finthevampire

[finthevampire]

Chapter 41

Remedy’s eyes went wide, so wide they could make saucers blush. Kendric didn’t move, frozen in place like a deer in headlights. He’d gone to the kitchen to wash his face off somewhere that wasn’t in the bathroom, and there was Remedy, doing the dishes. His hands shook. “Kendric?”

Kendric stared at him.

“Kendric…”

Elias stepped into the kitchen, next. He gasped loudly, although the sound was more strangled than it should have been. Kendric attributed it to his lack of hearing. Remedy signed something to the other vampire, who nodded quietly. Kendric didn’t give them a chance to do whatever they were thinking of. He grabbed a chair and threw it at Elias. “THIS IS YOUR FAULT!”

Elias narrowly dodged the chair, one of his hearing aids falling off and hitting the floor. Kendric stamped his foot down on the hearing aid and ground it beneath his shoe, breaking it completely. Elias sneered. “What the hell?” But it came out more like, “What the ell?”

Remedy ran up behind him and attempted to restrain him, wrapping his strong, dark arms around him. He thrashed for a few seconds before twisting and elbowing Remedy in the ribcage. He flinched and released him, stepping back. “What has gotten into you, ragazino?”

Kendric froze for a moment, and everything in his life flashed into his mind. 

Jude held his wrists tight. “The more you struggle, the harder this will be for both of us.

“What has gotten into me?”

Florian grinned a wicked grin, his face akin to that of a snake’s. “You never said no.”

“I never said yes, either.”

His hands grabbed hold of Kendric’s chin. “Quiet. Remember, I MADE you. You would be NOTHING without me.”

“What has gotten into me?” His eyes narrowed.

Olivia shook and thrashed beneath him. He didn’t let her surface for air. This was the right thing to do. This would protect her.

For a moment he was aware of the scratch of the denim jacket on his skin, and the discomfort of his Doc Martens. 

The pain was unbearable. Not just the physical pain, but the emotional damage of knowing he was no longer pure and virgin. The worst part is, he didn’t want to lose it in the first place.

Elias charged at him and landed a strong kick to his stomach. He let out a guttural growl and charged at the deaf man.

“I don’t want to!”

Jude slapped him hard across the face and threw him onto the bed. Kendric sobbed, his lip quivering, his face burning where he was hit.

His nails were now sharp, and he slashed his hand across Elias’s face, drawing blood. Elias stumbled back.

Jude smashed a glass over his head.

He threw Elias into the counter.

Jude shoved him off the bed. “Sleep on the floor, bitch.”

He grabbed a knife and raised it high.

Jude held his throat tight with his large hands. He couldn’t breathe.

The knife was brought down into his chest. He screamed in pain and his eyes quickly went dark. A vampire’s heart was much weaker than that of a human’s. Kendric screamed from a primal part of his soul and buried the knife deeper, grinning at the sound of his ribs cracking. “This is all your fault,” he repeated, this time his voice shaking with an almost gleeful sound.

Remedy attempted to pull Kendric off of him, but it only resulted in a knife to the face, slashing his left cheek open. He yelped and stumbled back. “Kendric, please. Let’s just talk. This is only making your case worse!”

Remedy knelt down beside Elias, who was on the floor, eyes glazed over, and whispered things to comfort the dying man. His other hearing aid had fallen off during the commotion. His limbs quickly went limp, his eyes glazing over completely. Elias Abernathy was no more.

The Italian stood and grabbed the knife, pointing it at Kendric. “Stand down.”

Kendric chuckled, licking the blood off his hands. For once, for the first time in so long, he felt free and good. Something had been lifted off his shoulders the moment the knife broke Elias’s skin. He didn’t step back. He stood his ground. Remedy’s hand shook. 

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Then don’t,” he said, the confidence rising in his voice. “You wouldn’t. You wouldn’t dare.”

Remedy stepped forward. The blonde still didn’t budge. “I would.”

Kendric threw his arms out with a wide, toothy grin. “Then go ahead. Take a stab at i—”

The knife easily buried itself into Kendric’s stomach. He gasped, eyes slowly trailing to the wound, and he grabbed hold of the handle, tearing it from his abdomen. The blood continued to flow, and Remedy stood back, eyes just as wide as before.

[finthevampire]

Chapter 40

He ran to the bathroom, slammed the door shut, and began to retch. Black dust climbed up his throat, choking him. His lungs, his chest, his stomach, all of it was filled with vile clouds of pain. Ricky knocked on the door, his concerned voice drowned out by the sound of Kendric’s coughing and gagging. He covered his mouth with his darkened, vile hands, and began to cry. He was on his knees, his body unable to hold him up any longer. Even so, he forced himself to stand, holding his breath, and looked in the mirror. Instead of tears running down his face, it was blood. And a lot of it. He shut his eyes and stopped the flow of tears. Red stained his cheeks and chin. Something was wrong. Something was wrong. The door opened slowly. Ricky stepped in. With wide, wild eyes, Kendric screamed at him to get out. It was only after the door slammed that he realized how terrifying he must look.

His chest ached more and more as the seconds passed. He clutched his chest and began to cough again. The strange, dark corruption began to spread from his eye. Corruption, he thought, That sounds like the right word. It went on for several minutes until eventually, finally, there was nothing left to cough up, nothing left to escape his body. His chest felt hollow now. Limbs weak, eyes heavy, stomach aching, he examined his face in the mirror once more. The eye, the one the disease had begun to spread from, was red. Not red like pink eye, not red in the sclera, but red like colored contacts, red in his iris. He wanted to cry again, but he knew all he’d find was blood. He stared at himself in the mirror, an unrecognizable monster. A monster. He chewed and chewed his lip until that too began to bleed. 

Something was wrong. His chest did feel empty, but not in the way most would use the term. It was empty. There was nothing there. Nothing. He was no longer breathing, and when he brought his hand to his breast, he found no heartbeat. One moment he wanted to cry, the next, he felt nothing. He was rotting from the inside out, he could feel it, like a tree screaming in pain as its limbs are removed. “Did you know,” he began, knowing Ricky was outside the door, “that the smell of cut grass is a cry for help?”

The door slowly opened.

“When you cut grass, they can’t scream, so instead they emit a smell to show they’re in distress.”

Ricky didn’t approach him. Fear was in his eyes. “I uh… I didn’t know that.”

Kendric smiled. Or, he saw himself smile. A smile formed on his lips. But he didn’t smile. He never made a conscious effort. It was like he was watching someone else puppet his skin. “I never had that. I couldn’t scream. Did I tell you how I escaped?”

“Escaped what?”

“My husband,” he snapped, he shouted, he broke the mirror with a punch. 

“He died, didn’t he?” His voice shook on the edges. Kendric could hear his every quivering breath.

“I killed him. It was the only way out, Ricky.” He spun around, eyes wild, bloody tears falling down his face once more. “You understand, right?” His voice cracked at right, like someone had punched his throat while he was speaking.

“Kendric, I think you should sit down.”

His fangs were fully extended. The only reason he could tell was because he had bit his tongue. “Y-you understand, right?”

“Yes, Kendric,” he whispers, his mouth twitching slightly. “Why don’t we go sit down and talk about it?”

“No!” He backed away quickly, accidentally slamming his back into the sink. He didn’t want to move, he didn’t want to speak. Someone else was moving, someone else was speaking. This wasn’t him, he knew it. Right? “No, no, I don’t want to sit down!”

Ricky’s eyes softened with pity. “Okay, that’s okay, Kendric. Just… calm down.”

“I AM CALM!” 

Ricky covered his ears. It felt like his scream would crack the walls, but it didn’t. His apartment stood strong. As strong as a cheap apartment could, at least. He didn’t blink, didn’t even breathe before Kendric had him pinned to the wall, glass shard against his throat, his eyes wide and smile twisted.

Kendric felt like he might throw up. His chest still felt hollow. Trying to shake whatever it was controlling him, he bit his tongue again. The pain didn’t do anything. Blood trickled slowly down Ricky’s neck. He shivered and shook, his lip quivering and his eyes watering. “Kendric…”

In that moment, he wasn’t holding Ricky against a wall. He was holding Olivia’s neck, pushing her under the water. She quivered beneath his grasp, flailed frantically as the water entered her mouth and lungs. Suddenly, he released Ricky, like he wished he’d released his daughter. He dropped the glass shard on the ground and stepped back. Everything felt numb and on fire at the same time. His charcoal skin felt like it was melting, but his remaining skin felt nothing at all. Every few seconds, the sensations swapped places. He coughed again, black dust flying out of his mouth. His chest felt so empty, he wondered if the corruption had left anything behind. Was he heartless? Were his lungs gone? What was happening?

Ricky took his hands in his own gently. “Please, sit down.”

The softness in his voice filled Kendric’s ears and managed to coerce him. He sat down on the edge of the tub. He opened his mouth and throat to speak, but nothing came out. He tried again. Nothing. Once more. His voice came out this time, but not without resistance. It came out raspy, and sounded like two of him were talking at the same time. “I’m s…orry.”

