Fat Tuesday



Brian knocked heavily on the door of the hotel suite, trying his best to get either AJ’s or Nick’s attention. Finally, AJ opened his eyes and glanced at the time. It was a few minutes after 11am.

“Yeah?” He asked, still in bed with the blankets tightly wrapped around his body as to keep out the morning cold.

“It’s Brian. Open up, damn!” He shouted through the door. AJ crawled out of bed, the blankets over his shoulders like a cape, and went to open the door. When he did, Brian was greeted with a morning grimace from AJ that he was all too used to. Neither Nick nor AJ were morning people, which is why they roomed together so very often. Brian waltzed through the room and flopped down on the sofa.

“Where’s Nicky? Is he up now too?” Brian asked. AJ shrugged and threw himself on the sofa opposite Brian, curling up into a ball and closing his eyes once more. He was awake, but his body was still very tired. So though he heard and comprehended every word Brian spoke, he looked as unconscious as a bear in winter.

“God, you two are truly something.” Brian huffed as he got up from his seat and went into the bedroom Nick should have been in. But the bed was made. It had never been slept in. Brian could tell because the maids at that hotel only made beds that were tussled and unkempt, but Nick’s bed looked the same as it had the day before. One pillow was out of place and his carry-on bag was sitting on the foot of the mattress.

“AJ, where is he? Hasn’t he been here at all?” AJ just moaned, and Brian couldn’t determine whether the moan was an “I don’t know” moan, or a “yes” moan or a “no.” Brian yanked the sheets away from AJ’s face, letting the light shine on AJ’s eyelids. AJ squinted, frowned, mumbled a few obscenities, and then pulled the covers back up to cover his face.

“I said I don’t know! Damn!” AJ spat more clearly. Brian was semi satisfied with AJ’s answer and decided to leave the situation alone... for the time being. He knew that Nick was 22 and partially responsible. And he figured that Nick probably just went and had some fun at a club or something and it just never ended. It wouldn’t be the first time that Nick crashed at an after party or something. So, Brian decided to just leave it well alone and worry later if Nick didn’t show up.

~*~*~*~*~*~


It was Fat Tuesday. One could feel it in the air. Soon the streets would be filled with both young and old partygoers, throwing their inhibitions in the garbage and acting upon every carnal impulse sparked within them. As night fell on the lively city, one group opened their eyes for the first time that Tuesday.

Gray kneeled over Nick’s sleeping body. She ran her finger over his hands, then up his chest, then to his lips. She finally had her Jean back. And he was all hers. Forever, and even after that. She looked at his perfect frame and thought about how relieved she was that his rebirth went smoothly. She also thought about how much he had to learn. He was like a child. He was new to her world. The dark world she had been living in for hundreds of years.

Nick’s eyes opened wide and he looked around at his surroundings. At first he hoped that maybe he was still dreaming. But as he sat up, he realized that dreams didn’t feel this real. He looked to his right and stared at Gray, the girl who had caused all of this.

“Don’t regret what happened last night. It’s for the best.” She said, having heard his thoughts.

“But...”

“Nick, listen to me. You must feed to live. Just as the lion, or the wolf, or the eagle. They are all animals of pray. They must kill to survive. You, you are now a creature of pray. Just as I am, as well as Daniella, Anna, Maia, everyone here. The mortal man survives on food and water. We thrive on blood. It’s just a minor price to pay for eternal life.” Nick climbed out of the casket that had served as his bed as the day passed him by.

“There’s no turning back is there?” He walked around the large cellar. The floors were made of stone. The walls were stone. There were no windows. Only candles lit the room. All the horror movie images of vampires flew through his head. How they slept in coffins. How they drank blood. How they turned into bats at will. How they flew around. How they’re faces became distorted and evil as their thirst for human blood intensified. How they had no reflection, no life, nothing.

