Shout the Call

I was rooted to the spot. I wanted to run but it was impossible; my body obviously wasn’t receiving the signals my brain was screaming at it. The scene before me repulsed and disgusted me but at the same time, I was fascinated.

Aaron turned around, following the direction of the scream, and looked straight at me. His hands and mouth were covered in the blood of the girl that had just slumped to the floor behind him. His eyes were glimmering like pools of bright aqua and he looked incredible; more gorgeous than I had ever seen him before. I hated myself for even thinking that. My head was messed up; what the hell was going on with me? How could I see past the horror in front of me?

Aaron walked towards me and I was completely mesmerised. I couldn’t take my eyes off him, which was a blessing in disguise given the fact that all I could hear was the chomping and slobbering of the rest of the band as they continued on with their feast regardless. Bile rose up from my stomach and I turned to wretch. I felt Aaron’s hand brush down my arm.

“Bea, honey, I can explain…..”

“Oh really,” I shouted, “and you think there’s a valid explanation behind all this?”

“No. I can’t. I know how this must look and I can understand how scared you must be.”

“The awful thing is, Aaron is that I’m not actually scared and that terrifies me. I can’t see past you and how you make me feel. I’m disgusted as much at myself as I am with you. It’s all so wrong.”

“It’s because you love me, isn’t it?”

“Excuse me?” I barked in utter disbelief. Could Aaron get any further up his own arse?

“It is, isn’t it? Don’t deny it Bea. Love is blindness.”

I truly was lost for words because Aaron was completely right. My blinkered, dream like vision was getting in the way of rational thought.

“If it means anything,” Aaron went on, filling a more than awkward silence, “I know I’ve already told you I love you but you’ll never know just how much, Bea. I’ve been in love with you since I first set eyes on you.”

“Get lost Aaron!” I shouted angrily, “How can you say that after what you’ve done?”

“I do Bea, seriously. I wanted you here. We had our pick of press but I insisted on you. I’ve followed your work; read everything you’ve written and everything written about you. I love your photography so much and well, I just love you and everything about you. You could say I’m a little obsessed.”

I stared blankly at him. I could hear the words coming from his perfect mouth but I couldn’t absorb them.

“I know that sounds scary to you Bea; it would scare anyone I guess but what I feel is real; it’s true. When we finally met, you exceeded every expectation I had.”

“So, now you’re a stalker as well as a creature of the night?” I asked in all seriousness before quickly realising how ridiculous I sounded.

“Some would call it stalking but no, I don’t feel like a stalker. I just like to learn as much as I can about the people that interest me the most. You interest me, a lot.”

I shook my head, hoping to clear it.

“I don’t know why we’re even talking about this, Aaron. I should report this to the police. I should let people know what you are; what you all are! I should also get my shit together and get out of here.”

“But you’re not going to, are you Bea? I won’t stop you from going because I love you way more than I want to hurt or kill you but I know you don’t really want to leave.” Aaron shook his head and sighed, “Please understand; I didn’t ask for you just so I could kill you. I promise you that. Can we go somewhere more private and talk about this properly?”

“I think we’ve talked enough, don’t you Aaron – what more is there to talk about?”

“Oh, so much more, honey?” Aaron replied as he wiped his bloodied mouth on his toned right arm, “you don’t know the half of it.”

******

Aaron didn’t seem to care that we were sat in a coffee shop, of all places, talking about his life as a vampire. Considering the sign on the door suggested it was ‘open twenty four hours’, the shop was, excuse the pun, dead.

“I wanted to tell you the moment you joined us,” Aaron said slowly as if the words were reluctant to leave his mouth, “but just when I think the moment is right, we get interrupted.”

“So that’s your excuse and you’re sticking to it, right?”

“No, not an excuse Bea; the truth,” Aaron answered, “believe what you want. This isn’t something you can just casually drop into conversation.”

He had a point.

“I really don’t know what I’m still doing here to be honest Aaron. I don’t even know why I’m giving you the time of day. I’m totally confused and in conflict with myself; with what’s right.”

“I’m not forcing you to stay Bea. I never will.”

“I know and like I’ve already said, that’s the thing that scares me. It’s all so wrong and messed up.”

“I can see why you would feel that honey,” Aaron went on, clearly stating the obvious, “but love does that kind of thing to you.”

I wanted to scream at him; I wanted to tell him how full of himself he was but I just couldn’t find the words to do it.

“I still don’t understand,” I said, trying desperately to get things straight in my head, “you love me so you can’t hurt me. How can I trust you on that? You’re a vampire for Christ’s sake!”