Ricky didn’t respond. Kendric watched as the wound on his neck quickly healed, only being a small scratch. The blood still remained, staining his pale skin with bright red. “Are you okay?”

Kendric coughed again, nothing coming out of his chest this time. “I don’t… know.”

The air was thick. Too thick. Kendric’s head ached and he could feel himself become light-headed. He stood once more. Ricky grabbed his wrist to stop him, but Kendric tore his hand away and began to walk out of the bathroom covered in the black dust that had painfully exited his throat. He slammed the door and, as he did, he realized he was no longer breathing.

[finthevampire]

Chapter 39

As they walked through the bustling land that was Del Point, Kendric’s heart still ached, his chest tight. He held a hand to it for a moment before dropping it when Ricky glanced over at him. “Are you sure you’re okay, Kendric?”

“I’m fine,” he snapped suddenly.

Ricky recoiled, a frown curving on his face. “Okay,” he whispered, before turning left and walking straight through the doors of an occult shop. Kendric followed him hesitantly. The entire place had a strong, powerful odor that assaulted Kendric’s nose when he walked in, lavender and pine and strawberry and sap and mint and so many other scents from the incense. White, black, and every other color of the rainbow candles were displayed on a table in the middle of the store, along with match boxes to light them. There was another table covered in divination tools, like tarot cards and materials to make runes, along with pre-made ones that claimed to be hand-crafted. Sun bounced off of crystals, lighting the store up. A lady stood behind a counter restocking tea on a shelf behind the register. Her eyebrows shot up. “Ricky!” Her eyes trailed over and narrowed. “Who’s the new friend?” she asked with disgust, making sure to gesture toward his darkened hands. 

“This is Kendric.”

Kendric waved awkwardly.

“He’s not what he looks like.”

She relaxed some and smiled once more. “How are you? Why are you here? You haven’t visited me in months!”

He smiled and handed her a small bag. “I’ve been busy, Ma.”

“Ma?”

Ricky shrugged. “What?”

“I didn’t know you were close to your sire like that.”

“Oh, no, her name is Ma. Short for Maji.”

“Right, sorry.” Kendric blushed and began to chew on a lock of his hair.

Ma took the small bag, opened it, inspected the contents, and closed it when she seemed content with what was inside. She slid it in her pocket. Ricky smiled. “Anyway, I’m just here for some tea and incense.”

“And your friend?”

“We were just hanging in the area. I decided to drag him here for my errand.”

Kendric smiled awkwardly.

“Well, here you go.” Without hesitation she reached under the counter and pulled out a jar of tea leaves labeled “Ginseng” and gestured to the incense. “Go grab what you need.”

The interaction for the rest of the store trip was quick, but felt like it was taking forever. Every word and exchange seemed to take hours. He handed her the money. She counted it. She put it in the register. She gave him his change. She slid the items towards him with a smile. He accepted them gratefully. Kendric’s ears began to ring, his head pounding. His heart began to ache again. He fought the urge to clutch his chest. Ma glared at his darkened limbs once more before bidding them farewell. Before he could process it, fresh air filled his lungs, and he was outside.

The darkened, infected parts of his body began to tingle. Before he left the car he’d checked under his shirt, and it apparently had also started from his heart and spread up to his collarbone. His arms and his chest were destroyed, but his shoulders were fine. Untouched by the disease that was vampire blood. Bile climbed up his throat, but he swallowed it back down. Ricky gently placed his hand on Kendric’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Kendric chewed his lip. “I’m fine.” He paused for a moment. “What’s up with the incense? You a witch or something?” he asked, chuckling at his own joke.

“Actually, yes.” Kendric blinked at him, but he ignored the look. “But that’s not the only reason. My landlord doesn’t know I smoke, so to cover the scent I just light candles and incense.”

“Does it work?”

He shrugged. “Seems like it. Haven’t got a complaint yet.”

“Huh.”

“You don’t look like you’re up for being ‘out on the town’. Wanna come back to my place?”

Kendric picked at dead skin near his nail. “Sure.”

[finthevampire]

Chapter 38

Ricky sat criss-cross on the ground, examining Kendric’s arm. “Damn. I knew vampire blood was toxic, but this?”

Kendric chewed his lip. “Yeah… I never knew the exact effects.”

Ricky scoffed. “Why the hell did you do that?”

“I didn’t mean to!”

“Oh, so you just blacked out?”

“YES!”

Ricky paused, examined Kendric’s arms once more, and sighed. “Really?”

“Yeah. This is the second time something like this has happened.” His shoulders slumped. 

Footsteps approached. Kendric’s stomach flipped. They were too light, too calculated to be Remedy’s. The slim figure appeared in the doorway, his face stern and tired. “Kendric.”

Ricky smiled. “Hey, Arc.”

His lip lifted into a sneer as he straightened his shoulders. “That’s Arcangelo to you, Kendrick.”

Ricky frowned and leaned back on his hands, muttering something unintelligible under his breath. Arcangelo slid a paper from his pocket and handed it coldly to Kendric. “You’re being brought to trial. A death sentence is guaranteed, but Remedy told me I needed to be ‘fair’.”

With that, he left.

Kendric stared at the piece of paper for several seconds before actually reading it. Two weeks. That was how long he had until what was certainly his death. Ricky hissed through his teeth and ran a hand through his hair. “You’re fucked.”

Kendric shot him a glare. 

“Sorry.” Ricky took his hands slowly. They were warm compared to Kendric’s cold, pale hands. Ricky’s hands were rich in color and not at all too thin. He smiled softly. “I can’t lie, things are probably not gonna turn out okay. But hey, you have two weeks. Why not make the most of it?”

Kendric squeezed his hands in return. “Right. You’re right. You’re right, Ricky.” He slid his hands out of Ricky’s grasp and ran them through his hair. Since it was cut, it became a lot more curly. “Can you step out for a moment?”

Ricky nodded and stepped out into the hallway. Kendric shut the door and stared at the closet, his eyes lingering on the jacket Alex had given him. He was a terrible person who did terrible things, but the jacket… He took a deep breath and removed it from its hanger. 

When he opened the door, Ricky gasped. Eyes lined with thick black, spiky clothes, and messy hair. That’s what he was met with. “Wow, you look great!”

Kendric blushed and walked out. “Let’s go out on the town.”

He snatched his keys up and began to make his way to the door. Ricky hesitated.

“What’s wrong?”

He shook his head and slid a beanie on his head. “Nothing. Let’s go.”

[finthevampire]

Chapter 37

When his eyes fluttered open, everything was dark. It was cold, the lights were out, and the curtains were closed. Light peeked through beneath the curtains. He tried to move, but he was bound by his hands. He struggled against them. The door creaked open. “Kendric.”

He gasped. “Remedy? What’s happening?”

He flicked the light on and narrowed his eyes. “Are you kidding me?”

Kendric chewed his lip, glancing around. There was blood on the floor. His stomach dropped. Not again…

“You have to be pulling my leg, no? Or are you just crazy?”

Someone ran up behind him. “I came as soon as I could,” he said. He met eyes with Kendric. “You.”

Kendric tried to back away as Arcangelo stalked closer to him. “Wait, wait! What’s going on?”

Arcangelo was stumped. He straightened his posture, widened his eyes, and stepped back, dumbfounded. “You fucking bit him.”

Kendric licked his lips, tasting the lingering flavor of metallic in his mouth. He gagged. A vampire’s blood was not meant to be consumed. If you swallowed it, you’d be in for a wild ride. His mouth began to dry up, and he couldn’t tell if it was from fear or the blood he’d consumed. “Is he okay? I’m sorry, I—”

Arcangelo dragged him up by his shirt and slapped him across the face. “First his daughter, now him. Are you trying to destroy the bloodline?”

“No, I—”

He slapped him again. “If his blood doesn’t kill you, I will.”

Remedy placed a hand on his shoulder. “Darling, please calm down.”

Arcangelo threw his hand off his shoulder and snapped, “No! He hurt Elias. He hurt a member of our council!”

His throat burned and his limbs shook. As his vision blurred, his eyes darted around. He tried to swallow, but his tongue and throat swelled. “I’m sorry, Arc—”

Arcangelo shook him. “Shut up.”

“Put him down,” Remedy demanded.

“You’re blinded by a blood connection, Remedy. He’s a monster and a danger to all of us. He has no control over himself.”

“He’s my nephew.”

“He’s a problem.”

His skin began to crawl. It felt as if it was melting off of his bones. How can I live knowing what I’ve done?

“We’re not killing him!”

Arcangelo began to swear in French. “You want us to die, don’t you?” The statement was followed by another string of French insults.

“I don’t want anyone dead.”

“Then let this one sacrifice happen.”

It felt like his spine was crumbling to dust like an old sand pillar.  His heart grew branches, like an invasive species of tree.

“I am not letting you kill my nephew.”

Arcangelo glanced at Kendric. “Seems he’s already killing himself.”

