I also don't own the song Everlong that is featured in this chapter. That honour belongs to the Foo Fighters
One Year Ago
Star sat on a rock at the far end of the beach, well away from the festivities that were going on behind her. The rock's iciness bled through the thin material of her glittery skirt, making her question, whether it was entirely dry. Shifting uncomfortably on her cold seat, she looked back with envy at the gypsies gathered around a roaring bonfire, whose embers danced in the night sky. It's smoky scent wafted over to her and made her stomach grumble.
“Everything okay?” The deep voice startled her as she hadn't heard anyone approach. She looked up into a pale face crowned with a shock of platinum spiked hair, which contrasted from his all-black attire. He didn't look much older than she was in appearance, but something in his pale blue eyes said otherwise.
“What's your name?” he asked, when she hadn't answered his first question. She stared at him, wide-eyed.
“You do speak English, right?” He laughed. Star nodded, not trusting her voice. Swallowing, she shrugged off her cautiousness.
“I'm Star.” She replied, and he smiled. It was an odd smile, though. Not one she was used to seeing on people when she told them her name. No jokes or lame pick-up lines followed, just an attempt to engage her in friendly conversation. Something in that smile unnerved her, however. Like he was privy to some joke that she was unaware of.
"I'm—"
"—I know who you are.” She interrupted quietly, recognising the glint in his eye. She had seen it straight away, but it had taken her a moment to confirm her suspicions.
“You do?” The boy replied with amusement in his voice.
“Yes. My family told me about you and your kind.”
“My kind?”
“You who 'walk with the night'.” She air-quoted, smiling at him. “Vampires.” She clarified.
“So, am I to be your next meal?” A bark of laughter escaped him.
“What if you are? You're going to stop me?”
“No. It doesn't bother me.”
“Why not? You tired of living?” He smirked.
“Not really. More tired of being told what I must do and who I must be.”
“Ah.” He sat beside her on the rock, following her gaze toward the ocean. She didn't remember inviting him to sit down, but she wasn't about to tell him to leave. She also hadn't intended to tell him her problems, but if she was about to die at least someone would see how miserable she was.
“Gypsy wedding.” Those two words were all she could manage.
“Who's the bride?”
“Me.”
“You?” He looked surprised. “How old are you?”
“Seventeen.”
“Bit young for marriage aren't you?” He frowned.
“On the contrary. I took too long choosing a suitor, so my parents have chosen for me.”
“Is that what the gathering is for?” he asked, nodding towards the gypsies gathered around the bonfire.
“Uh huh. Engagement ceremony.”
“And I take it that you don't like the suitor?”
“He's...nice...”
“But?” He prompted; however, she didn't get to answer.
“Star?” Voices were calling from the party. Star turned back to the vampire and smiled at him fearlessly.
“Will I be dead when they find me?” she asked. The vampire simply smiled and shook his head.
“Not yet.” He got up to leave, but turned when he heard Star's voice whispering softly on the night breeze.
“Wait, you never told me your name.”
“David.” He whispered back, and with that he was gone.
When he was sure that he was out of her
line of sight, he resumed watching her as she returned to the gypsies
with mock enthusiasm. She had been right; he had intended for her to be
his meal. Gypsies were notoriously difficult to separate, and he didn't
fancy his chances to take them all on at once without the boys for
backup. He hadn't been able to believe his luck when she broke away from them to be by herself.
She.He smiled to himself. She who knew all(!) about vampires and yet was naïve enough to leave the safety of her brethren to be by herself in a town as infamous as Santa Carla for things that go-bump-in-the-night. He had meant to kill her, but he hadn't. She intrigued him for some unfathomable reason. He was used to getting what he wanted when he wanted it, but with one smile from her, he was dismayed to discover that she was just out of reach. Even so, that wouldn't last for long. David always got what he wanted.
oOo
She still remembered that night like
it was yesterday. Star knew all about the “evils” that lurked below and
sometimes above Santa Carla's beach town persona. Being brought up on
stories of vampires who were vicious killing machines, incapable of
thought or emotion; she was completely unprepared for actually meeting
one in person and especially one as charming as David.
She had always been a dreamer, an adventurer. Constantly painting
over the world with what she wanted to see rather than accepting how it
was. However, as days became weeks since meeting him, she had
given into the fact that she was a gypsy and as such, should abide by
her people's traditions. The women of the camp had been doing this for
centuries so who was she to make waves? Nevertheless, she already knew
the answer to that. She had always made waves, regularly asked
questions, never satisfied with the way things were; an outcast among
her own people.
The night of the hand-fasting and she
found herself alone once again. Her mother had left her in the trailer
after helping her get ready. She had sprigs and flowers in her hair,
which was let down in a waterfall of wavy curls. A thin smudge of black
lined her eyes, and berry juice stained her lips. Most gypsies had moved
with the times and weren't so rigid with the customs; however, Star's
family still held true to the traditions.
