Rain patters against the windows. According to the morning weather report, it's going to be rainy all day. Heli pulls a blanket over his head. Even on a cloudy day the sunlight is painful on bare skin, and he's a very irritable combination of tired and hungry. And that's not to mention the growing worry festering in his empty stomach.

He has no idea when the rest might wake up. He wouldn't still be awake himself if he didn't want to see to it that Taho keeps his word about getting more blood. Going out and eating rabbits isn't exactly Heli's idea of a fun time.

Even if he can't technically bite the mortal occupants of this house, there are other ways to make a person bleed. Right? Picturing this is sending needles down his arm and he tries to set his thoughts on something else.

Someone he has to protect, no matter the cost.

What would be a better way to shake Eugene up, just a bit.

Eugene, to whom he owes his life.

His mind circles right back to alternative forms of blood collection. What would a couple little pokes hurt?

He's standing in the middle of the room cackling, holding the blanket like a cloak and a kitchen knife in his other hand when Taho finally descends the stairs.

"Look, I am sorry about this morning, can we just-" Cautiously, he approaches and slides the knife from Heli's hand.

"Taho," Heli says. "I am full of water. I am not supposed to be full of water."

"Understood, but this isn't what I like to see first thing in the morning."

"It's almost noon."

"Okay, just give me a few minutes."

Heli's sulking on the couch when Viken emerges.

"I didn't sleep at all," he groans. "What are we doing today?"

"I'm going to town," Taho replies. "Come with or not, up to you."

"Yeah, I'll go," Viken nods to Heli. "What about you?"

Heli looks towards the window. "It's not supposed to be sunny today."

"Can you…go outside then?"

"Maybe, as long as there's no exposed skin."

For the first time in decades Heli finds himself outdoors during the daytime, an umbrella in his gloved hand. Viken had pulled out a spare raincoat with a hood, a silk scarf and Eugene's round blue sunglasses. Aside from the sunglasses, Heli just looks appropriate for the cold autumn weather.

"Don't you need Eugene to drive?"

Taho shakes his head. "Nope, it's close enough to take the bikes."

From behind the cottage Viken rolls forward a blue bicycle. He hands it off to Taho.

"Ever ridden a bike?" Taho asks.

"No."

Viken gives him an incredulous look. "Can't you just you know," he gestures towards the path. "Phase yourself down the road?"

Heli laughs. "That's not how it works. But also no, not during the daytime."

"Viken, get the bike with the little platform over the back wheel."

Viken nods and disappears behind the cottage to retrieve another bicycle.

"This is perfect, you can hold the umbrella over both of us," he says. "Taho, you're going to be soaked."

"Like I want a hungry vampire sitting at my back. You know, he almost started stabbing us this morning."

"You're joking," Viken turns to Heli.

"It was a passing thought, nothing more."

Taho hops onto his bike and starts off. "You'll probably want to hang on tight, Viken's balance isn't that great."

Viken's balance seems just fine as they make their way through the forest, down the winding road. Eventually the trees thin and they pass wide fields, some wild with the dying blooms of summer's flowers, some dotted with cows and sheep with little farmhouses sat in the distance. They continue straight through a tiny village with cobblestone streets that turn into a dirt path which runs along a fast moving river of steely grey water.

Viken's back is warm and Heli focuses on the passing countryside to keep his mind off the thought of his blood. The rain has turned into more of a mist but he keeps the umbrella up over their heads.

"So how does it work?" Viken suddenly says. "The teleporting, I mean."

Heli's glad to be striking up a conversation so he has something else to think about besides the prickling running up his aloft arm. If the curse really takes effect here, he's going to have a face full of gravel.

"You can't just go anywhere, and it's not infallible," he pauses to think up an explanation that makes sense. "Say you picture this path, to the end point. You have to know how you're going to get there. So you can't teleport somewhere you haven't been, or anyplace that's really far away."

Viken hums as he mulls this information over.

"So you have to be able to see where you're going," he says.

"You need a clear idea of how to get there," Heli answers.

"And you can't go through solid objects?"

"Me, no. But if you also turn yourself into mist or smoke, moving through small spaces is no problem."

"But you're saying that other-"

"Viken, this is our turn, where are you going?"

