Friday, 19 September 2014

In The Shadows - Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing! Zip, nada. I don't think I even own the thoughts in my head. The Lost Boys belong to WB, no matter how much I may wish otherwise. I am making NO profit from this story whatsoever, unless you count the happiness I get every time someone reads it.


In Loving Memory



“What?” David asked, confused.
“Oh, don’t give me that!” Star spat. “John and Virginia hired you, didn’t they? What? The physical torture wasn’t enough, they gotta resort to this? It’s sick!”
“What the hell are you going on about?” He asked, however Star ignored him.
“You go back and you tell them, I’m not giving them anything! I don’t know anything and even if I did, I wouldn’t tell them. They murdered my family! Did they really think parading their shells in front of me would get me to break?!”
“Dude, she’s lost it.” Paul whispered.
“Star…who do you think we are?” Dwayne asked cautiously, brow furrowed. Star laughed hysterically.
“You tell me…”
“Star, it’s us…” Marko gasped from under her grasp. She shook her head vehemently.
“No. Stop lying to me. I felt you die!”
“Star…just put the needle down. We’ll talk about this and you’ll see it’s us.” Dwayne coaxed, unsure if Star was even in her right mind.
“No…” She wailed. “You can’t be…y-you just…can’t…it’s not right.”
She dropped the syringe and pushed Marko away from her. He kicked the needle out of her reach and picked it up. Star had collapsed into a ball and was now sobbing. Marko backed up further, in case it was another ploy.
“Please…kill me. Just don’t do this…don’t be them. Please…I didn’t do anything to you.”
“We’re not going to kill you, Star.” David confirmed, before smiling coldly. “That would be too kind after what you did.”

“You think she’s lying?” Dwayne asked David, once they were outside the chamber where they were holding Star.
“Of course she is. She was too cowardly to kill us herself, she had to get those wannabe hunters to do it for her. Shit, maybe she was even working with Max.”
“I don’t know, David. She genuinely didn’t seem to understand what was going on.”
“Maybe she’s got amnesia?” Paul suggested.
“I don’t think so.” Marko shook his head. “I mean, she recognised us, but it was like she didn’t want to believe it was us.”
“Of course she doesn’t want to. She thought she was rid of us and now she’s going to have to face the consequences of what she’s done.” Marko looked behind him at Star and shook his head again.
“No, there’s more to it than that. Something’s wrong. It just…doesn’t feel right.”
“Marko, she was threatening to poison you!”
“How do you know for sure that there’s even anything in here?” Marko asked, breaking the syringe and cursing as he burnt his fingers on the toxic liquid inside.
“See?”
“That doesn’t prove anything.” Marko countered, returning to Star.
“Marko, get back here…” David growled after him.
“Star?” Marko asked timidly, slowly approaching the huddled form before him. He wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.
“I told you, I’m not telling you anything.”
“Marko, get away from her!”
“Do you know where you are?”
She nodded sadly.
“Iad.” She whispered.
“Marko, step back, I won’t tell you again.”
“Wait, what is that?” Dwayne asked Marko, ignoring David’s warning.
“Hell. She thinks she’s in hell.”
“She will be soon, if she doesn’t quit this act.”
“Why'd you do it, Star? Why'd you betray us?” Paul joined in.
“I didn't!” She protested.
“Then where were you that night?”
“One minute I'm fast asleep and the next, Michael is waking me up telling me he's taking me out of there? What was I supposed to do? Ask him to wait there while I asked David if it’s okay? I didn't know what to do!” She couldn't hold the tears back any longer. Paul's scarred face softened as he realised the predicament she’d been in. David, however was having none of it.
“That’s it! I’ve had enough of this.” He grabbed her by the arm, hoisting her to her feet and she screamed so loud you would think he had just torn her arm from its socket.
“David, you’re hurting her.”
“I’ll do more than that…” He snarled “I warned you, Star. I warned you what would happen if you threatened my family again!”
He threw her against the wall and the scent of blood invaded the air. Marko ran over to her. Her face was clean, however there was a dark patch of something on her jacket that seemed to be rapidly increasing in size. Removing her jacket, he discovered her side was bleeding heavily through makeshift bindings. He also noticed deep bruising and track marks on her arms.
“David, come look at this…” He beckoned David over. The boys crowded around her, taking in her injuries.
“Get…the fuck…away from…me.” Star coughed, holding her side.
“What the hell happened?”
“I don’t get it. This injury is over a week old. She’s still a vampire, so why isn’t she healing?”
“It b-burns…when it…goes down…your throat…” Star whispered, her voice getting weaker. Marko pulled her her hair back and discovered similar bruising along her neck, her veins dark in contrast with her skin. Curious, he slipped into fang and lowered his mouth to her neck.
“What are you doing?” David asked.
“Testing a theory.” Marko answered, before puncturing Star’s neck with his fangs and allowing her blood to fill his mouth. He immediately spat it out on the floor beside him.
“What is it?”
“Whatever the hell was in that syringe it’s in her blood.” Marko replied, trying to get the remnants of Star tainted blood out of his mouth.
“Why the hell would she inject herself with Holy Water?” Asked Paul.
“She wouldn’t.” David answered solemnly. “It would have been injected purposely to prevent her from healing.”
“Who else would know that?”
“Hunters.” David hung his head in realisation. The Frog brothers it seemed, were only the beginning.
“I won’t go back!” Star cried and suddenly sat up. “You can’t make me.”
“Star...”
She shuffled backwards as far as she could manage, while slipping in and out of reality.
“Stay away from me! Oh, don’t worry, sweetheart. They’ll come, I know they will. You know I won’t let anything happen to you, right? Right, Laddie?”
“Star, Laddie’s not here.” Replied Dwayne.
“What have you done with him? He’s just a little boy.”
“We haven’t done anything with him. He was with you, remember?”
“Oh! I remember…”