He coughed, and when he did, black dust came out of his lungs. Up, up, up his throat and past his teeth and out of his mouth and into the air and into the air and into the air and soon his lungs were gone. He choked and choked and choked and he felt his chest explode when Arcangelo dropped him abruptly. He looked down at his hands and at the tip of his fingers was disease, illness, death. Black crawled down his hands, coating them in pain. He shook. Remedy ran up to him, shouting his name. Before he knew it there was a finger in his throat and he was puking, puking, puking. There was panicked arguing filling the room in the great distance. He coughed up the entirety of his stomach contents, his eyes watering to the point of tears. His throat burned and his body shook and the black spread up his arms. His hairs stood on end. In and out of consciousness he faded, his lungs gone, turned to dust. And then suddenly, without warning, it stopped. His lungs came back and his tongue, thick with reaction before, was no longer choking him. He shot straight up from Remedy’s arms where he lay, gulping up the air. The black was still spreading, but slower. Arcangelo scoffed, turned, and stomped away, shouting something in French as he left. Remedy hugged him tight. “Dio mio, are you okay?”

He couldn’t feel his hands, and he couldn’t tell which was worse: Feeling pain? Or not feeling anything? Either was bad news. Spikes, hard and sharp, had calcified out of his skin, poking through disgustingly. He grimaced. Remedy shivered.

“Kendric?” There was fear in his eyes and his voice. He took Kendric’s hands in his own. “Are you okay?”

“I’m…”

His throat burned.

“I’m fine.”

He looked around at the ground, which was covered in vomit and black dust that he couldn’t identify as anything normal. He tried to move away from the mysterious black dust but when he moved his arms, pain shot through them like acupuncture gone severely wrong. So wrong it did the opposite of what it was supposed to. He grimaced. “My arms,” he muttered, throat dry as sand. 

“Your arms…” Remedy ran a finger over his forearm. 

Kendric shrank back at the touch with a hiss. They were completely ruined. He had no clue if they would heal, if they would fall off, if they would get worse. His ears began to ring.

“GOD DAMMIT!” Glass shattered as Jude threw a plate on the ground.

Kendric flinched and backed up slightly, only by a step, and Jude didn’t notice. “What?”

An open envelope and a crumpled letter was held in his hand. He shoved it down the drain and turned on the garbage disposal. Kendric wanted to tell him it was a bad idea, but his mouth was glued shut. “The place was shut down.”

Kendric swallowed slowly, his mouth suddenly parched. His business, the one he’d been working so hard on, was shut down. It went bankrupt. He reached out to touch Jude’s hand, to comfort him, but Jude swatted him away. He sighed, his shoulders slumped, and he reached into the liquor cabinet.

His ears continued to ring and ring. 

The smell of smoke and whiskey filled the room. Ash filled the ashtray, along with about ten cigarette butts. Jude’s hair was all kinds of messy from pulling at it and running his hands through it. He didn’t speak or look at Kendric, only stared down at the table. Kendric stood behind him, massaging his shoulders. There was nothing he could say to console his husband. It was his life’s passion. And now it was gone. He took a deep breath and attempted anyway. “It’s going to be okay, darling.”

Jude slammed his fist down on the table and stood. “No. It’s not going to be okay, Kendric.”

“It’s not the end of the world, dear.”

Without warning, his face turned red and he picked up a glass and smashed it into Kendric’s head. His ears rang as he fell toward the ground, and when he hit it, he could feel the blood trickling down his face. The ringing grew louder.

Without another word, Remedy stood and went to grab a first aid kit, something Kendric didn’t expect a vampire to own.

[finthevampire]

Chapter 36

Incense burned slowly by the tub, candles following suit. The water in the bath was a dark, rich purple, turned that way by a cheap bath bomb Kendric had found at a Walmart with Remedy. Bubbles floated on the water, submerging Kendric entirely, save for his head, shoulders, and knees, as he sat with his legs drawn in. In his hands was a book. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. He had also picked that up from the Walmart. Ninety pages in, and he felt like he was Melinda. Suffering inside, closed off, abused. He sighed and closed his eyes. Self Care: Something advertised by every person who had a thought of giving advice to someone. Books, websites, podcasts, they all suggested it. Why not? he had thought. If anyone asked, he’d probably pretend he hated it, but in the comfort of warm water and calming scents, he was at peace. For a moment, he forgot the dirt on his skin, the remains of Alex’s touch, the cigarette burns that had either scarred or faded, and the blood of Ozzy that never dried. The lavender and oak wood had reminded him of a simpler time, and he was glad to indulge in the thought.

His hair floated in curtains atop the water as he sunk deeper into the water, his chin now barely grazing the surface. There was a knock on the door, and in floated a thick Italian accent. “Are you okay? You’ve been in there for a while.”

Kendric sighed once more. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Silence.

Remedy’s footsteps retreated slowly. After several more minutes of sitting alone in a tub of purple water, he pulled the drain plug and watched as the water went down, down, down. Soon, all that was left was himself and his still-too-skinny limbs. He stood and wrapped a towel around himself. Clothes were neatly folded and placed on a heater cover. He picked them up, slid them on, and dried his hair vigorously. When he looked in the mirror, his hair was damp and messy. He sighed and threw the towel in the hamper. Voices congregated in the living room, floating sweetly through the air. Kendric swore under his breath and put a brush to his hair like it was life or death. As soon as his hair looked somewhat presentable, he took a deep breath and opened the door, cold air wrapping around him in a bone-chilling hug. Even in June the air in the living room was freezing compared to the bathroom. Elias took a sip of tea as Remedy gestured toward Kendric. “Come join us.”

Elias glanced up from his tea, expressionless. His eyes were filled with hours of thoughts and questions and insults, Kendric could tell. But he stayed silent until Kendric was settled in. His hearing aids were perched carefully on his ears. When he spoke, he still sounded strange and had a voice that was difficult to decode. “Kendric. I came here to ask a few things. How are you holding up?”

Kendric shrugged. He stared down at the ground and mumbled, “I’m fine, I guess.”

Remedy cleared his throat, glared at him, and translated Kendric’s words into sign for Elias. “He needs to see your mouth in order to understand you.”

“I thought lipreading was really difficult, even for deaf people. Shouldn’t I just learn sign language?”

Elias smiled. “That would be preferred, but I am old and have had much time to practice. I can read lips pretty well by now.”

Remedy shook his head slowly and signed as he spoke. “Either way, until you know sign language, he needs to see your face when you talk.”

“Right.” He turned to Elias. “What do you need?” The words came out sharper than intended, but he didn’t correct himself.

Elias now wore a pinched expression. “Why are you here?”

Kendric glanced around. “What?”

“Why are you living with Remedy? What are you, a freeloader?”

Remedy stood abruptly. “I am going somewhere else.”

“Don’t just leave me alone!”

Brushing him off, Remedy walked away anyway. Kendric glanced over at the door as his stomach twisted into knots. What he found was a horseshoe above the door frame. He swallowed, remembering the pain of his last attempt to pass one. His organs squirmed inside of him. 

“Why is that there?”

Elias shrugged. “I don’t need you running away from your problems like a coward, Kendric.”

He swallowed and shifted in his seat. “Got it… Why do you want to know?”

Elias shrugged. “Listen, kid—”

“I’m hundreds of years old.”

He cleared his throat. “I might be old deaf but I’m not stupid. You’re here for a reason, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He scoffed. “Remedy doesn’t just invite people to live with him, genius. What’s so special about you?”

His muscles tensed and he threw on an arrogant mask. Underneath, he was more threatened than anything. “What? Jealous?”

“Grow up.”

“Aren’t I older than you?”

“Well, you don’t act it.” Now he was signing as he spoke, his words becoming less intelligible.

Kendric stood and headed for the door. Elias didn’t move, a glare plastered on his face. He reached up to grab the horseshoe, but his blood began to burn. He jerked his hand away and stepped back.

“Only those with permission can take the charm off. But nice try.”

He forced a smile. “Smart.”

Elias stood and started towards Kendric. “You killed my daughter, Kendric. She’s dead now.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, you’re not. You’re sorry you got caught, Kendric.”

“I’m truly—”

“If you were truly sorry, Olivia would be alive. Then again, she’d probably have killed herself if stuck being related to you any longer.”

Then, everything went black.

[finthevampire]

Chapter 35

The smell of bacon, eggs, and sweet, gooey cinnamon rolls filled the air. Kendric groaned and rolled over, covering his eyes with his arm. He could feel his hair all tangled up. That’s gonna be hell to deal with. The door creaked open and in bounced Remedy with way too much energy for so early in the morning, and a tray. He handed the tray to Kendric. Kendric eyed it suspiciously. “What do you want?”

Remedy cocked his head to the side slightly.

“You’re going out of your way. What do you want from me?”

He thought for a moment, then let out a long, drawn-out sigh. “I don’t want anything, ragazzino. I just… I’m worried. You came home with another vampire’s blood on you, and don’t think I haven’t noticed the smell of weed on you.”

Kendric scoffed. “So? I’m definitely old enough to purchase and consume it.”

“Well, I don’t believe it’s a healthy coping mechanism for you. And the blood?”

Kendric nibbled at a crunchy piece of bacon. “I didn’t do anything.”

