"Lily." Someone was shaking her and calling her name. "Wake up Lily. We
can't get inside until you invite us in."
"And it's cold out here." Someone else said.
"Come in." She murmured instinctively. She was only half aware of being lifted through her window to a pair of waiting arms.
"Where'd you find her?" One voice asked.
The first voice answered. "She jumped off the bridge."
"God, why?"
"Don't know."
Many hands undressed her and dried her off. "Where'd she get that scar?" Someone asked as a nightgown was pulled over her head and she was tucked into bed, heavy blankets piled on top.
"The boy gave that to her." Her savior said softly.
"Let her sleep." A new voice said and the others quieted. Lily let herself drift back away.
***
Lily floated to consciousness, opening her eyes. She gave a small scream when she saw a man she thought was two years dead sitting on the end of her bed.
"It wasn't a dream." She breathed.
David shook his head. "It wasn't a dream." He cocked his head to the side. "Why'd you jump?"
"I couldn't stand being without you anymore. There was this emptiness in my mind that wouldn't go away." She sat up, gathering the blankets around her.
Dwayne came forward, hugging her tightly. "You scared me."
"I'm sorry. I've just been so lonely." She murmured into his chest. "How are you here?" She asked when he released her. "They burned the house. I saw it. There was nothing left."
David grinned. "I don't know but here we are."
That drew a shaky laugh from her. "The others?"
"Right here girl." From nowhere, Paul was there, leaning against her windowsill.
"We missed you." Marko was sitting on her desk, swinging his legs.
Lily looked at each of them then back at David. "I've fallen out of the habit of expecting people to just appear when I need them." She said and burst into tears. He reached out and pulled her into his arms.
"I've had so many dreams like this. I hurt for so long because you were gone." She said into his shoulder, running her hands over his chest and arms as if to reassure herself he was really there.
"Shh, we're here princess." David rubbed her back. Dwayne took up her hand, kissing the back of it. Marko and Paul joined the group, adding comfort to the embrace. The pack of the Lost Boys was whole once again.
***
Marko was playing with Lily's hair. She rolled over and looked at the small vampire.
"What're you doing?"
"You let your hair grow. It's different." He brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead.
"Do you like it?" Lily chewed on her lower lip. He nodded. The other Boys nodded too and Lily smiled.
The five of them were piled on Lily's bed. "It's curlier when it's long." David said quietly.
"We've come to take you home, Lil." Dwayne said softly. He held open his arms and Lily moved into them.
"I missed you so much." She whispered into his chest.
He stroked her back, rocking lightly. "We haunted you." He was looking at the painting. Lily nodded. David got up and looked at the painting, staring at his own eyes.
"This is beautiful Lily." David remarked. He looked back at her, his eyes almost a mirror for the eyes in the painting.
"Thanks." She gestured to her portfolio in the corner. "You've kinda been my inspiration."
He picked up the portfolio and opened it, setting it out on the floor. As he turned the pages, David found himself staring at his own reflection. Each drawing or painting had his eyes somewhere in the scene, like he was haunting them.
"Creepy." Paul commented. Marko slugged him on the shoulder. "What? It is."
"Kelly thinks so too." Lily got up, heading to her dresser for some clothes. She pulled on a pair of underwear before she pulled the nightgown over her head and put on a tank top. She reached into her closet and got a pair of jeans to put on.
"How long did it take you to recover?" Dwayne asked, brushing his fingers over the star shaped scar just visible above the neckline of her tank. She leaned against him, his arms going around her.
"About a week. They dropped me off at the clinic and I woke up three days later. I, uh, ran away that day. It took me a couple more days to get back to normal. Well, as normal as it's been since now." Lily smiled.
"Who's Kelly?" David asked, looking at the unfinished portrait of Dwayne.
"A friend. She lives down the hall." Lily shrugged on a hooded sweatshirt and zipped it up. "She's home now. Spring break."
Paul put his arms around Lily and picked her up, spinning her around. "God, its good to see you girl." She laughed and ducked her head against his neck. "Good to hear you laugh too."
"Where are you guys staying?" She asked when Paul set her down. She flopped back on the bed, watching the boys.
Marko sat across the head of her bed. He traced a pattern on her forehead. "Hotel in the city."
"Stay here today?" Lily looked over at David. He was still looking at her artwork.
Absently he nodded. "Promise not to open your curtains?"
