BOYS OF THE NIGHT - #26


Barb watched siently from the open window in Nick's room. It overlooked the lengthy driveway where she eargerly awaited Nick's return. Despite her hate for what he'd done, there was no denying that she was in love with him. And she missed him, even though she was appalled at what he was doing at that moment. Barb stared longingly into the night sky until she heard a creak in the floorboards behind her. She whipped around, frightened.
"Hi," Howie said quietly, his silouette outlined in the doorway.
His eyes glew in the darkness, a radiant blue. Barb felt transfixed on them, hypnotized.
"Hi, Howie," she whispered back, trying to fight the urge to give in to his will.
He stepped closer to her, entering the room and shutting the door behind him. The shadows moved in, covering them both in a thick blanket of black.
"Is anything wrong?" he asked, his eyes still locked on her like a vice. He tried to force his thoughts into her mind, and was having a hard time doing so. She guarded her mind well.
Howie came even closer in a few shortened strides. Barb, who was sitting on the sill, began to slowly scoot away, her eyes battling his. Howie sat down near her on the cushioning and gently reached out with his right hand. She diverted her gaze and stared at his arms, fearing him. He could smell the fear. A victory. If she feared him, she was vulnerable.
Howie ran his index finger down her jawline. She shivered, but remained still, not trying to get away.
He smiled and then boldly ran his whole hand down her cheek. She leaned into his palm.
"So beautiful... I see why Nick fell so in love so quickly," Howie said, barely above a breath.
She closed her eyes and sighed, letting him in.
"He is my brother, you know," Howie said after a few seconds. He lifted her gaze to meet his eyes. She had given up completely. She was his. "You don't think he'd mind sharing, do you?"


AJ slipped inside the door, trying not to make any sounds. It was dawn, and everyone should have been asleep by now. Brian quickly followed behind, silently shutting it as soon as he got inside.
"That was good tonight," AJ said smiling wickedly.
"I know. I know, man. I mean, I was sweet when that huge guy was all up on ya, and I like, scared the hell outta him and stuff! We kicked, J!" Brian replied, boasting. They'd hunted that night, as had Kevin and Nick. AJ laughed deeply, recalling the events of the evening - they'd nearly gotten themselves killed. Again.
"Yeah, Rok. We make a good team, huh?" he asked laughing.
"Hell yeah!" Brian replied with hilarity in his voice. They gave themselves a few seconds to come back to their usual composure and then patted the other on the back appreciateively. AJ reached to pat Brian on the back, but recoiled when he saw his friend's look of pain.
"Still killing ya, huh?" he asked in reference to Brian's newest wound.
Brian nodded, his eyes reflecting mostly made up pain. "Yeah. Dude, you see me like, get right hooked in the side? I was like, Gawd damn . . . I mean, tomorrow I'm gonna have a bruise the size of like, your mom!" he laughed.
"Oh, you wanna play? Okay. Your mom's breath so rank that when she smokes Bri, okay fuckin' get this one Bri," he said through tears of laughter, "her breath so rank that she blows out onion rings!"
They broke into hysterical fits.
"Okay, okay, alright. I got one for ya. K. K. Your momma so-"
Brian was cut off by a moan coming from above them.
"You think they're home yet? I'm sure D's in bed - with a friend...," Bone said as he took off his Adidas jacket and tossed to the reading chair in the nearby living room.
Brian gave him a funny look and frowned up at the stairs. "Is Howie even here?"
AJ looked thoughtful for a minute. "Yeah. I'm sure he is. Kev told him to stay in tonight... to watch her."
"I don't smell him, J."
"What do you mean?" AJ growled. He pushed Brian out of the way and stuck his head up to peer at the staircase. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, sensing the air with his perceptive abilities. He didn't smell Howie either. That couldn't have been good. "He's not here," AJ whispered, shocked.
"And where's Barb?" Brian asked loudly, his voice full of urgency.
"Wh- she's upstairs, right? Where we left her?"
"AJ, I'm not smelling a human. There's no live blood in this house," he said frantically. They both ran to her room and slammed open the door.
They were not prepared for the sight before them.
"Oh God... no," AJ said, putting a hand over his mouth.
Barb was on Nick's bed, blood all around and on her, covering the sheets, a puddle of it on the floor, asleep. Brian pushed past his friend and sat down by her side. He felt her torn neck softly with his hands, looking over the gaping wound. She had bled a lot... too much to have survived. But she had. And they both knew why.
With shaking hands, Brian gently pulled down her bottom lip, exposing her teeth. His breath was uneven, and he looked away suddenly.
AJ eventually worked up the courage to walk over and stare.
"Is she?" he asked quietly, his eyes, for once unshielded by the sunglasses, poured out emotion.
Brian held his head in his hands. "Yes."
"WHERE THE HELL IS HOWIE? I'M GONNA KILL HIM!!" AJ roared as ran out of the room. Brian could hear him kicking open doors down the hall, cursing and calling for Howie - the only suspect.
"I don't think he's coming back, J... I don't think he's coming back," Brian said to himself in a hushed tone as he gazed at Barb's pale face in the dawn's early light.

Kevin watched her sleeping form on the couch. It'd been a few weeks since her transformation, and she still needed a lot of sleep to work up strength to move around at night. He lightly brushed a wispy curl out of her face with his hand, letting it graze her skin as it passed over. Barb was a beautiful vampire - she'd accustomed herself to the new lifestyle almost immediately. She was very versitile, especially for the present situation she was in.
"How's my baby girl?" Nick asked from the doorway.
Kevin glanced up and then looked down lovingly at her. "She's good."
Nick stepped over to his side and let his head rest on Kevin's knee comfortably as he stooped. With his free hand, Kevin lightly ran his fingers over Nick's blonde hair.
"She's so little, Nick. I forgot what it's like to have a Fledgling in the house," he said, stroking her cheek, speaking of her as if she was a new baby. "You're all grown-up now. You're not my baby anymore. God, where did all the years go, Nicky?" Kevin asked, staring up at the ceiling.
Nick didn't say anything, his eyes closed sadly. He smiled at the rememberance of his childhood nickname - Nicky. It seemed so strange to hear Kevin say that. Yet it was very comfortable.
They were silent, and then Kevin spoke in a small, weak voice.
"Do you... do you think you'd be able to take care of her on your own?"
Nick stared up at his father questioningly, his blue eyes meeting Kevin's grey-green eyes. "I think so. Why?"
"No reason. I just wondered." And then silence fell upon them again.
"Nick?"
"Hmm?"
"You're my favorite son. I love you more than I love anything - AJ, myself, anyone. Always."
Nick opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out. He looked up and met Kevin's eyes again, searching for an answer.
Kevin smiled and gently ran a finger down Nick's soft cheek.
"Don't say anything."
And they left it at that, returning to watching Barb sleep peacefully in the living room.