With a sigh, Remedy stood. “Enjoy your breakfast.”

“I don’t even need this, we’re vampires… but thank you.”

Remedy smiled brightly and made his way toward the door. “Going somewhere today?”

Kendric shot him a glare.

“Right, right, you’re an adult, I’m not your dad. Just be safe, okay?”

Ricky was chewing on a pinecone. Kendric didn’t know why. He didn’t think he wanted to know why. It must have hurt his teeth, right? He watched him carefully. Ricky looked up at him, eyes going wide. He put the pinecone down. “Sorry.”

“No, it’s fine, I think.”

He had laid out different types of bows and arrows, showing him how to string and shoot each of them. Ricky reached into his pocket, then decided better and didn’t pull out whatever he was thinking of. Probably weed, Kendric thought. “So, how are you, Kendric?”

“Huh?”

“How are you?”

He chewed his lip. Should he respond with the classic “good”? Or tell the truth? Or maybe just not answer. Ricky began to chew on his nails. Kendric licked his lips and cleared his throat. “I’ve been better.”

Ricky chuckled. “I get it. What’s up?”

“Uh—”

“You don’t have to tell me, but I’ll listen.”

“I came from a crazy place before here.”

Ricky nodded intently.

“Kacey was the least of my worries. My husband was abusive, I was betrayed by someone I thought could save me and I…” His stomach dropped. It finally hit him the seriousness of the situation. “I killed my daughter.” His voice shook and cracked as he choked out the four words. 

Ricky blinked at him for a moment, face blank. Then, in a flat voice void of judgment, he said, “Why?”

“I don’t know. At the time I just… I didn’t want her to suffer any longer. She was living in fear, she’d witnessed her dad die, and we didn’t have a stable place to stay. The world is dangerous. That was, at the time, the only way I thought I could save her. If there is something out there, a God, a Heaven, a Hell, she is in the right place.”

Ricky nodded slowly, and Kendric found him nibbling at a blade of grass. He raised an eyebrow. Ricky seemed confused at first, then his eyes went wide. “Sorry.” He let the blade of grass fly away in the wind. Kendric shook his head slightly and tied his hair into a ponytail. “I have pica. I’ve gotten away from actually swallowing things I shouldn’t, but it’s just a habit at this point.”

Kendric smiled somewhat. “Interesting. Good to know. You don’t need to apologize, we all have our quirks.”

He shrugged. “That’s usually why I get high all the time. It distracts me.” He smiled. “It’s also just fun.”

Kendric chuckled. “Maybe for you.”

Ricky gingerly lifted a bow from the grass. “This is a war bow. They’ve got a pretty strong draw, but I think you can handle it. Here, let me show you how to string it.” He reached into his pocket, grabbed a string, and stood. Kendric followed suit. Ricky grabbed his hands and gently guided them to the bow, going through the steps with him calmly. “And that’s how it’s done!”

Kendric stared at him and the bow for a moment. The warmth of the hands on his own was so foreign yet comforting. Jude’s hands were always cold. Literally. Ozzy’s were false hands, hands meant to hurt him instead of heal him. But these hands, they were genuine. He took the bow from the genuine hands and gripped it tight. “Thanks.”

Ricky grinned and strung his own bow, then picked up five arrows. He tossed them to Kendric, then grabbed five more. “Let’s see what you got. Remember, it takes more strength than you’d think.”

They moved slowly to a grassy area covered in overgrown plants. Ricky drew back his bow, aimed for a bird sitting calmly in a tree, and released. The arrow whistled through the air and pierced the bird square in the chest. It let out a caw as it fell, then it went silent. He pumped his fist. “Hell, yeah!”

All of the birds flew away.

Palms sweaty, Kendric wiped them on his pants before drawing the bow, aiming for a squirrel in the grass, and releasing. He missed. The squirrel fled, leaving the nut it was holding behind. Kendric groaned. 

“So,” he said, drawing his bow again, “What’s your story?”

“I already told you,” Kendric replied. “I was married from a young age and had kids. Then we got divorced.”

Ricky raised a sharp eyebrow before releasing the arrow. “We both know that’s a lie.”

The fresh air outside grew stale. The arrow split through a skinny, dead tree.

“Your aura is all kinds of fucked.”

“My aura?” He was struggling to keep a straight face.

Ricky shrugged. “Yup.”

He took a deep breath. Something about Ricky made him want to spill his life story out, a terrible, vulnerable display. “I’ve been taken advantage of. A lot. Kacey was from Sturlden, my home town. That’s where I met my late husband. He was abusive. He cheated, got drunk, and he beat us. And he…” He shook his head, swallowed slowly, and wet his lips. “I didn’t want to have a baby. I don’t even like intimacy. I’m asexual, I’ve known since I was young. But Jude. Jude didn’t care. Then, I thought I was saved. Ozzy came to me. That went sour, too.”

Ricky clicked his tongue. “My brother wasn’t to be trusted. I’m sorry. I’m also sorry about Jude. That sounds… terrible.”

Kendric drew his bow and sent an arrow flying into a rabbit’s hind. The rabbit tried to run, but its bleeding leg was in too much pain. He shot another arrow at its head. The rabbit squealed a gut-wrenching squeal before dying. Wincing, Kendric watched the rabbit’s muscles twitch, guilt wrapping its dark tendrils around his heart. Ricky surveyed him for a moment. “We don’t need to work on moving targets, if you don’t want.”

Kendric shook his head, shaking away the guilt. “No. I’m fine.”

“Okay,” he said, spinning around without a care or reason. Kendric smiled as he watched him twirl. “I got tickets for broadway.” He removed two tickets from his pocket. “Six: The Musical. Wanna come?”

Kendric snorted. “What? Like a date?”

Ricky’s ears turned red, but his face stayed as careless and relaxed as usual. “What makes you think that?”

Kendric looked him up and down. “You just met me and you’re splurging on a ticket for me.”

His shoulders slumped slightly. “Okay, maybe it’s a date.”

Snatching a ticket from Ricky’s hand, he threw his bag over his shoulder and smiled. “Then, it’s a date, I guess. See you…” he glanced at the ticket. “Two weeks from now.”

[finthevampire]

Chapter 34

“Yeesh. That’s rough.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure he was cheating the whole time, too.”

Ricky took a sip of iced tea and handed Kendric the bottle. “What about Oliver?”

Kendric tilted his head slightly and raised an eyebrow. “Oliver?”

He thought for a moment. “Oh, right, he went by Ozzy, right?”

Kendric took a sip of iced tea, swished it in his mouth, and swallowed it. “Yeah. Didn’t know that wasn’t his name.”

Ricky shrugged and pulled a bag of brownies from his jacket pocket. “Want one?”

Kendric’s eyes almost rolled into the back of his head. “Really? Weed brownies? You really aren’t breaking the stoner stereotype.” He took a brownie.

Ricky shrugged and took one of the small squares from the bag, shoving the rest back into his pocket. “Never said I was, dude.”

He stared at the sweet treat for a moment before handing it back to Ricky. “Actually, I think I’ll pass.”

He had already shoved his brownie into his mouth, chocolate crumbs lining the corners of his lips. He put the brownie back into the bag it was from and smiled. “That’s chill,” he said, then swallowed the brownie. “That’s a good idea, honestly. This is some strong shit.”

Kendric wrinkled his nose, still unsure of how he felt about the other day. He had gotten Ricky’s number from Remedy and made plans to meet up on his own. Turns out, living in Remedy’s house wasn’t too terrible. A month there had proven so. “Then why did you offer me one?”

“I always offer. It’s rude not to. At least in my opinion.”

Kendric sat back and lay down on the blanket as he watched the clouds carefully. His skin crawled and itched, but his mind was quiet. He looked up at Ricky, who seemed to already be affected by the drugs he had taken. “How’s the brownie working out for ya?”

He laughed slowly, clearly out of it. “Great, for true.”

“I see.” He watched him for a moment, infatuated with how relaxed and go-with-the-flow he was. He wished he could be that care-free. 

“Y’know,” he said, “You’re a really cool guy. I can see you’re hurt, it’s written all over you. But you’ll heal, I can tell.”

Kendric smiled and blushed slightly. Was it that obvious? “Thanks? I think.”

He giggled gaily and lay beside Kendric. “You’re cute.”

“You’re cute. And funny.”

For a moment, his blood ran cold. But this time, the voice wasn’t filled with malice and intent, but wonder and honesty. He made eye contact with the dazed vampire. “Thank you.”

“Growing out your hair?”

Kendric shrugged casually and cracked his neck. “Yeah. It used to go down to my ankles. I had to cut it, unfortunately.” He stared longingly as a strand broke loose and flew away in the wind.

“That’s awesome, dude. Not the cutting it part. But awesome.”

Kendric stood. “It’s getting late. I should go.”

Ricky sighed and sat up. “Man, that sucks. Safe travels, I guess.”

The walk home was quiet, but his mind was not. 

You’re cute. And funny.

