I'm Half Doomed & You're Semi-Sweet

I must have drifted off sometime, because when I awoke it was morning. The blinds were now open with the windows, revealing a fine day of promise and protection. My neck was stiff from lying in an awkward position and my back ached. The pain from hitting my head last night was finally setting in, making the whole back of my head tender and throb. For as long as I could remember, I'd never been a morning person. The smell of bacon and eggs made it's way into the room and I suddenly remembered my hunger. I hadn't eaten since lunch the previous day, not counting measly amounts of chips and peanuts from the party. That thought made my stomach nauseated and the food smell not so appealing.

I stood up a little too fast and stumbled as my head spun and throbbed. I needed painkillers. I slowly ambled across the room and into the kitchen, tripping over my own feet and grabbing onto the corner of the counter before I cracked my head open. I sunk weakly to my knees and with an embarrassing expression saw Victoria staring down at me while Gabe and Andy stared from the table. Bloodily mornings, fuck them.

I gained enough energy to push myself up and gave a wearily smile to my viewers.

"Morning" I said, my voice rough and dry. I gave a little forced cough to clear it.

"Morning" Victoria said, cheerfully tending to the pans on the stove and giggling.

Andy nibbled at his Soy bar and gave a smile.

"Morin' handsome" Gabe chuckled while taking a bite of his toast.

My face brightened and I looked at the floor. So I was defiantly not appealing in the morning either. I caught my reflection in the mirror of the clock and winced. It should shatter into fragments. My hair was fluffed up and tangled, my hat was in range of falling off, eyes crusted with sleep, looking like I was on drugs, my clothes were crinkled and smelt like sweat and dust. I flattened the shirt out as best I could. I couldn't be bothered to change, maybe I could wear them today?

I gritted my teeth and pushed my hat back on and fiddled with the ends of my hair, cringing as it tugged against my sore scalp.

"Tricky, you can borrow one of my brushes" Victoria said with a smile "Oh and by the way" she handed me my glasses from on top of the microwave "You slept with them on, hun. Last time I checked that was bad. Hope you don't mind?"

I grabbed them, releaved she'd done that, but slighlty frightened she'd checked up on me in the night. Maybe more terrorfied. I sometimes could sleep talk or do stuff I didn't remember.

"Uh thanks Vicky" I said, putting them on and taking a seat at the table.

I took my hat off. An old habit. Victoria placed a plate filled with an egg on toast and bacon as well as a cup of coffee. I licked my lips, hungrily.

"There's plenty more, since me and you are the only meat eaters here" she said, hinting to Gabe and Andy and disappearing into another room.

I munched in piece on the toast while watching Andy read the newspaper and Gabe looked as if he was deciding on what to say. I ate and watched him.

"Sorry to burst your bubble Stump Man, but your apartment has seen better days" Gabe announced, saying the last thing I wanted to hear.

I also had very picky moods in the mornings, mainly getting annoyed or angry easily. I bit down hard on the piece of bacon in my mouth and wouldn't be surprised if the crack sound was a tooth.I tried to picture my apartment now.

"But we'll help clean up" Gabe said, nudging Andy.

Andy, nodded, not looking away from the paper. I read the front of it. Other than saying the Chicago Bears had won their test match against a Europe team the headlines highlighted the latest vampire attack.

Suddenly something ran through my hair, catching on the knots and scratching my tender head. I growled in pain.

"Sorry" Victoria said, brushing my hair like I was a little school kid.
Sometimes she acted so mother-like. I guess a girl surrounded by three boys got boring over time.

I tried to eat normally, wincing as I felt my hair get caught and ripped from my scalp. Ouch. I bit down on my fork and scrunched up my face in pain. Victoria would never pass as a hairdresser to be honest.

"So I'm thinking about getting a puppy" Victoria squeaked in excitement.

Gabe raised an eyebrow, giving an interested glare "And this will be a hunting dog?"

I closed my eyes and thought of that prospect. A dog sniffing out vampires, snarling as the picked up the scent. Jumping at the creatures and ripping them apart, blood dripping from the canine's teeth, flesh falling to the ground. Vicious streak. Handy.

I opened one eye lazily and gulped as a few strands of my hair fell to the ground.

"No, of course not" she said in an absurd voice and frowned as I snatched the brush off her "Just a cute puppy for home" she sat at the table and nibbled at a piece of bacon off the plate on the table next to a little vase of roses "No vicious pets".

