nose in exasperation, "I thought you liked animals?"
"What better gift to give than immortality. Cruising the deep forever, stomping all challengers, taking down boats, maybe even subs. They'd be legendary."
"They'd scare everyone away from the beaches forever." Dwayne was getting tired of his over-enthusiastic younger brother, "Remember the summer after Jaws came out? Even the Surf Nazis made themselves scarce."
"It doesn't matter, because it's not going to happen. We need to get back to the cave, it'll be daylight soon." David yawned, "And we have a lot to do come nightfall."
As they flew off into the night, Marco veered out over the waves, looking for glowing red eyes in the the water.
XXXX
David smiled when Michael Emerson walked into the cave. He'd expected him to give in, but not so quickly. He leaned back in the old wheelchair and steepled his fingers like a Bond villain.
"That was quick."
"Shut up, David."
David laughed, "Still sassy as ever, I see."
Michael looked around the lobby. Marko was on the ground, playing with that huge dog of Max's, Paul was blitzed out on the couch, stinking of weed and Dwayne was leaning against the wall, just watching him. Alex was presumably wherever he went to sleep.
"I'm glad you decided to be sensible about this." David continued. Oh, how he loved the sound of his own voice. "Makes it easier on everyone."
"Hey, Paulie, you owe me twenty. He came right over." Marko called out cheerfully. Paul just snorted and made himself more comfortable, probably too high to walk, much less carry on a conversation.
"I never wanted this. I still don't." Michael said defiantly.
"None of us did. You'll get over it." David stood up and walked over to Michael, "We did."
"That thing won't be me. That will just be a monster who thinks he was Michael Emerson."
"Maybe," David shrugged, "Maybe little Mikey Emerson will fly off to Heaven and your body will stay here and party and live forever."
Michael growled, showing his fangs.
"Want a rematch, Mikey?" David flashed his eyes and cracked his knuckles. "If you do, you'll have to wait. It's almost dawn, and we're called Creatures of the Night for a reason." His eyes grew hard, "We blocked up that gap those brats used to sneak up on us, and we've moved our sleeping area. You'll be sleeping on the bed until we trust you enough to show you where we sleep now."
"Fine by me."
XXXX
The scene was so homey and commonplace that Lucy Emerson almost laughed.
The noonday sun beaming down upon a boy and his dog playing fetch on the beach.
In front of a monsters' den.
The boy was pale and skinny, painfully so, wearing only deep blue board shorts, and she could count his ribs as she got closer. He was tossing a large bone to a large dog that Lucy remembered very clearly as belonging to Max. Her father whispered beside her, "That'd be the Werewolf, I guess. And a Hellhound... And that bone, that's a human femur."
The boy jerked his head, suddenly turned to look at the approaching group in surprise. The dog began to growl dangerously, and he held the dog back. "Thorn, no."
"Sam? What..." So this was Alex. He looked at Lucy and her father, "Miss. Emerson... And you must be the hunter they told me about... The one who dusted Max." He had to raise his voice to be heard over the dog. It was amazing that he could hold the thing back, as he looked like he could be knocked over by stiff breeze, "You shouldn't be here. It's dangerous."
"They have my son." She replied.
"He wouldn't want you to come here." Alex, stated bluntly, "It isn't safe."
He'd said as much in his letter, but she had to see him, if only for one last time.
"We just want to see him, Alex. He left last night. He didn't even say goodbye." Sam sounded strong, confident. Mature. Her boys were changing, growing up, and she only noticed now.
Now that it was too late for Michael.
Alex eyes darted toward the cave, "They know when someone has been in the hotel, even if it was while they were gone. And they're not gone right now."
"I don't care." Lucy's voice was steeled and determined. Alex knew she wouldn't back down for anything. There's nothing more dangerous than standing between a mother and her child. Lucy looked over the young Werewolf who was clearly trying to weigh the risks of the situation against the basic decency of letting them see Michael one last time.
Alex was handsome, in a way, with sharp cheekbones, full lips and expressive eyes. He definitely needed to eat more, though, unless Werewolves were just naturally skinny. He made her think of a more masculine, dark haired version of David Bowie. He wore one of the dangling earrings like the others, with a wolf's head at the end of the chain. Only his was steel with a wolf's head in copper, silver not being an option, for obvious reasons. Apparently, from what Sam had told her, he was here because he had nowhere else to go. These boys were the closest thing to family he had. He'd lived here since he was Sam's age, and on the streets before that.
