Both of us took to the air, and the employee was left looking dumbfounded as he searched for us in the parking lot. Lorcan was laughing. He didn’t have a big enough mean streak to do something like this himself, but that didn’t stop him from laughing when I acted up, and I had been good for far too long.
I started throwing the DVD’s at the employee. I watched him look up towards the nighttime clouds, and then I beaned him solidly right on top of his head. Lorcan started laughing so hard he began falling out of the sky, and I had to reach out and grab him.
“Follow me,” I said.
I took off across the landscape.
Lorcan did as I asked. I could hear him laughing as he kept up with me. Together, the two of us moved back towards the city. I had a bit of mischief that I wanted to get into. We landed on the roof of a two-story building near a somewhat busy intersection.
“Why are we here?” Lorcan asked.
“I want a car,” I answered.
“What do you plan on doing?” Lorcan asked.
“I plan on taking one,” I laughed.
The next thirty minutes went by, and nothing remarkable happened. Lorcan was beginning to look bored, and I didn’t like that one bit.
The Porsche pulled up to the stoplight with a lovely rumble. I watched my little brother’s eyes grow wide with excitement as he took in the sleek, black convertible.
“That’s a Panamera,” Lorcan said.
“You like that one?” I asked.
“Oh yes, I do,” Lorcan answered.
I dropped off the roof, and free fell towards the passenger seat of the car. I landed silently in a dark cloud of mist. The driver took one look at me and froze in fear. I bared my fangs, growled violently, and watched the man abandon his vehicle. I climbed over to the driver’s seat right as Lorcan joined me in the car.
“This is dangerous,” Lorcan said excitedly.
“This is fun,” I said right before I slammed the gas pedal down to the floor.
The Porsche took off like a rocket, and I was able to blow through no less than eight traffic lights before a police cruiser started following me.
Lorcan turned in his seat to watch our pursuers.
“They’ll radio in for help,” Lorcan advised.
“I’m sure they already have.”
“Can we escape quietly so as not to attract too much attention?” Lorcan asked.
“What are you worried about?” I asked.
“I’m worried about filling Southern California up with hunters,” Lorcan answered. “Too many hunters will chase us right out of here.”
“I don’t think there are many hunters left,” I said. “We haven’t encountered any for how long now?"
“It’s been a decade,” Lorcan answered.
“A decade is a long time,” I said as I pushed the car up to eighty miles per hour.
“A decade isn’t a very long time,” Lorcan argued. “Let’s end this before the helicopters.”
“The helicopters are why I’m doing this,” I said as another police cruiser began following us.
The lights and sirens were waking up the neighborhoods as I drove through the city at break-neck speeds. Lorcan was laughing out loud and standing up in his seat to feel the air on his face.
“It’s your turn to drive,” I said.
“Really?"
“Yup,” I answered. “Switch me places.”
Lorcan did as I asked, and began driving even faster than I had. We were moving so fast on the turns that I had to hold on to the door to keep from falling out of my seat. Lorcan was having the time of his life.
I was always the happiest when Lorcan was happy.
More police cruisers joined the chase. I watched them hurrying after us and wondered why they even bothered. They weren’t going to catch us, but they’d search the entire night trying.
“Stay on the open roads,” I advised Lorcan.
“I’m trying,” Lorcan said.
More police cruisers appeared in front of us, causing Lorcan to jerk sharply on the wheel. I turned in my seat and took a look at all the cars chasing after us. The news helicopter was bound to show up soon.
“About that news helicopter,” I said.
“No,” Lorcan laughed. “That’s too much. We’re already attracting too much attention. If we take a helicopter, we’ll have every hunter in the country coming after us.”
“I’d really like to fly a helicopter,” I pouted.
One of the police cruisers attempted to slam into us from the side; but Lorcan hit the accelerator, and we easily scooted out of the way.
“Traffic is getting bad up ahead,” Lorcan said.
“Drive on the sidewalks,” I said.
“We need to ditch this car.”
“Then head down one of those alleys up ahead,” I said.
Lorcan squealed the tires as he aimed the car into the nearest alley. As soon as we had a moment of privacy, both of us scurried up the side of the nearest building. The Porsche coasted into a pile of wooden boxes, and the two of us watched as the police cruisers flooded into the alley.
“Why do they have their guns out?” Lorcan asked. “We just took a car. That seems a bit extreme.”
“You wanna take one of them?” I asked even though I knew full well that the police were best kept off-limits.
“You mean feed on one of them?” Lorcan asked.
“Why not?” I asked.
“That’s too risky,” Lorcan said. “You’re crazy.”
“I’d like to feed again,” I grumbled as we continued to watch the police search the alley.
“I’m good,” Lorcan said.
“Would you come with me?” I asked.
“Where?"
“I heard about a keg party in Riverside,” I said.
“Really?” Lorcan asked. “I love parties. Why didn’t you mention this earlier?”
“You wanted to play that game,” I said.
“Well, now I’d like to go to the keg party,” Lorcan said.