Cute and funny, huh? He kicked a rock. “Bullshit,” he muttered as he watched the rock roll down a nearby alleyway. But the rock stopped short, running gently into a shoe. The shoe lifted up slowly, stepped down on the rock, rolled it around for a second, and crushed it to dust. Kendric shivered and moved his eyes slowly up, up up, up, and found a face. Kacey stood, hands casually in his pockets, his posture lax. “Hey.”

Kendric took a step back, looking back down at the rock he had ground to dust. “Hi.” He pursed his lips. “What are you doing out here?”

Del Point was already quite far from Sturlden, but to be on the outskirts of the town, away from the night life it was known for, that was unlikely. He shrugged. “Just passing through when I saw your pretty face hangin’ around.”

Kendric took another step back, assessing his surroundings, trying to find an escape route. “Really? Interesting. I need to get home now, I have food in the oven.”

“I like what you’ve done with your hair.” He began to move closer. Kendric’s feet were glued to the ground.

“Fuck off. Go bother someone else.”

Kacey clucked his tongue. “That’s not very nice,” he purred, “I’m just trying to say ‘hi’.” He placed a hand on Kendric’s arm.

Kendric tore his arm away. “Don’t fucking touch me.”

Unfazed, Kacey grabbed his wrist. “Why do you have to be such a bitch?”

Throwing a punch, Kendric connected easily with Kacey’s face, a satisfying cracking sound echoing in the empty streets as his head snapped back. He shook his hand out, pain shooting through his wrist. Note to self, he thought, learn to throw a proper punch.

Before he could recover, an arrow shot cleanly through his neck. Kendric gasped and scrambled backwards, away from the line of fire, as Kacey fell to his knees, gripping his throat. Blood poured over his pale hands, down his neck, and onto his clothes. He gasped and choked and clawed, but his hands were too slick to pull the arrow out. A slim, short figure slid down an escape ladder, his feet landing comfortably on the ground. “He said, don’t fucking touch him.”

Ricky kneeled down in front of the injured Kacey, a sour look plastered on his face. “You’re disgusting. The things you were planning to do to him… disgusting.” He slowly shook his head. “If you’re gonna kidnap someone, keep your mind closed.” With that, he grabbed the arrow lodged in Kacey’s throat, lurched it out, and stabbed it through his eye.

[finthevampire]

Chapter 33

“So, how did archery go with Kendrick?”

Kendric shrugged. “Doesn’t he go by Ricky?”

Remedy took a sip of tea. “To some people. Mostly people younger than me. Something about respecting elders?”

Kendric shrugged. It’s all he could do. The walk home had sobered him up for the most part, but his head was still fuzzy. And he certainly didn’t feel like formulating outward emotion to anyone at that moment. “Archery was fine. He’s a nice guy. But, uh, why did you set me up on a playdate? I’m hundreds of years old, Remedy.”

“I know. But you need to get out into the world, old or not. So, I decided to have you meet with someone safe.”

Kendric picked at loose skin near his cuticle. Suddenly his chest felt tight and his palms were clammy. Suddenly he felt caged. Suddenly he felt like a kid again. Leaving Italy. Being controlled. Controlled controlled controlled. His heart was ballooning and his eyes were watering and if was less aware he would have thought he’d explo—

“But, if you don’t want me hovering over you, I will lay off. Is that what you would like?”

Kendric let out a breath. “Yes, please.”

Remedy stood, holding his empty cup that once contained tea. “I understand.”

[finthevampire]

Chapter 32

“And then you simply let go.” The man let go of the arrow and it shot out, hitting the target square in the center. 

Kendric released the arrow. It flew forward and hit the target, but it was several inches off from the center. He grunted and put the bow down. “This was a mistake.”

The man frowned and leaned against a nearby tree. “Why?”

The weather outside was crisp and perfect, just the right weather to learn archery. But something still felt off. “You don’t even wanna know.” Kendric stared absently at the bag leaning against the tree the man was standing by. His name was embroidered carefully in gold on the black bag. Ricky.

Ricky let out a chuckle. “I get it. We’ve all got our stories. What brought you here, if you don’t mind me asking?”

He scoffed. “My uncle made me take up archery. Said it would be good for my mental health.”

Ricky smiled. “You let your uncle tell you what to do?”

Shrugging, Kendric picked up the bow once more. “He doesn’t tell me to. He just suggests. Besides, he’s a nice guy… sometimes too nice.”

Ricky reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, white cylinder that Kendric quickly identified as a blunt. “It be like that sometimes. My mom was overbearing, too. I wish I had appreciated it more before she…” He lit the blunt and took a hit.

“So, you’re a vampire. Who’s your sire?”

“William T. Francis,” he said as he blew out a puff of smoke away from Kendric’s direction. Kendric was glad he didn’t blow it in his face.

His heart dropped, then climbed up into his throat in an attempt to hide. “I’m sorry. Who?”

Ricky frowned. “Do you know him?”

Kendric dropped the bow once more. “Not personally, no.” He twirled his hair around his index finger, the locks of hair now going down to his shoulders. 

Ricky chewed his lip for a moment. “You know one of my siblings, don’t you?”

Kendric nodded slowly. “I don’t think we should talk anymore. I’ll pick up a different hobby.”

Ricky sighed. “May I ask why?”

“You won’t want to be near me when you find out what I’ve done.”

Snorting, Ricky strung his bow and shot another arrow at the target. It split the other arrow in half. “You’d be shocked. What’d you do? Kill one of ‘em?”

Kendric stiffened. “Yeah, how did you—”

“They’re all dicks. I saw it coming. One is a pathological liar and the other works for the Renatian council. Which one was it?”

“Ozzy.” He didn’t want to answer, but something about Ricky made his thoughts pour out of his mouth like melted butter from a popcorn machine. “It was an in-the-moment decision.”

Ricky shot another bow, this one missing and digging into a tree behind the target. He took another hit of the blunt. The sweet smell of pot had filled the air by then, but Kendric didn’t complain. “Good. He deserved it.”

“That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?”

“So is killing him.” He held the blunt out to Kendric. “Want some?”

He didn’t think. His hand reached out and took it from Ricky before he could stop himself.

“Want some?” Jude held out his cigarette.

Kendric took the cigarette from his hand.

He took a puff of smoke, his eyes watering slightly. He began to cough, his lungs feeling dryer than the desert. He handed the blunt back to Ricky as he doubled over coughing. Ricky giggled. “Careful.”

When the coughing subsided, he felt a small wave of calm wash out him. He picked up the bow and grabbed an arrow from the ground. He coughed again before drawing the bow and releasing. It didn’t have enough power and ended up falling and sticking into the dirt and grass. “Dammit,” he hissed.

Ricky stared at the arrow thoughtfully before taking another long, slow hit of the blunt. “I take it you’ve never smoked bud before?”

Kendric shook his head, licking his lips. His mouth felt dry and weird. Ricky passed him the blunt once more. He took it again.

Soon the blunt was gone and they were sitting on the ground. Kendric stared at his hands, observing everything around him. It was all so wonderful, suddenly. But everything also felt sickening, a dizzying world that made his stomach twist in knots. He kept shaking his head, enjoying the feeling of movement in his altered state. Ricky plucked a Gatorade from his bag, cracked it open, and took a sip. He passed it to Kendric. “You’ll probably want this by now, huh?”

Kendric took the Gatorade silently, slowly, and drank it. It spilled down the corners of his lips and dripped from his chin to his shirt. Ricky gently took the Gatorade from him.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have let you smoke so much.”

“No, no, I’m fine.” Everything felt calm and serene, so peaceful and quiet. He smiled.

“Whatever you say, dude. So, what’s your deal?”

Kendric turned his head slowly, the whole world lagging behind by a few seconds. “Huh?” His voice echoed in his head. It didn’t even sound like it was coming from him, but someone outside of him. 

“How’d you meet Ozzy? Where are you from? How old are you?”

“I’m from Italy. And Ozzy was, uh, a librarian in my area.”

Resta lì, piccolo.

“I see.”

“I was married once. He was… an interesting guy.”

“Ugh. Men, amiright?” he said as he nudged Kendric.

Suddenly, Kendric began to giggle. Then his giggles turned into guffaws and then into a bellowing laughter. He laughed until his stomach ached and his eyes teared up and his lungs almost gave out. Ricky rubbed his back slowly.

“You okay, bud?”

He couldn’t answer. All he could do was laugh. Laugh, laugh, laugh. Then he stopped just as suddenly as he began. “Remedy is gonna kill me if I come home high.”

Ricky smirked. “You’re a grown adult. Can’t you do whatever you want? Hundreds of years old and you can’t smoke a little weed?”

“Well, it’s not exactly a great way to cope.”

Rick shrugged. “I’ll call him and make an excuse about you sleeping over or something. If you want.”

He smiled calmly, staring up at the sun until his eyes burned. “That would make him happy. I’ve caused enough problems. Yeah, let’s go with that. Let’s go with that. I can go with that.” Ricky stared at him concerned but didn’t say anything for a few seconds. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

He nodded. Once he started nodding, he couldn’t stop. He simply sat there, nodding. Ricky chuckled. “I remember my first time getting high. Sometimes I still get like that, y’know?”