It seemed like everything she learned about this hidden world was awash with tragedy.
Suddenly she remembered him, and how he knew her name. They'd actually met before, briefly, he'd come into the video store a few days ago and bought a movie he'd ordered new through Max, which was odd as the store was for Video Rentals, and the only tapes for sale were the older ones being sold to make way for new films. She'd figured that he was probably the son of a personal friend of Max and therefore got a little special treatment. It was a '70's horror movie, The Curse of the Black Widow. She'd never seen it, but vaguely remembered it having been a made for TV movie. He'd been polite, quiet, clean and dressed simply. He looked nothing like the tough, thuggish kids she now knew to be Vampires or the local human delinquents. The only sign of a possible rebellious streak had been the earring. She'd asked him about it, as it seemed a signature of the Lost Boys and Michael had just started wearing one as well.
She had been worried about gangs.
If only it had been something so simple.
So human.
Max had interrupted her, (accidentally, she'd thought then. Now she knew better.), and he'd left while Max was talking to her, having already paid for the tape.
What would he have said, if Max hadn't stepped in?
It wouldn't have made a difference, she realized, Michael had already been infected the night before.
But none of that mattered right now.
Except for Michael.
She walked closer and headed toward the hotel, Sam and her father beside her, defying the angry dog and the NO TRESPASSING signs.
Alex rushed past them, running a hand through his brown hair, a nervous trait, "Careful with the steps. They're old, really old."
But if Alex was here, where was that awful dog?
When Thorn didn't rush in and tear them to pieces Lucy put the dog out of her mind.
It wasn't important either.
They climbed the rickety steps and entered the cave.
It was exactly as Sam and Michael had described it, a hotel lobby sunk into the earth. Ratty couches and chairs, oil drums, an old, beat-up boom-box, an antique wheelchair. An antique clock with tools and clockwork placed with care beside it sat on an 19th century end table. If she hadn't been so concerned for Michael, she would have stared at what was once a small fountain, now filled with an odd assortment of items, watches, jewelry, glasses, coins, tokens, knick-knacks, clothing... Almost certainly souvenirs of past kills. Some of the items looked to be decades old.
Another small end table in front of one of the couches held one of those TV/VCR hybrids and a few VHS tapes, including, lo and behold The Curse of the Black Widow. A poster of Jim Morrison overlooked the entire scene.
And then there was the smell. The stench of Marijuana hung thick in the air, mixing with regular wood smoke, spilled beer and cigarettes.
And blood.
Alex was sniffling and tearing up. For someone with an enhanced sense of smell, this place was probably torture. No wonder he was outside when they arrived.
How could anyone live like this?
Oddly enough, there was little dust and no garbage scattered around. The floors, walls and furniture were clean, save for some stains she didn't want to think about.
Alex's work, most likely. With the day-long job of guarding sleeping Vampires he'd have a lot of time and little to fill it with.
A group of pigeons were nestled in a corner, sleeping. Marko's pigeons. She remembered Sam mentioning them while explaining what happened while he was a prisoner here.
How could someone cherish animal life so highly, and respect human life so little?
Thorn ambled in behind them, giving them a look that was threatening in an almost intelligent way, before jumping onto one of the old couches.
"He's in here. If it weren't daytime, I wouldn't let you near him. He's not strong enough to hurt you right now. But don't get too close, he's probably hungry." Alex motioned toward a side corridor. A large, old, four-poster bed with ragged curtains and mismatched, dirty sheets sat there, in the near dark. Michael was curled up on it, looking pale and sickly, apparently asleep. Her father groaned at the sight. He blamed himself, she knew. And, to be honest, she blamed him to an extent, he'd known about the Lost Boys and said nothing, even when Michael became involved. But if he'd tried to warn her about Vampires stalking her children, she'd have reacted the same way as when Sam had tried to tell her. She'd have thought he was lying. Or crazy.
Or both.
Sam had tried so hard to warn her, to keep her safe, and she hadn't listened. She'd accused him of acting out. Of lying. Of trying to ruin her relationship with Max out of jealousy.
She'd been such a fool.
And it had cost Michael dearly.
She sat on the bed and stroked Michael's dark, curly hair.
