Locks of auburn hair fell over innocent blue eyes and clashed with olive colored skin. Tiny freckles splashed across the cheeks of a smiling eight year old and her perfect curls bounced above her shoulders as she climbed up the stairs. “You’re always so excited to go to bed,” Her tall, beautiful mother grinned down at her. “Is it my story telling?” She questioned and rested a soft hand against Asher’s shoulder.
“Momma?” She asked softly as they entered her room, lavender walls surrounding them. “Can I not get a story tonight, I’m feeling kinda tired.” Asher’s mother Marilyn stared down at her daughter curiously.
“Are you feeling alright?” She pressed the back of her palm against the eight year olds forehead and smiled. “You’re a little warm, why don’t you crawl into bed and in the morning I’ll make you some tea.” Asher nodded and crawled under her pink princess bed spread and watched as her mother moved around the bed frame to tuck her tightly in. “I love you,” She smiled and kissed Asher’s cheek.
“I love you too momma.” Ash grinned and closed her eyes. She waited till the tall women shut the door carefully behind her before she jumped out of bed and ran towards the frosted over window. The clock struck nine and she pushed the heavy window open with all her might. “Zacky!” She called in a low whisper, her breath wisped into the air like a long lost soul. “Zachary!” She hissed. Suddenly, a small black haired boy popped his head up from the other side of the window. Asher stumbled back and gasped for breath.
“I didn’t mean to scare you Asher,” he grinned and crawled onto the floor next to her. “Look what I brought,” He whispered and set a thick dust covered book upon Asher’s lap. “I found it in my father’s library last night; I wanted to read it to you.”

Zachary James was what his parents preferred to call him, they said it fit the era they grew up in well but it also suited the one their son would live in. Born into a life of paganism, Zachary’s parent’s did their best to keep their son from the public eye. From Italy they moved to a city, which most mortals knew as fiction, called The City of Evil. As Zack grew, so did his curiosity. The outside world amazed him and the day he was seven years old, he snuck out to a strange city known as San Francisco. He flew under the radar in the night, walking through the slithery streets of The Tenderloin till he finally found his way into a safe suburban area. As he strolled the streets, dodging bright street lights, he could sense fear. The scent flowed strongly through his nostrils as he approached a two story, tan home. The lights in the back window were shining brightly and peaked his curiosity. He scaled the side of the home and was just barely able to see.
A small girl, just younger, lay on the bed sobbing as she watched her father leave the room. He pressed his ear against the window and listened to the sound of her heart beat, the sound of her soft crying, the sound of the blood pumping in her veins. “Daddy,” She whispered, “I hate you.” Zachary let his fingers slip underneath the window and push it open. He jumped in, startling the little girl, causing her to sob harder and let out a terrifying scream. Zack immediately jumped to over her mouth and calm her down. “I’m your friend,” He smiled strongly and let her go. The little girl backed away just bit before a warm smile crept onto her puffy, red face. “I’m Zachary,” He said with pride in his voice, but his name sound more like “Zack-a-wee.”
“I’m Asher,” She sniffled and wiped her eyes before shaking his hand. “I’m your friend now too.” She let toothy grin pull up her cheeks and lay down on her bed.


“What is it?” Asher asked and dusted the book off, puffs of grey ash floated out in front of them and caused Asher to sneeze viciously.
“It’s called Varney, The Vampire!” Zacky beamed and crawled onto her bed. “Here,” He patted the spot next to them, and when Asher laid down, he pulled the blankets over both of their bodies. “It’s a first addition,” Zachary pushed open the cover and flipped to the first page, “They got it in 1847,” He smirked. It looks like it too, Asher thought with a small laugh. The pages were almost crumbling under Zack’s touch and the ink was almost running off the page.
“The solemn tones of an old Cathedral clock have announced midnight- the air is thick and heavy- a strange death like stillness pervades all nature.” Zachary was intelligent, not only book smart but he was street smart. “Like the ominous calm which precedes some more than usually-“ Suddenly, loud thumping footsteps were heard coming up the stairs.
“Zacky,” Asher whispered and jumped into his arms. “My daddy’s coming,” She cried against his ear and hugged him tightly. The ten year old Zachary didn’t know what to do, he only held her close. “I’m scared.” She shut her eyes tightly and wished so desperately to run away, to leave her home. “Take me with you right now. I want to live with you,” She sobbed.
“You can’t come with me,” Zacky sighed and wrapped his arms around her shaking frame. “But, I will save you one day.” He reassured her. “I’ll take you away from this bad place.”