Taho interrupts them and Viken makes a sharp u-turn in the middle of the road. Heli grips Viken's patch-covered vest, but the bike stays upright. Viken rolls over to Taho, who's stopped beside a large stone cross.

The road to the town is lined with tall trees. Their leaves float as they drop to the wet ground. The town beyond is small, but has all the necessities for daily living. They ride by a bakery, a post office, and little cafes, winding through on narrow brick roads. A wooden sign indicates the location of the butcher shop. Taho and Viken lock up the bicycles. A small bell rings as they open the door.

Fresh meat and fresh blood. The smell inside is amazing. Heli considers stepping back outside before he starts drooling but an older man with grey hair emerges behind the display counter.

"Back so soon?" He smiles. "What can I get for you today?"

"The usual," Viken says. "Fresh blood."

"As well as some other things," Taho gives Viken a slight push.

The butcher nods. "I've been saving whatever I could for you since you started asking. Been making an awful lot of black pudding these days, aren't you?"

Viken and Taho both force a laugh.

"Yes, an awful, awful lot," a woman comes forward from the back room. She's shaking her head, which is just as grey as the butcher's. "Too much, I would think." She points a trembling finger at Viken. "He's been here every other day, asking for more and more of nothing but blood. Bit suspicious, wouldn't you say?"

"Well, darling you know it doesn't keep," the butcher puts a hand on the woman's shoulder. "You boys can just buy the puddings and save yourself the trouble."

"No, no, no," the woman jerks her shoulder away from the man's reach. "Isn't it obvious? I've seen the reports on the news! About all those cults."

Viken lets out a real laugh that's quickly stifled.

"That one especially," the woman's voice raises a few pitches. Her eyes grow wide and her face is turning red. "Those clothes! You're just like those troublemakers in the cities. They call them punks for good reason. Criminals and devil worshippers, the lot of them!"

"Alright, that's quite enough of that, why don't we just-" the butcher tries to usher her to the back but her shrieks just grow louder.

"We don't want your kind here! Devil worshipping freaks!"

Viken is pulling on Taho's sleeve to go but Heli steps forward to the counter. He slides the round sunglasses to the end of his nose, looking over the frames into the eyes of the butcher's wife.

"Just give them the blood, okay?" He says.

She stills, her mouth open mid-yell. Slowly, she nods as her shoulders slump and she returns to the back room.

"I am terribly sorry about this, but you boys," the butcher leans over the counter. "Why don't you just buy it frozen, like everyone else? Or just get the sausage."

The woman returns with a square container in her hands.

"Fresh is best, isn't that what they say," Viken's mouth widens into a tentative smile. "So we'll just take that and-"

Without a word the butcher's wife snaps open the lid to the container. In one quick motion, she flings it forward, sending thick congealing blood directly into Heli's face.

"Come on now, was that really-" the butcher turns to scold his wife while Taho and Viken freeze. As if in a daze Heli reaches up to wipe some of the mess from his cheek. Viken reaches up to grab his arm, but he's too slow. Without thinking, Heli licks the blood from his fingers.

The butcher's mouth drops open as his wife screams.

"Freaks!"

"You idiot," Taho mutters as he pushes Heli out the door. "Both of you just wait here," he says as Viken follows.

"Well," is all Viken says. It's raining harder, and Heli watches rivulets of pink run down the light green raincoat.

When Taho emerges he has a paper bag in hand which he drops into the front basket of his bike. He reaches in and pulls out a white towel.

"Use this," he says, handing it to Heli. "I guess we're going to have to find a different butcher." He sighs.

"I'm sorry," Heli mumbles through the towel. "I didn't mean to do that."

"I don't think it matters really," Taho shrugs. "She was already disturbed by Viken's appearance. You just sent her over the edge."

"She deserved a scare," Viken adds.

"Have you really been coming here every couple days?"

Viken nods. "Blood doesn't keep very long, so I figured, you know, when no one was drinking it, it didn't matter so much, but…" His voice trails off as his gaze drops to a puddle by his feet.

"Do you think you could…I don't know, find some animals in the woods?" Taho asks.

"Ew."

"Ew?"

"No one wants a mouthful of dirty fur."

"Okay, understood."

"Full of ticks and other insects."