He thought of how in every vampire movie, there were vampire slayers. Those noble humans who drove wooden stakes into the hearts of the devilish creatures of the night. He thought of how sunlight turned them into piles of ashes. He thought of how Holy water burned their flesh. He thought of how the crucifix weakened them. He thought of how awful and disgusting vampires were. And he thought about how he was now all of those things.

“No, there is no turning back. And Nick... we are not all of those things.” She whispered. Nick turned and looked at her, examining her body. She looked so very normal. Except for her pale brown color and her colorless eyes. He saw a silver chain around her neck and at the end was a small crucifix. He thought of how hypocritical it seemed. How could a cold killer believe in God?

“All of those Hollywood myths are just that... myths. Come, see for yourself.” She took his hand and it was then that Nick realized there was no warmth in her touch. She led him to another room in the cellar, one with even more candles. There was a mirror in that room. She brought him closer to it and he could see himself just as anyone else could.

“Holy water doesn’t burn. We don’t turn to bats. Your body will never distort. And we can fly, but only those of us who are older and stronger. For you, it might happen at the peak of excitement. All normal human actions are greater in us. We can move faster than any other. Our hearing is keen, our sight is sharp. And in time, you’ll even be able to see into the mind and hearts of the weak. Just as I can read your mind and heart now.” Nick backed up against the cold stone wall and slid down to the floor.

“Why? How? How is any of this real? Vampires aren’t real! They can’t be. This is all a dream. And when I wake up, you won’t exist. None of this will exist.” Nick said to himself, repeating it over and over. Gray took both of his wrists into her hands and yanked him up to his feet with the greatest of ease.

“This is not a dream. This is your life. This is what I offered you, and this is what you accepted. I set you free! Nothing else matters now. All you have to do for the rest of your days is sit and watch time go by. You will never grow old. You will never get sick. And you will never feel pain. You now have what so many people wish for. Consider yourself lucky that I chose you!” She let his wrists go and then she left the room. Nick followed right behind her, not wanting to be left alone in such a strange place.

“But my family, and my friends. What do I say to them? How do I explain myself when I can’t see them during the day? And how do I explain myself when I don’t get any older? And I have a career, one that I’m committed to. I can’t walk away from that.” Nick protested, following closely behind Gray up the long stairwell and through the dark corridor.

“Another small price to pay for immortality.” She muttered, leading him to the front room of the house. The entire mansion was empty. Nick turned in circles, not remembering the place from the night before. He was far too afraid to look at it then. It was decorated to look so very old. That made sense, there was no telling how old most of the vampires were who lived there.

“We will go to your friends. And you will tell them that you must leave them. But you cannot tell them why. They would never understand. And for you to reveal our secret would be dangerous.” When Nick heard her say that telling Brian and the others would be dangerous, he panicked.

“Why?”

“Arius.”

Gray went on to explain Arius’ history. The very queen of darkness herself had given him the choice. Once he accepted his new life, he was told to start a small race of his own. Only those who he felt deserved the “dark gift,” as he called it, were chosen. Maia was his first. She was a beautiful young Roman woman whom he fell deeply in love with. After Maia, he took another young Roman under his wing. A young man by the name of Marcus. Marcus strayed from Arius as time passed and dwelled in Europe with others like himself. Arius then converted Daniella during the Medieval Era. She was dying of the Black Plague and he offered to save her life. Daniella was one of few who had no family to leave behind, they had all died of the epidemic.

Anne, she was converted during the Renaissance. A feisty prostitute, Arius decided to save her from the sad life of a woman who sells her body for a living. Gray was his last conversion. The teenagers were all brought in by Anne, Daniella, and Maia. Now Nick was the latest to join them in their so-called family.

Nick sat there in awe listening to Gray tell the story of each of the vampires she lived with, including her own. And as she spoke, Nick began to understand a little more what they were all about. He was still uncomfortable about killing to live, and leaving his family and friends. But the idea of never having to work and never having to feel stress or pain excited him. Gray still sensed his apprehension. She cuddled up close to him and rested her hands on his chest.

