Chapter Nine- 'Labyrinth Of Sympathy
In Which I'm Lost And Can't Leave'
The two of them were sitting on the edge of Melissa's apartment building roof watching the traffic when both of them realised it had been twenty minutes since they had spoken to eachother. Neither of them had noticed because they were too busy wondering where to hell to go from there. Nothing seemed to make sense.
"How..." Ike looked up as Melissa spoke. "How old are you?"
"You know how old I am." Isaac responded.
"No, I mean, how old are you, like, really?"
"Nineteen."
"Oh. So how long have you...?"
"Since last Halloween."
Melissa scowled. He really wasn't making an effort.
"By who?"
For the first time Ike looked her way. "Two bastards who I'd like to see at the end of a stake."
Melissa bit her bottom lip. "Right, yeah. But did you know them? Were they in any group or anything?"
"I think so. A lot of us were taken. I think I was only one of them that came out alive." Ike paused. "Well, semi-alive."
Melissa nodded. "Big place, dungeons, looks like the playboy mansion yet more dead?"
Ike nodded.
"Yeah, that's the big group of vampires. Biggest in America, I think."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"
"No... But they must have seem something special in you to spare you."
"Spare me?" Ike asked angrily. "I don't call this being spared!"
"At least you went home!" Melissa yelled back. "People disappear, courtesy of those guys, every day! At least you got to see your friends and family again. Even if in a state you'd rather not be in."
"I guess." Ike said quietly. "But, why? Why did they have to do this?"
"No clue." Melissa replied.
"How old are you then?"
Melissa strained to remember. "Hang on, three, four, I think?"
"Years?"
"No, centuries." She saw the look on Ike's face. "Seems a lot, right?"
"No, I'm just wondering why the hell you're still in collage."
Melissa smiled. "I like to skip classes then get a perfect score in the exams. It's fun."
"And your old boyfriend? He was a vampire?"
Melissa smiled. "Yeah. He was a good guy, really. But he was found out by all these vampire hunters around 1910, I think? Anyway he was staked, I escaped because they thought I was human. Either that or they didn't want to kill me."
"They all fancied you?"
"Vampire's curse, very useful."
"So I've found." Isaac smiled. "Take it you didn't think this was going to be a long relationship either?"
"Yeah, but you weren't going to eat my roommate."
"I was very close."
"I wouldn't recommend it."
"She's a vampire as well?" Ike asked.
"Nope, try a ten foot snake-demon that feeds on your nightmares."
Ike low whistled. "Woah."
"You do realise if they hadn't gotten to you first I was going to grab you?" Melissa asked.
"Then why did you run away?"
Melissa kissed him. "'Cause I didn't want to."
"Thankyou." He kissed her back. He remembered something. "Hey, wait. Your eyes were changing that night."
Melissa tried to act dumb. "So?"
"So! You were using the vampire curse on me!"
Melissa laughed. "I thought you wouldn't like me."
Ike looked her up and down. "I really doubt that."
Melissa sighed, changing the subject. "I'm really sorry this had to happen to you."
"I'm sorry it had to happen to you also."
"Any urges?"
"What?"
"Urges, you know, close calls? Ever tried to bite somebody you know?"
Ike nodded slowly. "That's why I hate myself."
"We all get like that. You're a lot stronger if you've resisted."
"But there was this one time I almost got Zac, but, he woke up."
"I swear he must have good blood or something. First you, then me." Melissa laughed.
"Don't joke. What if I do?"
"You're stronger than that Ike. Much stronger. They must have seen it when they chose you."
"I hate them."
"I hate every one of us." Melissa paused. "Nothing personal."
Ike smiled. "You'll help me?"
"Sure. What are four-hundred year old girlfriends for?"
"You'll be Okay Ike?" Melissa asked.
Isaac nodded. "Thankyou. I'm glad somebody knows now. I'm glad it's you who knows."
"Pleasure." Melissa kissed him once more before he turned and left. She smiled slightly. That night had been amazingly weird, scary almost. She could have destroyed something she knew she had to hang onto like life itself.
But she had never been so glad to find another vampire.
Isaac felt better also. He was so happy she didn't kill his brother, for starts. He was also glad he had found her out and now had no worries about her in the future. They could stay together for... Wait, how long do vampires live?
Isaac wasn't afraid of dark alleyways anymore. Granted he could take on anybody that came his way, he should still feel a little afraid. He walked on and didn't even notice the footsteps behind him.
"I thought it was you."
Isaac turned around at the familiar voice. He knew he shouldn't be hearing it, she couldn't be there.
"Holly?"
She nodded slowly. She was still the same age, but she seemed older. Maybe it was the ragged clothes that did it, but, she looked like a teenager, not a little girl.
"Why did you leave me?" She asked directly.
"I had a small problem."
"Try being dead." She said angrily.
"Tried it, didn't like it." Isaac replied.
She realised and sighed. "You said I'd be Okay. I trusted you."
"Well I'm sorry, I didn't know this would happen." Isaac turned to leave.
"My mom's dead!" She called back.
"I'm sorry." Isaac repeated.
"I killed her!"
That stopped Ike. He turned around slowly.
She saw his look. "I know. Those vampires told me what was exactly wrong with her and I couldn't help it."
"And you regret it, right?" Isaac asked, almost pleading.
She shrugged. "Actually I didn't mind it. I was hungry."
Isaac felt shocked at that. "What has happened to you?"
"I told you; I died." She smiled smugly. "You still living in your old home I gather?"
"Yeah." Isaac couldn't take any more of what he had heard. He turned to leave again.
"They'll find out soon enough! And when they do, they'll chase you out or better yet; they'll kill you!" She yelled.
Isaac kept walking. "I'm sorry you let the monster win Holly." He whispered slowly.
Somehow she heard. She began to cry.
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