Chapter Eleven- 'Beast Of Burden'
"You did what?" Melissa asked rather loudly.
"I told him." Isaac replied. It was late at night and Ike had decided he'd have to tell Melissa what had happened. So he was standing in front of her door explaining as rationally as he could about what had been said only a few hours ago.
"But... Why?" Melissa demanded. "Why did you have to tell him?"
"Because I didn't want to lie any more." Isaac replied.
"I can't believe you!"
"Hey shut up out there!" A guy down the hall yelled.
"Come over here and say that!" Melissa yelled, or almost growled, back. Her emotion seemed to be anger. It may be the extended canines that gave it away. She sighed and changed back to normal. "Come in."
"Melissa, you know I wouldn't do this for no good reason." Isaac said as he shut the door behind him.
"You know he won't understand!" Melissa said, still loudly.
"He's my brother!"
"He's human!"
That clinched it. Isaac felt like he was being lectured by a teacher. If he truly knew what that felt like. "I don't really care Melissa, he doesn't care."
"Yes, he does. If he doesn't, he will. He'll care a lot." Melissa said. "How could you be so stupid?"
"Well you're little memory block didn't work very well! He remembered it all!"
Melissa scowled. "Why the hell did you tell him?"
"Because I was dying, that's why."
"What? When did you last eat?"
"Six days ago, well, before tonight."
"Why the hell did you do that?"
"Because I met that little girl I was supposed to save!"
"I thought Holly died?" Melissa asked slowly.
"She did." Isaac replied. "I just couldn't take what she'd become. She turned into a monster, like, a real monster. She didn't try to fight it. I couldn't stand knowing I could be like that also." Isaac answered sadly, sitting down on the sofa.
"So what changed your mind?" Melissa asked, sitting next to him.
"Zac did. He put things into perspective."
"You could have come to me." Melissa said sadly.
"You would have only forced me. He talked me out of suicide"
"So now what? He'll keep it a secret and you think we'll be Okay?"
"We will. He's kept enough secrets in his life. He's not going to tell anyone."
There was a knock on the door. "If you say so Ike." Melissa sighed, opening the door.
Zac was there with Mikey. "Uh, hi..."
Mikey grinned. "Is she the vampire? Cool! Can you, like, change into bats and stuff?"
Zac grinned sheepishly. "Uh, sorry?"
One hour prior...
Zac was walking around. He'd been walking for hours now. It was a good thing to do. Apart from the fact that he was still recovering from the flu so walking around in the cold didn't seem right. He'd gone out as soon as Ike had left. Left to bite somebody. Zac shuddered. He was sure he had done the right thing. He had. He just saved his brother's life. He should be proud about his persuasion skills. But he couldn't help thinking what he'd just stepped into. It was scary.
Firstly just the fact that vampires now existed seemed to creep him out. Then knowing his big brother was one, that was a whole different issue. He was certain he had done the right thing. But, had he? Was he just allowing Ike to go out and kill more people? Zac stopped and shook his head. He can't help it. He's a good guy. He can't help being what he is. It wasn't a moral choice to do this, it obviously took a lot of willpower just to stop for two days. Zac should hate him. He knew he should. But he just couldn't live without him. It was a sad fact but if Ike had actually died that Halloween he knew it would be an extremely bad life to follow. Zac needed him.
Zac wanted to scream. He felt an awful weight on him now. Not just the fact that he was the only person (alive) who knew about the real Isaac. Everybody just thought Ike was sick. But he really wanted to die. That was a horrible thought. Zac tried to even imagine what he would be like in that kind of situation. How could his brother be so strong as to survive almost a year of torment? Had they really been so blind that nobody noticed what Ike was going through? Zac hadn't been there for him and he knew he had a lot to make up for.
The park was quiet and eerie. Not only that; Zac now had a whole new perspective on life. Vampires could be anywhere. If all it took was a dark alleyway or a deserted area then Zac was numero uno for trouble. He looked around. He couldn't see anybody. How did Ike spot people? Maybe he was good at seeing in the dark? Ike had explained all the stuff he could do and Zac was sure glad Ike didn't melt or turn into dust in the light anyway. It seemed that vampires couldn't hunt during the day so light only didn't help. It just didn't kill them.
Zac sat down on the park bench, still checking around him. Maybe I should go home? He knew he should but he was too cluttered in thoughts to just go home and get yelled at for sneaking out. He didn't need that any time soon. All he needed was to think the situation over a few more times and figure out what to do now.
"Yo Dude."
Zac almost screamed but he held himself back. He turned to see his grinning best friend.
"You scared the crap out of me!" Zac breathed out. "What are you doing out?"
Mikey shrugged, still amused. "Just wandering. Felt like sneaking out. What about you?"
"I snuck out too." Zac said. "I had a rough day. Had to clear my head. What's your excuse?"
Mikey shrugged. "My curfew is ten, I had to challenge my new family, right?"
"So Mikey Tritton how are they?"
Mikey stared at Zac. To him the name had no ring to it. "They have rules."
"It's not the same as your mom, is it?" Zac asked gently.
"Hey, this is only temporary until she's out of rehab. Then I'll move back in. But my family... They are a little strict but basically nice people. They seem to think I'm a troublemaker though."
"Now where did that impression come from?" Zac asked, smiling.
"On the plus side I have a sister." Mikey grinned.
"Dude that's gross!"
"Not for me!" Mikey leaned in a little closer. "She's obsessed with Tay."
"Oh." Zac got it. "Wanna tell her you have connections?"
"Nope." Mikey stretched out his arms then placed them behind his head, leaning back. "Thought I'd just tease her a little."
Zac smiled. It was a good thing to side-track his thoughts, if only for a minute.
"How rough was your day?"
Zac shrugged a little and didn't answer.