“Mhm.” “You think you can walk?”

Kendric wanted to try and stand, but he felt frozen. His limbs were heavy like lead. “I’m fine right here.”

The sun was beginning to set. Kendric’s sunscreen was wearing off soon. “Can you at least apply more sunscreen?”

He still couldn’t move.

A part of his hand began to hurt. It felt as if a sharp, hot knife was slowly cutting into his fingers. Smoke began to rise, thin and wispy. Ricky began to panic and grabbed a tube of sunscreen. “I really hope you’re comfortable with this,” he whispered as he began to lather sunscreen onto his hands, then his neck and face. Everything else was covered by the clothes that Kendric insisted he wore to make him feel better. He didn’t want to see his body, and he didn’t want anyone else to, either. Kendric blinked at him, unfazed. “Thanks…”

“Ow, my head,” he whispered as he sat up on the couch. “How did I get here?”

Ricky shook his head. “You were, like, totally knocked out, so I carried you to my place. I hope that’s okay.”

Kendric looked around the studio apartment with interest. “Yeah, yeah, it’s fine. I…” he trailed off as he looked around.

“Here.” Ricky handed him a towel. “Take a shower. Preferably cold. It should help sober you up.”

He placed the towel down. “Thanks, but I’ll be fine.”

Ricky took the towel, stood, and put it back in the closet. “Gotcha.” He adjusted the beanie on his head. It hadn’t been there before, when they were arching. It had iron-on patches, embroidered designs, and pins, all with different phrases and designs on them. Some said things like “I <3 MILFS” while others were more akin to punk culture, like the anarchy symbol and a pin that said “Down with the Cis-tem”. 

“Do you mind?”

He held another blunt in his hands. Kendric wondered how he put up with being high all the time. He could barely handle half an hour, maybe less. Kendric shook his head. “Nah, I don’t mind.”

“So,” he said slowly, casually sitting down next to him on the couch. “Remedy.”

Kendric nodded and watched as he lit the blunt.

“I’ve known him for a few years. He’s very family oriented, I’m shocked he hasn’t mentioned you before.” He took a hit and let out a puff of smoke.

“I didn’t know he existed until last month.”

“Oh.” There was no emotion to the sound. No shock, not interest, no disinterest, just Oh. He held the blunt out to Kendric with raised eyebrows, but there was no pressure in his eyes, a simple, light offer.

He took it.

It filled his lungs and made him cough, and it filled his brain and his mouth and his throat and nose. He blew out the smoke and coughed and coughed and coughed. But it didn’t sting or hurt or make his stomach ache. He took another breath of weed before handing it back to Ricky. Between coughs, he chuckled. “You’re a terrible influence.”

Ricky shrugged. “Guess so. I never forced you though, you took it on your own accord,” he said, his voice low and relaxed. 

Kendric stared at his hands for a moment. “I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be doing this.”

He stood and began to walk swiftly towards the door, ignoring the fuzziness in his mind. Ricky cleared his throat and stood quickly. “Wait, at least let me walk you home.”

Kendric thought for a moment. He was vulnerable. Altered state, alone in an apartment, no one to help him. But someone would hear him scream. Out there? No one would. It all felt too familiar.

Jude held him tight in his arms, not letting him go. “The more you struggle the more difficult this becomes.”

Kendric smiled dryly. “No, thanks.”

[finthevampire]

Chapter 31

It was more of a cottage than a house. Fake ivy lined the walls inside, but the outdoor walls had real ivy. The building was small and cozy, and it had a lot of nicknacks in every corner. The lamps emitted cream colored light that was gentle on the eyes. Remedy threw his jacket onto the brown, cushiony couch and led Kendric to the spare bedroom. “It’s all yours.”

There was an empty picture frame hung from a small nail on the wall, a neatly-made bed, and a redwood nightstand with a cloth and an alarm clock, a small lamp beside it. Kendric flipped the light switch and opened the curtains, looking out the windows with a small smile. It was beautiful. The house was relatively separate from the rest of Del Point, tucked away in a cozy wooded area on the outskirts of the city. There was another quaint house across the road, silent and cold. He opened the window and breathed in the fresh air. When he turned around, Remedy was smiling warmly. “What?”

“It’s nice to see you smiling, ragazzino.”

Kendric shrugged and placed his keys on the nightstand. “I don’t get it.”

“You were miserable the day you got here. You were miserable even before then. Finding a reason to smile is the first step.”

“First step to…?”

“Healing, Kendric.”

Kendric plopped down on the bed with a sigh. “Great. Now I have to deal with this.”

Remedy raised a sharp eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“What’s next? You gonna hire me a therapist? Become my therapist? I just need a place to stay. That’s it.”

Remedy shrugged and began to head toward the door. “Fine. I just thought as your uncle it was my job to help. I guess not.”

The door shut, and Kendric was alone once more. He sighed and reached into his pocket, removing a ring made of pipe cleaners. He smiled sadly and spun it in his hands. “Oh, Olivia. What a young, innocent soul. You were gone soon enough.”

After a few moments, he dug through the drawer of the nightstand and found a lighter. He glanced at the candle on the nightstand and back at the lighter, then to the ring. He lit the candle, kissed the childish ring made of craft supplies, and threw it into the little flame in the candle. The little hairs on the pipe cleaner caught on fire, singed and burnt within seconds. When the furry texture burnt away, all that was left was a ring of twisted, bent metal. He blew out the candle, picked up the hot metal, and threw it out the window. He looked down at his palm. Burnt. There was a red mark. It didn’t hurt much. In fact, it healed within seconds. He shut the window and threw himself down onto the bed. Everything up until that moment had led up to nothing.

“Nothing you do will amount to anything, Kendric.”

Kendric was sprawled out on the floor, cigarette burns covering his arms, a fresh bruise on his face.

The door cracked open. “I made cookies if you want some.”

Kendric sat up. “When?”

“Last night.”

He slumped back down. “I’ll pass.”

Remedy frowned and shut the door.

[finthevampire]

Chapter 30

As he walked, he could feel his skin crawling, Alex’s fingerprints like acid on his skin. He hugged himself close as he walked. Instead of the alternative clothes Alex had given him, he wore a T-shirt and baggy sweatpants. They walked swiftly through the halls, grabbing batteries from a storage closet, bringing them to Elias, and finally stopping in a small, bland office with dark walls and flooring, a dark wooden desk, and a lamp. Behind the desk was a small bookshelf, which was the closest thing to a decoration other than a picture frame on the desk with a wedding photo. Remedy sat at the desk, going through papers. He cleared his throat. “Dear, why do you have my pay stubs?”

Arcangelo sighed and took the paper’s from him, studied them, and put them back down on the desk. “Why are you going through my stuff? And I don’t know how they ended up in my desk, love.”

Remedy stood and placed the papers on the bookshelf. “What are you doing here? I thought you’re having a meeting with Elias and Sarah right now.”

“That meeting was cut short. I’d assume Sarah is visiting the nurse right now.”

“It was that bad?” Kendric shivered, remembering the sight of her bleeding eye. Yes, vampires healed quickly, Kendric knew this. But something like that wouldn’t be as easy to heal. Remedy glanced at him, his demeanor calm and warm. “So, why is he here?”

Arcangelo chuckled dryly. “What? You don’t want to see your nephew?”

Remedy furrowed his brow. “Of course I do, but I doubt you brought him in here for a good reason.”

Kendric felt like a fly on a wall, listening in, no one knowing he’s there. Maybe he was a lamp, just an object.

Jude’s hands wrapped around his throat.

They barely acknowledged he was there until they finished their conversation. Kendric hadn’t listened to most of it. “So, Kendric. Has anything happened between you and Alex…?”

Pain shot through his back as he was slammed against the kitchen counter.

“Uhm. No. Why do you ask?”

Arcangelo straightened the frame on his desk. “Just a hunch. Are you sure?”

He cried out, “Stop!”

Jude didn’t stop. He didn’t care.

Kendric shrugged. “I don’t know what you want me to say. There’s nothing going on.”

Before he knew it, tears were running down his face as he was stripped of his clothes and his innocence.

“We know what happened, Kendric.”

Alex had him pinned on the ground. “You’re cute. And funny.”

Kendric froze. They knew.

Florian leaned against the wall, blocking his only way out as he caged him in with his arms. “So, how old are you?

“Seventeen.”

It was a lie. He was twenty-two. He hoped if he lied, the man would leave.

“Interesting. What is such a young kid doing here? This is an adult place, you know.”

Kendric knew that. It was a bar, for christ’s sake. He shivered, his voice too high and his body too feminine. “I was bored.”

Florian leaned in and kissed him.

“It’s not what it looks like.”

The couple glanced at each other. “It’s not your fault, Kendric.”

“I’d rather not,” Kendric muttered. They were in a nice hotel, Florian cornering him.

He kissed him once more, nibbling his ear.

Kendric pushed back. “I said no.”

Florian didn’t listen.

Kendric picked at a loose thread on his sleeve. 

