David proceeded to ignore her for the rest of the night and she retreated to her bed and tried to maintain a neutral composure and not to think of Michael as to not antagonize the beast any further. She would catch him glancing over at her occasionally but there was definitely no comfort in his eyes and she looked away again. His reaction to her affair had been too mild, she knew that, which meant the worst was yet to come and she lay on her bed with her back to the boys and began to imagine what else he had in store for her. She had no idea how long she'd been lying there in her fear filled head but she began to tire, she heard the boys talking and knew they were wasted and she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. She became aware of her hair being pulled off her shoulder and a finger tracing the length of her neck, sending shivers through her body. She knew it was David and she looked up at him and he ran his hand under the strap of her singlet looking at her with those hypnotic blue eyes and she was reminded of how sexy he could still be and how hypnotically attracted she was towards him, despite herself. He rolled her onto her back while holding her head to the side, exposing her entire neck and she closed her eyes waiting for the strike when she felt the tip of his tongue slide up the side of her neck and he kissed her throat. Her heartbeat heavy in her chest and he kissed her again and she felt the light scrape of his teeth against her skin and she flicked her eyes open just as he punctured her skin with the tip of his incisor making her flinch and her body go rigid. He pushed his fang a little deeper into her and in some sick way, she was enjoying it and she relaxed into it. His hand found her breast as he settled into her and began to drink from her. The disturbing waves of ecstasy she was feeling took over and her hand went to his head, her fingers running through his hair, when he abruptly pulled away and looked at her as he brought his hand up and sliced a cut into his wrist and held it above her and let it drip onto her lips. She found it impossible not to partake in it and she placed her hands around his arm and pulled it down to her mouth. His blood tasted exquisite and as she swallowed, it felt like the missing part of her was being fulfilled when he roughly yanked it away from her and stood up looking down on her, his expression changing to one of superior judgement.
'You still want me.' He said to her and her cheeks burned as she stared up at him, unblinking. 'You need me to live Star. Don't you ever forget it.' He stepped back and walked away leaving her alone. She lay there hating herself for succumbing to him and hating herself even more for wanting him. She felt just as weak as the girl who was being abused by her father a year ago and she almost felt like she was in the same situation. An immense tiredness overcame her and she melted into sleep, half hoping she wouldn't awaken.
'Star? Star?' She felt someone shaking her shoulder, rousing her from what felt like a Lorazepam induced sleep. 'Star?' It kept going and she rolled her head over to look at who was waking her and she saw it was Michael. What was Michael doing here? 'I'm taking you out of here.' He said motioning to lift her.
'No, take Laddie first, please?' She rolled back over. She didn't really comprehend what was going on but if she was going somewhere, Laddie was coming too. She drifted back into a semi unconscious state but she became aware of being carried then suddenly she was rocked by a guttural screaming. It was a scream like nothing she'd ever heard before and and she didn't know where it was coming from but it deeply upset her. Then just as quickly, she felt a stinging burning on her feet and the heaviness of sleep came down on her like a tidal wave and she was unable to withstand it, practically passing out.
She woke up in a strange bed in a strange house unsure of where she was or how she'd gotten there but she knew something was wrong, very wrong and she looked over to see Laddie asleep beside her.
'Are you alright?' She spun her head around to see Michael and her heart crystalized. She was at Michael's house. What the fuck was she doing here? Then she remembered the screaming and her fragile heart shattered.
'Michael, what have you done?' She asked, alarmed.
'I had to get you out of there.' He said and he looked out of the window.
'There was screaming, who was it?' She tried again to get an answer from him but he just looked at her and suddenly she didn't need an answer. Something had gone terribly wrong. She knew something had happened to one of the boys but she didn't know which one.
'They'll be coming for Laddie and me, won't they?' She asked.
'They're coming for all of us.' Michael said still watching through the blinds and she panicked.
'Laddie, wake up.' She shook him to life and he sat up, looking confused and Michael walked out.
'Where are we?' He asked her.
'We're at Michael's.' She told him and fear entered his eyes.
'David's going to be angry.'
'I know.' She said and she hugged him. 'Come on.' She pulled him to get up and they walked out to find Michael in the main room and he turned to look at them. There was some commotion going on downstairs when the sound of a dog barking came from outside and Michael and Star walked out onto the balcony to see what was happening. She saw Michael's brother running out to the dog to untie him from the fence and Michael bolted downstairs and outside to help him. She turned to follow then half way down the stairs, she felt it. She didn't know how but she could feel the anger and rage coming from David and she knew he was close. She ran down the rest of the stairs and screamed at Michael to hurry up. She came out onto the porch where two other young boys in army gear stood screaming for Michael's brother to come inside and she joined them.
'Michael!' She screamed and she looked up and she saw them approaching in the dark sky and guilt instantly flooded her as she could only see three of them. It had been Marko screaming. She was now really scared as she watched them coming in fast and she was sure she was about to see Michael get killed. 'Michael, they're coming!' She screamed and Michael and his brother looked up and ran back with the dog and they all went back inside, Michael slamming the door behind them.
