A Day in Bridgend

On the third night I woke up next to Matt as usual. He had his arm around me and some time in the day our legs had become entangled. I lay there for a while watching him sleep and thinking about how I was going to get out of bed without disturbing him. Eventually I carefully lifted his arm off me and gently eased my leg out from between his (his right leg had been between mine). I stood up and yawned as I went into the living room, running my fingers through my hair as I did.

I was making my way to the kitchen to get myself some breakfast when I heard a knocking at the door. I frowned. We had not had any visitors since I got there and I didn’t think Matt was expecting anyone. For a very brief moment I panicked, thinking it might be the police but I mentally shook myself. Don’t be stupid, I thought. They can’t have found me; no one knows I’m here. It’s probably just a friend of Matt’s. I went to the door and looked through the peephole. A woman stood on the other side, smiling excitedly, with her hands behind her back. I hesitated, and then opened the door.

‘Hi Ma-’ she stopped when she saw me standing in the doorway with only the Guns N’ Roses tee shirt on. ‘The little bastard!’ she said angrily. ‘How could he?! Your at least half his age!’ She looked me up and down, then said nastily, ‘I wouldn’t bother if I were you! Oh, and tell Matt happy two week anniversary!’ She produced a massive bunch of flowers from behind her back and thrust them at me. She turned on her heel and stormed down the hall.

I stared after her open mouthed. I looked down at the flowers and slowly started closing the door. Someone stopped me suddenly and pushed the door open. I looked up, half expecting to see the woman again or maybe another one. Instead Padge barged in.

‘Hey Lilly. Long time, no see.’

‘Oooh, flowers!’ said Jay, coming in next. ‘Matt never gives us such a nice greeting.’ He plucked out one of the flowers and stepped inside, sniffing it.

Lastly came Moose. ‘That’s what he has you wearing?’ He looked me up and down, one eyebrow raised, and shook his head slowly. ‘Sick fuck.’

I closed the door, completely speechless, and went over to the counter separating the kitchen and living areas. I put the flowers down on it. While Jay made himself comfortable on the couch Moose went into the bedroom.

‘Oi! Tuck! Get up and get some fucking clothes on!’

I blushed fiercely as both Jay and Padge turned to look at me, smiling knowingly. I turned away from them, self consciously pulling the bottom of the tee shirt further down, and busied myself with taking a red rose from the bunch of flowers and absently playing with it, leaning against the counter. I didn’t think I was ready to be near them, especially without Matt whom I was slowly beginning to trust.

Moose reappeared. ‘He’s just getting dressed,’ he said, sitting down next to Jay.

‘Oh yeah,’ Padge said as he reached into his pocket and walked towards me. ‘I think these belong to you.’ He took out the three ribbons I had worn on the day I went to Bridgend and handed them to me.

‘Thank you,’ I said, taking them happily. Before I had time to take my hand away he took hold of it and touched the plaster on my wrist.

‘How are they? Healing well?’

‘I suppose,’ I replied. They had healed a little but not much. The cuts had been deep and the marks were still prominent. He let go of my hand as Matt came in, still struggling to get a Famous tank top on.

‘Go get dressed,’ Matt said to me. ‘Use one of my tops instead of that bloody shirt.’

‘Okay. Thanks.’ I stepped past Padge and went into the bedroom, shutting the door behind me. I changed quickly into my black school jeans and the first top I picked up, which happened to be a Misfits tank top. It was a bit big on me but not ridiculously huge like the Guns N’ Roses tee shirt. I walked back into the living room. They had been talking quietly but had stopped abruptly when I entered the room.

‘That was fast,’ Matt commented, smiling. ‘Where did those flowers come from?’

‘A woman dropped them off just now. She seemed angry. She said something about me being half your age and not bothering. She also told me to tell you “Happy two week anniversary” or something.’

He looked completely blank for a moment, then he said, ‘Blond hair?’ I nodded. ‘Oh her!’ He paused again, thinking. ‘She must have thought I was shagging you.’

I looked a little shocked a moment, then blushed slightly.

‘We better get going,’ said Moose, standing up.

‘Oh,’ I said, a little disappointed they were going so soon. ‘What do you want me to do with the flowers while your out?’ I asked Matt.

‘What are you on about?’ he asked, confused. ‘We’re taking you with us.’ I was so taken aback all I could do was stare.

‘Come on, let’s go,’ said Jay.

I snapped out of it and joined Matt at the door to grab our shoes and jackets. I held my Bullet around me tightly. I hadn’t seen it since Tuesday when I had fallen to sleep with it on the couch. I hadn’t thought of it really. We didn’t take Matt’s car as I expected, instead we walked. There seemed to be no rush so we walked slowly. After just strolling around Cardiff for half an hour I started wondering if there was any point to this little outing or if we were just out for a walk.

‘Where are we going?’ I asked, twirling the red rose between my fingers.

‘We’re searching,’ said Moose, mysteriously.

‘What for?’

‘We brought you out on a feed,’ Jay explained. ‘So you can see what we are really like.’

I stared at him terrified. ‘But-’

‘Over there,’ Matt said, pointing to a woman standing alone, apparently waiting for someone.

‘I want her,’ said Padge smiling.

