Random Writer thank you for reading and reviewing I'm glad you enjoy it. I'll definitely try to slow the story down. This chapter is a little shorter than the others but here it is without further ado.
4. Accidents Happen
I stood up leaning over the edge of the roof, a little worried about what I was attempting to do. I had always been afraid of heights…well at least I think I was. This was a lot higher than the fire escape I jumped from the night before. I watched as several curious vampires emerged from the inside of the house to watch the show. Riley was one of them and he looked up at me with a mischievous smile on his face. Bree, who had already jumped down gracefully, was standing beside him. Her smile was nothing but encouraging.
"What's the matter, afraid of a tiny little jump?" Riley chuckled
I saw Bree nudge him sharply in the side and then she turned her attention back towards me.
"You can do it Ryan, It's very simple. Just close your eyes"
I took her advice and closed my eyes. I took one big step forward and fell. The rush of wind I had expected didn't come. I opened my eyes to see that I seemed to be falling very slowly like I was wearing a parachute, or at least that's how it felt to me because a half second later my feet landed on the ground without so much as a dull thud.
"Well that was fun." I said proud of myself
Immediately I went to find Riley. I wanted to ask him a favor. He was still standing next to Bree when I found him.
"Hey Riley mind if I borrow your car?"
"Sure, just make sure to have it back before sunset I have someone to meet…." And his voice trailed off like he said a bit too much.
I didn't think anything of it and I took the keys from his outstretched hands. A second later I was opening the driver's side door and sticking the key in the Ignition. When I looked back, I saw Bree watching me with concern clear on her face. I raced out from the shady neighborhood as fast as I could. I was weaving in and out of traffic at top speeds, trying to hurry up and arrive at my destination. This car couldn't move fast enough for me.
The conversation with Bree the other night, really had me thinking about my family. Now that I knew what was out there –and now that I was one of them—I just had to check in and see if they were ok.
It was only ten minutes later when I finally arrived on that street I used to live on. Just to be cautious I parked on the other side of the street. Though the windows on Riley's car were tinted, I could see out of them clearly. I gazed into a window of my house searching for signs of life when something in the front yard caught my eye.
It was a for sale sign. Instantly, relief flooded through me. My family would be escaping the nightmare that is Seattle. I smiled at the prospect of my family being somewhere safe and out of danger. Then I heard a voice coming from the second floor. It was delicate and warm. It was a voice that could only belong to my mother.
"…but why New Jersey out of all places?" She pleaded
A deeper husky voice answered. I recognized it at once. It was my father.
"Because it's safe."
His answer was determined and final. I knew my mother couldn't argue with him.
I watched as my father wearing a blue suit and a hardened expression descended the stairs followed closely by my mother. Her face looked like she hadn't slept in days. I tried to take in every feature of my parents –no matter how sad-- before they disappeared out of my sight. Every single glimpse could help me remember them….forever.
I heard another set of footsteps approaching the stairs. I was surprised to see my older brother Nathan walk down the stairs. He must have come home from college for my funeral. My brother was a lot taller than me, about 6'3. If I was human I would have said he was a lot more handsome as well, but now he would have trouble keeping up with me. I laughed a little at the thought of me being better looking for once.
There was movement in the house on the other side of mine and the front door opened. Ray came stumbling out of the house with garbage bags in his hand. I watched him as he walked half a block to an small alley where the dumpster was.
It was then that a tiny little girl emerged from somewhere off to the side of my car. I recognized her at once. Bree must have followed me on foot after I left. If she wanted to talk to me why didn't she just get in the car? I wondered to myself
She continued walking and rounded the corner where Ray had just gone to take out his trash. Realization hit me suddenly as I remembered how black her eyes had been this morning.
"Shit!" I said to no one in particular.
I started up the car a raced down to the alley. I parked the car at the opening and jumped out searching for Bree and Ray. I found her closing in on him. Ray was just standing there with a look of confusion on his face.
"Bree! Stop! Don't do this!" I shouted as I closed the distance between us.
She turned around and looked at me. From the look of her face she was in agony.
"But it hurts so much…" she clutched at her throat "I just need…an appetizer."
She took another step closer to Ray. His face changed from confusion to horror when he saw me standing there. He raised a finger to point at me, his mouth gaping open.
"B-But Your ….D-d-dead." He finally managed to sputter out.
The situation became dire as I realized Ray shouldn't know that I'm alive. I thought of all of my options, or lack thereof. I could kill him. The thought alone sent a shiver down my spine and I shook my head at the though. My thoughts were interrupted when Bree leapt forward and sunk her teeth into the side of Ray's neck.
Panic overtook me. "Bree, stop this, please."
I watched as she hesitated for a second but resumed drinking Ray's blood.
"Bree, please, for me?"
She hesitated a little longer this time but she put her mouth back to Ray's neck.
Suddenly I was overcome with Rage. My best friend was being killed and I was just standing here helpless. I would not be helpless anymore. I would force her to stop. My vision seemed to take on a red tint as a yelled once more.
"Bree stop!"
It wasn't begging or a plea. It was an order and my voice rang with authority. Bree stopped suddenly and Ray's unconscious body fell to the ground. She turned around slowly to face me. Her face was blank like she was in some sort of daze.
"Get in the car." I ordered
She walked to the car in some trance like state. The scent of Ray's blood filled the air and my throat ached with thirst. I ran to the driver's side door, turned on the car and sped off, leaving Ray unconscious and bleeding in the alley. It was all I could do to stop myself from finishing him off myself.
It was quiet during the car ride back to the slums so I had plenty of time to think about what had just happened. What would happen to Ray's family? Would they move away just like mine? It was horrible to think Ray's tiny little mother suffering like mine had, especially since she was a single mother.
It wasn't until we parked the car in front of the run down house that I finally decided to break the silence.
"Why did you follow me?" My voice came out harsher than I intended and I saw Bree jump a little out of the corner of my eye.
She hesitated. " I was …concerned. I thought maybe you would want some company. But I was so thirsty..and that boy came out of his house…"
She glanced over at me expecting some reaction. I kept my face blank waiting for her to continue.
"That boy….you knew him?"
This time I kept my voice calm. "Yes. He was my best friend."
I saw her cover her face in shame, and I wanted so badly to pat her on the back and tell her everything was going to be okay, but it wasn't. What about Ray? His lifeless body just lying there, abandoned. What about his mother? Would everything be okay for her when she found out? I knew that saying it would be okay would just be a lie so I just let her have a moment before I spoke up.
"So How did you stop?" I said as I recalled my first hunt. Everything about her blood drew me in. The taste of her blood sent me into a sort of frenzy that was pure bliss. I knew I wouldn't, no couldn't stop until all her blood was gone.
Bree looked at my face considering something before she answered.
"You stopped me."
"No…I didn't even touch you…" I said confused by her words
"Not physically so much as mentally" She continued "It was your voice…your words that stopped me."
"What do you mean?" I asked still confused
"You told me to stop and it was like…I couldn't disobey. No matter how much I wanted to drink his blood, I just couldn't. I couldn't control my actions."
"So what are you saying?"
She was silent for awhile; the tension in the car almost drove me crazy. I was about to repeat my question before she finally answered.
"Ryan, I think…you controlled me."
And there was silence in the car once more.