'Take them upstairs!' Michael demanded and one of the army boys ordered her up the stairs with a plastic gun while the other one picked Laddie up and ran up the stairs with him when, to Star's horror, Dwayne came smashing through the fire place and swung on the wooden chandelier. He kicked Michael in the face and she saw him go down and true fear hit her. The lights went out, shit was going down all around her and she had no idea what she was going to do.
'I say we terminate them right now!' The army boy next to her yelled, pulling out a wooden stake out from his shirt and she bolted.
'Laddie, run!' She screamed, grabbing Laddie and pushing him in front of her as they ran through the bathroom and into a connecting room when the door suddenly slammed behind her.
'You killed Marko!' She heard Paul roar behind the closed door and her heart lurched into her throat.
'Yeah, you're next!' She heard the army boy with the stake yell back.
'Nah, you're next!' Paul retorted and she knew it was going to get ugly.
'Laddie, get under the bed!' She told him in a frantic whisper and he did as she instructed while she hid in a closet. Oh God, Marko was dead. These people had killed him. Michael had told them to kill him, what the hell was happening?! She didn't want what was happening around her, to happen but it was too late. Suddenly a high pitched screaming came from the bathroom and she knew it was Paul. What were they doing to Paul?! Where was David? Why wasn't he stopping this? She just wanted to get away from them, she didn't want them dead. This had gone way too far. Paul was still screaming and so were the other boys and she placed her hands over her ears to block out the sound. The house began shaking and a low grinding sound appeared once Paul's screaming had ceased and it sounded like the house was going to implode. She heard more screaming coming from downstairs along with music in the house and an explosion and she was too scared to move. People were dying around her, her people, people she knew and lived with and David and Dwayne would be furious and would probably blame her. She was terrified, David would kill everybody in this house including her and Laddie now. She heard the door open and what sounded like the army boys and Michael's brother and she prayed they didn't find Laddie. Where was Michael? She wondered if that screaming downstairs was him. She was in a living nightmare.
'I nailed one of 'em downstairs with a bow and arrow.' Someone whispered. It wasn't Michael, he was saying he'd killed one of the boys. One of her boys and she began to shake.
'Alright Sammo! We trashed the one that looked like Twisted Sister!' Paul.
'Totally annihilated his night stalking ass!' They were celebrating murdering Paul and someone else but she didn't know if it was Dwayne or David and her chest hurt. The thought of David being killed upset her, it shouldn't but it did.
'Awesome monster bashers!' They clapped hands and suddenly she heard Laddie screaming and in turn the army boys screaming then a bang against the wall and she heard Laddie growling.
'It's the attack of Eddie Munster!' One of the boys yelled.
'Get him!' She burst open the door and stood between them and Laddie, her arm outstretched to stop them. There was no way she was going to let them kill him.
'Stop! Get away from him! You just stay away from him!' The three of them stopped and looked at her. 'He's just a little boy.' She began to tear up and Laddie was growling and clawing at the boys from behind her and she looked down to see what she'd prayed she'd never see. She was instantly reminded of the reason she had to get away from David and his monsters.
'Fuck it. Come on, let's find the leader!' One of the army boys said and they left. She turned and hugged Laddie and he screamed as the realisation hit him.
'Dwayne is dead! They said they killed him! And Paul!' She held him tighter, she hadn't thought of the effect this would have on the poor kid and the grief he'd feel losing the boys. She had to find Michael. She pushed Laddie back and looked at his tear streaked little face, the guilt flooding her.
'Laddie, I have to go find Michael and I want you to stay here and calm down.' She didn't want him seeing any dead bodies so she got up, bolted from the bedroom and ran down the stairs seeing the kitchen exploding with watery blood and the chaos all around her. She got to the bottom of the stairs and saw a male's body lying with long deer antlers sticking up through his chest.
'Michael!' She screamed running towards the body thinking it was him and she came to an abrupt halt when she realised who it was. It was David and she began to hyperventilate. David was dead.
'Mike!' Michael's brother yelled as he came down the stairs and she was quickly pulled to her left into the shadows behind the wall and Michael was there.
'Don't let them see me like this.' His voice was horse and she looked at him to see the monster he'd become. The three young boys came running into the room and, seeing David lying there, they cheered at his demise and she felt sick. 'Get away Sam.' Michael told him and they all looked over at them sitting against the wall on the floor.
'Mike, what's wrong?' Sam asked.
'I said get away!' Michael growled and she whimpered a little at him sounding just like the monsters she'd grown to know so well. The monster she'd tried to stop him from becoming.
'But you killed the head vampire. It's all over.' Sam lamented.
'Nothing's changed.' Michael said and she thought about it and she agreed with him.
'He's right, I don't feel any different.' She added.
'Then there's still one more.' Sam turned to the army boys and the front door opened.
'Michael?' Michael's mother had got home with someone else. 'What happened here?' They both asked coming into the house.
