Disclaimer: I don't own the Lost Boys, I just wish I did

Warning: This chapter will feature depictions of violence. Reader discretion is advised.

We walked out of the last of the seven houses at the haunted house in what felt like only a few minutes. Thank goodness because I wasn't sure if Miriam could actually handle much more and I was going to be exceptionally angry if she made us use an emergency exit. The moment we stepped out into the open air and was allowed to use it, I pulled out my phone see if I had any notifications. My stomach dropped when the screen lit up.

"Fuuuuuuuck," I moaned, throwing my head back. "2:00?! My roommates are gonna kill me!" I had missed my curfew, for lack of a better term. "Guys, we gotta get going or I might not have a place to stay tonight." There were, in fact, five texts waiting for me. The sender was listed as Colette or Jordan for all the messages and all had an equally condescending tone to them. They were demanding to know where I was so they knew if they could turn on the security alarm as though this was the end of the world. I could just turn it on when I got home. What was the big deal? Well, if they did decide to turn it on and the alarm went off when I walked through the door, I could always just shut it off. It might wake them up, but that was their problem, not mine. However, I then realized another issue aside from ticked off roommates I could potentially need to deal with: the apartment I lived in only had a swipe card receptacle on the outside of the door, but there was a physical lock on the front door as well. Unfortunately, there was no keyhole for this deadbolt on the outside of the door. If someone decided to use said deadbolt, there would be no way to get in even if I got the help of the front desk.

"We'll raincheck that dinner, Miriam, cross my heart." Paul winked at her and, if possible, even more color drained out of her face. She obviously wasn't over the haunted house yet, but I was sure she just needed the night to process the experience. I didn't have time to help her cope. "We need to get princess home in one piece and make sure no icky kidnappers get to her first," Marko added, pinching at my cheeks despite my attempts to escape him.

"Yeah," I agreed as I started a slap fight with him. "They would need to bury me pretty deep. Otherwise, I'd be coming back for you two chuckleheads!" Marko pulled his hands away and gave me a strange look. "What?" I pressed when he didn't offer an explanation, but he just shook his head.

I said my goodbyes with Miriam who was remarkably silent and stiff when I hugged her. She mumbled something similar to a thank you and walked to her car briskly when I released her, casting glances over her shoulder back at us almost every other step. Poor girl. I hoped she wouldn't hold this against me, but I only had one thing on my mind at that point: Paul's bike. I hardly needed any guidance, but Marko was by my side anyway as I nearly sprinted over to it.

"Brenna," He took my hand, helping to hold me steady as I swung a leg over the motorcycle. "You know that's, like, the trademark of this area, right?" I shook my head, not following what he was talking about at all. "The missing people. They aren't ever found. Not even bodies." I frowned. "You really don't know anything about this place, do you?" I ignored his question.

"How many people?" A small amount of concern was steadily edging into my thoughts.

"…A lot." He seemed to be studying my face as he chewed his thumb.

"Annnnyway," Paul cut in, shooting a look at Marko as he also got on the bike. I scooted forward, not sure if I was shivering due to the cold, the information I just received, or the expression Marko wore. Maybe it was a mix of all three. Marko finally broke eye contact, casually strolling over to his bike and kick starting it. "What do you say we take a few back roads this time and see what you can handle, Brenna?" Paul revved the engine of his bike as he tempted me.

"Well," I glanced at my phone again before securing it in one of the bike's pouches. "Why not? I'm already late," I consented, trying to rid myself of the weirdness of my conversation with Marko. I barely finished my sentence before we shot off into the night, Marko not too far behind.

This trip involved a lot more winding than the previous one, but I held tight to Paul and the bike. I tried to stay as still as possible, per his past instructions. I was already getting used to the speed and, despite trying to stay still, I noticed I was even starting to move like Paul, so I figured it was time to up the ante. I leaned forward to get my lips closer to Paul's ear.

"Faster," I urged him. He seemed more than happy to oblige. I was too scared to check the actual numbers on our speed, I just hoped we didn't bump into any cops. We didn't, thankfully.

The bike only began to slow back down when we got close to the apartment. As we turned into the lot I noticed something I hadn't before and couldn't hold in a laugh.

"What is it?" Paul asked.

"I never noticed I lived on Elm Street before," I pointed out the sign as we passed it. "It's…Kind of funny, with it being Halloween and all. You know – Nightmare on Elm Street and all that?" He didn't respond and I wondered if he had any idea what I was talking about. I decided to just shut up before I made myself look like more of a dork.