“Kendric.” Remedy’s voice was soft and compassionate. He kneeled beside Kendric. “Please, talk to me.”

Kendric glanced at Arcangelo.

He wasn’t all that bad, right? Kendric lay beside Florian, watching the walls. A dim lamp emitted a warm glow in the room. He wasn’t a terrible person, right? 

Arcangelo stood abruptly and left. Kendric took a shaky breath. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Remedy stood slowly. “Okay. If you’re not ready to talk, that’s okay. But we would like to handle this sooner rather than later. 

Remedy began to approach the door when his voice climbed up his throat and escaped his mouth. “I don’t know what happened. I-I was unconscious. I mean, I think I can guess, but…”

Remedy nodded steadily. “I see. And it was Alex?”

Kendric nodded carefully, tracking Remedy’s reaction. He felt disgusting. Like scum. He was just a piece of trash, a lamp on a desk, a fly on a wall. He was just an object. Even his own husband would have agreed. He wanted to shrink down, to become tiny and invisible so no one could ever see him.

“I want to let you go, but at this point… I don’t think you’ll be able to live on your own.”

A feeling of dread ballooned in his chest, closing his throat. Remedy was right. He’d never be able to live on his own. From the day he became an adult, he was always with someone. He needed someone. Needed to be with someone. Without a someone, he was a no one. 

Remedy paced. He paced and he paced until Kendric was worried the carpet would catch fire under his feet. He looked deep in thought, distressed. “I’m not sure what to do…”

Kendric stayed silent. Why would he speak? His words didn’t matter.

A lightbulb lit up. “You can live with me.”

Kendric slumped in his chair. “I already do.”

Remedy chuckled. “No, no, not here. I have a house, you know. Arcangelo spends most of his time here, but I prefer la mia casa. I’m not summoned for meetings very often, either.”

Chewing his lip, Kendric stared at Remedy. “Why?”

“Why?” Remedy repeated back to him.

“Why would you let me live with you?”

“This place is clearly not good for you. You’ve been here for not even a month and you’ve already been…”

The last word hung in the air. Raped. Just say it already. He knew it, Remedy knew it, Alex knew it. 

“Hurt.” Kendric sighed. He didn’t know if he was glad he didn’t say it, or annoyed. 

“Just spit it out already! I know you cheated!”

Kendric let out a sob, holding his face gently as a cut bled and bled. Jude stood above him, face red from alcohol, a broken glass bottle in his hand. “I didn’t, I swear! I… I’m loyal to you, Jude.”

Jude shook his head and threw the bottle on the floor, shattering it into a bunch of tiny pieces. He slid a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it. “Sure, you are. Whatever. I’m done trying to pull an answer from you.”

He frowned. He rarely stood up for himself, didn’t he? He needed to be braver, didn’t he? The blonde stood and approached Remedy, parting his dry lips to speak. “Okay.”

Remedy’s face lit up as he grabbed Kendric into a big bear hug, his bear arms crushing Kendric. He painted a smile on his face and chuckled awkwardly. “I promise you’ll live a much better life.”

Although he wasn’t a fan of the hug, he didn’t fight it. It was sincere and warm, and while he wouldn’t admit it, it was growing on him. He feigned annoyance. Remedy laughed heartily and put him down. “Arcangelo isn’t going to be very happy, but I’ll deal with that later. Do you have anything to pack?”

“Wait. Right now?”

A dark shadow crossed his face. “It’s not safe here for you, Kendric.”

There was a knock on the door. There was a creak of hinges. There was the firm footsteps of a vampire and the silence of a signed conversation. He looked up to see Elias, hearing aids back in and his monocle cracked. There was blood on the lapel of his purple suit. They both seemed stressed, worried, distraught. The conversation quickly turned to anger, their signs becoming sharper, more aggressive. Eventually, Elias threw his hands in the air, flicked his hand from under his chin, and left, slamming the door behind him.

“What was that?”

“Nothing, ragazzino.”

[finthevampire]

Chapter 29

When the door creaked open to Sarah’s personal office, Elias stood at her desk, his lanky figure casting a tall shadow. He was holding his hearing aids in his hand, inspecting them against his palm. When he felt the vibrations of the door closing, his eyes shot up. He put his hearing aids back in his ears and turned them up. A strange smile was painted across his face, one similar to the smile he had when Kendric met him. He leaned casually against the corner of the desk. It looked rather painful, as he was thin, and it must have been at least a little bothersome to have the corner jabbing into his waist. Sarah sighed. “What are you doing in here?”

Elias raised an eyebrow, took his hearing aids out, and looked at them closely. He put them back in. “What?”

“What the hell are you doing in my office?”

He squinted, then shrugged. He took his hearing aids out and put them in his pocket. “Well, those are dead…” he muttered to himself before looking up at Sarah. “Sorry, that took me a moment to read your lips.”

Sarah shook her head and stamped her foot. “Answer the damn question!”

Kendric winced. Elias didn’t even blink, his bright eyes slicing through Sarah. “I know what you’re planning with him. I’m not letting you plot my death with him.”

There was no venom in his voice, but Kendric could see the malice in his eyes. Sarah crossed her arms. “You still have no right to be in here.”

Elias blinked. “I didn’t quite catch that, dear.”

Her hands clenched into fists. “You can’t be in here!”

Elias shook his head. “Yelling doesn’t make me any less deaf, Sarah.”

His voice was still strange to Kendric, slurred and inconsistent. But that was expected for someone who couldn’t hear themself. Sarah moved swiftly towards him, getting all kinds of in his face. “Listen here, asshole. Get out of my office now or you’ll be joining your stupid daughter.”

Elias understood that phrase, for sure, as his eyes went wide and he quickly decked Sarah with a surprising amount of force for such a thin man. Sarah stumbled back, her ankle twisting when her heel hit the ground wrong. Kendric didn’t help her up. Elias brushed his hair from his face and adjusted his monocle, drawing Kendric’s attention to the large scar across the left side of his face where the monocle sat. Kendric made a note to ask about it if he ever got a chance. “Keep Willow’s name out of your mouth and out of your goddamn mind. Don’t forget who fought for me to be on this fucking council.” His words were almost unintelligible, but you could feel the anger radiating from them. After a few seconds, he switched to what Kendric identified as Ukrainian. Sarah yelled back in Ukrainian before standing and slapping him across the face. His monocle flew off his face and hit the ground with a clink. 

The air froze, no one breathing.

With one swift motion, he had her spun around, hands pinned behind her back, and slammed her face into the corner of the desk. Her eye hit the corner and blood immediately poured out. Kendric took a step back, his stomach flipping around in shock. She let out a guttural growl and slashed her sharp acrylic nails across Elias’ face. A lean figure suddenly appeared between them, green eyes shining in anger. “Enough, you two.”

Sarah ignored him, charging towards Elias.

Arcangelo crossed his arms. “Stop. It.” This time, he used sign language, hitting the side of his hand into his palm to sign “STOP”. Elias stepped back and raised his hands in surrender, but Sarah didn’t back down as easily. She grabbed Elias by the lapel of his suit and shouted, “I don’t know why we were ever married. You should be fucking dead!”

Arcangelo shook his head and grabbed Sarah, who promptly slapped him. He didn’t react for several seconds, but then, within a blink, Sarah was on the ground, Arcangelo’s foot pressed firmly on her ribcage. He didn’t speak, but tears welled up in his eyes. He wiped them away. After a few seconds, he released her and brushed imaginary dirt from his slacks. Picking up the monocle on the floor, he turned to Elias, handed it to him, and began to sign something Kendric couldn’t discern. He didn’t speak or mouth his words, only signed. Sarah sat on the floor, holding her eye with a pinched expression. She opened her mouth, presumably to curse out Arcangelo, but he gave her a glare and her mouth snapped shut. Elias folded his slender hands behind his back and walked carelessly towards Kendric. “Sorry about that. I hope you weren’t planning on agreeing with her.”

Kendric shook his head. “Uh, no. No, I wasn’t gonna.”

Elias didn’t move, didn’t budge, didn’t respond. Arcangelo appeared behind him, rubbing his red and swollen cheek. “She’s being removed from the council,” he said, signing it for Elias as he walked up beside him. “Where are your hearing aids?”

He took his hands and flipped them over. Arcangelo nodded. 

“I’ll go grab some batteries. And you,” he said, snapping his attention to Kendric, “You’re coming with me.”

[finthevampire]

chapter 29 and chapter 30 have been deleted and will be written very differently <3

[finthevampire]

Yeah so turns out I didn't feel like it, sorry guys :p

I might make anti-valentines day cards for Solace but idk

[finthevampire]

Chapter 28

Alex lounged lazily on the covers of Kendric’s bed. Kendric sat on the floor, head leaned against the cool, smooth wall. “I hate it here so much. How do you guys always look so happy?”

Alex shrugged. “Most of us came from much worse places. It’s nice to have a roof over your head, y’know?”

Kendric rolled his eyes. “I’d rather be homeless than stuck here.”

Alex mulled this statement over for a while. “You wouldn’t be saying that if you were homeless before.”