***

Zacky sat up in his bed, sweat soaking his shirt and pouring from his skin. He always dreamed about Asher, every minute of every day and when they had to part from each other years before, they thought about her even more. An anxious feeling arose in his stomach; he groaned and rolled out of bed. His hair was a mess, his boxers wrinkled completely. His heart began to race and his cheek pounded against his face. “Shit,” He moaned and rubbed it gently. “What did I do?” He whispered to himself and rounded the corner to Asher’s room. He jiggled the door knob but it was locked. “Syn,” He yelled and pounded on the next door. “Give me the fucking key to Asher’s room.”
“Asher’s room?” Syn, aka Brian Haner, flung open his door and arched an eyebrow at Zacky. “When did she move in and get her own room?” He hissed and launched the key at Zack’s chest.
“Damn it, just get used to it, okay?” Zacky shook his head and pulled Brian’s door shut. He mumbled a few curse words and moved back in front of Asher’s door. The anxious feeling was over powering him once again. “Ash?” He slowly opened the door and watched as she paced in front of the bed.
“Go away,” She seethed and let her straight across bangs fall in her eyes, the way they did when she was younger. “Just go away!”
“Asher, what’s wrong?” Zack carefully moved into the room and shut the door behind her, not wanting to wake the others if a shouting match occurred again.
“You’re what’s wrong!” She screamed and pulled at her hair.
“Why am I what’s wrong!” Zacky hissed. “Look, keep your voice down, you’re going to wake everyone else.” Zacky folded his arms over his chest and took a seat on the edge of Asher’s bed.
“Everyone else?” She stepped back, “There are more?” She shook her head and rubbed her neck nervously. “Can I just go home? I want to go home, just take me home!” She hollered as her eyes filled with tears.
“I’m trying to protect you Asher!” Zacky stood to his feet and gazed at the women he had admired for so many years. “I’m keeping you safe from people that want to kill you. If you died…” Zacky trailed off and gritted his teeth. “If you died, I wouldn’t know what to do, okay?” He yelled. “You don’t understand anything that is going on around here. You don’t know anything about what could happen to you or who could destroy you! You weren’t safe in San Francisco, you aren’t safe anywhere but with me.” Zacky moved closer to Asher’s nervous body and pulled her into a hug. “I’ll keep you safe.” He whispered then quickly pulled away. “Like I said before, there’s shit you will never understand.” He mumbled and rubbed his neck, “I’ll be back in a minute, then you can meet the rest.” He whispered and left the room.
“Man,” A groggy looking Matthew Sanders leaned against the wall in the hall way, dressed in a large t-shirt and boxers. “What’s happening?”
“I don’t know,” Zacky threw his hands up in the air and sighed. “I can fucking feel her.” He said in a hushed tone. “I used to be able to pick up small things here and there, like a little bit of her fear and a little bit of happiness but now it’s full blown.” He shook his head and touched the death bat on his chest. “Ever since I drew just a little,” He paused, “A fucking little blood, I can feel almost everything she feels. My cheek hurts because she got punched in the face and my neck hurts because I bit her. Man, my tattoo, it connects with her.” Zacky listened to the tiny ruckus behind him and turned to see an inquisitive Jimmy Sullivan.
“You have a bond with her,” He smirked and shut the black wooden door behind him. “It was accident but there is somewhat of a bond there,” That smirk turned into a shit eating grin. “I thought I would never see the day Vengeance would find love.”
“Love? Fuck you.” Zacky laughed and felt his stomach flip.
“You do realize that in order to bond with a human, you have to be in love with them.” Johnny appeared.
“Where the fuck are you all coming from?” Zacky hissed, attempting to change the subject. “Look guys, I’m not in love, you are just fucked up. No everyone believes in the ancient vampire rule shit.”
“You’re too much of a pussy to admit it,” Matt laughed and punched Zack’s arm harshly. “You know, she can feel you too.” He grinned. “Val can feel me and I can feel her.”
Zacky shook his head. Sure, he had grown up with this girl but he knew it wasn’t love, not yet, besides, the human had to love the vampire back in order for there to be a bond. And from Asher’s daily reaction to him, she sure as hell wasn’t in love with him.

Notes

Format sucks. Sorry.