What are they going to do to us, Star?”
I don’t know, but I can make damn sure they don’t do it to you. Come on, I’m getting you out of here…”
They crept out of the house, careful not to alert it’s inhabitants. It was pitch black outside and Laddie couldn’t even see his hand in front of his face. He was glad he had Star, who could see just as well in darkness.
Careful!” She warned, holding him back. “This is where they lay. Well, what’s left of them.”
She put her hand to the newly turned earth, as if they would be able to feel and find comfort in her touch.
I heard the old man and the Frogs burying them this morning.”
They scare me.”
I know. Me too, sweetheart. Me too. You should be able to find your way to town from here. Just keep following the road and don’t stop until you’re well away from this place.”
You’re not coming with me?”
I can’t. It’s too close to dawn, I’d never make it. Besides, I won’t leave them here with those monsters. I told you that.”
Then I’m not going either. They were my family too.” She placed her hands on his small shoulders and pleaded with him.
Laddie, don’t argue with me. You’re human, they have no interest in you. You can go and live a normal life. Please, I don’t want to lose you too.”
I don’t want a normal life, I want to be with you!”
You can’t, this has gone too far. You need to go. Now!”
Just then, lights shone on them, almost blinding her.
No one’s going anywhere.” It was him, and behind him was Michael and the Frog brothers. Sam was no doubt inside with Lucy, as these days he rarely left her side. She gulped and held Laddie close to her.
Where’re you going, Star?” Michael taunted, using the same phrase David had when they first met.
Please…” Star begged. “Just let him go. He’s human now, he can’t hurt you.”
Let him go squawking all over town? Get your vamp buddies up here? I don’t think so.” Edgar grunted.
Who’s going to believe him even if he did tell? He’s not a threat to you.”
All filth like you are a threat to us.” Alan replied, aiming his water-uzi at them and Star pushed Laddie behind her.
I won’t let you hurt him.”
She yelled at Laddie to run and launched herself at Edgar and Michael. Alan squirted her with Holy Water and she screamed as it melted her skin. She threw Edgar at Alan, knocking him off balance. Dropping her fangs, she growled at Michael, while the Frog brothers were busy fishing for their stakes.
I should have killed you the first night we met. None of this would have ever happened!”
BANG!
The sound of the shotgun reverberated through the air. She looked down expecting to see a hole in her chest, but he hadn’t been aiming at her. She jumped off Michael and turned around to see a little body on the ground.
NOO—”

