He sat alone; in the cold dark cavern they called a home. Since Tom was out on the prowl, he kept himself occupied by other means. He continued to sit in the stone chair, brandishing a small dagger in one hand. He brought the blade to his snowy coloured palm and carved his name deeply in the flesh. Sure, it was painful, but that's life. As the blood dripped off his hand, he caught it with his tongue, before it hit the stony surface of the chair beneath him
A puddle of the warm liquid formed in his hand, and once more he sucked it dry. Becoming tired of this game, he set down his knife and shut his eyes tight. His name began to face, the blood wiped clean from all the crevices. He watched in fascination; As he did, a figure closed in behind him.
"Back so soon?" He spoke before Tom could say a word. Tom smiled at his brother, his pearly teeth tinted scarlet. With one swipe of his tongue, they were back to their original colour. Tom looked over his siblings shoulder. He saw his hand, and then the knife.
"Playing the name game again, are we?" he asked, pulling a heavily saturated t-shirt up and over his head and throwing it on the floor. "Any left for me?". Bill licked the remnants of his b away and stared up at his brother.
"I'm sure you've had your fill tonight. Besides, you gotta' stop bumming your midnight snacks off me! You do come complete with your own lifetime supply, you know!" Tom grinned and nodded his head.
"You can never have TOO much"
Tom always was the greedier of the two. Always taking more than he needed. Recently he had taken in the habit of brining his catch home with him; Dead and Alive.
"So who was it this time? Where'd you stash the body? In the trunk? Or are you letting it congeal for added flavor?" Wondered Bill.
"You know … that's not a bad idea," Tom left the room, returning shortly with a fresh black sweater over his pale skin. "You know what baby bro'. You should come out with me tomorrow night…" he ran a bloody hand through the mane of hair on his brother's head, "They young maiden I 'visited' tonight had a friend! I'm sure she'd love some company! As would I …"
Tom snatched up his twins hand, the cut was barley visible now. He brought the wound to his mouth, before it could be yanked away, and plunged his fangs into the skin. His brother winced in pain.
It was nothing more than he'd ever felt before, but the pain was unbearable still.
"Reconsider my offer! I don't want to have to come after you," Tom retracted his fangs slowly and dropped his brother's hand on the table. He smiled and left the room once more.
Still biting back the pain cause my Tom, he looked down at his hand and his newly made lesions.
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"…Thanks for shopping at Mini-Mart," I shoved a few more items into the grocery bag and handed it to the customer. She smiled sweetly at me and exited the store. I whipped out my book and leaned against the wall behind the register to read. Between pages I would keep an eye on where "Payne" was. Every time I would look up, he was in another part of the store (probably trying to make it seem like he was occupied with a customer), but luckily … he was far from me.
"Tarra … is it? Hi I'm Tom!" I jumped at the sudden figure in front of me. I took a step closer to the employee-to-customer phone (just in case).
"Uh huh … what do you want?" I prepared myself for another attack, resting my hand on the receiver.
"Do you treat everyone you meet this way?" wondered Tom. "I'm new here! I just wanted to introduce myself,"
"Drop the act! Now get away from me before I call someone!" I roared. Tom raised his hands in surrender.
"Whoa, whoa … calm down. What's up with you? I was told you were the nicest on staff … no doubt ably the most attractive ..." My head shot up from my book.
"Really …?"
He nodded. "Wow … thanks," I blushed, momentarily forgetting my hatred towards him. Why was he being so nice to me? He smiled. They were gone! The pointed teeth that ended each row were gone. Did I really make all this up in my mind?
Bill watched as Tom painfully regenerated a pair of brand new incisors..
"Gawd that hurts!" Growing back teeth was never the most enjoyable experience. Fangs were much worse.
"And to think, you gotta' do this all again tomorrow!" sniggered Bill, "Man! All this, just to get in some girls pants?!" Tom gulped down the hot liquid he held on his tongue.
"Bill…" Tom wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. "I've been your loving brother for how long? … Since birth? Don't you know by now, that I don't swing that way?" Tom let out an ear-splitting cackle.
"Right, Tom … Cause we all know that's true," said Bill sarcastically, he grinned and grabbed the small knife from the table. The sharp edge, lined in red. But as he tried to stand, his legs gave way unexpectedly. He grabbed the table for support. He felt dizzy and weak.
"Have you taken my offer into consideration?" Tom appeared next to his brother with a glass full of a thick almost black substance. Bill had tried to avoid the thing that Tom had no trouble doing every day; Hurting people for his needs and desires.
But there is no way he could continue on this way. The more of his own blood that he extracted, the weaker he became. Compared to Tom, Bill was practically on his last legs.
Bill shook his head in response to Tom's question. "I don't approve of you killing all these masses of humans," Tom glared down at him.
"How else do you propose I got about preparing my meals? A guys gotta' eat!" Bill shrugged, hurling the knife at a dart board directly beside Tom's head. It just missed him!
"I Dunno. There's gotta' be an easier –"
"So basically, what you think I should do is .. ask them?? Politely? .. Oh yes, I can see it now. 'Excuse me madam, but could you do me a favor and cooperate for half and hour or so, so I can drink all your fluids. Ok! Great. Thanks'" Bill scowled, as Tom continued to mock him.
