Cries of a Love Bat

Brendon’s P.O.V.

Hayley’s laugh rang out into the room, loud and sarcastic. Her hair struck the darkness around the room. She wasn’t helping us. This was the third time we’d asked. “You want to know where he lives?”

“Hayley,” Ryan cooed. “You’d be doing us a big favor.”

“What do I get in return?” she asked, looking him over again.

I felt the impulse to hit her. Her eyes screamed lust as she looked him up and down. “Territory,” I gritted.

She turned to me, smiling. Of course she would take it sexually, but she was stupid to think I would share Ryan. “Four blocks from the park, the old three story building.”

I nodded, standing up. “Thanks.”

“Anytime,” she grinned, leaning back into her chair. “But I should warn you…”

Ryan grabbed my wrist, stopping me from walking out. “About what?”

“They’re moving tomorrow night, as soon as the sun goes down. They’re going out of state. Vicky-T’s pregnant.”

Ryan’s eyes went wide, and I dug my nails into his skin. “Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow,” she said softly.

We walked out in a rush. As soon as I made the turn to go down the block to the park, Ryan stopped. “Ry?”

“Shouldn’t we get Pete?” he asked, pointing behind him.

“No,” I stated. “We’re going to see Emily. If we get him that could be lost time, we need to make sure she’s okay.”

“What if Hayley lied?” he whispered.

I closed the gab between us. He looked scared. Ryan’s chocolate eyes were blood shot, and his exotic makeup smeared from rubbing it. “What’s wrong?” I asked. I leaned closer to his face, stealing a quick kiss.

“Vick-T’s pregnant. She is going to be very hormonal.”

“Even more of a reason to get Emily. She’ll start acting out. It’ll hurt Em, Ryan.”

He nodded, our noses brushing against each other. “Let’s go, then.”

We started walking again. The night was scarily quiet. “Ryan?”

“Yeah,” he took my hand.

“How are we getting in?”

“Oh,” he smiled. He thought about it for a minute before saying, “I have an idea.”

* * *

Ryan shifted the box in his hands, ringing the doorbell. A few muffled shouts escaped the walls before the door opened.

Gabe glared at us. “Dandies,” he spat.

“Cobra,” Ryan grinned, sticking out his hand for Gabe to shake.

Saporta only looked at in disgust. “What are you doing here?”

“Care package,” Ry said cheerfully, making up for Gabe’s lack of hospitality. He motioned to the box in his hands, lifting it up higher.

“Go away,” he snapped, shutting the door.

“Nope,” Ryan smiled. He stuck his hand out and stopped the wood from slamming. “We can either come see Emily and give her a going away present, or we can leave and get Pete. Your choice.”

Gabe cursed but opened the door. “Get in, pricks.”

The moment we stepped in, I immediately wanted out. It smelled like dead flesh. Yes, we all were dead flesh, but this was different. It was a rotting pungent odor. It filled my lungs and I wanted to gag. “Lovely,” I cringed.

Gabe turned his back to us and pointed down a hallway. “Third door.”

It was quiet, and the smell followed us down the hall. The place was old. It had cobwebs and stains across the wall, ceiling, and floor. The smell faded as we got closer to the third door, and when we stepped inside it was completely gone.

Emily had clothes scattered on her bed, looking like she was packing. She turned around and stopped breathing. “Guys,” she whispered.

“Hey, Emily,” Ryan said, just as quiet. He put the box down and pulled her into a tight hug. She was crying by the time I embraced her.

“What are you doing here?” Her voice was weak, and broken. Nothing about her looked healthy, she was extremely thin and looked sick. Her pale face was bruised.

“We came to say goodbye,” I explained. “We heard you were moving.”

She turned back to her bed, looking disappointed. The tears had stopped. “You’re not rescuing me?”

Ryan shot me a look before sitting down next to Emily. He wrapped his arm safely around her shoulder. “We just found out you were here. We didn’t want to waste time, we had to come right away.”

“I’m surprised they let you in…” She tugged on the sleeve of her shirt, pulling off a rubber band and putting her hair up. “He threw a fit when Travie McCoy stopped by.”

Ryan looked distracted. He grabbed her wrist, and looked at the marking. A snake was wrapped around the bat she had from Pete, making it look like it was suffocating the black animal. “Your mark,” he pointed out.

“Yeah,” she sighed. “He-he hasn’t broken it yet. Gabe just needs to…”

“Needs to what?” I asked when she didn’t finish. The room seemed to be getting smaller, caving in on the three of us. The air was getting cloudy, like finding some to breathe was forced.

“He didn’t finish. There…there’s one more thing. He didn’t want to do it yet…not until I was ready.” She was struggling to find the right words. “I won’t be ready, ever.”

I knew more about marks than Ryan. He didn’t get it, but I did. “You have to though. If you’re caught between two marks at once you-Emily you’re killing yourself.”

She shook her head, more tears spilling to the floor. “I won’t have sex with him, Brendon. I won’t.”

Ryan looked a little uneasy. He tensed when she said it. “That’s what you have to do?”

“To complete it, yeah,” Emily mumbled.

“There isn’t anything else?”

“He tried everything else already!” She rubbed her eyes, looking at me. “Can you tell Pete something for me?”

“Emily, what do you mean he tried everything else? Everything else is beating you up and drinking from you!”

“Please,” she asked, closing her eyes.

Ryan looked at me, nodding. “Yeah.”

She opened her eyes, which were now red from crying, and stared at the floor. She bit her lip, then looked up. “Tell Pete that…that I would have rather died because he broke off of William than die with Gabe. Tell him I’m sorry.”

“No,” I shook my head. “No, you’re going to tell him.”

“Brendon?” she stuttered, confused.

“Get Gabe out of the house,” I demanded. “Ryan and I are getting the guys.”