She laughed. "I wouldn't."
"Then we'll stay."
"Good." The sky outside was starting to lighten and she pulled the heavy curtains shut. "I'm gonna go shower. There's blankets and stuff in my closet." She told them as she gathered up her shower stuff. "Be quiet while I'm gone. I don't want a roaming security guard to hear you."
***
Lily came back from her shower quietly. The Boys were already asleep, sprawled out on her bed and floor. David and Marko were on her bed. Neither vampire was fully on the bed, Marko sprawled across the foot with David curled at the top. Paul and Dwayne had found extra blankets in her closet and crashed on the floor.
She hung her wet towels over the rack on the back of the door and found her journal. She opened to a blank page and started drawing.
Her stomach growled and she set her book down. Scrawling a quick note, in case one of the Boys should wake up, Lily pulled on boots and a coat and headed out to breakfast.
***
Paul opened his eyes when she came back in. He'd always been a light sleeper, even when his brothers succumbed to the pull of daytime sleep, he could stay up well into midday.
"You should be asleep." Lily admonished softly as she kicked off her boots and hung up her coat.
He shrugged sleepily. "Maybe. Where'd you go?"
"Breakfast called." She crawled into the nest of blankets he'd made. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into the curve of his body.
"There was one really bad thing about being dead." Paul commented, his hand absently creeping under her shirt.
"What's that?" Lily pushed his hand away.
He moved it back under her shirt. "No chicks."
Lily snorted and laughed softly. "Its good to know you'll never change."
"Oh man, I missed your laugh." Paul whispered. He pressed his face to the back of her neck.
Lily rolled over and touched his face. "You look tired." He shrugged and pulled her closer, so her head was resting on his chest. "Go to sleep, Paul. I'll stay right here."
He yawned. "Promise?"
She nodded. "Promise."
"Okay." He already sounded sleepier. His arm around her waist tightened and he tucked her head under his chin. Lily could feel the difference in his body as Paul slipped away. It wasn't like he was dead or even just sleeping. He was simply no longer there, like there was no one in his body any longer. Until he woke that evening, he would stay in the same position, never shifting or turning as he slept. Lily let her eyes drift closed, forgetting the things she'd wanted to do today. She was content to lie there in the circle of Paul's arms and rest.
"And it's cold out here." Someone else said.
"Come in." She murmured instinctively. She was only half aware of being lifted through her window to a pair of waiting arms.
"Where'd you find her?" One voice asked.
The first voice answered. "She jumped off the bridge."
"God, why?"
"Don't know."
Many hands undressed her and dried her off. "Where'd she get that scar?" Someone asked as a nightgown was pulled over her head and she was tucked into bed, heavy blankets piled on top.
"The boy gave that to her." Her savior said softly.
"Let her sleep." A new voice said and the others quieted. Lily let herself drift back away.
***
Lily floated to consciousness, opening her eyes. She gave a small scream when she saw a man she thought was two years dead sitting on the end of her bed.
"It wasn't a dream." She breathed.
David shook his head. "It wasn't a dream." He cocked his head to the side. "Why'd you jump?"
"I couldn't stand being without you anymore. There was this emptiness in my mind that wouldn't go away." She sat up, gathering the blankets around her.
Dwayne came forward, hugging her tightly. "You scared me."
"I'm sorry. I've just been so lonely." She murmured into his chest. "How are you here?" She asked when he released her. "They burned the house. I saw it. There was nothing left."
David grinned. "I don't know but here we are."
That drew a shaky laugh from her. "The others?"
"Right here girl." From nowhere, Paul was there, leaning against her windowsill.
"We missed you." Marko was sitting on her desk, swinging his legs.
Lily looked at each of them then back at David. "I've fallen out of the habit of expecting people to just appear when I need them." She said and burst into tears. He reached out and pulled her into his arms.
"I've had so many dreams like this. I hurt for so long because you were gone." She said into his shoulder, running her hands over his chest and arms as if to reassure herself he was really there.
"Shh, we're here princess." David rubbed her back. Dwayne took up her hand, kissing the back of it. Marko and Paul joined the group, adding comfort to the embrace. The pack of the Lost Boys was whole once again.
***
Marko was playing with Lily's hair. She rolled over and looked at the small vampire.
"What're you doing?"
"You let your hair grow. It's different." He brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead.
"Do you like it?" Lily chewed on her lower lip. He nodded. The other Boys nodded too and Lily smiled.
