And All Things Will End

The rest of the afternoon seemed to pass at the speed of light, before I knew it was two blocks from the sanders house.
Most of the houses in Huntington looked a lot like the sanders house. They all shared the same 50's style verandas with super old looking wooden pairings along the fence lines and shrubbery that belonged in a horror film.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, it was an unknown number but I answered anyway,
"Kayla speaking"
"ahh Kayla, how are we this evening?"
Great now James has my mobile number too? Talk about a ten on the stalker scale.
"I was just calling to let you know I've moved our meeting forward an hour, I trust that won't be an issue?"

well, it wasn't exactly an issue with me, but it wouldn't really give me a lot of time to speak to Matt about his disappearing act.
"no, that's fine. Brian and I will be there at 7"
"your bring mr Haner along?" He sounded dissapointed
"yea, I asked him to come to show me around" that was a lie, I knew exactly where the town hall was.
"and besides you wanted me to arrive with protection, I couldn't think of anyone more fitting" I spat,
"ok... Just be on time, time is of the essence" then he hung up

talk about rude, I get the whole 'I'm better than mortals blah blah blah, but he could at least be polite when he hangs up. I shoved the phone back into my pocket and immediately got a weird feeling,

I had stopped out the front of a small but dark ally way.
The small path seemed to bend into a funnel towards a rickety fence above a small hole in the concrete.
I really didn't have a good feeling about it, but I slowly crept into the ally, my eyes were fixated on the hole.

i was about three feet from the fencing when a tattooed arm pulled me back by my hood on my jumper,
i hit the ground with a thud and was dragged back into the street.

"what do you think your doing?" Huffed Brian,
he brushed the hair from his face and pulled me to my feet.
He looked kinda sweaty, I guess he'd spent the last hour or so out running, oh boy he stank.,

"hasn't your mother ever taught you not to go down the dark and creepy ally way?"
I shrugged and turned to the hole in the ground again.

"I don't know, I felt funny, like... "
" like something was watching you from in there?" He asked, his eyes darted from mine to the ally
"yeah.."

"Well that's because that's where trap doors live.." I gave him a confused look and he pulled me back into the evening light as we walked toward our house.

"you know.. Trap door spiders, they sit in waiting for their prey who practically stumble into their lairs, vampires do the exact same thing during the day.
It's clever actually, humans have a natural curiosity for things they shouldn't be near and anyone who dosnt know better would most likely end up as a snack" he made a fang gesture with his fingers and chased me down the street.

When we arrived back home he politely open the front door for me, I curtsied as he took a low bow then kicked off his shoes next to the front entrance.
"Here we are m'lady"

i giggled at his attempt at chivalry and headed for the kitchen. It was just past 6pm and Chrissie would be on her way home. She was allowed to stay back at work since she had protection now, and the less likely chance of being eaten alive on her route home.
Sky was turning vibrant shades of pink and purple as the sun headed out over the horizon.

I waited in the lounge as Brian went to take a shower and I filled my purse with some vials and pencil like wooden stakes.
"Hmmm I wonder if we have any silver in the cupboard?"
I got up off the sofa and sifted through the cutlery draws for anything that could pose as a weapon.
I'd only come across a few spoons and a sieve when I felt a familiar cold spot on my left shoulder.

"Matt?"
The cold spot moved slowly down my arm.. I shuddered and took that for a yes.
ok so I knew he was here, I really hoped he isn't watching me all the time, otherwise were all going to have a serious chat about privacy and personal space, especially when were in the bathroom.

The cold spot left my arm as a transparent fog seeped from the walls and filled the kitchen.
I wasn't afraid this time so I waited patiently for Matt to appear.

When he came through the mist he was still in the same clothing as he had earlier today.
I'd assumed he could still change but I guess not.
He let out a long breath and slowly opened his hazel eyes.

"Hey" he said in a low tone

"hey? All you have to say is hey?!" I crossed my arms over my chest,
" Theres so much I want to ask you? But I really want to slap you, what the fuck happened this morning? Where did you go? How the hell is that even possible?"

"Woah slow down Oprah" he wiped his hands through the air in front of his face to stop me word vomiting all over the place.
"one at a time Kayla"

I let out a sigh and counted to three in my head, if I was going to get any answers from him before Chrissie got home or Brian returned I'd better ask good ones.
"Ok... Are you ok?" Better ask about his health in the mean time

"yes I'm fine.. It dosnt hurt to come back.. Only when I have to go.."
"What do you mean, have to go?"

"Well.. It all started a few months ago.. I had only just met Chrissie right when she was about to move in, and Brian.. Well I didn't see a lot of Brian.. He wasn't in a good place at the time, he was never home..
Anyway, i looking for a third house mate you know just to help out with bills and stuff when I finally got a reply. I was excited to say the least so I invited the guy in to see the house. I was the only one home but figured the others could meet him when they got back..
that was a big mistake..
I don't remember a lot of what happened, but I do remember him grabbing me by the throat, I couldn't breathe Kayla, it was terrifying, he threw me against the staircase and kept down onto me with impossible speed. It was at that moment I knew I'd let a vampire into the house..." His eyes wondered to the stair case then the hazel jewels locked with mine again.

"the vampire drained me... I could literally feel the life leaving my body as he stood above me and wiped the red plasma from his hands onto his trench coat..
I tried so hard to move but no matter what I did I couldn't do anything, the last thing I remember was his boot coming down on my neck"

"what?, but that can't be right, your right here, look I can even touch you, you can't be dead"
i placed a hand on his arm as his gaze faded into another memory

"the worst thing is, I don't think I'm dead, but I'm not alive, I mean, at night I could wander the house, at first no one could see or hear me, but with time I grew stronger and was able to come crack at night all in one piece. I haven't told the others because I hadn't quite known how to tell them.. Especially Brian.. I didn't want him to think her lost another close friend."

"but.. What happens in the morning?" I asked quietly,
Matt turned his face away from me ax if it were physically hard to answer....

"when the sun rises and the morning glow touches my skin.. I die again..."
I raised a hand to my mouth, I couldn't imagine what that would be like for Matt,

"every morning I have to go through the pain... It feels like a thousand bolts streaming through your body all at once.. At first it's horrible, like the most painful thing you'll ever expire nice in your life, but after a few seconds it's just a warm tingling.. and that's what you saw today.... After that I fade away, just wondering aimlessly in this house where I'm trapped until the sun sets...."

Countless things ran ran through my head.. sympathy for Matt and the ordeal he had to take part in every morning, the possibility of life after death and one of the most important ones, how could this be physically well scientifically possible?.

I lifted my my head as I broke from my thoughts when I heard Brian clomping down the steps,
"please Kayla, don't tell the others...I will when I'm ready, just now.. I'm not... Not yet".

I nodded in silence as Brian happily squeezed past the two of us and pulled a red bull from the fridge.
"ready to go stake some leeches?"
I sighed as I shook my head,
"we can't start anything Brian... Defence only remember?"

"not to mention I don't want to have to come out and save both your asses" Matt joked,

"Ha..Ha.." Brian rolled his eyes and tugged me along behind him, I quickly waved good bye to Matt who raised his glass in salute as I was pulled out the front door by an all too enthusiastic Brian.

Notes