"Alright, I get the picture," Taho says.

"Worms and parasites…"

"Humans can also be full of parasites."

Heli finishes cleaning his face and nods to the paper bag. "That stuff is filtered and it's still not that good ."

"You're really going to say that after we went through all this trouble?"

"I appreciate it, really. But by the time you get it, it's kinda more like eating jelly."

Taho turns to Viken. "What if we just feed him raw meat?"

Viken shrugs. "Apparently Oma told Eugene he might be able to eat solid food, he'd just have to get used to it again."

"When did she say that?" Heli asks.

"When he asked if all your organs still worked. Good news, though, since they should."

"I'm going to grab a newspaper while we're here," Taho says. "Then let's go home."

"Don't get the local one, all they talk about in it is cows," Viken says. "The city one is better."

Taho ends up with two copies which he asks Heli to keep under his coat to keep them from being soaked. The ride back is colder as the wind picks up. The sky darkens with black clouds. They return in a downpour and Heli can't wait to just have a warm drink and curl up under the blankets.

He hangs up the dripping raincoat next to the others in the mud room. Eugene, Soobin and Avys all look up as they enter the living room. They're sitting on the sofa, watching the television and eating. Heli's pillow has been unceremoniously tossed to the floor.

"If you want to sleep you can use my room," Viken offers.

Heli nods and wanders up the stairs with a warm mug in hand. He realises, after he closes the door, that the newspapers are still under his arm. He draws the curtains on the window over Viken's bed, just in case the clouds pass, and settles down, spreading the paper's pages open.

Viken was correct about the small village news. The publication itself is not more than a square booklet, with the latest about farming. He tosses it to the floor and opens the larger urban copy. He mostly skims over the headlines as he turns the pages until a small square in a bottom corner catches his eye.

Carnival Claritas

Featuring new attractions - Games - Rides - Oddities - Fortune Telling

He stares. According to the advert, it should be close by. Carefully, he rips the corner from the page, folds it and shoves it into a pocket. This can't be a coincidence.

She is coming back for him.

"Try this." Eugene hands Heli a fork. Speared onto the end is a thin slice of raw sausage.

"This is all I get?"

"You haven't eaten solid food in at least sixty-five years, so let's just start small."

Heli sighs but takes the fork. Sizzling sounds emanate from the kitchen. Viken steps out with a glass in hand, a pink crazy straw sticking out of the top.

"Everyone's cooking blood now, it smells weird in here," he says.

Heli takes the glass from Viken and hands back the fork.

"How is it?" Eugene asks.

"I feel like a small child."

"You know, I was thinking that too, the times I'd come in and tuck you back under the blankets because Viken spent the afternoon sticking things on your face to see if you'd wake up."

Heli glares at Viken, who slaps Eugene on the arm.

"I was not!"

"Just kidding," Eugene laughs. "He only did that once."

"I thought for sure he'd wake up when the spider went up his nose," Taho adds.

Heli's eyes widen as his hand goes to his face.

"Did it come out?"

"I think so." Viken makes a quick march back into the kitchen.

Given the thickened consistency of the blood, drinking through a straw isn't the most convenient. Heli listens as the others sit down for their evening meal. While he and Eugene hadn't exactly been avoiding each other, they haven't really spoken much either since the experiment with the mirror.

"Thanks for picking the glass shards up, by the way." Heli hears Eugene say.

"It wasn't me," says Taho.

"Oh, then who did?"

"Soobin, maybe?"

When they're ready to call it a night, Eugene is the first to rise. He claps his hands together.

"We have to be up early, it's going to be a busy day tomorrow."

"What are you doing tomorrow?" Heli asks.

Eugene's smile doesn't waver as he answers. "Nothing that concerns you. We'll be out all day , so don't even worry about it."

Heli shrugs. Even better for him, actually. If they're away that gives all the more chance to slip out before they even notice. He pulls out the scrap he'd ripped from the paper the minute he's left alone. Though he's not familiar with the area, he scours the bookshelves until he finds an atlas. If his sense of direction is correct, the carnival will be on the other side of the village where the butcher's was. As long as the sun is starting to set, he should be able to move quickly enough down the road, and navigate his way from there. Easy.