The engine cut and coasted the rest of the way into the parking lot, probably so we wouldn't wake up the whole complex.

"Hey, you made it in one piece!" Marko joked as he caught up. He had already parked beside us and I was glad that he seemed back to his usual self.

"I tried to shake her!" Paul elbowed me gently prompting me to smack him upside the head as I removed myself from the bike. I didn't even need help this time. "You know, you're not so bad for a girl," he commented with a wink, dismounting as I had. "Well, dahling." He grabbed my face with both hands and sloppily kissed me on one cheek, then the other making very pronounced "muah" sounds. "I bid you adieu!" He gave another low bow. I laughed, bowing back then heading over to Marko for a hug.

"Well, if my roommates didn't lock me out for the night, then I suppose this is goodnight. And when pray tell can I expect my suitors to call upon me again?"

"We shall pick the lady up tomorrow evening if this pleases her?" Marko offered.

"Nothing's coming to mind." I abandoned the southern belle dialogue, shrugging. "And you already know where you can find me. Actually, speaking of...Marko, how did you know my room number?"

"I kind of have a thing with the front desk attendant." He licked his lips in an exaggerated way.

"Should have known," I laughed, walking toward the door and swiping myself in, shaking my head. "Night boys!" I gave a one-handed wave.

"Night Brenna," they both shouted back.

A short jaunt to my apartment later, I determined that the door to the apartment was not dead-bolted. To my great fortune, I was able to get in and would not find myself homeless. Unfortunately, the alarm was already armed and began sounding the instant I opened it. I keyed in the code as quickly as possible, waiting to see if anyone stirred, but no one did. They were either still pissed at me for staying out too late or dead asleep, but either way, I didn't really care. I still couldn't believe they were actually trying to impose a curfew on me. I changed out of my costume immediately, snuggled into my PJs, grabbed an Easy Mac cup, and couldn't wait to turn on my electric blanket. I was planning on more Pandora, TV, and fanfiction to finish off the night, however, something distracted me on my way to my room. I knocked a small business card off the counter as I pulled my hot dog and mac n cheese out of the microwave which I recognized as the one provided by the Darts. I may have thought they were a crock of shit, but I was very curious as to what I would find on their website. If nothing else, it would be good for a laugh. They reminded me of myself back in elementary school when I was obsessed with the paranormal.

I attempted to settle in and begin my exploration of the Darts' website as I shoveled noodles into my mouth, but my quiet was disturbed as the television began very suddenly and VERY LOUDLY blaring the emergency broadcast system noise. I nearly choked on my macaroni and my head whipped up at the screen, waiting for it to explain what was going on. There was only silence. The audio of the show that was on remained cut away and as the seconds ticked by, it seemed much longer than what I considered normal. Maybe the channel was experiencing some sort of glitch? I tried to physically shake myself out of the weird feeling, internally scolding myself for being frightened so easily. I pressed the power button on the TV remote and turned my attention back to the Darts' website, drumming my fingers on the sides of my phone while I waited for the page to load.

I was interrupted once again by a knock at the apartment door. I glanced over at the clock nervously We never got visitors, especially this late. Maybe I could just wait them out and they would go away, but something seemed off about this. Unfortunately, they knocked again, and my curiosity got the better of me. What if Marko or Paul decided to check on me? I crept to the front door as quietly as I could to figure out what was going on. As I peeked out of the peephole, I was audibly relieved to discover none other than 2202 standing outside. I made sure I was decent and was then more than happy to open the door for him.

"Hey, what can I do for you?"

"Sorry to bother you," he seemed sheepish. "But, we're making some Kool-Aid and I needed some sugar. Do you guys have any?"

"Oh, sure!" I was certain I was acting strange, but I was just so excited to find out there wasn't some sort of serial killer at my door. I practically tripped over myself to get into the kitchen and dig some sugar out, pouring part of the container into a Ziploc baggie.

"Any more run-ins with Creep One and Creep Two?" He asked and I looked over to find him still in the hallway. I expected him to be peering around at the apartment, but his stare respectfully never seemed to leave me. He hadn't even stepped a toe over doorway.

"No, thank goodness," I reported, sealing the bag and passing it off to him. "No more trouble out of them, but thanks for checking. By the way…I didn't catch your name the other day?"

"Oh, it's Michael," he stuck out his hand to shake mine. "And I guess I didn't get yours, either, huh?"