I took a final look down at the chaos below us and shrugged my shoulders. It was evident that we weren’t in the alley, but still, the police refused to give up their search. It all seemed like such a waste of time.
Lorcan and I floated away on the breeze.
For the longest time, the two of us drifted on the air currents. I watched Lorcan. He was neither solid nor mist, but somewhere in between. We were having fun. I was laughing, and then we were wrestling over a range of hills and trees.
The keg party was easy to find. This late at night, most of the partygoers were already heavily intoxicated. Lorcan and I normally kept well away from humans in situations like this, but the fire had died down considerably.
We made our way over to the keg and poured ourselves some beer in order to blend in. Lorcan didn’t like the smell coming from his glass, but I didn’t mind the odor. I rather liked it, not that I’d ever try and drink the stuff.
“How are you?” A young girl asked.
“I’m fine,” I answered with delight. “How are you?”
“Bored,” the young girl answered. “I really thought that there’d be more people here.”
“Kind of dead,” I said with a smile that made Lorcan laugh out loud.
“At least there’s beer,” Lorcan volunteered eagerly.
“That’s true,” the young girl said. “So I’m Sherri, what are your names?”
“I’m Todd,” I answered. “This is my brother Bob.”
“Bob and Todd,” Sherri repeated in disbelief.
Lorcan started laughing.
“You obviously don’t want to tell me your names,” Sherri said with an awkward smile. “What school do you go to?”
“Too many questions,” I said.
“Yeah,” Lorcan agreed.
“Piss off,” I said.
“Seriously?” Sherri asked. “I was just trying to be friendly.”
“We have enough friends, Sherri,” I mocked. “Go away.”
With an incredulous look, Sherri gave her shoulders an exaggerated shrug, before moving quickly back to her small group of friends.
Lorcan was still laughing.
“I didn’t know how to answer her,” I explained.
“So you scared her off with rudeness,” Lorcan laughed.
“You’d rather she stick around longer?” I asked.
“Yes,” Lorcan answered. “It might be interesting.”
“I doubt that,” I said before moving even farther away from the dying fire.
The two of us fell into a peaceful silence as we each listened to the many conversations of the inebriated partygoers. Together we heard all the drunken confessions, hookups, and jokes over the next hour or so.
Sherri was still pissed at my rudeness, and she was letting everyone that came near her know just how poorly I had treated her.
“There’s going to be trouble,” Lorcan said.
“You think so?” I asked.
“Angry girls, alcohol, and drunken boys,” Lorcan said. “Trouble is coming.”
“I’d agree with you if we were still in the eighties or nineties,” I said, “but nowadays everyone is a pacifist. They don’t like bullies.”
“Angry girls, alcohol, and drunken boys,” Lorcan repeated as a strapping young lad flanked by two minions pointed our way while he chatted with Sherri. “There’s your guy.”
“How long until he threatens me?” I asked.
“Any minute now,” Lorcan answered.
The strapping young lad and his two minions looked over at us a few more times before they started walking towards us. Already I could hear their heartbeats speeding up with the prospect of violence.
“Do you want one of them?” I asked.
“I’m good,” Lorcan answered. “You’re going to get caught.”
“I’m pretty good at this,” I said. “Maybe you’ve noticed?”
We were in the desert with open land on one side, and rocky mountain ranges on the next. Lorcan and I were sitting with our backs to the rocks, and that worked out in my favor tremendously.
The two of us brought forth the fog and mist as the strapping lad and his minions got closer and closer, and then we did the one sure thing to really get their attention.
We ran.
We ran like humans. We ran like we were afraid. It was getting harder and harder to see us so far from the dying fire, but that wasn’t going to stop three drunken teenagers looking for trouble.
A shout rose out, and the dying party suddenly came back to life. There were intruders. There were reputations to be maintained. There were girls to impress. The strapping lad and his minions rushed into the darkness as the remnants of the party looked on.
Lorcan was still laughing as I circled the party, always keeping just out of the light. Sherri was standing next to the fire. She was looking towards the rocky mountain ranges as more boys began searching for us. Her friends were only about ten feet away.
I grabbed Sherri so quickly she never had the time to cry out. Very quickly, I dragged her just outside the small circle of light from the fire, and then I waited. I waited for that first friend of hers to turn around and realize that Sherri wasn’t there.
When it finally happened, when her group of friends was all aware that she was missing, I finally allowed Sherri to cry out. It took some encouragement, but Sherri called out to her friends in the weakest of voices. Her friends all turned towards us, but couldn’t make anything out in the darkness.
“Put more wood on the fire,” someone advised.
As soon as the flames started to rise, Lorcan and I moved even farther away. This time, I let Sherri drag her legs to that her friends could see the direction in which we were moving.
“Help me!” Sherri cried. “They have me!”
“Who has you, Sherri?” Her friends called.
Sherri couldn’t answer. I started feeding on her while Lorcan kept an eye on her friends. The young girl’s struggles were becoming weaker and weaker, but I wasn’t finished with her yet.
The fire was growing brighter and brighter, and we were just beyond where its light could reach. At best, Sherri’s friends could see vague forms moving in the night. I allowed Sherri to call out once more.