We walked towards her normally. She didn’t notice us at first but when she did and she spotted Padge watching her she smiled shyly. We were walking past her now. Before either of us knew what was happening, Padge darted forward and covered her mouth with his hand. He pushed her head to the side and bit her neck brutally. She let out a muffled cry of pain and tried to struggle against him, but he was too strong. I watched in despair as he sucked the life from her, her eyes wide with terror. She looked at me suddenly and there was pleading in her eyes now too. She was begging me to help her. But I knew I couldn’t.

Then I was running like I’ve never run before. I don’t know how long I ran for but I dropped the rose somewhere along the way. I finally stopped in a dark lane, my leg muscles burning and my lungs screaming for air. I stood, bent over double, and gasping for breath. I had no idea where I was because before this I had never been to Cardiff in my life, so I looked around. The lane was completely deserted but I saw a low wall and made my way over to it. I sat down, my feet hanging above the ground slightly and thought about what I had just witnessed.

Padge killed that woman and the others just stood there and watched, I thought. They’re murderers.

No, said a voice in my head. They’re vampires. They do it to survive. Just like humans kill animals, they kill humans.

I sat there, deep in thought, for a long time. When suddenly I felt someone watching me. My head snapped up to look at them. Matt was standing a few feet away, holding the rose I dropped on the way here. He approached me slowly and sat on the wall next to me. I didn’t run. I wasn’t scared of him. We just sat on that wall silently, not looking at each other.

‘I’m sorry you had to see that,’ he said suddenly. ‘But its important you know what we do. We wouldn’t ever do that to you though.’

‘I know,’ I replied softly. ‘And I know you kill because you have to. You’re vampires, its in your nature to kill. Just like humans.’ He smiled at my answer and offered me the rose. I returned the smile taking the flower. As I touched the stalk my finger pressed against a thorn and it cut me. ‘Ouch,’ I said as blood seeped out of the small slit.

‘Come here,’ said Matt, taking my hand in his. He put my finger in his mouth and sucked. I closed my eyes briefly, enjoying the feel of his lips around my finger. I let out a quiet moan. He opened his eyes to look at me and smiled my finger still in is mouth while I turned a bright shade of red. He pulled my finger out of his mouth and looked at me a moment. ‘Lets go,’ he said, releasing my hand. ‘The boys are waiting.’ I jumped off the wall after him and walked with him in the direction I had come. When the boys saw me they smiled.

‘She’s coming then?’ said Jay. I nodded and they cheered. ‘Lilly, you passed the test!’

‘Test?’

‘That was a test,’ explained Padge. ‘To see if you would still come with us after you saw how we feed.’

‘Party!’ shouted Moose. A couple of girls walking close by jumped and glared at him. I smiled.

‘He’s right,’ said Matt. ‘This calls for a party. You up for it?’

I hesitated, then I said, ‘Yeah, I am.’

‘The club?’ Padge suggested.

‘Nah, I don’t think she’s ready for that yet,’ said Jay. ‘Could take her to meet Nick.’

‘Yeah!’ said Moose. ‘He always has loads of booze!’

‘No, he’s out tonight,’ said Matt. ‘Back to mine?’

‘Yeah! You always have loads of booze!’

‘Actually I’m nearly out.’

Moose looked so crestfallen I couldn’t help but laugh. ‘We have to get more,’ he said firmly.

On the way back to Matt’s we stopped in an Off Licence to get some alcohol. We got five boxes of different drinks not only for that night, but to last Matt a couple of days. I tried to carry a crate of beer but Padge wouldn’t let me saying it was too heavy for me.

As we walked Moose said, ‘Hey Matt, what’s up with that thing you’ve got Lilly wearing?’ he winked.

‘Fuck you Moose!’

Moose coughed. ‘Pervert!’ Cough.

‘You can fucking talk Moose!’ said Jay.

‘Yeah, you’ve fucked loads of girls her age!’ said Padge.
Moose just smiled.

We finally arrived at Matt’s. I had to open the door for them and step aside as they filed in. Our “party” turned out to be less of a party and more of a gathering with lots of alcohol. I sat on my own on the sofa with a can of beer. Gus jumped onto the sofa beside me. I put my hand out to him, fingers splayed, and he touched my palm with his paw. I smiled, picking him up and putting him on my lap. I ignored the conversation around me, just playing with Gus and drinking my beer, until Jay spoke to me suddenly.

‘How old are you?’

‘Just turned fifteen,’ I answered, not looking up.

‘You’re a virgin, aren’t you?

My head snapped up at the question. I looked at him nervously for a second, then blushed a
again as I nodded. He smiled at me.

‘Have you ever had a boyfriend?’ asked Padge.

‘One.’

‘How far did you go with him?’ Matt asked.

I shifted uncomfortably. ‘Why are you asking me all this?’

‘Just taking an interest,’ said Jay, shrugging. ‘So how far?’

‘We kissed,’ I said finally.

‘That’s it?’ said Padge. ‘Your even more innocent than I thought you were.’

Matt smiled. ‘Innocent hands, innocent eyes, innocent lips…’

‘We’re going to have to do something about that during the tour,’ said Moose, smiling suggestively. I bit my lip nervously, my face growing ever redder. The vampires laughed.
‘Lets stop, we’re just making her scared again,’ said Matt, taking pity on me.

Slowly we started talking normally. My confidence grew and by the end of the night I was laughing and joking with them. Eventually the boys left and Matt and I went to bed just as the sun was coming up. I fell to sleep quickly, feeling oddly safe with Matt at my side.

© Amber Williams 2008