"Brenna," I introduced myself with a smile.

"So, I take it you were off to the big Crandall party earlier tonight?" I had forgotten I had seen him leaving about the same time I did.

"Yeah! It's not my usual thing, but I got an invitation and figured, you know - why not?"

"Oh yeah? I know a few guys that hang out there. Who was your in?"

"Marko? Curly blonde hair, blue eyes? He was hanging out around here the other night in a patchwork coat."

"Runs with four other guys who all ride motorcycles?"

"That's the one!"

"Ah…" His demeanor shifted slightly. "Well, just…Be careful around them. Particularly David. He's bad news."

"Ok, will do." I couldn't hide that I was concerned, but he wasn't exactly telling me anything new. Everything about those guys dripped bad boy vibes, but I wasn't looking for anything serious and as long as I was careful, I could see myself having a lot of fun with them. "Well, enjoy your Kool-Aid." I continued after a few seconds of somewhat awkward silence. "I gotta get to bed."

"Right." He nodded, stepping back from the door. "I guess it is late. Well, if you need anything, feel free to drop by. I owe you one." I waved as he began to enter his apartment. It appeared to be very dark, the only visible lighting being the violet rays of black lights bouncing off neon band posters. It was all very mysterious, and I was very intrigued as to what the rest of it looked like. I also couldn't help but catch a whiff of something skunky. I snorted, immediately recognizing the scent, and Michael smiled back at me, unabashed. I rolled my eyes as we both shut our respective doors and, true to my word, I headed straight to bed. I decided to avoid looking at the Darts' website for now as it just seemed to be creeping me out. Instead, I turned on some music and began the slow process of falling asleep while watching a moth dance around my bedroom lamp.

Puscifer - rev 22:20 (Renholder Mix)

There was chemistry between the two of them. There was absolutely no way she could deny it as much as she wanted to. He was a stranger, but there was something about that which really turned her on. And, of all the girls at the party, this gorgeous man's attention was on her. She tried to look as confident as she could, puffing her chest out to some degree and showing as much cleavage as she could in a nonchalant way while they ground their bodies against each other. She tried to reign in his roaming grip, but she was putty in his hands and she knew it.

It didn't take long before he pulled her away from the floor, like she knew he would, his fingers interlacing with hers. He led her out of the basement to the main floor before guiding her to the steps that would take them to the mythical upstairs of Crandall. Very few people had ever been invited, but there were all sorts of rumors about what this fraternity did there. She wasn't entirely certain if it was a good idea to go up with a guy she just met, especially considering it was against the rules in her sorority, but a small voice told her that this was going to work out. No one would find out. Still, she shivered with anticipation.

He was in no hurry to make the climb, but now that they were marginally out of the public eye, neither person was able to keep their hands off the other. Before she knew it, they were on the third floor, dimly lit by a few relight bulbs. The music on this level was drastically different from the main floor and basement, but it really worked to enhance the mood. His lips crashed into hers and she struggled to support herself. Her knees felt like they would give out at any moment. Between kisses she found herself asking anything she could about him.

"What's your name?"

"Are you new?"

"Why haven't I seen you around?"

"You wanna get out of here?"

He eventually pulled away with a chuckle pressing his index finger against her lips in a "hush" motion. His irises almost seemed to glow with intensity behind the mask he wore and she found herself panting lightly.

"Right now, this is about you." He murmured, pushing her lightly until her back was pressed against the wall. When she didn't speak, he finally removed his hand, brushing it along her cheek to tuck some of her hair behind her ear. "But…I think you're right." He smiled. "I think I know of a couple places more romantic than the upstairs of a frat house." He offered her his hand this time and, again, she wondered why she felt so compelled to follow him. He just seemed saturated with mystery and she couldn't pull herself away, but what gave him this mystique? Was this a good idea?

'Other girls do this stuff all the time. Live a little…' Her hand hesitated above his for just a moment before she decided to give it a chance and let him lead again. 'It just feels so right…' She wondered if this was what it was like to fall in love at first sight.

As they crossed through the living room, he gave a wave to a group of five that she assumed he came with. One, a wild-haired blonde, tossed her a wink. The other group members' expressions also suggested knowing exactly where they were headed. All, that is, except for a girl. The girl didn't seem aware that he had walked by at all, too engrossed in some sort of game that involved holding up fingers.

They hurried out the back door to the house hand-in-hand, the cool air a nice contrast to her flushed skin.