Okay so she wanted a soft family pet. That changed my Doberman, German Shepherd images into that of a Poodle, Chihuahua and Shih Tzus all dressed up in clothes. Trying to picture them fighting was down right funny and very interesting.

"Ohh" Gabe said, his interest disappearing like a light was suddenly switched off.

He know seemed to find inspecting the scratches on the table intensely interesting.

I looked out the windows that took up the wall, showing the backyard and fenced pool. The weather was great, maybe too great. Cloudless sky, drenched with warm rays which glittered on the pool surface. The trees and flowers looked healthy and perfect, sadly the day didn't match my mood.

A few hours later we all walked down the hall to my apartment. Each step made my nerves party. I then just realized how much this party had been a waste of time and money. Especially in a time of economic crisis. Just standing in front of the closed door made me almost hyperventilate. I couldn't be bothered to drag my gun inside. I took a deep breath.

As I pushed the door open I had to grab the doorframe for support. Thrashed wasn't the word to describe its state, more like annihilated. All the banners and lights hung messily from the walls. Streamers and food littered the floor. Papers, bits of plastic and cups were everywhere reminding me of a scene at a fair or carnival. I tried not to pay attention to the red punch stains on the navy carpet. There was strange smells in the air. Gabe had paid to cleaners to help and they suddenly rushed in with their equipment. They began to work straight away while Gabe pulled down decorations and Victoria and Andy picked up litter. I strolled through my ill house and into the halls. They stunk of smoke, making me wanna cry. This would take forever to vanquish the smell. I gained enough courage and peered into the bathroom. My hand flung to my mouth and I wanted to vomit. It was worse than the lounge. The kitchen was raided of all food and drink. I practically swallowed back sour bile when I smelt vomit or spotted it. I began to swear like a sailor as I'd seen someone had been in my room, cupboards pulled out, bed in tatters. Surely life wasn't this stuffed up. I had to get out of this place.
I stumbled over bottles as I stormed out of the rooms. My head spinning and throbbing, my stomach churning. I made it into the hallway and gasped against the wall. A few more minutes and I probably would have passed out.

One thing about this place was that it always had interesting things happen. Whether Miss Todd the Crazy Cat Lady was knocking on all the doors in the block if we'd seen one of her ten cats. She had a few run ins with animal control. Didn't stop her though. She is a cat magnet. I could swear she sometimes threw cats at the animal control officers like a human catapult. Then there was Mr and Mrs Clove. They seemed to have domestics every night which would end up in one screaming profanity down the hallway or one sleeping outside the door or even my room. Oh and who could forget Sam. He had so many girls visiting him, then they all would leave the next morning, never to return again. Last, but certainly not least were the Dooby Twins, Clair and Tom, who would run into your room and catch you when you least suspect it. They had once jumped on my bed while I was still asleep, stuffing socks into my mouth. Maybe I had been snoring, but still that wasn't right. Revolting twins. Sometimes people would even scream. I suspect the kids had seen many things ones their age should not.

Finally when I felt strong enough I braced enough energy to re-enter my...home of hell.

The clean up party took most of the day and our time and the air freshener had stunk it out. I decided to stay at my mums house tonight. Had to admit, I missed her scrumptious pumpkin squares, tastiest things on the planet. It felt good to visit my old home.

Mum was more than happy to see her little boy again. To her I was little any age. She put her best effort into dinner that night, going on that working boys have to eat. As far as she knew I worked for the Search and Rescue. I didn't like to lie, but I didn't want to break her heart. She could never know my secret. To know her son could die would kill her, even though I could probably die in my imaginary job. Why bring mum back haunted memories that she had gotten to cope with?

