Infatuated

“She’s been out for twelve hours Mikey, what the fuck did you do to her?”

“Sorry! Geez, you know I’m just getting used to this whole power-sucking thing, I think I must have taken a little too much!”

“A little? Come on man, 12 fucking hours! She looks paler than you! How can you be sure you didn’t kill her?”

“Gee would be pissed if she died, wouldn’t he?”

“You think?! He’d butcher you man, even if you are his brother.”

“Well I can hear her heart beating. Weak, but it’s there.”

I groan slightly, trying to make the voices stop. Every word felt like a jackhammer buzzing deeper and deeper into my brain. My bones ached, and my eyeballs felt like they were about to explode. I couldn’t remember what had happened, what had made me feel like this. I wracked my brains, trying to remember.

Last night I caught Leo in the alleyway for the third time.

I had him cornered.... then... then nothing. After that every memory is fuzzy and unclear.

Leo said something, I remembered suddenly, he said something important. Whatever he said was extremely important, so I let go of him. What did he say?

He said.... he had a girlfriend.... no, that was only part of it... someone had his girlfriend or something... but still, that’s only a small piece of the big news. Suddenly last night’s events became startlingly clear and I shot up from my sitting position, my hands digging deep into my pockets, searching for my knife.

“You’re alive, that’s good, we were starting to get worried.” A voice sounded from across the room.

I shifted into a crouching position, ready to attack. My body screamed in protest. I could feel my arms shaking under the weight of my body.

“Whoa. Hey there. Calm down.” A skinny vampire with glasses was standing near the corner of the room, his hand held up in surrender. His face was deathly pale and there were dark circles under his sparkling hazel eyes. “We’re not going to hurt you.”

“Where am I?” I growled, not stepping down. My fists curled into tight fists, my nails digging into the palm of my hand. “What happened? Where the fuck did you put my knife?”

“Let’s be civilized about this.” Mikey, as I now remembered, pleaded, taking a small step towards me. I bristled, not wanting him anywhere close to me.

“Don’t come near me.” I hissed, shifting forwards, ready to spring. “One step closer and I swear to god you’re as good as dead.”

“Well, if you want to get technical, I’ve been dead for quite some time, but, in a solely metaphorical way, I understand your point.” Mikey grinned a friendly smile, not threatening at all. I could, however, still see his fangs glinting in the dim light.

“Listen here.” I said, my voice low, and, I hoped, threatening. “I want answers. You got me? Now tell me vampire, where am I?”

“Um, actually, it’s Mikey, not vampire, and, uh, you’re at our place.” Mikey took one step closer to me.

“Why?” I snarled.

“Look, I don’t think you’re in any position to be rude right now man. Mikey’s been nothing but civil, and frankly, you’re being a bit of a bitch.” An annoyed voice spit from the corner. I shot my gaze towards the sound only to find a short, heavily tattooed vampire standing with his arms crossed, his eyes nearly slits.

“You don’t understand why I’m being a bitch?” I gasped in disbelief, “I was just fucking kidnapped asshole! And hear you are, acting all ‘well lets be fucking friends.’ I hate to break it to you Mr. Nice Guy, but I don’t want to be here! I want to be back in my own apartment, sleeping.” I was never one for excessive cussing, but I was angry. And whenever my temper got the better of me, which was more often that I’d like to admit, I suddenly had the mouth of a sailor.

“I’m sorry for Frank’s rudeness.” Mikey said calmly, taking another slow, deliberate step towards me.

“Don’t you apologize to her-” Frank started, but was cut off by Mikey.

“Frank!” He hissed, “Now is not the time. She obviously feels vulnerable and confused right now, so I think she has every reason to react this way.”

“Vulnerable!?” I groaned in disbelief, “Look, buddy, I don’t know who the hell you think you are, but I sure as hell ain’t felling vulnerable!”

“Please calm down. I understand your hostility, and I am prepared to answer all the questions that you have.” Mikey gave me a comforting smile. “Now, I am going to sit beside you on the couch now. I will stay at the other end if that’s what you’re most comfortable with.”