He hears an alarm sound just before dawn. Pulling the blanket over his head, he listens as the others come down the stairs, grumbling about the early hour, and finally the roar of the van's engine as they pull away. Though he thinks he might have dozed off at least once, he's still awake when the sun starts to dip below the tree line.

Eugene and the others haven't returned.

Heli grabs fresh clothes, now stored in Viken's room. He looks from the turntable to Viken's red guitar and the shelf crammed full of records.

"Thanks," he says to the empty room. "For everything."

He stops as he passes Eugene's bedroom door. Though he knows no one is there, he apologises anyway.

"I'm sorry, Eugene," he whispers. "But I don't think I'm coming back. I'll pay my debt back someday but…there's someone more important I need to protect right now."

He pulls the hood over his raincoat up to shield his face from the evening sun, and without looking back, he leaves.

Though he gets turned around more than once, he manages to find the carnival just at sunset. It's both busier and brighter than he expected. Electric lights are strung overhead, and every booth and tent is brightly lit. The entire field is teeming with sound and people. Several songs are playing at once and game operators are shouting over them. He circles around the periphery, trying to find a gap in the fencing he can sneak through. She didn't send any tickets this time, but he imagines she didn't see the need.

He finds an open space between some game booths he can slip through, but a lot of people are walking by so he'll have to be quick. He'll feel at ease if he can just blend into the crowd unnoticed.

With a deep breath he takes a step, just glancing back to make sure no one is watching from behind. Nobody says a word as he walks into the path. He lowers his hood and lets a grin cross his face. He's so close now. Almost home.

"Hey, I know you."

Heli spins around to face a woman with long auburn hair. One hand is on her hip and the other is holding up a fluffy pink candy floss.

"Sena," he breathes in relief.

She looks over his shoulders. "Where's Eugene?"

"I actually have no idea," Heli says. "Not here."

"You're alone?" She tears off a pinch of the candy floss. "Or did you get separated? I came with Joan but I've lost her."

"I'm alone," Heli confirms. "You should find your friend, you don't want to stay here too late."

With a nod, he turns and leaves her with what he believes to be good advice. She's not really in danger but maybe with a little warning she'll leave him be.

"Why, what happens when it's late?"

So much for being alone.

Heli sighs. "Do they still hold the light show? You should go watch it."

"Is it good?"

"Life changing."

She chuckles. "If you want to see it, I'll go along."

"I'm looking for someone."

"Oh." The small smile she'd had fades but then her head snaps up. "What kind of someone?"

Heli glances back at her, but doesn't reply. She stops, another pinch of candy floss between her fingers.

"It's not a vampire, is it? Are there vampires here?"

"Ought to be." Heli hasn't recognised anyone so far, but there are so many people going every which way among all colours of flashing lights that he's not even sure what he's looking at.

Sena grabs his arm. "We've been here all day. Is that person a vampire? What about him?"

Heli pulls his arm from her grasp. "No, they're not. You most likely haven't seen any unless you've stepped into a fortune teller's tent. They tend to stay behind the scenes and out of sight."

"I see, I see." She nods. They stand in the middle of the path looking at each other.

"You haven't seen any fortune tellers have you?" Heli finally says.

Sena shakes her head.

Too bad. If she had, it wouldn't have helped his search.

Lamia would be somewhere quieter, tucked away into a hidden corner where only the bravest of patrons wander. Though it used to seem like she always knew where Heli was at any time, she hasn't called for him yet. Disappointment is growing in his chest.

He's trying to listen, but there's nothing amid the carnival noise.

If you wanted me, you need only say my name.

Lamia…

He thinks her name, repeating the word over in his head. That had always been enough, but now there's nothing. He frowns.

"I don't even remember seeing any signs for fortune tellers," Sena continues.

"Why are you following me?"

"You said there were vampires, like hell I'm just going to walk around alone now. The sun's gone down, gosh."

She sticks close when he wanders out of the bustling well-lit midway into a dark area filled with plain trailers and quiet tents.

"Where are we going?" Sena whispers as she swallows the last of her candy.

"We? I told you to find your friend and you started following me."

"Can you blame me?"

Heli's not sure what she means, but at this point it doesn't matter. Another, more worrying thought is invading his mind.

