"Please, just stop crying, Mother."
I stood in the center of the living room with a scowl on my face. My dark curls fell smoothly past my shoulders, the small amount of makeup I had on was light and shimmering. I had on a pair of torn skinny jeans, with laced combat boots over them going almost to my knees. My top was white lace and flowing around the wrists.
The tattoo of music notes under my left collar bone was completely visible, a gift from my Dad that I received on my 18th birthday.
A black backpack hung over my shoulder, filled with clothing, money and other essentials.
The ever black ring was the only piece of jewelry present, minus a diamond pendent settled in the groove at the base of my neck.
The vial was clutched in my hand, open with one of my hairs dissolved inside, "I have to do this. Please understand that."
Mom and Dad sat on the couch in front of me, both with disapproving looks etched on their faces. Mom refused to speak, so Dad finally did, "You know what they are… what they did."
"I just need to meet him," I sighed and hoped that they would understand. "I'll never have true love in this life… I just… I have to."
"Go," Laddie spoke up from the corner, his eyes dark and heavy. "I get it. You have to go."
I smiled gratefully at him, "Thank you." I turned her gaze back to my parents with a sad smile, "I love you both. Please don't hate me for this."
"Never. We love you," Mom finally mumbled as she clutched onto Dad's hand.
"Be strong," Dad nodded in addition.
"Always," I smiled as I took in a shaky breath and pressed the vial to my lips.
I didn't know how long I would be gone; I just knew that I wouldn't be returned until the time was right. I swallowed the liquid in one gulp and let it clatter from my hands to the floor as my vision began to fade.
The last thing I heard was a sob as I felt my body pull backwards into nothingness.
Santa Carla, 1987
I let out a grunt as I fell backwards onto the sand. The sound of waves crashing against the shore was the first thing that I heard.
My eyes darted around as I realized I was on the outskirts of the boardwalk, and they immediately adjusted to the darkness around me. I could hear music and see the lights in the distance.
It was all real.
The next thing I did was expel the contents of my stomach violently on the ground beside me.
That was more of a pull than I had expected.
"Smooth, Rhiannon. Real smooth."
After a few moments to compose myself, I finally pushed up to my feet and brushed my clothing off. Looking down at my appearance, I only hoped that I wouldn't stick out too much.
When I started seeing the other… occupants… of the boardwalk, I realized that she would be fine. The style was diverse enough for me to blend right in.
My past obsession with the 1980's was serving me well.
It didn't take long for me to reach the boardwalk and my eyes immediately began searching for something familiar. My parents had told me the stories so many times that I had a timeline of sorts built into my head.
If I could just see something, I would know when I was…
I quickly pulled a cigarette from my pocket and pushed it between my lips, lighting it as I sucked in the smooth, menthol tingle.
What my parents didn't know couldn't hurt them.
"Star's great," A voice broke my thoughts. "I like Star."
A female voice responded a few moments later with the same comment on the boy's name, Michael.
"Holy fuck," I whispered as I realized she was standing across from my parents. How their voices pierced the noise to meet my ears, I assumed was only magic. They passed right by me and I sucked in a slow breath.
They were so young and it made me missed the future them instantly… The oddity of seeing the two of them 25 years younger was enough to remind me that I needed to not view them as my parents. They were Michael and Star, not Dad and Mom.
Not yet.
Michael climbed onto his bike with Star at his side as four more motorcycles roared to life and pulled up to block them.
I could barely concentrate as the blackness of my ring turned to a dull gray.
Wait… I know this story! This was how it all started…
"Where you going, Star?" David asked without much hint of caring.
Mom had told me of their relationship; there was nothing resembling love or sex. It was all possession. They kept her to lure others in. Only David would even speak to her.
"For a ride," Star glared back. "This is Michael."
Michael tried coaxing her on the back of the bike before David said Star's name with a firmer tone.
Star, with a regretful look on her face, climbed on behind David as he smirked and Paul laughed from the side.
"You know where Hudson's bluff is, overlooking the point?" David asked.
"No, no, no," I whispered as my mind raced. Distracted by my thoughts, I didn't noticed the group of skinhead's come up behind me and grab at my bag, tearing one of the shoulder straps slightly. "Hey!"
"Look at you, pretty little thing," The tallest one smirked down at me. "I don't think you're from around here, are you?"
"That's none of your fucking business," I growled as I snatched my bag back. "Keep your hands off me and my shit."