As she left the trailer, she smoothed down the top half of her dress,
where the white cotton material had draped over the top of her waist
cincher. She looked up to the night sky and became transfixed by her
namesake and the way the moon cast a glittering path upon the ocean
waves. She imagined walking across it and wondered where it might lead
to. Another life perhaps?She didn't hear him approach, hadn't even felt his presence, and she had been searching for it ever since they had first met. But don't they always say you never find what you are looking for until you're not looking for it? Had he been hunting her or had she drawn him to her? She wasn't sure, not that it mattered now. All she knew was that in that moment, she had been willing to die, and he knew it too.
Hello, I've waited here for you
Everlong...
Tonight, I'll throw myself into
And out of the red, out of her head she sang
Everlong – Foo Fighters
Without saying a word he held out a gloved hand. She placed her hand in his and allowed him to lead her away from her people adding the final touches for the ceremony. Feeling his lips brush against hers, she found herself whispering once again.
“They won't find you.” He whispered back.
Come down, and waste away with me
Down with me...
Slow how, you wanted it to be
I'm over my head, out of my head she sang
Down with me...
Slow how, you wanted it to be
I'm over my head, out of my head she sang
Everlong – Foo Fighters
She felt her stomach drop as he launched
them into the air and away from everything she had ever known. As they
were flying, she became vaguely aware of a great pressure on her neck.
David's embrace tightened, and all the energy seemed to drain from her
body. She tried to breathe in the bitter cold night air, but all she
could feel was a gurgling down her throat and unconsciousness
suffocating her.
Breathe out, so I could breathe you in
Hold you in...
And now, I know you've always been
Out of your head, out of her head I sang
And I wonder...
When I sing along with you
If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I'll ever ask of you
You've got to promise not to stop when I say when
She sang...
Hold you in...
And now, I know you've always been
Out of your head, out of her head I sang
And I wonder...
When I sing along with you
If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I'll ever ask of you
You've got to promise not to stop when I say when
She sang...
Everlong – Foo Fighters
oOo
Star was cold when she awoke. Her eyes
were unfamiliar with the sight that greeted them. Broken pillars,
hanging vines and various junk splayed about the place. Where was she?
She got up from her resting place and decided to take a look around.
She entered what seemed to be the main room. There was a broken
fountain occupying the centre with candles around the lip and what used
to be a candelabra sat in the middle. To her right behind one of the
pillars, there was a staircase which for the most part was covered in
rubble. She imagined the whole place must have been quite impressive
before it was destroyed.Shafts of sunlight broke in through various points and hurt her eyes. Star passed her hand through the nearest beam and felt a sharp tingling run up her arm, like pins and needles. The longer she held it there, the more the pain intensified; a white heat spreading until her whole arm was shaking. She quickly withdrew her hand before the pain became unbearable and returned to the mattress she had been lying on. She flexed her hand until the pain in her arm subsided, then fatigue took her like it never had before. Holding her head in her hands, she tried to recall the events of the previous night. She remembered getting ready for the hand-fasting, her need for solace and...David. The Vampire.
Her brain started to race through the folklore of the Vampire, that her people had taught her. Fear of sunlight, hypersensitive to silver, allergic to Holy Water. Warded off by garlic, but not harmed by it. Warded off by crosses, but only if they had been blessed. Repulsed by their reflection. And finally, their need to feed on an enzyme that resided in blood, human blood.
The Gypsies rarely had to fear the Vampire. Not only did they regularly work with many of the materials that warded them off, but the Elders also concocted spells that were specifically designed to keep them at bay from wherever they made their camp. Only those foolish enough to leave the safety of these barriers would be at the mercy of these "monsters."
Does that make me foolish or desperate? She wondered.
Maybe it was a little of both. What she was most perplexed about was why she had been turned? The answer to this question would have to wait until sunset, as sleep was calling to her intensely. She collapsed upon the old mattress, causing an explosion of dust to billow out from under her.
When she awoke for the second time, she found David watching over her, his cold eyes observing her and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly in a self-satisfied smirk.
“Somehow you're even more beautiful when you're asleep.”
“How long have you been standing there?” She asked him, irritably. She wasn't in the mood for this inane banter. She wanted answers, and she wanted them now.
“Since sunset.”
“Why?” Just a one worded question. Still, he seemed to understand what she was really asking him.
“I wanted you.” He said quietly, eyes down. If she didn't know any better, she'd think the expression on his face was reminiscent of a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. On David however, there was no guilt or remorse, only truth.
“I wanted you to join us, be one of us.”
“Us?” She asked, fearing the answer.
“Yes, myself and my boys.”
“Your boys?” She scoffed.
This just keeps getting better and better.
“Come. I'd like you to meet them.” He led her into the main room, where three other boys were waiting for David to return with his new "plaything."
“This is Marko.” He gestured to the curly blonde closest, who nodded in greeting. “Dwayne...” a dark-haired boy standing on the edge of the fountain next to another blonde-haired boy who David introduced as “Paul.”
“Pleasure.” She muttered sarcastically.
“Boys, this is Star. She's family now.”