Laughing breathily, Kendric picked at the carpet. “I was, actually. When I was in Italy, my family couldn’t afford to live. We stayed there for years before fleeing to America. My parents hoped it would be as great as it was advertised.” He blew out a frustrated breath. “It’s not.”

“How old are you?”

Kendric looked up at him. “Huh?”

“I’m just… curious. How old are you?”

Kendric shrugged and looked up at the ceiling. “If I’m being completely honest? I have no idea. I lost count a long time ago. It didn’t matter anymore, not while I was living with my husband. I would never see anyone ever again, why would my age be important? Besides, it’s painful to count the years, the days, the minutes, the seconds. I found that not worrying about any of it helped me numb myself to the pain.”

Alex frowned. “You keep talking about your husband. He wasn’t that bad, was he?”

His skin crawled as he thought back to their marriage. He remembered how everything started, so beautiful and romantic, like a flower. But like a flower, it wilted. Like a fruit, it went sour. One stone and two birds. The universe threw the stone, and down they went. He remembered the restless nights, the lack of meaning to anything he said. He remembered his lack of choice. He shivered, thinking back to Olivia. His eyes filled with tears. “He was,” he said. He tried to keep a steady voice, but his voice cracked. He felt weak.

Alex scoffed. “I think you’re just overreacting.”

Kendric stared at him, appalled. “Are you serious?”

Alex shrugged. “People like you play the victim. If I had to guess, you’re exaggerating. I’m sure he was a perfectly sound man.”

So taken aback, Kendric didn’t speak. He couldn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth, the absolute ignorance. But then he thought. He thought and he thought. What if he was just overreacting? “People like me?”

He shrugged. “Y’know.”

Kendric gave him an incredulous look, but Alex did not elaborate. “Get out of my room.”

Alex raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“Get out. I just… I want to be alone for a bit.”

Alex didn’t budge. 

“I said leave, Alex.”

Still, he sat on the bed, indifferent. Kendric stood and walked toward him, about to grab his arm when Alex jumped up and grabbed Kendric by the neck, throwing him down to the floor. He smiled. “You’re cute. And funny.”

Kendric scrambled backwards, but a strange calmness washed over him, similar to his interaction with Sarah. 

“No one tells me what to do, Kendric. No one. Not anyone in this unit, not the counsel, and definitely not you.”

Try as he might, he couldn’t break free from the trance Alex had put him in. Alex lifted his foot and kicked Kendric square in the jaw. His head snapped back and everything went dark. 

When Kendric woke up, he had no clue what had happened. He was bruised all over, and his clothes were nowhere to be found. He glanced around. It was dark. Too dark. He went to sit up and hit his head on something above him. He groaned as pain exploded through his head. He reached up, felt it, and recognized it as the bottom of a bed. Scoffing, he rolled painfully out from under the bed, eyes finally adjusting to the dark. He attempted to stand but failed. He couldn’t make it to the light switch, so he lay in the dark. Everything felt wrong. 

How am I supposed to live knowing what they have done to me?

He stayed completely still. Fingerprints left bruises, bite marks covered his neck. He felt dirty. After what felt like hours, he stood slowly and turned on the light. There was a mirror leaning against the wall, and as he looked into it, he began to cry. At first it was just tears, but it quickly turned into sobs. He shook with disgust and fear. What did he do? He didn’t want to think about it. He threw some clothes on and snuck off to one of the bathrooms. There was a strangely ornate shower in the bathroom, with a delicate, detailed handle and nice-smelling soap on a shelf inside. The curtains were golden with a floral pattern on them. A towel hung from a towel rack, along with a few wash cloths. Kendric turned the water on and waited for it to warm up. He turned the heat all the way up and waited until the bathroom filled with steam. When he stepped in, he winced at the pain, but he didn’t pull back. He stepped into the stream and let the heat engulf him. His skin turned red and raw, but he still felt dirty. Violated. Even though he wasn’t awake, he could imagine what Alex had done. He examined his bruises with disdain. He threw his head back, the hot water burning his neck and running down his chest. 

No matter how much he washed his skin, it still felt dirty. It was like permanent filth. He knew he’d live with it the rest of his life, but he didn’t want to admit it. He continued to scrub, continued to claw at his skin until it was raw and bleeding. He burst into tears and punched the wall. Shampoo and conditioner bottles fell into the tub. He kneeled, letting the water wash over him as he sobbed. He braced his hands on his knees to hold himself up, fingernails digging into his skin. After several minutes, he stood and turned the water off. He dried off, dressed, and trudged into the lounge. Everyone was living on as normal, including Alex. He smiled and waved Kendric over. Everyone was at the table, eating. Kendric’s stomach rumbled. His hands shook. He was tired, he was in pain, and he was starving. Ravenous enough to kill three humans. Maybe four. He sat down at the table as far from Alex as he could. He didn’t speak. No one spoke to him, no one even looked at him, but it felt as if they were judging him. None of them could know. Could they? 

How can I live knowing what they’ve done to me?

He finally gave in and swallowed the pill, the strange supplement all the vampires seemed to be living off of without issue. He nibbled at a dry slice of pizza. His hunger quickly dissipated, a strange warmth in his stomach.

How can I live knowing what I’ve done?

The door opened once more, but this time, Sarah had come to retrieve him on her own.

[finthevampire]

Chapter 27

The red-head vampire from before sat in the counsel room. She twirled her hair on a long, pale finger, her body thin and wiry, her eyes slanted and her jawbone defined. She wore a red dress that sparkled when the light hit it, the top of it in a heart shape at her collar bone. Her expression was stern. She clearly meant business. Kendric cleared his throat, now alone with the vampire. She smiled dryly. “Kendric. I’m Sarah.”

“Hello,” he said wearily. 

A pointed nail scraped over the table slowly. “Take a seat.”

A strange calm washed over him for a moment, and when he looked down, he was sitting. He didn’t remember moving his legs, not sitting. The calm faded and his anxiety returned. 

“So. You’re Remedy’s… nephew.” She looked him up and down. “I don’t see a resemblance.”

Kendric shrugged. “I had a very mixed family.”

The air in the room was thin and cold, almost as cold as the last time he’d seen Arcangelo. He shivered. Sarah chewed on her sharp nail, her red lipstick popping off of her porcelain skin. The fluorescent lights above flickered. “You are an interesting character, Mr. Solace.”

Kendric stayed silent. 

“Elias isn’t very happy with you. That was his daughter, you know.”

She had said it with such nonchalance that he didn’t register what she said at first. His blood ran cold. “What?”

“That was El’s daughter.” She chuckled coldly. “What a shame… not really, though. She was a pest.”

Kendric swallowed, which was difficult, as his heart was in his throat. “No, she wasn’t.”

Sarah arched a carefully drawn eyebrow. “Really? And what do you know?”

“I know children aren’t pests.” He clenched his fists under the table. “What did she ever do to you?”

The red-head studied him for several seconds, eyes narrowed. “I see. You had a daughter. It seems you killed her too, no?”

His stomach twisted into knots, and his head ached as she shuffled through his memories. “It was out of necessity.”

Sarah clicked her tongue. “Whatever you say.” She leaned in close and glanced around, as if someone might be hiding in a corner, listening. “How about we make a deal?”

“I don’t trust you.”

“I think you’ll be interested,” she said, a knowing smile plastered on her face.

“Alright. I’ll bite.”

“I will grant you freedom,” —she traced a sharp nail across the grain of the table— “if,” she said, punctuating the if by slamming her hand down on the table. “And only if. You kill Elias Abernathy.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I want him dead.”

“Why haven’t you done it yourself?” His mouth was more dry than cotton.

She shook her head. “Because I’d have to deal with the consequences, Kendric.” The way she spoke made Kendric feel small.

“Why are you asking me of all people? It’s bold of you to assume I won’t snitch.”

“Oh, you won’t snitch. Because if you do? Death will be a distant dream equivalent to candy land. And as for why I’m asking you… you and I share something in common. A lust for blood beyond satiating our hunger.”

“No. You’ve got it all wrong.”

“Do I?” She raised a sharp eyebrow.

Kendric chewed his lip, picking at dead skin. He began to bleed and licked the tangy crimson from his lip. 

“You can lie to yourself and everyone else all you want, but you won’t slip past me so easily. I can sit by and listen to you lie about being a ‘boy’, but I will not let you pretend you’re not cold-blooded.”

“Like you,” he spat, venom dripping from his words.

She shrugged. “I’ve been called worse. But you’re right.” Her dark green eyes bore into his soul as she spoke. “You are destined for greatness, Kendric. Don’t let that flimsy fruit hold you back.”

Kendric raised an eyebrow at the strange name. “What?”

“Arcangelo,” she growled. “He pretends to be all just and equal, but he is just as bad as the rest of us. I’m going home soon. Are you in or not? Freedom for the price of a stranger’s life.”

Kendric’s mouth was dry as a desert. “I need to think about it.”

Sarah stood, sauntering around the table, a sly grin painted on her face. “Okay. You have until tomorrow.” She caressed Kendric’s cheek, and he shoved her hand away. Sarah frowned and left.