Suddenly I felt awful. He was being so nice to me, and here I was, snarling at him- but he kidnapped you. I argued with myself. Still, I felt a little bad...

I relaxed from my crouched pose and sunk down into the pillows of the sofa. Mikey smiled at me and sat down at the end of the couch, crossing his legs and facing me.

“I-I want to say I’m sorry, but, I still kinda think this is fucked up. Well, no. I know this whole this is fucked up.” I said lamely. Mikey smiled in understanding.

“I know. And I am sorry about this.” He said calmly.

“Can you- can you just quit it?” I groaned in frustration.

“Quit what?” Mikey’s face slipped into a mask of confusion.

“You sound like a fucking therapist, no offence. Just... if you’re doing it cause you think it’s gonna calm me down or something... just... be yourself I guess. Don’t bullshit me with all this ‘I’m sorry’ crap.”

“Sorry.” Mikey mumbled, a faint blush colouring his cheeks. “I haven’t been this close to a real live human for a while. I don’t know how to act. Apparently you react well to sympathy or something. I read that somewhere.”

Yeah, I thought grimly, it’s cause you rip their throats out before you get a chance to know them. “Just be yourself.”

“All right then.” Mikey smiled at me, “Let’s start over, shall we? I’m Mikey Way, it’s nice to meet you.” He extended his hand to me. I reached out and took it hesitantly, shivering at the coolness.

“I’m Frank.” The other vampire in the corner introduced himself gruffly, coming to stand behind Mikey.

“Hello Frank and Mikey,” I said calmly, my brain thinking much more rationally now the red haze of anger had disappeared from my vision.

“Do we get to know your name?” Mikey inquired. My insides froze. It was a well known fact that some vampire’s powers seemed to work...better... when they knew the name of their victim. I had once seen a fellow hunter reveal his true name to his prey by accident, and he was almost killed instantly. I don’t know how it happened, just one moment he was there, alive, and the next he was on the ground, screaming in agony. He died soon after. When a vampire knew their victims name, they almost gained a sense of control over the person. And frankly, I was not prepared to take that risk.

“I’m sorry Mikey, but the answers a no.” I said, “Please don’t be offended, I’m just being...”

“Cautious. No worries, we’ll find a name to call you.” Frank finished, winking at me. I sighed in relief. Even though these men were my captors, I was afraid to offend them. So far, they had given me no reason to hate their guts, well except for the whole obvious ‘kidnapping’ thing... but other than that, they seemed all right.

“So, I’m guessing you still want answers?” Mikey suggested, his hazel eyes twinkling in the dim light. Now I no longer felt threatened, I finally took in my surroundings. I was in a small room, a fireplace going in the corner, occasionally sending warm bursts of air towards me. The walls were lined with old books, there must have been thousands. An old brass chandelier hung from the ceiling, unlit. The couch was the only real object in the room, apart from a small globe sitting by a widow with its curtains drawn.

“Yeah.” I said sarcastically, “Some explanation for this giant waste of my time would be extremely pleasant.”

Mikey smiled, “All right then. So I’ll just talk, okay? And you listen for now, you can ask questions later. Does that sound like a plan?”

“You’re the boss.” I smirked.

“Okay, so... hmmm, where do I start? Oh, okay, firstly, there are five members of us in this house, well, six including you. There’s Bob and Ray, who you met briefly last night, and then there’s me and Frank, and then there’s Gerard.” I couldn’t help a small growl from escaping my closed lips. “Gerard, as you probally already know, is our leader. He’s not some kind of controlling, megalomaniac though, he’s more like a best friend to the four of us, a kind of mentor. He is also the most powerful, so we only saw it fit that he should lead.”

“Most powerful?” I interrupted, “What do you mean by that?”

“You see,” Mikey explained, “Gerard is the oldest of us all. Even he can’t remember how old he is. And over time, he’s gained these extra, well, we call them ‘abilities.’ Not even I am sure of all the things he can do.”