I had a fighting spirit in me; that was one thing my Dad was always proud of.
Little did I know at the moment that behind me it had grabbed his attention, as well as that of the rest of the group.
A shorter male stepped up beside the leader, or so I presumed he was, with a grin, "You've got a mouth on you. We'd like it better if you shut it and handed the bag over."
"Or," The tall one cut in with a wink. "You can keep it and bring your little self with us to go party."
"No fucking way," I turned to leave as an arm clamped down on mine.
"That wasn't a suggestion, babe."
I grabbed his hand and bent it backwards, hearing a loud crack in his thin wrist as my other fist connected with his jaw and I pulled it back with blood smeared across my hand.
In a flash, I let out a yell as the small one punched me across the cheek and sent me flying backwards.
…Right into the center of the motorcycles, directly past Dwayne and Laddie onto my ass.
I rubbed my cheek tenderly as the men retreated upon looking at who I had fallen between.
It took me a second to realize where I was as well, "Oh, uh… sorry." I tried to keep my eyes averted as I licked a trickle of blood off of my top lip.
"Are you alright?" Michael asked as he lowered a hand and helped me to my feet.
"Yeah, Da-," I quickly stopped myself, internally cursing. "I mean, I'm fine."
Michael raised an eyebrow. Did she almost call me Dad? He thought with a puzzled look. "You took a pretty hard punch…"
"She broke the dude's wrist," Marko noted with a smirk. "I think she's good."
"I've had worse," I admitted as I motioned to the already forming bruise under my eye. I kept my eyes down, trying not to meet eye contact with anyone just yet, especially Star. "I'll just, uh… I'll get going."
"Do you need a ride?" Paul purred as he leaned forward with a glint in his eyes.
Michael ignored the boy and kept his attention on me. It was obvious that he felt something strange as he released my hand once I was on my feet and he introduced herself, "I'm Michael."
"Rhiannon," I smiled as I tried to ignore the hurt in my heart and find the right words to say. I wanted to warn him of what awaited him… but, how much could I say without throwing things completely off track. "Get back to your, uh… friends?"
"Not quite," He muttered under his breath as he looked up at Star, who was staring at him with curiosity, fear and hope.
"Are you ready, Michael?" David interjected with his own eyes on me as well, something I could feel piercing into the back of my head. "You can bring your friend along. You just have to keep up."
The vampires revved their bikes up and sped off as Michael resumed the seat on his and looked me over once again, "Do you want to come?"
How was I supposed to say no? I knew that I should, but my curiosity was getting the best of me, "You don't mind?"
"No, climb on," Michael smiled. Why do I feel so… protective of her? I can't place it… "I'll take you home after I, uh-"
"Try to win that girl over?" I smiled as I secured my bag over my shoulders and climbed on.
"How'd you know?"
"Women's intuition, I guess."
Michael nodded skeptically as I secured my arms around his waist, "Hold on."
I nodded as he sped off down the stairs and onto the beach behind them; the laughter from the vampires shot chills up my spine. I even caught Star smiling as her head turned to check that Michael was still there.
"Michael?" I said just loud enough for him to hear. "I need you to listen to me." I knew the peak was coming up soon, as they had just passed through the forest and the fog was getting heavy around them.
"Yeah?" He called back, instantly all ears.
"There's a ledge coming up," I said in a tone of full seriousness. "The others are going to fall back, and the leader is going to egg you on. When they fall back, you start to. Don't let him get to you."
"How do you…?" Michael's voice trailed off as we became neck and neck with David and Star, the former saying, "Come on!"
"Michael, please!" I pleaded with him.
He quickly slammed on the breaks, allowing us to stop upright, but still just feet from the edge.
David looked furious, "Have you been out here before?" He was obviously sure that Michael wouldn't have stopped until the last second. He expected him to have ended up an inch away from going over, not feet.
Michael turned and gave me a look, while I just shook my head, before hastily climbing off of the bike and barreling towards David, "What the hell are you doing, huh!"
Star screamed as Paul, Dwayne and Marko raced behind Michael, who promptly decked David across the face, "You could have killed us." His voice dropped as he pushed back and pointed a finger at him, "Just you. Come on, just you."
David, as well as the other boys, just smiled. He turned his eyes towards me, and I was grateful that they were masked in the darkness as a chill shot up my spine. With a smirk, turned back to Michael and chuckled, "How far are you willing to go, Michael?"
Michael stared stone faced as I wondered just what the hell I had gotten myself into.
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