"Aren't the stars beautiful tonight?" He whispered as they came to a stop on the back patio. She looked up, an innocent smile playing across her lips as she walked around him to take in a full, unobstructed view of the night sky. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, resting his head against hers. This was it. She had found the one. She had never met someone so perfect. And could it have been on a more wonderful night? She closed her eyes trying to memorize every aspect of this moment - the scent of nature at night, the breeze rustling the dead autumn leaves still on the trees, the comfort of his arms encasing her...

She never even saw it coming. She wasn't even granted the opportunity to scream. A hand clamped her mouth roughly and, suddenly, her throat was being torn open. Her eyes were flung open, but the shock prevented her from struggling at first, not that she would have been able to overpower him. The loss of blood was affecting her more immediately than she would have imagined. Regardless, she squirmed in vain.

"Oh, honey…" His teeth withdrew from her neck and he loosened his grip on her, allowing her to push away only to trip and fall to her knees. "You're going to try and fight me now? You haven't been able to resist me all night." His tone was still light and jovial. She crawled away as quickly as she could with only one hand to aid her. The other was occupied in an attempt to prevent some of the blood loss. "You are very weak minded..." He was right. She knew he was. All night her gut had cautioned her, and she just went right along with him anyway. And where had that landed her? Crawling away from this...Monster. She realized that despite her frustratingly slow escape, he didn't seem to be making an effort to catch up. "In fact," She had been hoping that maybe he had just let her go. She hadn't seen his face, after all, not with the costume he was wearing. She wouldn't even be able to provide the police with a description assuming she could make it that far. Unfortunately, he was speaking again, and that wasn't a good sign. "You're so weak for me that I bet if I told you right now to stop moving, you would, wouldn't you?" She continued to crawl away, desperation pushing her a little faster. "Your muscles are tired. Your arms and legs are shaking. I can see it from here." She wasn't sure how he could tell all this from his distance. She had to be a good fifteen feet away at this point and even she hadn't noticed the energy drain out of herself leaving her a shivering mess until he said something about it.

"You want to stop." She didn't have the energy to move anymore. Her one unoccupied arm beneath her gave way and she fell into the mud beneath her. He was right. She was fighting a losing battle trying to escape him like this. She was wasting valuable energy. "That's a good girl." He praised, starting to sound like he was talking to his pet dog instead of a human being. "Now, why don't you come back over to me?" She was seeing double, and as she tried to stand and just walk away, she simply found herself in front of him again. "See? You want this to happen. Don't you?"

"I don't…" She gurgled, but the words weren't coming out. Her mind was reeling. He couldn't be right, could he?

"Of course you do." He shushed her as he grabbed her shoulders tenderly. "Or, more accurately, it's what I want. And you want what I want." She was silenced with this information as it sunk in. She was so weak, mind and body. He was so right..."Now, could you be a doll and tilt your head to the side for me? I would really like to have some better access here. Maybe move some of that hair out of the way?" She did as she was told, her body betraying her even as the tears began to leak from her eyes, stinging as the salty liquid met with her open wound. "Excellent. Now, why don't you try again? Tell me what you want."

"I want what you want." Her tone was devoid of emotion, and she knew the words weren't her own, and yet she was utterly helpless to stop them. He gave her a stern look.

"And what is it that I want?" His voice was snide.

"I want you to keep going," she corrected. He still did not appear pleased. "Please," she tacked on at the end, but clearly he still wasn't satisfied.

"Please, what?" Taking pity on her clearly weakened state, he now supported her head with one hand.

"Please, sir?"

"God, this never gets old…" His expression was overtaken with a wide, toothy grin. "Well, who am I to deny you?" Without any further theatrics, he devoured her neck once more. As she began to wilt in his arms, she found her gaze focused on a group heading to their cars not thirty feet away, completely oblivious to the predicament she was in. They were laughing, enjoying their evening and living life as hers faded away, and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it. She reached out as though she might be able to pull herself to them, but her vision was already out of focus and slowly fading into blackness. Everything was cold.

Author's Note: Well, I didn't get to upload Friday, but at least I didn't let it go until Wednesday! :P So, what do you think? What was Miriam's issue? What was going on with the TV? Who was that with the girl? Let me know with a review!

Thanks to Jakkiisukaru your review. I you're always so sweet!

And thank you, reader, for following this far! See you Wednesday with the next update and Chapter 5!

- A