Helena

“There mustn’t be much to do around here,” I told Gerard, “from what I’ve seen, it looks pretty boring.”

“You’re right,” he replied, “there isn’t much to do. That’s why we form clans.”

“Clans?” I asked, “I thought they were just from games and movies.”

“It’s not much,” he replied, “we don’t kill each other like all of those fake things. It’s kind of pointless, actually. Clans are really just for when, and if, we get into any trouble that we’ll need other people for. And, really, they’re just friends.”

“So why don’t you just say you make friends?” I asked.

“Because that sounds stupid, and vampires don’t make friends. Have you ever heard of a vampire making friends?”

“Well, once in this romance movie my Mum made me-“

“That’s a movie,” Gerard told me, not letting me finish, “there’s a very small chance that it’s real, isn’t there?” Not anymore, I thought to myself, although I simply nodded.

“I’d like to meet more vampires,” I told him, “can I meet your… clan?”

“No,” he told me.

“Why not?” I asked.

“Because they could be anywhere,” he replied, “they could be at home, they could be at mine, or they could be right behind me, just like Mikey is right now.” Gerard and I turned around and, surely enough, there was somebody behind us but, whether it was the man named Mikey or not, I wasn’t sure.

“Damn it, Gerard! How do you always know when I’m behind you?” he asked.

“Because we’re related, and I can tell where you are pretty much all the time.”

“And who’s this?” Mikey asked Gerard, turning to me, “a young vampire I haven’t met yet?”

“I wish I was a vampire,” I told him.

“So you’re a human?” Mikey asked, shocked.

“I found her passed out the other day,” Gerard told Mikey, “I thought she was a vampire, too, but then I felt her hand,” he lifted my hand and, although it made him wear an expression of pain, he held it out to Mikey, “it was hot. Feel it, you’ll know then.” Mikey put his hand out to mine and, the second he touched it, he pulled it back. Mikey let go of my hand as quickly as possible after this.

“You’re right,” he said, “that’s not right.”

“It is right,” I told him, “you’re just not used to the feel of a human hand because of this place.”

“Where are the others?” Gerard asked Mikey, as though he was completely ignoring me.

“I don’t know. Bob’s normally always at home, but Frank could be anywhere.” I just stood with Gerard, looking at them, wondering who these people were.

“Who’s Bob?” I asked, “and Frank?”

“The other two in our clan,” Gerard told me.

“I thought clans were supposed to be big,” I said, “it doesn’t seem like much of a clan to me.”

“Well, we did have another member but,” Gerard hesitated, “I’d rather not talk about it.”

“Why not?” I asked, “what’s so bad about them?”

“You’ll find out one day,” he told me, “you’ll understand why he doesn’t fit in.”

“Is he a human, too?” I asked curiously. Gerard shook his head.

“Let’s just keep moving on.” Gerard walked, and Mikey and I followed.

“I never got your name,” Mikey said, trying to start conversation, “what is it?”

“You won't believe me if I tell you,” I told him.

“Why not?” he asked.

“Because my name’s Helena.” Mikey stared at me in disbelief, “I told you so.”

“So what brings you here?” he asked, trying to change the subject.

“A bad life, the will to die,” I told him.

“Why would you want to die?” he asked, “it’s not that great being dead.”

“Because my life is so bad that death would be better.”

“Don’t say that!” Mikey snapped, “both Gerard and I wanted to be dead, and now that we are, we would prefer life! It’s the best part of anything! Don’t say that again.”

“Okay,” I said, “but you can’t take the thought out of my mind.”

“Well if you become one of the living dead, you won't think it’s so great.”

“Want to make a bet?” I asked.

“Gladly,” Mikey took a few steps towards me.

“Mikey!” Gerard shouted, turning around, “don’t hurt her!” Mikey went back to where he was previously standing, looking sad.

“I wouldn’t have minded if you had,” I told Mikey, “if it weren’t for Gerard, you could’ve made me a vampire.”

“I’ve never tasted blood, to be honest,” Mikey told me, “unlike Gerard, who was the one who made me a vampire. He told me that I have but I was passed out, so I wouldn’t have remembered it. Somehow, though, I don’t believe him.”

“You have, Mikey,” Gerard told him, “no vampire remembers their first taste of human blood.”

“Then how do you know it’s true?” Mikey asked.

“You’ll find out if you ever kill a human.”

“If I do, doesn’t mean it’s ever going to happen.”

We reached a house and Gerard knocked on the door. This, I was guessing, was the residence of Bob, one of the other vampires in Gerard’s clan. A man answered the door.

“Gerard, what are you doing here?” he asked.

“Our friend wanted to meet you, Bob,” he told him. Bob turned to me, a smile on his face.

“And who are you?” he asked.

“Helena,” I told him. He wore the same shocked expression as Mikey had.

“Well, Helena, it is nice to meet you.”

“You don’t believe me, do you?” I asked. Bob ignored me.

“She’s not a vampire, is she?” he asked Gerard.

“No,” Gerard replied, “how did you guess?”

“I’ve never seen her before and she didn’t seem like an insider, anyway.” Silence for a minute. “Is that all you came here to do, introduce me to your friend?”

“Yes,” Gerard told him, “sorry to have wasted your time, but Helena wished to meet the whole clan.” Bob closed the door as we walked away.

“What about the other one, Frank?” I asked, “am I going to meet him, too?”

“Not now,” Gerard told me, “he is hard to find. In fact, we don’t find him. He finds us.”

“Why? Don’t you have some kind of connection with him, too?” Gerard shook his head.

“I only know where Mikey is because he’s my brother. I can’t do this with any of the other vampires. And, even if I could, it would be hard to find Frank; even though he’s not the leader, he acts as though he is, and we obey most of his orders.”

“Why?” I asked like some annoying little kid.

“He’s the oldest of us all in vampire years. We have to obey him if we wish to continue to live in Helena.”

“So he can kick you out of Helena but not the clan?” I asked.

“Yes. I’m the leader of the clan, but he’s the leader of Helena.”

“Will I ever get to meet him?”

“Yes, soon. But, for now, we should get back to my place and you should sleep.”

“What about you?” I asked, “don’t you have to sleep, too?”

“Only once a month,” he replied, “when the sun rises, just like the rest of the vampires.”

“There’s actually a sun around here? I wouldn’t have guessed it.”

“Well there is, but only once a month.”

“Can I stay with you during that time? I don’t like the sun.” Gerard shook his head as we reached his house.

“No, you need the sunlight.” Gerard opened the door and I looked back to say bye to Mikey, but realised he was gone.

“He left a while ago, you just didn’t notice,” Gerard told me, “we passed his place and decided to go home instead of following us.”

I entered Gerard’s house and went to the bed to sleep. If I didn’t, Gerard would be angry at me, although he wouldn’t take my life away.

But I wished he would.