After a catch up chat with mum about my life and job I slowly walked to my bedroom. I hardly visited mum. I was scared if the vampires found out they could harm her to get to me. As I entered my bedroom I realized how small it looked. It was still as I had left it on the night I had left, almost leaving my past behind now standing here brought it back. Only now dust coated the cabinets. I let myself fall back on the bed and stared out the window into the moonlight, just remembering. I tapped my touch lamp on my bedside table to a dim setting and snuggled up into the pillow. I probably would have dozed off with my exhaustion of today if I hadn't seen a movement against the fence. I tried to see what it was from the streetlight, but couldn't, so I put my glasses back on. I rolled over and slowly pulled open the draw next to me and pulled out a tranquilizer gun. I walked over to the window and slowly opened it, hopping onto the perfectly mowed grass below. I crept against the wall, catching the rustling in the bushes. I squinted my eyes trying to see and suddenly got knocked off my feet as something jumped at me. The thing clasped a strong, cold hand over my mouth. Instinct to thrash and fight kicked in like a drug. I sunk my teeth into the hand and pushed the gun against the arm of this creature and pushed the trigger. A click followed by a large hiss was heard as I was pushed across the ground. I rolled and landed perfectly in a kneeling position, gun out in front of me, ready. There was a thud and I went over to investigate. I pushed my glasses closer to my eyes and stared down at this thing. My blood ran cold and I stumbled backwards in fright. It was him.
I looked around speciously and dragged Pete's deep sleeping body to my window. This guy wasn't precisely light. I made sure he'd gotten all the drug and pulled out the tranquilizer and threw it on the ground. Now came the tricky part. I half lifted him and pushed him through the window. I winced at the thud, hope mum hadn't heard that. I climbed through the window and dragged him onto my bed. In the process I fell over a dozen times into cabinets with enough force to bruise. I kneeled on the bed and just stared at him. So still and lifeless. An hour past before he showed any signs of coming around. First his fingers twitched, then his nose, then he sat up so fast, face staring lost into mine that I fell backwards off the bed. He stared blankly at me for a few minutes, then gave a giant grin which showed off his sharp fangs. Those eyes did look slightly nervous though. I looked gingerly at him, feeling restless of the fact a live vampire was sitting in my room. I slowly sat up and stared. I automatically began chewing my bottom lip, too nervous to speak to this stranger friend. He was sitting on his knees, eyeing me up curiously as if I was hiding something.

"So, it's true" he said, breaking the silence with a rough strong voice "The rumors and what I witnessed last night".

Pete let his fingers run over the place where I'd shot him. A slight little dent was in the skin, hardly noticeable. I kept silent, letting him read my expression like a book, not hiding a thing. I felt slightly guilty. Shouldn't he be scared in someway, I certainly felt scared.

"Don't be scared" he said, putting his hand out to me with a slight smile, causing me to flinch at the sudden movement.

The grey was disappearing from around his brown eyes returning to their white which meant the tranquilizer was now wearing off.

Something was stopping me from shaking his hand. Warning bells rang in my head and told my body to be extremely careful. I was trusting my judgement. I pushed against the cabinet and grabbed my gun off the top, holding it beside my leg but keeping my eyes on Pete. Right now I was feeling like an emotional wreak.
He dropped his hand and the smile disappeared. He looked out the window with a lost and rejected expression.

"I see".

I could hear the disappointment in his voice. I didn't even think vampires could be disappointed.
We sat a while in silence before I found my voice, well I thought I had. A squeak was the only response.

He looked back at me "Yes?"

I frowned "Ho-ow long have y-you known what you...are?" there was my voice, A bit dry and muddled.

Pete blinked a few times and flicked his head to get the fringe out of his eye. His eyes seemed to brown more. "I've been a vampire since I was born. Born into one of this cities' vampire families. I kinda suspected I was different from the other kids which was why I was kept away from them. They were the Kids of the Day. I'd watch them sometimes from my little dark room, fantasized by them.Wondering how they survived in the sunlight. Braving to visit them sometimes, but I was a Kid of the Night, my parents forbidded it. I was not to mangil with them" his eyes wondered to the curbing as if it was helping him continue his story "Then I met you. Another different kid. You didn't seem to be frightened of me which made me surprised. You were like my first human expriment which I wouldn't hurt" his eyes drifted around my room "I then kept asking my parents why I could smell funny, but sweet and appealing smells and why my throat would burn when I was hungry or as I found out thirsty. Just thinking about it made me feel so weird. My parents brought me the...blood and I wondered if everyone did this, of course they must, even though it was strange to think they bit and sucked on everyone's neck" he huddled into his hoodie as if he was afraid someone would notice him "I was told what I was at the age of 13. To their surprise I didn't take it too well. I'd wonder the streets for hours, trying to fight and stave myself until it became to extreme and I'd just attack anything which had blood flowing through it. My parents didn't allow me to be so careless of my health though. Then I met you again and well I felt more happy and not so alone when I sat on the street, thinking".

I felt a smile I couldn't hide spread across my lips. Pete looked at me and I bit my lip quickly. Stupid me. I couldn't let him see me do that.

"Course after that I didn't care anymore about control or anything. I sided with the vamps, knowing I'd put you in more danger than good. Now I shouldn't have worried" he gave a evil smirk, making his fangs look more razor sharp "Last night is example of the real me".