"Mom?" He shifted slightly, groggy with sleep.
"It's me baby." She said softly, "And Sam and Grampa-"
"You have to get out of here!" Michael weakly lifted himself until he was sitting up, "They'll know you were here! And the hunger, I can't control it, mom."
She wanted to hold him, wanted to tell him it would be alright, but she knew that would be a lie.
"I know."
"I told you not to come."
"How could I not come, you're my son?"
"There's no getting out of it this time. And once it happens, I'll be gone. I won't be Michael Emerson anymore-"
"Nonsense, you'll always be my-"
"It doesn't work that way! Do you think the others started out like this? That they were born Vampires? They were ordinary people once, people who had lives and families. People who would never do the kind of things they do now."
Sam had told her about this. About Marko remembering who he was before, as if he had been a character in a dream. Or a nightmare, if his reaction to his memories was an accurate indication of his past life. Had his mother mourned him? Had she even known what happened to him? Had she even cared?
"I know, Mike. I know." Sam was doing his level best not to cry. "But right now you're still you. You're still my big brother, and I wanted to see you."
"I'm dying Sam. Everything that makes me, me... I don't know what, if anything, will be left."
He suddenly groaned and crumpled into himself, holding his stomach.
"Michael! Michael, baby, what's wrong?!"
"I'm so hungry!" His eyes flashed red, his face taking that monstrous shape, so hard and cruel. So unlike her Michael. Suddenly a slender arm was pushing a bejeweled bottle into his hands.
"This will help." Alex said softly, though to whom he was speaking was unclear.
Michael grabbed the bottle and brought it to his lips, drinking like a parched man in the desert. Soon the bottle was empty.
"The only thing that can ease the pain is blood." Alex explained, "Hopefully this will be enough to hold him until he can get more."
"Get more where?"
"David. Or a human."
A human victim went unsaid.
Michael closed his eyes and fell back to sleep.
"He'll sleep for a while now."
Lucy looked at him sadly, "Thank you." She said sincerely.
"I..." Alex didn't know what to say to that. Lucy Emerson was going to lose her son, and it could be prevented, but only by killing someone who was like a brother to Alex. David couldn't free Michael if he wanted to, (and he didn't), only his death could break the bond. And, once he killed, he would never be able to go back. "It's the least I can do."
"You've done so much for us already." Lucy frowned slightly, "You're not going to get into trouble for this, are you?"
Alex shook his head, "No. I don't think so. David wants him to make his peace with the life he had before."
The life he had before. Past tense. Michael was, literally, dying.
The boy she knew, the boy she'd raised for 17 years, her baby, her eldest child would soon be gone.
Forever.
And when he woke up again, what would be hiding behind her son's eyes?
For a moment, a crazy, desperate moment, she thought about ripping one of the posts from the bed, finding David and staking that son-of-a-bitch herself. But even if she somehow made it past Alex, (would he even try to stop her? Of course he would, these creatures were the only 'family' he had in the world.), she'd have to deal with Thorn. And three other Vampires. And not just her, but Sam and her father as well.
But David was hiding. Not from her, she didn't frighten him, but from the sun. The sun that meant life to so many things brought death to the Vampire. How could such a horrible species exist? They seemed the very antithesis of life.
Sam took off his backpack and pulled out the motorcycle helmet he'd borrowed from the young Werewolf. "I forgot to take this off. It's just everything was so crazy..."
"I understand. Thank you."
Lucy looked Alex in the eyes, "If you ever need somewhere to go, my door is always open."
Alex blushed and looked away, he could feel the moisture building up in his eyes.
"I..." He struggled with his words," Uh... Thank you." He paused and stroked his hair back, "Tell Alan that if the scratches haven't healed completely, he isn't a Werewolf. We heal very quickly. If he has healed, I'll need to talk to him."
Lucy didn't call him on changing the subject.
"Of course. I know he still has the cuts, so he'll be relieved to know that. He and Edgar have been worrying to death about it."
He let out a sigh, but she couldn't tell if it was one of relief or disappointment. Being the only Werewolf in town, (that she knew of) had to be lonely.
"They still need to keep an eye on it so it doesn't get infected. From what I know of their parents they can't count on anyone but each other."
"I'll make sure that they do." Lucy murmured softly, her eyes on her sleeping son.