“I am NOT your family.” Star turned on her heel, back to the mattress she had been sleeping on. She heard David speaking to the others in a voice so low, that she couldn't make out what he was saying. She looked up to find the “boys” had gone and David was making his way over to her. Taking a deep breath, she analysed his scent of cigarettes, blood and leather, which wasn't entirely offensive to her improved sense of smell. Shaking her head, she concentrated on her fury and confusion.
“Why would you do this to me?”
“You were so unhappy there. You seemed like you would be better suited to the life that I could give you.”
“That isn't a decision that you get to make.” She snarled, scoffing when he smirked at her defiance. They sat in silence for some time before she spoke again. The words clung to her throat, like her mouth felt it had to ask, but her brain refused to let it speak because it already knew the answer.
“I'd have to kill people, wouldn't I?”
“Yes.”
“Well what about animal blood?” David shook his head.
“Their blood doesn't contain enough of the enzyme that we need to survive.”
“So I've traded morality for immortality? Some trade...”
“I'm not sorry I turned you, Star. Besides, you kill animals for food.”
“I'm a vegetarian.” She replied deadpan. David looked worried until he realised she was joking. They both collapsed into laughter.
“Where did the others go?” She asked, once she regained her composure.
“To the Boardwalk. I said we'd meet them later, once I'd talked to you.”
“What is there to talk about, besides you turning me into a monster?"
“We're not monsters, Star. We're just a different species. Maybe I could show you around?”
“Around what?” She asked, intrigued how quickly he'd changed the subject.
“Here, the cave. It used to be the hottest resort in Santa Carla around 85 years ago, until— ”
“ —let me guess, the fault line?”
“Yeah. So now it's ours.”
“You live here?” She didn't know why she was so surprised. Did she really think they were going to live in houses like normal people?
“Yeah. We're far away enough from the town, so we don't have to worry about people poking their noses around. And if they do, the warning signs and state of the wooden bridge usually keep them away from the cave itself.”
He took her hand and led her out into the main area of the cave. The various light sources; the moon, the candles and lit oil drums reflected from scattered shiny objects around the room, casting eerie shadows across the cracked walls and broken architecture. David gestured to passages hidden behind rubble and explained where they led to.
“Over there leads to our collective room where we usually sleep, but we do have our individual rooms too. I'll show you to mine.”
“Whose bed was I sleeping in?” She asked, as he led the way to his room. She didn't like the idea that she'd been sleeping in a strange boy's bed. Hell, she didn't like this whole messy situation, but felt as long as she could control the little things, she'd have some grip on her sanity.
“It's yours. I brought the mattress over from a room near my own that had caved in. Here...”
David's room looked less lived in than the rest of the cave, if that was possible. It had no door and wasn't nearly as cluttered as the main cavern was. One end of the room had a worn, heavily scratched and cigarette burnt mahogany desk with brass pulls adorning the many drawers. On top it had a neat pile of papers and scattered empty and half-empty Marlboro packets. An unevenly balanced stack of books were leaning against one side of the desk, but curving considerably towards the wall. She wondered if he had actually read all of those books, or whether they were just there to make him look sophisticated.
At the other end of the room was a King-size mahogany sleigh bed, whose blankets and mattress looked like they were in dire need of cleaning, as was her own. She sighed as she realised that dirt was to be a part of her future as a vampire. She already felt the blackness creeping into her soul, tarnishing it with her craving for blood and her need to take human life just to linger in the shadows.
“What do you need your own rooms for, if you all sleep in one room?”
“Wait until you get to know Paul. Then you'll understand why.” He grinned at her. “Do you feel ready to go to the Boardwalk?”
“Will I have to kill tonight?”
“Not tonight, but soon. Tonight we'll just get you acquainted with your new senses; they can be overwhelming in a crowd.” She followed him out of the cave to where the boys kept their bikes.
“Bikes? I thought you could fly?”
“We can, but flying in full view of humans tends to freak them out.”
David helped her on behind him, which was to become her habitual place when she rode with the boys. She wrapped her arms around him tightly as they sped off at full speed along the cliff edge.
And driving at this speed doesn't freak humans out.
She thought to herself. She nearly jumped out of her skin when David's voice appeared in her head, and she could have sworn she felt him smirking.
David: Not when they see it's us.
Star: H-how?
David: One of the perks of being a vampire, Star. The power of suggestion can be a powerful tool in luring prey.
Star: Can you get out of my head now?
The rest of the ride was spent in
silence. David was right about her new senses being overwhelming. From
the speeding bike, she could feel the tremor of people moving about on
the Boardwalk, hear the hum of the lights, see individual grains of sand
and smell and taste...blood on the breeze. She felt herself changing.
It was strangely exhilarating.
When they arrived at the entrance to the Boardwalk, David parked his
bike next to three others and then showed her how to use her new skill
to locate and contact the boys.“Aren't you worried about someone stealing your bike?”
“There isn't anyone around here who would be foolish enough to steal our bikes.” She believed that. They met up with the other boys who were hanging around in front of the carousel.
“So do we have a new little sister or what?” asked Paul, with laughter in his voice. All eyes turned on her.
“Sure.” She sighed. Her mind was screaming that they were all killers and one day she would have to be too. However, that didn't mean she couldn't say good-bye to her old life.
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