My mouth felt dry and sticky, the words lodged inside my dry throat. If last night was what he was usually, I was in trouble. I slowly crawled and stood up in the corner of my room, watching him curiously.

"Why are you here then?" I forced out in question.

"I scared you" Pete said, standing up "I wanted to apologize".

I flinched and my eyes zapped to the door then back to Pete. He smirked and did the same, like a slow mirror. I made a run for the door, but he grabbed me around the waist. We fell to the ground with a thud and I began to thrash and kick. I was not going down without a fight. His cold stone hands roughly held me to the ground. My legs bashed into cabinets and I actually realized the true size of my room. It seemed like it had shrunken over the years. Under the whole confusion of the fight and concentrating on how to escape I caught Pete's expression. He was grinning with play, twinkling in his eyes. He was remembering the good old days when we'd play outside by my window. But this room was too small for our full grown bodies. We rolled into cabinets and I got wedged between his rock of a body and the bed. After I'd finally escaped his clutches he grabbed my arm and pulled me back with a force a bit to strong, causing me to slam into the wall. I knew he wasn't trying to hurt me, he was forgetting his strength. I just prayed this old home could take a bashing. As all the good memories flooded back I found myself actually laughing, I was trying to stop though and act like the killer hunter I was. I let out a painful yelp as I crashed into the corner of the cabinet.

"Rick" I heard mum call out "Are you okay?"

I pushed Pete away who was trying to tackle me again "SHHH". I swallowed deeply as I heard her footsteps getting closer. Very, very bad.

"Under the bed now" I hissed at him, rubbing the back of my sensitive head.

He looked at me like a puppy wanting to play forever on end, then again this was the time of the day he woke up. Hard to believe just how wild he could be.

"Now Pete" I growled through clenched teeth.

At first I thought he wouldn't fit like he used to, but somehow he did. I couldn't even fit my head under it since I was five.

I jumped up and fell against the bedside table as mum burst in. Shame. She serched my room with quick eyes until they landed on me. My hat was lopsided and hair a mess. I was uncomfortably lying against the table, arms holding it onto like a drunk.

"I'm fine mum, I-I just fell" I said, hiding the nervousness from creeping into my voice and the fact the draw handle was digging into my back.

Mum -still treating me like a four year old- came over to see if I was hurt. Of course with her motherly instinct she managed to find the bump on my head. I told her over and over I didn't have head trauma or concussion and she left the room quietly saying if I felt dizzy or sick to come to her straight away or shout out. When she left I sighed with relief and jumped as Pete suddenly appeared next to me.

"It's very clean under your bed, dusty though" he said, giving a sneeze.

The only thing I could do was glare at him as he smirked back smugly. A close call that shouldn't have been close at all. "I think you better go" I said to Pete, the words re-phrasing themselves from long ago.

The play in his eyes slowly went out like a fading torch, making them dark, dull and cold, sending a shiver down my spine. I pushed up against the wall, trying to keep my heartbeat at a base rate. His eyes were the creepiest things I'd ever seen.

I watched him get up slowly "Yes, I guess I should get going". He dully, but gracefully walked towards the window.

"But not forever again" my eyes widened to the realization of my true words that had past my lips and in almost a pleading voice.

I could almost feel the child inside me, forcing out the words I'd thrown in the darkest part of my heart. This kid or inner child wanted the good times where I didn't know what he was, when I wasn't afraid. The grown up me was fighting against the child to destroy the past and live the future and present. But he was proving a struggle.
Pete looked back at me with a slight smile. I just stared looking shell shocked. He walked over to me, grabbed my hand and sniffed my wrist. I could almost feel my blood freeze with my body. He was remembering my smell for later times. I bit back a short scream of fright as I stared into extreme black eyes, like lost in space.

"Tomorrow night then" he suggested with no going back "I'll smell ya out. Show you how I see this city at night".

He jumped out the window and I collapsed onto the bed, feeling faint and exhausted, as if the life had been sucked out of me. I rubbed my wrist against the duvet and shuttered. I really didn't know what to think. Should I be happy that my childhood bestie was now back in my life or scared that he was a blood thirsty being that could turn savage at any minute. Somehow this seemed even risker than my job which always had a 50-50 chance.I took my glasses off and snuggled up into the pillow, suddenly feeling the toll of the day weigh down on me and push me into a deep sleep.