The five of them were piled on Lily's bed. "It's curlier when it's long." David said quietly.
"We've come to take you home, Lil." Dwayne said softly. He held open his arms and Lily moved into them.
"I missed you so much." She whispered into his chest.
He stroked her back, rocking lightly. "We haunted you." He was looking at the painting. Lily nodded. David got up and looked at the painting, staring at his own eyes.
"This is beautiful Lily." David remarked. He looked back at her, his eyes almost a mirror for the eyes in the painting.
"Thanks." She gestured to her portfolio in the corner. "You've kinda been my inspiration."
He picked up the portfolio and opened it, setting it out on the floor. As he turned the pages, David found himself staring at his own reflection. Each drawing or painting had his eyes somewhere in the scene, like he was haunting them.
"Creepy." Paul commented. Marko slugged him on the shoulder. "What? It is."
"Kelly thinks so too." Lily got up, heading to her dresser for some clothes. She pulled on a pair of underwear before she pulled the nightgown over her head and put on a tank top. She reached into her closet and got a pair of jeans to put on.
"How long did it take you to recover?" Dwayne asked, brushing his fingers over the star shaped scar just visible above the neckline of her tank. She leaned against him, his arms going around her.
"About a week. They dropped me off at the clinic and I woke up three days later. I, uh, ran away that day. It took me a couple more days to get back to normal. Well, as normal as it's been since now." Lily smiled.
"Who's Kelly?" David asked, looking at the unfinished portrait of Dwayne.
"A friend. She lives down the hall." Lily shrugged on a hooded sweatshirt and zipped it up. "She's home now. Spring break."
Paul put his arms around Lily and picked her up, spinning her around. "God, its good to see you girl." She laughed and ducked her head against his neck. "Good to hear you laugh too."
"Where are you guys staying?" She asked when Paul set her down. She flopped back on the bed, watching the boys.
Marko sat across the head of her bed. He traced a pattern on her forehead. "Hotel in the city."
"Stay here today?" Lily looked over at David. He was still looking at her artwork.
Absently he nodded. "Promise not to open your curtains?"
She laughed. "I wouldn't."
"Then we'll stay."
"Good." The sky outside was starting to lighten and she pulled the heavy curtains shut. "I'm gonna go shower. There's blankets and stuff in my closet." She told them as she gathered up her shower stuff. "Be quiet while I'm gone. I don't want a roaming security guard to hear you."
***
Lily came back from her shower quietly. The Boys were already asleep, sprawled out on her bed and floor. David and Marko were on her bed. Neither vampire was fully on the bed, Marko sprawled across the foot with David curled at the top. Paul and Dwayne had found extra blankets in her closet and crashed on the floor.
She hung her wet towels over the rack on the back of the door and found her journal. She opened to a blank page and started drawing.
Her stomach growled and she set her book down. Scrawling a quick note, in case one of the Boys should wake up, Lily pulled on boots and a coat and headed out to breakfast.
***
Paul opened his eyes when she came back in. He'd always been a light sleeper, even when his brothers succumbed to the pull of daytime sleep, he could stay up well into midday.
"You should be asleep." Lily admonished softly as she kicked off her boots and hung up her coat.
He shrugged sleepily. "Maybe. Where'd you go?"
"Breakfast called." She crawled into the nest of blankets he'd made. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into the curve of his body.
"There was one really bad thing about being dead." Paul commented, his hand absently creeping under her shirt.
"What's that?" Lily pushed his hand away.
He moved it back under her shirt. "No chicks."
Lily snorted and laughed softly. "Its good to know you'll never change."
"Oh man, I missed your laugh." Paul whispered. He pressed his face to the back of her neck.
Lily rolled over and touched his face. "You look tired." He shrugged and pulled her closer, so her head was resting on his chest. "Go to sleep, Paul. I'll stay right here."
He yawned. "Promise?"
She nodded. "Promise."
"Okay." He already sounded sleepier. His arm around her waist tightened and he tucked her head under his chin. Lily could feel the difference in his body as Paul slipped away. It wasn't like he was dead or even just sleeping. He was simply no longer there, like there was no one in his body any longer. Until he woke that evening, he would stay in the same position, never shifting or turning as he slept. Lily let her eyes drift closed, forgetting the things she'd wanted to do today. She was content to lie there in the circle of Paul's arms and rest.