“—OOO! They killed him…” Star whispered, tears falling down her face.
“What? Who killed who?” Dwayne asked, startled by her sudden outburst.
“He was just a little boy and they killed him.”
“They…killed Laddie?” Dwayne growled before briefly vamping out.
“I couldn’t save him. It was a shotgun and he was so little…” Star covered her mouth with both hands to stop herself from screaming again.
“Oh, man…” Paul sighed, shaking his head.
Even David wasn’t quite sure how he should be feeling at that moment, so he kept his face impassive. He hadn’t been as close to Laddie as the others - in fact he’d been quite indifferent to the young boy. Star and Dwayne’s connection to him had unlocked a bond between them, that David could never hope to have with her. He had no patience for children, however that shouldn’t suggest that he wasn’t grieved to learn of his death. Imagining the pain it must have caused Star, instantly made him want to comfort her. He quickly put his feelings in check, once he remembered that he wasn’t completely convinced of her innocence.
“They just left him there, bleeding out on the gr…” She stopped.
“What? What is it, Star?” Asked Marko.
“They left him bleeding on the ground over where they buried you. His blood soaked into the earth and brought you back.” She looked up wide-eyed into the faces of her lost family, her Lost Boys. The reason her cravings had gotten so much worse lately, was standing right in front of her. A vampire needed a lot of sustenance in order to heal quickly and effectively. Star had effectively been trying to heal five seriously injured vampires all by herself.
“It’s really you?”
“It’s really us, girl.” Paul smiled, although there a tinge of sadness, now he knew to whom he owed his second chance.
They took Star to the foyer and gave her a bottle of blood to flush out the remainder of the toxins in her system. They all watched as she held it carefully to her mouth and drank slowly but steadily. After a while, she leaned back against the love-seat on which she was sitting next to Dwayne. Her brow creased with confusion as she looked over at Marko.
“W-wait. How is Marko here? He wasn’t there that night.”
“No I wasn’t, but someone really needs to give those Frog brothers an anatomy lesson.” He grinned, lifting his shirt to reveal a healing scar in the middle of his chest. “Nowhere near the heart. Hurt like a bitch, though.”
“I know. I felt it.” Said Star, taking another swig from the bottle.
“Incineration is the true key to a vampire’s demise.” David explained, tiredly. “Stakes and Holy Water will immobilise us for a very long time, however there are still enough cells left for us to regenerate. Burying us speeds the process, too. Those wannabe hunters have a lot to learn.”
“John and Virginia obviously aren’t as good as they think they are.” Star scoffed.
“You said those names earlier, who are they?” He asked.
“I thought they were something else you were hiding from me.” Star replied, looking pointedly at David.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“The name Max ring any bells?”
“Oh…”
“Oh? That’s all you have to say?”
“You have no idea what was going on, Star!”
“I would have, if you’d told me.”
“So what if I did? What could you have done?”
“I could have been there for you. You wouldn’t have had to do it alone.”
“Do what?”
“I scanned Max’s mind. I know what both you and he were planning. He was trying to get rid of you all.”
“I thought he wanted us all to be one big happy family?” Paul asked, confused. Star shook her head.
“He’d wanted you gone for a long time, thought you were getting too out of control. David turning me was the kicker.”
David nodded, remembering his conversation with Max when he’d told him about Star.
“He didn’t want Gypsy blood watering down his legacy.”
“He was going to start again with the Emersons. He tried to use Michael, but you were already inside. He twisted your plan, David, for his own. Michael was battling with two wills pulling him in different directions. One telling him to kidnap me, the other telling him to rescue me. Still, they both led to the same place.”
“Are you defending him?” David growled.
“No! I’m saying neither of you counted on the Frog brothers getting involved. They weren’t supposed to be there in either scenario.”
“Wait, back to this John and Virginia. Who are they and how are they connected?” Asked Marko.
“You really don’t know? They’re Edgar and Alan’s parents.”
“What?! The spaced out hippies from the comic book store? That’s who you’re so afraid of?” Paul burst out laughing and Star scowled.
“They are not spaced out hippies. That’s just a cover.” She replied, carefully. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out another syringe. The boys all jumped back.
“This, is one of their chemical cocktails. I stole as many as I could after I escaped them holding me prisoner.”
“I’ve been watching you for some time now, Star. You certainly didn’t look like a prisoner when you were with the Emersons.”
“Looks can be deceiving. Just like John and Virginia. They may look harmless, but they are serious hunters and they’ve taught their sons well. Maybe Edgar and Alan did screw up with taking you guys out, but it was their first time. And you know what they say, practice makes perfect, and boy, have they practised.”
“How do you know?” Dwayne asked, suspiciously.
“Because, I’m their secret weapon.” She replied, despondently.
“What does that mean?”
She sighed and then looked at David with regret.
“You never did teach me how to shut you out.”
David looked at her quizzically and then his eyes widened in realisation. Star nodded, confirming his suspicions.