What if Lamia isn't here?

He doesn't understand. Why would the carnival come this close to where he was staying if she wasn't here, looking for him? Who else could it possibly be? But she's not answering his calls. This place, which at one time had been as familiar as his own home, is as foreign and weird as everything else he's encountered this decade.

"Sena," he says. "Let's just go back."

"Are you giving up?"

He doesn't want to, but clearly she's not in this section. He can search more thoroughly without Sena on his tail and he'd much rather spend the time as long as it's dark doing so. He'll just see her safely off and then he can focus.

They weave back between the trailers towards the hub of light and sound when two shadows suddenly materialise in front of them. Heli stops and Sena bumps into his back.

"What is-" she stops as the silhouettes take shape. Two men with black hoods obscuring their faces. Their ripped cloaks seem to move like smoke, though the air is still.

"Are they vampires?" Sena whispers.

Heli's initial surprise gives way to relief. The Shadows are the ones Lamia keeps the closest. If they're here, it's because she ordered them to be.

Heli steps towards them. "Where is she?" he demands. "Take me to her."

Slowly, one of the men lifts his arm. Heli begins to turn to look behind him, to where the Shadow is pointing. Instead, the man strikes him hard in the side of his face. Heli's flung into the nearest trailer and drops to the ground. In a daze, he looks up at Sena, whose expression is one of shock and fear.

"Sena, run!"

She takes one look at the Shadow vampires and turns on her heel, sprinting into the darkness. Heli stands, just as the other man takes a swing.

He dodges but barely. He's long out of practice, in addition to being much younger and void of the benefits of drinking real human blood. They're stronger and faster and the disadvantages become more apparent the more he tries to land a hit on them and fails. Another blow to the face sends him flat on his back. As he scrambles back up, a flash of silver catches his eye. He ducks as a blade sails over his head.

This can't be real.

He doesn't stand a chance fighting them. The only hope now is to escape.

He'll be safer in the light so he sets a path back to the midway, but he's cut off before even getting there. Another hit sends him into what looks like multiple large trailers stacked on top of each other. He rounds the corner and spots an unlatched door, just ajar in the back. He flings it open and jumps inside.

A neon green skull stares at him from the opposite wall. Stripes of equally bright orange point the way down a hall that's otherwise pitch black. He runs. Behind him the exterior door slams just as he enters another, strangely narrow door.

He nearly falls over. The floor in this hall is sharply tilted and he holds out an arm to balance along the lower wall. Somewhere on the other side a child is screaming. He moves as quickly as he can, and stumbles through a red curtain into a larger room.

This one is full of different panels, all facing in different directions. The amorphous blurs of colour stretch and wave over curved concave surfaces and it takes longer than usual for him to figure out he's looking at a room full of mirrors. He's surrounded by images reflecting each other in an infinite loop no matter which way he turns, and he can't figure out which way he's supposed to go to get out.

He can't go back. The Shadows are undoubtedly close, and even worse, some of them can move through closed doors. His own indistinct shape distorts even more and he's completely disoriented.

Black shadows join the view. He turns to face them.

"There's been a misunderstanding, I think," he says. "Take me to Lamia, and she can tell you. She and I are-"

They don't let him finish. Another hard blow to his head sends him straight through the mirrors. He slams into a back wall as glass splinters skip across the floor.

"What is going on here?"

Someone steps out of the shadows from the other side. Heli sits up, but in the dim light can only see the outline of someone with sharp shoulders. He doesn't have a reflection in the mirrors behind him. The Shadows don't make any motion to attack.

"What does she want?" The newcomer continues. "Whatever it is, I'm not interested."

One of the Shadows raises his blade.

"Seriously, get out of here. I don't care about anything she has to say. Get out!" He hisses.

To Heli's surprise, the Shadows turn and disappear back through the curtain. He's shaking as he sits on the floor.

More footsteps approach. "Are we good to reopen?" a second voice calls.

Heli's rescuer shakes his head and calls back. "No, someone's going to have to clean up the mirror room. Don't let anyone else in until this is done."

"Right."

The man shakes his head as he mutters. "Really, after she doesn't show up for how many years?"

Heli knows this voice. It's painted in some of his oldest memories.

"Jakah…?"