“The best part of this is that you have me. I will be yours forever. You will never be alone. You fear that don’t you? Being alone is the worst feeling anyone could ever have. I’ve been alone before. When I lost my baby and Jean married another, I felt like I had no one and nothing to hold on to. I’ve walked this Earth for over two hundred years. I have been to every country there is, I’ve seen every culture. But I never stopped feeling alone. Nick, when I met you, I could feel that same loneliness in your heart. And this is why we are meant to be together. Don’t fight it. Learn to love what I have given you. Please...” She kissed him gently, and he could feel the animalistic blood pumping from his heart rapidly.

While in that raw state of lust and hunger, Gray led him out into the streets of New Orleans. They moved through the rowdy crowds swiftly, Gray stopped when she saw a man lying in an alley. She went down the alley and stared down at him. She reached down and helped the man up. He was in the middle of an all-time high, induced by a heroine addiction. His belt was still tied tightly around his arm, and the needle was still protruding out of his arm. She pulled the needle out and loosened the belt from around his arm.

“Hey there lady, what’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?” He stammered, then he went into a bout of laughter. Nick came up behind Gray and looked at the dirty youth.

“Gray, no...” He protested.

“Please, for me, you’re weak. You need this.” She kissed him again, and Nick needed no further encouragement. He went straight for the stranger’s neck and didn’t release him until he had but one more breath left in his body. Nick looked up from the corpse on the ground and stared into Gray’s pleased eyes.

“How do you feel?” She asked him, leading him away from the cadaver in the alley.

“I feel fine, just fine.” Nick answered.

~*~*~*~*~*~


Nick ran his card through the electronic lock on the door of his and AJ’s hotel suite. Inside, all of the guys, Leighanne, Kristen, a few band members, and a few dancers were all sitting around talking. Some were having drinks, others were playing cards. This was normal.

“Staying indoors on Fat Tuesday? What gives?” Nick said slyly, Gray by his side. Everyone looked up in shock. Brian got up and greeted his surrogate little brother.

“Where have you been? And who is this?” Brian asked.

“This is my Gray.” She rested her head on Nick’s shoulder and they both looked at Brian. Brian only gazed back, noticing the similarity in their eyes.

“So what is that, matching contacts? Is this your new look?” Nick was about to speak, but Gray spoke for him.

“Yes, something like that.” Brian wasn’t buying it. Nick just showing up with a girl on his arm, looking pale, yet healthier than ever. His hair was combed straight back and he spoke so calmly, with no emotion whatsoever. Something was wrong with his best friend. And there was something mysterious about Gray, he didn’t trust her.

“Can I talk to you alone for a moment, Nick?” Gray took it upon herself to walk away from the two and let them speak. It didn’t matter though, she could hear them from anywhere in that suite if she wanted to.

She stood against the wall and watched Nick and Brian talking. AJ approached her then. He took one of her long braids and wrapped it around his finger.

“How long does it take you to braid your hair this way? It’s beautiful.” AJ whispered. She only turned to him and ran her fingers through his hair.

“You really don’t want to start anything with me. I’m the girl Mom always warned you about.” AJ just smiled and licked his lips.

“So you’re with Nicky there, huh?” He asked, standing a little closer to her.

“Yes, we are together.” She answered quickly. She was trying her best not to take AJ right then and there. She could hear his heart beating from where she stood. And she was starved.

“But it can’t be serious. Right?” He interjected.

“Oh, it’s serious. More serious than you’ll ever know.” She heard Nick tell Brian that he was leaving and couldn’t say why. She took this as her cue to go help Nick bail out of the situation.

“Excuse me.” She said to AJ and then she rushed over to Nick’s side again.

“You heard me, I’m leaving. Where I’m going isn’t your concern. You shouldn’t worry about it, I’ll be fine.” Nick assured Brian.