“David? What’s she talking about?” Asked Dwayne.
“David worked out that I was tapping into all of your hunger, which is why no amount of feeding seemed to satisfy my cravings. It was why I was turning feral.” David exhaled sharply and put his head in his hand.
“I was going to show her how to shut us out after we’d taken care of Max. I wanted to use her blood-lust as a weapon against him.”
“Yeah, well the Frogs had a similar idea. Torture me, weaken me, refuse to feed me. Place me in a crowd, wind me up and watch me go. Take me out and do it all over again. And it isn’t just vampires they’ve been hunting.”
“The werewolves?”
“Werewolves, ghouls, demons, witches - anything that poses a threat to truth, justice and the American way.” She recited.
“Fuck!” Paul exclaimed.
“So how did you escape?”
“With great difficulty. They were using me to infiltrate a vampire pack downtown. They’d had info from a half who was sired by their Head. He was supposed to back me up, however he didn’t show. The Head recognised my blood belonged to Max’s family, with whom she had an unfortunate history, and it turned into a bloodbath and not the good kind. In the confusion, I managed to escape, but not without receiving the wrath of a crossbow.” She explained, gesturing to her bloody bandages.
“Didn’t hurt as much as one combined with electricity, mind you.” She smiled sympathetically at Dwayne, who grimaced at the reminder.
“So why take the syringes?” Marko asked.
“Because I don’t just have to worry about protecting myself against the hunters who kidnapped me. I’ve also got an irate vampire pack, a pissed off werewolf pack and a furious coven of witches all after me. And now you guys as well!”
Marko looked over at David, who was still analysing everything Star had told him, for any hint of deception. When David still refused to make a comment, he spoke up instead.
“We’re not after you, Star. We just didn’t know what to think after that night.”
“Yeah, we thought you’d turned. Especially when you screamed when you saw us coming.” Paul said and Star shrugged.
“I wasn’t sure what the plan was, so I thought the best thing was to continue playing my role.”
“To the point of helping them to kill us?” David asked.
“No! They tried to kill me and Laddie too. We hid under the bed and when I heard Paul, I got out to help him. I was going to slip into the other bedroom and trap them in the bathroom.”
“So why didn’t you?” Paul asked.
“Because when I opened the door, Sam’s dog was there and I know it sounds pathetic, but I’m terrified of dogs. It was growling and snarling at me and I hid in the closet.” Star shifted about uncomfortably as her voice got quieter with embarrassment at being frightened by something so…human.
“I couldn’t move, I was paralysed and then my face felt like it was on fire and I couldn’t see. I felt the dog had gone so I tried to get out and then my whole body went into spasm.”
“The dog came after me and pushed me into the bathtub filled with Holy Water. You felt that?”
“I am so sorry that I didn’t help you, Paul.”
“But you felt it?”
“I told you, I felt you all die…” She paused and looked over at David who was studying her through cold eyes. “Yours was the worst. I remember, they were tying me and Laddie up when I felt that…plunge through my chest and I knew it was you, David.”
David looked down at the floor, face set in a frown. Star tried to continue through the tears.
“I broke free, raced down the stairs, saw your body and I died right there with you.” After she had regained her composure, she sniffed, wiped away her tears and carried on.
“After all the shit with Max went down, me and Laddie were trying to come up with a way to get you all out of there and back to the cave, without us being noticed.”
“Why didn’t you just leave?” Dwayne asked. “You could have escaped with Laddie.”
“I wasn’t going to leave you there, with them! They were all celebrating in the kitchen and I’d somehow convinced myself that David wasn’t really dead and that I could save him.”
At that, David finally looked at Star properly. It was the ignition he’d been hoping for. The flame within him wasn’t truly alight, however the embers were beginning to smoke.
“Someone knocked me out before I could try, though.”
“Who?” He asked.
“John, I think. Well he and Virginia were the first faces I saw when I came to. Oh, and just for your information,” she said, giving David an accusing stare. “I’m getting really tired of being knocked unconscious all the time.”
“It’s for your own good.” David smirked. Star sighed and smiled back at him.
“So they kidnapped you and Laddie?” Asked Marko, trying to get back to Star’s story.
“Not exactly. They held us hostage at the Emersons for a while until they figured out what to do with us.”
“So Edgar and Alan went running for Mommy and Daddy? Least I managed to scare the shit out of ‘em, bud!” Paul grinned as he high-fived Marko, pleased he had accomplished something worthwhile, prior to his untimely demise.
“They were just as surprised to see them there as anybody.”
“So what were they doing at the Emersons? They got trackers on their kids or something?”
“No, the old man brought them. He recognised Max and got suspicious after Sam’s ruse to get him out of the house before you guys dropped in. So he went to get John and Virginia.”
“How the hell did he know about them being hunters?”
“C’mon, Paul, you’ve seen the guy’s truck, and all those animals he likes to stuff. He’s a fucking hunter too!” Dwayne answered, however Star shook her head.
“He’s not a hunter, he’s a half. In fact, he’s the one who didn’t show up while I was infiltrating his sire’s pack.”

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