"That bad, huh?"
"Worse." Zac replied. He sighed a little. "I just found out something I didn't need to know."
"Is it about your brother getting laid?"
Zac shot a look at him. "Dude, I knew that months ago and thankyou very much for the mental picture!"
"Okay then, has Tay finally admitted he's gay?"
"No, and screw you! You already got Galvin asking him out at my party last year and I still haven't forgiven you."
Mikey smirked, just a little. "You have to admit it though- that was funny."
"Not for Galvin! He was heartbroken!"
"Oh he can get any guy this side of the galaxy and he knows it." Mikey laughed. "Anyway, what is it then?"
"I can't tell you man." Zac said quietly.
"Last time you said that it was about making a real record. Five months later Jenny McCarthy is all over you." Mikey glared at Zac. "And I still don't forgive you for that."
"But this time it's important, that was just a surprise."
"Nothing is too important for me. Just tell me."
Zac sighed. "Do you believe in all that Buffy stuff?"
Mikey was taken aback by that question. "Uh... I think so. Maybe not everything. But there must be answers to all those unsolved mysteries, right? Like all those disappearances everybody says about on the news. They can't all be people getting lost for months or kidnappings or abductions or whatever. The government could be covering up all of them!"
"Yeah." Zac answered. Covering up what Ike did...
"What has this got to do with your problem?"
Zac breathed out. "Everything."
Mikey gave him a strange look.
"Okay, what would you say if I do believe in this stuff and for a very good reason?"
"Such as...?" Mikey asked.
"Like I might know someone who isn't... Like, uh..." Zac couldn't finish.
"Human?"
"Yeah."
Mikey grinned. "Well, now that you mention it..."
Zac looked at him for a second with a terrified look on his face. It all fitted together. "Not you too!"
Mikey didn't expect that to be a response. "Wuh..."
Zac didn't hear him. "Oh great! How many of you are there? Five hundred? Six billion? Am I the only human here or have you changed everyone?"
"Zac, what are you...?"
Zac still didn't listen. "This is just great! I thought I could handle Ike and Melissa, but if you're all gonna be vampires then I guess you're gonna have to change me as well!"
"Zac!"
"Hey, when in Rome, right?"
"ZAC!" Zac finally shut up. "Zac, what are you talking about? I was joking!"
"What?" Zac asked. He felt a lot of blood draining from his face in under a second. "Oh... Uh, forget what I said, Okay?"
"You mean..." Mikey caught on. "Oh WOW!"
"Dude, I was joking..." Zac was bad at lying when it came to Mikey.
"This is so cool! Ike's a vampire!" Mikey laughed. "I never would have guessed it!"
"Dude... Shutup!" Zac tried to quieten his friend down. Anybody could hear. Then he had an idea. "How about we go to Melissa's place and we can talk about this, Okay?"
Mikey laughed and nodded. "Okay, cool!"
Maybe her memory spell will work on him... Zac thought silently as he was bombarded with more and more questions.
Just as Mikey passed out from being 'tired', Melissa turned back to Zac and Ike.
"How could you?" Melissa yelled. "What is wrong with you?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." Zac started.
"Not you!" She turned to her boyfriend. "Ike, now d'you see? You knew he'd do this!"
"I didn't and it was an accident!"
"How many others have you told Zac?"
Zac gulped. Something about Melissa just struck fear. Must be the last time he saw her was when she almost killed him. "None. He's the only one."
"You be damn glad about that Ike!" Melissa yelled. "This took him a few hours! Just think what would have happened if he hadn't come here!"
"I wasn't about to tell everyone!" Zac yelled back. "I may not be some immortal vampire but I'm not stupid!"
"Oh I'll deal with you in a second." Melissa growled. "Sit down and don't move."
Somehow his body did what she said. Zac sat down on the sofa.
"Stop ordering my brother around and just cool down!" Isaac yelled.
"Why? You wanna tell Tay as well?"
"Melissa, please, he only..." Zac pleaded.
"Shutup!"
Zac did as she said once again.
"Hey!" Ike grabbed her. "I told you to knock it off!"
"Oh come on Ike! He's not about to keep this secret, you knew it all along!" Melissa shrugged her off.
"Melissa..."
Melissa pushed Ike away. She walked over to Zac. He was struggling, yet he couldn't do anything to stop her. She grabbed him and pulled him. Zac tried to talk but nothing happened. His voice had completely gone.
"You'll just wake up, not knowing what had happened. This is for the best." There was no feeling in her words. Zac tried to get away, he really did. He had no power left in him. He tried to get away but he knew he'd forget in a few seconds, if that. He'd forget just what had happened and he wouldn't help his brother again.
"Get off of him!" Ike yelled and pulled Melissa away. Melissa let go of Zac while being almost swung round causing him to make hard contact with the wall. Zac crumpled to the ground like a paper doll with only the thought that he would be out for a long time...
Ike and Melissa stopped fighting and then realised. Ike ran to Zac and checked him over. A cut had formed on his forehead and it was bleeding badly.
Melissa knew nothing else could be done. Either she had just wiped Zac's memory or killed him. She turned away and as soon as Ike had left with Zac in his arms, she began to cry.
You've lost another. You caused another death. You are evil. You are evil. You don't care about anybody but yourself. You are evil.
"What happened?" Mikey woke up slowly. He saw where he was. "Hey... How'd I get here?"
Melissa felt herself getting hungry. Her canines withdrew. No.. Don't... She told herself.
"Melissa, what's going on?"
"Just get lost, Okay?" Melissa mumbled through her tears.
"Melissa, what happened? Why are you crying?"
"You can't help me, nobody can. Just go home."
"Melissa..." Mikey pleaded.
"Go home!" Melissa screamed.
Mikey obeyed and ran out, not turning back.
< ^ >