They sat and watched Michael sleep for a time, but they all knew they couldn't stay. As they walked out of that cursed den, without her son, Lucy took a deep breath of the clean, salty air and started to weep.
XXXX
"I don't think she'll try anything. Even if she wants to, she's not strong enough, physically, that is." David sat in his wheelchair throne, wondering for the first time about the consequences of taking Michael Emerson. He hadn't before, but he hadn't known that his grandfather was the old hunter they had sparred against for years, or that the Frogs and Sam would do something so extremely stupid as attack them in their own lair. But, there was no use crying over spilled milk. Michael would turn tonight, Marko was safe and unhurt and Max was dust in the wind. Things had worked out well, well for him, of course. And for Michael. He'd understand as soon as he fed. As soon as he joined them, forever.
"The old man took out Max. With a pickup truck with stakes tied to it." Dwayne observed, "That's crazy. Dangerous crazy."
"He could just get some dynamite and blow this whole place to hell in the middle of the day," Michael rather liked the idea, "If the rubble didn't crush you, the sun would fry all of you like eggs."
"It's night now, and you feed tonight, Mikey. I was lenient with Star because she took care of Laddie, but you can't hide behind the kid now." David's voice was deceptively soft, but laced with steel, "You will feed tonight. Because if you don't, I'll bring you a more... Personalized meal. Star, maybe? Or Lucy?"
Michael changed, snarling.
David just smiled, "Now think about this very carefully Mikey, it's a very simple question. Would you rather off some stranger, or someone you love?"
Everyone, except perhaps Michael, noticed that David hadn't mentioned Sam as a possible meal.
Michael was shaking with rage, but somehow managed to hold back from attacking David.
"How about you? How about I kill you?"
David looked confused for a moment, then laughed like he'd just heard the funniest joke in the world.
The other Vampires joined in, their laughter bouncing of the walls.
David made a sudden hand gesture, and everyone went silent.
"Not possible, Mikey. And even if it was, you'd still be a full Vampire, and I'd have won in the end anyway."
"You'd still be dead."
"I'm already dead!" David shouted loudly, "I'm a Vampire. And so are you! My blood runs through your veins, you're already a Vampire in every way but one. And once you kill, you'll be free of this suffocating humanity. Free to enjoy life!"
"We're wasting time arguing." Dwayne stated in a slightly tense voice, "Let's just get this over with."
"That's an excellent idea, Dwayne. Let's go."
Marko and Paul whooped loudly and rushed out into the night, eager to get away from the tension and drama. David took Michael by the arm and strode toward the entrance, Dwayne loyally at his side.
Alex watched them go, he was tired but he doubted he'd sleep tonight. He'd never seen an actual change between halfling and Vampire, Paul was turned sometime in the 1960's and thankfully Laddie and Star had never taken the final step. But Michael had no choice, and he wondered what sort of creature was going to waltz into the hotel wearing Michael Emerson's skin...
To Be Continued...
XXXX
Notes:
Playing fetch with a human femur is a reference to the 1989 movie 'The 'Burbs' which featured Corey Feldman among the cast.
Marko wouldn't want people knowing about his mental issues, but Sam has a hard time keeping his mouth shut.
Vampire Sharks, what a ridiculous idea, right? I'm looking at you, Shane.
So, Alan Frog is not a Werewolf.
The Curse of the Black Widow is a 1977 made for TV (ABC) movie about a woman cursed to turn into a giant black widow, and the private detective trying to stop her.
TV/VCR combo sets were developed in the 1970's and were sold to Video Retailers. They became available to the general public in the mid-late 1980's. Where is the power to run it coming from? Magic... Or batteries.
Werewolf blood doesn't appeal to Vampires. Neither human nor animal... That's how Alex can be around hungry halflings like Star, Laddie and Michael. He could theoretically fight a halfling off if he was attacked, being much stronger than he looks, but he'd rather not.
Vampires aren't 'nice' people from a human standpoint. They take what they want and only care about the consequences if they affect them directly. As Dwayne pointed out in chapter 2, they view themselves as superior beings. Humans, aside from potential recruits, are food, pawns or enemies to be destroyed.
I mean no offence to David Bowie. He was a good man and a cultural icon. But he did look feminine by the standards of the '70's and '80's. That's not an insult, it's simply an observation.