“When will you be back.” Nick looked down at Gray and then he looked over the room. He thought about leaving behind his career. His mother, father, sisters, and his brother. He’d be leaving behind Brian, AJ, Howie, Kevin, and everyone else he’d befriended since the Backstreet Boys began. But there was no other way. He was a different person now. He had to leave the old Nick behind.

“I’ll be back in due time.” With that he took Gray’s hand and escorted her out of the room. His suitcases were still in his room, and he hadn’t taken anything from them. He came in the room with nothing and left the same way... leaving his hotel card on the dresser.

Leighanne came over to Brian and asked what his conversation with Nick was about. He simply told her that he couldn’t help but worry. It wasn’t like Nick to disappear all night and day and then return with some strange girl only to say that he’d be back in due time. It just wasn’t Nick.

“Don’t worry, I’ll talk to him.” AJ offered, and before Brian could say anything more or join him, AJ was on his way out of the door to follow Nick and his new female friend. He went down to the lobby and quickly as he could, and he got there just in time to see the couple walk away from the front doors.

AJ followed them outside as well and saw them join four others in the middle of the street. He watched as they all walked uniformly (as if pre-coordinated) toward the parades and celebrations. He followed them through the parades. He followed them into a club. He watched as they went to a VIP section, but ordered no drinks.

He watched as Gray and two other girls sat close to Nick, hugging him and caressing him. He watched as they summoned a waitress to come up to their special VIP section. Gray had said something to her, then the waitress kneeled down to kiss Gray. At first, AJ thought that maybe Nick had gotten mixed up in some weird orgy group. But when he saw the waitress fall down dead and Gray lick her lips of blood, he knew that it was something much deeper than that. Something much more sinister.

Gray then kissed Nick and he seemed to enjoy it. Suddenly, one of the young men pointed AJ out. Then they all looked at him. AJ turned and walked away, leaving the building from the side exit. He was just about to leave the side alley when he saw all seven of them staring at him. Nick was off to the side, with his head held low.

“You’ve seen too much.” Daniella said, in her quaint French accent.

“You know too much.” Anne added in her British accent.

“And that’s not good at all.” One of the young boys said before stepping forward. Gray put her hand up and he stopped dead in his tracks.

“I want to be able to trust you. But I don’t think that I can. You just couldn’t stay out of this, could you? And now I’m stuck in an awfully tight position. You’re Nick’s friend, and he loves you. And because I love him, I can’t take you.” Gray whispered to him, coming so close that AJ feared for his life. He was relieved to hear her say that she wouldn’t take him though, whatever that meant.

“I will, however, silence you until we [she looked back at all of the others] can make an educated decision.” She took AJ’s head in her hands and she kissed him. AJ kept his eyes open and looked over at Nick who was now turning away.

Gray then lifted AJ’s hand and kissed his fingers. Then she kissed his palm. Then she kissed his wrist. AJ felt a sharp pain then. A deep, sharp pain. More painful than any bone break, tattoo, or anything hurtful he’d ever felt before. He tried to pull away from her, but her grip was too tight. AJ fell to his knees. He called out to Nick, but his words only came out in a whisper. He was too weak to speak. She had silenced him, just as she promised.

AJ fainted and Gray dropped his arm. She looked at the two boys who accompanied them and motioned for them to pick AJ up.

“Take him back to the hotel and tell them you found him wasted in the alley. Don’t say anything else. When you’ve dropped him off, come back home. Don’t linger.” Anne advised. Daniella was down on the ground next to AJ. She ripped away her black sleeve and tied it tightly around AJ’s wound. Michael and Jin picked AJ up and positioned his arms over their shoulders, making it look as if he had merely passed out from intoxication. Little did they know that AJ no longer drank. Brian, Howie, and Kevin would see right through their story.

Gray, Daniella, and Anne joined Nick and tried to comfort him. They told him that it was totally his decision on what to do. His options weren’t good. Either AJ died, or they would have to make him one of them.



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