'I'll handle Mom.' Sam said and ran off to intercept his mother with the army boys. 'Don't let her see any of the bodies.' He said as they ran to greet her and bombarded her with random excuses as to why the house was in the state it was. Star sat there numb, looking at David and disbelieving the sight before her. Her David was dead, and for some reason now she felt like he was her David just as much as she had been his Star. She was shaken and shocked yet also somewhat relieved, relieved she'd no longer have to live in fear of him or the pressure he put upon her to consume blood, but in that relief, she felt guilt. She felt that this had been all her fault. A man walked into her vision and over to David, placing his hand on David's cheek turning his face so he could see it properly and he sighed. He knew David, but that perplexed her because no one knew David. The man turned around and she looked up at his face and he was familiar to her. How did she know him? He was from the Boardwalk, what was he doing here? She thought harder and then it came to her, he was the owner of the video store she'd walked into last year, the one who had looked at her strangely and who had been at Bocci's Cellar that night looking at her. Who was he? He walked off towards Michael's mother who was being accosted by the army boys and she kissed Michael on the cheek.
'I don't want to hear another word until I talk to Michael.' She heard Michael's mother sternly tell his brother.
'I'm sorry Lucy. This is all my fault. David and my boys misbehaved but I told you, boys need a mother.' David and his boys? Oh My God, it was him. Everything David had done had been for him and suddenly it made sense to her.
'Max, what are you talking about?' Michael's mother asked, confused.
'I knew it, you're the head vampire!' Michael's brother concluded and Star stood up.
'Sam, don't start this again!' Michael's mother scolded him.
'You're the secret that David was protecting.' Star came out from her hiding place to confront the man.
'Mmm.' He smiled and nodded, confirming it for her.
'Who's this?' Michael's mother asked her but Star ignored her and kept her eyes on Max.
'But you passed the test?' One of the army boys asked, holding up a gun to Max.
'Don't ever invite a vampire into your house, you silly boy, it renders you powerless.' Max spoke like he was teaching him a lesson.
'Did you know that?' Michael's brother asked one of the army boys.
'Of course, everyone knows that.' He spat back.
'Has everyone gone crazy here? What's the matter with all of you?' Michael's mother asked, looking like she was losing her mind.
'It was you I was after all along Lucy.'
'What?' She said, concern filling her voice.
'I knew that if I could get Sam and Michael into the family, there was no way you could say no.' Max explained and Star stared at him, finally understanding why David had turned Michael instead of killing him.
'Where's Michael?' She asked him.
'It was all going to be so perfect Lucy. Just like one big happy family. Your boys and my boys.' He motioned back to David lying on the table behind him. She now knew it wasn't her that had caused this to happen, it was Max.
'Great, the blood sucking Brady Bunch!' One of the army boys said.
'But I still want you Lucy.' Max spun back around fully turned and stuck his tongue out at her and her and the young boys screamed. Star jumped at the sight of him, he was obviously older than David and his features were far more pronounced and evil. 'I haven't changed my mind about that.'
'I didn't invite you this time Max.' Michael stepped out from behind the wall and Star spun around to look at him.
'Michael.' Lucy cried and Max turned and laughed at the newly turned pleb, his laughter cackling like lightning. Michael ran towards Max and Star screamed his name before Max simply grabbed Michael and flicked him up onto the balcony above.
'Michael!' Lucy screamed up at him and Star grabbed a long black steel rod and ran towards Max screaming and he instantly took it off her and pushed her to the ground. Spinning around and countering the army boys who were charging towards him then he snapped the pole growling loudly. Star got up and backed off, this guy had the strength of all four of the other vampires and he was no one to mess with. No wonder David had done his bidding.
'Don't you touch my mother!' Sam ran at him and Max grabbed him easily and held him beneath his chin and held his hand out to Lucy.
'Don't fight Lucy. It's so much better when you don't fight.' Max said and Lucy cringed.
'Mom, Mom don't! Mom, don't do it! Mom! Don't do it! Mom, no! Mom!' Sam cried and Star watched Lucy take his hand and relent when suddenly a loud car horn blared and a small truck came bursting through the wall. Michael jumped down from the balcony and landed, pushing Max forward and impaling him on a large fencing pole stake that came flying off the back of the truck and he was propelled back into the fire place. The place exploded and Michael sheltered her from the fallout as smoke and ash and bricks came falling down around her. Max was dead, she could feel it, and she knew her nightmare was over.
'Yeah!' One of the army boys said once the dust had settled.
'Yeah! We kicked their ass man!' The other agreed and Star looked around to see the destruction around and she became overcome with emotion.
'It's over, it's over, it's… it's.' Michael took her in his hands and comforted her then Laddie came running down the stairs with a huge smile on his face.
'Star! Star!' He continued down the stairs.
'Laddie!' She got up and he ran to her and jumped in her arms and they hugged. He was free now too. She put him down and heard Michael asking if everyone was OK and Lucy hugged her boys. Star turned to see an old man, who must be old man Grey, walking from the truck over towards the kitchen.
'Dad!' Lucy turned to see him. 'Dad?' She questioned when he didn't answer and he walked over to the fridge pulling out a beer and drinking it. Lucy, Michael and Sam walked over to him. 'Dad, are you alright?' He turned to face them.
'One thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach. All the damn vampires.'