“I cannot say it enough honey,” Aaron replied.

“But my blood flows, Aaron, the same as anybody else’s. You can’t guarantee you won’t feed on me?”

“Well, no, I can’t guarantee anything but if it ever got to that point, I would demand that you leave and get as far away from me as humanly possible. I won’t ever let it get that far Bea, please just trust me on that.”

“Well, seeing as you put it like that, I’ll just have to take your word for it then.”

******

“Good morning you two,” Jim greeted us as he opened the tour bus door, “do you know what time it is?”

I looked at my watch and was shocked to see it was just past two thirty in the morning. Aaron and I got to the coffee shop just before midnight. The time had flown.

“Sorry Jim,” I whispered, caffeine drunk, “did we wake you?”

“No sweet,” Jim answered, “one thing you’ll come to learn about me is I’ll only rest when all the flock has returned, which now includes you.”

“Thanks Jim,” I said as I went up on tip toes and kissed his cheek. I took a quick glance around the bus and saw that only we were back, “Looks like you’ll be awake a while longer then.”

“Yes, the joys of being a manager eh?”

Aaron went straight to the fridge and pulled out a beer.

“Jim? Bea?” he turned and asked as Jim and I crashed out on the settee, “beer?”

“I’ll have a Jack actually mate,” Jim replied instantly, “I need something a bit stronger tonight I think.”

Aaron looked at me with a smile, silently asking me again. For a moment, I plunged head first into those aqua blue eyes. Once again, I was hypnotised.

“Bea, earth calling Bea; do you want a beer?”

“Um, no thanks,” I stuttered, “actually, do we have any brandy?”

“Brandy eh? I didn’t know you liked that stuff.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” I answered, noticing the hint of suggestion in my tone, “but yes, I love a good glass of brandy now and again; settles the nerves.”

“Is everything okay Bea?” Jim asked me but glared at Aaron.

“Jim, she knows okay,” Aaron answered for me, “Bea knows what we are.”

“What? How the hell….” Jim said, looking bewildered.

“Jim, it’s all my fault,” I interrupted, “You tried to warn me. You told me to stay in hospitality; I didn’t.”

Jim’s face turned white.

“Oh Bea,” he said, scooting around to sit beside me, “seriously, are you okay? I mean, you seem pretty cool about it and would you really still be here if you weren’t?”

“Jim,” I answered, patting his knee, “I’m fine. I think. I mean, everything’s peachy. Don’t get me wrong, I was far from happy a couple of hours ago but well, yes, I’m still here. That’s all I can say right now. Anyway, where’s that brandy?”

“Ah Remy, my old friend,” Aaron said, caressing the bottle in his hands before handing me a large, fishbowl glass with what looked like much more than a double measure of the rich amber liquid, “my own personal stash.”

I cupped the glass in my hands and swirled the brandy round before taking a slow, savouring sip.

“Good?” Aaron asked.

“Very.” I replied; eyes closed.

Aaron joined us, sitting on the settee opposite. We sat in silence for a while. It had been an eventful day to say the least and we all needed to wind down, if only for a short while.

“Well, don’t I feel like the gooseberry?” Jim said awkwardly, before throwing back the rest of his Jack Daniels in one gulp and wincing, “Look, I’m off. I’m going to try and find the lads. I’ll see you two late-night-lovebirds in a bit.” He grabbed his jacket off the back of the driver’s seat and headed out.

“You want another?” Aaron asked me as he chugged back his own beer.

“Why the hell not,” I replied as I polished off what little brandy was left in my glass. Aaron took it from me and poured another generous helping.

“Here you go,” he said, handing the glass back to me. I made to take it from him but froze as our hands touched. It felt like electricity was flowing between the two of us. I couldn’t pull my hand away as his eyes found mine. He didn’t even have to open that fantastic mouth of his to render my speechless; he didn’t have to do anything physical to immobilise me. It was all so exciting and actually, a little scary too.

“Shall we retire to my bunk?” he asked me, ripping me from my trance.

“As opposed to the luxurious corner group settee?” I answered, laughing giddily.

Aaron laughed too and took our drinks to his bunk and putting them on the shelf at the foot of it. He sauntered back towards me and grabbed my hand, pulling me towards his bed.

“Do you want to, you know, talk some more about stuff?” he asked awkwardly, running his hand through his tousled, long, curly locks.

“That’s the last thing I want right now,” I replied as I grabbed Aaron’s face and pulled him down on to me.