“You mean he can do more than just read minds?” I gulped. I hadn’t counted on that...

“Yup.” Frank grinned, his fangs glinting in the light, “Much more. We all have a little something extra. Some special ‘abilities.’”

“What can you guys do?” I asked eagerly.

“Nuh uh.” Frank grinned, “It’s gotta be a surprise. I guess you’ll find out eventually.”

I frowned, I had never liked surprises. “Anyways,” Mikey continued. “You have to understand, Gerard, well, he’s always been extremely independent and stubborn, I think that he likes to think that he doesn’t need anybody else... but, sometimes, Gerard gets lonely.” Mikey’s expression was clouded with grief. “He has had several, well, he calls then admirers, but I call them sluts,” Frank chuckled lightly at Mikey’s bluntness, “Over the years, but they’ve never made him happy. He hadn’t smiled in a long time, and his little ‘flings’ never lasted more than a couple months. And then a couple months ago, a friend of a friend of ours told us about you, and all of a sudden, he was smiling again.” Mikey grinned a little to me.

“Why?” I questioned softly, a little shocked.

“Don’t be offended when I say this, but, you were something new. Something sort of... refreshing I guess. I mean, you were a hunter that dealt out chances instead of killing right away. I mean, you must know you have a fare share of vampires who would like nothing better than to tear you limb from limb,”

I chuckled dryly. It was true. I had more enemies that I could probally handle.

“But you have to remember that almost as many adored you, even though you were kinda hell bent on their destruction.” Mikey continued. “They appreciated the three chances thing. It made you stand out from the pack of merciless killing machines.”

“Thanks.” I said sarcastically, “But if you think of it, it’s really you who are the merciless killing machines.”

“Fair enough.” Mikey smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. The corners of his mouth turned down slightly and Frank shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably.
“I still don’t get it.” I told them, “So I’m different. Tons of people are different. As charming as that story was Mikey, I still don’t know why I’m here.”

“Let’s put it this way.” Frank smirked, his fangs poking over his bottom lip. “Gerard is fascinated with you. With your morals. So for now, you’re staying with us, so we can get to know you better.”

“I hate to break it to you.” I growled, some of the red haze clouding my vision once again, “But I’m not a fucking house-pet, or some lab rat! I refuse to be treated as one!”

“I think I liked the calm you better.” Frank mumbled jokingly. Mikey snorted with laughter.

“I’M NOT LAUGHING!” I screeched, “You can’t keep me here!”

“Try to think of it like an extended stay at a friend house.” Mikey soothed. “You free to go anywhere in the house, you just can’t... uh, leave.”

“That doesn’t make me any calmer Mikey.” I hissed, my hands balling into fists.

“All right, how about this.” Frank grinned, “Hate Gerard. Be all angry and PMS-y at him. Glare, shoot snarky comments, whatever. Just leave me and Mikey alone.”

“I thought he was your oh-so-famous leader.” I hissed, “Why are you so eager for me to hate him?”

Mikey beamed, laughing softly, “Yeah, but by first impressions, we doubt you’ll be all warm and fuzzy towards him. This entire this was his idea.”

“Look, I’m gonna be honest with you.” Frank stated, his expression no longer joking, “You’re stuck here whether you like it or not. We have a room set up here for you, and all the doors and windows are locked from the outside, so you aren’t going anywhere, okay?”

I felt my heart drop into my stomach. He was right, there was no way I could go anywhere. I suddenly felt like crying, something I hadn’t done since my mother had been murdered. Mikey noticed my distraught expression.

“Hey there.” He said quietly, “Everything’s gonna be all right, I promise. We’re not that bad, sometimes, we’re actually kind of fun to be around.”

Yeah right. I thought to myself acidly, Everything’s just gonna be fine my ass. Here I am, in a house full of fucking vampires, with no weapons, unable to escape. Yeah, I can see everything’s just going to be dandy.