"Hah ... No! Not gunna' happen Bill!" Within a second, Bill felt a flutter of wings in his face as Tom morphed loudly into a bat and disappeared into a dark room. This was a sign to Bill to head off to his own crypt. The sun would be rising soon.
"Ooo ... Yay…Leftovers!" Amber stared down at her plate, un-appetized, "…note the sarcasm," I laughed quietly to myself. "Well, you know, you could always go and cook something else. I mean … if you think you can handle it,"
"Phft! Me? Cook? … Nuh uh," she shook her head vigorously, "You know what?" she changed the subject, "I should come to work with you tonight," I eyed the slash on the side of her neck.
"You sure about that …" I gave her a chance to retract her offer to accompany me to the 'underworld'. She didn't!
"Ya! I wanna' meet this so called, 'Vampire' buddy of yours," She sounded quite excited about it. I shrugged my shoulders, "Okay. Fun! Your funeral!"
"Sooo ... When's your little friend show up?" The pair of us sat at the deserted cash register. Amber began to fiddle with a pencil on the counter.
"He slips in as late as he can. Penn never seems to notice," I answered.
"Is that him?" Amber pointed at the front doors as they slid open. Blond hair, cap, baggy jeans . Yup! That was him al right. I made a mental list and nodded. The small growl that came from Amber told me that she approved. One thing had me confused. How come she could see him now, and yet, that night in my bathroom she remained completely oblivious.
"Hmm … if he's taken … Would you happen to know if he's got a brother?"
"Heck, I don't know!! I've elected not to speak with him! Although, he was actually very nice to me yesterday. But he still creeps me out. I don't trust him. He's up to something"
'You don't! He does? Seriously?" Amber looked surprised, "What! Nah! A fine specimen like that?? How could you pass that up?"
"Well sure! He's a 'hawtie', but... He's evil!" I answered her in a harsh tone. Amber's hand shot up and she waved at him. To my utter delight, Tom saw her and worked his way over. Oh … joy!
"Hi .. I'm Amber," she thrusted her arm towards him. He grasped it tightly.
"Tom" he answered, making a playful wriggle of his lip ring. While Tom flirted with Amber I was off in my own little world. Unfortunately, my thoughts were interrupted by Penn's PMS'y attitude.
"Tarra … I need you to go to the back room. You know, the one you love so much .. Anyway, it could use some tidying up. Get to it!" I rolled my eyes and slid down from the counter, landing in a standing position by my friend. I watched as Penn waddled off. I imitated her recognizable wiggle. Amber laughed loudly. Penn turned around abruptly, almost catching me in the act.
"And you …" she pointed at Tom, "Go help her!" She said this as if she could not think of anything else for him to do. My eyes widened. I was happy to hear that he was being put to work, but I didn't so much like the idea of him working with me.
Penn turned away once more and continued on her way to her office, slamming the door behind her.
"And what am I supposed to do while you two are going at it?" I cast Amber and evil glare. Tom had already gone ahead.
"Don't give him any idea's". Amber smiled and snatched up my book. I stalked off to the storage closet. I took a deep breath and pushed the door open. Tom looked up from the chair he was sitting in and at me.
"You have got to be kidding me!! You've been sitting here this whole time!!" He didn't move. He didn't blink. There was no emotion on his face. Ugg, I hate him! I decided that I would ignore his existence. I started with a shelf of my books.
As I reached up I could feel his eyes following my shirt as it rose up my back. I yanked it down anxiously. His gaze transferred to my thigh's beneath my jean mini. I glanced down at him as I dropped down from the chair I stood on.
"Okay! What is your problem? Stop staring at me, okay!" Without saying a word, he directed his gaze to the box I was hastily stuffing full of thick books. I looked away from him and continued working. I arranged the books in order of size, then reached up for some more.
"Ow!! .. for the love of …" I yanked my hand back. I had cut my hand on a hidden broken lamp that had spilled over to my side of the shelf. Instantly, Tom was there. A small, but long piece of glass was embedded beneath the skin under my fingernail.
"Here … let me see …" Tom pulled my hand towards him. "Thanks, … but no thanks. I'll do it" Tom let go of my hand, "Okay, suit yourself,".
I was proud of myself for shooting down his offer. I tried pulling the shard out with my finger nail. I let out a moan of pain. Nope! I cant do it! I didn't want to give Tom the satisfaction, nor the temptation, but …
"Here!" I flung out my hand to Tom. He grinned at me and grasped my hand firmly. He eyes me, my hand, me, and my hand again. He brought my finger closer to his lips. He looked back at me once more. I glared at him worriedly. A look that was clearly saying 'What are you doing?'.
He brought my wounded digit the rest of the way and placed the shard between his teeth. I turned away. I felt a surge of pain through all of my finger-tips. I turned back to see blood dribbling down and trailing the lines of my finger. The shard still between his teeth. He spit it off to the back wall.
I watched as he searched for something to bandage and clean my cut. Nothing came to mind.
"Thank-you," I managed to say.
Without expectation, he popped my finger into his mouth. What the .. . He pulled it out quickly and covered it with a tiny piece of fabric. My blood rubbed off on his lips as he pulled out my finger. He licked his lips.
"You may wanna' put something on that when you go home,".
"Uhm thank you …" I picked up my packed box and carried it out of the room. Tom was extremely forward, but that's not all that scared me.. As he was licking the blood from my hand I noticed that there was a box of water hidden behind his chair. Had he planned this?