There was a shrillness in her voice, a rawness that attracted the attention of everyone that could hear her. Even the idiots still searching for us in the rocks turned to look.
I had everyone’s attention.
Lorcan was clapping and hopping up and down he was so excited. The strapping lad, his minions, and all the other boys that joined up with them were rushing back to the fire. I watched them gather and pick up thick sticks with which to defend themselves.
At this point, they seemed to understand that something unnatural was going on. I could hear the fear in their heartbeats. I could smell the blood rushing through their terrified bodies.
Sherri was dead.
I was holding her lifeless body in my hands as Lorcan and I took to the air. For the briefest of moments, the two of us hovered over the partygoers, and then I dropped Sherri’s body in the middle of the crowd.
Screams rose up in the night sky. Boys and girls were running in all directions. Some of them were crying. Most of them were calling for help.
Lorcan and I hung around for a while. We were there when the police showed up. We were there when all the parents showed up to collect their kids. It was all terribly exciting.
“The sun is coming,” Lorcan said.
“I’ll find you tomorrow,” I said.
“I’m worried about, Ciaran,” Lorcan said.
“Don’t worry about, Ciaran,” I advised. “He’ll be here soon enough.”
Selma
My final class dragged on forever. The teacher wasn’t the worst teacher I’ve ever had, but he was pretty damn close. It was a Friday. I had the weekend ahead of me, and I truly couldn’t wait to get to the beach.
Time itself seems to be a teacher’s worst enemy. They’re always fighting the clock, but the clock wins each and every day. Despite Mr. Bartlob’s strong desire to keep us for as long as possible, the bell saved us each and every day.
I gathered up my belongings and stuffed them into my backpack. My best friend, Betty, was waiting for me in the hallway. I wanted to get out of the building without running into my ex-boyfriend.
The two of us rushed to the parking lot. My other best friend, Jake, was already waiting in the back seat of my convertible Bronco, and he was holding his cell phone out in the air while blaring rock music. I couldn’t help but smile.
“What kept you so long?” Jake asked.
“Mr. Bartlob,” I answered.
“Ah,” Jake said. “That makes sense. I, on the other hand, have P.E. It’s pretty easy for me to make it to the parking lot.”
My Bronco started with a throaty growl, and I noticed that more than a few heads turned in appreciation. I cranked up the stereo, and the three of us drove straight to the beach.
I’m a Southern California girl. I spend my summers on the beach or in the water. I’ve tried surfing, boating, and everything in between. I love it all. I love the sun. I love the sand.
“What are we doing this weekend?” Betty asked as she sat up under her umbrella and applied more sunscreen.
“There’s a kick-back at Brian’s house,’ Jake volunteered. “That might be kind of fun.”
“Brad might be there,” Betty advised.
“You think so?” I asked. “He’s not exactly close with any of those guys.”
“I think he’ll show up to see if you’re there,” Betty said with a smile.
I groaned out loud, and both of my friends laughed. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go to Brian’s kick-back if my ex was going to turn up. I didn’t feel like spending the entire night refusing to get back together with him.
“Maybe we can watch a movie or something,” I said. “Is there anything out that might be good?”
“I really don’t feel like another movie,
” Jake said.
“Yeah,” Betty agreed. “Let’s do something else.”
“Well, I’m open,” I said. “I’ll even go to Brian’s if that’s what you want. How bad could it be?”
“We can always leave if Brad shows up,” Jake said.
“Selma shouldn’t have to leave anywhere,” Betty argued. “She didn’t do anything wrong. It was Brad that cheated on her.”
“I’d rather leave,” I said. “I don’t want to have an argument with an ex-boyfriend in front of all my friends. That’s way too cliché.”
Betty and Jake laughed.
They were good friends.
I returned home right as the sun was beginning to go down. My dad’s car was in the driveway, and I parked next to him. We had a big house. I had to call out for him once I let myself in.
“Selma,” my dad called back from somewhere upstairs. “Why are you getting home so late?"
“It’s Friday, Dad,” I answered. “I was at the beach with Betty and Jake.”
“That sounds fun,” Dad said as he poked his head out over the banister. “Just make sure you stay in tonight.”
“Really?” I asked. “Why’s that? I had plans to go to a kick-back.”
“I don’t know what a kick-back is,” Dad said, “but I still want you staying close to the house tonight.”
That’s when I noticed that my dad looked a bit pale. I also noticed how he was rushing about. He looked nervous. My dad is an attorney. A very famous and very powerful attorney, there wasn’t much that could make him nervous.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
“There’s a bit of rough business happening at work,” Dad answered.
The man was pushing fifty but looked to be about thirty-five. He was handsome, well built, and had blonde hair perfectly parted to the side.
“Rough business?” I asked.
“Tough clients,” Dad explained. “They’re being difficult. I don’t think things will get too crazy, but I’d rather not take chances.”
“How crazy are we talking?” I asked a bit nervously.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” Dad answered. “I expect this bit of business will be over by the weekend, but until then, I want you close to home.”
The Forgotten: A Vampire Story Page 2
