BOYS OF THE NIGHT - CHAPTER #9




Brian growled in his sleep. A dream haunted his mind - terrorizing him even in sleep.
"Kevin!!!" he cried out. "Kevin!!!"
But his cousin ignored him. He kept walking. Kept going. Into the ocean, far away. Farther and farther.
The sky was pale, the water stormy and rough. Soemone was to his right. He looked over, confused. Nick's saddened face held his eyes.
"He's dead," Nick said, his emotions never wavering - his monotonous voice staying the same tone. "He's dead, Bri."
Brian stared into the deep blue eyes, dead. They were the eyes of a dead man. Suddenly, Nick's face changed. His blonde hair turning black, his eyes turning green. Brian recoiled in horror, completely shocked and terrified by what had just taken place. Before him stood Kevin - but it wasn't him. It was someone else with his face...
"Be afraid of me, Brian. The End draws near," the man stated. The lookalike began to laugh, cackling evily. The sky turned black as night and clouds rolled in. Lightening ripped through the darkness, and then it ended.

Brian's eyes flew open when he heard the click of the lock on the door. He sat up abruptly, feeling his lips pull back, exposing his fangs defensively. His eyes glowed green with anger.
He could hear Nick rustling in his bunk below.
"Brian? Dude, who is it? Who's here?" he asked, his voice hoarse and groggy.
"I don't know," Brian growled back, pulling aside his bed curtain and letting sunlight stream in. He put up his arm to shield his eyes protectively and stumbled to the kitchenette.
His vision was blurred from weakness in daylight and from his mystery illness. All he could see were two dark figures standing in the doorway. He leapt, trying to pounce on the larger one.
Kevin quickly tackled him to the tiled floor and held his arms down forcefully under his weight. Brian fought, but it was useless, his energy and strength were low, and diminishing fast.
"Brian! Brian! God, it's me! Settle down!" he yelled in the thrashing Nosferatu's face.
Brian stopped moving altogether and let his body relax. He felt light-headed and sick.
"W-what?" he asked, confused. Howie stood above him staring down, smiling.
"Kev, what's wrong with him? Is he kidding?" Howie asked.
Kevin looked up at him. "I don't think so."
Brian moaned in pain. "Kevin? Help me! Get off!"
The Ventru pushed himself off the ground, extending a hand out to Brian.
Brian rejected his offer and tried, to no avail, to stand up.
Kevin grabbed his cousin by the shirt and pulled him to eye level and gently slapping his face to retain his faltering attention. "Brian? Brian, listen to me. You're weak, when did you last feed?"
"I dunno. Let go of me! Let go!" he said, futiley trying to punch at him.
"Howie, help me. We need to get him inside, he's sick." The two of them lifted him into the tour bus, laying him on the floor.

Nick stood in the kitchen now, his arms wrapped around his bare torso self-consciously. "What happened to him?" he questioned, his blue eyes wide with horror.
"He's weak. Near death. He needs blood. Nick, do you know when he last ate?" Kevin answered, holding up Brian's head. "Hey,
Howie - get me that knife. There, on the table," he ordered, still waiting for Nick's reply.
"I dunno. But yesterday, I found him, just lying in that field," he said pointing out the window.
"And you didn't call me??? He passed out, and you know he has a heart problem, and you didn't get to me???" Kevin shot back, furious. His grey eyes turned on the Toreador fiercely. "I don't believe you, Nick! What the fuck have you been thinking lately?!"
"He - he said he was fine! I didn't know... I offered to help him and he wouldn't let me! I'm sorry!"
Kevin looked back down to his cousin who was now unconscious. Howie handed him the knife. He grabbed it and watched Brian's shallow breathing before he did anything else.
They all looked up when AJ walked into the kitchen from the bunk cabin. He was rubbing his eyes with balled up fists and yawning. He sighed and watched them all huddled around the figure lying on the floor. "What's going - WHAT THE HELL?!!!" he yelled upon seeing the scene before him.
"He's dying!" Nick shouted back. All AJ could do was stare.
Paying his partner no heed, Kevin took a deep breath and held it. He cut the blade into his wrist, grimacing, and watched the blood rush to the surface of the wound he'd inflicted on himself...